davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07
RUSH IN YOUR '
BELIEVE IT OR
NOT TO TIMES
Tempting Prizes Offered for
Best lunches for Ripley
Feature.

Contestants in the national Rip
ley Believe Il or Not" contest are
getting their second wind" 50 to
speak.
The mail today brought a re-
dobuled stream OF amazing facts to
the desk Of The Times contest ed
itor, inspired. no doubt, by the
items published heretofore i.
and many Of today's entries bear
the names Of contestants who we're
among the first to submit items.
The national Ripley Believe It
or Not" contest is for the purpose
Of finding the most amazing facts
in America. The only way that can
be done is for every ore to submit
as many as he knows and
every reader Of The Times is in
vited TO participate-tO send as
many as he can think OF.
Plenty Of Inducement
The grand prizes, which will be
awarded to the nine persons whose
facts Robert L. Ripley considers the
most amazing. are sufficient induce
ment TO excite hundreds Of readers
10 rack their brains for odd bits OF
information.
Never before has such an array
Of prizes been gathered together
never before has such a valuable
group Of prizes been offered on such
a liberal basis: the winner to take
MS choice Of all prizes: second
place winner, gets choice OF the
other eight; and so on until all
have been awarded.
An airplane. a Rockne sedan.
trips to Havana and Quebec are
included
Every One Can Join
You have "Believe-It-Or-Not:"
everybody has Some or the best
are from yesterdays newspaper.
Schoolbooks. history the Bible, all
are full of them. Sports supply
many Of the best ones.
Let's have your hunting or fish
ing stories-only prove them.
There are things that most people
have forgotten about your own city
or town which would make good
ones. Let's have them. The more
the merrier.
There's no work to this contest.
so you have everything to gain and
nothing to lose.
Mail II Now
just write your "Believe-It-Or-
Not legibly on only one side of
the paper and add any explanation
or proof necessary to make us be-
lieve it, then mail it to the Believe
II Or Not Editor" of The Times.
And do it right away, so you will
have a good chance of winning one
of the big prizes. Time limit is
set for May TO- If you think of
another one later, mail that in too.
You can send us as many as you
wish. Good luck
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07

See the Indians in Action What Treat
Join The "Times-Indian" Boys Baseball Club
Hurry don't miss this chance you Is and reside
IN indianapolis then rush your application in today!
berShp costs nothing makes you eligible obtain any
all OF the baseball goods illustrated and addition GALL CLUB
MEMBERS GET A FREE TICKET TO SEE THE REAL
INDIANAPOLIS INDIAN BALL CLUB IN ACTION AT THE
NEW PERRY STADIUM.
Yes sir Absolutely free It's the Club the first to Join
F out your application and rush it in today.
husters You can't afford to miss it, Don't let any else
beat you.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07
GOES AFTER FUGITIVE
Detective Seeks Man Wanted In
Theft OF $4,000.

Detective Sergeant Philip Miller
was en- route today to Seattle,
Wash, to seek return Of George
Black, IS, charged with theft of
$4,000 from Mrs. Doris G. Smalley.
Miller carries a grand jury indict-
ment charging larceny.
Black, formerly of 1882 Broadway,
was said to have obtained the
money from Mrs. Smalley on pre-
tense of investing it and promising
her 500 for use of the money for
four days.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07
Nab Robbing Suspect

Suspected of robbing several mo-
torists, Otis Mobiles, Is, of 1882
Rockville road, was charged with
vagrancy and ordered held on $4,000
bond following his arrest Friday
night at Meridian street and Maple
road
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07

Top Row Cleft to right MARY
Wright, Marian Smith, Florence
Beaver. Bertha Jines. Malvra
Davis, Florence Klotcsche.
Second Row-Minnie Meadows,
Ruth Burns, Thelma Lamb, Ruth
Johnson. Bonnie Wilson, Lena
Belle Patterson.
Third Row-Edward Martin,
Robert Kirk, Robert Rankin, Jack
Robinson, Clarence Baldwin, By
ron Spillman.
Fourth Row-Frank Faust, Col
bert West, Robert Thomas, Will
liam Totten, Elmer Rosebrough,
Willard Rosebrough.
Fifth Row-Betty Leerkamp,
Geraldine Anderson. Lena McFall,
Martha roler, Margaret Policy,
Nathan Steele.
Sixth Row-Evelyn Gait. Gladys
Swinford, Dora Thorne, Virginia
Vornehm, Mary Haltom, Eleanor
Wolf.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-07
ORGANIZES HOUSEWIVES
Lawyer Files League Papers for
War on PeddIers.

Attorney T. Ernest Maholm has
filed incorporation papers with the
secretary of state for the House
wives League, business of which is
to protect housewives from the
epidemic of peddlerS. Members of
the league will be provided with door
cards warning peddlers away.
Evening star., 1932-03-13
NEWs ERR OF DE4LLS1N

could be accepted with o cynical grain OF salt
and shrug. But from DR.. Frank they are
intensely significant. For this smiling charm
ing man. for all his youth Che is still In the
early 4os) Is no cloistered acadamieian offer
ing an Impractical idealistic panacea to the
world. Though much Of his life has been
spent In the shadow Of university walls and
the number Of degrees he has earned would
seem to indicate lifetime of research, he has
been In close touch with world problems for
years
His years editor Of q liberal magazine.
his experiences rs . platform speaker, which
date from 1912 when he was graduated from
college, have all prepared him for the pro-
phetic role he disdains.
He was q member Of the group, headed by
former President Taft which drafted q COW
enant for the League Of Nations considered
By the peace conference at Paris in 19la He
Is the author Of several books on world prob
lens and many articles on world affairs. So
his optimism h significant. and the indications
he has given of the road back point to new
era. when the black depression and co1d cyni-
cism Of the present win seem as Obsolete as
the pubic be damned philosophy Of the pre-
war period
tCc09fiGht, lea1l
Evening star., 1932-03-13

Avenue was lighted with oil lamps in 1912
Congress rebelled at the COST and, after bear
ing the expense for several years, had the lights
turned on Cnly when II was In session 1t
was upon one of these occasions that a lady
In crossing the Avenue, in the vicinity of the
National Hotel, stepped into a puddle and was
finally rescued from feet of mire. After
this the macadam on the Avenue was re-
placed in the center with gravel and the spaces
to the sides paved with cobhle stones which
served the purpose fairly well until the heavy
travel over it during the Cfvil war; when at
times, it became almost impossible. This con-
dition, and the appearance Of the Avenue in
1865, Is referred to in The Star of September
10. 1aS2, which says:
"It was supposed to be paved with eobbae-
stones, but so great had been the travel over
II by Government wagons and teams, batter
les OF artillery, ETC., that in comparison with
IL today 1t was simply miserable In muddy
weather 1t was at times so cut up as TO be
almost impossible. Then the sidewalks were
almost exclusively Of brick and In many places
In bad order. The Capitol grounds were then
surrounded by an iron railing set on a wali and
having stone gatewayS. Some of this railing
has since been utilized to form the north
boundary of the the Smithsonian and Agri-
cultural grounds, and at the National Cemetery
81 Arlington the gateways have been reset"
Visaahzing these conditions, as they existed
on Pennsylvania avenue in the early days
OF washington, one can easily see that the
Gas Light Company was a gcdsend to the
Capital and can claim some share at least in
what we find it TO be today
HE development of the gas plant was rapid,
and, IN the annual report of the company
Tor 1852, We find 1t stated:
The new works have now been thoroushlv
tested for over one year, and are not orly in
wiling to the eye, but are believed to BE- un-
surpassed by any similar works in the country
The contract for their erection for laying
eight miles Of mains, service pipes, meters. etc.
was fully completed early in the year 1854"
Further along in the report we are told:
Ihe average consumption as indicated by
the station meter for the months of October
November and December last, was respectively.
4o86o, Sa,zs9 and 66101. The number Of
miles of street mains throughout the city and
belonging to the company (and there are no
Evening star., 1932-03-13
Punch and Judy Origin

THE Punch and judy show. after al the years
1t has been performed. still holds its hare
for children The trials and txibulations of
Punch. which once were one Of the features Of
every carnival and circus sideshow. ere gener-
ally attributed to the invention Of an Italian
comedian who was at the height Of his pop
uiasiky around 1ee0. The company" perform
ing Punch and Judy Is composed Of only two
persons together with their doll characters.
Evening star., 1932-03-13

adeiphia Mr. Cartwright was contracting
gas litter in Philadelphia, and as the company
was controlled by Philadelphia interests, he was
sent down as superintendent. He was paid
part of his salary in stock of the company
which he and the Cartwright family retained
until the last few years Mr.. Cartwright
mained superintendent for some time, until
one night a disgruntled workman sl,ied brick
through the Office window and he promptly
resigned
II knew Mr.. Cartwright personally, and he
was very fine, high-toned gentleman, and
I heard him relate his experiences here with
q good deal of interest. The Cartwright fam
ny became largely identified with the gas busi-
ness through their interest IN the American
Meter Co. of Philadelphia the last member
az the family died a year or two ago The
gAs company finally disposed Of this property
10 the firm of Gray g. Noyes who occupied
Il for great many years. The old retort
house was used a machine shop, and the
purifier house an iron foundry by them.
The property was sold few years ago to
Harvey Pirestone, who intended to build an
office building it. He dismantled this old
gas plant but the Government has since taken
It over as part of its park system"
. EFERENCE here to Gray & Noyes brings to
~ the writer's mind that it was this firm
that built the old standpipe that for many
years stood about in front of the French En-
bassy on Sixteenth street. and which supplied
water to the Capitol Hill section. This Yeser-
voir, made Of iron plates riveted together. was
about IS feet in diameter and around % feet
high, and afforded much amusement to the
boys who delighted to throw stones against
its side and to the more venturesome ones
who would climb up the little iron ladder at
tached to the outside, just to get glimpse
OF what was going on within
On an old certificate of stock issued By the
gas company the writer found q view Of the
Maine avenue plant the second erected IN the
city, and the only view of early plant
known to exist ALI the buildings In this block
Evening star., 1932-03-13

CHAS H. HILL, who served from 1851 to
1855. followed Mr.. Ward In office. He had
been clerk in the third auditors once Of the
Treasury Department and later was president
Of the Board Of Aldermen Of the City Council
He was lawyer at one time, with offices at
472 . street northwest (old numbering.
George w. Riggs, who followed Mr.. Hill. O.
the co-founder with w. w. Corcoran OF the
nrm Of Riggs d Co, bankers, surely needs No
Introduction to an old Washingtonian. Incl
dentally, Charles g. Glover, chairman today Of
the board Of the Riggs National Bank. accord
ing to the records Of the gas company, was for
years It's treasurer.
Barnabas II. Bartol was president from 1864
70 lass. followed by George A McIihenny. who
oaed In once in 1Se2. John r. Mclean then
assumed the duties Of president. followed by
Soseph Letter. who served from 1911 to 1914.
Howard 8. Heeside succeeded Mr.. Latter after
a.nrief peraod. and continued i'm ONCE for II.
o. a years. when he resigned On account Of I'm
neaith. and Ord Preston became his successor.
Ihe Present incumbent. George A. c. Wood,
mas very kindly furnished the illustrations for
TINS ssoxy and has been helpfui In other ways.
g have Anthony Hyde. Wilmont Squire. nd
ward stafford and d. D. Ransdell and. Of
"otlrse. Mrs. L. b. white. f|: 'FF5 ssfs. 5s
Evening star., 1932-03-13

have recently been removed, except the one
occupied by the Animal Rescue League, which,
for many years before and after the Civil
War, was conducted by Mary Hall, over whose
grave, in Congressional Cemetery, there is
monument surmounted with the figure Of an
angel beneath which the inscription tells the
public Of the virtues of Our Sister Mary"
Apparently the Washington Gas Light Co.
did not begin the Maine avenue plant but
through force OF circumstances, was rather
drawn into 1t. Mr.. Bryan before mentioned,
has this to say on the subject:
while the necessary changes were being
made in the works in the Tenth street locality.
the opposition to the company came to q head
in the formation of a new concern which at
once began the building Of plant on Maine
avenue between Third and -Four and d-a-Haf
streets and also bordering the canal. Although
as yet no charter had been obtained, before
the new plant was completed the prospective
competitor absorbed the Washington Gas Light
Co. by an agreement with the stockholders 10
buy their holdings. The new management.
with Silas II. Hill president completed the
Maine avenue works, that by the beginning
Of the last month of the year the city mains
were supplied with coal gas from the new
center" This was In 1851.
DENNSYLVANIA AVENUE was the FIRST thor
oughfare upon which gas pipes were laid,
the work being done by Government appro-
priation In 1848. but later, when these were
found to be defective, the gas company's pro-
posal to replace the old pipes-which extended
from the Capitol to the White House-with
new ones, provided the line was vested In the
company, was accepted.
IL would be nice If we could but turn hack
the pages Of time and see the Avenue Is it
existed before 1t was lighte1 with gas, bat
this OF course, We cannot do and, therefore,
We must resort to the next best thing and
base our knowledge upon records In the Ma
eional lnteihgencer Of October 80 1848, Is this
item:
Lamps on Pennsylvania Avenue-A physi-
clan Of this city who is often called out in the
night informs us that either from the bad
ness Of the oil or some other cause the lamus
ON Pennsylvania avenue frequently nm o,t ns
early as II o'clock at night when thev are
most wanted, after the lights in the .Aore
windows are extinguished. It l. hoped thak
tkis suggestion viii lead to q better HIGHT I'm
the Avenue after the store lights are put out.
Though We do not know for certain, yet It
b quite possible that the condition complained
Of BY the physician was due to the economy
u, Cpuxress.9 fer We are told that after the
Evening star., 1932-03-13

gas mains in the city that are not the proper
ty OF the company is not less than thirteen.
many Of them ten. six and four inches in
diameter and none less than three inches. The
number Of meters on the premises of consumers
but belonging to the company is $50" BY
1865 the costumers had increased to 1000 and
today there are around 13o 600. The cost Of
gas in 1852 was "a q thousand cubic feet;
1t Is now one-fourth that amount
On July IT, 1856. the company leased for
five years. from @. A. w. Randall for its
ofnces, premises 514 Eleventh street north
west. and the following year erected the plant
at Twenty-sixth and G. streets of which Mr..
McIlhenny has said:
"As the business grew, the company decided
to build q new plant at q more convenient
location for coal delivery, and selected the
present West Station site at Twenty ty-sixth and
@ streets. NV. This was selected on &C
count Of the convenience of receiving coal
by way Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
which joins the Potomac River at that point.
This location was then known as Foggy Bot
tom and was nothing more than hily fields.
In 1857 the works were erected by firm from
Philadelphia. John and James Brick. The
plant was designed for q capacity Of 100000
cubic feet of coal gas with an ultimate
pacity Of loco, 600 cubic feet. There was one
holder erected of about 60e000 cubic feet
capacity. This holder was built by Morris
TaSker & Co. of Philadelphia, with cast iron
columns. as was then the custom. About
1891 the holder was blown down, in severe
windstorm, the cast iron columns breaking of
at the base, and one of the girders fell through
the crown OF the holder igniting the gas from
spark and entirely destroying the holder. It was
Immediately rebuilt and is now in use
THE writer eonfesses he kno~s little Of the
manufacture Of gas, which Is entirely q
scientific preparation, but he has learned
that when the plant was located at Tenth street
and Louisiana avenue, In 1848 gas was made
from rosin. The first coal gas plant, as stated
was erected On Maine avenue Early in the
7os the company began to enrich the gas with
camel COAL obtained from Scotland with the
addition OF two kinds of minerals very rich In
hluminant-one, "Albertie," from Nova Scotia
and the other Richie Mineral Later benzine
or eas naptha, was used to enrich the coal gas
Evening star., 1932-03-13

and this was used until a low-water gas plant
was built in 1882, when the first oil gas plant
was discontinued. A process known as the
Wilkerson water gas was also in use for q num-
Der Of years, and no doubt, other methods
were tried out from time to time with view
TO rendering to the public the best possible
service.
The first contract for laying gas mains, as
we find from Mr.. McIlhenny's memoranda,
was made with Joseph I. Battin, and was for
nine miles. and all the early cast iron pipe
was made in England, as none was then man.
ufactured in this country.
Referring TO the digging of the trenches for
the gas mains brings to mind the men who
many years ago were employed in performing
this strenuous work. They were all Irish
laborers. and well can the writer look back on
his youthful days and see these faithful sons
of Erin, clad-both Summer and winter-in
their red flannel shirts, each one with clay
pipe in his mouth, turned black with usage,
and with the stem broken on that the bowl
almost set beneath the nose. They did not
use the same kind Of tobacco the ordinary
smoker uses today, but q plug tobacco called
Rough and Ready" and very strong tobacco
1t was They were honest, hard-working men,
and no doubt many of our best citizens were
educated through the toll and industry of
these faithful servants of the gas company,
who thought nothing of working 10 hours a
day for 81 IS.
THE credit for having been the first place In
Washington to use gas commercially goes 10
Browns Indian Queen Hotel which Is still
none other than the present Metropolitan.
added 10 and remodeled. Aside from the public
buildings, this also represented the largest IN
stallation Of gas equipment, and, incidentally
the gas company still has q bill made out
against Browns Hotel dated 1882
In 1849, when Calvert q Co. became the pro-
prietors Of the National Hotel, they opened
this hostelry with the assistance Of Z. d. Will
lard. of those who originally started the
New Willard, and it was at the National that
Mr.. Willard used the first gas cooking stove
known in this city which he introduced In
Evening star., 1932-03-13
Continued from Third Paqe

and Charles A. Beard have already pointed
the way. Everywhere fresh interest is cen
tering In the idea
1T may be only a fear phase. arising out OF
the depression like the reconstruction reso-
lutions of war days which were 30 Quickly
forgotten in peacetime. But at present there
Is great current interest in all sorts Of pla.a-
ming. industrial social and national The lais-
sezfaire spirit Of capitalism has proved a fall
ure, since 1t gave attention to details and neg
ected to plan on large scale.
Therefore, industrialists are now centerinr
their interest on policies Of national foresieht
Led, the one hand, by the mass of nev
literature the subject and, ON the other
by policies Of sef-preservation, they are realiz-
ing the possibilities Of q new order and con-
siderng it cautiously.
"I do not minimize" added DR. Frank
grayely, "the disheartening number of prac-
tical difficulties in the way. Our very political
tradition Of checks and balances hinders the
promptness and precision needed by the are
But the significant thing ID that today there
In q merging Of Interests. The coming toqeth-
er Of the self interest Of the indnstriafist and
the idealism of the social philosopher may vet
lead the way cut Of postwar eynieisn inte
the creative adventure Of social control"
IVA fOULD you be willing to 60 into detail
w about this achievements"
He raised deprecating hand. "T said am
not q prophet cannot say how this h to
be accomplished. 7 only feel that the spirit
Of Western civilization has reached q CRISIS
In It's development, from which it n possGhae
to emerge into the sunlight OF a new day"
From many another man such statements
Evening star., 1932-03-13


1855. Referring to this, the press at that time
said
"One Of the most labor saving and money
making expedients ever introduced, and espe-
cial1y valuable for persons of scanty means, Is
the cooking with gas. What o world Of labor
and trouble and time 1t savesi Mr.. Willard
brought one Of his sheet-iron broilers to our
Office some days ago, and, having attached q
gutta-percha tube to one Of the gas pipes,
cooked q couple Of chops and a steak in a few
minutes, the tenderest ever tasted, and,
what Is peculiar to the process, free from the
smoke and fumes which generally rise from
broiling meat. Anybody can see the operation
any day In the kitchen Of the National Hotel"
In all, there have been II presidents Of the
Washington Gas Light Co, which Is good rec
ord for the "a years IL has existed The first
president was John r. Ca1lam, who served
from 1s4s to 1849 He was president of the Po-
tomac Savings Bank and notary public and
formerly worked q clerk in the military de-
partment Of the Government
Then came Ulysses Ward Qs49-5D, q former
lumber merchant Of the firm Of ]. B. Ward d
Bro, with offices at Twelfth Street, West On
the Canal" Mr.. Ward also was president Of
the Mutual Fire Insurance Co. at Seventh
street and Louisiana avenue and was known to
be an evangelist. Clarence r. Norman, former
president Of the National Bank Of Washing
ton, is descendant Of Ulysses Ward.
Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-02
CREW OF JAPANESE
 FRE|CHTER RESCUED

SEATTLE, Jan. ?. (P)-The crew and officers of the Japanese freighter SS Tamaho Maru are safe in the North Pacific, accord ing to word received here.
 The officers and crew abandoned the ship following a 60-hour fight against heavy seas. A brief mes sage relayed to the Coast Guard offices here said that the crew was rescued by the .Reiyo Maru, which conveyed the Tamaho for many hours.
 The Reiyo has proceeded to Japan with the crew. The abandonment of the ship was made 150 miles of Adreanoff, in the Aleutian Islands.
Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-02
FINLAND MAY BE WET
 YEAR 1882 COUNT SHOWS

ELSINGFORS, Finland, Jan. 2. (P)-Finland stood upon the thresh- old of 1882 and looked for a wet year after 13 years of prohibition.
 The Vets and the Drys alike ad- mitted that prospects for a change of the present law were evident as the returns of an advisory referen- dunn showed that with one-fifth of the votes counted, 75 per cent of them were for repeal, 24.O2 per cent were for the retention of the prohibition law and 08 were for modification to permit the sale of light wines and beer.
 Sixty per cent of the repeal votes cast in Helsingfors were cast by women.
Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-02

The ending of the old year and the ushering in of a new one marks the time for local stores and busi- ness houses to take inventories of their stock and last years business. Most of the stores have completed or are winding up their inventories for 193l'.
Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-02

Take advantage of the Seward Steam Laundry's offer for 50 per cent off on all cleaning and press ing jobs received on Monday. Sew ard Steam Laundry.