davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-08-16
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. Trace1peH.

FALLS CHURCH, Va.
Dear Sir: There is one bird that
must tell you about, and one which has
not been mentioned at all in your COL
umn, to my knowledge.
"He is the black billed cuckoo.
Every year about this time I begin
listening for his call, and when I do
hear it, I'm not long in finding that
wary bird.
this year august ~ AS usual, was
thrilled when I had good glimpse of
him. He sat on bare twig, looking
around for tent caterpillars, or such
delicacies, and I could see his long
curved bill, snow-white front, and long
tail with it's white bars.
when he flew, could see his satiny,
golden brown back and wings. If 1t were
not for his dovelike call would never
know he was there at all, for he Is a
very silent bird, making no noise when
flying from twig to twig.
when I pointed him out to various
members of the family, he was mistaken
for the brown thrasher and hawk.
Does any one know anything about
this bird during his nesting or mating
season? To me it remains rare bird of
mystery and beauty, and one I'd like to
get better acquainted with.
yours truly, G. B. S."
"P. S.-May add that we have q new
kind Of sparrow in our vicinity which
sings very sweetly, somewhat like the
field sparrow. We think it is a vesper
sparrow. He sings all the time and
especially in the evening""
20 cuckoo! shall I call thee bird,
Or but wandering voice?"
Those famous lines of Wordsworth
were about the English cuckoo, an en-
tirely different bird, but they will do,
since ours is an equally mysterious fellow.
America has several cuckoos, the two
around here being known as the black
billed cuckoo and the yellow billed
cuckoo. The black billed is fairly COM
mon migrant, rare summer resident;
the yellow-billed is designated a COM
mon summer resident, sometimes being
found in the city's trees.
Both of these birds are known as rain
crows, on account of their voices, which
are rather harsh, scarcely resembling
the soft coo of the doves, as our cor
respondent thinks.
The common names for these birds are
interesting. The black billed is known
as rain crow, and kow-koW, q takeoff on
the call, and the yellow-b billed is some
times called rain dove, rain crow, storm
crow, chow-chow and kow-kow.
Both species are supposed to herald
rain by their cries, but this is a great
deal like that other popular superstition,
Evening star., 1939-08-16
The SporkpIug Boys

It has been announced that Sec
retary Hopkins is surrounding him.
self with a dozen high powered
advisers, "sparkplug boys" he calls
them, to provide him with informa-
ton that will make it possible for
him to function capably as a coun-
selor OF American business. In their
reports, the department discloses, the
'sparkplug boys" are to consider
business in the old-fashioned, pre-
New Deal viewpoint, eschewing rec
concentrations based on the concep-
tion OF the planned economy and the
planned society.
Spending-lending, communications,
public works, industrial mobilization
In case of war, trade with Latin
America-these are a few tentative
items of inquiry on the sparkplug
agenda. Mr.. Hopkins has $15O0OO to
spend on their Investigations. Yet
Jesse Jones agency already prob
ably is familiar with most of the
questions involved in governmental
lending and spending. The Federal
Communications Commission pre-
sumably knows all there is to know
about the business of communica-
tions. The administration in its six
years OF experience with public works
must have accumulated thorough
data available to Mr.. Hopkins. A
special committee for the study Of
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Civil Liberties

1t the report of the Senate Civil
Liberties Committee, which was Sc
verely critical of the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers, had been
the work of conviction minded
prosecutor, intent only on winning
his case, it would merit applause as
noteworthy example of partisan
pleading. But when the report is pre-
sented as being the considered, i'm
partial judgment of an Investigate
ing committee, presumably to be
used as a guide for Congress in
respect OF future legislation, it falls
far short of the mark.
This is not to say that the con-
duct of the association was blameless
during the period covered by the
report. Some things were done
which were unwise, to say the least,
and which offer a measure OF sup
port for the conclusion by the COM
mittee that they were designed to
Illustrate the National Labor Rela-
tions Act. The association, being a
spokesman for organized industry,
may be expected to speak for the in
terests, perhaps the selfish interests,
of it's members. And it is reasonable
to suppose their interests from time
to time will clash with those of Or
ganized labor. But on the whole there
is no support in the record of the
committees hearings for the sweep
ing and indiscriminate denunciation
contained in the report.
For example, the committee charged
that the association lis vehicle for
spending corporate funds to inf1u-
ence the opinion Of the public in
its selection Of candidates for Office"
and expressed the belief that 1T
may be questioned whether such use
Evening star., 1939-08-16

that cats foretell rain by washing their
faces. All cats wash their faces every
day, and probably all rain crows" crow
every day, rain or no rain.
X X X X
These birds are no more cuckoos in the
general sense than they are crows.
The cuckoo Of the cuckoo clock has
call or song known the world around.
American cuckoos do not sing that
way
The British cuckoo is mighty bad
bird, famous for laying its eggs in other
birds nests, but the United States va
rieties build regulation nests, usually not
more than 8 feet from the ground,
either IN shrub or young tree, in most
cases.
The black-billed cuckoo has q tre-
mendous scientific name, Coccyzus cry
throphthalmus, difficult to write even
when you copy it letter for letter
The yellow-billed is Coccyzus ameri-
canus, and If you put another "ameri-
canus" on it you will be more correct still.
Both of them, however, must begin with
a little "a" the species name not being
capitalized in scientific nomenclature.
even when proper name.
X *
The sly, shy way the black billed
cuckoo flies around would make any one
suspicious of him, and this seems to
point to his worst trait, a fondness for
fresh eggs. Other birds eggs of course.
He redeems himself, however, at least
IN the eyes OF man, by being one of the
champion insect eaters of all birdland.
Thls makes him set record in the
consumption of tent and other noxious
caterpillars Qarvae form of butterflies
and moths.
investigation has revealed no less than
ESQ tent caterpillars in one cuckoo stom-
ach, an unparalleled record.
This is not all. This cuckoo seems to
prefer hairy caterpillars, the more loath-
some to the human eye the better.
Since these hairs are very bristly, the
cuckoo's stomach must be pretty tough,
and it is-investigators have discovered
that the birds stomach is fairly lined
with these hairs, which have pierced
the inner lining of the walls and have
been held fast there.
Despite this, the cuckoo seems to thrive
on its diet.
The vesper sparrow is not a common
bird hereabouts, and any one is fortu-
nate who has them in his garden.
This is one of the few birds which sing
at night.
II you hear, about 2 or am, a soft
little song, reminding you of a violin
played with a mute-and played by a
master-feel pretty sure that it is a
Vesper sparrow, whose common name is
as fine as its singing.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Unregimented

In their natural state small catfish,
or bullheads, from the time they are
Matched until they are several weeks
old swim in thick clusters like
swarms of bees. 1t is an interesting
sight to watch them moving aim
lessly about. Sometimes they seem
to have a leader, but often the entire
group travels without one, held to-
gether by a sort of mass instinct. 1t
never seems to occur to any of the
individual components of the mob
that there might be anything to be
gained by straying away from it.
Consequently when Mr.. Orsinger,
director of the aquarium at the De-
partment of Commerce Building, de-
cided to net a school of these fish
for public exhibition he expected
that they would run true to form.
But alas and alack, such was not the
case. Rugged individualism reared
its ugly head and broke up the party.
Their conduct at present is utterly
and entirely reprehensible. In Mr..
Orsingers own words, they now
swim Independently"
Needless to state, their strange be-
havior is source of great worry to
all politicians. 1t is easy to see why.
In the first place, these naturally
docile fish came not from the un-
tanned wilds of Maine or Vermont or
other pagan spots-they lived all
their lives right in the Potomac, al
most within the city limits and Ger
tainly within easy reach of Federal
discipline and control. And yet, in
spite of this, they have thrown aside
their tradition of regimentation,
reared up on their hind fins, and
gone insurgent. Adding insult to
injury, they have committed this fell
deed right in full view of an awe
stricken, gaping citizenry. There is
no accounting for the phenomenon,
beyond the vague notion that some
time, somehow, the catfish have be-
come bull-headed.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Star Editorial
Is Commended.

To the Editor Of The Star:
In that making OF books" and as
sembling of words to which the poet
tells us there is no end" one finds
occasionally, a literary nutshell that
contains all the meat of situation to
which many more verbose writer's have
devoted lengthy analyses. exhaustive
treatises and wide publicity. One such
nutshell was modestly nesting at the
bottom of your editorial page of Au-
gust 10, entitled "a Clean Sweep"
It's author in 61k inches of column
space with 264 words sets forth clearly
and comprehensively in correlative mar
rative, a subject which has caused not
only the expansion of many newspapers
and magazines, but the inception of hun
dreds more and the building of bigger
and better libraries in which to house
its wisdom and other ramifications-th
New Deal
Inferentially we are taken back to
its beginnings, its foundations, its ex-
cuses and business "logic"-that any
broom-peddler, brain-truster or clever
politician can set up career along
the lines employed by Ponzi or Capone,
yet evade in dream, the fate of those
two planners"
Finally we see gently ironic finger
pointing toward the chasm that yawns
before us toward which we, with our
As billion deficit and our half dozen
brooms are slipping. It seems beyond
reason to hope there will be brooms
enough left unbroken to make clean
sweep" of the chasm.
August 13. MARY NORRIS,
Evening star., 1939-08-16

industrial mobilization In case Of war
has just been appointed. The State
Department and Mr.. Hopkins own
department have spent years at in
vestigating trade possibilities with
South America.
Even in the face of the encourag-
ing news that Mr.. Hopkins no longer
is an active economic planner, the
doubt arises whether the sparkplug
boys will contribute anything of value
to the country in their search for in
formation through studies which
have been studied a dozen times be-
fore.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
iime

Time is so slow" the children ery:
"The moments creep instead Of fIy.
And years are 10 long passing BY"
While we, in whose sad eyes the years
Have caused and dried so many tears,
See swift trail Of births and biers.
Time calls us on" exclaim the young:
AS their gay banners wide are flung,
Reaching TO every cline and tongue.
The while our eyes are backward turned
Into dear past just discerned,
From which LIES lessons have been
learned.
ana, slow or fast, the tale is told;
AS Time moves on for young and old,
from roseate dawns to sunset gold.
GERTRUDE BROOKE HAMILTON.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Thanksgiving Dates

Barring possibly an Il do not
choose to run" statement, President
Roosevelt could have made no pro-
nouncement more provocative Of
e!dewaik, crossroad and drawing
room discussion during the hot
weather season than his vacation
manifesto regarding change in date
for Thanksgiving Day. 1t seems that
business" has at last gotten the
Presidents ear, persuading him to
advance the traditional American
feast day one week-from November
80 to %. The theory is that this
calendar reorganization plan will give
Christmas shoppers and shopkeepers
something about which really to be
thankful.
But Mr. Roosevelt scarcely could
have anticipated the extent and in
tensity of the repercussions that
would result. In the first place, not
having readily available at Camp
obello the advice of the State De-
partment authorities on proclama-
tions, he apparently overlooked the
fact that presidential Thanksgiving
edicts are effective only in the Dis
trict Of Columbia and the territorial
possessions; hence only businessmen
In those limited jurisdictions can be
sure of the promised benefits, if any
1t is up to the Governors of the re-
spective States to do the Thanks
giving proclaiming elsewhere in the
Nation-and some of them have al
ready made it plain that they prefer
the horse-and-buggy Thanksgiving
date and that they intend to stick to
it, business or no business and presi-
Dental proclamations to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
AS for the businessmen, it now
turns out that they are far from
being in unanimous agreement with
their unknown brethren who have
succeeded in influencing the Presi-
dent Manufacturers who already
have invested heavily in 1910 calen-
dars, almanacs and datebooks fea-
turing the last Thursday in Novem-
ber in red ink, fear their whole
business will 60 in the red next year.
Some turkey growers are not sure that
they can get their birds to cooperate
In fattening for the earlier date. Con-
sternation reigns in the Nationwide
Thanksgiving Day football game in
dustry, which has gotten to be quite
a business enterprise for stadium,
railroad, bus, hotel and other inter-
ests that cater to gridiron crowds.
One football coach at a college in
Democratic Arkansas even ventured
the prediction that the folks down
there will vote the straight Repub-
lican ticket in 1910 If the New Deal
starts plowing under their football
schedules.
AS matter of fact, the President
has a legal right to designate any
day of the year as Thanksgiving Day
the sole proviso, of course, being
that there must be something for
which to be thankful. Although Gus
tom of seventy-five years standing
has favored the last Thursday in No
vember, it Is a safe assumption that
the great mass of the American peo-
pie would have no qualms about cele-
brating Thanksgiving Day once
month or oftener if there were suffi-
cient justification. 1t would be for
tunate If Mr.. Roosevelt could provide
the justification as readily as he can
juggle the holidays.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Use of Amber Lights Suggested
For Pedestrian Safety.


For Pedestrian Safety.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Why all this loose talk and looser lepis-
lation about pedestrians? Why not give
them break and clear crossing under
signal that motorists will have to
respect?
Without the expenditure of a dollar
Tor new equipment any of the elec-
tricians staff can adjust the lights so the
yellow or amber will remain visible long
enough for safe crossing, during which
interval motorists should be forcibly
restrained, If necessary, from making
right and left turns before the green
light comes on.
OF course there will be kicks from I'M
patient motorists, but they should be re-
minded that the gasoline tax is not the
only tax paid in the District. Some of us
pedestrians pay property tax and occu-
patton tax and even now are getting
ready to pay income tax.
1t is only fair that we have a clear
crossing at least a third of the time.
What OF 1t II the motorists do not get
where they are going quite so soon. There
is no law against their getting up earlier
and making allowances for the enforced
delays 1t will save them gasoline to
wait bit and in the long run it will be
lots cheaper than sending helpless VIC
TINS to hospitals or cemeteries.
AS it is now, when the light goes green
one rarely gets half way across before
some driver making right or left turn
contests the right of way. with the result
many pedestrians are left bewildered in
the middle of the crossing when the light
goes red. JACK ARNOLD.
August IL.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Urges Beautification Of
Virginia Hillside.
To the Editor of The Star.

To the Editor Of The Star:
The steep hillside on the Virginia
shore OF the Potomac adjacent to Key
Bridge could be made a scene of beauty
by proper planting of native trees and
shrubs. For some years it has looked
like an unattractive dump.
Dogwood. redbud and shadbush
planted for spring flowers and sumac
and seed-bearing alanthus for beauty of
fall coloring would change this entrance
to the National Capital and Virginia
into scene of beauty.
BLANCHE C. HOWLETT.
August 10.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

It is wondered what the Viking
forebears of Crown Prince Olav, re-
cent participant in yachting races
on this side, would have said to a
spinnaker. And especially to one of
those "ice cream" yachting costumes.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to
the for republication of all news dispatches
credited to it or not otherwise credited in this
paper and also the local news published herein.
All rights of publication Of special dispatches
herein also reserved
Evening star., 1939-08-16

The beauty about having an air
fleet as big as that of any other ma
ton is that there goes with it a vir-
tual guarantee that none Of it will
ever b destroyed In combat.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
oedr the name and address OF
the Dr,ter, although the use OF
q psendonym for publication is
permissible. Please be briet!
Evening star., 1939-08-16
Doubts That England viii
Evacuate "The Rock"

To the Editor of The Star:
It seems rather vacuous for Italy and
Spain to demand Gibraltar from Eng
land. If England ever evacuates the
Rock" there will not be enough left to
lay foundations with.
MARK S. WILLING.
Richmond, Va.
August Z.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
All Other States and Canada,
Member of the Associated Press,

Entered as second-class matter post ONCE,
WASHINGTON D. c.
Evening star., 1939-08-16
WASHING TON, d. C.
WEDNESDAY August 16, 1889

The Evening Star Newspaper Company.
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Chicago Ofhce: 435 North Michigan Ave.
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Regular Edition.
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phone National 5000.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.

MARYLAND and virginia.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

@. What kind of animal Ii q chou
slnga?-T. w. NJ
A. 1t is a small East Indian antelope,
about feet high, distinguished from all
other living ruminants by having two
pairs Of horns which are borne only by
the males.
@. Where may obtain Q book Of
sacred songs?-E. L. H.
A. See Haskin advertisement On Page
A-2 today.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

Q. Was Mary Baker Eddy ever mar
ried?-R. A.
A. She was married three times and
mad one son by her first husband.
Evening star., 1939-08-16

@. Did Col. F. c. Harrington, admin
istrator of the w. P. A., 60 to West
Point?-W. H. NJ
A. Col. Harrington was graduated from
West Point in 1909.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-06

I SIS; Coniston avenue, 21-l20, Mrs. A, N. Colgrove, $28; Revere street ex- tension, Evergreen street, and Mountain Park, Miss Margaret Croft $9; Watertown avenue, 654 to 90l, Miss Eleanor Dohcrty, s950; Dela- ware avenue, l8 to 6S, Springdale avenue 52 to 6S, and Amity street, Mrs. Robert Harvey, @. T7oodrutl street, 10 to 47, Mrs. R. B. Hayes, $l7; Farnham avenue, 1 to 40, Mrs. Carl F. Heebner, $9; Pierpont street, 5 to 84 and Pequot street, Miss Jean Jentoch, $17.50.
 Oakville avenue, Mrs. Mary P. Lewis, 8; Circuit avenue, 154 to 221 and Elmhurst avenue, $9; Bun- ker Hill avenue, II to 73 and Tre- mont street, Miss Lillian Loeffler, $l0, Adelaide avenue, 5-129, Mrs. James MacLean, $l0; Maynard ave- nue, 8 to 49. Miss Charlotte Mer- chant, $i4; Bunker Hill avenue, "A to 113, and Sudbury street, Mrs, Fenton Niver, $5; Morningside ave- nue, 13 to 69, Mrs. Jesse Palen, $7; Watertown avenue, 128 to 385, Mrs. Paul E. Petersen, $6.25; Watertown avenue, 402 to 522, Mrs. Philip Pratt, $6.75; Aurora street, Mr.. George Schlough, $7; Bunker Hill avenue
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-06
ENGINEERS TO Vl
 MEET IN CITY
Conn. Section of American Institute of Electrical
 Engineers Coming

The Connecticut Section of the American Institute Of Electrical Enc gineers will meet at 8 D. ii1., Tues day, December 18th, In the audis torium of the Connecticut Light dsI Power company, corner of Leavet1- worth and Center streets. The speaker is pr. w. O. Ellis of the Bell telephone Laboratories, New York. His subject will be Metals in Communication Engineering. This lecture will trace a transcontinental call from substation set to substa- ton set, mentioning the various metals which are utilized along the path, discussing their characteristic properties and something of the work which has been done to adapt them to their purposes.
 MT. Ellis is an authority on the magnetic and electric properties of metals and has been instrumental trl the development of many special alloys used in the art of electrical communication.
 This lecture should be of great interest to men in both the cleo. trical and metallurgical fields; and a cordial invitation Is extended to all who may care to attend.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-06

Lawrence street, that retaining wall built by the city blocked the entrance to a lot where he is now building a house.
 Water mains on two new streets off Cooke street were asked by Ralph Devino, who is developing them. He said he had sent the street depart Snent c check for $l38 to pay for the pipes. The board told him that mains could not be laid until the streets have been accepted and that this first step should be to file maps of the new streets with the town clerk.
 A request by D. A. McNulty for ex- tension of the water main on Bo- nair avenue was referred to the water superintendent. Ruggiero Colangelo. who asked for repairs on Romford street, was told that the street has not yet been accepted and that he should ask for layout and grade.
 Referred to committees were com plaints about storm water on Ser gen street and street conditions on Cushman street, as we:i as the fence on Melbourne terrace erected by the Connecticut Railway and Light ing Company.
 The board instructed the superin-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-06

$6; Greenleaf avenue, 20 to 79, Mrs. J. J. Brady, $6; Prospect street, from Grove to Buckingham, Miss Betty Harrison, $4S.
 Hamilton avenue section, Mrs. wendell Cross, $2l, additional; Oak land avenue, and Gordon street, Mrs. Carl B. Timberlake, SIP; Da- wis, Alton, Bryan and Fairbanks avenue, Mrs. John Hubbard, $l.50; Park road, 51 to 129, Mrs. T. s. Smith, g; Merrill street and Ben ham street, Mrs. Earl Ford, $5; Lin- coin street and Plaza avenue, Mrs. Richard Jeter, SIS; Washington Park Earbenders, $2; Scovill Fore mems association, $5; Santa Maria circle, Daughters of Isabella, $2.50; Italian American Federation of So- cieties and Clubs, $5; mail sub- scriptions, $3; office subscriptions $7; Watertown avenue 527 to 652, Mrs. Edwin Wells, SIS.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-06
Red Cross Drive Total $8,O59.O6.

Total contributions to the annual Roll Call of the Waterbury chapter, American Red Cross, now stand at $8,059.06, according to Mrs. Edith Ladd, executive secretary, who an- nounced new contributors as fol- lows:
 Waterbury National bank, $9.5O; Waterbury Hebrew Ladies Aid as- sociation members, Mrs. Frank Mey- CTS, president, $2o50; J. Johnson & Sons, $6.50; Cadillac Sales & Service, $5; Packard Waterbury, Inc, $ll.05; Nathan Hale Motors, Inc. $5; Revere street, 2 to e6, Mrs. Newton Alexander, SIS; Newton Terrace, 105 to 167, Nathan street and Nathan court, Mrs. T. A. Bario, $l5.50; Bunker Hill avenue, 153 to PAP, Mrs. Fred Burnes, $9; Lee, Moorland, and Wayland avenues, Mrs. Richard Burr, SIPS; Windsor street, 12-123, Mrs. Harry B. Garter,