davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-09-11

greater part, is mile after mile OF
channel only about 80 feet in depth
and scarcely wider than q city block.
| p THIS narrow groove the pilot
must guide his charge, with. of
course, due regard to other shipping.
In good weather, when he is guided
in the daytime by buoys and at night
by lights, his job is . comparatively
easy one. But his real work COM
mences when strong currents or float
ing Ice pull moored buoys out OF posi-
ton, and when fog, snow, or driving
rain makes visibility poor enough to
shut Oh the strongest light, and to
cause fog warnings to sound from
misleading directions. Blind intuition
seems to lead him then; that and
maze of complicated compass
courses which he knows by heart.
There Is no complicated bidding for
pilots services. Nor is there, As
there once WAS, any racing hundreds
Of miles of1shore to see which pilot
would be first TO reach Al incoming
steamer.
While pilotase is not = Government
service, it is State regulated. and has
set fees and rules. Everything else
Is governed by pilots associations, one
for each port, which among other
things work out an apprenticeship
system leading up to the rating Of
registered pilot.
Evening star., 1938-09-11
my MOST EXCITING
ADVENTURE"

REING on q ferry boat when 1t was
rammed by an oil tanker was
once the experience Of BENJAMIN
Bochenek, IA, of 524 Kenyon street
NV. And he was as badly frightened
by the incident rs Charlie Millar was
over the shark. Benjamin's letter
follows:
Dear Editor:
The most exciting adventure of
my life occurred during mid-Aug,st
Of 1884. I was travelling to Atlantic
City, N. j., with my father. At about
6 am. We reached New Castle, Del,
and the ferry that crosses the Della
ware River I was very eager to get
on the ferry because had never been
on one.
When we were about in the middle
Of the river there was q sudden crash
and the boat lurched to one side. It
seemed that our car would fall on me
as I was leaning on the railing. When
I recovered from the shock of the i'm
pact I ran to the other side of the
boat, where I discovered that we had
been rammed by an oil tanker. The
hole which it made In the ferry was
about z feet above the water line.
Luckily none was seriously injured
One car was badly wrecked.
After the tanker withdrew its bow
from the side of the ferry it proceeded
across the river. Since that expert
ence have not been anxious to travel
on ferries"
Evening star., 1938-09-11

snail was an inch around and I
inches long. 1t Travelled like . worm,
by making itself long and drawing
itself up short.
While watched the snail moved
forward to one wall and went through
an opening near the ceiling. 1t left
track that looked like . thin stream
Of silver when 1t dried. decided to
investigate the snails private residence
and removed the wall the snail had
disappeared behind. To my surprise
there was not one snail, but two.
There were many newly made passage
ways leading in all directions, 20 un-
earthed them all.
When was through I had five
snails. I put them in the rats dis
carded cage and decided to watch
them day by day, but it appeared
that the snails had other ideas, for
when I returned next day all were
gone. The solution to the mystery
was easy, since their tracks led
through the openings intended to give
them sir and OF the porch into the
garden"
Evening star., 1938-09-11

Each boy selected must serve an ap.
premiership Of from four to six years.
depending upon the particular associa-
ton. During this period he Is stationed
q seaman on the station cutter. being
paid about SO monthly for the first
three years, $50 a month for the
fourth and NTH, and $40 for the sixth,
with board and quarters included.
Next follows a probationary term Of
advanced nautical studies and the
pilotage Of vessels Of lesser draft. More
examinations come before the grant,
ing OF full-fledged pilots license,
and thei chance to share proportion
ately In the earnings Of his association,
which in good years may average as
high as $4,000 for each member.
The pilot service has an enviable
reputation. Those in 1t serve largely
because they like the water and the
outdoor life with its thrills and hazards.
II the records kept in any associations
ONCE could speak, what stories they
could tell! Tales of storm-racked
vessels brought safely into shelter, Of
wrecks boarded and steered between
the breakers so passengers could be
removed to the beach, of fire and other
disasters at sea; even of weather 20
bad that pilots could not be taken of
outgoing vessels, but had to continue
aboard to the other side and come
back on another steamer.
Evening star., 1938-09-11
Letter Boz Offers
81 Prizes Weeklv

THE STAR has arranged to pay 81
each for five letters published each
week in the Junior Page Letter Box.
Prize winning letters are selected
for their general interest TO readers
and must be written on one Of the
given topics selected by the editor.
The list Of topics follows:
vacation Hints"
''liOw I Make Spending Money"
my Hobby"
"An Interesting Pet"
"My Most Exciting Adventure"
Rules for the contest are simple.
Here they are:
I. Select your topic from those
listed abope.
2. Place your name. address, a0s
and school at the beginning Of your
letter. Also otue your home tele-
phone number II you have one
). Write simply, as II you mere
Uriting to friend or to your
family.
4. Write letters as neatly az pos
sible. 1t IS better to use only one
side OF your paper.
Letters should be addresed to the
Junior Page Editor. The Sunday Star.
Eleventh street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. NV, Washington. d. C.
The editor reserves the right to pub.
lish any letters received, whether -
not they are awarded pri3es.
Evening star., 1938-09-11

our pet rat, Spankey, who ran away,
would come home again.
During the recent rains the ground
became very moist and one wall fell
in. Upon looking inside the view
reminded me Of 4 deserted house, filled
with cobwebs, spiders and dust. I
was startled when I saw = large snail
rolled into . ball in the middle of
the floor.
This was not an ordinary snail
with its home ON its back. but 4
long thin snail, resembling q worm.
Its back was grayish black and it was
cream colored underneath. It had
two pairs of feelers one long pair
with eyes on the end and smaller
pair underneath. Both Of these could
be drawn In or out when danger
threatened. I would say that the
Evening star., 1938-09-11

suggest designs for toys, book ends or
dressing dolls. Wooden toys for little
children can be made.
Some OF the characters from stories
such as The Three Little Pigs Little
Red Riding Hood and The Three
Bears can be used in this manner.
Dolls can be dressed as characters
from books for older children"
my HOBBY"
INVESTIGATING the habits of gar
den animals is the hobby of Sylvia
Click, IA, of 1885 Shepherd street NE,
who found snails very interesting re-
Gently She writes:
Dear Editor:
K was recently digging in our rock
garden, where we had built kind Of
shelter made Of few pieces of broken
slate that stood about inches high.
Dirt was heaped all around and over
1t 80 that just the entrance showed.
We had built this cave in hopes that
Evening star., 1938-09-11
Junior Page Letter Box
Five Prize.Winning Letters From
Weekly Contest Published

fathers as we'll as boys. His letter de-
scribing 1t follows:
Dear Editor:
"A few days ago I went on q two
day bicycle trip with my father and
two Of my friends. We left Bethesda
just before daybreak, about 4:30 In
the morning. We rode toward Ann
apolis, making hourly stops. and ar
irving there at $50 that same morn
Ing. Catching q bite to eat, we took
the . O'Clock ferry across the bay.
Leaving Matapeake We started for
Romancoke, the ferry station at the
southeast end of Kent Island, which
Is part Of Eastern Maryland, and ar
rived there at 1890 am We leisurely
made camp on the sandy beach, each
building lean-to and preparing a fire
for the night from dry wood on the
beach.
We occupied our time watching
the ferry. swimming, resting and eat
ing sandwiches and drinking water
we had brought with us. for there is
no place to buy food in Romancoke.
That night we slept with ires at our
feet, for it was chilly. I managed to
keep my fire going, but the others let
theirs die out.
I'VE arose at sunrise the next morn
ing and after packing and curbing
our fires, we left for Matapeake. We
rode 4 miles south to see 4 sailboat
race near Bay Ridge. We left Anna
polls about 1890 am. and after six
hours Of hard riding we arrived home.
Including IS cents for our round "trip
ferry ride, we spent about $1.75 each.
arrived home with = badly burned
face, but with happy memories of the
trip
Evening star., 1938-09-11
"MY MOST EXCITING
ADVENTURE"

VACATION adventures dominate
the Junior Page Editors mail
these days. which might be expected
this time of the year. Charlie Miliar,
II. Of Ironsides, Md, had the doubtful
pleasure Of meeting shark personally
this summer and tells about it as
follows:
Dear Editor:
If you have ever seen q shark
you will know just how frightened
I was when first saw one this
August.
4 was in a small rowboat with
my brother-in-law and We were row.
ing out to his gasoline boat to 60
riding. We were about half way there
when . large shark darted right In
front Of US. 1t swan all around
Evening star., 1938-09-11

there. all the time. and could 70 over
and over them and study the pictures
and finally know whole stories almost
by heart.
Maybe young people today would
not think it much fun to get to know
= book that way. Well. I can only
tell you that good deal depends on
the book
For there are some books that are
really wonderful and you would get
no more tired of them than you would
OF your home itself. Indeed, when a
really good book is always on its shelf
in your private libarry, and the library
room is not changed bit, you get to
feel that the book is part of your home
too. just as much as your family The
library that We had when I was little
girl. remember, was tall place with
bookcases built along It's walls, a long
table in the middle OF the floor and a
fireplace under the mantelpiece.
TODAY another family lives in that
house, but they are old friends OF
ours and I am always glad of that,
Tor even after so long l would not
like for strangers to move in there and
put something else on the shelves, or
nD ybe tear the shelves out altogether.
That just shows you how fond YOU
can get Of books when they live with
you in their own room in your house
and are not just like strangers who
maybe pay you a short visit and then
never come back again and you forget
all about them except that once they
did stop.
The first book that l really got to
know in that personal way was one
that will probably surprise you. for it
was not childs book at all. Our
childrens books were always put on
the lower shelves, so that we could
reach them. This one, however. was
too big to go in any shelf, and 50
1t lay on a low table and it STAYED
there quite a while before I ever
opened it. for it was not very in
teresting looking volume on the out
side. 1t had a duh green back, with
only some faded gold letters, and
they said some words that I did not
Observation-Disclosures Lost" So
was not very curious about it, As you
can see.
But one day I pulled it of the
table and laid it down on the floor
and opened it. And I found that
1t was full OF most wonderful pic
lures. They were Of tall, beautiful,
athletic-looking angels, with great
wide-sweeping wings, such wings as
usually belong on seagulls, but in
these pictures the wings looked fine
on the angels and you could see that
any angel with wings like that really
could fly spendidly, and / was inter-
ested at once to know what they were
doing, looking so alive and glorious,
In that old green book.
60 I turned all the pages, from be-
ginning to end. I did not read
Evening star., 1938-09-11

tinguisher and no life preseryer.
There was a small matter OF possible
5000 fine, but the police saw that
was ignorant Of the rules and since
this was my first trip down the river
they let me of in the custody Of my
father. He really deserves the credit
for getting me of from paying the
fine"
With a neighbor, Gloyd Await. this
nauticalminded young man has taken
several trips with the Coast Guard to
Atlantic ports along the coast. Gloyd
has been Rays right-hand man in
the building of all his boats. helping
him to plan as we'll as construct the
ships. The boys spent about two
months building each boat, but, q
Gloyd puts 1t, Ray really did all
the work-and I mean work"
This summer Ray has been working
in the South with the Bureau Of Fish
cries.
Evening star., 1938-09-11
Posers

HERE are some easy posers. You
should get these in five minutes.
Let's see you try!
l. OF what material are tents made?
-. In what Italian town Is the IA
nous leaning tower?
3. Where is the Isle Of Capri?
4. What is . carlton?
S. What is the capital Of France?
6. What do the letters DID, signify?
T. What are the three primary col
ors?
g. What Is 4 canal?
Poser Answers.
l. Canvas. 2. Pisa. 3. Bay Of Ma
piles near Italy. 4. A set Of bells usually
built in a tower and played by ma
chinery or hand keys. 5. Paris. g.
Doctor Of divinity. T. Red. yellow and
blue. 8. A man-built waterway.
Evening star., 1938-09-11

us with such swift strokes that
thought he surely would overturn our
boat. He could have. too. II he had
wanted to do 50.
I'VE then went ashore and quickly
borrowed rifle to shoot him with.
But when we returned he was quite
distance from shore. We chased
him in a gasoline boat and shot at
him once. but missed him. He darted
of to the opposite shore and we gave
him up.
We went back to shore and there
was no more boat riding for me that
afternoon. I was glad enough to
get back on land and believe me it'll
be quite a while before I 60 boating
there again"
Evening star., 1938-09-11
Doll Theater
Has Summer
Success
Plays, Music and
Lemonade Divert,
Neighborhood.

~ 7 POPULAR demand of 4 Ten
- nyson street audience, the
Fairy Land Theater has just
- staged It's second neighborhood
show of the summer six-act play
entitled. THE Enchanted Cloak"
A before, the cast of characters
was played by the Eight Ellenettes,"
. delightful company of miniature
china dolls. which bob about on strings
manipulated by Dorothy Judge and
Patsy Daily, half Of the quartet OF
youthful drama minded youngsters
who operate the theater.
Being china dolls, the Ellenettes
are stin and can't move. That's why
we don't call them marionettes," ex-
planned Patsy Daily. I'VE made up
the name Ellenettes," she added.
The audience. however, doesn't mind
in the least II the Ellenettes can't
move. In fact. having to use your
Imagination is half the fun of the
Fairy Land Theater. And once you
get that Imagination working, every
thing is in fine style.
Tickets for performances are pur-
chased from 4 ticket box, which, If
you look very closely, Is just An orange
crate standing on end. This is dec
GRATED in the approved ticket-box
fashion, however, with = pasteboard
placard across the front listing the
cast OF characters and the price Of
10 cents admission advertised in large
letters.
A GARAGE in the Days back yard
at 33a2 Tennyson street NV. is
used for = playhouse and 1t makes 4
fine theater when It's filled with
chairs.
The stage Is another orange crate,
raised on wooden props so that the
audience gets a full view of the
little actors. Curtains around the
stage conceal Dorothy and Patsy, who
manipulate the strings when 4 show
is going on.
One Of the most popular features
Of the Fairy Land Theater is q lem
onade stand from which q refreshing
drink is served to each member of
the audience during the performance
Cookies also 60 along with the lem
onade. After each person has had
one drink. however, he must pay for
the next II he wants 4 second help
ing. The price Is l cent per glass,
but . cookie is added for good
measure.
Joe Judge, Sd. and Johnny DAILY
operate the ticket box. serve the re-
freshments and generally supervise
small details Of each performance
to see that things 60 OF on schedule.
Their presence adds q festive air to
the theater, for both Of them wear
tall paper hats pasted together In
the shape Of cylinder and decorated
in large, colored letters.
After the first show staged at the
Fairy Land Theater the audience
was allowed to participate in an ANA
teur hour which provided the stage
show. At the last performance. how
ever, Patsy and Dorothy and Joe and
Johnny gave = short musical comedy.
Evening star., 1938-09-11
Local Youth Constructs
And Designs Boats
Most Recently Built Is 80 Feet
Long and Has Steel Galley,
Closets and Bunks.
By BILL MCCLURE.

4 NCHORS aWeigh! And on to
~ sea goes one OF Washington s
~ A No. amateur sailors
l7-year-old Ray Martyr of
1901 Thirty-fourth street NV. And
it Is OF to sea in his own boat, because
he constructed and planned it him
self, as Ray is ship builder as well
as = sailor. Yes, this promising lad
has In the last three years actually
built three real. man-size motor boats.
Il named my first boat Jean I
after \ friend Of mine. 1t was a neat
little racing outboard about Is feet
In length. However, its building proved
to be expensive. ~ broke . couple
OF ribs and an arm when the motor
backfired as I was cranking It," So
spoke Ray Martyr as he recalled his
flrst adventures with his favorite
pastime.
Soon after Jean I, Ray built Jean
II, and also the Catspaw, in quick
succession. The latter Is . 36-foot
modern beauty with q steel galley,
clothes closets and several bunks.
When the young boat builder was
asked to recall some interesting ex-
periences he has had with his boats,
other than the accident. he told of the
time he and the harbor police got
into difficulties.
"0NE bright. sunny morning I took
my finished boat down to the
river to give 1t its first test run. Feel
ing like . million dollars and not hav-
ing = care In the world at that time, I
entirely forgot about river regulations
on speed and equipment. So I ven-
tured up the Washington Channel at
As miles per hour and was soon ar
rested by the harbor police. The speed
limit was only miles An hour.
Besides this, carried no fire ex-
Evening star., 1938-09-11
HISTORICRAMS X By Leslie Hartley

THIS MARBLE BUST OF GEN.
= PERSHING IN THE SMITH
sONIAN INSTITUTION WAS
PRESENTED BY THE ESTATE
OF MAI. GEN. GEORGE OWEN
sQUIER. 1T IS THE WORK OF
MOSES w. DYKAAR.
Gen. JOHN JOSEPH PERISH
~ ING. who commanded the
American Expeditionary Force dur
ing the World War and who holds
the unusual rank of General of the
Armies Of the United States" was
born September IL, 1860, in Mis-
souri,.
Having financed his way through
normal school. Pershing two years
later won an appointment to West
Point and graduated In 1886. His
brilliant military career was
launched At once when he was sent
to Arizona - q lieutenant In the
Apache Indian campaign.
In 1916, after the Villa raid,
Pershing was given command Of =
punitive expedition to Mexico In
pursuit of the bandit, and 1t was in
recognition of the ability displayed
then that he was chosen to COM
mand the A. Z. +. In France upon
his country's entry into the World
War.
After the conflict was over the
general was generous in his praise
Of his men and insisted that the
true credit for victory rested with
the rank and file.
Upon his return from France the
Senate conferred upon him the
rank Of General of the Armies Of
the United States" which put him
alongside Washington, Grant, sher-
Evening star., 1938-09-11
VACATION HINTS

A N EXTREMELY original vacation
hobby which might be pursued all
year and involves neither danger nor
sunburn IS that described by Hem
rietta Glover. l3, Of Route 3, Gathers
burg. Md. Her letter follows:
Dear Editor:
Most boys and girls spend some of
their spare time each summer reading
books to pass the time away.
After you read 4 book. do you ever
stop to think what the characters
might look like? My vacation hint Is
to read book or think Of your IA
vorite book and let the characters
Evening star., 1938-09-11

Y1TH solid water from the
M tops Of bow-high seas cas-
v cading acroas her bare
decks In an almost endless
stream, . passenger steamer plunges
slowly into = northeaster which for
three days has been delaying shipping,
damaging property, and even causing
loss Of lives along the Atlantic sea-
board.
Both ofhcers and crew are sea weary
from long hours on duty. The haggard-
faced captain has been on the bridge
ever at the wheelmans elbow, this
entire time, sleepless day and night
except for an occasional few winks
stolen almost standing up.
But an outlying lightship has been
picked up At last, and . junior officer
has just stuck his head in the door to
shout that the pilot has been taken
safely aboard after = dangerous pass
age between pilot cutter and steamer.
Little wonder that the lines about
the captains mouth commence to
smooth out! Another long passage is
behind him; once more he has deliv-
cred his ship safely into the pilots
charge. And the full responsibility
Is now the pilots, during the run OF
70-odd miles through the night, up
the shoal-infested, trafIic- bound river
to the ships destination.
IN FAIR weather and foul, during
night and day. in the sunshine of
summer and the fog and snow of win
ter, these pilot cutters, which resemble
small steamers, cruise back and forth
far outside our principal ports Aboard,
in addition to the crew, are several
registered pilots, all perfectly famil-
lar with the waters to be navigated.
One Of these must be put aboard each
incoming boat Of any size; while others,
picked up of vessels they have piloted
to tho comparative safety OF deep
waters, take their place.
Steamer captains whose voyages take
them all over the globe cannot be
expected to be familiar with the often
dangerous waters of every port into
which they sail. Every storm changes
and shifts the bars which lie across
the entrance OF many harbors or alters
the channels Of the rivers up which
some of our coastal cities lie Only
one who is constantly coming in and
out OF such places can be familiar
with these many little changes. which
may result in damage to or even loss
OF vessels drawing as much water as
the usual going steamer re-
quires.
For example, on your map the Della
ware Bay and River, which leads in
land to Philadelphia and some lesser
ports, appears to be broad stretch
OF water. But actually the water is
spread thinly, and the river, for the