davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-04
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

THE BOAT landing was a hot
place to wait. but it had one great
advantage. l didn't have to look at
the garden and its terrible men,
cries. | hung my feet over the edge
and squinted toward the setting
sun. The light On the water WAS Il
flame that burned my eyes. BarGeS
and speed boats passed III q DIS
torting mist. Time dragged.
asked myself, how would |
feel in George Markham's place:
crnrose I had lovely sister, ana
the man who killed my brother
wanted to marry her?
No matter that it was not MUIR
der-how would l feel?
There seemed to be only one an
swer. l would not want that man
TO take my brothers place. every
fine we met, the shadow OK my
brother would be between us.
And even though George Mark
ham might forgive. would Louise
forgive? l would have to tell her
some day. could not keep TINS
bottled in my heart.
The sun was close to the hof!-
zon, George had said, I'll conc
bock rs.r" erndcw.n with my an
sw....' ....I.,ed this suspense TO
end. and yet was afraid OF his
coming.
What was he doing? Was he 60
inc to the police with my story?
The ball of the sun burned red
as it sank into the molten clouds.
r. vanished. Purple shadows
stretched long fingers toward me.
Warmth died away. 1 shirered.
A boat came by with lights
aelow. I heard the tinkle of glass
inside the clubhouse as the tables
were set for dinner.
Still George Markham did not
appear.
The clubhouse door opened
shortly before s o'clock. I rose an
steadily and started toward the
man who came out. Then l halted.
It was Captain Mcdonald
He didn't see me. Instead, he
walked slowly to the willows by
the rivers edge and studied the
ground near where Gala had at
tackled me. He removed his hat and
scratched his head. In the semi
darkness l could just make out the
shadow of his cigar as it moved
from one side of his mouth to the
other.
Soon the door opened again and
Coroner Silver came out and joined
him. I remembered with a shudder
that the young coroner had de-
clared he would continue his lnres-
tisation unofficially ii necessary,
until the killer Of Alfred Markham
was apprehended.
The two bloodholnds Were en-
gagged in loW-voiceQ conversation.
The willows shielded me from them
now. so I walked nearer, as casual
ly as I could. My feet made no
sound on the soft garden soil.
That cook certainly is a wiz, >
the captain was saying. Il wish Id
discovered this place before. And
to think that it took a murder to
do it,"
You know" SID Coroner Sill
ver> II was afraid for time that
we weren't going to get along to-
gether. This business of two Off
GERS of the law pulling in opposite
directions isn't at all conducive TO
good results"
Fright. You've got good ideas,
Jim, but you need a little more eI-
perience. I can help you, and may
be you can help me-"
What do you mean, maybe p
"We-ell, it takes an old hand
like me long time to change his
methods"
"As Iona as it will take ne to
Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-04

Samuel Harden Church, president
of the Carnegie Institute, acting
for group Of Pittsburgh residents,
has offered S1.O00,000 reward for
the capture OF Adolf Hitler, German
Chancellor, to De delivered to the
League Of Nations to stand trial
during month Of .IaE. 1T this writ
ing, the Sl,G0Q.C00 vas still safe.
Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-04

Edwin S. Smith, member of the ma
tional labor relations board, testl-
fes before Smith committee in
Washington investigating the
NLRB. He said he had made many
long-distance phone conversations
and other communications with
Harry Bridges, West Coast CLIO
leader, often at the governments
expense.
Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-04

Inventor and financier known as the
I.Henry Ford" of Germany, Fritz
won Opel was taken off the Italian
liner Conte di Sauoia by British
scontraband control at Gibraltar.
SEnroute to U. S., he was traVeilng
t on a Lichtenstein passport.
Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-04

General Torngren is in command of
the strong Swedish garrison which
will protect the island of Gotland
from any invasion by Germany.
The island, off the southeast coast
OF Sweden, in the Baltic, assumes
strategic Importance with fear of
an impending invasion.
Evening star., 1940-03-06
Arlington Utilities

Through the appointment OF a
County Utilities Commission, the
Arlington County Board hopes to
keep check on those public services
that so vitally affect all residents of
the community. The new commits
sion succeeds one that has been in
active for more than year.
Arlington, however, is increasingly
utilities conscious" Last fall, after
a spirited campaign, it rejected a
proposal to establish a municipal
power plant. Since then a gas rate
reduction has been announced and
a question raised as to whether the
county is receiving a gas rate COM
parable to other nearby communi-
ties. This is one of the questions the
new utilities commission is expected
to study. Board Member Edmund D.
Campbell, who sponsored the move
to revive" the commission, believes
that Arlington still is paying too
much for gas.
Under the present county govern
ment setup there is no individual or
agency in a position to keep a con-
slant check on the utilities to see
that rates are reasonable and service
satisfactory. Utilities in Virginia
come under the jurisdiction Of the
State Corporation Commission and
Arlington officials note that no men,
Evening star., 1940-03-06

Der Of that commission comes from
their section Of the State.
The Arlington commission is ex-
pected to be q helpful advisory
agency to the County Board. To ac-
complish its full usefulness it must
exercise the utmost thoroughness
and care in its investigations. De-
spite its semi-oficial status it can
conduct hearings successfully, as
previous commissions have done. It
can give publicity to situations con-
sidered unsatisfactory and, If neces-
sary, prepare complaints that will 90
to the State commission. In a grow
ing community such as Arlington, a
well-qualified commission frequently
will find opportunity to do construc-
tive work.
Evening star., 1940-03-06

the same subject it leads me to hone
That perhaps something may Just DOS
sibly be done about it.
Keller In Washington may be con-
sldered as being divided between the
Board OF Public Welfare and the Health
department. The figures you state show
that Washington is being used as a good
thing by people crowding into the city
10 get something for nothing. This is
borne out also by hearings on the last
District OF Columbia appropriation bill
when the then business manager of the
Health Department testified as to the
savings that could be effected. Oddly
enough, as soon as his testimony was
IN, the meeting was adjourned. I re-
member also that there was some public
lty year ago regarding the report of
this same business manager. That re-
port has never seen the light of day
as lar as know. It seems that when
real business management begins in the
District OF Columbia government, it
scares all hands half to death and the
ONCE is abolished! 1t would be inter-
esting to learn the cost of the reduction
IN mortality in the District-if there Is
such a reduction, which is doubtful.
The Board Of Public Welfare is. It
would seem, in the same boat as the
Health Department in their financial
administration. Mr.. Bondy is Quoted
as saying that he has not the foegiest
Idea as to how much money 1t would
take to provide relief. Any District de-
partment that spends over $40 900 every
day OF the year certainly needs a bit
OF business management in addition to
the prayerful activities OF professional
"do good" social workers.
1t is very evident that great savings
could be effected if the powers that be
wished to do SO. One way would be to
overhaul the setup and requirements
requisite for relief In the District. That
takes business management.
In New York. City there is a man
known as the commissioner of investi-
cations. He does marvellous Job and
saves the city millions. Why not get
one IN Washington and show up some of
the people who come here to hold ONCE
and build monuments" to themselves
with the money Of Washington tax
payers instead of organizing the relief
agencies to provide for those deserving
1t and emitting the grafters who are
nonresident in fact2 How about having
q real congressional investigation into
the business end Of these departments
Of the District government? I imagine
that it would be quite revealing in the
uncovering Of the amounts Of money
that could be saved the taxpayer.
ALEXANDER 8. LANIER,
March :, 1910
Evening star., 1940-03-06
Insune?

A group of San Francisco business
men have just underwritten the
erection Of a statue to the memory
of Joshua Abraham Norton, better
known in his time as the one and
only emperor the United States ever
had. This fantastic character, on
losing a fortune in 1853, happened
to lose his sanity along with it. This
would have floored many a man
but not Joshua. Without opposition
he assumed the title of Norton I,
Emperor Of the United States. HUI
mored in his whim by sympathetic
friends, he became more Of a king
than many a modern monarch. with
less worry under his crown.
It is said that when his imperial
government was in need Of funds
they were raised painlessly by a
unique method. Calling at the Office
Of an acquaintance, he would
attempt to negotiate the loan of a
million or so and eventually depart
perfectly content with half dollar
or even a quarter, and somehow or
other the government struggled
along. While fetched in the haid, he
was not 50 far gone that he failed
to see that if the income available
to his administration was not suffi-
cient for his budget, it might possibly
be a smart move to reduce the
budget and avoid more than hun
dred million squawks from his sub
jects. At any rate, the public debt
of the empire of the United States
never exceeded a few hundred dol
lars, which is not bad going for a
ruler handicapped by insanity. Well
does he deserve the statuary immor-
tality to be conferred on him by
a slightly wistful and bewildered
democracy.
Evening star., 1940-03-06
Building Trades Probe

The protests of building trades
leaders Of the American Federation
OF Labor against the vigorous cam
paign the Justice Department is
waging against abuses in the build
ing industry would come with better
grace II those concerned were show
ing any disposition to improve
conditions.
Since the inception Of the inquiry,
which thus far has involved approx
mately one hundred labor unions or
their officials and four times that
many trade groups and their direct
ing heads, who are being accused
under the Sherman antitrust law,
the Federation has insisted on view
ing the Governments cleanup effort
as a form Of anti-labor persecution
and has shaped its conduct accord
ingly.
This attitude was reflected by a
speaker at the two-day conference
of labor chiefs here who declared
that "the trade union movement will
disintegrate" unless the Justice De-
partment calls a halt. a rather
unflattering comment, by the way,
If 1t implies that labor, to progress,
must take advantage of some Of the
devices on which the indictments in
various cities have been based-bid
rigging and collusive price fixing fig
uring prominently in the allegations.
Further, there has been evidence,
a little too strong to be brushed
aside as coincidence, that the cam
paign is having beneficial results.
For illustration, in Pittsburgh, where
indictments recently were returned
in the electrical industry case, the
Government-prior to the inquiry
got bid Of one hundred and nifty
thousand dollars on q contract it
had estimated would cost one hun
dred and five Thousand dollars. It
was readvertised twice while the
grand jury was operating and finally
developed low bid of one hundred
and eighteen thousand dollars. There
was comparable experience in letting
contracts for three Federally-
financed low-cost housing projects.
And it has not been suggested that
the low bidders were taking a loss.
The Department Of Justice has
sought to make clear that It's efforts
Evening star., 1940-03-06

are not directed at the legitimate
and proper endeavors OF labor to
obtain higher wages, shorter hours
and improved working conditions
generally. and certainly there is
nothing in the record so far to indi-
cate that there has been the slightest
move In such a direction. To the
contrary, practices are being fought
that, pursued far enough. can only
hurt organized labor.
Evening star., 1940-03-06
Problem Of Needy
Aged Discussed.

A8cu DlSCuSSc0.
To the Editor of The Star:
Your editorial of February % on the
situation at Blue Plains and the effort
that is now being made to do some
thing practical and definite for the
members Of that institution was very
much appreciated. I compliment your
thought on the matter. It is absolutely
correct that these efforts are not ,each-
ing the cause of this and similar situ-
ations.
When our "oldsters" are SEGREGATED
1t seems that in the pressure of a very
complicated social existence it is 50
easy for US to permit what we con-
slider more pressing demands to prevent
the personal attention they so much
need and deserve. Any commercial at
tention given such groups is bound to
grow perfunctory to q greater or less
degree. When this spirit Of perfunc-
toriness grips those who are intrusted
with this very necessary and humane
task, any statement of desire, or of
neglect, is quite likely to be interpreted
as useless complaint. The result is
too often a form Of vindictive reaction
which but increases the misery Of the
oldster.
Would 1t not be far better to make
provisions for the elderly folk by which
they could be with or near their own
flesh and blood? Any effort to make
provision for these old folks which has
been placed in operation to date falls far
short of meeting the situation adequate
ly. Any relief available places these
people under the humiliation Of an
undeserved pauperism. Any provision
now available is too likely to result, wit
ness the condition at Blue Plains, in
ministering inadequately and temporar-
lily to old people but not relieving the
suffering until some one creates stir
which will soon pass away.
We understand there is q measure
now before the Ways and Means Com
mittee Of our Congress which, we believe,
would go farther toward meeting the
situation than any other law or propo-
sition. This measure is known as the
General Welfare Act, H. r. 562o, and
was introduced by Representative War
rem q. Magnuson, Democrat, Of WASH
ington.
THE REV. THOS. E. BOORDE,
Anacostia Baptist Church.
February 20,
Evening star., 1940-03-06
HumIin Garland


The younger literary critics may
not care for Hamlin Garland. He
was so much ahead Of his time that
his realism seems pallid to them
as compared with that of Dostoevsky,
Tor example. But 1t was radical
enough for his contemporaries and
perhaps for generations of readers
yet to come. The mind and the
heart from which it derived were
liberal, even to the end at seventy
nine.
Mr.. Garland himself might declare
that he was IAN intellectual aristo-
crat," yet his books are witness to
the generosities of sympathetic,
idealiStic soul. In more than one
respect he was akin with Walt Whit
man. His democracy might find
political manifestation, as indeed it
did when he campaigned for the
Populist party and for the single tax
philosophy of Henry George, but 1t
was in the Middle Border" triology
that he expressed his fundamental
faith-his concern for his country
and for its people and their struggles.
His attitude toward his fellow
creatures was tender as well as Just.
He saw them as they were, reported
them truly though mercifully. Con-
slider his description of the effect OF
"the tyranny Of the skies" upon his
father: "All his life he had been
menaced by the weather. Clouds,
SHOWS, winds had been his unrelent-
ing antagonists. Hardly an hour Of
his past had been free from a fear
of disaster. The glare of the sun,
the direction of the wind, the assem-
bling Of the clouds at sunset-all the
minute signs Of change, of storm, of
destruction had been his incessant
minute study. For over fifty years
he had been enslaved to the seasons"
The hand that wrote those words
had labored upon Dakota farm.
So, too, Mr.. Garland could describe
the frontier from personal experience
with it. Born at West Salem, Wis
consin, September 4, 1860, he had
followed his parents in their search
for richer soil throughout his child
hood and youth. He had been a
plowboy, a journeyman carpenter,
country school teacher before he
escaped to Boston in 1884. His
poverty had denied him a formal
education. Throughout his career he
was to be only "a natural artist"
and he deplored the fact despite the
advantages which it involved. Even
when success had come to him and
he was free from trouble about
money he could say: Il have no
illusions concerning my achieve
ments. Measured by those of my
friends I make a poor showing"
Few of the admirers, however,
would agree with his verdict. Mr..
Garland was tireless worker. He
published prodigiously, and it is
possible that not every line that he
sent to press will survive. But his
place is secure. His Rose of Dutch
er's Coolly," which won him a fol-
lowing in England; all of his
Middle Border" studies and some
of his poems are part of the immortal
treasury Of American letters, and
they cannot die.
Evening star., 1940-03-06
The Census Controversy

Demands for elimination of income
questions from the 1910 census have
become increasingly vociferous, and
have found rather sympathetic
hearing in the Senate. Census Of
f1cials quite naturally are concerned
over the agitation, for any concerted
failure of the public to cooperate in
the census taking is bound to in
crease the difficulties confronting
the canvassers and to slow up what
otherwise would be routine decen-
NAL process. While refusal to
answer questions is punishable by
law, officials in the past have been
reluctant to stress threats OF COM
pulsion.
President Roosevelt, taking cog
nizance yesterday of the movement
In Congress to revise the census ques-
tionnaire, charged that politics is to
blame for the hue and cry against
invasion of privacy" by the census
takers. Mr.. Roosevelt undoubtedly
has good reason to suspect the mo-
tlves OF some congressional critics Of
the controverted census questions,
but it would be unfair to say that
all OF the opponents are politically
inspired. AS matter of fact, many
of them are moved by sincere fears
that the census will become a
"snooping" expedition under an ad-
ministration which has gone pretty
far in prying into the affairs of pri-
vate citizens. They have not forgot
ten that income tax returns, once
held to be inviolable, have been
published to the disadvantage of
taxpayers in some of the higher
brackets. Private kilograms have
been subpoenaed en- masse during
certain congressional fishing" TO-
rays. Multitudinous forms have been
prepared by New Deal agencies in
their quest for more and more details
on the affairs of businessmen.
Small wonder, then, that so inno-
cent and traditional an inquiry as
the population census should be the
object of suspicion when conducted
under New Deal auspices, especially
when the QUESTIONABLE is found to
contain certain new phraseology
relating to income. Somewhat SIM
liar inquiries, covering mortgages
and property holdings. have been
customary in the past. Such data
are of great value in determining
national, regional and local mass
buying power and statistics of this
kind benefit manufacturers, whole
salers and retailers in all lines Of
industry. The Star can see nothing
Objectionable in the collection Of
statistics on income during the forth
coming census-but at the same time
1t can understand the reason for
some Of the fears that lurk in the
minds Of many persons as to the
possible ultimate use of intimate in
formation of that type. Perhaps this
attitude is healthy sign, neverthe-
less, If 1t symbolizes an awakening Of
the people to dangers that can come
from too much meddling by Govern
ment in the private affairs Of the
citizens.
Evening star., 1940-03-06

warmer today with good stin breeze.
The ground Is soft and mushy and we
are still looking for our robin. We are
80 far back in the woods, with only
small cleared space back Of the house
that perhaps we have to wait longer than
the outside world. The tufted titmice
are calling and 1t sounds very like spring.
This morning both Mr.. and Mrs. Hairy
Woodpecker were here on the pine by
the garage. The feed trays were mostly
empty, so I put sunfower seed in the
bedroom window tray, with wild bird
seed in one partition on the kitchen
window box, filled the glass hanger, the
pagoda, the box on the pine, the hanging
brass bowl, and scattered some on the
big oak stump. Also put out two more
large pieces Of suet. Soon there was a
regular merry-go-round.
Eight purple finches were holding q
ladies aid meeting on the stump. The
chickadees, all three Of them, were pop
ping in and out of the brass bowl, their
favorite. and the junco was throwing
sunflower seed in all directions from
the pine tray and defying all comers.
= although wild bird seed is put in
special trays for the juncos, they delight
In getting into every container and
sending seed flying all over the place.
Last year the fox sparrows had come
back about this time, but we have seen
none yet, nor any white-throats. Flocks
Of these two birds generally feed in the
yard through the month of March.
Nov that the snow has gone, we no
tice difference in the number of juncos
coming for food. During snowy weather
flock of over so came every day.
This morning the most we counted at
one time was IS.
"One day last week there were 18
cardinals, today there have not been
more than or 10. The flock of purple
finches has also diminished from IS
or more to IL or Is.
"The thaw has made natural food
more available and they are all taking
advantage of it. We have not seen
the Carolina wren for two weeks.
"The suet has been popular with the
downy and hairy woodpeckers, nut
matches, chickadees and tufted titmice
all day. And junco or two has helped
himself to it.
Your column means much to the bird
lovers of Washington and vicinity. We
wish you many happy years with it and,
as the Orientals say, May your shadow
never grow less
Sincerely, F. T. NJ"
This column has advocated bird
notebook. and the above is a good SAM
pie Of what goes into one.
Just the jottings of the observations
of the day, that is all, and maybe un-
important seeming to person not in
terested in birds, but if you are, you will
find some mighty important matters
there
That first robin, for instance! What
is more important than ones own first
robin?
Many people have seen robins to date.
One was reported here in the latter
part of January.
Until you have seen your own first"
however. and preferably in your own
yard, you have yet to get this real bird
thrill.
Some day you will happen to look
out into the garden, and there he will
De, as nonchalant as If he had never
been away.
Robins have an air about them, GER
tainly, an air not possessed in the same
way by any other bird. That is one
reason why they are evervbodv,s favorite