davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1935-03-19
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Turner's rebellion. 1t was considered
a sign from heaven that the time was
ripe to strike.
moon also would tend to be green or
blue. since moonlight is only reflected
sunlight and must pass through the
same atmospheric distractions before
it reached the earth.
The United States has Just passed
through its fifth remarkable Winter,
says ]. B. Kincer, chief of the cli-
matology section of the Weather
Bureau.
All five have been much warmer
than normal. Each has had single
excessively cold section set down in
the midst of exceptional warmth. This
cold patch has shifted curiouSly. In
1930-31 it covered only the northern
part of the State of Utah. In 1882
it had spread out, but with diminish
ing intensity, over all of Utah and
most of the section west Of the
Rockies There it remained fixed in
the Winter of 1928.
But by the next Winter, as Wash
ington well remembers, it had shifted
all the way across the continent and
covered the northeast, bounded ap-
proximately by line running from
Virginia to Maryland. There 1t re-
mained this past Winter, only shifting
little northward.
In fact, says Mr.. Kincer, since the
Winter of 1917-18 there has been a
remarkable trend to warm Winters in
the United States. Fifteen out of the
II have been warmer than normal.
About half of them were warmer than
normal in practically all sections of
the country. Only two could be con-
sidered as cold-1919-20 and 1928-2e-
when the entire country is considered.
Especially unusual, according to
Mr.. Kincer's records, has been the
procession of Februaries. In the
Northwestern States II of the past l2
have averaged more than 10 degrees
warmer than normal.
y 4 \
Will the great drought of 1884 be
repeated?
1t all depends on what happens in
April and May, Mr.. Kincer believes
Up to date there has been a surplus
OF rainfall in the Mississippi Valley
States, which were especially hard hit
last Summer, but there has been only
about half the scant normal precipita-
tion in the Great Plains States east of
the Rockies, and unless they accumu-
late a big surplus before Summer an.
other drought Is practically inevitable.
East OF the Mississippi Valley belt
there has been another rainless strip
this Wilmer extending west Of the Ap-
palachians from Ohio to Florida, but
this is not causing much concern at
present. 1t was not drought-stricken
last year and more abundant rains
are expected this Spring.
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Spiritual Progress.

Keen and unprejudiced observers
appear to agree that a new vitality
is discernible in the religious life
of the Nations Capital. Even indi-
viduals who customarily are not in
terested in church work of any kind
declare that spiritual progress is one
Of the hopeful signs of the times
in Washington, and it need rot be
added that there are thousands of
earnest and sincere people who will
join in prayer that they may be
correct in that Judgment.
The annual campaign of the Fed
GRAFTON Of Churches, in any case,
should furnish an index for An ap-
praisal of the facts. Launched on
Friday last, the drive will continue
until the end Of the mofith, and its
expected success should confirm the
prevailing impression of increasing
concern for worship and service in
the community.
Interdenominational in character
and personnel, the federation aims
at the development of more Chris
tian" atmosphere in the Federal City.
1t represents one hundred and twenty
congregations cooperating toward that
end and has no doctrinal nor propa-
gandistic aspect save that inherent
in its purpose of striving for broth
erhood of faith and charity in a neigh
borhood representative of the whole
population.
Theoretically, perhaps. it might not
matter If Washington were utterly
pagan. Actually, however, 1t would be
an inexcusable betrayal of American
traditions to neglect Christian ideals
In the Federal center. The founders
Evening star., 1935-03-19
More Places to Play.

While challenging the strict legality
Of establishing, without benefit Of
legislation, the newly formed Dis
trict Recreation Commission, Peoples
Counsel Roberts states in his letter to
Senator King that:
Recreation in the District of CO.
lumbia is at present badly disorgan-
lied, overlapping and unsatisfactory
from functional and financial stand
point and underfinanced other than
as to acquisition of land.
That Is very concise statement Of
reasons prompting formation of the
District Recreation Commission. AS
to the legality of the step, it is to be
remembered that none of the agencies
in charge of recreation in the District
loses its identity under the new set-up;
that each possesses veto power over
acts of the new commission affecting
matters within its own Jurisdiction;
that the co-ordinating agency was
created In direct response to SuggeS-
ton from the President and with the
idea of experimenting for about a
year before a permanent body is
created by legislation later to be rec
commended.
1t is difficult to see where the
validity of the District Recreation
Commission can be successfully chal-
lenged, more difficult to see why 1t
should be challenged. Formation of
the commission represents the first
step in needed coordination and CEN
tralized direction of recreation facili-
ties in the District. It's aim is to
bring about that development Of such
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Freed Prisoners Menace
To Law.Abiding Society
To ihn Editor of The Star:

TO IN" Editor OF The Star:
In a recent issue of The Star you
printed letter by E. e. budding,
who speaks strongly in favor Of the
Parole Board, and from his letter one
gathers the one thought that budding
favors the criminal more than he
favors the protection of law-abiding
society.
The criminal is jailed for his repre-
henSible acts on the innocent public,
and it is rather discouraging to a
court when sentencing criminal to
prison that some Parole Board is
liable to turn him loose the next day.
Criminals are sentenced by the
courts to term in prison and under
that sentence the criminal has two
hopes-one is that his time will
rapidly pass-the other is that the
Parole Board will turn him loose on
an early day that he may resume his
criminal career.
budding says how desperate the
prisoner becomes in his confinement
and how if all prisoners were kept
in prison it would turn our prisons
into outposts of hell. What are our
courts for? What are our prisons for
if not to protect law-abiding citizens
against racketeers, gangsters, kid
napers, murderers and what else have
you?
We read of paroled criminals re-
arrested and returned to prison for
violation of parole rules, which proves
that parole means nothing to the
criminal and the Parole Board has
sidetracked law protection.
Parole boards have proven to be
nothing less than a menace to law
abiding society, and why the char
acter Of a criminal is more damaged
by serving his full term than small
part of it is something for mathema-
ticians and statisticians to figure out.
OF course, there is sympathy for
the criminal because he is what he
is, but any one who Sympathizes to
the extent of turning him loose or
contributing money in that direction
is either criminally inclined or very
soft-hearted. w. j. DERMOTT.
Evening star., 1935-03-19
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHILANDER JOHNSON.

Permanency.
A college issued a degree
With oratoric vapor,
But grandpa laughed. 1t was, said h
Another scrap of paper.
A marriage license was acquired.
Such was the proper caper.
1t proved. though once so much ac
mired,
Another scrap of paper.
You pause to read a solemn screed
And burn the midnight taper.
And then discover It's indeed
Another scrap of paper.
So Moses wrote his words on stone
OF laws to be the shaper.
Those tables never can be known
AS just a scrap of paper.
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Why New Jersey Is Rated
AS a "Foreign" State

To the Editor of The Star:
The designation Of New Jersey as
a foreign" State, to which reference
was recently made in the Answers
to Questions" column in The Star,
may come from the time of Bona
parte, but I think that he was not
the cause of it. The State Of New
Jersey formerly levied a tax on every
one travelling through the State on
the railway. My father told me he
had paid 1t many times. This tax
had nothing to do with foreigners.
but was paid by all travellers passing
through the State. Hence the pub
Usher of the New York Ledger used
to advertise his paper as For Sale
Throughout the United States and
New jersey" H. B. HASTINGS.
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Justice Holmes Takes Place
Among lmmortals of Nation

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Great
Dissenter of the Supreme Court, has
taken his place among American i'm
mortals. On the death of the famous
| jurist and philosopher in his ninety
| fourth year, the press unanimously
accorded him rank with the small
group recognized by history as the
country's greatest men.
Personally beloved by all who were
favored with his acquaintance, and
honored by two generations of his
fellow citizens" says the Pasadena
(Calif.) Star-News, Justice Holmes
has left his impress, not only on the
law, but upon the general history of
the Republic.
He was glorious among men," de-
clares the Birmingham (Ala) Age
Herald, with the further estimate Of
his place as an American: Somehow,
in this death, there was more Of ex-
altation than Of despair-at least for
those to whom he always was more
spirit than person. For many, per-
haps, consciousness can encompass
no more than the devastating loss of
precious presence, the retreat into
the shadows of beloved and uniquely
real companion, But for the rest who
only were privileged to sense him from
afar, there still abided in poignantly
realized actuality much, if not all. that
Oliver Wendell Holmes meant. That
grand spirit lived on with strange
impact, with a new clarity, as it de-
parted its temple. And through years
of memory it will live on"
Quoting John Morley's opinion, 80
years ago, that Justice Holmes was
the greatest Judge in the English
speaking world" the Kansas City
Star says that II Mr.. Morley were
living today, "he would have no cause
to revise his tribute"
"Inheriting a great name" states
the New York Herald Tribune, "he
bore it forward and adorned it with
personal distinction of his own.
Few men of our time can so truly be
called great. Because he was chal-
lenging voice in the deliberations of
the Supreme Court, because he re-
tanned to advanced age his youthful
outlook on life, because he was one
of the keenest minds of his time, the
country will mourn him. But even
more it will grieve for his warm heart,
his great understanding and his wise
tolerance. Few men have served their
country with greater distinction. Mr.
Justice Holmes was much more than
an expert in the law. He was more
than wise and constructive inter-
praker Of the Constitution. He was
representative of the best that
America has produced"
"EIis place is fixed with the great
est in the history of American juris-
prudence" according to the Buffalo
Evening News, which also refers to
him as "a noble humanitarian" The
Milwaukee Journal AYERS that at is
one Of the noblest and most useful
Of American lives that is closed in
Washington-a life that carried in it
something Of the stability of the Re-
public. and the amazing power of the
Nation to evolve peacefully and in
telligently I to meet changed condi-
tions." The Journal feels that ut
will ever be the monument of Justice
Holmes that he changed our Supreme
Court"
added to this command of the
law" says the Atlanta Constitution,
was O. profound philosophy that
caused him to be referred to, on more
Evening star., 1935-03-19

Prof. William j. Humphreys OF the
Weather Bureau has new eXplana-
ton for the strange phenomenon of
the "blue .noon''-observed so seldom
that the term has become a Dcpu-
lar symbol for infrequency.
Since one was reported in Cali
fornia a few months ago there has
been much speculation among ply
sicists about its possible causes. DR..
Humphreys solution would make the
"blue moon"-nonestly observed by a
sober man-very rare indeed, DOT en-
tirely possible.
The moon could appear blue he
says, only when it happened to be
located in exactly the right position
in the western sky just after sundcwn.
It always would be a quarter moon.
The sun, just below the horizon,
still would be Illuminating the earth
and the lower atmosphere-its light
coming through Serrated breaks in a
cloud bank piled up on the horizon.
This light would just Craze the earth,
passing through the denser strats of
the atmosphere close to the surface.
Practically all of its blue light would
be filtered out, with the result that
there would be only red, orange or
yellow streakS. Such is not urcom-
mon sunset phenomenon.
But some light of the descending
sun would be thrown over the tops
of the cloud peaks or the mountains
and this would be predominanCly blue.
%I,A rlyrr
would be entirely possible for the OBJ
server to see stratum Of red or orange
light Just below a stratum of intense
blue light.
Now, if very rale quarter moon
happened to be ideally situated so
that it was in this blue light streak
and there was an especially sharp
contrast with the colored light under
meath it would be apt to appear blue
to the sober obseryer-at least for q
few minutes. There probably have
been more blue moons than ANYBODY
has noticed, since nobody has looked
for them.
In any event, the pale blue moon IS
not so rare a phenomenon as the vivid
green sun. DR.. Humphreys himself
saw green sun" once, as his train
was pulling into Montreal. He and
another Washington scientist observed
it in the early morning, when the air
was filled with smoke from the loco
motive. The smoke obviously was
flltering out all of the sunlight spec
trum except green. Locomotive smoke
does not ordinarily do this. On this
particular day it must have contained
some peculiar chemical compound
possibly some form of sulphur which
accounted for the phenomenon.
Both blue and green suns were OBJ
served in India after the great erup-
ton of the volcano Krakatoa in 1883.
This spread a dust sheet over the
atmosphere practically around the
globe and resulted in year OF the
reddest sunsets ever known. The
green suns. however, were not OBJ
served outside the immediate neigh
borhood of the volcano itself.
A curious greenish-blue sun appar-
emily was quite commonly observed in
the Eastern United States during the
Summer and Autumn of 1881. 1t was
undoubtedly due to .fine dust In the
upper stratosphere, resulting from
volcanic eruptions that year.
Among other things, this green
sun" served to set OF the slave In
s,irrection In virginia known a. Nat
Evening star., 1935-03-19

One Of the biggest pigs in the fish
world is the Tri chogaster trichopterus,
popularly known as the three-spot
Gourami.
This fine fellow can eat as much as
you give him without batting an
eye, and only with ultimate good to
himself.
1t almost Is impossible to give him
too much food.
He is what might be called three
level feeder.
On the surface he has an unique
way of eating, he will seize frag-
ments that drop through the water
and he is as efficient at getting food
on the bottom as scavenger.
It Is good policy, therefore, to keep
at least one Of these fishes in every
so-called community tank OF mixed
varieties.
The only possible fault to be found
with the three-spot Is that he WILL
grow a bit large.
This, however, is really to his credit
for it shows that he is able to handle
his food well and to evince the good
health which growth so often spells.
His size at maturity is about 4 to :
inches, not countiAg the tail, which
adds another inch.
Rather heavy-bodied, his shape Is
different from that of most tropical
fishes kept in the home aquarium
This feature, coupled with his red
trimmed eye, his long ventral "feelers"
and his sedate but pretty coloration,
makes the three-spot very fine flsh
all around.
A word is necessary about the pop
ular name, ''three-spot." Really he
has but two spots on each side, but
the eye has been taken as the third.
owing to the symmetrical spacing OF
the two spots and the eye.
n X
During the recent rage" for keep
ing tropical fishes the T. trichopterus
was almost forgotten. Now that the
hobby has settled down again to what
many consider more normal state OF
things, it is interesting to see this
fine fish coming again into popular
favor.
Not only can the old three-spot be
secured easily, but also its two newer
cousins, T. sumatranus, popularity
called the "blue Gourami," and T.
leeri, sometimes called the mosaic
Gourami"
These three fishes are all bubble
nest builders" distinction they share
with the famous Beta, or Siamese
fighting fish, and the Paradise fish.
The "three-spot Gourami" is curl
Gus combination of olive, with shad.
ings of violet and orange; the blue
Gourami" has slightly thicker head
and is tinted a light t-green blue, and
the mosaic Gourami" is mottled in
mother-of- pearl. The last Is more
slender than the other two.
These are all nice aquarium in
mates, but we unhesitatingly prefer
the old-fashioned "three-spot."
1t is long-lived, healthy, active, but
not troublesome; pretty after its FASH
ion; easily kept with other fishes, de-
spite its size, and above all is great
consumer of foodstuffs.
This last will endear 1t to all who
have ever had any trouble in the
aquarium due to unconsumed food
particles.
Even the most careful feeding of
the popular dried foods will at times
result in too much food being put in
the tank. but there is never anything
to fear when Trichogaster trichopterus
is around.
Normally it is best to buy and keep
fishes in pairs, or at least what the
dealer swears is pairs, but the three
spot SENS to get along very nicely all
by himself.
He is very innocent-appearing
fish, lacking much of that ''fishy'
look which so completely and so nat
Evening star., 1935-03-19
A Plea for Old Clothes
For Benefit of the Poor

To the Editor of The Star:
Now that Spring Is approaching and
Cleanup" ''paint-up." etc., is IN
order, why not gather all the discarded
clothes, hats, shoes and "whatnot" to-
gether and telephone the Salvation
Army, who will be glad to call for
them, renovate and give them to the
poor? That will be better than giving
to q "rummage sale" to make a few
dollars for your church or lodge.
e, ROBERT ANDERSON.
Evening star., 1935-03-19

The plan provides for the direct In.
tervention OF the federal government
In foreign trade by means of a COM
mission OF control of imports and
exports and a board Of standards.
@. Can one House Of Congress ad-
journ without consulting the otherp
j. M.
A. The Constitution says: Neither
House, during the session Of Congress.
shall, without the consent Of the other.
adjourn for more than three DAYS.
nor to any other place than that in
which the two Houses shall be sitting"
Q. How much has immigration fall
len of since 1929?-R. P.
A. In that year the number Of immi-
grants to this country was 279,678.
The decline has been rapid since, and
in 1888 only 23.068 immigrants were
admitted.
Q. Does snow improve farming
land?-J. D. H.
A. Snow is called the poor mans
manure" This is because 1t protects
crops against Winter kill by blanket
ing the top layer of soil from freezing.
1t also fills up the subsoil with
moisture when it melts. In addition,
snow actually has some fertilizing val
ue, since 1t contains some combined
nitrogen and sulphur. Rain and snow
together will put about Az pounds
ammoniacal and l 12 pounds Of nitrate
nitrogen into an acre Of soil yearly.
This amounts to about 6 pounds Of
nitrogen, which may be expected as
the gain to the soil in one acre from
a Winters precipitation. It is the
equivalent Of about 40 pounds of COM
mercial nitrate of soda.
@. Is a scar considered reliable as
characteristic for comparison in
searching for a criminals fingerprints
who has long criminal record?-
o. C.
A. Fingerprint experts in the Bu-
reau Of Investigation, Department of
Justice, disregard the presence Of a
scar in connection with their search
ing, inasmuch as the finger may have
been SCARED subsequent to the taking
of the f1ngerprints that appear in the
files.
@. Why do hunters wear red
coats?-G. c.
A. Red is the color of the British
royal livery. 1t is said that this color
was adopted by huntsmen because fox
hunting was declared a royal sport
by Henry II.
@ How many deaf children are
there in the United States?-M. S.
A. OF the ten million deaf persons
in this country. three million are chill
dren. OF this number, two million
were born deaf.
@. How much fusel oil is there in
whisky?-W w. S.
A. The average quantity is one
fourth of one per cent for alcohol of
100 proof; that is, so per cent of al
cohol by volume.
@ Who first rode in a glider?-
K. L.
A. John J.sMontgomery was the
first man in the world to ride on
wings. In 1854 he constructed the
historic gull monoplane. Its single
curved wing, 20 feet long by AZ feet
wide, was covered with waxed silk.
A movable tail guided it up and down.
The operator, sitting on little sad
die below, maintained sidewise ball
ance by swinging his body toward the
high wing when the machine was
struck by a gust. Like the wings Of
seagull, the main supporting surface
arched downward.
@. How much was the old Spanish
doubloon worth?-J. 5. H.
A. 1t varied in value. From 1880 to
1772 it was worth about 1924: from
1872 to 178e, S8.08; 1876 to 1848,
s7.o7. The coinage Of doubloon has
ceased, but those still current are
worth about $500.
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Unadorned Vernaculars.

Unadorned Vernaculars.
If you sometimes exclaim "by gosh,"
Why that's okay.
Through foreign tongues we've had to
SloSh
A weary way.
If any crisis now awaits
To bring dismay
And you just talk United States,
Why, that's okay.
Folks dat say I told you so'," said
Uncle Eben, simply shows dat dey
wasn't of enough importance to get
deirselves paid attention to-"
Evening star., 1935-03-19
Propaganda That
Is Not Propaganda

To the Editor of The Star:
/ see where the Senate has voted
to make an investigation of propa-
ganda which it claims the utility
companies inspired against the hold
ing company bill. This is all right,
but why doesn't it investigate also
the inspired propaganda and the ac-
tivities of lobbyists in favor of the
bonus? It appears to be propaganda
when it comes from utility investors,
but patriotism when inspired by the
bonusaires, 3. w. BENNETT.