davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1881
A $75O,OO0 Park

How would you like to own park worth
 $75O.000? Better still. how would you like
 to own some desirable property that you
 might sell to the state for such purposes and
 at the above figure? If you lived in Fair
 field county, you might have had this oppor-
 tunity. However, the Legislature has recom-
 mitted the bill appropriating the S75O.00O
 and creating special commission to buy and
 develop the seashore park. Fairfield county
 certainly was privileged at this session of the { Assembly. It's going to get fancy new boulevard built all the way from the New York state line to Bridgeport, which will cost a few million, more or less, principally more
 Evidently public opinion finally managed to carry conviction to the minds of our legis- lators that perhaps this 750,000 steel was the limit of endurance. We can explain in no other way why the bill should be ordered back from the expressing clerk $, office How ever. we can understand why people should complain about the entire project when we say that our thirty state parks were pur- chased for sum far less than $750,000 We rather imagine that you could throw in dozen state forests and still keep the whole cost far below the three-fourths of million figure. The sudden generosity was certainly unexplainable.
 Of course, most of us know why Sherwood Island has been relegated to the background Wealthy residents of Greens Farms have sue- cessfully prevented the state park and forest commission from developing the park that Connecticut bought in 1914 and which has never been touched from that day to this. If we are to believe Lueius Robinson of the state park and forest commission, Sherwood Island could be developed at minimum cost of S10O,00O and maximum of $200,000. That sounds much better than $750,000, with income diminishing and expenses mounting. |fAs for the Roton Point scheme. that smacked plainly of an attempt to saddle an expensive sproposition upon the state We would have a park. not for Fairfield county residents, but for New Workers. In short time they would have overrun the place.
 : Stamford business men called upon Cover jhor Cross to veto the measure last week. It kertainly would have been popular veto had it been necessary to make it. It was bad though to supersede the state park and forest |tommisson with a special body. but it certain lily was criminal to spend $750.00 when one third of that would have sufficed. For leg islative generosity we refer interested people to the state budget for the next two years. Just glance at the amount the committee on appropriations gave the state park and forest commission for purchase of new parks and forests. It was S50,000, if we are not mistaken. .@*
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
School Grounds

Movements are reported from many states for the Identification of schoolhouse grounds, particularly those around rural schools. A schoolhouse lot consisting of bare earth. with out decoration of shrubs and flowers, is not much of an inspiration to its pupils. School buildings that look decadent are likely to turn out careless children. If people heard their children together at an unatrractive school center, habit of toleration of unsightliness is planted in their minds. We can expect the majority of them to go out without ambi- ton to possess pleasing homes of their own.
 An unattractive school lot constitutes an indictment to disorder. Children would say that the grounds would look little worse, if , they used them as dumping ground for waste And if they form this slovenly habit as respects their school location, you can ex- pect them to throw litter away on the streets and to create disorder at home. Order has a powerful reaction on the human mind Many factory managers spend good deal of money to keep their floors and walls care fully cleaned and painted. They think that orderly surroundings produce systematic and efficient work. If so. it would seem as if the school should create habit of order among its pupils as an essential of education.
 On many schoolhouse grounds, the ehil- dren are allowed to run over the grass freely, which becomes ragged and irregular. They should have places to play where they can kick up all they want to. But there should be some place dedicated to beauty on all schoolhouse grounds in Connecticut, on which they shall be taught that every home and public building should have its decora- tive features. The children who go out from beautified schools will be likely to create at- tractive homes in future years.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
More Than Just Litter

The blanket of leaves from one years leaf fall in the forest may weigh more than ton per acre. the United States, Department of Agriculture says. Forest Service investiga- tors find that heavy litter is capable of holding vast amounts of water and slowing up the sun-off which without the protecting blanket would quickly erode the soil of the woodlands. In studying the protective value of leaf litter and the result of its re- moval by fire or other agency Forest Service investigators found that the l930 fall of dry leaves gathered up on half acre of pine-oak forest at the Bent Greek Experi- mental Forest near Asheville N. C.. weighed 1900 pounds, oven-dry weight
 Accumulated dry leaves and litter on the tract previous to the first cleanup weighed 1-2 tons to the acre. dry weight. From two to three years are required for deeom- position of the litter, and heavy blanket of leaves is thus normally present on the area. As a consequence of removal of the ground cover for this study. erosion set in on the area, although the rainfall was unusually slight. Soil loss was also hastened when winter frosts heaved and loosened the unprotected soil, making it wash easily later on.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

has opened the gateway to better standards of health. education. morals and lastly has opened the eyes of the Filipino to the part he must play in the civilization of the eastern world. Of all this the Filipino is conscious But he also believes. and rightly so. that he is capable of governing himself now. He could do that today. says Mr. Villamin, but without sound economic structure. which the islands have yet to build. it would be futile. The islands would soon return to their original state. A few more publicists like Vincente Villamin and Congress might learn few lessons from our Filipino neghbors We can't help but believe he is right.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
No Radio Rough Stuff

Major General Smedley D. Butler just nat uraly breaks into print in spite of himself When the sensation created recently by the Haitian minister was beginning to subside. the modest general was dragged into the pub lie prints again by a speech he made in Phila- delphia. Butler was just reminiscing humor- ously. and not meaning any harm. at an artil- leryman's dinner and radio station was broadcasting him. All the reticent speaker did was to quote another marine on a certain belligerent occasion. as remarking. "Oh. ,helll' Right there the broadcasting station cut Butler off the air.
 Butler innocently went right on with his gentle speech There is considerable de- mand now for him to appear before other bodies, with or without broadeasting facilities and rpeat what he was saying. None of it was of much importance. and there is no burning issue at stake. Still many people are amused by that radio managers action and others are annoyed It is desirable to keep decent form of entertainment which comes home. as Lord Bacon would say to mems hearths and bosoms.' At the same time, when you consider the vigorous language heard nowadays from stage, platform and pulpit. doesn't this extreme delicaey seem a little ridiculous!
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
NEA seryice Writer

Washington - Prohibition is not an issue," says Senator J. Boomboom McWhorter, "but this is very hard life. just the same.
 Tt Is all very well for us to say to people that prohibition has no place in a political campaign and will they please divert their atten- tion to economic problems which they do not know anything about.
 "But then they read the newspa- pers and go off and scratch their heads. When people scratch their heads 1t is always bad for the poll ticians. The science of politics is based on the theory. that no large group of people will ever scratch their heads Ordinarily, they don't. If you, will look at the liquor news, in your newspaper you will find that most of it is the sort that makes you scratch your head and, If you scratch too much you are likely to get all mixed up and arrive at the totally erroneous conclusion that pro hibition is really an issue after all.
 Here's the Cause
 "Here are some other news items which keep people remembering about prohibition and which may tempt them to think there isn't any sense in the world:
 There are companies putting big kegs of grape juice in eyerybody's cellar and leaving it so it will fer ment. They are very careful not to say 1t will make wine. All it makes is burgundy. sauterne, port, madeira or whatever other type of engine oil you may be wanting. .g
 Down on New York avenue a po- liceman Is standing at the door of a speakeasy and he has been stationed there for weeks. The speakeasy keeps on doing business and the cop you call peaceful picketing,
 Getting convicted of bootlegging, according to another story, costs on the average a $750 fine in Maine and a fine of $5791 in New York and an average 569-day jail sentence in southern West Virginia as compared with AS days in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
 "A multi-millionaire named du Pont is going on the platform to de- bate the dry laws with a represen- tative of the Anti-Saloon League. '.The big issue in BaltimOre's muni cipal election the other day was whether or not the candidate who won by an unprecedented majority had or had not conquered the drink ing habit since his previous term. Can You Figure This Out? Tn Baltimore they also just ar- rested a man who had been selling bottles of colored water for several dollars a bottle as something just off the boat There was no alcohol In the bottles. so they sent him to the hoose1ow for 'disorderIv conduct Yet, suppose If all bootleggers sold colored water in their bottles there would be no question about the suc- cess of prohibition. "Mr John Eric Glynne-Percy, the English baritone, arrives in this country and says that beer and wine are harmless to the throat, that whislxey is bad for it and gin worst of all. do not think we need any advice on this subject from foreign CTS.
 ''The chief of police at scituate, R. I. explains that nobody who gets
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

The death of Joseph A. Higgins of Hart ford this week recalled to many people the long. but unsuccessful fight that he wased to force the Hartford County Bar associa- ton to admit him to law practice. Always a brilliant student Higgins left high school before completing his course and acquired a business college education. He amplified this with college work. including course at Co., lumbia Law School. He was also in the goy-l ernment intelligence service during the war. While engaged in libel suit against the Hartford Times. which he waged single handed against veteran counsel. he applied for admission to the bar but was refused. For ten years he fought for admission. but never achieved it. A remarkable case and those who knew Higgins remarked on his exceptional brilianee
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
NIAGARA's FUTURE
(New York Tirnes)

(New York Times)
 Over and over again we have been told that Niagara is committing sui- cide--that the Falls are eating their way back up stream and that even tually cascades alone will remain. Worse still, geologists had concluded that steadily increasing concentra- tion of the flow in one spot had formed notch in the Canadian Horseshoe Falls which detracted from their scenic effect by drawing water away from the crest.
 It is a relief to learn from sum- mary of the 40o-page final report. submitted by the Special Interna- tional Niagara board. composed of American and Canadian experts, that our fears for the future of the most magnificent spectacle on the North American Continent are un- founded. In a preliminary report, published in 1928, the board had tentatively reached the same conclu- sion.
 While the Canadian Falls are
 moving back, the American Falls remain virtually unchanged. Dr G. K. Gilbert of the United States Geo. logical Survey placed the annual rate of recession of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls at feet; Dr J. w. Spencer of the Canadian Geological survey at 2.2 feet for the fifteen years preceding 1906, and !. R, Freeman. a well-known American hydraulic engineer, at feet. The boards latest determination gives a rate of only 3.7 feet since 1S42 and 2.S feet since 1906. Moreover. Il
 makes the point that two fairly well defined channels which had been concentrating their discharge at one point are now spreading apart. so that the flow on the Cana alan side will be better distributed m q century or two. If anything. the Horseshoe should grow In beauty. How can the process of distribu- ton be hastened? The board pro- poses the construction. at q cost of u,!t0.000, of submerged weirs.
 which will not form even q new
 wave on the surface. There is ad-
 mittedly no sound method of deter-
 mining the accuracy Of this cost esti-
 mate. Even less certain is the
 actual effect to be attained. The
 beard itself has stated frankly that
 the weIrs must be modified or added Co until at last the Falls assumed tho desired aspect. At best, the hy. uraullc works must Do regarded as e
 harmIess suhtsrfuge. Their purpose
 s simply t0 epeed up q procenl
 which is naturally taking place ven
 slowly, and Co control it 70 fnr q. ! that W po1sinIA. A
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

New Jersey municipalities thar have fer years suffered from garbage being washed up along their short fronts you would realize that even more than bread cast upon the wa ters returns. Pollution of Jersey beaches has progressed to such point that obnoxious conditions are prevalent all along the east coast. New York city's custom. of long years standing. is found to blame in su- preme court decision just handed down and the city must refrain from. dumping it's garbage into the Atlantic ocean in the near future Incinerator disposal must De used. The case should interest Connecticut since we are about to participate in a tri-state com ference with regard to pollution of Long Island Sound Our beaches are likewise suf- fering from pollution. It1is time to end the evil.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
NEW YORK
yIh GiIbert Swan

New York.-Odds and ends about New York-but chiefly odds:
 one of Manhattan's biggest and best known department stores sup plies, free of charge, manikin parade for clubs and well-known wo- mems organizations desiring to put on a fashion show. No charge IS made.
 Some of the loveliest models in the metropolis are loaned out, since the store considers this a tricky way to advertise it's styles. However, the re- quest must come from an accredited society and proof must be given >of the trustworthiness of the occasion. The same concern sends models about to various private schools, so that the younger generation may learn how to wear it's clothes.
 There are any number of places where brides can learn what they should and. should not attire them- selves in before, during and after the wedding. Expert counsels are sent to a brides home, if and when demanded. One former society woman has made a neat fortune out of such consultations.
 The policy of the public be pleased becomes 8 more serious one each year with the larger and more im- pOrtant stores.
 Thus, several concerns, keep a nurse and dietitian in their baby de- partments where mothers can con- suit on infant problems, while sport departments hire camping experts to help the tyros on their way. But the fellow whose job is just about the last word in something or other--is the chap who has to sit atop building and watch when clouds or storms are coming. You see, one of the toughest jobs Iof the big electrical concerns in Manhattan is to be prepared for times thousands of people turn on their lights. office buildings sud- denly become huge checkerboard lof glistening windows. The de. mand for power is suddenly in- creased many thousand times, and the plants need due warning. In- Istruments recording the approach of storms are now installed. but few instruments can record blankets of darkness caused by smoke clouds suspended above the city by mists and fogs. New York is possibly the only town In the world where skate
 sharpeners work 365 days q year. For
 the city has several thousand skat- ing fans who can be observed on the hottest day of the year. with q lpair of skates glistening incongru-
 ously from their shoulders. Two
 large rinks never close. whatever the state of weather.
 ''Trousseau secretaries" is title
 known to only couple of tho nae
 tion's major eitles. .aIh The requirements of this job is
 Co do ail the odd and annoying jobs
 which tho average person likes to
 dodGn.
 Thus. one needs merely to phone
 or call and the "secrstary" wlli at
 tend io the invltatit C for Q forth.
 looming dinner or toni ahe wIlI have 'youf now luggage selected by the
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
TODAY IS THEA
 ANNIVERSARY s gA1KA
ALLIED SUCCESSES

On May 20, the British, Russian, Italian and French armies made i'm portant advances against the Ger mans.
 In the campaign of eastern Eu- rope. the Russians repulsed Ger man attacks east of Kalncem. In the Balkan campaign the Russians also repulsed German attacks on the Rumanian front east of Koverka.
 In the Italian campaign, the Italians extended their positions on Hill 652 and broke into Austrian lines east of Gorizia.
 In the campaign in western Eu- rope, the British broke into the Hindenburg line on a front of over a. mile between Fontaine-les- Croisilles and Bullecourt. The British also occupied several vil- lages in the Somme area while the French seized Jussy, an inn portant railway junction. The Germans retaliated in a measure by taking French trenches on a 216- yard front on the Chemin-des- Danes.
 On this day the Imperial War |cabinet met at London.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

We were quite interested in reading about the changes that the aldermen will make in the oity's building code, involving the dis play of advertising signs. The change in the present ordinance calls for fee system Actions similar to this seem to be occurring throughout the state and we read great deal about control of outdoors advertising not to mention its complete abolishment We wonder if our city fathers and state Solons are not neglecting an opportunity when they allow companies operating trucks in Water bury and other cities to advertise well-known commodities by posters prominently displayed on the sides of these vehicles. If there are to be restrictions placed on legitimate com panies whose bread and butter is in out door and poster advertising then certainly other concerns should also come under the same jurisdiction and be subject to the same fees and same licenses. It's as fair for one as it is for the other. We could mention other agencies that are not obliged to pay fees for this form of advertising We recommend that our city fathers go after those who are escaping scot free in this matter and include them in the category of companies liable to this taxation.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
l,UOTATIONS
 &$.---.-h)

Sometimes 1t seems everybody has been thinking except the reformers.
 Lincoln steffens.
 The size of every man depends upon the height of his ideals, the depth of his convictions, and the breadth of hts sympathies and in- terests. --G. K. Chesterton.
 Politics is- a suckers game. Mayor James ]. Walker. To favor peace is to favor the con- |tlnuation of civilization.
 John Galsworthy. The chlvalry of men can make lawful fools of women.
 --Michaei Arlen. Democracy is the form of govern. ment which gives or tries to give the people the illusion that they arc soy. |ereign. --Premier MuEAoIinI. sueeess may be attributed 10 throe thingsi one ls elIence. the second ia moro silence and the thisd ia still w"fe s'innce. --tyar KreuHer
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

time you care to sail; will tell you what sort of gift to get for what sort of person. and get it for you if necessary; will send out the thank you" letters to hostesses; will ad- wise the bridesmaids and, as if this were not enough, will attend to the details of tours and ticket buying. Fer you'd be surprise at the number of good folk living in the big city that seem unable to turn sidewise without being advised or aided by some authority on the sub ject.
 GILBERT SWAN. (Copyright, 1881, NEA Service, Inc.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

Dogwood is in blossom now and the fragrant foliage of this large shrub can be seen gleaming throughout Connecticut woods. Most people believe that the dogwood is a towering tree but the apparently white petals are really unfolding leaves. so botan- ists tell us. At any rate the dogwood is found all too rarely on Connecticut hill sides By the way it won't keep if picked.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
Personal Health Service (By William Brady, M. D.

signed letters pertaining to peFs0nai health and hygiene. not disease diagnosis os treatment. will be answered by pr Brady Ad. dress him. care of the Democrat. sendins stamp and addressed envelope.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

Not that professional athletes and crin- inas have anything in common but it's curious fact that we lavish most of our pet names on those two classes.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

Everyone knows the saying about casting bread upon the waters. However. we aren't all familiar with the action of garbage cast upon the waters. But if you happened 10 be q fssidsnt of sny one Of the twsntv<nins
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

The number of hours fellow works i less important than the way he works.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20

All vehicles must be lighted not later than 8:37 Daylight Saving Time) tonight.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-20
At The National Capitol
 DAILY WASHINGTON LETTER A Digest of Who's Who and What's What By RODNEY BUTCHER
DAILY WASHINGTON LETTEl

drunk in his town is ever locked up for getting drunk because 1t is an old Scituate custom dating back POI years not to lock anybody up who is drunk.
 "A member of the jury which con- victed II members of a rum ring here in Washington says h., was in a daze for hours and does not remem- Der any verdict, so the defendants are demanding a new trial. N
 "Also, the wet organizations and the dry organizations are beginning new drives.
 T do not insist that all this news proves anything. but if it proves any, thing at all it proves that prohibition Is not an issue except in the news papers and MT Raskob's mind. There are plenty of other things to think about and am sure we should all be as happy as kings"