davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-07-30

with a personnel of % officers and
81 enlisted men. The Aviation Sec
ton Of the Signal Corps was created
July 18. 1914, with so officers and
260 enlisted men authorized. On
September /, after the World War
was we'll under way in Europe, the
Aero Squadron, with Is officers, n
enlisted men and airplanes, was
organized at San Diego, Calf
1t was this squadron which re-
ceived American aviation's baptism
of fire when, on March Is, 1916,
Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing led a
column, supported by aerial OBJ
servers, into Mexico after Francisco
Villa. 1t was hard proving ground
for the new aviation service which
was called upon for continuous op-
erations far from base, over difficult
terrain. 1t provided excellent train
ing, however. for the World War
ordeal into which the wholly in
significant American aviation serv-
ice was to be plunged year later.
Personnel in War.
The National Defense Act of June
8, 1916, authorized for the Aviation
Section of the Signal Corps a per-
sonnel strength of l48 officers and
1000 enlisted men, but upon our
declaration of war, April 6, 1917
Army aviation consisted of only 65
officers. IS of whom we're flyers
1.087 enlisted men and S. airplanes
The frenzied effort of the ensuing
months to build up an American
Air Service are history. Caught
flat-footed, this country was just
swinging into the mass production
Evening star., 1939-07-30

as a lawful prize and after the
necessary expenses had been cared
for. the remaining monies" to be
equally divided among the captors;
in the case of Army detachments,
however, the prize money to be
divided in proportion to the pay of
the officers and soldiers. A prize
law of that period allotted one third
the value of a merchant ship and
two thirds the value of a man-of-
war to any Continental man-of war
making the capture.
The Continental Congress stressed
alertness and valor in resolutions
such as, "He who first discovers a
ship which shall afterwards become
prize, shall be entitled to double
share of such prize" and "He who
shall first board ship making re-
sistance, which shall become prize
shall be entitled to a triple share
Enactment in 1862.
In 1899 Congress enacted law
governing the distribution of prize
money, which remained in effect
with slight notifications, until 1t
was altered in 1862. In brief, the
distribution was: Captain, 3/20
unless under the comand of a
superior. in which case he received
2<20 and the superior 1/20; commits
stoned officers, 2/20; warrant off,
GERS, 2/20; chief petty officers, 3/20;
petty officers, 1920; seamen and ma
rines, 7/2O. This law also provided
that all captured men-of-war be-
came the property of the United
States; all other ships of superior
force to the captor in men or guns
became the sole property of the
captor; If of inferior force, the value
to be divided between the United
States and the captor.
At the same time, a bounty au-
thorized for every captured man-of-
war brought into port was based
the Army to capture, near the shores
Evening star., 1939-07-30
Old Practice Abolished 40 Years Ago as
Congress Took Action on Cherished
Prerogative of Marine Forces

Admiral even when he was absent
from the scene of the conflict.
When men-of-war emerged as a
distinct type of ship, another form
of prize-money came into being.
Men, -of-war usually carried no valu-
able cargos, and as prizes, were of
relatively little value to their cap
tors. So, to encourage seamen,
stepped in the tradition of prize
money, not to pass by an enemy
man-of-war in favor of richer and
more easily taken prizes, another
kind Of prize-money was evolved.
Known officially as a bounty, and to
the sailor of even comparatively re-
cent years, as "head-money," this
scheme of payment was based on
either the number of men compos-
ing the crew of defeated man-of-
war or the number of guns she car
ried. Sometimes it was based on
combination of the two factors.
In all cases, it was divided in the
same manner as was prize money.
The first record of such a bounty
being authorized in England is in
an ordinance of ls49, For each
enemy ship burnt, sunk or destroyed,
If an admiral's ship, f20 per gun; a
rear admiral's ship, f16; other ships
OF war, f10." AS it reads, this or
dinance contained no invitation to
capture ship! Probably sink, burn
and destroy was the order of the
day. In 1708, "head-money" ap-
pears as an award of f5 for every
man on board of an enemy ship at
the beginning of an engagement.
Prize Shares.
The Continental Congress early
recognized the necessity of regulat-
ing prize money and enacted several
resolutions on the subject. One of
the earliest authorized the people
of any colony or detachments from
vessel. and on its being condemned
Evening star., 1939-07-30

OF any colony, any British-oWned
on both gun and man power of the
prize. 1t ran regular scale for
the ordance of that time-s200 for
every 24-pounder, $3.50 for every 18-
FOUNDER, and on down to $50 for
every gun smaller than 9-pounder,
and $40 head money" for every
prisoner taken.
This scheme allowed nothing un-
less the prize was saved, and later
was supplemented by another law
that allowed $40 for every person
on an enemy ship at the beginning
of an engagement which resulted
in the destruction of such ship by
a United States vessel of equal or
inferior power. Inasmuch as this
law was silent on the subject of
an enemy ship of inferior power,
it may be presumed that it was con-
sidered that such vessels could be
taken without being severely dam
aged and would be brought into
port.
Delivered to Court.
All prizes taken into port were
delivered into the custody of Fed
eral court designated to handle prize
cases. The prize, if condemned by
the court, was sold and the pro-
ceeds transmitted to the Treasury
Department, which attended to pay
ment of the claims. The Govern
ment's share of prize money was
credited to the naval pension fund.
The law concerning prize money
was radically changed in 1862. Un-
der the new law, captains and ad-
mirals' combined shares remained at
3/20, but the other 1870 was divided
among all others on board in pro-
portion to their rates of pay. At the
same time, head money" was au-
thorized at the rate of 500 for
every person on an enemy ship that
was destroyed by a United States
vessel of superior force and 5000
when the United States vessel was
of equal or inferior force.
These laws we're slightly modified
in 1864, but remained substantially
the same until abolished in 1899,
following legal disputes and diff
culties in sdjudicating claims for
! Spanish American War prize money.
Evening star., 1939-07-30

$500 900 900, in addition to the rou-
tine maintenance and operation
funds.
BY September 30, 1918, Army avi-
alton had grown to II airplanes
Evening star., 1939-07-30

On March 3, 1911. Congress for
the first time specifically appro-
priated money for aviation. The
total was $1250O0. The present Air
Corps expansion program totals
Evening star., 1939-01-15
ofDebate Apiece Has Been Invoked
Only Four Times

the foundation stone of Senate pro-
cedure, designed as brake against
hasty lawmaking.
In 1917 the Senate placed in its
manual the cloture rule. by which
debate may be limited to one hour
for each Senator, whenever two
thirds of the membership agree to
invoke it. 1t is intended as a
weapon to end f1libusters, but SEN
atorial adherence to the principle
of freedom of debate has not been
weakened materially by existence of
the rule
In % years cloture has been in
voked only four times: On the
treaty of peace with Germany in
1919, on the World Court plan in
1926, on a branch banking bill in
1927 and on a proposal to create
the Prohibition Bureau in the
Treasury Department the same year.
Nine other efforts to invoke it have
been rejected. Even senators in
favor of a pending bill hesitate to
favor cloture to bring 1t to vote,
through fear that next year or the
year after cloture may be applied
when they are fighting some other
measure.
Adoption of the Norris constitu-
tional amendment, doing away with
short lame duck" sessions that
formerly came after the elections
every other year, has eliminated the
greatest opportunity for filibusters.
The lame duck" sessions had to end
at noon on March 4, which enabled
one or two Senators to talk against
time as that date approached. Now,
Congress determines the date OF
adjournment each year, and when q
Evening star., 1939-01-15

legislative jam occurs the leaders are
free to prolong the session until the
program is completed.
Custom and tradition are almost
as binding and unchanging in the
Senate as the written rules. Like
the snuff boxes on. the wall, the
desks Of the Senators still contain
the little glass jars of busting
sand that were used before blotters,
in the days when statesmen wrote
history y-making documents.
The small, solid ivory gavel, with
out handle, used by Vice President
Garner today in calling the Senate
to order, has been used by his pred
ecessors since the earliest days of
Congress.
TWenty-six of the senatorial desks
are originals, from the days of Clay,
Calhoun and Webster, when the Sem
ate occupied what later became the
Supreme Court Chamber in the
center of the Capitol. The remain
ing desks are such close models that
the difference is not noticeable
to the casual observer.
The only structural change in the
Senate chamber since the wings
were added to the Capitol was the
installation of modern air-condi-
tioning a few years ago. Within the
past decade the late Senator Cope
land of New York proposed that the
chamber be remodeled by extending
it northward to the outer wall Of
the building, to provide direct air
and sunshine, but no action was
taken. Reluctant to alter the tradi-
tional appearance of the historic hall
Is believed to have been a major rea-
son for sidetracking the plan.
Evening star., 1939-01-15

Grand Matron Elmira Foley pre-
sided, with Past Worthy Patron w.
E. Nalley serving as secretary, and
the ensuing election resulted in the
selection Of Mrs. Alcena Lamond
and L. Cabell Williamson to serve as
the first grand matron and the first
grand patron, respectively, of the
order in this city. -
Here the Grand Chapter, o. E. S.,
met from its organization to 1911,
and Naomi Chapter, No. 3, and
Esther Chapter, No. S, from the
dates of their charters until they
moved into the New Masonic Tenn
pie at Thirteenth street and New
York avenue, also about 1911.
1t was about this time that the
property at 1907 G street was sold
to Mr. Lisner, further to develop the
Palais Royal holdings in this block,
and for this purpose the cathedral
was removed. 1t is quite probable
that all. or nearly all, of the south
front of this square mo. 345) at
an early date belonged to Lewis
Johnson, the banker, since his home
occupied the northeast corner of
Eleventh and G streets as early as
1850, previous to which he had re-
sided at Eleventh and I streets.
In the banking business was an
other early Washingtonian, Lewis
Johnson Davis, named for the senior
member of the firm of Lewis john
son & Co., and when the property
at the corner of Eleventh and G
streets was sold to Mr.. Lisner in 1890
it was by Mr.. Davis, the price being
SIS a square foot. A short while
later Mrs. Georgianna Davis, Mr..
Davis mother, transferred to the
same purchaser lots % (101l G
street, and II and "a (705 and TOT
Eleventh street, and Mr.. Davis
added lot "a Q0O9 G street,.
The city directory indicates that
Abraham Lisner, founder of the
Palais Royal. followed his brother
George to Washington to engage in
the fancy goods business at 1117
Pennsylvania avenue, for George
conducted the business alone as
early as 1878 and Abraham did not
join his brother until the following
year, when the firm became George
Lisner & Bro At this time, in ad-
dition to the Avenue store, they had
a store at 705 Fifteenth street and
one in New York City.
Evening star., 1939-01-15
By J. 4. O'Learv.

When Senate leaders threw open
the Senate galleries to let photog-
raphers and news reel men record
in pictures the opening of this
session of Congress, it marked an
other turning point in the long
story OF senatorial tradition and
custom.
Cameramen for many years have
been permitted to take pictures in
the House on opening day, or other
special occasions, such as the Pres
ident's annual message to both
branches of Congress.
But it was a strange sight to see
them this year training their lenses
down on the Senate chamber, which
from early times had been closed
to them. On one or two occasions in
recent years few "shots" of the
Senate have been obtained, but this
was the first time those in charge
had formally authorized camera
men to enter the galleries.
Even now the picture ban has not
been abrogated-merely waived
temporarily. 1t does not mean,
according to Chairman Nicely of the
Rules Committee, that photogra-
pliers will have access to the Senate
at any time during the session.
Senator Nicely approved picture
taking of the opening of the session,
after conferring with leaders.
The restriction against photo
graphing the Senate in legislative
action can hardly be attributed to
camera a-shyness, for Senators have
their pictures snapped almost daily
at committee hearings. A more
Evening star., 1939-01-15

meridian center of the District was
located by Andrew Ellicott.
When the writer moved into this
subdivision in 1887 it had improved
but slightly from the time he first
saw it. The standpipe, which had
been erected in 1878, was then
standing, and continued to remain
in its position until 1894. Wayland
Seminary. colored theological in
stitute, had been erected in 1873
1874, as had a few modest houses.
The ground still showed corn fur
rows, and. indeed, for several years
afterward the surface of the earth
plainly indicated that it had been
but recently used for farm purposes.
The Wayland Seminary Building
stood at the southwest corner of
Fifteenth and Chaplin streets, which
today would be at the northeast
corner of Meridian Park. This in
stitution was founded in 1865, by
the Baptist Church for the educa-
ton of colored preachers and teach
ers. 1t was constructed of brick,
eAlA &C oeoA ASo lllSll, Will UdSClllCL1C,
mansard and lofty towers, and cost
$4,000. 1t was built entirely by
colored labor. and in appearance
was a creditable structure for the
mechanics About 1900 it was taken
down and new buildings were erect
ed to take its place, somewhere in
the South, quite likely at Rich
mond, Va.
Another structure, then on Me-
ridian Hill, which was of so much
interest as later to be removed to
Rock Creek Park, was the Joaquin
Miller cottage, erected about 1883
by the celebrated Poet of the Sier-
ras." Miller, whose real name was
Cincinnatus Heine, was living here
and writing for Washington news
paper when he built this log house,
and here he was visited by many
prominent persons.
In 1884 Eugene Field wrote an in
teresting account of a visit he made
to the poet and his log cabin on
Meridian Hill. The building then
stood on Crescent street, somewhat
to the rear of the Meridian Man.
sions. 1t was sold in 1887 to Rich
ard c. Dubois for $500, and rented
in June of that year to A. A. Adee,
Assistant Secretary of State, who
resided there for some time after
ward.
The Ancient and Accepted Scot
tish Rite branch of Masonry is not
an old organization in Washington,
having been first introduced here,
to quote William L. Boyden in
Harper's History of the Grand
Evening star., 1939-01-15

commander being Gen. Albert Pike.
BY 1883 the headquarters had been
moved to 218 Third street, and the
following year it was again moved
to 433 Third street NV, which is
the southeast corner of Third and E.
This property, which included
good-siZed residence, was purchased
by the Supreme Council from the
Rives estate, and was probably built
by Col. Wright Rives, U. S. A.. who
was born in Washington. fought in
the Civil War, and was retired from
the Army in 1870.
After purchasing the property the
Supreme Council made an addition
to the ediflce which included the
library, and on october %, 1884, the
building was consecrated and dedi-
Gated as the House of the Temple,
the exercises taking place in the
library. The addition was built to
correspond with the remainder of
the building, and at the time was
insured for S25 900.
A notable feature of the dedica-
ton exercises was the singing fur
nished by choir led by E. S
Holmes, the other members and
voices being: J. M. Buchanan and
j. S. Richardson. first tenors; E. S.
Holmes and w. D. Mcfarland. Sec
ond tenors; w. E. Abbott. E. j.
Whipple, F. H. Barbarin and c. w.
Hancock, bassos, and S. H. Jecko
pianist and accompanist.
The Scottish Rite Cathedral, for
merly at 1907 G street, to which
building the constituent bottles of the
rite moved in 1886. was also Snortly
afterward added to. a new structure
83l2 by 80 feet being built to the
rear. At the time it was stated
there would be a banquet room on
the basement or ground floor. as
well as a kitchen, pantries. lava
tories and the heating arrange
ments. On the floor above was to be
a spacious lodge room, and on the
third or upper floor-the cathedral
proper-a spacious apartment, 80
feet from floor to ceiling, with gall
leries on three sides.
The cornerstone of this addition
was laid with Masonic donors on
the afternoon of June - 1888, the
line of march being from the Tenn
pie at Ninth and F streets, down
Ninth street to Pennsylvania ave-
nue., then along the Avenue to
Fifteenth street to G, and along G
to the new building. This building
was dedicated by the Grand Lodge
on October 9 of the same year.
This Scottish Rite Cathedral, by
which name it was generally known,
was not only a great service to the
Masonic bodies. but it was here that
the Grand Chapter of the Order of
the Eastern Star was organized on
April 80, 1896. H. H. Kinds was then
the most worthy grand patron. AT
this meeting Past Most Worthy
Evening star., 1939-01-15

daughters, Jennie and Bessie; Mrs.
Falkner and her daughter Louise,
James F. Vermillion, Charles Ver-
million, Columbus F. Sherwood,
George w. Beall, Susan E. Fuller
and her son and daughter-in-law.
Mr.. and Mrs Theodore F. Fuller;
Henry c. Lehman, ST. Napoleon
Plunkett, Mr.. James and his sons,
Addison, Richard D. and Clifton;
Frank and William F. Ogle, William
L. James. Alfred L. Leonard, John
E. Rhodes and Nathan Sprague,
whose wife was the daughter of
Frederick Douglass.
David Cranmer, a clerk in the
War Department, became a resident
in 1902, when he moved house he
had purchased, which stood in the
way of the extension of Sixteenth
street above Columbia road. He
placed it on lot at Columbia road
and Seventeenth street. Mr.. Gran
mer was enterprising and, previous
to this, purchased, probably from
the District, colored school which
faced Columbia road between Mozart
and Sixteenth streets, and converted
it into four or five dwellings. These
one-story houses stood just to the
rear of the Norman Church and
where the new Scottish Rite Tenn
pie is building.
There are probably only a few
persons living who ever saw the old
Commodore Porter mansion. The
late DR.. Benjamin w. Sunny told
the writer he saw it burn down in
1868, while he was attending Co.
lumbar University (now George
Washington University, which was
then on the tract of land to the east
of Meridian Hill.
Winding its way from its source
somewhere to the north was Slash
Run, the course of which was be-
tween fifteenth and Sixteenth
streets, until it reached little north
of the standpipe, when it took a
southwesterly course, following the
present Kalorama road.
During the untold number of CEN
turies that this stream had existed
1t had cut its way deep into the
earth, some places being IS or more
feet lower than the surrounding
surface of the ground.
On the south bank OF this stream.
about where the French Embassy
stood until recently, could be seen,
for many years, the meridian stone,
which was placed on a direct line
with the initial stone erected at
Jones Point on April Is. 1871. and
from which the longitudinal and
Evening star., 1939-01-15

be present at the several meetings
called by the grand commander.
1t is not the intent of the writer
to give here the history of local
Scottish Rite Masonry, except to
say that during the Civil War it lay
dormant, and it was not until jan
uary 10, 1867, that it became active
again, when B. B. French, George
C. Whiting, Christopher Ingle and
Ben Perley Poore, all of the 33d de-
gree, met at the Club House." Fiji
teenth and H streets NV. (probably
the Metropolitan Club at o'clock
pm. to consider the status of the
Ancient and Accepted Rite in the
District of Columbia. From this
meeting a new start was made, and
so successful were its supporters in
pushing the rite forward that by
June 20, 1867, we find Benjamin B.
French, the active 33d, assisted by
others. invading the sacred precincts
of the White House and conferring
the degrees, from the 4th to the 32d,
inclusive, on President Andrew
johnson, who remarked that the
doctrines inculcated were such as
Evening star., 1939-01-15
Timepiece
Continued From Page CAY

Gated and it wasn't until 1893 that
the site on which the present build
ings now stand was formally occu-
pied by the Naval Observatory. Re-
search vent on all the while and
advancement was made toward
establishing universal standard
time
Before the nation had a uni
versal standard time, every rail-
road system Of this country had
its own meridian, made its own time
determination, and so operated its
trains. The great trunk lines had
to change their time from place
to place to adapt their train time
to whatever happened to De the
local time. AS result the two times
seldom agreed exactly and the
traveller was constantly in danger
of missing his train.
The confusion thus arising lead
to an international meridian con-
ference at Washington in 1884 The
result of the conference was that
a single prime meridian for the
entire world was established for the
measurement of longitude and time.
The meridian of Greenwich, Eng
land, already adopted by. several
of the leading maritime nations,
including the United States, was
decided upon.
Today time is automatically
broadcast "a times day. with an
average error of only .0l of a Sec
ond. An automatic apparatus con-
tanning a crystal clock, a chrono-
graph and an automatic broad
caster has been designed and con-
structed.
To insure the maintenance of
accurate time, a new clock vault
was designed and constructed sew
eral years ago. There are really
two vaults, one within the other.
The inner vault is separated from
the outer vault by 30-inch air
space. Both vaults are designeS.
to prevent the transmission of heat
through their walls. The tempera-
ture of the vault is controlled by
thermostats and varies only a frac-
ton of degree during the year.
To permit visitors to see the
clocks that keep the Nations
time" a periscope was built and let
down through the roofs of both
vaults. Several thousand people
annually peer through this peri
scope, which is used to make daily
visual inspections of the operation
of all the standard clocks.
The traditional method Of de-
termining time by visual observa-
tions of the transit of the stars
has been abandoned. The Naval
Observatory is the pioneer In the
Photographic determination Of
time. A telescope is mounted ver-
tically, and selected list of stars
eliminating near the zenith is pho
tographed nightly, weather permit
ting. The error in time determine
ton has been reduced to about
one-third of that resulting from
visual methods.
All Of these developments have
given the United States the most
accurate time in the world. Not
only is it possible to get the COR
| rect time of any city in our own
country at the Naval Observatory
but there Is a large-scale time dial
which the visitor may consult and
find out: What time it is in Aus.
tralia now" or any other equally
distant point.