davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

Archaeological discoveries In Mesopo-
tannia, where excavations have been In
progress for many years, and In recent
times persistently and extensively, have
brought to light evidences of the man.
ner Of the lives of ancients of whom
the Scriptures tell. The latest find Is
believed to be the sediment deposited
by the deluge Of which Noah and his
family were the sole human survivors.
Prof. c. Leonard Woolley has just re-
turned from the scene of explorations
with an account Of the discovery that is
certain to start lively disputation, run
ming perhaps even to the point of an
active renewal of the fundamentalism
versus evolution debate.
According to Prof. Woolley digging In
the valley of the Euphrates has yielded
unmistakeble proof that some time
back, perhaps as remote as 1000 Be,
great food occurred in that region,
covering an immense area of the land,
and so violent in its first stage as to
pour In upon the lower region deposit
Of silt and clay that no.. after centuries
Of consolidation and burial, is eight feet
In depth. This, he believes, after care
fully noting the literature of the ST.
merians, early occupants of the Eu-
pirates Valley, whose legends connote
with the biblical account Of the Noahic
which. according to Genesis, was sent
for the destruction of mankind in pun
ishment for gross wickedness, with the
exception of a single family.
Literal interpreters of the scriptural
account, given in Genesis, believe that
this inundation covered the world as
It is known today Biologists and archie
ologists believe that it was confined to
q comparatively narrow area, probably
the watershed of single river system,
such as the Euphrates, then mighty
stream, far greater than it is today.
Prof. Woolley's discovery shows that
there was undoubtedly deluge OF the
latter character, at some date that can
not precisely or with better than ap-
Proclamation be determined, in the Eu-
pirates Valley. That it was Of proper
tons justifying the immediate belief in
- the inundation of the world" is sug-
gested by the extent Of the silt deposit
and other signs that the sweep Of waters
caught an extensive civilization UMPIRE
pared and destroyed 1t.
Much controversy has ragged about the
"hood' described In Genesis. Much de-
bate has been had regarding the size Of
Eoahs ark. and the depth of the waters
and their duration. Noah himself was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

that time, still fresh In millions Of
minds, when the motor car was judged
crazy sort Of contraption, suited only
to daredevils, and the horse. which the
motorist was loudly and universally ad-
vised to get" was considered normal
transportation. One seems also to
recollect something about the foolish
ness of steam for vessels unless backed
up with suit Of sails in reserve. e.
1t is stated that if Charles Evans
Hughes, United States member of the
Court should fly across the Atlantic to
reach The Hague he would forfeit his
holiday because the Journey would &C.
cupy far less than five days. OF course.
Mr.. Hughes will probably never do just
that thing, but some day-and that day
Is not nearly so far off as many imagine
Transatlantic flights will be as COM
mon as lengthy land flights now are.
Furthermore, ocean water travel may be
so speeded up that a voyage from New
York to Holland will occupy less than
this space OF time.
Aviation is with us. and no pro-
nouncement Of any court can render it
anything but normal, even though it at
tempts in this matter to 60 back to
normally" Probably today the Court
is not far from correct, but it is fun to
look forward to normalcy, too. This
whole idea will one day seem as quaint
as the railroad mileage collected by our
Congressman that were for long based
on the earlier stage-coach tariffs.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
EVERYDAY RELIGION
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN, d. D., Ii. d,
Bishop of Vashington ,

It is an impersonal, and hence inef-
fective. religious conviction that many
OF us hold. II the gospels set forth any
one thing 1t is the necessary relation
that Christ bears to each individual
disciple. In fine, the Christian religion
IS the religion of person. The most
casual study Of the gospels makes this
abundantly evident. The major portion
Of the ministry of Jesus was to indi-
viduals. No religious teacher has ever
appraised so highly as did He the worth
Of the individual life. So strong was
the conviction in the mind of Paul of
the relation that Christ bore to his life.
that he declared, II live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me-" That our esti-
mate of Christ's relation to us is a de-
termin!ng factor in our thinking and
practice is conspicuously evident. Let
me regard Him simply as one of the
great religious teachers who belong to
the remote past, let me think of Him
In terms OF other great outstanding re-
lig1ous leaders and His influence upon
me is comparable to that of any other
teacher whose philosophy of life I ad-
mire. Let me think of Him as one who
relates himself to my individual inter-
ests and concerns, who demands my
obedience and seeks my companionship,
my comrade of the highway. and He
becomes my intimate friend, my guide
and my Redeemer.
What think We Of Christi" is an in
innate and personal question At some
time-yes, frequently-it demands an an
swer from each one of us. 1t is strange
how. frequently we defer the answer
until a crisis arises. 1t is then in our
anguish of mind and our confusion that
We cry out, Lord, to whom shall we
go? Thou alone hast the words of
eternal life" Nothing is more pathetic
or tragic In our time than the dissatis-
faction and discomfort that arises out
OF an unstable and unsatisfying re-
ligious conviction. Some one calls this
"a wistful age" 1t Is more than that,
it is restless and dissatisfied age. Men
and women are cropping, cropping for
something to give them stability and
assurance, and all the while the Master
Of men is on the open highway saying
"Ye will not come unto me that We
might have life"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
Hoover's Hand Is Steady on
The Helm of Shin of State

takes full and absolute responsibility
for them by permitting the correspond
ents to quote them from him within
direct quotation marks.
X
This new system of presidential d.
rect responsible quoted interviews Is a
symbol of the whole new Hoover presi-
Dental situation,
The new President has established
the conservation of oil in the Interior
Department by a direct and open move
from the White House.
He has established certain measure
OF publicity for income-tax refunds in
the Treasury Department through di-
rect presidential executive order.
He has thrown the support of the
American Government to the Mexican
government in its hour of domestic diff
ficulty by action In harmony indeed
With State Department tradition, but
carrying with 1t direct White House
authority and weight.
He Is about to investigate law en-
forcement, not through the Bureau of
Prohibition and not through the De-
partment Of Justice, but through a d.
rectly presidential commission.
X X
Mr., Hoover is wholly discarding the
myth that presidential departmental
appointees undertake major administra-
tive actions on their own responsibility.
He Is taking the responsibility himself
That Is where 1t actually inwardly is,
and Hoover is taking 1t outwardly and
completely.
Tt seems to be refreshment to him
to be no longer subordinate. AS Sec
rotary Of Commerce he had to worry
about whether his policies would be
congruous with the policies of his chief.
In loyalty to his chief, he was always
narrowing and even suppressing his
policies in order to be In harmony with
his chiefs needs and with the needs of
the cabinet as a whole. He did this
with q fidelity which MIR. Coolidge in
tensely appreciated. Nevertheless. It
fretted him. His initiative was checked
His wings could not be fully spread
His feathers would often then stand ont
upon him very ruffled and very dis
tressed in his silences and in his obyi-
ously distracted meditations. His men
tai manner was one of anxiety. People
fell into the habit of saying that In the
White House he would worry himself to
death.
The exact opposite has happened
responsibility was manifestly what this
man wanted. 1t was the prescrintion
for what allied him. His feathers now
lie perfectly sleek upon him. His nery-
BUSINESS seems all gone. He stands on
the bridge and looks at the waves with
actual delight. They are his waves now,
No longer does he have to whisper
suggestions into the captains ears. He
can himself now directly pull the ham
dies that convey the commands to the
steering apparatus and to the engine
room. He can, and does, and will. and
when he heads the boat into the waves
his eyes show gravity. but-to tell the
truth. as reported by all observers of
hin-they also show clear happiness
and elation.
The sum Of his first fortnight as
Chief Magistrate is this:
Like 1t or not like 1t, we've got a
helmsman who does like 1t and who
isn't one bit afraid of the helm.
(Copyright, 1922
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
The Airport Inquiry.

While another session of Congress
has adjourned without decisive action
on the important undertaking of pro-
viding the Capital of the United States
with fitting airport, the adoption Of
the Vandenberg resolution by Senate
and House at least indicates good in
tentions to give the whole subject the
thorough study that 1t deserves. There
were dangerous indications, at one time,
that the airport proposal was to be re-
garded as a municipal problem-mu-
nicipal in the sense that it only affected
the municipality and therefore should
be paid for by the municipality. The
Vandenberg resolution calls for an in
quiry into the requirements Of the Fed
eral Departments of War, Navy, Post
Office and Commerce, as we'll as the re-
quirements Of the municipality. for a
landing field and other airport equip
ment.
While the inquiry may reveal inter-
esting data concerning the use and benz
efits Of an airport, and its Importance
to these agencies, 1t should also develop
the fact that an airport in Washington
is to be the Capital City airport and
its development as such Is of relatively
minor Importance as concerns the COM
munity Of Washington alone. It is no
more local problem than the dredging
of the Potomac harbor and the river
channel leading to Washington Is a
local problem. Opening the channels
of the air to traff1c and commerce will
eventually be regarded in the same light
as river and harbor improvement, or the
development of inland waterways. The
establishment of airports Is first step
in developing for commerce the facili-
ties for aerial navigation.
Adoption of the vandenberg resolu-
ton is far more satisfactory to the Dis
trict than would have been flasty action
on a project that in some quarters
seems to have been regarded In the
same light as street paving or sewer
extension program.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

according to the Scripture, six hundred
years old when the food Of waters was
upon the earth" Those waters pre-
vailed upon the earth an hundred and
fifty days" They rose to prevail eff
teen cubits upward, and the mountains
were covered" Much disputation has
been caused by the difficulty of accept
ing the cubit unit of roughly twenty
four inches to account for an ark three
hundred cubits long. fifty wide and
thirty high, and large enough, in those
dimensions. to hold two each of all the
known animals and birds, every living
thing Of all flesh" These difficulties
save that pertaining to Noah's age
may be resolved by the demonstration,
If it be effected. that the deluge was, in
fact. local and not universal.
Science takes no part in the discus
sion. but simply presents facts and sug-
gests deductions to be drawn from them.
Prof woolley is content to find the
eight-foot deposit of silt that tells of
tremendous flood, and let the controver-
sialists carry on the argument.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
Winter killing of Fur Animals
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIlN.

the bear has left. Even this is getting
to be a more meager resource. The
Arctic explorers Of the Macmillan expe-
dition reported that observations would
seem to indicate that the polar bear is
passing through period of evolution
and is becoming more and more an
aquatic creature. He can win for APP
parently unlimited periods and ulti-
mately may evolve into sort OF sea
bear. The Arctic fox is not so good a
swimmer, so the resource of dining on
the polar bears leavingo may give out.
The wolverine is one of the cleverest
of the Northern fur bearers during a
hard Winter He learns where the
hunters set their traps and knows what
the traps are. He Warily makes the
rounds If he is lucky he will find some
creature already caught and devour him.
If not he is smart enough to know how
to eat the bait without himself being
entrapped.
Wild Animals Succumb.
Such straits indicate that, at best.
these creatures must put up constant
battle for life. When Winter like the
passing one comes they die by the hum
dreds If not by the thousands. The
lesser creatures on which they prey are
starved or frozen to death and their
food is gone.
The survey notes the important fur
bearers which are rapidly disappearing
because of the resistance to their exist
ence of man on the one hand and Win
ter on the other.
Here are the creatures who's l.sap-
pearance Is especially marked: The
| Arctic weasel or ermine, which lives
| largely on mice, and the fur of which
| has long been the special fur Of kings
and actresses. The gray fox, which Is
| the most stupid of the breed of reynard,
perhaps because of its compromising ad-
| vantage of being able to climb trees.
| The red fox, which feeds on small ami
mails and birds, few of which could
| possibly survive the rigorS of such
| Winter as this. The Arctic fox, which
| is brownish In Summer but pure white
in Winter and Is much priced. The kit
fox, which has been rare for long time.
| The spotted skunk, an omnivorous
creature, but nevertheless disappearing.
| The following fur bearers may be
added to the list: The ring-tailed cat
or civet cat, which has an unusually
| long and beautiful tail 1t inhabits
| desert places and makes its lair in
mountain caves. The marten, espe-
cially valuable because 1t is the Ameri-
can sable and ranges the bitterly cold
country on line north of Pennsylvania
and Wisconsin. The fisher, which stays
even farther north, being rarely seen
south of a line from Nova Scotia to
British Columbia.
Especially unfortunate in exceptionally
cold Winters are the offers. who live on
fish. If ice forms so thick that their
| food is deeply buried and inaccessible,
they are doomed. The fur of the sea
| otter Is by many regarded as the finest
in the world. 1t haunts the Boring
Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, ranging
southwark to California at times.
The extent of the Winter killing Of
these animals cannot be guessed at I'M
til the next season, but there is every
reason to believe 1t will prove large,
and the Biological Survey regards it as
far from impossible that some Of these
| species may become extinct.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
The Young Orators.

More than two million young men and
women in every part of the United
States are taking part In the elimina-
ton trials which precede the selection
of winners for competition In the Ma
tional Oratorical Contest finals, held
here in the Spring In this district alone
there are thousands, for while one comes
to know only the champions in the ten
districts of this area. those champions
have in turn defeated many aspirants
before qualifying themselves for the
semi final trials which will eliminate al
but one of them.
The magnitude and far-reaching i'm
portance of this annual event is real
lied by attempting to visualize these
two million and more young men and
women, all Of them displaying interest
enough to prepare themselves and
courage enough to memorize and de-
liver their orations. The choice of the
final winners is the most negligible part
Of the whole business. There is always
an element of chance in any race. The
hundreds of thousands who are eliTli-
mated are dropped for the sake of the
contest alone Their elimination counts
nothing against them. Who can tell
how many young minds and young lives
have been awakened and prepared for
valuable careers by the interest en-
gendered through taking only minor
part In this contest?
One must not conclude that training
In oratory is the sole purpose Of the
contest, although it is best known as a
test in oratory, and the best orator
probably stands. the highest chances Of
winning. A knowledge of how to con-
duct ones self standing up is valu-
able. Few possess it. But those
who take part in the contests have
learned something far more valuable
than oratory. They have been taught
research. They have been taught study
They have been taught composition.
And, best of all, they have been taught
to think and TO draw their conclusions
based on thought.
The Constitution lends itself easily to
seneralizations. But these young stu
dents of the. Constitution cannot gen.
eralize too much. They must study one
phase of the Constitution and get some
meat out of 1t. They must find out
what lay behind it and why the found
ing fathers included it. Their study ne
cessitates soae knowledge Of history,
sociology, philosophy ard civics. What
they learn viii probably stick with them.
Their knowledge should help in coun-
try whose teeming millions are too apt
to regard the Constitution as scrap
Of paper which modern developments
have relegated to a dusty pigeonhole
somewhere under the Capitol dome.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

Higher prices for the better furs may
quite possibly be expected In view OF
the low temperatures of the Winter OF
192829 and of the recent discoveries
of the United States Biological Survey.
The survey has found that there has
been steady depletion in the supply OF
the more famous small fur bearers OF
Northern regions because Of the hunting
and trapping activities prompted by the
commercial demand for pelts. Also. 1t
is known fact of natural history that
in certain bitter seasons-usually oc-
curing many years apart--a large num-
Der of the fur bearers either starve
to death or are so weakened by starva
ton that they freeze to death.
Year by year the demand for furs has
increased. Furs have always bfen in de-
mand. The cave man used them. AS
the wealth of the world increased
through the centuries more people
could afford to buy them. But the
principal increase in the market may
be ascribed to the fact that in the last
100 years the population of the world
has doubled and the Northern peoples
have had their share Of the gain in
numbers. More people with more money
are demanding furs, and where the gold
exists to make payment, hunters
ana CTdppeIS Will IISk IHdIly pCAIlo aL4O
dangers to take them.
Growing all this now comes the
severest Winter within the memory of
the living. True, Europe has suffered
greater extremities of cold than North
America, long known all over the world
as the "fur countries" but commerce
now Is so organized that where there
is a shortage anywhere in the world
it will be met by some other part.
North America has by no means entire
" escaped. Within recent weeks cold
waves of exceptional intensity have been
automatically reported from the West
ern regions of the United States and
from Canada. Seventy-five feet OF snow
has been reported from the Colorado
canyons.
Coolest Winter in Years.
No living person remembers the ca
nails of Venice frozen over and gondolas
breaking their way through ice. NO
one living remembers the Riviera and
the cities of sunny Italy, where the Worlo
of fashion resorts for natural warmtn
during the Winter months, covered Win
a heavy blanket of snow. Reports from
Europe suggest that the modern man
who broke the bank at Monte Carlo, for
this wear at least, will prove to he Old
Man Winter. The thought OF tne
MOSQUES of Constantinople mantled with
snow and billiards sweeping the Golden
Horn is scarcely tenable, yet the fac'
is true Estimates OF human oeatns
from cold and from the attacks OF
Winter wolves, savage from munger
vary from 10000 to 100000. Even here
airplanes have been used to transport
food to utterly snowbound villages.
In such O. situation, what has been
the effect on the Northern dwelling anil
mails? According to the Biological Sur
vey they have a difficult time even IN
normal Winters. The Arctic fox often
starves unless fortunate enough to fno
a stranded whale. But, being rox ano
therefore a canny creature, he usually
makes shift to last through. One OF his
devices is to follow a polar bear ano
pick up meager living from the scraps
of seal and other aquatic meat winch
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
This and That
By Charles E. Trnceirel.

Cats pay little attention to their re-
Election In mirror. Sometimes kitten
will give a hesitating glance at its
wavering image, but for the most part
their elders can see nothing in look
tng glass-not even themselves.
Hence the cat Noire constitutes a.
variation in the long line descended
from the days of the Egyptian empire.
Noire, as her name indicates, is as
black as night She Is one of the most
homely cats ever seen, with few charms
other than her bright green eyes. These
are all the more brilliant because OF
contrast with her let coat, which has a
tint Of rusty brown in the sun.
It Is not generally realized that very
few black cats are really black. Mostly
they have an admixture Of brown show
ing beneath the black, or at the base
of the individual hairs, which Is easily
seen when the creature is in the sun
light.
The black cat has an evil reputation,
no doubt brought about by its appears
ance, for as far as investigation goes.
there Is little If any difference between
the disposition Of this variety and those
of others.
Certainly Noire is one of the best
conducted animals in the world. Aside
has little to distinguish her, with the
exception of those round green eyes,
which gleam out like little lanterns from
the night of her silky fur.
She is one Of the accomplishing crea-
lures of this world. Whatever is, is
right, to her. Only she hopes that there
will be plenty of good grub.
X ~
Yet it would seem that this mourn
Unlocking cat, who seems to have lost
her best friend has pet weakness.
She is vain.
Yes, vanity is the weakness of Noire,
Just as mice constitute the pet hobby Of
little Nipper.
Noire likes to look at herself in a
mirror
Her favorite glass is one atop chif-
fonier. to which dizzy point the cat
climbs by way of rocking chair.
Cats look askance at rocking chairs.
When one has hoped up, the chair
begins to rock, and. although cats are
good sailors, they much prefer steady
foundation for jump.
1t is interesting to watch Noire poised
on the arm of the chair. balancing her
backwards and forwards.
Then up she goes, as light as a
feather.
Once on the shelf, she will calmly
turn around and survey herself in the
mirror for minutes at stretch.
Since she Is such solemn cat at all
times, she is even more so while looking
into her own bright eyes in the glass.
Probably her eyes are what attract
her.
She never puts out a paw, or spits. or
in any other way manifestS her interest,
but simply sits there staring at herself.
4 \
The glints in those big green eyes
glisten In the mirror; eyes reflect eyes;
interest CLEANS to interest, and is COM
pounded.
When Noire tires of this sport, she
lies down, and then Is able TO see her
reflection in another glass across the
room.
Solemnly the two cats look at each
other. a real one and a mirrored one,
the intelligence which lies in green eyes
looking across at its reflection.
Intelligence and its refiection-who
can tell them apart?