davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
Judge wilkerson's Responsibility

The eyes Of the country are upon
Judge wilkerson Of the Federal Court
in Chicago On the 3oth Of this month,
two weeks from yesterday. he viii adj
minister to Alphonse Capone, hoodlum
gangster and master racketeer, SEN
tence for the crimes of which he stands
confessed. Under the law he may sem
tence him to imprisonment for thirty
four years, and fine of 100000. The
universal sentiment of the country is
that this maximum penalty should be
administered.
Capone has pleaded guilty TO a long
array Of charges which bear upon his
failure to make proper return on his
income taxes. He has thus pleaded in
the hope of gaining the mercy Of the
court, Of drawing perhaps sentence Of
Imprisonment for few years, four or five
at the most. AS for the fine, he prob
ably cares little. 1t Is understood that
he has fortune of several million dol
lars planted away beyond reach of the
law for the support Of his family and
Of himself when he leaves prison. He
should worry about the future, when
jail doors yield him forth.
There should be no mercy, no lessen
ing Of penalty because Of this gesture
of acknowledgment There should be
no tightening of the burden of the law
because this scoundrel, who has done
such unmitigated mischief and has
caused such suffering, now saves the
court the trouble Of trying him on
charges that are sure to be proved. He
has earned no consideration by his
present concession to the law that he
has so flagrantly houted.
Capone has been beaten by the Fed
eral Government on what is practically
q technicality. His real offenses lie be-
yond the matter of his income taxes.
Those taxes indeed are due upon wealth
amassed through crime. crime for which
he has never been caught and for which,
if punished adequately. he would spend
the rest of his life in prison, If indeed he
did not yield that life in penalty.
For such as this man there is no war
rant for mercy, no excuse for condone-
ment, no reason for compromise. 1t is
not Capone, in fact, who is at issue In
this matter. It is the law itself, the
safety of society, the very efficiency Of
government. The fact that this present
prosecution by the United States on the
income tax cases has, as it is now be-
lieved, broken up the Capoae gang, does
not lessen the need Of punishment to
the limit in the case Of this man, the
leader and chief beneficiary Of long
series of lawless enterprises.
SO the eyes Of the country are upon
Judge Wilkerson. VIII he be. merciful
In this brazen enemy of the law?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
The Railroads.

The railroad of the United States
today filed an application for an In
crease Of fifteen per cent in their freight
rates. In their statement to the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, which
must pass upon the application, the
railroad executives set forth in detail
the circumstances which have caused
them to make this request. The
net result Of all these circumstances is
that the roads today are making net
earnings Of only 2.24 per cent on
the value Of the railway properties as
tentatively ascertained by the COM
mission. Unless some step is taken
which will bring these earnings more
nearly to the 594 per cent. set down
in the transportation act as the stand.
ard Of reasonable rates for the rail-
roads, the railway executives say that
railroad credit and the securities Of
the railroads will drop to an extent
that the latter are no longer
marketable
The continued reduction Of railroad
income would make the securities I'M
available to insurance companies. saw
ings banks and trusts companies, at
present holders of large amounts Of rail-
road bonds. There must also be taken
into consideration the very large num-
Der of individual holders of railroad
bends and stocks. to whom an adequate
return on their investments is only fair.
1t has been estimated that there are a
million owners Of railroad bonds and
another million. owners Of railroad
stocks.
In their application the railway execu-
tives call attention to the situation
which confronted them when the de-
preston began in 1929. Their problem
was either to carry on. with capital ex-
penditures and improvements. in the
nope that business would soon revive,
or to curtail Immediately all their ex-
penditures and reduce the number Of
their employees materially. They deter
mined to carry on, and did so during
part Of 1880, but when it became APP
parent that the depression was to be Of
longer duration they began to make
drastic cuts In their operating expendi-
lures. This. they said. was only fair to
the holders Of railroad securities. and
had the course not been followed the
losses in net earnings would have been
far greater than they have been.
The railway executives say that they
cannot expect to add to their net earn
ings by raising passenger rates. This
is true because Of the ever-increasing
competition from privately owned auto
mobiles and buses and because the
travelling public would not stand the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17

neld. Three Senators sclrried over the
plate. Tremendous din from the stands
sheriff David making sincere but some
what ungracefIll progress toward third
base. Relayed throw. . dust-raising
slide, safe at third The throw wild,
the bali going into the dugout. Runner
on his tunIny ct third. unaware Of the
happy situation, umpire telling him to
get up and walk home. players fran
ticaliy begging him to make his way
to the plate TO record the winning run,
few feet Of progress On hands and
knees In daSed Seni-appreciation Of the
golden opportunity, and then Q trium-
plant walk home, hero Of the multi.
tudel
A game won In the ninth against
apparently hopeless oddsl Base ball at
its bestl Pennant hopes strengthened!
The opposition idle because Of rain.
Half game. halt game, half q game
onwardl Base ball supremeI :
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES 3. TRAcEWELL.

What was Nachah student to do?
Here was q plain case Of calling the
bird a cowbird or giving 1t up, and what
was the use of o book II the very second
time one referred to it there was no
picture to match the bird?
~ y
So Jones argued with himself, and
decided to call It cowbird. He dimly
recalled seeing several Of these queer
things walking around In meadow Of
his childhood.
They liked cows, that was all, Jones
recalled. The cowbird has done duty
for countless generations Of children
In permitting himself Tor HERSELF to be
used as q prime example Of Jaziness.
The cowbird lays its eggs In some
other birds nest. according to legend,
and is said to be the only bird which
does this trick. All children are taught
that.
Jones got to thinking that probably
today such bird might be held to be
shrewd, smart and sophisticated-a very
clever fellow, don't you know. Times
change and mems opinions with them.
The next evening, shortly after the
appearance Of the so-called cowbird,
Templeton Jones stepped out on the
back porch to get a closer view Of 1t.
The bird objected.
With an angry exclamation It Few I'D
into tree and then clear away.
Shortly afterward there came through
the still evening air the unmistakablei
cooling Of q dove.
There could be little doubt about It.
It was the familiar cry Of the North
American mourning dove.
Jones had to admit it.
HE P0NUhfrd upna M aOuyIAird YA,,k
dove.
We'll, doves are interesting things,
too" he said. He thought OF all the
tribes Of doves, and their close rela-
tionship to the pigeons. The English
even have q ringdove which Is called
the wood pigeon.
Tine great Darwin made q special
study of pigeons, which he put into four
classifications-the pouters, the carriers.
the fantatls dncluding tumblers, etc.,,
and the trumpeters.
Millions of passenger pigeons passed
over America about 1878, never to ap-
pear again. What became of them Is
bird mystery.
Jones thought OF the antiquity of the
dove. It was the bird which Noah sent
out OF the ark to find land.
1t was the bird Of Venus.
BABYLON was called the City Of the
Doves.
In early Christian times the dove was
carved on tombs as a figure Of the
resurrection. It was held to be en-
blematic Of the Holy Spirit.
There is said to be an orchid Of Cen
trail America called the dove plant, or
Holy Ghost plant, because its blooms
resemble dove with outstretched wings
The turtledove Of Europe (Turtur
auritus) for centuries has been the sym
Dol OF gentleneSs and love. Today there
Is no more common figure in political
cartoons the world over than the dove
OF peace.
AFTER ALL" said TempIeton Jones. 81
guess dove Is just as interesting as a
coWDird, and several times as respecta-
BILE"
You see the effects Of early education.
Jones had not got over that story about
She low tricks the cowbird is said to
Hay on other birds.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
Canada's Law on
"One.Eyed'' Motors

40 the Editor OF The Star:
One Of the Canadian courts of appeal
mas recently decided a suit which NAV
De OF interest to drivers of automobiles
Inc suit resulted from two automobiies
coming into collision on q public l,ipf-
way. AT the time of the accident fine
car OF the defendant was being driven
the right-hand side of the car. Both
cars were proceeding straight ahead
each little to the left of the center
OF the road The Court of Appeal ia its
opinion used the following language:
Tnere can be no question that a very
nigh degree Of care Is required of 8
person who operates q motor vehicle on
highway with only one light, for q
motor vehicle so driven Is a menace
70 the safety Of other travellers. The
evidence In the present case shows that
1t Is most difficult under such circum-
stances for any one meeting the We
hicle to distinguish the body Of the car.
The driver Of the plaintiffs car thought
that the approaching vehicle was q
motor cycle, and did not see that It was
an automobile until 1t was too late to
avoid It. The learned trial Judge has
found that 1t was the defendants neg
hgence In driving with only one light
dence, in our opinion, supports this
finding. It is negligence per Sc to oper-
ate an automobile without complying
with the statutory requirements as to
lights, and 1t is no excuse that the
driver was unaware that one of his
lights was not burning" The case Is
reported In Dominion Law Reports
(19Sl), vol. 1.
a. LEFTwIcH SINCLAIR.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17

Templeton Jones has resolved his cow
bird into o dove.
While he would have preferred to be.
iieve the creature which came to hii
yard every evening at exactly O'Clock
was O cowbird, or COW blackbird, as II
Is sometimes called, close study con.
WINGED him that It was dove, after all.
from the start, but Templeton held Out
for cowhird.
what Is that bird?" asked he, see
Ing 1t for the first time.
TITS Q dove" I think, replied Mrs
Jones.
ut doesn't co.," said Templeton.
ut Is too busy eating Seed" said she.
X ~ X
There the matter was permitted to
Nrest until the next evening, when the
bird appeared again, intent on getting
aNsquare meal of the Jones' grass seed
just put IN some bad spots in, the lawn.
There's that bird again." said Mr.
jones' eying II with the air Of Nature
student.
It Il peculiar what an air Of intent
ness 3 student Of Nature Cor Na-chah,
as some call it, can assume.
Those who delve into higher mathe-
mates and then come out again can
400A 4lO Wt1GE tkl0kl ~ INAbuIG 8kQQCIl
peering at q new bird
This Is the sort of study Jones likes
because, as he says, it takes no work at
all; only q little pleasant flmbling
around with books.
In the controversy over cowbird VS..
dove even this little was not necessary.
All one had to do-all Jones had to
do-was to turn over the pages of a
small book with flexible covers and see
there exhibited in full cover some scores
OF land birds of the North American
States east Of the Rockies.
The book was very particular about
land birds west Of the Rockies which
never cross the divide.
X # ~
Now, in using bird book, Templeton
Jones discovered, the best guesser is the
best Nature student.
He passes with q mark Of 100 per
cent who can look from bird on the
bough to pictured bird on the page and
then mentally match the one against
the other and decide whether they
really match or not.
Mostly they. don't.
Usually there Is some wide divergence
in the two such as d crest on a head
where no crest should be, or q set of
white spots on q chest which Is pictured
as virgin brown.
Such little difficulties upset Jones
until he came to the safe and sane con-
clusion that in bird study, as in every
thing else, one must use ones head.
4 X \ r.
THAT is what ones head is for" said
Templeton Jones' sagely, as he looked
at his picture Of the cowhird-in the
book-and then looked across the lawn
at the two-footed creature eating seed
on the real ground.
They we're not exactly the same, he
had to admit but still each OF them
was what might be called q two-tone
bird, the neck and head lighter than
the body, and the latter in each very
much larger than the head.
Yet somehow the bird on the page
did not match the bird on the ground,
and Templeton Jones knew it.
But the book gave no doves at all,
nor pigeons of any sort.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Radios listening millions probably
Sasns. = nearly every one at Marion
huysen's lite SLID when he said Ing
Aaroing dleddurfng his third term Of
o meanQg, of course, his third
year. fTeIinnuysen was Hardinr's
t ts CONN partner In Washing
ION. senator HE Of Maine and Henry
Fletcner, nov Tariff ComrrlissIon
chairman ed complied the favoriate four
Naturally, Marion reverberatea yes.
teroay with Harding anecdotes and Tec-
onectionS. one OF tn saddest was the
e4p ~, OF q nelgnaor who saw him
t ~ 'Ie W n, house OF the eve of the
az ~ AiaSka' ConVerStion was about
the memorial the folk back honos',
meant some day to set U, to co,,, ,-e
crate his presidency. at can't ha ~
soon to suit me-" remarSd Hard;n1
YEARLY. Another friend 7,,,otn aI ns
Sawyer as having said thu from, ~:
moment when the President vas mt ~
bed at San Francisco. Hardin e1;ocs%
no interest whatever in gettingweII.
X \ y
In the crowds that milled Aro,,,,,
the lobby Of the Hotel Harding. TaI;ssn .
II seem for all the world like nSSonai
convention time, was lone DeYilSrot
Senator Clarence G. Din of War;
ton state. He didn't come to Mas,
1or the dedication. He was born a.
raised in Central Ohio, not far fro.
Marion. Once he drove a street ca
70 pay his way through nearby OH,
wesleyan University, at Delaware. Th,
SPOKANE statesman, fresh from stud,
OF european radio, Is visiting his par.
ents In Ohio, en- route to the coast.
\ X X
Harry s. New, Postmaster General r.
Doth the Harding and Coolidge cabi.
nets, was invited to ride into Marior
rom indianapolis on President Hoover
special train. New was political cron,
OF Hard1ngs long before the Ohioan be.
came national figure. Yesterday wa,
tne nrSt Time In nine years that New
ana jim Watson have fraternized
Tney broke with each other violentl,
in 1922 when, as News friends siwav,
thought, Watson threw his influence K
Bevertdge in the bitter indiana Rsnuh.
!lcan senatorial primary of that year
and Jim" motored to Columbus ~
gether after the dedication and ~,
the period Of an hour and a half 81
least, buried the Ratchet.
+ X X X
There was one literally Earring not.
at Marion. A Detroit Newspaper rvro.
scope plane insisted on encircline the
dedication ceremonies while the speeche,
were In progressl
(Copyright, 1917
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
The Ritual of the
Knights of Pythias
To the Editor of The Star.

To the Editor of The Star:
The members of the Order ri
knights Of Pythias are greatly indebted
70 The Star and to Mr.. John Claoett
Proctor for the splendid historical arti-
Gle on the order which appeared in the
magazine supplement to The Sunday
Star on the fourteenth instant.
while 1t Is q matter of slight i'm
portance as TO whether Founder Rath-
bone wrote the original ritual in WASH
ngton In 1864, shortly before he found
ed the order on February 10, 1854. or
IN Eagle Harbor, Mich, where he
was school teacher three years before
the opening of the Civil War, vet over
TINS slight matter there has ragged n
controversy that seems never to have
been settled, despite the fact that on
Two separate occasions Founder Rath-
bone explicitly stated that he wrote the
ritual before coming to Washington in
1868: The recent printed statement Is
to the effect that the ORIGINAL ritual
OF the Knights of Pythias was written
few weeks before the founding of the
order on February 10, 1864, and that
before he came to Washington CITY.
FOUNDER Rathbone had never seen a
copy OF the famous play by Banim
entitled Damon and Pythias." It is
to be regretted that the leading history
Of the knights of Pythias, written by
the late w. d. Kennedy, is very antagk
onistic to Founder Rathbone, and car
ries errors that fifty years have not
corrected.
In "a brief history of the ORIGINAL
history of the Order of knights of
Pythias," written by Founder Rathbone
and which appears at pages lO7-lO9
OF Gen. Canadians "Pythian Knight
hood" second edition revised, 1892, it
is specifically stated that he wrote the
ritual while teaching school in the Lake
Superior country. A year or two before
the death of Rathbone he was visited
In Washington by Gen.. Carnahan, at
time when Rathbone was in the Ad-
JutaAt Generals Office in the War De-
.partment. By the courtesy of Adjutant
General Drum, Rathbone was given a
lays leave of absence in order to fur
Iash Carnahan with facts for his forth
Sning "Pythian Knighthood." In this
nerview, which is a long one and
WMh is printed in Canadians book
AZ ages 267-285, Rathbone specifically
Ssa.4 that he wrote the original ritual
" wee degrees while teaching school
Eyle. Harbor, Mich, after he
aao "a Edwin Forrest and other lead
nag acs+s in the play of Damon and
ryCnass and after he had been sup
4 T., a. - g IA AAOC0 SOPJ VI ILLS play
py tne pelishing firm of S. French s.
oon OF NsA York City. Rathbone stat
ca tnat AIR a careful study of the
pay ne oeesed to found the Order of
knights OF hthias upon it.
-four OF tnsf1ve original members of
tne knlgnts = Pythias were members
Oh . she ArionSlee Club, founded by
HaenDone Ia is3. The first prelimi-
nary nary meeCing oaAe knights of Pythias,
nal five memberSH Attendance ana 10
others were inviteuo join until The first
regular meeting hel on the nineteenth
Of the same month"; hen the order was
launched. vas
LEROY STAFFORD BOYD.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
Nadir.;

The lowest point Of the marathon
stiffness has been reached. A minister
Of the Gospel has now preached q SER
mon twenty hours in length, thus dis
tancing another preacher by several
hours. It has been the common belief
Of many, however, that sermons are
already too long, 30 that this latest
outcropping Of the endurance idea will
have few sympathizers. SufAly this
tendency Of the American peopleAis bad
enough without finding It's way into the
churches. It seems that q certain
amount Of sophistication IN q body ot
people viii give rise to certain quirRs
Of the human minds. which are mani
Tested In peculiar and essentially trivial
ways. The sitting for days in trees
might be forgiven, as Q silly juve-
nile imitation Of men who sought
a superficial publicity. When the same
idea is taken into the pulpit, there will
be many to question and deprecate the
performance. The truths Of religion
are not to be judged by quantity, but
rather by quality, and anything which
tends to take the minds Of listeners
away from the spirit and the truth will
seem to countless persons to be low
ering Of the whole tone Of revelation
Those who 60 to church and those who
do not win join In hoping that the
sanctuaries Of America, whether large
or humble, whether magnificent or
lowlyS will see no more "marathons'
except in the way Of endeavor toward
righteousness.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-17
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

This bureau does not give advice, but
gives free information on any sub
ct. Often to be accurately informed
70 be beyond the need Of advice, and
lformation Is always valuable, whereas
avice may not be. In using this
rvice be sure to write clearly, state
bur inquiry briefly and inclose 2-cent
amp for reply postage. Address The
kenlng Star Information Bureau, Fred
he j. Haskin, director, washington,
! J. How many brands of cigars are
TIE in this country?-C. ]. r.
70 The Tobacco Leaf Magazine says
tse are about 10000 brands OF cigars
nhis country.
ADO racing cars have brakes7-H.
T.
AThe rules Of the contest board
Of American Automobile Association
prole that racing cars shall be equip
ped with q motor driven reverse
meQnism and two Independently
opeled sets Of brakes.
Q:vhen was ragtime first used?-
Al became popular In the late 'SOs.
"PasIla" was written in 1895 and the
first enerally known ragtime piece,
The Georgia Camp Meeting" was
WRITTEN 1897.
w q; - hat makes volcanoes erupt'-
A. ae ultimate cause of volcanicity
Is the4Ernal heat Of the earth.
@. HI many Moslerins, Christians
and Jel are there in Palestine2-W.
q. b.
A. Tire IS not q late census. In
1922 the were 583, 1873 MoSlenls. S4.550
ChriStial, 1928 Orthodox Jews, 1904
DruSes ID about 500 Of other faiths.
@. In egard to a rule for making
cake, weh is correct, recipe or re-
ceipt?-kw. p.
A. Bot words are correct.
Q. In Yhat order should military
organizaci4s come In q parade?-P. l..
A. Organizations In q parade are
arranged Gording to the dates Of their
establishment, the oldest being placed
in front. pr instance, first, the Grand
Army; secQd, the Loyal Legion; third
Spanish w: Veterans; fourth, Veterans
of Foreign Vars; fifth, Military Order
OF tOre1gn Wars; sixth, American
Legion: seveth, Military Order of the
World War, nd eighth, Disabled Amer
lean Veteras. However, men in the
regular ser,ce Of the United States
Army, NavyRnd Marine Corps parade
first. Othej organizations would be
placed In theparade among the organ
tzations Lister according to the date OF
their establishment.
@. How doe one get plants from the
Department O. Agriculture?--C. c. D.
A. TIE DeRrtment Of Agriculture
discontinued dftributing plants In 1928
Since that tim there has been no ap'
preparation mae for this activity.
Q. What is " Irish dividend?-
v. c. T.
A. 1t is faceious term used whel
an assessment is levied on stock.
@. What is bdng done to restor
Wakefield?-W. B F.
A. The birthplace Of Washington 1
to be restored as nearly as possible +
the conditions Of two centuries ago. ]
will be opened as national shrine. tn