davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Milford chronicle., 1940-10-25
Message To The Public

m d dd dagdb December Your support patience ave etp
Evening star., 1940-08-04

had gas piped to the premises from
some distance. During his brief
residence here, no doubt. many
notable social entertainments took
place.
The next deed to this property
dated April 20, 1858, was to Louis
Francis Pourtales, said to have been
an exile of French nobility. In
1872 the residence and square were
sold to Mrs. Emily Edison Briggs,
whose son, Edison Briggs, was until
his death a decade or more ago a
member of the Association of Oldest
Inhabitants, and upon one occasion
this organization held its Inde-
pendence Day celebration there.
Mrs. Briggs, or Olivia" as she
signed her articles, was one of
Washington's best known early
newspaper women writer's. She was
the wife of John r. Briggs, assistant
clerk in 1865 of the United States
House of Representatives, and a
personal acquaintance of President
Lincoln, who admonished him not
to let his wife come to the in
auguration, for. he said: ut is best
for our women to remain indoors
on that day, as the bullets may be
flying"
Lincoln Pen Picture.
But Mrs. Briggs did attend one
of the White House receptions, or
levees, as those functions were then
called, and her pen picture of the
martyr President, written many
years afterward. is characteristic
of her style She said:
"At that time, as all Americans
know, Lincoln was the most jovial
of men and the contrast in his ap-
pearance when I saw him at the
levee was startling. If you have
ever seen an oak tree standing alone
Evening star., 1940-08-04

it was smashed between your teeth
and thumb driven back with the
force Of that $4,000 pounds of pres
sure. Of course, you weren't in the
correct position, for it wouldn't have
happened If you were.
You'll try it again. This time
you'll make sure your jaw is JAM
med hard against the rifle stock.
The rifle goes off! 1t was a sledge
hammer that hit you, you're posi-
tive. Right below the eye. The
pain in your bruised lip is forgot
ten. You feel something warm and
sticky rolling down your cheek. You
put your hand up and it comes away
with blood on it. On the milled
edge of the cooking piece that hit
you, dangle little strips of flesh
and skin. Yours!
But you have plenty of courage
and determination. You won't quit
With understandable caution YOU
shift your head little, just enough
to ease off bit from further bruis-
ing the same spots. Socko! It's
Evening star., 1940-08-04

again, the rife of the person next
to you bangs noisily. Your frayed
nerves tWitch and your own rife goes
off for bad shot.
Again you fight to reach the bolt.
You can't seem to find your target
through the tiny peep-sight. Then
you realize that the target is sinking.
It's going down! In the frantic
hope of getting a lucky hit before
it descends behind the butts, you
jerk the trigger. That was an un-
fortunate decision, for the bullet
struck the top of the butts and
showered dirt down on the gentle
men attending the target. They
don't like that, for it is an addi-
tional and unnecessary discomfort.
Red Flag Waves.
After an interminable wait the
targets reappear. This time they
have spoilers in the shot holes to
show where the bullets hit. You
haven't very many, and the few that
are there are widely scattered. The
red flag that indicates miss waves
back and forth for a long time.
At the target next to you is a
braWny man. veteran at the shoot
ing game. You look at his target
in amazement. for all the spoilers
are in the center of the silhouette;
all except one. That's way up in
the corner, like an outcast.
Suddenly the man starts to cuss,
and you learn that II shot holes
were counted on his target. In the
old days they would simply have
given him the value of the highest
10, ignoring any others. But new
regulations require him to shoot
over again. Eleven shot holes. He
scowls at you and mutters some
thing about dumb DANES; and you
feel little guilty.
BY now you are more than half
way through your qualification
course. There remain only matter
of 5 shots sitting and kneeling,
slow fire.. at 300 yards: 10 shots rapid
fire, prone, at 300 yards, and 10 shots
rapid fire, sitting, at 200 yards.
If you survive the complete course
you will have expended, including
the two sighters at 600 yards, 72
rounds of ammunition. The highest
possible score, which means that
every one of your 10 bullets must
have struck the bull's-eye, is $50.
This has never been accomplished,
although 348 has been attained twice
and BAT several times.
That, dear lady, is a sample of
what you must endure to gain pro-
ficiency in a science you would pro-
badly never be called upon to use.
The military rifle was designed for
men, sturdy men with enough beef
on their bones to sustain the shock
of the weapons recoil
You don't need the excuse of train
ing for home defense to become
shooting enthusiast. Substitute the
sman-bore target rifle for the mill
tary weapon and you will have some
thing more suited to your feminine
frame. Further, you will be able to
keep your date in the evening and
your escort won't wonder if your
battered nose wasn't a sign that |
you'd stuck it somewhere that 1t
didn't belong.
Evening star., 1940-08-04

of the time when Urbane Denison
moved there, shortly after the close
of the Civil War.
That the house is old Is undoubt-
edly true. But like many old homes
it has been added to from time to
time, and how it looked originally
or just when the earliest part was
built, are matters not easily deter
mined. 1t is frame building with
a partly false front, and stands on
the west side of Sixth street, on an
elevated part of the neighborhood.
Near the house, and on either side
OF the walk, are two magnolia trees
which have the appearance of being
quite old, though, according to Mrs.
Denison, they were planted by the
senior Mr.. Denison some years after
he moved there, while the trunks of
two dead trees close to the old
dwelling indicate they were planted
there years ago.
First Occupant.
Without making a documentary
search OF the property in question,
the writer is of the opinion that
this early home came into being
about 1846. when its first OCCUPANT is
believed to have been a certain
Margaret Adams, widow, who, ac-
;ording to the city directory for that
year, seems to have lived there with
her son, John Adams. This same
Mrs. Adams, three years earlier.
resided on the west side of
Sixth street Sc, between c and D
streets. Prior to this she resided
on Sixth street between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and D street, IN the
same neighborhood. At this time
her occupation was given as carpet
weaver.
The impression prevails that this
Adams family was in some way con-
nected with the family of the late
Byron S. Adams. But the writer
understands that this family has no
knowledge along this line on the
subject.
The square in which this house
stands, and which is numbered BAT,
is bounded on the south by Virginia
avenue, on the north by G street,
on the east by Sixth street and on
the west by Fifth street. Boschke,
in his map compiled just before the
Civil War, notes about Is structures
standing in this square, which orig
nally contained 20 lots.
The Denison house. at I'll Sixth
street. had some very fine nelehbors
when Washington was small city.
Evening star., 1940-08-04

in q field with its great gnarled
trunk and branches stretching
heavenward, the atmosphere about
1t charged with electricity and the
black, laundering clouds on the
horizon threatening any moment a
war OF the elements, you will realize
the impression made upon me by
Abraham Lincoln as he stood there
in perpetual fear of a dagger thrust
or bullet and the warning notes
OF internecine strife founding from
the South
Another old landmark, which has
long since disappeared from the
Southeast section, was the Ana
costa Fire Company's building,
which occupied the site at Ninth
street and Virginia avenue, now oc-
cupied by No. l8 Engine Company.
The Anacostia company was organ
lied on December 16, 1918, as we
find by the following notice printed
in the National Intelligencer of
that date:
Fire Company-The citizens of
the fourth ward are particularly re-
quested to meet at the tavern of
Lawson Pearson on Wednesday
evening, 10th instant, at 7 o'clock,
for the purpose of organizing fire
company agreeable to law"
Named Officers at Tavern.
Subsequently meeting was
called for January 6, 1919, for the
election Of officers, but the time
was evidently postponed until Feb
ruary 9, when the following officers
were elected att Hemsworth's Tav-
ern: Dr. Alexander McWilliams,
president; John w. Brashears, sec
retary; Robert Desher, treasurer;
Thomas Halliday, director of engi-
neers; Robert Clark and Colmere
Bean, ak men; James Friend, di-
rector of ladder men; George Adams,
director of sentinels; William Prout,
director of furniture men, and Ed
ward w. Clark, director of line or
llnemen. At first this company was
located near the Branch Market,
south Of K street, between Fifth
and Sixth streets, but later when
this building was erected in 1889
on the west side of Ninth street,
between K street and Virginia ave-
nue., where No. Is Engine Company
is now located, the company moved
there. In 1868, shortly before the
company went out of existence, it's
president was Thomas w. Cook.
Evening star., 1940-08-04

and Union Lodge No. II. Eastern
Lodge No. met in Masonic Hall.
Recently the writer received
letter from Fenton A. Denison max
ing inquiries about the history of
his old home at I'll Sixth street
Sc, to which place his parents
brought him about u years ago,
when he was mere child. Mr..
Denison's father, Urbane A. Deni-
son, was clerk in the Pension Of
flee for many years before his death.
But before moving to the Navy Yard
section, and becoming connected
with the Government, he kept
grocery store at the northwest cor
ner of Fourteenth and N streets
NV. as early as 1866, and here he
resided also.
F.. A. Denison, the son, was a
commission merchant at 206 Tenth
street NV. a number of years ago,
and the Denison family is said to
have been subscribers to The Star
from its beginning.
When the writer called at the
old home a few days ago, he met
Mrs. Denison, wife of the present
occupant, who told him what little
she knew Of the history of the place,
but her knowledge of the building
or the site was rather limited, back
Evening star., 1940-08-04

your nose that takes it this time
You can't see the target because
of the tears in your eyes. You
blink them away.
Let's see: How many more shots
are there to be fired? At this range
you get two extra rounds of am
munition, called sighting Shots"
which don't count on your score.
You have nine more to go.
Somehow you get through with
them. AS you crawl to your feet
you know your face looks as if it
went through a meat grinder. Your
shoulder throbs painfully, and your
left arm is numb and cramped from
the confining sling. Despite the
padding on your shooting blouse,
your elbows are chafed raw.
1t was tough grind! And yet
the 60O-yard range is childs play
compared with some of the others.
You walk down to the 500-yard fir
ing point and shoot 10 more rounds,
taking a beating each time you pull
the trigger.
Evening star., 1940-08-04
Who Train for Defense Against Parachute Troops

termed the kick" And if YOU
haven't held the butt-plate very
firmly against your shoulder, you'll
be lucky to escape with merely bad
bruise. Held correctly, the rifles
kick is more like a violent push.
But I've seen 170-pound marines
knocked right back on their buffer
plates from it.
Sounds Comfortable.
Most of the shooting is done from
the prone position; but the quail
f1cation course also calls for sitting
and kneeling at the 200 and 300
yard ranges. Beyond that you always
shoot lying down. Sounds easy and
comfortable, doesn't it? Let's drop
back to the 600-yard firing point.
You are now shooting at 20
inch bull's-eye, 600 yards away. You
have learned through study that by
moving your sights you change the
bullets point of impact SO inches
for every 100 yards you lower or
elevate your peep-sight. You also
know that for every point you
change on your wind-gauge, your
bullet will strike "a inches to the
right or left, depending on which
way you moved it. These rules ap-
ply only to this particular range.
You have carefully calculated the
wind and have decided it has a
velocity of miles an hour, COM
ing from 8 o'clock, or from your
right, at right angles to the bull
let's course. BY mathematical
formula you know you must move
your bullet three-quarters of point
into the wind. Otherwise it would
strike 18 inches away from where
you wanted it to.
You have smoked your sights over
smudge-pot, and have them cor
rectly set. You form a loop in your
sling, slip your arm through it,
Tightening the strap as near to your
armpit as you can. You lie down
and learn that with the sings re-
sistance it requires sheer force and
strength to place the rifle butt
against your shoulder. You press
your jaw firmly against the stock
and line up your sights. That 20
inch bulls-eye looks like a pin
point wobbling about on top of the
front sight. The target shimmers
and dances in the heat waves. 1t
fades out and then comes back
again. Sweat rolls into your eyes
to blind you.
You hold your breath, for even
a pulse-beat can throw the bull
let off at that range. At last the
tiny black spot comes to rest on
top of the front sight, framed in
the center of the peep-sight. Care
fully and gradually you squeeze the
trigger.
Wrong Position.
There is a sudden explosion.
Something smashes violently against
your shoulder. But you don't notice
that, for you are quite sure mule
has kicked you right in the face.
You can feel your lip swelling
up and there is taste of salty
blood in your mouth. An explor-
ing tongue pushes against a loosened
tooth. But it was your lip that
took most Of the punishment, for
Evening star., 1940-08-04
By Frank H. Renftrow.

|
The threat of parachute troops,
however remote, landing in Potomac
Park, has invoked the forming of
several women's rifle organizations.
Do you, dear lady, contemplate
joining one of them? Splendid!
Shooting, as a sport, develops many
qualities. 1t teaches patience, nerve
control, coordination. and If in
dulged in seriously, it will remove
some of that extra poundage that's
been worrying you.
Feminine interests in shooting has
increased considerably in the past
few years. Each season the "Squaw
Camp" at the Perry National
Matches grows larger, as more
women take up the sport. But most
of them, remember, confine their
activities to the small-bore weapons.
Now and then, of course, just as you
will find an occasional woman truck
driver, or steeple-jill, some women
will attain high proficiency with the
heavier service rifle. But their
numbers are rare. You couldn't
muster platoon of rifle-ladies.
Granted, the Russians had their
famed Battalion of Death; but
that unit was little more than a
morale-building expedient. It's only
practicable value was to shame the
menfolk into greater efforts in their
country's defense. And even that
failed.
Only a Gesture.
Perhaps the forming of feminine
legions to combat the incursion of
hostile parachute troops is a beau
tiful and patriotic gesture; and Ger
tainly not one to be ridiculed But
that's about all 1t is-a gesture. The
idea of a brigade of women riflemen,
to employ paradoxical term,
trained effectively to combat enemy
troops, is impossible.
Let us examine some physical
facts: The United States Army
rifle, model of 1903 Frequently and
incorrectly called the "Springfield')
is the weapon issued to our military
and naval services. Regardless of
the fact that this model is 81 years
old, it is still considered the best
military rifle in the world. 1t
weighs 81 pounds when you pick it
up, and about five times that much
after you've carried it for an hour.
We will assume you are strong
enough to hold the rifle to your
shoulder, supporting it at the ball
ance with your other hand. The
leather sling is not permitted In
match firing, but for military quail
f1cation one is allowed to brace his
arm by twisting it through the sling.
The range for this position is 200
yards: and you are shooting at a 10
inch bull's-eye. You have carefully
lined up your sights and are squeez-
ing the trigger. The firing pin
strikes the primer. What happens?
Fifty-odd grains of powder explode
in the cartridge, building up pres
sure of nearly $4,000 pounds. It
drive 173-grain bullet out of the
rife at 2,700 feet per second. All
that energy doesn't go In one direc-
ton. There is q recoil, generally
Evening star., 1940-08-04

Caleb Burgess was vice president,
William H. Cross. secretary; James
A. Gordon, treasurer, and A. D.
Shaw, steward
From 1866 to 1874 and perhaps
even later some OF the lower public
school grades were taught there,
Miss Mary E. Armistead and Miss
Maggie E. Sexton being among the
early teachers.
This building was popular meet
ing place for various organizations
following the Civil War, and the
knights Of Pythias met here for a
long time. 1t meant much to the
people of the Navy Yard, who
looked upon 1t as the town hall,
where all civic controversies were
argued and settled to the best in
terests of all.
Sentiment Attached.
The placing of the new engine
house on this site compensated to
some extent for the removal of the
old building to which so much sem
timent was attached. Naval Lodge
of Masons was then meeting on the
south side of Virginia avenue be-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets.
The Odd Fellows had their hall at
the corner of Seventh and G streets,
where met Harmony Lodge No. 8
Evening star., 1940-08-04

Now comes the man killer: Five
hundred yards rapid fire! You know
that long, rangy arms are an asset
for rapid fire, and for the first time
you regret the feminine beauty OF
your own short ones. Plenty OF
time" the coach bellows. Ten
rounds, rapid: l minute and 20 Sec
onds. Plenty of time! Line EN- up
an squeeze 'em Off"
You strap yourself into your rife
and get down into position. Aiming
your piece at the empty butts, you
wait for the target to appear. This
target is different. 1t is a silhouette
to resemble the head and shoulders
of man, measuring 26 inches across
the shoulders and 19 inches high.
Suddenly the targets rise above
the butts. The firing line comes
to life with a mad cracking of
rifles. The target looks horribly
small at 500 yards. But you are
ready for your first shot. 1t goes off
You manage to escape further dam
age to your face. But the recoil
has picked you up and driven your
whole body back from the firing
point. Your elbows flop out from
under you. Desperately you try to
crawl back into position and to
reach the bolt at the same time.
Your arms are so short! Eventually
your clawing fingers grasp the bolt
handle. You fight it back, ejecting
the empty cartridge and driving
home new one. You realize you
haven't struggled back into the pro-
per position, but there is no time
to correct it. One minute and 20
seconds!
Begin to Finch.
You fire again, and the cooking
piece rips more flesh from your
cheekbone The next smashes
against your bruised lip. You are
beginning to finch. One of your
shots plows into the dirt in front of
the target, sending up a squirt of
dust. You are determined to make
the next one better. You line it UP,
carefully and long. Your shoulder,
braced to meet the recoil, drives
forward as the rifle clicks emptily.
You had forgotten to count your
shots, wasting precious seconds
squeezing the trigger on an empty
rifle.
You jerk the piece from your
shoulder, awkwardly cropping about
for your clip of ammunition. You
can't seem to find it. There it is!
Your hurrying fingers knock dirt
into it. You wipe it off and try to
force it into the magazine. It starts
to feed, but in your haste you don't
apply even pressure. The clip
breaks, spilling two cartridges into
the dirt. No time to pick em up.
One minute and 20 seconds!
You are ready to fire what you
managed to salvage of your second
clip. You squint through the sights.
Suddenly you wonder If you are aim
ing at your own target or the one
next to it. You drop the muzzle
bit so you can pick up the number
board. You had been aiming at the
wrong one. You find your own. Just
as you start lining up your sights
Evening star., 1940-08-04

1t was not far from Christ Church
on G street, between Sixth and Sew
enth streets, which dates back on
its present site to 1907, but which
was founded prior to 1896. On Vir-
ginia avenue to the south, some fine
people resided, including DR.. Fred
erick May and Mayor Samuel N,
Smallwood.
DR.. May was graduate Of Dart
mouth College and of Harvard Uni
versity 1792). After studying medi-
cine he came to this city from
Boston in 1795 and began the prac-
tice of medicine, indicating his in
tention to remain here, by erecting
residence at 324 Virginia avenue
southeast in 1900.
Linked With Leaders.
Being a college-bred man, he
naturally became one of the lmpcr-
tant residents of the new city, and
we find his name frequently linked
with such men as Thomas Law, DR..
Thornton and other notable people
who early settled in Washington.
A man of humane impulses. he was
always ready to serve the public,
even though he had no reason to
expect pecuniary reward. An in
stance of this kind in 1900, comes
down to us from Mrs. Thornton's
dairy, which says: 49, - as We re-
turn'd called at the Office e. asked
DR.. T. to go to the Presidents House
with us which he did & then came
home with us. He stopped DR. May
as he was passing and took him to
see a poor sick man who was lying
out of doors under tree, nobody
being willing to take him in lest he
might have yellow fever. He came
from Alexandria. where 1t is said
there has been some cases.-Dr. T.
got him put into the new Stable
built for the President-he is very
ILL.,"
The Presidents stable, here re-
ferred to, is the old school building
which stood for many years at the
southeast corner Of G and Four
teenth streets NV. and where in
later years class was taught by
the celebrated Strong John Thom-
son. The site is now covered by the
Hamilton National Bank
DR.. May left son named John
Frederick May, who became a noted
physician and surgeon. and died in
this city on May l, 1891. He was
one of those who assisted in identi-
flying the body of John Wilkes Booth
Evening star., 1940-08-04
Traditions of Southeast
Washington Preserved
Virginia Avenue Residence
OfDr. Frederick May Later
Passed to Famous Mayor
Bv John CIapeft Pyocfor

The Southeast section Washington still called by old
timer section
other parts OF the Capital CITY, and there families still
IN this section whose settled there
and who all Christ Episcopal
Church the United Congressional Cemetery
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-24
Light Up
End eLDiekinson Ra
Kills Smokfs's Bas.s
Time. staaHerrt.p

~ The sem
ate's famed 'Rukgt.f which pre-
Aibits- smoking wiaf Il he " sffrttt =
is in session, viii sa6tI be erforee6,
next year. 3
Instead. for the HFst time in tile
states history seNSt9Sfs VAL be
furnished with IS s1fohze smoking
stands in which rhsl can Aick
ashes from Christngss 9togies. They
cost the state $53ts5 IVholesAlf
Fred /. Chase %FrAtary III The.
Senate. said it Wo9sS be cheaper
TO have the standSS kahdy than to
replace the expenSiSS darpctirsg on
the floor. a
During Governor lDickInsor y
seven terms as LIEUTENANT governor
no smoking on the Senate Goof,
was allowed. LieGA Gov Eject
Frank Murphy said he Ihad no OBJ
lectiOnS N ~;
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-24
ScriIseS
To Honor
Wilson

Es9STygN. Tee "a Ii FfcoSr5-
.tinii q fFie rcie he t,1syrd iir THE
1910 warid sfrss Jimmy y ,lsos1.
atse new manager Of the Ixscszc
s,sabs SiH receive the P4al r.
sasenon lai plaque 70 the
greatest individual perscstnsnce
curing the 1871 season AZ tke an
ngal dinner ~ tne Baston htsnch
b ne Baseball WTflers AiSocsa-
tgar
wilson was hero for Tho Gin
.cfanafi Reds tdr1ng the Fail
Classic Sitf IRE Tbefru}t gers
KfScp te stepped from his ryiis Il
coach "a sill N ax catehFr ddspite
ev@Fy fz8sSihit pfgssieai handicap.
re cspghf FIVE ~ tf,e sevrn garcs.
lHc u6ing fhe togr winning con-
4esik. sna eSesi gSplR . hss~. h,
The Staas.r wiz ~ se1d JAM
uary 80.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1940-12-24

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