davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

smoke poured from these chimneys, often so
dense you could not see the tops from the
ground. The work was hot and unhandy, but
not necessarily hazardous, If proper care was
taken.
The company agreed to pull all the fires con-
nected with one of the stacks for four hours, so
that we could hang drop line. When the
stack was cold, we went inside and raised ropes
to the apex by means Of a small balloon, which
had designed for this purpose AS soon as
single drop line was hung, it was a simple
matter to raise men and equipment to the
top and for them to pass from the top of one
stack to all the others In the row.
The fires, of course, were relighted and smoke
poured from the top as soon as this was DONE
Our men had to work with wet gauze over
their mouths and noses to keep from being
overcome.
Everything moved along smoothly enough.
was directing the job from the ground with
field glasses one afternoon when two boys in
Navy uniforms appeared before me and asked
If was the boss.
I'm one of them" said. What do
you want?"
The taller Of the two stepped forward
We're couple of human flies" he said,
"and we're looking for work."
Human flies, as said are rare and to have
two Of them drop down out of a clear sky
gave me a start We were always looking for
good men, but as a rule it was case Of train
them ourselves or go without. I thought, If
these boys really are human flies, we are in
luck; in any case, they're sailors and it won't
hurt to give them trial.
tore leaf from my notebook and scrib-
bled note to my brother, who was on No. 8
stack
Here are a couple of gobs who say they are
human flies" I wrote. "Give them the acid
test and if ok. put them with the painters"
I handed this note to the taller boy and
told him to give it to my brother. Then I
pointed to the single drop line that hung from
No. 9. They went over to the stack and the
tall boy seated himself in the bosun's chair
He began to haul himself up but before he
had gone a dozen feet knew he wasn't
human fly, or even a steeplejack. He was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

forced to stop and rest three or four times
before he reached the top, but he got there
finally and climbed upon the circular platform
we had built over the collar.
The chair was lowered and the second lad
went up. He was much better. I followed
his progress with the glasses and he seemed
handy and shifty enough, but both lacked the
easy movement natural to genuine flies" and
"jacks"
Stin watching through the glasses, saw
them hand the note to my brother. He read
it and then pointed to No. stack. I knew
what he was doing. He was ordering them
to work on No. 1, at least $50 feet away which
meant they had to walk the length of eight
narrow beams and climb over the tops Of
seven hot, smoking stacks-no easy stunt for
o greenhorn to tackle.
could see the expression of the taller boys
face change. Then with look of disgust he
walked back to the chair, seated himself and
was soon on the ground again. He was
Tuning when he came over to me-
whats the idea?" he said Does that
guy up there think he can make a fool out Of
me?"
MEANWHILE the other was making effort
to walk the beam. For almost Is min
utes he stood like a statue with one foot on the
beam and the other ON the platform. He
couldn't quite get up his nerve to step out, but
he was a game lad and wouldn't give up 1t
out on that beam; it was just our way of
testing him. Finally blew my whistle and
sent my brother note saying to string ropes
across for hand grips.
This was done and the boy spent the rest OF
the day walking back and forth on that beam.
The next day he went to work with the paint
ers and in the course of time he developed
into a f1rst-class steeplejack.
Men looking for work were almost an every
day occurrence. A few days after this young
man applied who gave me one Of the biggest
surprises of my career. He was slight. fair
haired boy about Is years old, rather timid, al
though he had snap and twinkle in his blue
eyes that appealed to me.
Under one arm was brown paper package
that he nervously shifted from hand to hand.
After hesitating moment he asked me If
could use a human fly.
Certainly" said. Where is hep"
"I am a human fly" he replied.
He was so young that didn't believe him,
but he looked like a nice boy and I have
learned that it pays to give every one chance.
I said:
"Take that chair on No. S stack and 60
aloft"
Then I wrote my brother the same sort Of
note had written for the sailors and handed
it to him.
He went up that rope as if he had been born
and bred in a bosuns chair. I watched him
to the top and saw him deliver the note to
Charlie. My brother read it and pointed to No.
/ stack This was our regular method of test
ing applicants on this job
The boy sat down ON the platform and re-
moved his shoes. From the paper parcel he
took pair of black sneakers, which he put on
and laced tightly. Then he walked around the
stack and dropped over the edge until his feet
touched the 8-inch beam that connected with
stack NO 4.
All the men were watching him now. With
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
Test OF Nerve for Human Fly

EDITORS NOTE:-
"The Fearless WrighfS," of
Chicago, are k n o ~ n
throughout the continent for
their daredevil exploits as
Human flies" In a previous
article. Samuel E. Wright
has told some OF his e1fraOr-
binary adventures. Noe he
reveals some of the INSIDE
stuff" of his hazardous trade.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

N mr. OST people think that human
HH fly and a steeplejack are the
/HH same thing. In one sense they
are, but there is as much differ
ence between a ely" and
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
CD P
FILES APPEAL

Contending that he acted in ac-
cordance with his training as a
policeman when he fired at several
fleeing men, Policeman Robert ].
Allen. of the third precinct yes.
terday filed a brief in support of
his appeal to, the District Com
missioners.
Allen was recently found guilty
of unwarranted use of his revolver
and conduct prejudicial to the best
interests of the force and recon.
mended for dismissal.
In his brief, which was filed by
Attorney Bolitha j. Laws, Allen
contended that in the very face Of
the police manual the trial board
erred in recommending his dis.
missal. He states that the regu.
lations read that any unwarranted
shooting must have been done
"maliciously" before dismissal can
be recommended.
Allen also offers to introduce wit.
nesses who will testify as to his
good character, both as a policeman,
former service man and civilian,
He claims that the board told him
there would be no mention OF
character at the trial, and as a
result he did not call any witnesses.
The policeman also offers SUP.
porting evidence in the testimony
of fellow patrolmen., whom he
states will testify that under the
same circumstances they would
have done exactly az Allen did In
shooting at the fleeing men.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
BILL. To WIDEN
RETIREMENT

Extension of the benefits of the
Civil Service retirement law to en-
ployes of various Government insti.
tutions not included in the classified
service. is provided in the bill intro
duced in the House Yesterday ny Rep
resentative Richard J. Welch of Cali
fornia. father of the WEIGH -pay-act.
The bill would allow retirement an
nuities to regular employees of the
offices of solicitors of the Federal de-
partments. the office Of the Architect
of the Capitol, the Library Of Con-
gress. and the United States Botanic
Gardens. the office of the Recorder
of Deeds and the Registrar Of Wills
Of the District. the Soldiers Home
and the National Home for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers ............t
The bill particularly stipnlates that
the measures would apply only to
those employees whose tenure of en-.
ployment is not intermittent, nor of
uncertain duration"
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
Nav 2O-25 Fixed AS
D. c. "Clean-Up"
Week

The District Commissioners at
a meeting in the board room of
the District Building today fixed
May 90 to 25, inclusive, as clean
up" week.
Cleanup week. which has proved
so satisfactory in past years, was
authorized by the Commissioners
over the protest of Norris Hacker,
supervisor of City Refuse, who
opposed this drive on the ground
that there is no way for the city
refuse department to dispose OF
the vast amount of extra refuse
collected during the week.
The District Commissioners.
however, declared that they IA
yored a cleanup week and directed
that Hacker set time and sub
NIT the usual recommendations.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
.WNE R Of.
STORE IS
HELD

Numerous trucks rumbled
over Washington's streets to-
day as hundreds of slot
machines were carted away
from stores as result of an
order that all such devices be
seized if found in operation
after noon.
The machines were being hastily
gathered in by their owners, who
had rented them to the various
establishments in which they were
operated. 1t is Understood that
most of the machines are owned
by one large distributing concert
which exacts a toll from the pro-
prietors of places in which they are
operated.
AS a result a widespread search
by police produced the arrest of
only one man on a charge of per-
mitting gaming. He is Edward r.
Kelly, owner of a cigar store in the
100 block of Twentieth st. N. w.
Taken into custody by police OF
the Third Precinct Kelly was re-
leased after posting 500 collateral.
On Gordon Ruling
The drive was launched as a re-
suit of decision of Justice Peyton
Gordon in the District Supreme
Court yesterday in which he held
slot machines were gambling de-
vices.
Major Pratt also ordered the ar
rest of all storekeepers operating
punchboards and other schemes in
which an element of chance was
involved. He said the giving away
of rubber balls and baseballs by
some stores with the purchase of
Hesse Began 1t
The campaign against the ma
chimes was launched by Pratt's
predecessor. Maj. Edwin B. Hesse,
shortly before he went out of
office.
David J. White, owner and dis
tributor of many of the machines.
blocked Hesse's move when he
filed an injunction petition to re-
strain Hesse and District Attorney
Leo Rover from interfering with
the machines.
The machines vend mints and
candy and. when a lucky combina-
tion is struck, pour out showers
of small metal disks. In some es-
adjustments the slugs are of no
value while in others they can be
exchanged for merchandise.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23

y Co1'
So far revenues from all sources.
exclusive Of automobile tags,
amount to $159, 9,519.42. Last year at
the close of the fiscal year the re-
port of the superintendent showed
collections amounting to $160,994.O5.
Early collections are attributed
largely to the activities of the
Police Department in checking up
ON those who had failed to procure
licenses TO operate.
An increase, so far, this year in
the income from automobile tags,
amounting to approximately $15,O90
is shown on the books. So far
$l27,496 has been collected from the
sale of automobile tags as against
approximately SIP 900 during the
fiscal year which ended June 30,
1928.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
CHARGE
FACES BOY, 18
Times staff Photo

Bruce Lafrogialo, 15, faced
charges of transporting and pos
sessing liquor in Police Court today
as a result of his arrest last night
by Policeman G. Rowen, Of the
Eleventh precinct.
He was arrested on Nichols Ave-
nue. Southeast and told the police.
man the automobile he was driving
was turned over to him in Maryland
with instructions to drive it in.
1t contained 4S quarts of liquor,
Rowen said
Lafrogiale had no permit or reg.
istration card and also faces those
charges. He had no money hen
arrested and spent the night in the
Eleventh precinct station.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
Col: Myron M. Parker
Leaves 100000 Estate

An estate valued in. excess oil
100000 was left by Col .Myron M
Parker, former District. Commits
sioner, who died March "a, accord
ing to the petitloa of the National
Savings and Trust Company, ex
ecutors, for the probate of his will
filed in Probate Court.
Coal properties located in West
Virginia valued at SIS 900, and cash
personal property and securities OF
value of 1925 comprise the estate
Four children. Myron NJ. Parker
jr.; Harriet P. NeaIe and Ruth P
Dove, of this city. and Louise L. P
Blackburn, of Calonsville, Nd, sur
vive him. Attorney Frank Stetsor
annears for the executor.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
PRICE
SCARS ON
s 'esSt.
AIRPORT

Price boosting Of land for a
Washington municipal airport
will be guarded against by
the joint Congressional Com
mission in charge of selecting
an airport site by secrecy in
its future deliberations.
This was announced today by
Senator Hiram Bingham, following
the close of public hearings on the
airport yesterday.
During the concluding hours Of
the hearing, Representative Charles
L. Underhill of Massachusetts,, COM
mission member, charged that real
estate operators had obtained op-
tions on likely sites and had boosted
prices 100 per cent, in anticipation
Sees Little to Fear
Senator Bingham, however. feels
that there is little to fear from
this quarter.
1.-THE commission will continue to
meet and receive estimates on pur.
chasing and developing various
tracts of available land" he said,
"but we will meet with the engi-
neers in executive session. We
have a number of tracts in mind,
but we do not intend to give them
any premature publicity"
In a letter to Senator Bingham,
Sullivan Brothers, realtors, who hold
the exclusive sales contract" on the
proposed airport site at Chillum,
emphatically deny that there is any
effort on their part to ''profiteer or
work a hold-up' in selling the land
to the Government.
They point out that a tract Of s6
acres of land in the area sold for
$3.50 an acre three years ago and
that the land is rich truck farming
land and is suited for that purpose.
They also declare that they hold
sales contracts and not options on
the land and are willing, they say,
to appear before the committee,
bringing the land owners with them,
and answer any and all questions
concerning their part in the deals
in the property.
The commission held an executive
meeting after the hearings yester-
day, closeted with Major Donald A.
Dawson. assistant engineer commits
sioner, and Major Carey H. Brown.
engineer of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
These two men are surveying the
several sites which the commission
has under consideration.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
Ad Club to Hear Talk
On Retail Advertising

w. e, Mattox, advertising manager
of the Walworth Manufacturing
Company, Boston, viii speak on Re
tail Advertising before the Wash.
ington Advertising Club at its weekly
luncheon in the balf room OF the
National Press Club tomorrow at
1890 o'clock.
During the World War; Mattox di.
rected the publicity Of the Shipping
Board. Jack Mullane will present an
entertainment program.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23

The question of whether such
children could receive compensation
arose in the case of Rubin Waller.
The Public Welfare Board appealed
for its. ward, Celestine Toliver, 10,
for compensation. Waller had ad-
tnitted the paternity of the child
and the Juvenile Court had ordered
him to contribute to her support,
the commission was told.
Waller was killed when he fell
from a scaffold March rs. The
commission awarded his wife $11 a
week. Then the appeal for the
child was. filed, Inasmuch. as Waller
had admitted the paternity of the
child and had been ordered to
contribute to its support, the COM
mission ruled that it came under
the provisions of the compensation
act and ordered the insurance COM
pany to pay the Welfare Board
SO a week in trust for. the child.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
A. A. Wheat Nomination
Committee Named Today

The Senate Judiciary Committee
has appointed a subcommittee to
consider the nomination of Alfred
A. Wheat for place on the bench
Of the District Supreme Court.
The subcommittee consists of
Senator William H. King of Utah,
Guy D.. Goff # West Virginia, and
Arthur r. Robinson of Indiana
Wheat's nomination was sent to
the Senate by President Hoover last
week
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
WARNS OF
| ACT|()NON
TAXES

Those persons who have
failed to pay their personal
taxes in the District are going
to find themselves in the en-
barrassing position of either
having their automobiles seized
and sold at public auction or
having their household effects
levied upon by the Collector
of Taxes, unless they pay up
promptly.
Collector of Taxes Chatham NJ.
Towers is preparing to send out
the final notices to all dclinquents.
1900 on Lists
On the books of the collector
there are approximately 10000 per-
sons listed who have failed to make
returns. The amount involved will
aggregate about 100000.
In some cases taxes have re-
mained unpaid for rs years, but
many of these are uncollectable due
to the removal of the persons from
the CITY or In many cases uSdIu
of the parties in question.
A concentrated drive to clean up
the books in the office of the col
lector will start in a few days and
everyone will be given a final
chance to clean the slate of the
bill.
In addition to levies on personal
effects and automobiles, any mer
chandise found also will be taken
and sold under the hammer
Must Show Receipts
Under q newIaW the office Of the
superintendent Of licenses Is pro-
hfbited from selling automobile tags
to anyone failing to produce q re-
ceipt showing that his personal
taxes have been paid.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
Police Seek Two Youths
Who Stole Taxicat

Two youths who stole a taxicab
were the object of police search
today.
William G. Lehman, of the 400
block Eighth st. n. W., a driver of
the Black and White company, was
called to the Catholic University
early today.
He picked up the two unidentified
young men there. They ordered him
to drive to the Soldiers Home. On
arrival there they ted Lehman some.
thing had happened to his rear light.
When he got out to inspect the light
the youths drove away in his cab.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
ARMY BUILDING
BILL PUSHED !,

An army construction program
including items totaling more than
81 900, 900 for stations in and near
Washington has been presented to
the House lin a bill sponsored by
Representative W. Frank James OF
Michigan, chairman of the House
Committee on Real Estate and Con,
struction, of the Committee on Mill.
tary Affairs.
The measure involves about $15..
900 900 for Army construction
throughout the country. Under the
terms of the bill, Boiling Field
would receive needed improvements
totaling $4,000 This would m
clude a barracks, quarters for Off
GERS, warehouses, a theater and
gymnasium, and other necessary
structures.
Fort Humphreys, Va, is listed
for hospital at $140,000. Fort
Meade, Md. would get officers
quarters to cost $250,000. A sim
liar appropriation is authorized for
officers quarters at Fort Myer, Va
Items tota1ing S2S5,O00, including
warehouse, a bakery, Iaundry ana
shops, are set down for q Walter
Reed Hospital.
The bill is intended to meet the
needs of the Army in its housing
program A statement by Repre-
sentative James in connection with
the Boiling Field item pointed out
that all construction at that station
has been of a temporary nature
and must be replaced by permanent
construction on the new Boiling
Field land which was recently
authorized by Congress.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
CITIZENS TO MEET

The Rhode Island Avenue Citi-
zens Association will hold its regu-
lar meeting tomorrow night at s
o'clock in the Sherwood Prssby-
terian Church hall
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
1929LicenseR Revenues
Near 1923 Peak

With and half months still go before the close
of the fiscal year. Wade Coomb superintendent of licenses
today reported that thus far for miscellaneous
licenses within 81 900 of total collections for all of last
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
COMPENSATION Act to
. Aid 'Ioue Child"

The District Workmens Compensation Commission decided
yesterday that it could recognize love children de-
pendents under the Workmens Compensation Act.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23

Your vacation can be one Of economy
through the purchase Of one Of the
good used cars Iikted for sale In to-
days Classified. ads.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
PHI ALPHA DELTA MEETS

Alumni Chapter, Phi Alpha Delta
will meet Thursday night at
o'clock in the Taft Chapter House
1000 block O st. n. w.
The Washington times., 1929-04-23
TAX DELINQUENTS WARNED
District Cleaned of Slot Machines
Priced Art in WASHINGTON

This bottle
shaped vase by
Castle Durante,
dating from
1925, is one of
the many
important
pieces of
majolica ware
assembled in
the faience
section of the
W. A. Clark
collection in
the Corcoran
Gallery Of Art.
The beautifully
decorated vase
is 16 inches
in height.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15

American people believe that. Then
the people could vote directly for only
one set of public officials in the Govern
ment, namely, the members of the
House of Representatives. Today they
not only choose the United States Sena-
tors and their President at the polls,
but the Constitution gives every citizen,
rich or poor. male or female, black,
brown. or yellow, as well as white, the
right to vote.
March Is Continued.
In the march toward more democracy
in Government, the American people
have not stopped with these reforms.
They. have established the direct pri-
mary for the nomination of practically
all candidates for Office with the excep-
ton of candidates for President. II
some practicable, workable method of
the people would overwhelmingly adopt
1t in place of the machine-organized,
boSs-ruled convention system.
Nor have they stopped with the en-
largement of suffrage and the direct
nomination and election of almost every
office except judges of our Federal
courts. Some day we will elect Federal
judges, too. In nearly all Of the States
the people have adopted some form or
O1AACA VA hAAcloVAPCs d1l0
recall. remind you that the states
men who won these reforms were called
reformers and radicals in their day.
Thus the adoption of Jeffersonian
doctrines by the people has enabled
them to own their Government, rather
than be owned by it. It has given them
power to compel their public officials
to be the servants, not the rulers OF the
people.
Aristotle, the wisest of the Greeks.
said that slavery was necessary If the
human race was to advance. He said
there must be leisure class to think
and plan for the advancement of the
masses of the people. Aristotle was
right. What he said was true 1000
years ago. 1t is true now. also. The
difference is that the slaves Of Aristotle S
time were human beings. The slaves
of our time. are coal, and oil and gas
and water power and steam applied to
steel machinery. Invention and science
has enabled man to enSlave these in
animate things and do the work for
merly done by human beings.
While the American people have
changed their Government by enlarging
the power of the people to control ii
they have made vastly greater strides
by invention and science in changing
the daily life of the masses of the peo-
pie in the industrial, commercial and
social world.
Think for a moment of what inven-
ton and science under the direction OF
American business genius have done In
this country. Fifteen million out Of
as 000, 900 families have quick effictent