davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1936-04-26
Bv RWa Schroeder.

THREE veterans Of the once
numerous army of hurdy- -gurdy
men still trundle their barrel
L organs through the streets OF
Washington on Summer days.
They are the last of their kind, and
when Guieseppa Canzoni, Peter Bat
tagIoli and Caesar Morisi Qtalians
alb fail to appear some Spring to
obtain their permits from the Police
Department the organ-grinder man
in Washington will become one Of
those pleasant memories of childhood
we oldsters cherish, but which our
descendants will never know.
No new permits are being issued.
Under the present police regulations
street musicians are prohibited. Gull
eseppa, Peter and Caesar receive theirs
only because-"oh, well, they have
been doing it so long,"
Last of the Ministries are these
three. as far as Washington is con-
cerned Last Of the musicians who
inherited their traditions from the
minstrels Of old, Of whom Blondel
who sang his master, King Richard
III, out Of prison, was one; Blondel
and a host of others, who left their
imprint on history.
Perhaps Guieseppa, Peter and Caesar
do not quite realize to what noble
traditions they are heirs, but they do
know they are the last Of the organ.
men of Washington, for the police
shave told them 50. 4
Evening star., 1936-04-26
Islands Vivid Festival Is Curious Blending Of Ancient Rites
of Poynesan and Oriental Peoples With Those Of
the New and Modern Western World.

denia, Chinese violet, pansy, aster, wild
rose and lima blossoms. Each is
touched off with the green of maiden
hair fern or of sweet-smelling maile.
Most expensive Is, not the gardenia,
but the violet lei Most sacred to the
Hawaiian is the lima lei, made of the
beautiful yellow lima that Is often
called the national flower of Hawaii.
The one most frequently bought is the
carnation.
In the early days leis were made
of feathers, boars' tusks, sea and land
shells, dried fruits, ivory beads and
human hair. Now they are made of
brightly -colored silk. kukui nuts, cone
shells, dried fruit, black-eyed susans,
and every shade of crinkly crepe
paper Yellow being the national
color of Hawaii when it was repub-
lie, the yellow lei has been used as
the official color when paper gar
lands are carried abroad.
Evening star., 1936-04-26

Schoolgirls arise early In Hawaii
to weave leis for their teachers. One
Hawaiian girl was SO fond of her
teacher that each morning for an
entire school year she was up a 5
o'clock gathering fresh flowers from
the gardens and hillsides. Often she
wove the lei on the school bus. Oc-
casionally in fevered rush she lin
gered on the steps long after the
tardy bell had rung in order to add
the last touches to an already ex-
quisite necklace of flowers.
The custom of lei-giving has become
so general in the schools Of Hawaii
that a teachers popularity is often
judged by the number of leis she re-
ceives from her students each morn
ing. The teachers, in turn, are obliged
to wear each lei a part Of the day to
please their students, despite the bulk
of the blossoms.
Evening star., 1936-04-26
Holiday Might Be Called Ie Day" So Universal Is Use Of
Elaborate Floral Pieces Dances and Songs
Are Never.to-BeForgotten Experiences to Visitors

He sits upon q sandy beach under
the shade of an elgeroba tree and
partakes not only Of food, but Of a
I'VE drap Of okelehau" as well. This
Hawaiian "moonshine" frequently cir
culates surreptitiously among adult
members at all luau gatherings and
especially on such an auSpicious oc-
casion as Lei day. Hawaiian women
attired in flowing "holokus," fash
ioned from the trailing gowns of early
missionaries, sit upon mats woven
from boiled leaves of lauhala PAN
danas trees. As they visit and joke
in their native tongue their children
romp nearby or wade adeptly In the
ocean surf.
Poi. the bread of the luau, is always
a bone of contention to those who eat
it. Either poi is relished or it is ig-
nored, and guests are never neutral.
This pasty substance is made Of thor
Evening star., 1936-04-26

oughly pounded roots Of cooked taro
plants. It tastes and looks like
dough.
IN THE old days Hawaiians pourd-
ed their poi with heavy stone pes
ties on hardwood poi boards. Then it
was transferred to calabaShes, where
it was thinned with water to the
proper texture. Poi pounding was as
much an art among Hawaiian men
as foot ball or tennis is today on the
mainland.
There has come down through the
to cling to one finger is "one- finger
poi" and "two-finger poi" Most luaus
have both. That which is thick enough
to cling to one finger is "one finger
poi" That which has been thinned
until more than one finger is needed
in the poi bowl is called two finger
poi" These terms are used to this
day. To use anything but finger or
two in eating poi, even on the beach
at Waikiki, would be ridiculously
funny to all islanders, regardless of
blood.
It Is not only the Hawaiians who
celebrate Lei day by attending luaus.
The "hoales," or Caucasians; the Chi
nese, the japanese, the Koreans and
the Fflipinos eat roast pig with just
as much relish as the Polynesians.
They have all acquired a taste for
roasted pork and, regardless of race,
enjoy watching the luau prepared.
All cooked food at Lei day fiesta is
baked in an underground oven called
an "imu." The oven is dug the day
of the luau at spot near the festival.
In the bottom of hole some 3 feet
deep and 6 feet in circumference Is
placed layer of stones. On top of
these stones is layer of wood and
another layer Of stones. The wood is
then lighted to heat the top layer of
stones, which when hot are set aside.
Quickly the roast pig is scared. filled
with some Of the hot stones, wrapped
in XII or banana leaves and placed on
the bottom row of stones. Around the
pig is placed bananas, sweet potatoes,
taro, fish ard breadfruit, all wrapped
in leaves. Then the remaining hot
stones are placed on the pile Of
wrapped food. Water Is sprinkled
about to create steam, while green
leaves and soil are banked on to pre-
vent the heat from escaping. After
the luau has been placed in the "imu"
guests join the Lei day festival, to re-
turn hours later, when the food Is
served.
A FEATURE Of each Lei day luau is
the hula dance. If the luau is in
an outlying section of the islands.
those adept at the rhythmic art rise
and perform to the accompaniment Of
chanting voices. guitars, ukuleles and
the clapping Of hands. When one
hula dancer finishes, another, fired
with emotion, rises and continues. As
the dance progresses several hula at
the same time, men as well as women.
to the increased applause Of the en-
tire luau assemblage.
As choruses of native voices sing
Polynesian airs they conclude each
hula in the same manner. Regardless
of the number Of stanzas, all know n
Continued On Seventh Page.l
Evening star., 1936-04-26

heat and Summer unpleasantness Of
the towns. OF these Lake Geneva in
Wisconsin Is Guieseppa's favorite.
Why? "Oh well, more dimes"
He has no special route. He and
Julian travel where the spirit moves
them and where the dimes promise to
be most plentiful. San Francisco
sometimes. Other Summers they do
not 60 so far.
Autumn finds the two back in
Washington for q final month OF
singing In the rain," and then Julian
goes to his Winter quarters at the Zoo.
the barrel organ is sent to factory
In Brooklyn, N. Y, to be thoroughly
cleaned and Guieseppa takes the boat
for Italy.
During the Winter months Guies-
eppa and his wife make little pilgrim
ages to various shrines. Sometimes
the little granddaughter goes, too, but
more often she remains at home In
school. The pennies, nickels and
dimes harvested in the Summer see
them through the Winter and enough
remains to send Guieseppa back to
the United States.
JULIAN is one of o series OF little
- monkeys. He is an accomplished
little imp. having been taught q
number of amusing little tricks by his
master to improve the entertainment
they offer their patrons. Several
years ago Julian was unfortunate
enough to forget his manners and
nipped one Of the little ones In his
audience. It Is . long story involving
the monk, the child, dog and much
shouting ard tumult. It is . dark
spot In poor Guieseppa's life and he
stu can't understs1d why Julian was
Evening star., 1936-04-26
Heirs of Noble Tradition to Have Field to
Selves, as Police Rules Provide That
Others Are Barred From Streets Here.

These three regard themselves as
persons who give fair exchange in
pleasant entertainment for the pen
nies. nickels and dimes (the last all
too infrequent these past years. show
cred upon them.
Guieseppa. in particular. takes his
work with deep seriousness. A strongly
religious man, he expects, when he
has finished q few chores left him IN
life, to spend his last years In q
monastery, praying his Masters for
giveness for the sins Of the world. In
his pocket he carries with him
wherever he goes Q well-worn rosary
and a handful Of holy amulets, picked
up all over the world.
THIS Spring will be his twenty y-f1rst
visit to Washington. Born In .
little village in Italy. he came to the
United States as q lad Of Is. He IS
an American citizen, go years back, :"
and very proud Of it. For time he
worked In automobile factories In De-
troit and that city IS still home" to
him.
For the past half dozen years he has
spent his Winters in the Italian village
where he was born. He and his wife
and small granddaughter (the educa-
ton Of the child is one OF the chores
still remaining for Guieseppa to &C
complish before his retirement from
the world left the United States to
be near q daughter. now In an Italian
convent. The mother Of the little girl
Is dead. She was Guieseppa's youngest
child.
2 Guieseppa plans to arrive annually
In Washington in the early Spring.
He spends . month in the National
Capital and then heads west.Hl From
Evening star., 1936-04-26

abundance Of pohas, mountain apples,
native raspberries, avocados, guavas,
breadfruit, papaias and custard apples,
to say nothing Of ponegranates, ba-
nanas, lines and oranges. Trees are
their sturdiest and the royal palms
glisten with sheen only Spring can
give. The ponkey pod trees vie for
supremacy with stately ferns. as the
mighty banyan weaves its arms little
farther into the island soil.
Climaxing the Lei day celebration
Is a native luau feast. At this sump-
tuous out-of-door banquet every Ha-
waiian eats some cooked pig. poi,
squid, shrimp, octopus, raw and dried
fish. eel, ground kukui nut and "limu. "
or seaweed. He gathers with friends
at some zephyrous. palm -fringed spot
where upon table of banana leaves
and ferns he may enjoy the foods
known and relished by his ancestors.
Evening star., 1936-04-26
By Violet Sweef Haven.

sS 4 AY day is Lei day in Ha-
M waii," and on Friday
V throughout the Hawaiian
a Islands there will be a
great celebration in the flowery king
dom. Blossoms in profusion will un-
fold their delicately scented buds to
glorify the most colorful of all holidays
in "the paradise of the Pacific. 3"
Hawaiian bands and orcheStras will
strum native songs from sunrise to
sunset. In every bay, hamlet and
palm-f -fringed shore lifting chant will
ring out in welcome to Spring.
1t is tradition in the islands that on
May l Lei day festivals are climaxed
with sumptuous luau feasts. Children
are dismissed from. their schools.
Students gather to see colorful floral
pageants as their lei queen is crowned
on a throne of fragrant petals. About
her stand dusky flower-bedecked
maidens wearing pastel gowns of soft
est hues. Around her throne little
children pay homage, their vivid crepe
paper costumes fusing INTO riot OF
color. Dressed as mice, rabbits, but
tercups, daisies, gardenias and hibiscus,
they spring into dance.
Other youngsters, in primary school,
wear fresh lauhala hula skirts, made
the night before by their own nimble
fingers. They hula before her majesty
the lei queen to the lazy rhythm of
ukuleles and steel guitars as stately
coconut palms overhead sway to a
gentle breeze from the tropic sea.
Their elder sisters, graceful and lur-
ing, glide through the May pole dance,
their grass skirts swishing to the
dreamy tempo of an island melody.
About the queen and her entourage
are men, women and children of a
dozen nationalities. Filipino women,
picturesque in native pineapple cloth
dresses with puffed sleeves, dance in
the ancient manner of their people.
Chinese children in embroidered Man.
DARN coats skip over the green lawns
with the ease of fairies and the grace
Of eloes. Slender Japanese maidens in
bright kimonos pantomine to the sing
song strains of Nippon folk song.
orful leis chant Polynesian ballads of
the days Of King Kamehameha.
SYMBOLIC of all Hawaii for years,
generations and centuries has been
the flower lei. In the days when
Kamehameha was proclaimed King
of all the islands his subjects were as
fond of wearing flowers as are the
Hawaiians of today. They found by
experimenting that in using long
strands of coconut fiber they could
string many petals together and form
q necklace. This they called a "lei,"
pronounced clay"
AS the Hawaiians wore no other
jewelry they adopted this form Of
decoration. From so humble a begin
ming the beauty-loving people have
developed the art of flower weaving
until today Hawaiians are known the
world over for their skill in the craft.
Leis are made from many kinds Of
flowers in Hawaii. Most popular are
those made from the ginger, stephan
otis, carnation, chrysanthemum. gar.
Evening star., 1936-04-26
Minstre District
Their Eventual Passing Will Bring End to the
Traditional Barrel-O Organ Time, Which Has
Extended Over Long Period of Years.

50 naughty. The child was not espe-
cially damaged. but Guieseppa, to be
on the safe side, had Julian's teeth
extracted. That brought further
trouble upon the two The S. P. G. A.
objected to the operation, although
Guieseppa had paid a high-priced
veterinarian 500 to do the deed.
The 8. p. c. AS disapproval still
hangs over Guieseppa like a dark
shadow. He meant so well and 1t is
q mystery to him why they were so
annoyed. He would be, he mourns,
the last person in the world to harm
little Julian. The monk sleeps in his
bed and Is fed by his own hands
like da child" In the liquid tongue
Of his native land he explains:
Julian didn't mean to hurt the
little girl. There was q little dog
jumping at him and in the excitement
he forgot what he was doing. The
little girls papa wasn't mad. He
understood"
CUIESEPPA, in his wanderings, is
~ but carrying out the traditions Of
his trade. The ministries Of old
wandered from town to town, from
country to country. The story of the
strolling singer, Blondel, and his res
cue Of King Richard is known to every
student Of English history. Its au-
thenticity has never been thoroughly
established, but II nothing more, it is
q colorful bit Of fable illustrative Of
the times.
Imprisoned by q rival ruler on his
way home from the Crusades. King
Richard was discovered by Blondel,
who had Travelled from country to
country, singing before every castle
Evening star., 1936-04-26

~ FoDers haze message all their o1On in Honolulu
and this is the Fdrthest West America Decomed Post
master General and Mrs. Farley hen they ariued in Hawa
for D 2) May pole dance of Hula dancers 80 Attorney
visit to the islands ~ Steamer day in Honoluu eans
Kekao Honouus bestknoDn lei makers strings the
delicate petals of the lima oer into floral 1reaths OF uel
90 takes possession of territory
to celebrate May day. the lei
day. Here she ith her attendants at HonouuS city hail.
ALI Photos Pacific
Evening star., 1936-04-26

Washington as Guieseppa's first stop.
He heads west as q rule, taking in
his home city Of Detroit. A few weeks
are spent at various lakeside resorts.
where rich people" are escaping the
Evening star., 1936-04-26

city to city he trundles his barrel
organ, his only companion his small
monkey. The monkey, Julian by
name, Winters at the Washington
Zoo. which explains the siection Of
Evening star., 1936-04-26

gainvillaea, poinciana, shower trees
and the vanishing koa. Fruits are
ripe. Throughout the countryside
and along the mountain slopes is an
Evening star., 1936-04-26

The children sing in far Japan,
The children sing il, Spain;
The organ and the organ man
Are singing in the rain.
Evening star., 1936-04-26

Ell day comes at beautiful season
of the year in Hawaii. Every
where flowers and trees are in bloom,
from night blooming cereus to bou-
Evening star., 1936-04-26

IS n 4 AY day is Lei day in Ha-
M waii," and on Friday
W. throughout the Hawaiian
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
100000 ROAD
BIDSASKED

ALEXANDRIA, Jan. 14.-Bids
for construction work to cost ap-
proximately 100000 to repair
Russell Road were being received
at City Manager e. C. Dunn's
office today.
Work on this road will include
excavating, grading, concreting,
furnishing and placing bituminous
binder, raising manholes, extend.
ing and constructing storm water
drains, and building headwalls
with the widening and improve
ment Of Russell Road from King
Street to Mount Vernon Avenue.
Funds for the work, which will
come from the PWA program,
were originally allocated to the
city for curbS and cutters. The
city requested the transfer after
it decided that Russell Road must
be repaired. and that the curb
and gutter program could be made
self-hquidating, in that the prop
erty owners would pay for half
Of this work.
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
PALMER FREED
IN $1,000 BAIL

NEW YORK, Jan. IA uN.S).
Arthur Phelps Palmer. wealthy re-
tired mechanical engineer, was
free on $4,000 bail today pending
hearing January "a on charges Of
sending two threatening letters to
President Roosevelt.
Meanwhile, ]. Howard Carter.
chief assistant U. S. attorney. said
the case probably would be sub
mitted to the Federal grand jury
within the next few days.
Palmer was arrested in his pa
latial Park Avenue apartment by
Secret Service agents and whisked
before U. S. Commissioner Cotter.
He declined to make any formal
statement in connection with the
charges.
Government agents said Palmer
apparently blamed the President
for his loss in the stock market of
ag~considerable sum. william H.
Houghton, head Of the Secret
Service here, said one letter con-
tanned q threat to strangle the
President,
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
VETS TO HEAR
COL. JOHNSON

KENSINGTON, Md, Jan. IA.
Col, John Monroe johnson, Assis-
tant Secretary of Commerce and
one of the founders of the Ameri.
can Legion, will speak at the an
nual rally and smoker Of the
Montgomery County Council of
American Legion Posts, in the Ma.
tional Guard Armory here Friday
evening.
The address of welcome will be
delivered by Mayor Alfred L.
Geiger, of Kensington, and Caesar
L. Aiello, of Hyattsville, Md, past
commander of the Maryland LIE.
zion State department, will intro.
duce the speakers and guests of
honor. Ranking officials of Legion
posts of Maryland and washing
ton will attend. Eugene ]. C.
Raney, president Of the council,
will preside.
The program for the evening
will include installation of officers
of the Henderson-Smith-E dmonds
POST, of Rockville, and the Arnold.
Wilburn Post, of KenSington, by
the vice commander of the South.
ern Maryland District, E. Brooke
Fetty. New members will be I'M.
tiated by a team from Snyder
Farmer Post in Hyattsville.
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
Gang War Is Feared
As HoodIum Is Slain

CHICAGO, Jan. IL Q.N.S0.
An outbreak Of gang warfare was
feared by police today as they
investigated the Staying Of Eu-
gene Belmonte, alias James Mir
abelle, ex-convict and a member
Of the notorious "a" gang.
Seeking to escape from his as
sassins, Belmonte turned into a
alley after q wild chase through
West Side streets last night. It
was a blind alley. Belnonte. was
riddled with bullets as he opened
the door of his automobile to
flee on foot. Witnesses said there
were three men in the murder
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
COUNTY FIGHTS
FOR GAS RATE
DECREASE

BETHESDA, Jan. 14.-Fight-
ing for q reduction in gas rates
in Montgomery county to a scale
comparable with that paid by
Washington consumers, the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation
will request the Maryland Public
Service Commission to make a
study Of the question and order,
If possible, gas-rate reductions OF
a substantial nature.
This action in the form OF q
resolution was presented last
night by Major L. L. Dye, chair
man Of the Public Utilities Com
mission.
Report Made
In . report submitted to the
/. federation, he declared the pres
emit gas rates in the county were
due to the wholesale price
charged the washington and
GEORGETOWN Gas Light companies
Of Montgomery county by the
parent companies, the Washing
ton and Georgetown Gas Light
companies of the District OF
Columbia.
In view of this, he declared,
nothing more could be accom-
plished by the Federation's COM
mittee until the Maryland Pub
lie Service Commission orders q
reduction in rates.
-. The resolution adopted by the
federation urges that when new
rate schedules are ordered, they
shall continue the present tenn
porary reductions of 81 per cent
discount on gas bills, and in ad-
dition shall include a further
reduction which will bring the
total to 1012 per cent.
Safety for Children
Another resolution, urging the
Montgomery county commission
erS to construct q park walkway
bridge across Cabin John Greek
near Glen Echo, Nd, to provide
a safe place for school children
to walk to and from school, was
also adopted.
The bridge is located on Con-
duit Road, a Federal highway,
and neither the county nor State
have any authority to order the
bridge widened or replaced.
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
LEADS CLERKS
ORGANIZATION

Few employees Of the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing have
failed to meet Mrs. Maud Hall,
who is we'll known as one OF the
foremost opponents Of the cur
rent trend among Government
employees toward organization, a
trend which has been adopted as
the best means Of securing more
beneficial working conditions.
Mrs. Hall, who Is a member OF
Lodge 20 of the American Fed
Grafton of Government Employees,
has served since its organiza-
ton as a collector and organizer
and has also identified herself
with the movement now under
way among employees of Engrav-
ing and Printing to establish q
disqualification unit and sick
benefit auxiliary among workers
who have affiliated themselves
with the American Federation OF
Labor.
She came with the Govern.
ment in 1919, just after the
World war and revealed the
need for large numbers Of fem
mime workers to aid in carrying
on the vast Government machin-
cry, and now is stationed in the
Printing Division. where she as
Sists the plate printers who daily
create the "greenbacks" for
which everyone strives.
A native of New Philadelphia,
Ohio, Mrs. Hall INDUCES in no
hobbies except her steady interes5
in labor organization. At pres
enE she Is aiding in celebration
Of National Civil Service Week.
concentrating adoption Of the
Civil Service Act in 1883.
The Washington times., 1936-01-14
UNION SEAMEN
BATTLE HERE
international News Service


Meeting behind closed doors,
the thirty-third convention OF the
International Seamen's Union of
America today took up a number
Of matters bearing on the future
Of the organization. ~ -.--r
In refusing admission to Moe
Byne and ]. Montal, Boston ma
rine firemen, the convention
stirred up row that may have a
farreaching effect, as the two
frankly admit they were Sympa-
thetic with the Maritime Fedora
ton Of the Pacific Coast, Of which
Harry Bridges, of San Francisco,
is a leader. This organization is
alleged to be trying to take con-
troll from the international body.
In place of the two Boston fire
men. the convention seated Pat
rick Keane, John Bley and Oscar
Carlson, representing the Marine
Firemen, Oilers and Water Tend
ers' Union Of the Atlantic and
Gulf ports. According to interna-
tional leaders, they control 80
votes on the convention floor.
Byne and Montal charged these
three delegates were hand picked"
by the international union.
The big fight of the convention.
which is scheduled to run for 10
DAYS. will come over the election
of officers. The Bridges fedora
ton is expected to put ticket in
nomination.
Andrew Furuseth, veteran presi-
dent of the international union,
is a candidate to succeed himself
in the post he has held since 1893.
Victor o. Olander, secretary-treas-
urer, said he would not be a can
didate for reelection.