davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-05-06
Coming Attractions
NATIONAL-"Merton of the Movies"

NATIONAL-"Merton of the Movies"
Merton Of the Movies" the comedy
which first focused attention on Glenn
Hunter, will be the third Offering by the
National Players for the week begin
ming May ID. Harry Leon Wilson, au-
thor of "Ruggles of Red Gap" and
Bunker Bean." wrote the original story,
which was dramatized by George Kauf-
man. dramatic critic of the New York
Times.
Merton" concerns a small-town
youth who prays nightly at his bedside
to get the opportunity to become q good
actor He drifts Westward, Is kicked
from pillar to post in the studios, and
finally gets job doubling for the hero,
though actually he is made to believe
that he himself Is that important per-
sOnage. He has just that quality of
fervor and sincerity that people mistake
for sappiness. This trait helps him
survive the mockeries of his studio as
Sociatcs. and finally their ridicule is
turned to admiration.
The play ran 40 weeks In New York,
and visited Washington on tour. with
Glenn Hunter in his original role Play
brokers declare 1t is one of the most
successful stock vehicles. and will en-
dure for years of popularity.
Evening star., 1928-05-06
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Evening star., 1928-05-06

SHOW World has been selected as
the final title for King Vidor's new
Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer picture, starring
Marion Davies and William Haines. and
formerly known as Breaking Into the
Movies"
Evening star., 1928-11-04
AmbereriS.

FORMERLY there was such mystery
surrounding the origin of amber
girls, that most valuable substance, but
now 1t Is pretty generally agreed that 1t
Is nothing more or less than NOR
bid secretion" due to a disease Of the
liver OF the sperm-whale. The whales
that yield arnbergriS are invariably sick
ly and emaciated animals
In ancient times this substance was
known as amber" a name also ap-
piled subsequently to the fossil gum
nov commonly so called. In order to
distinguish between the two one was
called amber girls (gray) and the other
amber jaune yellow. So. we perceive,
the word "ambergris" means simply
gray amber. AS in the case OF the fos-
sill gum, pieces of it were found from
time. to time on the shores of the sea,
where they had been cast up by the
waves.
For hundreds Of years the ambergris
has been employed IN Sacerdotal rites
OF the church, and with the fragrant
gums 1t was formerly burned in the
apartments Of the wealthy. To some
extent 1t was used as q medicine and
a favoring for certain dishes. Nova
days 1t Is utilized almost exclusively
by perfumers in the preparation OF fine
scents. being first converted into tine
ture by dissolution in alcohol.
Some years ago there was stolen In
California lump of ambergris said to
have been valued at $4,000. One of
the finest and largest pieces Of am
bergris obtained in modern times was
sold In London some time ago. II
weighed about l63 pounds and brought
$50. 900.
Evening star., 1928-11-04
Temperamental Ostrich.

THOSE who manage ostrich farms
declare that much diplomacy is
required in the handling of the ostrich,
which, in more ways than one, Is
decidedly queer bird.
The ostrich requires, aside from other
necessary qualifications, a master s
hand, strict nand, tempered by ius-
tlce and mercy Not that the ostrich
is al all appreciative of kindness. In
deed, he never becomes thoroughly do
mesticated, say those who know him
In captivity.
On the contrary. the ostrich is
haughtily and Stolidly irresponsive 10
kindness. and so treacherous Is he
when full grown that even his daily
attendants never approach him unless
equipped with the necessary appliances
TO bring him to terms when he is in an
ugly or dangerous mood.
The oStr1ch's chief object in life
seems to be to fight on every possible
occasion. Indeed, a fight to him is
the very spice of things.
The male ostrich is not without COM
mendable qualities, however. For in
stance, he mates but once and forever
Should he, as often happens In the
course of domestic complication, kick
MS mate to death, he remains true and
constant to her memory, never seeking
. successor. In the ordinary phases of
domesticity he is attentive and helpful.
He digs a hole in the ground that Is to
serve as nest, and during the process
Of incubation. which continues for 40
days, he relieves the mother bird in her
duties from early evening until late the >
next morning.
A curious habit of the male ostrich is
MS constitutional" At sunrise and Just
before twilight the male birds line up
n single file and race around the in
closure at whirlwind speed until thor
oughly hmbered up. Then, suddenly
arranging themselves in sets, they exc
'ute a grotesque minuet with ludicrous
sravity.
Evening star., 1928-11-04

So Pitter sad: II was naver in hall
mine life murr seerous."
So dey arrifed by moofy wot It set
dere noosance from fet female mo-
ture wot whole time she rad hout
lout from de scrinn de titles so:
Great Cons. Gel! CFeenklestein
from de Nuttwast Monted-) Mike
OToole.
"Conchita--a wild critchure from de
swamps."
"Wott mine dirr? Tirrs by you on
de wadding morn?"
witt Seek monts later-S'long War
den."
"Koises!w
bot you will Railways be jost plain
Dmittzzkzpcvch Observation-Disclosures to
mel"
So 1t exclaimed de hold men: by
Golly-some peecture I hirringll" (Of
cuss, it deedn't was invented in dem
days tukking moofles!D
SO 1t was gung humm Pitter wot he
was cruising hover de reever troo a
tonnel wot he gate hall from sodden
nuttice wot 1t stood in de Dyke a
hole via wheech 1t was treeckling hout
de wodder. So In horder it should be
prevented a flod odder title wafe so
Pitter queeck put in de frosty feenger
in de hole wot 1t cissed in de dyke
de lila
Evening star., 1928-11-04
Uncle Jim" Parks Served "Children
of Mount Vernon" and Recalls Life
of George Washington Parke Gus
tbs, Last Link of Household In
timacy With First President.

yes, sub, Use seen him draw de bow
down here many times; de major shore
was stuck on music"
A walk up the hill piece to the old
slave burial ground carried us to the
edge of thicket overgrown with bushes
and brambles. Here all of James
Parks forbears are buried, his father
and mother, his grandfathers and grand
mothers, including the renowned George
Clark, who cooked for Mr. Gusts at the
mansion house the greater portion of
his life, married seven wives and lived
to be 110 years old. Uncle Jim said
that George Clark was a gift" from
George Washington to Maj. GUSTS, and
was the family cook before the
big house on the hill was built, when
Mr.. Gusts first lived in the little house
not far from the spring, built by the
Alexanders before John Parke Gusts
bought Arlington plantation from Ge-
rard Alexander in December, 1778. The
slave cemetery Is a forlorn, neglected
and almost forgotten spot today, al
though the pillow of the Government
farmers seems not to have uprooted 1t,
as far as the casual eye can Judge.
Some of the bricks from the old Alexan-
der house are said to have been used
Evening star., 1928-11-04
Exaggerations: Feenger in Dyke

odder hopening odder a creek odder
q crewice so dere he put in de feenger
So de momma sad: "YI VI YI!I Geeve
q look-A complax he'll grow opp witt
yat I couldn't kipp for fife meentis a
SWees-chizze IN de house. Wherr do
you countrecting dees heccentreecity?"
So de leedle boy Thy de way, de name
was Pitter), so Pitter sad: "Hm-you
deedn't rad from leedle Jeck Hummer
wot he set by a Gunner wot he put in de
tom wot he took hout plom wot he sad
Ho. boy! do am de barries?' Ha?"
SO de momma sad: "Plom putting! !!
Luzzy-me!l Gootness gracious! Sakes
allfe!! Dot reminds mel got baked
besket cooktzz you should take to de
hold blind men wot he leeves don by
de weendmeel."
So Pitter said: "Ho K nominal Bot
! tink he likes notch batter dunnots."
; "Mm-holes agan-you nutty boy!
Be hun witt you'll"
So Pitter dippotted chenting marrily
sung from High Lee witt High Low
nature.
POT III.
SO he arrifed gradually by de hold
blind men In de bongaloW wot he sad:
"Noo-Grendpa--comm lat's we should
gung by a Inoofy."
So de hold men sad: "Hm-jukks you
laAkinz Pitter." n
Evening star., 1928-11-04

they seldom had After securing the
necessary pass, the next request would
be for some money to provide for their
meager wants. To this Mr. Gusts would
say. Money, I haven't any money.
don't work; what do you want with
money!" The explanation being fur
n1Shed, he would usually write out an
order and direct that it be presented
to Miss Mary" at the big house. Miss
Mary" was Mrs. Robert E. Lee, Mr..
Custis' only child and when the order
was exchanged for money it was usually
discovered to be double the amount
coaxed from the master. Asked if he
recalled Mrs. Lee quite clearly, he re-
piled, Jus same as twas yestiddy: I
up to de big house most every day"
Naturally, he has good recollection of
'Cul nj Lee" also. Notwithstanding the
fact that much of the time he was not
at Arlington, inaSmuch as he was away
on duty with his troops. Sometimes his
family was with him and they were gone
from Arlington House for several years.
as was the case when he was ordered
to West Point as superintendent of the
Military Academy. but often they re-
malned at Arlington until he came home
on leave OF absence. Uncle Jim" knew
all the Lee children and named them
IN the order in which they were born.
Old Uncle Jim" Parks comes very
near to personifying the tabled "Old
Uncle Ned" in the ancient song we have
all heard since childhood. He is a
page from the past; a living counter
part, almost, of the characters Thomas
Nelson Page portrays so well In his i'm
mortal stories of the old South. His
mind is a storehouse of interesting his
torical information about Arlington, the
Cust1S family and the Lees of Virginia:
and If he could write a book about his
eventful years 1t would surely be worth
publishing. A long life to Uncle Jir11;"
may he eclipse the longevity record of
his old grandfather, George Clark, and
some day walk or ride with me over the
completed Memorial Bridge across the
Potomac from Lincoln's white temple
to Arlington.
Evening star., 1928-11-04

among the Potowmack Indians, but
Uncle Jim" had no opinion as to that.
He remembered the big oak that once
stood just above the spring, which Loss
ing, the historian, described. in his
story of visit to Arlington as a guest
of Mr.. Gusts, published in Harper's
Magazine September, 1858, and he told
me of the changes in the river shore
during so and more years last past. He
pointed out the spot where the steam
boat wharf had been, the ice house,
blacksmith shop. and the pavilicns and
kitchens which Mr.. Custis had built for
the comfort of his picnic guests. Not
a veStige Of these symbols Of the benev-
olent old masters hospitality survives
today, except the old spring, and that
has been covered over, because the
water is now piped to neat, brick
spring house across the road Many a
time has Uncle jim" knelt down to
dip up gourd of water for his master
when he was a mere boy. 1t seems
from what he says that Mr.. Custis had
his plantation Office in log building
adjacent to the spring, and that 1t was
his almost daily custom to visit the
spring for morning drink before he
repaired to the cabin to attend to
whatever business might be at hand.
have a wood fire In the cabin on cool
mornings before Mr.. Gusts arrived and
then to make himself generally useful
as his old master might direct.
A T this point in ou. conversation it
"A occurred to me 20 ask him If he
had never seen Mr.. Gusts ningle with
the picnickers In the grove. knew;
of course, that the bountiful old gen.
tleman had built dancing pavilion for
the pleasure of his guests and that fre-
quently, it is said, he hired musicians
to play for them; perhaps on special
occasions. Uncle Jim's answer was to
affirm what he has seen with his own
eyes; many times Mai. Gusts" would
come down from the mansion house on
the hill to watch the children play and
to see If every one was having good
time All were welcome. except on Sun
day, and the only restriction was that
intoxicating liquor should not be brought
on the place. At times this genial and
kindly host would appear among the
picnic merrymakers with his own fiddle
tucked under his arm and would take
his place among the musicians and him
self help make music for the dancers.
Evening star., 1928-11-04

the days when branch of that i'm
portant artery of commerce crossed the
Potomac at Georgetown over the Aque-
duct bridge. The slabs of bluestone
finishing the top of the wall had come
from Grant quarry, few miles beyond
Seneca. / asked him If he knew that
road running through the old planta-
tation was the one over which Braddock
and George Washington marched with
their troops on the ill-starred campaign
to capture Fort Duquesne, before the
Revolutionary War. No, he did not
know that, but he had seen a heap of
Yankee soldiers streaming over that
road toward Washington after the first
Battle of Bull Run. Uncle Jim" cleared
up another foggy point for me at this
particular time. In answer to my direct
question he explained that the driveway
into the cemetery through the McClel-
Ian Gate and on UP to the mansion
house, was the original main entrance
and road into the estate In the ante
bellum days, and the only one of any
consequence. He showed me lines of
stately maple trees for which he had
dug the holes and helped to plant many
years ago, and he pointed out where
the collins had been piled in long rows
like cordWood" toward the end and
after the war, when they began to bury
the Union dead in Arlington. He knew
where Quartermaster Gen. Montgomery
Meigs was buried and said he helped to
dig his grave. And thus James Parks
prepared with his own hands the last
resting place of the man who probably
did more than any one else to convert
large part of the plantation into a ma
tional cemetery, where sleep legion of
Americas heroic dead.
The family of Uncle Jirn's" father
and mother was not exceedingly pro-
life, considering his own record of %
children. There were only nine chill
dren, five boys and four girls: only one
other besides himself survives, a sister
named Martha. His father was named
Lawrence and his mother was PATSY
Clark. His brothers were George, Perry,
Robert and Lawrence, while his sisters
were Amanda, Martha, Matilda and
Leanna. They were all born slaves at
Arlington House plantation. When
asked him about acquiring his freedom
he reminded me that Mr. CuStis had
provided in his will for the liberation of
all his slaves within five years after his
death. Such indeed is a fact. but as
he died in October. 1857, and as Pres
ldent Lincoln'S final Emancipation
Proclamation was issued January /,
1868. there might possibly have been
some doubt as TO which of these two
documents was responsible for the free
dom of the Arlington slaves. Never
theless. Uncle Jim" has no doubt In
Evening star., 1928-11-04

So he sad: "Hm-a fine peeckle-a
whole night I'll hev to stay here-bing
wot it dun't commanding till hate-toRy
in de monnink de breeck-layers witt de
plesterers unionI Moot Noo!l-Halp! /!
Halp!!"
Bot 1t deen't hold heem nobody doc
to de coicumstence wot 1t wurr de in
hebitents on de fitt wooden clocks so
whan it wukked on de teeptuzz de
ceetizens so 1t sonded gradually like Pet
Rooney odder Weel Mahunny odder
Beel Robinson by de Kits Woddeweel
clock-dencers.
So Pitter sad: "Hm-wot I'll gonna
do?"
So in de bitwinn time it was gunC
on dere hall kinds greft from de bonn
soor-pipes wat dey was fool from creeks
witt spleets wot it flutted hinto de
Dyke feeshes witt crebs witt Holsters
witt ills. So 1t grebbed Pitter a hold
from i'll wot he tite in heem one knot
by de front from de Ill undedees he
gate pool troo wot he made yat an
nodder knot in de conclusion from de
Ill wot 1t cissed 1t should ron hout de
wodder wot he bicame gradually hirro
witt indusser yat from tsigarettes.
(Hm-sotch dollink baby-ate opp
all de breA witt eweporated meelkD
lCeryFjshA in2eA
Evening star., 1928-11-04

in building the large stable that now
shelters the Department of Agricul-
lures teams and wagons, but the old
spring itself is the only tangible relic
of the past in that portion of the plan
tation. AS for the log cabin where
Maj Custis" conducted his business
appertaining to the estate, 1t has long
since disappeared. Uncle Jim" and
his first wife lived in it for many wears,
after the master had passed away. By
his two wives. both of whom he has
outlived, he had % children and he
states as simple fact today that five
of his sons served their country In the
World War.
I WAS anxious to question the old
man about other points Of interest
in Arlington Cemetery proper. so we
drove out of the farm and stopped un-
der tree opposite the Mcclellan Gate.
Did he know where the red stones came
from to build the cemetery wall?
asked. Without any hesitation he re-
piled that they had come from the
Seneca quarry in Maryland and had
been transported over the C. g. o. canal
right into the Arlington reservation in
Evening star., 1928-11-04

Arlington House during
the Civil War, in the hands
of the Union forces. June.
1864, just after 200 acres of
the estate had been set
apart as a national military
cemetery.
Courtesy Review of Reviews Col
Evening star., 1928-11-04
BY MILT GROSS.

TOURTH FLOOR-Oohoo, Ntze
- baby. lit opp all de bren witt
eweporatcd meek SO mommaW
/ gonna tell you antidote from de
laedle boy wot he put IN de fen
ger in de dyke it shouldn't be flood.
Vance oppon witt a time 1t leeved
in Holland a momma witt leedle boy
from a Dotch nature. SO in dem days,
bing wot it dee6n't was invented yat
ha!rsheeps, so 1t was helewated instat
de reevers wot it rote hopp in de hair
de passengers irregoddless. So bi1g wot
1t as helewated reevers dey chodged
gradually savan cents. ferr und de noun
tains was built hunder de grond.
So de oppstess reevers was entitled
Dykes So is in Henglish de equeevalent
from a dyke a deetch. Odderwice, it
should be entitled a poison Meester Wen
Dyke so dey would culling heem tnstad
Meester Wen Dcetch. Ulso it wurr de
inhabitants on de fit wooden clocks
wot instat it should hold up de hold
opp men shoe store so whole time
dey was holding opp coppepter shops.
(Nize baby-take annodder spoon
bren witt eweporated meelk)
So de momma from de leedle Dotch
boy was extrimmingly pittoibed wot he
was a whole time lnsoiting de teenger
Ia holes uheraver 1t axeastea hole
Evening star., 1928-11-04

;, Arlington House in 1883 drawn by the historian
Benson Losing, upon the occasion of his visit there
at that time as the guest of George Washington Parke
SuS he original OF this quaint old picture is owned
by the War Department. and upon COMPLEXION o The co
called restoration of Arlington House, now going for
ward under its direction, will be hung in the mansion
Evening star., 1928-11-04

The old stable at Arlington
House estate, which burned
down many years ago. Here
George Washington Parke
Gusts kept his horses and car
riages, as did also his son-in-
law, Robert E. Lee, who mar
ried Mary Ann Randolph
Gusts at Arlington House,
June 80, 1881.
Evening star., 1928-11-04

Old "Uncle Jim" Parks, born slave at
Arlington and owned by George Washington
Parke Gusts, adopted son of George Wash
ington. He lives in Virginia and is inter
viewed in this article
Evening star., 1928-11-04
BY ENoCH AoUILA CHASE.

" quest had been rather hot and
n N tireSome, but the moment I
/" saw him knew had found
the man I was seeking AS
= n drnue IN To the house he WAS
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-18
Kelley Sentenced
To Hang Nov. e

LOS ANGELES. Sept. ls.-iFi-
Leo tPat) Kelley. convicted OF the
murder OF Mrs. Myrtle l.. Mellus. his
society woman sweetheart. today
was sentenced TO be hanged az San
Quentin penitentiary November %.
next.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-18
MOTHER Held
AS GIRL dies
End Daughter to Die
Shows Traces of
Poisoning

GAINESVILLE, Tex. Sept. Is.-GP,
Formal charges or murder face
Mrs. Willie Frazer 81 this city. whose
st~ep-daughter Adeline Frazier died in
Mexia Friday under mysterious cir
c~umstances just five months after
her sister Callie had died Of a
strange ailment In IcNarkans.
Mrs. Frazer mas denied repeatedly
that she had any connection with the
death. In the meantime chemists at
Baylor University, Waco, have re-
ported finding traces Of poison in
preliminary examination of the or
gans Of the dead girl. sent them for
analysis, but have not made a final
report.
The first of the sisters to die sue
cumbed 10 an unexplained illness
which lasted only four days. She was
living with an uncle near 1exarkana.
Physicians advised an autopsy at the
time. but relatives demurred because
Of the expense and the ron did
not consider the evidences Of poison
were sufficient to warrant such an
examination.
Adelinc Frazer died Friday while
staying with an aunt IN Mexia. Mrs.
Frazer. formerly Miss Willie Terrell
came here from Tennessee about a
year ago and married the Leon juno
tion agent Of the cotton belt rail-
road.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-18
Youth In Whose Auto
Girl Was Killed Sued

DALLAS. Sept. ls.-Pl-Palmer
Lawrence Of Dallas. already under
a charge Of negligent homicide N
connection with an automobile acct
dent IN which Miss Bonnie Wayne
Pennell. Is. Of Montague county was
killed. was made defendant IN a ssh
600 damage suit filed by the girls
mother late yesterday. Miss Pennell
was riding with Lawrence when the
a crashed into a bridge. Lawrence
said the lights from another car had
blinded him.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-18
ROY STUCKEY

Continued from page one.)
occurred about noon, Saturday, July
z, and Stuckey Immediately sur
rendered 70 the officers.
According TO the evidence OF
Guadalupe Gonzales. Stuckey enter
ed The ArriaRa home. which consist
ed % two rooms. through the kit
chen where she was preparing din
ner. He passed into the living room
where Ricardo and two friends were
seated. A few minutes later she
heard a shot. and looking through
the open door saw the second shot
fired and Arriaga pitch sorward
from the bed TO the floor.
The witness stated she immediate
~ made her exit through the kit
chen door and ran from the house.
hearing other Shots. which she did
not count. as she ran.
Martin Galvan. who Was in the
when Arriaga was slain. stated
that an american" he did not know
entered the room from the kitchen.
and after exchanging salutations
with Arriaga, sat down in n chair.
There was no conversation. he said.
ard \ few minutes later tht Ameri-
can arose from the chair and started
shooting AK Arriaga about four feet
distant. He said that after the
shooting they went into the yard
where the American reloaded his
pistol and then returned To the
house and knecling beside the body
az ArTiaga placed his ear To Ar
riaga's chest to ascertain if the man
was dead.