davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-05-10
DON'T re DLSHEARTENED

GOOD LUCK is not always easy
TO recognize, especially when it
masquerades in the disguise of bad
luck. Developments il the early
play of hand may make it seem
as if everything is haywire. where
as sticking by your guns and carry
ms or may prove that everything
IS in ship-shape and all is well.
Evening star., 1939-02-26

listed, some never lived at the ad-
dresses they listed, others record
filling stations, vacant houses or
even vacant lots as their homes.
Last year, of the 188,207 applica-
tions mailed out, 2450O were re-
turned. To catch those who fail to
notify of change of address, the
department marks on the envelope
containing the registration appli-
cations: Postmaster, please do not
forward"
Ninety per cent of the people who
come to my window have chip on
their shoulder, but try to send them
away little happier" said Officer
Spaulding. adding that there are
still hundreds of motorists who
haven't called to find out why they
haven't received applications.
Contrast the scramble for licenses
today with the early history of the
automobile in the Nations Capital
back to the turn of the century when
Get horse" was the familiar cry
Of 'bystanders as the old horseless
carriages went chugging by. There
was no demand at all for license
tags. In fact, motorists were very
much against them.
First Licenses.
In 1908, when the District Com
missioners decided it was about time
these new-fangled contraptions be
made to carry Identification tags
owners of machines protested. They
contended there was no reason tc
Evening star., 1939-02-26

the low numbered ones from l to
9999. Every year $4,000 to 10000
requests are made for inclusion in
this select category.
Traffic officials believe that many
have the notion that possession of
low numbered tags carries with it
social or political prestige and i'm
munity from police interference
when a minor traffic violation is
involved. The plates are more dis
tinctive. All tag numbers of four
numerals or less are on plates about
9 inches long and 6 inches deep.
The higher numbered tags are about
3 inches longer.
But virtually all those who be-
seech the department for the spe-
cial tags are doomed to disappoint-
ment because most of them are re-
assigned year after year to the same
people, and only part of them get
into the hands of any one outside
the coterie of officials of the United
States and municipal governments
members of Congress, and prom
inent residents of Washington.
Commissioners Assign First.
Under authorization from Con-
gress, the Commissioners have direct
control of assigning the first soc
tags to whomever they wish. Tags
| under 100,. of course, are the most
Evening star., 1939-02-26

warrant a discrimination of this
sort against the automatic vehicle.
The regulations drawn up by the
Commissioners finally were taken to
court. The District was upheld in
its contention that it had right to
tag the machines and the first
license plates-metal figures on a
leather tag-were issued in 1908.
In the early part of 1897 there
wasn't a single car in Washington.
But in that year Mrs. A. IL. Barber
became the first owner oa an auto
mobile in the District. She ac-
quired one of the original Columbia
electrics of the surrey type. Other
prominent residents who were quick
to get these new machines were the
late Larz Anderson, who became
Ambassador to Belgium, and Thomas
F.. Walsh, the mining king. Miss
Annie French, daughter of DR.. Will
liam B. French, is believed to have
been the first woman to undertake
driving her own automobile.
The first automobile show here
was held in 1901, and by 1908 the
new vehicles had become numerous
on the streets of the city. BY 1918
there were approximately $4,000
cars here. Within 2Of years the
number has grown to more than
200 900.
Low Number Requests.
The big job of distributing license
plates for all these cars IS attended
annually by great flood of re-
quests for the so-called SPECIAL tags
Evening star., 1939-02-26

ST transfer charge for new liz
cense. The next year, she stood in
line for her tags and when she got
to the license window-well, it was
just at the wrong time. She re-
ceived another number ending in 13.
Then she went to one of the off,
cials and demanded to know
whether the department was trying
deliberately to give her a bad luck
number. She told us she wouldn't
drive car with that unlucky num-
ber and that her husband and
daughter wouldn't either"
Evening star., 1939-02-26

has taken that one for the last five
years.
"Superstitious? That's a lot of
bunk" he says. THE number 13
comes up every month and every
thing goes on as usual. A numbers
a number"
Superstitious Drivers.
But we have had some funny ex-
periences with superstitious drivers.
Some years ago, woman who had
received her tags by mail found she
had number ending in the numer-
ais 13. So she came down and paid
Evening star., 1939-02-26

must be distributed in the final five
or six days.
Coupon Method.
Each application is composed of
five coupons, each bearing the car
owners name and address, the make
and model, motor and serial num-
bers of the machine, and the reg
istration, mechanical inspection and
personal property fees.
A record coupon is supplied to
the contractor who furnishes the
District with a complete list of the
registered automobiles and their tag
numbers. Then there is another
coupon which is placed in an alpha
betlcal file and a collectors coupon
placed in numerical file at the de-
partment. Another coupon bears
all inspection notice which is later
remailed to the car owner to notify
him when to present his car for in
spection (Which will begin in ApriN.
The fifth coupon is the registration
card returned to the car owner when
he receives his tags.
Motorists who have failed to take
care of those bothersome pieces of
paper known as traffic tickets re-
ceive a rude shock around this time
OF the year. They don't receive
their tag applications and when
they call the Traffic Department to
flnd out why, they discover they
have warrants outstanding against
them.
To handle this phase of the tag
work. Inspector William E. Holmes,
head of the Metropolitan Police
Traffic Bureau, has detailed Officer
E. G. Spaulding. who has the job of
informing several hundred motor
lists that they won't receive their
1899 license plates until they have
satisfied the warrants outstanding
against them. Each warrant usu-
ally costs the driver $5-unless the
offender can get the Traffic Bureau.
at 462 Indiana avenue NV, to
settle for lower amount.
warrants Await.
This year there were 4,200 war;
rants for violations in 1888 await
ing disposition. In addition, Officer
Spaulding and his assistant, Officer
j. j. DAILY of the 7th precinct, found
2,l00 warrants left over from 1887.
The automobile owners who have
warrants against them must pay
visit to Officer Spaulding, then to
the Police Traffic Bureau-and
then they have to go back home
and wait until their applications
are mailed to them. Often drivers
have as many as five or six war
rants pending.
In Mr. Spaulding's Office there's
a row of metal files containing
hundreds of small metal plates
used in making up the registration
application coupons. Until the Of
Tending car owners have satisfied
their warrants, these little plates
are kept locked up.
Mr.. Spaulding also has charge of
those applications sent to persons
who have moved during the year,
but have failed to notify the Traffic
Department. This year $1,000 ap-
plications were returned. The Dis
trict Code requires motorists to
notify the department of changes
OF address within 70 hours after
moving-and there's a 50 fine for
failing to do this. But Mr.. Spauld-
ing tries to be lenient with these
violators unless he finds them try
ing to lie to him. In many cases,
he said, motorists have their ad-
dress changed on their permits, but
forget the registration card.
Queer Goings- On.
The department runs into some
queer goings-on in this matter of
home addresses. Some car owners
use street numbers that never ex-
Evening star., 1939-02-26

sought after and the hardest to get,
The most coveted of all tags, No.
/, goes to Commissioner Melvin C.
Hazen, president of the Board OF
Commissioners. The other Com
missioners receive Nos. 2 and 3.
The assistant engineer commits
sioners are next in line. The widow
of former Commissioner and Sen
ator Arthur Capper of Kansas are
| in the select low group. Members
of the Public Utilities Commission
also share in the distribution of low
numbers.
! Members of Congress who handle
| District affairs also receive numbers
under 100 if they desire them. Then
come the highway director, tax col
| lector and other District officials,
| the justices of District courts, the
| corporation counsel. Chairman Col
lins of the Ho0se District Appropri-
| ations Subcommittee, justices of the
Supreme Court, Stephen Early. the
| Presidents press relations secretary,
| Mai. Daniel j. Donovan, auditor
and budget officer: other Senators
and Representatives, George W.
Ofutt. chairman of the Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board; Coroner
A. Magruder Macdonald and other
prominent residents of Washington
White House Tags.
AS is customary. tags bearing
numbers from 100 to ITO, inclusive,
have been assigned to the White
House for the President and the at
taches. Next on the list are men,
| bers of the cabinet and undersecre-
| taries of the Government depart
ments and the numerous depart
mental cars titled in the name Of the
Federal Government.
A special series of 700 congress
sional plates are issued to members
of Congress, the elective officers and
disbursing clerks of the Senate and
House, the parliamentarian of the
House, the attending physician Of
the Capitol and the assistant secre-
taries zone for the majority and one
| for the minority of the Senate).
These tags-blue numerals against
white background this year-do
not authorize operation of car.
The regular District or State tags
must also be uSed-but the congress
sional plates give their owners spe-
cial parking privileges in the
District.
For the diplomatic representatives
of foreign countries, a special set OF
tags, with the designation DPL pre-
ceding the numerals. is assigned by
the State Department to the various
embassy and legation cars.
Miss Buettner Distributes.
Miss Anna C. Buettner, who Is
supervisor of tags and titles, takes
personal charge of the distribution
of all low-numbered tags, congress
sional and diplomatic plates. Shes
Just as glad that the State Depart
ment handles the task of assigning
the diplomatic tags because the spe-
cial tag requests keep her busy.
It like to meet people and grant
their requests when I can-even
though a lot of them come in here
mad as hornets" Miss Buettner said
IF didn't enjoy my work, I'm sure
I couldn't stand it, especially around
tag time. Anyway, we try to send
every one away with a smile-if not
low-numbered tag"
Miss Buettner does her best to sat-
isfy people who ask for tag numbers
corresponding to their telephone
number or street address. And lots
of people seek trick number COM
binations like I'll, 999, 1888 and o.
the old "skidoo" numerals.
No one has to worry about getting
No. 13 tag. Mr.. Van Duzer himself
Evening star., 1939-02-26


mobile owners an extra month
period to get their new tags
So. what happened? Nothing
that is most of the car-owning public
apparently still doesn't take it's new
plates seriously until the deadline
rolls around. The Department of
Vehicles and Traffc's heckled en-
ployes have had taste of the same
old confusion during the last two
weeks, although 1t has ben nothing
compared with final rush they ex-
pect the last two days-tomorroW
and Tuesday.
Van Duzer Pessimlstic.
I'LL bet if we extended the time
to midsummer, said Mr.. Van Duzer,
wed still have an unbroken line
a half-mile long outside on the last
day.
II guess it's just human nature to
put things off until the last min
ute" he philosophical. Look at
the thousands who wait until March
IA to file their income tax returns.
"You know" he added, Il think
some people just like to stand in
lines, get mixed up with crowds.
see lots of the same people down
here standing in line every year
waiting hours for their license
plates, when the simple thing would
be to return the license applications
we send out and wait for us to
deliver the plates"
This job of distributing license
tags in city in which there is one
car for every 36 persons-only one
other city. Los Angeles, has as many
automobiles per capitals a ire
mendous one. And it's made
doubly hard by the last-minute
rush. It's a task that must be
handled-at least the greater part
of it-within comparatively brief
period by some tWo-Score employees,
who must also find time to carry
out various other duties such as
issuing and transferring titles,
issuing operators permits, installing
traffic lights and signs and taking
care of parking meters.
Mailing System Started.
Some years ago, the department
sought to facilitate the distribu-
ton of tags by inaugurating the
system of mailing out applications
for registration and license tags
long before the tag deadline. Shortly
after the new year began, the job
of mailing these applications was
started, giving automobile owners
ample opportunity to merely write
out a check, return the applications
and wait for their tags to be de-
livered.
But by the middle of February,
only 81 500 had been delivered. An
additional 47,O00 were sold over the
counter at the departments mead
quarters at Fourth street and Penn
sylvania avenue NV, making total
of 1880 distributed by that time.
With approximately 100000 cars to
be tagged, tremendous job OF dis
tribution was left for the final two
weeks before the deadline.
Last year, the number of license
plates distributed during the last
five days ran like this: 4,633, 6.121.
6,024, 5,837 and on the last day,
there were 7,707 persons who jammed
the Ford Building to receive their
new tags.
Before the last-minute rush
starts, people who take advantage
of the delivery service can get their
tags within u hours after returning
their applications" said Edward
. Towers. chief clerk of the depart
ment. Don't ask me why thou
sands prefer to wait for hours in
a long line. Every year, approx
nlately one-fifth of all license tags
Evening star., 1939-02-26
People Like Waiting in Line,
Traffic Director Guesses
Washington Has More Cars Per
Capita Than Any Other City
Except Los Angeles
BY John II. Cassady, J.

to
traffic officials would add third They're
automobile
will
for their automobile
been thing
and license distributing nothing
to the horse-a and buggy days will change
William A. high
for annual crush when the
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

dental visits should be made IL
only TO assure ones SELF that the
mouth Is healthy. These visits
permit your family dentist to dis.
cover defects when they are small
and to correct them before much
damage Is done. Naturally these
corrections are much more easily
made than those that have long
gone unattended.
Children OF two years of age
are not too young to start dental
Office visits. From then on 'Regu-
lar visits will be good insurance
Of continued dental health"
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

turai strength and their continued
resistance to ill-health on the quail
ity and quantity of building ma.
terials made available In the
rooos one eats. The first set
lbaby) teeth obtain their mater
tals from the mother before a
childs birth. The permanent set
may depend on the diet OF both
the mother and the child itself.
Consequently the diets OF both
should be rich in calcium. Dhos.
pnorous and in those vitamins
that seem to affect mouth tissues.
That Is, there must be the right"
food in the diet for strong decay
resisting teeth.
Real cleansing means twice.a
day, thorough brushing OF the
teeth, with effort to reach every
tooth surface and, finally. the
equally thorough flushing of the
mouth with some mild antiseptic
liquid. The germs that play that
part of tooth destroyers in the
disease known as dental decay
are more active in unclean
mouths. Real cleansing will help
to prevent their activity.
But it is unwise to place COM
plete dependence for dental health
on the first two RS. So Regular
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20
3 RS OF MOUTH
HEALTH ARE CITED
Right Foods" ere a |
Cleansing" and ''Regu-
lar Office Visits"

Children brought up according
to the three RS of mouth health.
have good chance to escape the
dlscomforts and accompanying Ill
health that come from dental dis
orders, according to DR.. Richard
c. Leonard, Chief OF the Division
of Oral Hygiene of the Maryland
State Department of Health.
This season Of the year. when
the children are getting adjusted
to school routine, is a particulars
ly appropriate time" DR.. Leonard
said, ito give special thought to
the physical as we'll as the men
tai aspects of a child's develop
ment. The child who is physical
ly fit makes much better progress
in school, than does the boy or
girl who is below par. Parents
can help to keep their children fit
by carefully following the rules of
mouth health in bringing up the
children.
THE three RS" he continued
"of course, are not Reading. 'Rit-
ing and 'Rithmetic.' They are
Right foods; Real cleansing and
Regular office visits which are
as important to mouth health as
The old three RS to mental de-
volopment
Teeth and other mouth tissues
aerend for their original struc-
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20
TO HOLD DANCE

The Discussion Club of the Y.
M. C. A. have arranged a dance
to be held in Community Hall, at
Beaver Creek, Thursday evening,
November 2. Gregory Callas is
chairman of the committee i'm
charge of the event.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20
PURCHASES FARM

Weaver Moser purchased of the
heirs of Lewis E. and Annie c.
Bowman, the property of % "a
acres. near Mt. Aetna, and 100
acres of mountain land.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

Map shows the latest partition Poland with
Russia land provide $3.50 break Observers
that ndusiaized industrial which
Polish capital Russia important cities Low Brest
which Poland
ate
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20
LIVINGSTONE AGAIN

The picture, David Livingstone,
which was popular at the Mary
land Theatre a few weeks ago,
will come as q repeat film TO the
Academy the last week in Novem.
Der.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

EXHIBITS CATS AND DOGS
Patrolman William Hamil has
Eve Pension cats. several Of which
are pedfgreed. and two English
hounds ON exhibition on the Fair
rounds. They are in the dog
building.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

~ EHH&e SET
~ &AoeuS. Krivff
AW0 RACKS U5eA
~ TM T<AsEs
yAdE5cN fssqliYoF
I0NvsHoM~.ps,.
H Af<0T oe NE
caves oeAsk'AHEet
a. Mx Hs,eavXliT0
NJ me- QNt NA1.
The Hagerstown globe. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1936-1943, 1939-10-20

Watch The Globe Grow!
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
AN APPLE A BARREL

elbow much cider did you make
this year," inquired one farmer of
another who had offered him a SAM
pie for trial.
"Fifteen bar'ls," was the answer.
The first man took another sip.
II reckon, ST." he drawled, "ef
you'd had another apple you might
ha' made another bar'l."
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
On His Guard

81 see you always wear a smiling
countenance."
eyes," answered Senator Sor-
ghum, a little YEARLY. 81 have to.
There is no telling what moment the
candid camera might turn up
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
Pattern $500.

lust touch of this needlework
y adds distinction to linens. Do
these motifs in a color to. match
the linen or in varied natural col
ors. They are just the thing for
cloths, scarfs, towels and pillow
cases. So replenish your linen
closet with these and you'll be
proud to show it. Pattern $500
contains a transfer pattern of 16
motifs ranging from IA by IA
inches to 212 by inches; mate
rials needed; color schemes.
To obtain this pattern, send Is
cents in coins to The Sewing Circle,
Household Arts Dept, 259 West
18th ST., New York, N. Y.
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21

KENDALLVILLE, IND. &C. A.
Johnson's automobile turned over
several times and hit pole. John
son climbed out unhurt. But while
walking around the car to ascer-
tain the damage. he stepped into q
hole and tore ligaments in an ankle.
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
Won't Power Best

Singleton-I suppose your wife has
lot of will power?
Wedderly-Yes, but it's nothing to
her won't power
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
Children

Children, says psychologist,
shouldn't perform on the radio. So
many, it seems, grow up and be-
come adults who shouldn't either.
Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-12-21
E 34:E3;474a
SHEEP

BEAUTIFUL Registered Karakul Sheep
KARAKUL FARM. POMEROY. WASH.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-28
BY EMILY POST
A SONS FIANCEE

Dear Mrs. Post: My husband
and I are going to have party
on our 25th wedding anniversary.
Would it be proper for my sons
fiancee to stand in the receiving
line at this time?
Answer: If their engagement
has been announced--or if the
announcement is to be made that
evening-then yes, of course. But
not otherwise.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-28
CHAPTER TwENTY-sEvEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Jill awakened with a crick In
her neck and an uncomfortable
feeling that something was radio
ally wrong.
She blinked her eyes several
times, and then was attracted by
raucous snore across the room.
Startled, she stood up and saw
Tony Baredo, lying on the floor,
sound asleep.
His head was pillowed on the
small bag containing the box filled
with bonds.
Apparently during the night, he
had concluded that he might as
well get in few winks, but char
acteristically had made sure that
the loot he had stolen from the
secret In Fenwick's house couldn't
be taken from him without awak-
ening him.
Little Burglar
Without disturbing the little
burglar. Jill slipped into the adj
joining bathroom and managed a
sponge bath and change of clothes.
When she unlocked the door and
returned to her room, Tony was
still sound asleep, a very unhand-
some sight sprawled out on the
floor with his mouth wide open.
The girl glanced at her watch.
II was $50. Not too early to call
Bob. She tried his apartment first
without results, and then dialed
the office.
His secretary answered. No
she hadn't heard from him and he
hadn't been in since yesterday
morning. She'd have him call Miss
Talbot the moment she heard from
him.
Tried Office
Jill tried the office OF Judge
Gordon, but he hadn't appeared
there yet. BY considerable argu.
ment she was able to wangle his
home number from a secretary
and In few minutes later had
him on the wire.
This Is lillian Talbot, Judge
Gordon" she said. I'm a good
friend of Bob Brock. I've beer