davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1934-02-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| way during the latest Inauguration.
"See-see-it says to pass me by.
I went anywhere that day. I could
have gone right at the head Of the
procession, right up by the Fresi-
dent"
"They wanted to be able to keep
an eye on you" grinned the big COP
with foreboding wink of his right
eye.
"I could a gone any place that
day." insisted the man of the scis-
sors, with proud grin.
They had to know where you
were," insisted the cop.
Just memories, brought back In
fun, Of q great day. when the now
famous new deal came into Wash
ington and started going out again
to all the Nation and all the world
SODA jerkers." they used to call
them, the young fellows behind the
counters. but now they are cooks. of
| a sort.
They seem to be such sour young
men.
You'd be sour. too, if you had to
with"
Everybody has to put up with
things. Heavens, yes!'
| And these young men in their white
aprons-at II am, anyway-and
sometimes their jaunty peaked white
hats-at some places-scowl so ter
ribly when one innocently asks for
ham on rye.
1t is almost worth as much as your
life, in some establishments, to ask
for lettuce and mayonnaise on white
bread.
Almost the customer can image the
chap swearing at the cruel fate which
made cook out OF a perfectly good
soda man.
II one only were called a chef, and
could wear one Of those big, funny
white hats Topped over one ear, and
II one got a chefs salary!
They do say those beggars get more
money for standing around supervis-
ing bowls Of soup than you could
make behind q fountain counter in a
million years.
Guys in the old days used to have
it easy behind counters. All they had
to do was hand out 90 chawklut sodies
to every strawberry sody. The worst
part Of 1t was waiting for that hun
dredth person to decide on straw
berry-and then waiting to hear him
beef because he didn't take chawklut,
after all.
A properly educated soda fountain
man will ignore you as long as he
can, unless you wear skirts, when
he is much more likely to be alert.
Most of the boys seem to have at
tacks Of gravity in their feet, but
who could blame them, standing all
day long, frying eggs with one hand
and buttering toast with the other.
The modern soda fountain man
they keep that name soda fountain"
just out of respects a cross be-
tween a magician and juggler and
q side show glass-eater.
He can look right over the top Of
your head without seeing a bit of you
and he can keep this up for any
number Of minutes whatsoever II you
permit him. The best way to bring
his eyes down is to take out your
watch and look at it tenderly, hold
ing 1t in your hand the while as If
admiring it very much. This usually
works. 1t takes time, however, to
make friends with one of these fel-
lows. II one says, Hello, buddy"
inside of year you are doing excep-
tionally well.
Evening star., 1934-02-20

without the sensation Of terror. To
others, however, the attainment OF
height gives the greatest thrill in life.
Man pits his strength and skin and
nerve against nature in its most
treacherous form.
Alpinists, to give mountain climb
ers the title generally applied to
those who scale the heights, are or
ganized into clubs in many countries
In America there are numerous
groups, some of them devoted to their
own local hills or mountains, some
going farther afield to foreign lands.
Their adventures are profitable in the
broadening of their knowledge Of the
terrain. They became interested In
local and general geography, some
times in geology, and often their
studies in history are quickened and
stimulated by adventures in areas
marked by Important happenings
But to the true AlpiniSt the height it.
self is the specific goal. the attain
ment of that point from which the
world may be viewed to best advan-
tage.
No one will ever know the exact
cause of King Albert's fall to death
1t may have been that q stone on
which he stepped or to which he
chung by a hand-hold gave way
possibly loosened by frost. The safety
rope may have broken under the
strain or have been frayed by abra-
sion against the rocks. That is always
the hazard of q climber, especially
when alone. That hazard has cost
many lives. and this latest sacrifice is
the most notable in history and the
heaviest loss in terms of a valuable
life sacrificed in indulgence in the
most dangerous and thrilling Of ali
sports.
Evening star., 1934-02-20
Protests Condition of
Sidewalks of Capital

To the Editor Of The Star:
Having been bruised and battered
and my right arm shattered by a
fall on an tce-covered sidewalk I
cannot refrain from broadcasting
through your columns with your per-
mission my disgust and resentment
toward those responsible for the
condition in which the streets are
left following every snowfall. I am
aware of the fact that there has been
in past years some litigation regard
ing responsibility for cleaning the
sidewalks Of ice and snow. My recol-
lection is the courts held that title
to the streets were in the city, and
that adjacent property owners could
not be compelled to clean the side
walks, this duty being upon the city
authorities. Wherever the duty rests
it should be rigidly enforced for the
protection Of the lives and limbs Of
the people. If the duty belongs to
the city those in authority have
neglected their duty most reprehen-
sibly, and are therefore responsible In
conscience, If not in law. for the in
juries others and have sustained and
the expense we have been put to.
The way in which the ice and snow
are allowed to remain on the side
walks is a disgrace to the National
Capital-a city that should be a
model in every respect of municipal
government and efficiency. Having
known the city for over forty years
I can testify that in former years the
streets were kept far cleaner and in
safer condition than they are at pres
ent and for some time past. Could
there have been any better way to
give employment to the unemployed
of the city than to have them clean
the streets of the ice and snow that
has covered them the past week or
ten days?
ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.
Evening star., 1934-02-20
MYSTERIES of Snow.

Sir Richard Burton once was asked
10 describe q fish for the benefit OF
q Bedouin who never had seen the
sea. He found the assignment an
impossible task. Try as he might, 1t
simply was not feasible to convey to
his hearer the impression he desired
10 give. Words were incompetent for
the need. and a pencil sketch pro-
NOTED misunderstanding difficult to
explain. The desert dweller had
nothing in his experience against
which the explorer could portray the
image of salmon or sardine, let alone
shark or tarpon. 'Tnere was no COM
mon basis of knowledge between the
two men for the exchange of the
conception.
But suppose it had been snow that
Burton was endeavoring To interpret!
Certainly. he mAeat have sa3d. ''zt -
Evening star., 1934-02-20
Creenbacks Were
Not s'Shin Plasters''
TO the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Senator Carter Glass, who Is looked
upon by some of his senatorial col
leagues and misinformed cent per cent
bankers and money changers as the
ultimate authority in regard to
United States primary money and
currency, stated recently on the floor
of the Senate that "the greenback
after the Civil War was called q
shin plaster and was worth IS cents
on the dollar" The greenback was
never called "shin plaster after
the Civil War or since. The term
shin plaster" was applied to the
then fractional currency, 5, 10. Is
and so cents each of paper currency
of that period. When the green
back was at so or IS cents on the
dollar, is Senator Carter Glass igno-
rant Of the fact, or Is he concealing
1t, that that was due to Q decision of
the Supreme Court Of the United
States? But when the Supreme Court
reversed its decision, as it did, the
greenback became q full, legal tender
Of 100 cents to the dollar for all pub
lie and private debts in the United
States. Does Senator Glass not know,
or does he, that during President
Cleveland's first administration the
bankers and money changers of New
York City we're presenting the green
backs at the Subtreasury in New
York City and demanding gold for
them and getting it in exchange?
The then Secretary Of the Treas
ury, Daniel Manning, went to New
York City and called upon oil New
York City's bankers and money
changers to meet him. When the
meeting took place Secretary Man
ming informed the bankers and
money changers that from that day
the Subtreasury In New York City
would pay out gold and silver or all
silver for greenbacks. This state
ment and action by Secretary Man
ming caused a cessation of any fur
ther withdrawal of gold from the
Subtreasury Of New York City or else
where in exchange for greenbacks.
w. e. RYAN.
Evening star., 1934-02-20
Deplores Car Service
On Chevy Chase Line
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Recently have had brought
forcibly to my attention and have
observed personally conditions which
I think should be brought to your
attention.
For quite some time the over
crowded and poorly ventilated street
cars operated northwest on Pennsyl-
vania avenue and into the Chevy
Chase section have constituted not
only an intolerable and outrageous
situation, but also a public health
menace. Recently, this condition has
grown worse. I am referring, Of
course, to the morning and evening
rush hours of traffic along these lines.
This situation has been growing
steadily worse. and I have observed
no improvement to date whatsoever.
About two days ago ! was standing
in the crowded aisle Of one OF these
Chevy Chase cars during the evening,
about O'Clock, and the people were
packed in so closely that some Of
them were actually suffering physical
ly. I observed three or four elderly
women, whose faces were familiar to
me as regular patrons of this line, so
exhausted and herded into such a
crowded and indecent position that
they appeared ready tc faint.
noted in the piess recently q
public statement on the part Of Mr..
Hanna, president of the Capital Tran
sit Co., that he had increased the
services ON the two other Chevy Chase
lines. I noticed that he has not
increased it on this line.
We are determined TO bring this
outrageous condition to the attention
of the public, and We do not intend
to cease our efforts until relief has
been secured. ! am appealing to the
press because my past experience has
indicated that 1t Is useless to discuss
the matter with either the Capital
Transit Co., or the mirror officials Of
the Public Utilities Commission.
1t seems to me that there is very
poor management somewhere in the
Capital TranSit Co. which continues
a policy of operating poor and made
quate equipment when cheaper and
more rapid supplementary bus lines
would greatly relieve the congestion
on this line, would improve the service
and would cut dove the cost of opera
ton of the company. am wonder
ing If the stockholders Of the Capital
Transit Co. really understand this
situation, and am wondering what
they would do If they knew that their
company was using a more expensive
method of transporting passengers
over this long haul to and from the
downtown section of the city when it
is evident, even to the man who is
not an expert, that less expensive and
more efficient services could be
operated.
JOHN RUEL MANNING,
Evening star., 1934-02-20
Slump in War Talk.

In world glutted with talk and
rumors Of war even the tiniest straws
are welcome that show the wind to
be blowing in a less bellicose direc-
ton. OF such reassur;ng nature are
tidings which the well-informed
Walter Duranty cables from Moscow.
For weeks the Soviet capital has
throbbed with rumblings of the ZAP
preaching" and inevitable" conflict
with Japan in the Far East There
have been circumstantial tales of
japanese preparations for impending
attack in Siberia and the maritime
provinces. Stain himself, his min
lister of war, the Soviet commanding
general in the eastern area and sun
dry and divers speakers before the
recent Soviet national congress all
dwelt upon the imminence of a clash
with Japan and thundered Russia's
readiness to resist and her ability to
punish.
Tokio's hotspurs have not hesitated
to respond in jingo tone. Between
the alarmists and the war-mongers
in both countries, the outside world
had become fairly we'll resigned to
the notion that war indeed was def
nitely beclouding the Occidental
horizon. 1t was coming to believe
that the prophets of woe, who had
even fixed upon Spring of this year
rs the zero hour for the new armaged-
Don, were right.
Now comes the Moscow correspond
ent Of the New York Times and tells
us that danger of war between the
Soviet and Japan does not seem so
great today as 1t did" Tension in
lately agitated Russian quarters is re-
laXed. Mr.. Duranty ventures various
explanations for the calmer atmos-
phere now noticeable. Opposition in
the Japanese Diet to huge armaments
expenditure indicates the growth Of
anti-war sentiment. Display Of mech
anized force at the late Red army
parade made distinct impression on
japanese military and naval OBJ
servers. The Soviet's new trade al
lance with Great Britain has given
Russians reinsurance Finally-a small
but perhaps significant episode-at a
Japanese embassy fete in Moscow the
other day Gen. Budenny and a dozen
other prominent Red military leaders
fraternized with japanese officers in
manner so demonstrative that it is
still the talk of Moscow diplomatic
circles.
The Soviet, it appears, is beginning
to think that not 1884, but 1885, is
Japan's year of crisis"-that Nip
pon's ambition to achieve naval parity
with America and Britain at next
years naval conference looms larger
in the Japanese consciousness and
ambitions than the dream OF inter-
mediate expansion Of japanese terri
torial influence from the borders of
Manchukuo to the Pacific coast of
Siberia.
Evening star., 1934-02-20
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. What Il the usual size for
license plates on automobiles?-D. D.
A. License plates have not been
standardized. Six States use 5l2 by
IL inch plate. No other size Is used
by that many States. The width
varies from 4h to 61z inches and
the length from sh to l4% inches.
@. Since fruits and vegetables have
been packed and frozen in small
packages for retail distribution, what
vegetables have been offered?-M. r.
A. Rhubarb, mushrooms, peas, spin
ach, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet corn.
asparagus, lima beans, snap beans
and parsnips are among them.
@. Are there any States where all
of the public schools are functioning
full time this winter?-S. H.
8. Only three-New York Califor-
MIA and Indiana.
Q. Was it Sir Oliver Lodge or the
late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who be-
lieved that he communicated with q
son killed in the World WARM. C.
A. Both Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle believed that they
communicated with their sons, each
having lost son In the World War.
@. Please give some facts showing
that wealth in the United States Is
controlled by women.-F. r.
A. Between rs and 80 per cent Of
all retail buying in the United States
is done by women; four -fifths of the
beneflciaries of life insurance policies
are women; fifty estates out of sew
enty are left to women by men and
forty-four out of sixty-nine are left
to women by women. In 1929 wom-
ems incomes amounted to As per cent
Of all individual incomes, with the
women predominating among the
higher income class, $500 reporting
incomes Of 100000 or more, as COM
pared to 2.400 men. Returns on in
comes of one million dollars were filed
by 100 women as against 81 men.
@. What State has the most fog?-
| L. H.
A. Maine. At various lighthouse
service stations In the State the aver
age hours of fog in q year run from
1,278 to / ,644 hours
@. If the name and address of an
! inquirer is not given, will his question
appear In the Columns. M.
| "A. Probably not. Research work
| is done only on letters which include
names and addresses Space in the
/ column is too limited to include the
| queries which are unsigned. Give
/ name and address and inclose coin
or stamps for reply. Direct your let
ter to this newspapers Information
| Bureau, Frederic ]. Haskin, Director,
Washington, D. G.
@. When was the Carnegie hero
| fund established?-R. C.
A. On April Is, 1904, Andrew Car
negie placed in the hands Of a COM
mission $4,000, ZOO to be used as hero
fund.
O. Why do plants grow without
water in the dish gardens which are
now popular2-I z.
| A. Very little soil, mostly moss. is
placed in the bottom Of the bowl. the
plants put in, watered and the top of
the bowl sealed by a thin sheet Of
glass. After the first watering no more
water need be applied for at least the
next two or three months. The water
supply Is maintained by the continual
evaporation and condensation Of the
water in the closed bowl.
Q. What are the most common clay
| products?-O. J. L.
A. Brick and tile.
Evening star., 1934-02-20
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHn.ANDER JOHNSON.
Troubled Dreams,

Troubled Dreams.
Aphasia! Aphasia! Such changes you
have made
In some Of my impressions that I'm
very much afraid
I'll think myself a prisoner, prepared
to furnish bail
And break into happy home, believ-
ing it's a jail.
Aphasia! Aphasia! How sadly you
conspire
To change the setting for q friend
that I so much admire;
put him on a pedestal and said
please do not bulge"
But they called him in to question
and he says Good morning,
judge!"
Aphasia! Aphasia! It causes me dis
tress,
When dual personality affects my con-
sciousness;
The picture on the currency my
weariness augments,
For when it says "a dollar" it means
less than sixty cents.
Evening star., 1934-02-20

The big cop and the little baroel
sat in the drug store soda bar.
He was a very large oficer, with
black muffler sticking out at the bacl
of his neck, in defiance OF orders.
Policemen are not supposed to bt
comfortable.
They Just must do their duty.
This officer had been in the Navy
once upon q time, so not even ths
captain could do too much debating
to him.
Many of the boys" wore mufderl
during the extremely cold days, bu,
removed them before roll call-ane
put 'em back on again Immediately
afterward in the back room.
The small barber had dropped in
still wearing his regulation jacket
which fit him very trinity.
Side by side the two sat, the big COZ
in his regulation blue. the barber al
complete with the exception of hi
shears.
One almost expected the familiar
snip-snip-snip of the shop to star
up at once, but all that was heart
was the boy behind the long counte1
clinking crushed ice into glasses.
The officer, If not of duty, wa
almost so, in q sense.
A jovial fellow, he suddenly turned
his helmet squarely around, in abso
lutte defiance of all laws and regula
tons whatsoever.
See. was in the Navy once" n
grinned.
If YOU have never seen that stun
done with a policeman's helmet-o
do they still call 'em helmets?-yo;
would never believe the transforma
tion that can be wrought.
! just for a second the others pres
ent there saw a pitching deck, waste
of green water, an old salt peerini
out to the horizon.
Then, of a sudden, the vision van
ished-
There was the jolly officer, the bar
ber, two girls with overrouged faces
three young men who might have beef
described by the careless as clerks, bu
they weren't. One of them was law.
yer, another an editor and the third ,
most successful automobile salesman.
And you," said the officer, after {
magnificent sip at his glass, suddenl.
pointing his finger at the barber
ought to have your card with you"
He was joking. of course. They al
seemed to understand it, there befor
the marble, backed on all sides b.
glass cases filled mostly with cosmetics
and tall doors and windows covered
with steam on the inside.
"'Course I got my card-Tm proue
of it," grinned the barber.
He took out a wallet. one OF thos'
folded affairs, filled with newspape
clippings, advertisements, bills, letters
almost everything in the world on
would expect to find some place else
Got my card right here" he wen
on. searching feverishly.
Where Is it?" The officers fac
had look of grim determination, be
meath which he struggled unsuccess
fully to prevent smile from escaping
The small man searched frantically
THE captain gave it to me the da,
! of the parade" he went on. grinnine
"Ah, here it isl"
| He held it up for the entire fountain
+ to see.
| 1t was a card. all right.
It bore the name Of the chief o
police. himself, and CURLY instructe,
all men to give the bearer right-of
Evening star., 1934-02-20
Managed Sugar Production
Held Beneficial to Industry

ton" That paper continues: "The
basic commodity declaration Is, OF
course, necessary for stabilization.
Senator Costigan fought hard for this
in the last session of Congress and the
Presidents demand represents q VIC
tory for the Senator as well as for the
beet-raising States. The processing
tax likewise represents Senator Cost
gan's bounty plan under a different
name"
president Roosevelt wishes" ac-
cording to the St. Paul Pioneer Press,
Ito retain the domestic beet and cane
farming in continental United States,
but he also wishes to restrict 1t so
as to keep down the price to con-
sumers. Some 100000 American farm
ers are engaged in the industry, plus
nearly as many field hands and about
5000 laborers in the mills. More
over, 1t is desirable to produce in this
country fair proportion of the sugar
consumed here so that domestic COM
petition may hold down the price of
foreign sugar. Sugar acreage reduc-
ton should make easier the promised
tariff reduction for Cuban producers.
At the same time, beet growers can
rest assured that the tariff will not
be reduced to the vanishing point
since the Government needs the rev.
enue collected on sugar imports, which
in some years exceeds 20 per cent OF
the total revenue collected on i'm
ports"
Under the existing law" the Hart
ford Times says, the spirit Of Amer
ican responsibility toward Cuba is vio-
lated for the purpose of subsidizing, in
effect, beet and cane sugar industry
which is very expensive to the coun-
try" The New York World-Tele-
gram feels that "it is hard to justify
tariff protection and processing tax
subsidies for az per cent of the farm
ers. at the expense of all the city con-
sumers and more than 81 per cent Of
the farmers" The Syracuse Herald
comments: Our high sugar tariff Of
1926 or our still higher sugar tariff
Of 1880 have cost American consumers
sum which has been not only enor-
nous in the aggregate, but which has
differed not a whit in principle from
the more novel processing tax. But
this extraordinary tariff bounty for
domestic sugar producers appears to
have been wasted The President puts
it mildly when he calls the present
situation unsatisfactory to virtually
every one interested"
Cuba would be benefited much
more by diversffication Of products
than by increasing the sugar output"
declares the Toledo Blade, while the
Oklahoma News is convinced that "it
Is questionable whether the new ar
rangement would 60 far enough, either
In reviving Cuba economically as a
market for our products or in pro-
tecting the American sugar consumer.