davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1936-03-18
Music Pupils Study
Careers of Sinoers

Biographies and pictures of
Gladys Swarthout, Frank Forest
and other opera singers are being
used in the claSsrooms of Salida
(Colo0 Public Schols, according
to a letter received at Paramount
Studio.
Miss Marion F. Staley is teach
ing students in her music appreci-
alton classes to familiarize them.
selves with the opera singers who
recently have entered motion pic
lures.
Miss Swarthout recently COM
pleted filming of "Give Us This
Night" and Forest will go into
THE Count of Luxembourg" in
the near future.
The Washington times., 1936-03-18


what it takes to register with
camears and microphones, and
she was straightway dispatched
to Hollywood.
1t was the intention to cast her
first in a comparatively unim-
portant role by way of cinematic
training. Director Mark Sand
rich. however, was looking for a
voice appeal beauty to play the
role of Miss Rogers sister in "Fol-
low the Fleet" and asked that she
be tested for the part. The test
convinced him his search was
ended.
Not only does Miss Hilliard
carry a large share of the heart
interest in the film, but she sings
two new Irving Berlin numbers,
Get Thee Behind Me, Satan, "
and Here Am 1, But Where Are
You?"
Today high odds are being of.
fered around the RKO-Radio lot,
with no takers, that she will be
rated by the public as one of the
outstanding finds" of recent
screen history.
The Washington times., 1936-03-18

Skeptics. who thought that
Warmers "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" had turned into Warmers
The Washington times., 1936-03-18
By LLOYD PANTAGES
Copyright. 1896. by King Features
Syndicate. Incl


HOLLYWOOD, March 18.
Snapshots collected at ransom
Carole Lombard in her new pic
ture, The Princess Comes Across, "
is going a-Garbo-not that she
wants to be alone, but she's speak
ing with a Swedish accent and
sounding so much like the famous
Svenska that all you have to do
is shut your eyes, listen, and it is
Garbo-no less.
Hear tell that young Alfred Van
derbilt is intrigued with the idea
of sinking bis money into the pro-
duction of motion pictures. He
has plenty to sink-20 million dol
lars or thereabouts.
Grace Moore, Americas home,
bred canary, has announced to
the waiting world that she is alb
solutely through with the movies
until Hollywood learns to treat
her like a human being instead
of a machine. How quaint! Miss
Moore was treated at Columbia as
though size were a queen, and
what more could you ask?
Bing Crosby's first Western pic
ture, Rhythm on the Range" is
causing the studio a group of trou
BILE at the moment. They have to
go on location in the country, but
they have no country near enough
to Hollywood so he'll be able to
make his weekly broadcast, and
therein lies the catch. This par,
ticular part of the State Gall points
east, west and north) look like
the Sahara Desert, so what can
they do?
Virginia Bruce is the latest vic
tim Of the flu.
Now that Margaret SULLIVAN is
taking Dietrich'S place in Il Loved
a Soldier" it is nice to know that
they still haven't script. They're
working off the cuff, as it were.
Gary Cooper is returning to
Hollywood from Bermuda one
week earlier than suspected-rea
son unknown.
Bette Davis has postponed her
trip to the city of Honolulu on
account Of her husband. who is
currently leading the orchestra at
the Hollywood Roosevelt, and she's
waiting for him.
Skeptics, who thought that
Warmers "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" had turned into Warmers
The Washington times., 1936-03-18
With the Amateurs

, Lazaroff Goldman. This tragedy
of two young lovers, which serves
to bring about the reconciliation
of their hostile families-the
CapuletS and the Montagues-of-
fers meaty part for Fred Has
kin, jr., as the magnanimous Mer-
QUITO. Other players with impor-
tant parts include Thomas M. Ca
hill, James Rawls, Mabel Owens
Wilcox, Hugh C. Smith, Kent
Dyer, Jean Smith. Raymond Wan
nal, A. L. Diket and Jeanne
Adams. Curtain at 8:15.
Rapid progress is being made
by the Pierce Hall Players on their
new production. Lynn Starling's S
Meet the Wife" which will be
presented on what is hoped to be
two showerless evenings in April.
Under tho expert direction-he
has proven his qualifications for
the use of that adjective-of How
ard wentworth, the cast of eight
is mastering the hilarious lines,
and to them fitting appropriate
action to make this the season S
outstanding comedy.
The pivotal roles will be played
by Elinor Cox KarSten, F. Ellwood
Allen and Robert T. AllinSon, with
Nell Childs, Jack Aracey, Marga-
ret Osterwald, Milford Clark and
Dan Boddie in the supporting
parts. It is not improbable that
Frank S. Coonce will be stage
manager.
"Greater love hath no man. 80"
And so we come to the unique
situation of having one OF the
Bartfield Players featured actors,
Fred J. Haskin, jr.. extolling the
superlative qualities Of his own
groups production of Paul Os-
born's "Oliver Oliver"-the Foot
light Clubs production which
opens on the same night for a
three-day run and with the same
curtain time as the Bartfield
PLAYERS Romeo and Juliet
once again we find the Bard Of
Avon playing direct competition
to modern comedy.
This is the Footlight Clubs
extra play, being produced out
side the University of Maryland
appropriation. The policy OF pre-
senting an extra play began last
year when the collegians success,
fully exhibited Vinegar Tree,
from the pen of the author of this
years selection, "Oliver Oliver"
The cast is composed Of many
popular campus thespians. The
title role of Oliver is played by
Theodore Erbe, with Geraldine
Schuh taking the feminine lead.
Others include Florence Small,
Deborah Billig. Samuel Leishear
and John Edwards.
AS a curtain raiser the club will
offer Alice GerStenberg's famous
prize winner, The Pot Bailer, !"
The broadly comic characters of
this scintillating satire will be
played by Mildred Hearn, Anna
Mae Baines. Joel Hutton. Jerry
Tax, Dick Hunt, Ed Stinson and
Gordon Hammond. Jerry Tax
directed this one.
Amateurisms: Reminiscent Of
the Roadsiders is the report of
the acting progress being made
by the Columbia Players during
rehearsals of Nellie, the Beauti-
full Cloak Model. B. D. S. owns
the most prolific typewriter in
town Isham Keith embarks
soon for the tight little isle
England to you-where with a
former local producer he will join
in the production of a new play
concerning the life and loves Of
Robert Burns Remember the
Odeon Players?
BOB HURLEIGH.
The Washington times., 1936-03-18

Bette Davis has postponed her
trip to the city of Honolulu on
account of her husband. who is
currently leading the orchestra at
the Hollywood Roosevelt, and she's
waiting for him.
Evening star., 1936-01-23
Crime Commission Reforms
Bondsman and Parole Systems
Baltimore Criminal Justice Body, Com
posed Of 81 Organizations, Co-oPerates
to Streng gthen Forces of La,U.

who asks for a report before he admits
one convicted of an offense to proba-
ton. These statistics rather indicate
that it is worth while to ask for a re-
port In advance.
The probation department as re-
organized keeps in touch with those
who are on probation.
Parole-that is, the release Of
prisoner from the State prison before
he has finished his TERMS admin
istered in Maryland by a parole COM
missioner, who makes Investigations
and makes reports to the Governor,
who grants or refuses the parole.
Two years ago the Criminal Justice
Commission made study of large
number of cases of paroled prisoners.
They found that 81 per cent of paroled
prisoners do not run afoul of the
law during the period Of their parole.
But the commission also found that
when the parole period is over the
same paroled prisoners begin to get
into trouble right away and many
are presently back in the prison for
new breaches of the law.
Was that true, 1t was asked because
of the good influence of those in
whose care the prisoners were paroled.
the parole officers and the "sponsors"
Of the paroled? The sponsors were
supposed to be friends.
Further investigation indicated that
this was not the case, but that the
truth was the released prisoners
knowledge that he was on parole and
might be slapped back into prison
without trial If he violated the
parole was the real restraining in.
fluence.
Sponsor Racket Discovered.
The Criminal Justice Commission
poked into the facts sufficiently, how
ever, to learn what part the parole
officers and the sponsors" played.
They found that the parole officers
were not able to see the prisoners
as frequently as was desirable. They
found that the sponsors saw very
little of them. 1t was found that
one colored clergyman was going spon-
sor for large numbers at so much,
in coin of the realm, per head. He
formed those for whom he stood
sponsor into an organization. 1t is
Evening star., 1936-01-23

said he was rough on those who
neglected to pay up. His racket blew
up when he was himself arrested on
a charge of receiving stolen goods.
One parole commissioner, Gaylord
Lee Clark, now out Of Office, made
changes in the administration of his
ofice on the basis Of information
gathered by the commission. Gov.
Harry w. Nice has appointed a COM
mission to study what shall be done
about parole in Maryland.
Composed, as has been said, Of 81
business, civic and professional or
ganizations, the commission has a
board of SO. The chairmen during
the IL years Of its life have been:
John L. Alcock, business man; Charles
McHenry Howard, one of the leaders
Evening star., 1936-01-23

Of the Maryland bar; John w. Sher-
wood, oil man: Ernest j. Clark, in
surance man, and c. Delano Ames,
banker.
Deeply interested in the admins
tration of criminal law and in police
methods, Hepbron, himself a grad
uate of the University Of Maryland
Law School, had studied these mat
ters in England, France, Holland,
Denmark. Germany, Norway and
Sweden. He has made himself ac-
ceptable to Police Commissioner
Charles d. Gather, the one-man head
of the Baltimore Police Department
throughout the life of the commission;
to the States attorneys of Baltimore.
the judges of the courts and the busi-
ness and professional men of the city.
Evening star., 1936-07-19

street side of the block, said she valued
her property at 100000, exclusive of
improvements, though it was only
rented at 5000 a month.
pRIOR to this full list Of the
owners of property in this block
was filed in a petition at the Court
House in the name of Secretary Win
dom by District Attorney Hoge to
secure the condemnation of this
square Some of these, no doubt, were
early residents of the block, while
others may have been holding the
property for speculation purposes. 1t
seems quite evident, however, that the
title to the square was vested in them
at the time. Nevertheless, it is an
interesting group of property holders
in this section and Is worth repeating.
They follow, with their city addresses:
Catherine Connor, 120 Massachu-
sets avenue northwest; John W.
Cohen, 1927 G street; John Walker,
418 B street northeast; John A. Baker,
1919 H street: Nora Morgan, 905 E
street; Ethelburt c. Morgan, 918 E
street: Jos. D. Morgan, GOT E street;
Ada M. Hill, 1449 Rhode Island ave-
nue.; r. Ross Perry, trustee, 1909 P
street; Helene Hartney, 223 Seventh
Evening star., 1936-07-19

Senator Vest and Representatives
Milliken and Clunie of California, were
authorized to take a carriage and Sc
lect a site before they returned TO the
Capitol, the only condition put upon
them being that they were not to re-
port in favor of any site that had ever
been offered for sale. Senator STAN
ford furnished the carriage and the
subcommittee drove up the Avenue,
first taking look at the square on
which the power house of the Capital
Traction Co. was afterward erected.
"EINDING that the traction COM
pany was ahead of them, they
next considered the condemnation of
the square bounded by Pennsylvania
avenue and D, Twelfth and Thirteenth
streets. That was long enough for the
purpose, but it was thought that it
was not deep enough. The subcom-
mittee then drove to the next square,
in which the post Office has since been
erected, and it was decided in five
minutes to condemn and purchase it.
The entire time consumed was less
than an hour On their return to the
Capitol the clerk of the committee
was instructed to prepare bill for
the condemnation and purchase Of the
Evening star., 1936-07-19
Old Post Office Department Building Washington City Post


in 1899, shortly after 1t was CON-
pleted:
First row. left to right-William S.
Caffrey (man with cane), Henry F.
Farmer, Hayes, John H. Hobgood.
Oliver NJ. Ong, Linus T. Squire.
Second row-Dr. Reeves (nan with
beard), Theodore B. Hibbs, Hallett o.
Nettleton, David I. Fenton, Seneca
3. Balm, Charles D. Merwin.
Others in picture-Samuel A. Foose,
Josiah S. Moffatt, Walter I. Rich,
James NJ Sprowls, Charles F. Cum
Minis, Stagg. U. r. Webb, William H.
Mcneil. George E. Rosen. DR. Smith,
Leonidas F. Hunt, Arthur Clements,
Charles A. Kram, Capt Isaac Petrie,
Albert Smith, John F. Logue, Joseph
P. Cullen, Davis w. Duncan, j. Ma
than Baker, william H. Scholz, Tim
othy Keleher.
The picture was loaned by Mr.. Cul-
len.
Evening star., 1936-07-19

White House and in the vicinity Of
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
Prior to this, however. many Of Wash
ington's best citizens resided here
about.
Many will recall this old block
before the buildings on it were re-
moved, particularly the D street side,
where stood for many years Philhar-
monte Hall. Later 1t became known
as the Globe Theater, and in 1873,
when 1t was conducted by Harry
Enochs of Philadelphia, it was called
the Avenue Theater. In 1880 it was
the Arlington, and in 1884 the Dime
Museum. This building was removed
on December 8, 1891, when the site
was being cleared AS an amusement
place its attractions were largely Of a
cheap variety. and the writer recalls
seeing sparring match here when he
was young.
The most notable of the buildings
in this block was the one on the
northeast corner of the square, Just to
the east of the Philharmonic Hall. 1t
was large three-story structure, with
sloping roof and dormer windows,
erected by William j. Stone, an en-
graver, in the late twenties, the ground
upon which 1t stood once being part
of the David Burnes farm-as was the
rest of square 1923, together with a
large tract of land in this part of the
city.
The building was one of the largest
in the city at the time it was built,
and here Mr.. Stone carried on the
business Of engraving, and was en-
gagged to a considerable extent in Gov
ernment printing and furnishing maps
in addition to his private work. In
1854 it became the home of The Star
and remained as such until 1881, when
the plant was removed to its present
site. The old building was possessed
of much historic interest. In 1888,
| when Washington was invaded by a
cholera epidemic which carried off
hundreds of people, especially from
the laboring classes who were en-
ployed on the Washington City Canal
and in improving Pennsylvania avenue,
1t was used temporarily as hospital.
Many patients were treated within the
walls of the building, and many were
the stories that were told of the
cholera scare in the days that The
Star occupied this corner.
GTONE needed only portion Of the
building for his own uses, and in
addition to the space leased 10 The
Star, the upper STORY rooms and the
rear building were let to Mrs. Richard
son for boarding house. At one
time the extreme corner Of the build
ing-which was really more like two
buildings than one-was occupied by
Emerich's Restaurant and European
Hotel. beneath which, to the rear and
on the Eleventh street side of the
building, was Lager beer saloon"
Jacob Hilbus, organ builder. occu-
pied the corner store and subsequently
as Hibus & Hitz founded the music
store later operated by William G..
Evening star., 1936-07-19
By Charles Y. GrunweH.

TINE 21st day Of July next will
mark the 18th anniversary Of
the battle Of Bull Run. In
celebration, the historic con-
flict will be re-enacted. though on a
much smaller scale, with the con-
testants in a more amiable frame of
mind.
It is appropriate, in connection with
this occasion, to give a brief history
of the defenses of the City of Wash
ington during that exciting time, par
ticularly of those forts that stood in
the path of the expected Confederate
advance and which would have borne
the brunt of the attack If 1t had
materialized.
At the time of the battle of Bull
Run chain of forts crowned the
river hills of Virginia opposite Wash
ington, extending from the Chain
Bridge on the north down to the out
skirts of Alexandria on the south. On
these forts hung the fate of the
Nation.
That the people of Washington were
in a state of panic following the battle
is matter of history. 1t was tragic
thing suddenly to realize that their
Evening star., 1936-07-19
Metzerott, and now represented by

Metzerott, and now represented by
e. F. Droop & Sons Co.
Another building Of note stood Tor
many years on the west side Of Elev-
enth street, midway of the block. 1t
was erected in 1904 and was known
as the Union Lodge Rooms. This
building was two-story brick, 23
by so feet. The second floor, which
was originally reached by an out
side stairway on the south side, was
fitted up for lodge purposes and used
by Federal and Columbia Lodges for
over 20 years, by Lebanon Lodge after
its birth in 1911 and by the Grand
Lodge after its formation. In 1914
there were $50 members Of the Ma
sonic fraternity in the city, which,
considering the population at that
time. was rather remarkable.
The building, besides being occupied
by the Masons up to 1927, might
also be called the first District Build
ing, for here met the Board Of Alder
men and Common CouHcil and it also
housed at one time the Washington
Library and the Vine Lyceum Soci-
ETY.. Just before it was demolished to
make way for the post Office it was
occupied by the colored Masons as a
meeting place.
At the Twelfth street corner Of the
D street side Of this block were for a
long while machine shop and the
headquarters of the Independent Ice
Co.
According to the press Of December
26, 1893, the Post Office Building ap-
pears to have been the first steel
frame building in Washington. Says
The Star: The iron frame is a nov
city in Washington, though it has
been adopted in other large cities on
all the great buildings erected In re-
cent years"
MANY will still recall when, prior
AA to 1879, the City Post ONCE oc-
cupied the F street side of the Post
Ofnce Department Building, in the
block bounded by E, F, Seventh and
Eighth streets and afterward known
as the General Land Office. From
here the city branch Of the postal
service moved to the Seaton House on
Louisiana avenue (now Indiana ave-
nue), where it remained until 1892,
when it moved to the Union Building
on G street between Sixth and Sew
enth streets, which was its home at
the time it moved into the building
at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue.
At the time the city post Office was
removed to the avenue site, James P.
Willett was the city postmaster, hav-
ing been appointed by Grover Cleve-
land in october, 1894. He was q
Washingtonian and the son Of VOL
taire willet:. prominent dealer in
live stock in this city, in which busi-
ness he is said to have amassed a
considerable fortune. He attended the
local schools and took finishing
course at Charlotte Hall. st. Marys
County, Md.
The early Washingtonian will re-
call Mr.. Willett particularly for his
Evening star., 1936-07-19

it, and it was left to Senator Morrill,
Senator Leland Stanford of California
was chairman of the Senate commit
tee. and the late Representative Seth
Milliken of Maine was chairman of
the House Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds. Representative
Millikin had passed bill through the
House providing for the purchase Of
several lots on the south side Of Penn
sylvania avenue at Ninth street, though
he was not very enthusiastic himself
on the site. That bill came over to
the Senate and was taken up for con-
sideration by the Senate Committee on
Public Buildings. Senator Morrill,,
who was a member of the committee,
was authorized to accept the House
bill if he desired or report substitute.
| During the session of the commit
! tee the clerk of the committee in
formed the members that on looking
up the record he had discovered that
| though there had been no joint meet
ing of the Senate and House COM
mitteeS for over 80 years, under the
rules of the two branches Of Congress
the committees were joint commit
tee. and could meet as such if they
desired
Senator Morrill, offered a resolution
inviting the House committee to meet
with them the following day, which
invitation was accepted. AS soon as
they got together Senator Morrill,
stated that he. was very anxious to
provide post Office building for WASH
ington and that he wanted the joint
committee to agree to report a bill
before the day was over. The ques-
ton Of site was then considered, and
on motion of Senator Morrill, a sub
committee. consisting of himself and
Evening star., 1936-07-19

street southwest; Charles Duncanson,
900 H street; August Lepreuse, s0s I
street; Chas. B. Church, trustee, 306
Eleventh street southwest; Jos. j.
Darlington, 1923 Twenty-fifth street
northwest; William A. H. Church, 212
Eleventh street southwest; Chas. w.
Church, Pittston, Me-; William H.
Zerkes, 622 G street southwest; James
L. Barbour, 724 Ninth street north
west; Samuel H. Bacon, 1418 N street
northwest, and Melvin j. Power, Pitts
ton, Me-, of the Independence Ice
Co.; George L. Sheriff, 524 Third
street northwest; Thomas Richie
Stone, trustee. l345 F street north
west: Jane Lenthal Harrison, 8l8 Con-
necticut avenue northwest; William
Stone Albert, Jane Stone Albert. Hamil-
ton Albert, 1925 Tenth street north
west; Elizabeth ]. Stone, 600 Four
teenth street northwest; William ].
Aiken, ACT c street northwest; Ellen
Gentner, 17l4 Eighth street northwest;
Catherine Reiner, 1918 Ninth street
northwest; Mary v. Schmid. ASA H
street northwest; Emma L. Gentner,
1714 Eighth street northwest; Fred
erick c. Gentner. 1459 Florida avenue
northwest: Ida B. Walker, 608 New
York avenue northwest; Minnie E.
Gentner, 1714 Eighth street northwest;
Maggie ]. Simons, 17l6 Eighth street
northwest; William G. Gentner, 1714
Eighth street northwest: Harry P.
Gentner, TIA Eighth street northwest;
Federal Lodge, No. /, A. F, A. M; Co.
lumbia Lodge, No. 3, A. F. A. M;
Lebanon Lodge. No. Z, A. F. A. M;
George Mantz, Baltimore, Md; Clara
J. Hayland, trustee. Philadelphia, Pa;
David Weatherby, jr., trustee, Phila-
delphia, Pa; John c. Bullitt, trustee,
Philadelphia. Pa: Wilhelmina Bunau,
alias Rauthe Bernau, Alexandria, Va;
Eleanor D. Skeer and Cecil Morgan,
Macon. Ga. and Anna NJ. Mosher,
New York. N. Y.
The names of those then said to
have been living in the block immedi-
ately to the south are also given,
though the list is probably not with
out error and may inlude owners as
we'll as residents. II follows:
Robert Connell, William H. Ham
mersley. Eldridge Scott, John A.
Silence, John Hamlin, Bessie Drand,
Lulu Burke. Thomas w. McKnew.
Charles J. McCobbin, Henry Browne,
John Simmons, Thomas Dowling, VIII
liam Miller. George c. Sucro, Robert
hewitt, Peter DAILY. Edward S. Schmid,
Frank Schmid, Louis Schmid, the
Independent Ice Co., Dennis Crowley,
Frank Candroto, George L. Sheriff,
Louis Menikheim, Horace Rapp,
Charles G. hopper. William P. Nichol-
son, George F. Fogle and Andrew
Wood"
AT THIS period the neighborhood
did not bear a very good reputa-
ton, and had gradually been growing
worse from the time of the Civil War.
when Federal troops were encamped
on the vacant ground back Of the
Evening star., 1936-07-19

association with the firm Of Willett &
Ruoff, hatters and furriers, located
many years ago at 905 Pennsylvania
avenue. In 1872 he married Miss
Laura A. Welsh, daughter of one of
the well-known millers of George
town, by whom he had four sons and
a daughter.
On May 90, 1899, Mr.. Merritt was
commissioned postmaster of Washing
ton. though he did not enter upon
the duties of his Office until July l,
following. On September 80 Of this
year Mr.. Willett was instantly killed
by falling five stories through an ele-
vator shaft at the post Office, which
had only recently been occupied.
The group picture accompanying
this story includes a number Of the
employees of the Office of the auditor
for the Post Office. at the time that
Office moved into the Avenue building