davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Desire to Improve
Lowly Potato Led
Burbank to Fame

Nobody, unless he had nothing
else to think about, would waste
much thought on the lowly potato.
Yet this common garden vegetable
was the beginning of the great ex-
pertinent in crossing plants which
brought fame to Luther Burbank
and great benefit to the civilized
world.
When Luther was just lad in his
Massachusetts, home, he noticed that
the potatoes in his fathers garden
were undersized and scraggly. He
decided to see what could be done
about it. BY careful selection of
seeds and land, he finally evolved a
potato that he could show his
neighbors with pride.
Later, he became modern wizard
In his crossbreeding of plants Of
many kinds, such as a plum with
out pits, the white blackberry, the
plumcot IA cross between the plum
and the APRICOT, and the wonder
berry "a cross between the rasp-
berry and the dewberry). He I'M
proved the rose and the lily, pro-
duced the beautiful Shasta daisy,
and made crimson poppies out of
yellow ones, besides many other
teats of hybridization.
His California home, where he
spent the latter part of his life, was
the mecca for his followers from all
over the world Some came from
curiosity to see the great man, but
most of them wanted to learn about
his methods of crossbreeding, by
which he achieved his marvellous
results.
Evening star., 1943-09-12


by club members, and then you are
private, first class. After that, every
10 beetles caught mean a higher
rank. The younger members, those
from to 5, catch beetles, too, but
their Japs are put in concentration
camps-which means they are fed
to the ducks or chickens. The Of
ficers are allowed to machine-gun
their captives, meaning stamping
them to death on the pavement.
At present, there are eight men,
bers: Tech. Sergt. Teddy Brown who
is credited with 3,062 beetles; First
Sergt. Billy Knoppel. 2,012; Maj.
Gen. Bunny Brown, 1,7O6; Col. Wal
ter Knoppel, 583; Warrant Officer
Jimmy Nedly, 507, and Jean Knop-
pei, $50. The remaining members
are buck privates.
According to Col. Walter, the best
fields for invasion are rose bushes,
grape arbors and apple trees.
The mothers of the club members
have taken turns in having parties
for the officers in appreciation for
tnelr SplenQld WORK.
The club insignia are made from
scraps of materials by Tech. Sergt.
Teddy.
When I asked some of the mem
bers how long the Beetle Club"
would last, they said, "As long as
there are any beetles on Nicholson
street"
Evening star., 1943-09-12
| lust Between
Yourselves
BY PHILIP H. LOVE,
Editor, The Junior Star.
WI, Ike Tn u,rite7

LIZ yOa l2sAc W WIlIcf
Would you like to be a reporter?
Well, aim your pen or typewriter
at The Junior Star and fire away.
Every year, boys and girls in all
the schools of the District and
nearby Maryland and Virginia act
as correspondents of The Junior
Star. And every year new corre-
spondents are needed to take the
places of those who have graduated.
All girls and boys, from the first
grade through the fourth year of
high school, are eligible to write
for The Junior Star. And all cor
respondents, regardless of age, stand
an equal chance to share in the SIS
in cash prizes awarded for the best
contributions published each week.
Some correspondents are ap-
pointed by their teachers, but many
others appoint themselves, so to
speak, by turning in an interesting
news story or feature article. This
year, as IN the past, The Junior Star
will welcome both kinds of CORE
spondents. That Is to say, it will
continue to cooperate with all
teachers who wish to designate Off
cial correspondents for their
schools, and it also will continue to
extend cordial greeting to stu
dents acting on their own initiative.
If you would like to be one of
your schools correspondents this
year, read the contributors rules
published elsewhere on this page,
and then get busy on a story or
article. When your contribution is
ready for editorial consideration,
mail or bring it to The Junior Star
Office. If it is good enough, you
will be given card identifying you
as a member of The Junior Stars
reportorial staff.
Maybe you are a bit hazy as to
just what kind of stories and articles
The Junior Star wants. Well, the
prize winning contributions today
and every other Sunday ought to
set you straight. But if they don't,
then you should drop in at The
Junior Star Office for a talk. I'll
be glad to go over your story ideas
with you. And if you have no def
mite ideas. I'll even try to think up
some for you.
If you like to write, if you would
like to be a reporter, start shooting
at The Junior Star right now
today. 1t will be fun to see how
many bulPs-eyes you can score. 1t
will be fun to see your stories in
print, with the thrilling words,
Prize Contribution, above your
name. 1t will be fun to cash the
checks and have the money for
your very own. And it will be in
teresting and valuable experience,
besides, So
Get busy on that story you've
been intending to write, about the
boy next door, or the girl in the
next block-it doesn't matter, really,
what it's about, just so it's inter-
esting. The important thing Is
that you get started-now.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Buccaneers Once
Were Hunters in
San Domingo

BOLD buccaneer" means pirate"
to us, but this word once had very
peaceful meaning which it lost en-
tirely after it turned bandit.
The word comes from "boucan," !"
an Indian name given to a hut in
which the flesh of cattle killed in
hunting was cured or smoked. The
word first appeared on the island
of Hispaniola. known now as San
Domingo, in the West Indies. About
1880 party of French colonists
settled there and found hunting the
most profitable way of making a
living. They hunted in companies
of 10 or IL with their dogs. These
colonists were a peaceful, hard
working people, though very rough
looking and rude in their manners
and way of living.
The island was controlled by the
Spaniards, who did not like these
hunters. They hunted, too, but
merely as a sport, riding on horse
back and carrying long spears. After
a time, there came to be constant
warfare between bands of the hunt
ers and the rulers of the island.
The Spaniards finally struck on a
plan to get rid of the buccaneers,
They issued an order calling for the
killing of all wild cattle, hoping to
starve out the hunters by this
slaughter of their means of living.
Driven from their woods, the
angry hunters turned from the
land to the sea, calling themselves
Soldiers of fortune" They organ
lied and took refuge on the neigh
boring island of Tortuga, later to
become the famous pirate island
The Spaniards made attacks on
them which the buccaneers with
stood. The hunters became more
bold and began making attacks
themselves, not only on land, but on
incoming Spanish boats. That was
how the buccaneers, as we know the
word, came to be.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Silver Spring Girl
Spends Vacation
Helping Farmer
Pr-ze Contribution.
Nv LOIS METCALFE. II.

Silver Spring (Md) intermediate School.
My family took a vacation on a
farm. We helped the farmer lot
and had plenty of fun, too.
We helped the farmer by peeling
tomatoes and pears for canning.
cutting and raking grass and doing
everything we could to make our
selves useful. My brother even aid
ed in the job Of topping tobacco and
slowing it away in the barn.
The river provided most of the
fun. There were two rowboats, and
every day we rowed about a mile to
go swimming. But we also enjoyed
two swings and croquet set.
One day, as we were rowing back
from swimming, we saw big splashes
in the water. At first, we thought
they might be mines, as the Navy
is active on the river, and then we
thought of sharks. We went home
as fast as our oars would take us.
Later, we were told the splashes
probably were made by skates. fish
weighing from 80 to 60 pounds which
60 in schools.
Evening star., 1943-09-12

~ W 1LlC.
Soon, we came to another hollow
stump on the shore of the lake
My father knocked at the bottom OF
the high stump. and flying squirrel
about inches long jumped out and
sailed to a tree. We looked at the
stump again and saw two little heads
peeking out. My father got a stick
to make sharper noise, and then
the other parent jumped out and
ran up to the top of the stump and
sailed to a tree about a hundred
feet away. 1t was a much longer
flight than the first. My father hit
the stump again and the young
came out of the nest. They were
gray, with very fiat tails, and seemed
to be grown. One after another
went back in the hole.
After a while, we walked back
into the woous, and lots of green
frogs jumped out from under our
feet along the path. I almost stepped
on a little snake, but it glided quickly
into the water. It went so fast,
couldn't see 1t 60.
When we went across a bridge,
we saw big carp, 10 or II inches
long, in the stream. It swan down
the stream and went into the lake.
We came out of the woods and
walked toward the lake again. I
pointed out two wild ducks. We
went toward them. and all of sud-
den two little heads stuck out from
under the mother. She swan to-
ward the shore, into the reeds. When
she got to the reeds, she pushed her
young under the water with her
beak while the father swan out
by us, and was showing off so we
would pay more attention to him
than to the mother and children
There were only two young ducks,
but there should have been about a
dozen They were fuzzy and black
There were lots of little fish, just
Matched from eggs in the shallow
water. They were in big groups,
about a hundred in each. There
were cricket frogs, bull frogs. green
frogs and toads singing all over the
lake. Later, we went back to the
squirrels nest and knocked again
Only two heads stuck out of the
hole. 1t was nearly dark now, and
we thought we would go home. AS
we took a few steps, big cecropia
moth flew up in front of us. Then a
big bat few around our heads. diving
after insects. 1t was about 10 inches
wide with the wings spread.
Later, we went to the lake again
to show my mother the squirrels
But the squirrels had left, and we
couldn't find the ducks. My mother
said, Look, kids, snake!"
We ran up to her and saw it. My
father said, "It's king snake"
We surrounded him and patted
him, and he tried to get a chance
to escape. Soon, he thought he had
chane to get away, so he climbed
up holly bush. He turned around
and around, so puzzled. He decided
to get down from the bush. He sat
so still, thinking this was his last
day of life, but it wasn't. Our family
doesn't kill harmless snakes.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
In Local Bridge Circles :.

w. H. Gorton and DR.. N. j. McHugh,
1855; Mr.. and Mrs. L. Salvatore, 1853.
the Cumberland Valley tournament,
transferred from Frederick, Md, to
the Wardman Park Hotel. It will
open September "a with a women S
and mems pair game running
simultaneously, in one session, and
be followed September Is with a
mixed pair game, also in one ses-
sion. The open pair match will be
two-session affair, Sunday after
noon. AS has been usual with the
regional tournaments that have
been moved this year to Washing
ton, the team of four games will
be eliminated because of time and
transportation conditions.
Capt. R. j. Baldwin will be direc-
tor of the games. and William
Cheeks manager of the tournament.
The Matinee Bridge Club inaugu-
rated its fall season Monday after
noon with a duplicate game at the
American Legion clubhouse. Mrs.
Kitty Boyle was conductor and a
Howell game was played. The win
ners were Mrs. Peyton Blamire and
Col. E. B. Gray. The Friday after
noon events will be directed by Mrs.
Marion Barre.
Winners at the Anchor and Sabre
Club, formerly the Junior Off1cers'
Club, with headquarters at the Cairo
Hotel, Monday night we're: 1t. u. g.
Stone and Ensign Arnould, first;
Maj. Merrifeld and 1t. Rider, sec
ond; Mr.. and Mrs. r. G. Davis,
third.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Even Paul Bunyan
Might Envy Feats
Of Wood Chopper
By RAY BLACK.

Lumberjacks in the North woods
chuckle over the legendary feats of
mythical Paul Bunyan, who was
supposed to be able to cut down a
dozen big trees with a single blow
of his axe.
These feats were just tall stories,
of. course, made up to while away
the loneliness of the lumber camps.
There is mechanical wood chop
per at Savannah, Ga, however, that
actually performs feats worthy OF
including with the Bunyan myths.
This steel Paul Bunyan" machine
can reduce a log of Southern pine
feet long and feet thick, to chips
the size of your thumbnail in less
than seconds.
1t can make thumbnail-size chips
out of whole cord of wood, enough
to make stack feet long, 4 feet
wide. and feet high, in As seconds.
Logs slide down a chute against a
huge whirling disk on which are
mounted sharp knives. These
knives slice off the small chips as
one process in the preparation OF
wood pulp.
From wood pulp is made the
newsprint on which our newspapers
are printed. 1t also can be treated
to extract cellulose, from which are
made such widely different things
as rayon hose and high explosives
for munitions.
Scientists now are studying a
means of making alcohol from the
wastes created in the making OF
nevsprint Such alcohol could be
used in the making of explosives
and of synthetic rubber, it is be-
lieved
Hence the mechanical wood chop
per is a war worker of which ever
a Paul Bunyan could we'll be proud.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Bv Frank B. Lord.

Contract bridge among Govern
ment employees started off with a
bang at the Wardman Park Hotel
last Tuesday evening when the
Federal Bridge League opened its
winter-spring season Of team of four
games. The session, however, was
only preliminary one, given as
curtain-raiser for the coming events.
1t was guests night, and everything
was on the league. The result was
the largest attendance Of players
since the league was organized a
dozen years ago.
During the past summer. mem
bers of the league have been ex-
tending invitations to membership.
Somewhat of surprise awaited
George Kathan, president, and fell
low officers when 1t was found that
the response was SO great that 1t
was necessary to conduct the meet
ing in one Of the larger halls of the
hotel because the accommodations
at the usual headquarters were not
adequate to afford playing space for
all the guests Extra equipment was
brought in, and when the game
started about IS foursomes entered.
MI. Kathan announced that the
leagues equipment throughout the
season would be sufficient only for
80 teams. and as % already have reg
istered there will be room only for
two more, and it is expected that
will eNaoIi11y ho fi11oH
Membership will be limited to
employees of the Federal and Dis
trict governments, officers and en-
listed men and women of the Army,
Navy and Marine Corps and the
Coast Guard. Included among those
who will be eligible to play will be
any member of their families who
may be domiciled in the same resi-
dence. Thus. those who may par
ticipate in the games are the wives.
husbands. sons and daughters, and
brothers and sisters, of any person
in any of these services. The season
will be divided into two 13-game
sessions. the first ending the week
before the Christmas holidays and
the second beginning two weeks
thereafter.
During the holiday hiatus there
will be a pair game each Tuesday
night at which all players, regard
less of their membership in the
league, will be allowed to partici-
pate. The only other depression
from the weekly team of four games
each Tuesday evening will be the
master pair game the last Tuesday
of each month. The regular team
game play will begin next Tuesday,
when it is expected that all 80 teams
will be organized and prepared to
enter the matches. They will be
divided into three sections, and Paul
E. Golden will act as director.
The leagues master point game
resulted as follows: Isaac York and
Mrs. Dora Schwartz, BIT; Dr. A. J.
Steinberg and A. Westrich; 3021a;
Mrs. Irene Surguy and Gene Her.
mann, 2099; Miss Florence Thomp-
son and A. Fibel, 2768; DR.. w. H.
Gotron and Dr. N. j. McHugh, 27512.
Twenty-nine pairs participated.
The last of the seasons pair
games games of the Washington
Bridge League produced the follow
ing leaders: North and South, Mrs.
Violet thinner and Tom Wallace,
1929; Mrs. Irene Surguy and Gene
Hermann, 1882; East and West, DR..
Evening star., 1943-09-12

!. Wolfe, and I can sing the tune, and
her brother Jack plays it on his
horn
Helen suggested that the reporter
read the lyrics, and volunteered the
information that she is in 5-A at
Brightwood School. Il went there
all along, except for kindergarten.
That doesn't count, does it?"
Here is the song Helen wrote:
Buy bond, buy a bond,
Take it out of your pay;
Buy bond, buy d bond,
Buy one every day.
Can't you hear me calling,
Can't you hear me falling?
No can't, no I can't,
But I knoD 1Ohat you're trying to say
Buy bond, buy a bond,
Help your Uncle Sam;
Help him do 1Dhdt he 1D1ntS
To free our ndtiue landi
do you think it will help make
people buy bonds?" she asked. The
reporter nodded.
Helen got up, said Thank you,"
and went to the door. She turned,
smiled back brightly, and went cut
humming the tune to her War bond
song,
Evening star., 1943-09-12

now. Here are q few recent winners
In War Bond contests:
Get on the Bond wagon"
Every strike against U. S. Is a
run batted in for the Axis"
Buy defense bonds, loyal Yanks;
General Macarthur deserves our
tanks"
Sail the sea Of victory'-buy a
raft of War Bonds"
Buy Stamps and Bonds for the
DO ration"
Some contests require box-top,
label, or entry blank to qualify the
entry for prize. Most contests
have a set of rules. Follow these
rules carefully, for this Is one means
the sponsor takes to eliminate hun
dredS OF entries. In some cases the
rules are very strict.
If you want to give your entry q
chance to win-give it q chance to
be seen and judged Watch closing
dates-better to be early than to
lose out entirely.
There are local contests In almost
every town, and here the beginner
has q wonderful opportunity to ex-
pertinent on his new-found hobby.
with less competition. Once you win
a prize in a local contest you will
gain confidence for bigger competi-
tions to come.
Prize contests are not lotteries.
Entries are read. graded and judged
according to definite standards.
Prizes are awarded for merit and
almost always every effort is made
to present the prizes to the most
deserving entries.
Here are a few tips which may
solve some of the problems you will
meet in your new hobby:
l. Don't worry too much about
the prize-or what you plan to buy
with the money-before you actually
win 1t. Put your mind and effort on
the entry itself. Learn to take pride
in working an entry Systematically
Reason out the different good points
also the bad points in the same
A4dAu1CA yOo WOuAu q AlldI1ICI1dLl LlCi
problem.
2. Don't make work Of the game
In short-enjoy your hobby! Rela,
your mind and let 1t toy with the
subject of the contest. No matter
how silly the ideas you think of dur.
ing this thought wandering
method, set them down on paper
Logic will come later as you weave
colorful words and phrases around
the idea.
3. Don't think you should land the
top prize in the first contest you en-
ter. Aim high, but be a good sport
when you fail to win a prize. Re-
member champion seldom becomes
the champ" in his first attempt.
4. Winning entries are for study
not to copy. Judges know when an
entry is copied. Develop new slants
on old ideas. Make them At the
product.
And so you are launched on a
fascinating cruise through Contest
Land, on the hobby which will bring
you hours Of happiness, much
knowledge and perhaps - prize
checks.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Poser 4 nSwer

Poser AnSzUer
l. Five g. The elephant. Probos-
cidians were animals with long
noses. 3. Under international law,
prize courts determine who gets ships
and cargoes seized in war a. A
great lighthouse, one of the Seven
Wonders of the World. 5. Two vio-
Inns, cello, and viola. 6. Freedom of
speech, freedom of religion, freedom
from want. and freedom from fear.
7. The tails of the marks go up at
the start of a quotation and down
at the end. s. The lily is supposed
to have sprung from the tears of
Eve as she left the Garden OF
Eden.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Posers

l. How many years make quin-
duenniumi?
2. What is the only proboscidian
remaining on the earth?
8. What prizes are awarded at a
prize court?
4. What was the Pharos Of Alex
Andria?
5. What three instruments usually
make up string quartet?
6. What are the four freedoms as
set forth by President Roosevelt?
7. Do the tails of quotation marks
go up, like inverted commas, or
down?
8. What flower according to leg
end) is supposed to have sprung from
whose tears as she was leaving what
place?
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Riddles

/. What did the mahogany casket
say to the oak casket?-Jo Dean
Scott
2. Why is the water just below
the falls green?-Beatrice jenkins.
3, Why are colt and a man with
q cold alike?-Richard Van Tassell.
T. How is a biscuit like the sum-
Jeanie Dellinger.
5. What is the difference between
a girl and a man in the Army?-
Alberta Poston.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Victory Song
Prize Contribution.
By JUDY SOLOMON, IL,
Paul Junior High School.

Paul Junior High School
"V" is for Vitality, to help us win the
war;
II" is for Individuality, which we
are fighting for;
&C" is for our Courage, to fight for
what is right;
"T" is for Tyranny-the iron rod OF
might;
20" is for Oppression, thing we'll
fight to kill;
"R' is for Religion, to worship as
we will
"Y" is for the Yearning for all to be
at peace
A thought We'll never Danish
Till dictatorship shall cease!!
Evening star., 1943-09-12

the beetle sea-
son came to it's
peak and Japa-
nese BEETLES were
eating our Vic
tory garden, a
group of chill
d r en- in IN e
neighbo r h o o d
formed a club to
destroy them in
IN a S S produc-
ton style"
First, you sign
up" then you 60
out and catch
10 "Japs," as
%1A- z1I-
Evening star., 1943-09-12

bush with a big
flower on it. We
| picked two buds
! to take home.
The next thing
we saw was a
f1icker's nest in
a hollow stump.
The flick er
seemed to be do
ing a dance, with
his head going
back and forth.
We came to a
tree with a ce-
cropia cocoon on
1t. My + a t h e r
took it and gave
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Riddle Answers

Riddle Answers
l. rs that you coffin?" 2. Be-
cause it just came over 3. They're
both little horse (hoarse). 4. They
both come up in the yeast (east) and
60 down behind the vest (west)
S. One powders the face and the
other faces the powder.
Evening star., 1943-09-12

Bad Sport
Dad. can't get arithmetic. I'll
have to give it up"
What? A son OF mine grow up
not knowing how to figure batting
averages?"
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Last Pass

Last Pass
Mother, didn't you say that that
old plate had been handed down
from generation to generation?"
Yes, Mary, I did"
We'll, it slipped through the
hands of this generation"
Evening star., 1943-09-12

Student pilot Con second flight
Hey, instructor What do do now?
Other man in Omigosh! !!
Aren't you the instructor?
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Nature Walk
Near Greenbelt
Is Interesting
Prize Contribution.
BY LORCHEN HERMANN, II,

Greenbelt tMd) Elementary School.
One night after supper. Catherine,
Freddy, my father and I took a
walk to the Greenbelt lake. We took
path and walked past a magnolia
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Bright Sun and Star
Prize Contribution.
BY JOSEPH w. MORTON. IL.
Haymarket IVA J schoo,

Haymarket CVa.) School.
This poem is meant for my two
brothers. one in the Ferry Com
mand and the other bombardier
somewhere in China:
Bright star in the sky tonight,
Guard our boy in the fight;
To his target show the way,
Then please guide him home some
day.
Sun that shines on him and me,
Tell him there will always be
Our home and country, too,
Waiting when the fight is through.
Sun and star shining there,
Tell him how much we care;
Watch over him night and day
Never let him lose his way.
Freshman: do YOU think it's bad
luck to have a cat follow you?"
Sophomore: TT all depends. Are
you man or mouse2"
Contributed by Roland +. Floren.
Evening star., 1943-09-12
Junior Army
Wages War on
Jap Beetles
Prize Contribution,
BY BELLA KNOPPEL, IL,
Hyattsville tMd.) High School

If you happen to see some junior
"Army" officers, they probably be-
long to the Beetle Club" Of Nichol-
son street, Hyattsville. You see, as
Evening star., 1943-09-12
DetOnr

Very fat pedestrian. picking him.
self up-You motorists! COULDN'T t
you have gone around me?
Driver-Sorry, old man. I wasn't
sure had enough gas.