davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-02-01
Earlv Homes of the i. S. Patent Office

1t proved to be one of the worst con-
nagrations to occur in this city.
The complete destruction Of this build
ing and its contents occurred on the
night OF December IS, 1896. and 1t was
not only occupied by the Patent once
but also housed the Post once Depart
ment and the City Post once. At this
time all Of the valuable patent models
were destroyed and only the walls Of
the building left standing. The Patent
ONCE then obtained quarters in the
Court House, or City Hall, as 1t was once
called, and here 1t remained until 1t
moved into the old Patent once Building
at Ninth and streets NV. And here
occurred another disastrous fire on
September ~. 1877.
Upon this occasion the flre started
shortly after II O'Clock an, In what was
known as the Green House." Just under
the roof and directly over the portico
of the west or Ninth street front. Instead
of turning in an alarm Immediately when
the fire was discovered, an attempt was
made by the employees to subdue the
flames themselves. Thirty-five minutes
after the fire started. Sergt. Arnold Of
Evening star., 1942-02-01

Made Separate Bureau.
Under the act of July 4, 1886, the Pat
ent Office was created a separate bureau
in the Department of the Interior, and
its chief officer received the title of
commissioner OF patents.
The Blodgett Hotel Building occupied
q portion of the north side of E street
between Seventh and Eighth streets,
and the Patent ONCE was housed there
when Washington was burned In 1914
It was the only public building not
destroyed by the enemy at that time,
due to the successful efforts of DR..
Thornton, part Of whose account fol-
lows:
II was desirous not only of saving an
instrument that had cost me great labor,
but Of preserving, if possible. the build
ing and all the models. I, therefore
left my breakfast and hastened forward,
determining to request the first known
democrat I should meet to accompany
me, lest the malevolent should insinuate
that had in any manner held an
improper communication with the in
vaders Of the country. I met with
Charles Carroll, Esquire, one Of the most
respectable gentlemen in the District,
Evening star., 1942-02-01
Burning

the American forces, his uniform and his
camp chest; the coat Gen. Jackson wore
at the battle of New Orleans and many
other relics and trophies, including the
original Eliass Howe sewing machine;
although the original model Of the cot
ton gin which first made cotton q
profitable product, the conception Of the
genius Of Eli Whitney, the Yankee
schoolmaster who went to Georgia to
teach school, was lost in the flames.
Richmond, the city to which the
Patent Once is to be moved, possibly
in a month or two, is the capital and
the largest city in Virginia, and was
the capital Of the Confederate States
from 1861 to 1865, and here the South
land had It's own Patent Once during
that stormy period. Noted for its in
genious people. the applications at this
time covered inventions OF every Sort"
we are told.
However, though we are glad to say
that Richmond is very fne old South
ern city, nevertheless 1t is thought likely
that the danger from property loss by
fire there would be even greater there
than it would be here, for though they
may have a good fire department, 1t GER
Evening star., 1942-02-01
Promises Square DEAF for Federal Workers

Federal workers have two outstanding
champions of their cause in the Halls
of Congress, one in each branch-Robert
Ramspeck Of Georgia in the House, and
the Hon. James M. Mead of New York
in the Senate. Both are Democrats, and
each has labored long, hard and ef-
fectively to better working conditions
for Uncle Sans employees.
Early in life, the man who is now
Senator Mead became interested in
politics, and in 1911 the same upheaval
which deposited Mr.. Ramspeck in the
House post Office placed Mr.. Mead there
too-150 feet away from him, as he ex-
planned. The future Senator took the
job of uniformed policeman-a political
appointment practically guaranteed, as
was the custom in those days, against
every catastrophe except death or Re-
publican majority.
Like Mr.. Ramspeck. Mr.. Mead also
realized the injustice of the system which
had handed him this strange patronage,
and determined to do something about
it later, when he got the chance. Note
that the word when" is used, and not
the more speculative eff" Mr.. Mead
had vision of the shape of things to
come. He not only had ambitions; he
announced them openly. TN 10 years.
he told his associates, II will be back
here-as Congressman"
Human nature was no different in 1911
from what it is today. The remark
brought repercussions ranging all the
way from gentle smiles of derision to
large lusty laughs. depending upon the
temperament of the skeptical auditor.
However, those who merely INDUCED in
smiles of disbelief had the better of it
in the end. although Officer Mead was
not quite right in his prediction; in
stead of taking 10 years, he made 1t In
seven.
Stepping stones to the accomplishment
were his return to New York, his election
as committeeman, and later, in 1918, to
the supervisorship Of Erie County, N. Y.
From 1914 to 1917 he was a member of
the State Assembly, and the added pres
tige, plus his ability at his chosen work,
got him nominated for congressional
Representative on the Democratic ticket.
He won the election and came to Con-
gress in 1918, ready, among other duties.
to take up the fight in behalf of Federal
employees.
He began to get his chance two years
later when he was placed on the Post
Office Committee, Of which he became
chairman after another 10 years. An
other Craftsmanship he occupied was that
of the House Subcommittee on Civil
Service on the Joint Committee on Gov
ernment Reorganization.
Evening star., 1942-02-01
BY John Clagett Proctor.

and I begged him to accompany me for
the reason given; he very politely at
tended me.
I'VE arrived at the very moment when
the English, Colonel Jones and his men,
were proceeding to burn the War ONCE.
Mr. Carroll had already accompanied
the Mayor of Georgetown in a peace
deputation and was therefore known to
some of the officers; he informed Colonel
Jones that had waited on him to re-
quest permission to take out of the
Patent Office a musical instrument: the
Colonel Immediately replied that as it
was not their intention to destroy any
private property. was perfectly at lib
erty to take it.
After the War Office was burnt. en-
treated Mr.. Carroll to accompany me
to the Patent Office, but he proceeded
only to my house and told me he must
return. He did so, and I went to the
residence of the Mayor to ask him to
accompany me to the building, but he
was out Of town. I next called on Mr..
Nicholson. my model maker and mes
senger, and desired him to attend me:
he did, and the British soldiers were
Evening star., 1942-02-01

tainly does not excel in equipment and
efficiency our own department Of un-
rivaled nrenghters.
Nor is it likely that the Federal work.
ers who are being sent there, will fare
as we'll as they do here in Washington.
II we are to believe what the Richmond
press has to say about the situation.
For instance, on January l. one Of the
papers said: Hundreds OF additional
workers coming to Richmond. They will
need single rooms, fats, apartments and
houses. Do you have . vacancy Of any
kind?"
An item appearing on December -
says: December rent lists revealed al
most no furnished apartments and COM
psratively few furnished units. A few
apartments in the $85-or- -$90-s month
class are available, and agents thought
several of the single men might live to-
gether In them. Many Of the employees
will take rooms in boarding houses.
"One Of the patent workers in town
yesterday thought the 1900 figure too
high. He estimated possibly 200 families
and 800 single persons would make the
move from Washington"
Evening star., 1942-02-01

then marching in two columns to burn
the building.
when we arrived there we found the
Reverend Mr.. Brown, Mr.. Lyon and Mr..
Hatfield near the Patent once. Major
Waters, who was then on guard and
waiting the command of Colonel Jones.
informed me that the private property
might be taken out: told him that
there was nothing but private property
Of any consequence, and that any public
property to which he objected might be
burnt in the street, provided the build
ing might be preserved. which contained
hundreds of models of the arts, and that
it would be impossible to remove them,
and to burn what would be useful to all
mankind would be as barbarous as for
merly to burn the Alexandrian Library,
for which the Turks have since been
condemned by all enlightened nations.
Major Waters desired me to go again
with him to Col. Jones, who was at
tending some of his men engaged in
destroying Mr.. Gales printing office. I
went to Pennsylvania Avenue and
Seventh street and was kindly received
by the colonel. They took their men
Evening star., 1942-02-01

and arrived here and got into service
about o'clock.
Fifteen minutes after the Baltimore
department was telegraphed to. several
pieces Of apparatus, including Nos. and
2 steam engines and hose carriage were
in the railroad yard. Through what
seems to have been stupid handling OF
the situation the train was delayed in
the yard SO minutes before starting. not
leaving there until pm. and not ar
irving in the Washington depot until
2:12 O'Clock, taking hour and min
utes to make the trip. At the time 1t
was reported that the 40 miles were made
in 81 minutes, but obviously this was
not 50.
A second train from Baltimore with
engines 3 and 4. beat the first train
time by IL minutes, arriving here IN
81 minutes Upon a previous occasion
when Baltimore asked help from Wash
ington the trip was made in Al minutes.
When the Baltimore engines arrived
at the depot, they were drawn from
there to the fire by the horses of our
department. In the meantime, the roof
OF the western wing had fallen in and
the fire had made its way along the G
street wing toward Seventh street.
Although this was said to be a f1reproof
building, yet the loft under the roof
near where the fire had started was
mostly filled with immense piles Of pa
pers and documents from the bureaus
in the lower part of the building, making
an ideal place for fire to start.
AS it so happened, the nearest place
to obtain water, which was from tank
which stood outside the south end OF
the attic, was cut of by the rapidity
with which the flames spread, and it
became necessary to 90 fully 500 feet
before water could be obtained. AL
though the employees worked heroicauy.
overcome.
At LIS pm, before the arrival Of as
sistance from Baltimore, the fire was
brought under control, but continued to
burn for some time afterward.
While the property damage here did
not run to a million dollars, the loss in
models, maps, and in other ways, could
not be estimated. The 10000 rejected
models stored in this loft. and which
were entirely wiped out, may not have
amounted to so very much, but the loss
of $1,000 to 10000 patent models was
a national misfortune.
AS bad as this fire was, when we con-
slider what might have been the result
we gladly praise our stars that it was NO
worse Rescued from the flames were
such national treasures as the Declara-
ton of Independence, now on exhibition
in the Library of Congress; Washington s
commission as commander in chief OF
Evening star., 1942-02-01
Saving Your Auto by
Budgeting Mileage
BY Frederick G.. Russell.

makings Of motion. In other words,
shorten the trip by cutting out the
waste involved in speeding.
Planned use of cars can save millions
of miles. Today most car owners re-
trace their treads needlessly. When
you are out with the car phone your
home to see If there is any errand you
can perform before returning. Select
shorter routes to your destination, avoid
ing trafic lights and congestion wherever
possible. Put the car in the garage
when you return home.
Demands for q so per cent decrease
in car use must be weighed against
the fact that the American way Of life Is
predicated on intensified employment Of
privately owned vehicles Of transporta-
ton. 1t must be conceded that the
greatly accelerated tempo Of activities
due to the war may push the need for
transportation way beyond anything
heretofore anticipated. Every motorist
should make determined effort to find
ways and means of reducing to a bare
minimum whatever mileage is obviously
unnecessary.
One of the most practical plans for
decreasing mileage will become effective
this coming summer when vacationists
will be encouraged to see their own
State first. Trips simply will be shorter.
With destinations less distant there
will be less incentive to faster driving.
Cars should come through next sum-
mers motoring with far less than the
usual vacation-time punishment. Much
mileage can be saved by two families
planning to travel together.
Doubling up on defense workers trans
portation could be encouraged by fac
tories making a charge for parking,
this income being invested in defense
bonds. This would have a tendency
to encourage more workers to leave
their own cars at home. People with
two cars should aim to avoid having
both machines in operation at the same
time. The second car should be kept
in condition for possible use in an emer-
gency, but 1t is liability to the Nation
If used too freely.
Plans of some auto men to loan you
q car while yours Is being serviceo may
be desirable where your business, pro-
fession or defense activity demands that
you have uninterrupted transportation.
but this plan is not in line with efforts
to curb car use and will not be en-
couraged for that reason. You may
be surprised to find that you can attend
to some affairs more conveniently with
out the car than with 1t.
But cut car use wisely. Make every
mile count. Let us use the car to help
win the war-not Just put it in storage
for the duration. This Nation owes
much of its strength to the automobile.
Let us keep 1t hardy with the swift.
reliable transportation which cars pro-
vide anywhere and at any time.
Evening star., 1942-02-01

Washington has always had resource
full and astute men, ana, anticipating
the possible removal Of the Capital
elsewhere, a group Of citizens including
Elias B. Caldwell, w. Emack, Daniel
Carroll, William Brent and Grifith
Combs organized company to provide
adequate temporary accommodations for
Congress until the Capitol should be
restored. Accordingly, the corner stone,
of what became known as the Brick
Capitol, was laid on July 4, 1915. and
cost the promoters $4,000. and here
the Fourteenth Congress met from
shortly after December IL, 1915. and until
Congress returned to the restored Capitol
of today in 1919. The temporary Capitol
occupied part of the site of the United
States Supreme Court Building.
Destroyed by Fire.
Though DR.. Thornton accomplished
much for the time being in preserving
the irreplaceable patent models and
records housed in the Blodgett Building,
yet fate seems to have predetermined
that this structure should be destroyed
by fire. and when the time did come,
Evening star., 1942-02-01

With wartime economy demanding
that motorcar use be curtailed and the
motorist all too well aware that motor
ing has becomes an essential to daily
life, the problem of cutting down mile
age looms as the number one dilemma
for that vast Army of personal trans
portation users-the American motorists.
How to cut down mileage without
putting a crimp in essential business,
homenfe, morale, recreation and ma
tional defense appears to be more i'm
portant than how to keep the present
car in running condition.
What efforts have you made as
motorist to meet this problem squarely?
Somewhere between the extremes OF
going carless or of trying to motor "as
usual there's a happy medium. What
makes it difficult to find is that the
wartime course you may flnd feasible
to pursue isn't the same as would be
practical for others. Wise use OF any
mans car during the war will be
surprisingly personal 1t is, therefore.
not for any one to criticize the extent
to which others put their cars, nor to
be too lavish in praise OF those who
appear to be making great sacrifices
in the interest of more eficient con-
duct of the war on the home front.
There are many people who would
not find it any hardship at all to be
without their own cars. Perhaps they
have owned a car only for the sake OF
appearances. They may have parents
or children who can provide them with
all the supplemental transportation
they need. On the other hand there
are many citizens who are amazingly
dependent on cars to keep them useful
to their country. Most Of today's
chauffeur driven cars are owned by Ill.
elderly or timid people who would be
forced into strange seclusion without the
aid of their personal cars, and many OF
them ere active in various specialized
and important lines Of endeavor.
Farmers, physicians, visiting nurses,
collectors, the clergy ana insurance loss
adjusters are among those who may find
it necessary to use their cars more dur
ing 1912 than in a normal year.
But there are many ways in which
all motorists can cut down on car USE
Parking furnishes good example
Where possible, the car should be left
further from ones destination Cruls-
ing around traffic has no place in war
time motoring, nor should there be any
tolerance for the sort of recreation"
obtained from Just riding around with
out a definite objective In mind.
And when you go somewhere In the
car, 20 slower. 1t means that you can
20 further with the same expenditure
Of those essentials which 90 into the
Evening star., 1942-02-01

away and promised to spare the build
ing"
However, though 1t Is quite certain
that Dr. Thornton did not, at the time
of his appeal to the British Officers, have
the slightest idea that this building
would so soon supply most urgent
need, yet this necessity soon manifested
itself and proved a double godsend, for
Congress, which YVES not in session when
the public buildings of Washington were
destroyed on August "a, was, neverthe-
less scheduled to meet here on the 18th
of the following month, end since there
was no other place in the city suitable
for a meeting place, the saving Of this
structure proved most fortunate one,
since, had this building been destroyed
along with the rest, the legislative branch
Of the Government would In all nkeli-
hood have had to seek quarters outside
the city, and, had it done so, 1t may
never have returned to Washington.
But the third session, of the Thir-
teenth Congress was held in this build
ing, and continued to meet there until
December, 1915, or early in January,
1916.
Evening star., 1942-02-01

sition, from the Government economy
bloc.
The passage of the Ramspeck- Mead
bill, secured automatic salary increases
for all Federal workers and most District
Of Columbia employees.
Other offensives well under way pro-
vide retirement compensations and SAL
ary reclassifications for the lower income
groups. The longevity bill, applicable to
the postal service, is an example. Sen
ator Mead says confidently that all will
pass. His confidence seems justified by
the fact that virtually they have all
passed, the only difficulty being the rela-
lively minor one that the provisions of
the House and Senate bills are slightly
different, for which reason the bills must
60 to joint conference for compromise
and adjustment, after which their en-
actment should be speedy and a mere
matter of form.
mo one is really against them,' ex-
planned the Senator.
When Senator Meade spoke recently
on The Star Radio Forum, on the topic
of the Federal worker and his place in
the national service, he pointed out that
Federal employees are not mere imper-
sonal and unimportant cogs in the ma
chinery of an impersonal Government,
but are friends and neighbors serving us
all in immensely important ways. He
feels that it is going to take an efficient
Government to win the war and restore
sanity to the world, and the efficiency
of the whole depends upon that of its
component parts.
Right now, in the emergency, many Of
these component parts" are putting in
long hours of overtime with no extra
pay, and. be it noted, with no complaint.
Senator Mead believes in, and has acted
on, the theory-which could be termed
hard boiled by those who like to think
that way-that it pays good dividends to
deal and get automatically in return
more efficiency.
Long ago Congress wisely decided that
highly important executives. like the
President and the members of the Su-
preme Court, should be secure in their
tenure of ONCE and so we'll paid that
they in turn could pay their own per-
sonal obligations, live comfortably within
their means, and with their minds free
Of financial worries. be better able to
devote their talents to the service of the
people Of the United States. The same
general principle should apply to Fed
eral employees Of lesser rank-but it has
taken Senator's Mead's perspicacity to
see that and to work for 1t.
Evening star., 1942-02-01

the police force, who saw smoke issuing
from the Ninth street windows, turned
in an alarm and the Fire Department
was quickly on the scene. but the fire in
the meantime had gained much headway.
Arnold, who turned in the alarm, as
many will recall, was later and for many
years known to all as Lieut.. Dick" Ar
mold, being stationed at No. l precinct.
He was an unusually eficient onlcer,
and. strange as it may seem, it was his
efficiency that led to his separation from
the force.
Martin Cronin. one of the best fire.
fighters Washington ever had, was then
chief engineer of the department. and.
upon arriving at the fire, at once turned
in a general alarm. Secretary of the
Interior Carl Schurz. who had ofIices in
the building, urged that immediate as
sistance be requested of Baltimore, and
the mayor of that city was accordingly
appealed to, to send over what flremen
and apparatus they could spare. Alex
andria was also telegraphed to for aid
and sent the steamer Hydralion and the
relief hook and ladder company with
their truck, which was put on the boat
Evening star., 1942-02-01
By Basil Gordon.

He would probably still be chairman
had not higher honors called; on No.
vember 8. 1888, he was elected to the
Senate to fill the vacancy for the term
ending January 8, 1941, caused by the
death Of the Honorable Royal S. Cope
land. Inasmuch as he could not be both
Representative and Senator, he resigned
as the former on December 2. 1888, and
took Office the next day as Senator. He
was reelected year ago last November.
AS may well be imagined, all this time
he kept in close touch with Mr.. RAM
speck whose ideas he approved. Having
Evening star., 1942-02-01

been a Federal worker himself in one
of the lower and insecure brackets, he
realized what that class was up against,
and welcomed any assistance to remedy
the evil.
His transfer to the Senate In 1898
did nothing to disrupt collaboration.
Rather, it strengthened it. BY having
one member moved to q new front, the
Senate, the pair were able to combine
their strategy and execute = pincers
movement, one jaw from each branch OF
Congress. Together they broke the OPP
position-and there was plenty Of oppo-
Evening star., 1942-04-28
Social Justice Agent Guilty
OF Smashing News Camera
BY the Associated Press.

by the hSSoclateo Fress,
BOSTON, April 28.-Joseph Nc
Donald, driver of truck distribut-
ing the magazine Social Justice, was
convicted yesterday of destroying
the camera of Boston Herald pho
tographer who attempted to take his
picture and was sentenced to three
months in the House of Correction.
Mcdonald. who pleaded innocent
to a specific charge of wanton de-
struction of personal property, ap-
pealed and was released under $500
bail.
Municipal Judge Jacob Spiegel, in
passing sentence, said "conceivably,
in the heat of anger, person might
do something which he might not
otherwise do. But when this man
here picked up the pieces of the
camera and threw them in the air
at the approach of an officer, it was
a deliberate act-a bold, defiant act
against the property rights of an
other"
The Herald photographer. Arthur
Hansen, testified that Mcdonald
kicked the camera out of his hands
when he attempted to take pictures
of Social Justice magazine distribu-
ton on Sunday, April 10. after the
publication had been barred from
the mails.