davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Why Not Change 1t?

Real bombers flying over Wash
stngton, with incendiary bombs previ-
ously placed in safe locations being
detonated to simulate exploding mis-
Slles from the air, will give a sound
touch of realism to afraid drills and
stimulate tagging interest in pre-
.paredneSs for civilian defense.
But one wonders how long we shall
continue to use the British system of
warnings, transplanted from London
early in the war and adopted by the
Office of Civilian Defense with barely
a changer 1t will be recalled that
the yellow" signal, of which the
public is unaware, warns police and
other officials of planes which may be
half an hour away. In London, this
signal was chiefly for the benefit of
public utilities, the police and other
officials who needed this warning in
advance. Next comes the blue" also
unknown to civilians, which means
that planes may be twenty minutes
away, and in London-where every
thing was perpetually BACKED out
already except essential tranSporta-
ton and other operating hghts-this
signal meant extinction of those
lights. Then comes the final. or red"
signal, and the SirenS-which means
the public must scurry for shelter.
There is no good reason for per-
petuating in this country system
of signals designed for condition
existing in London during nightly
bombing raids, but which could
hardly exist here. Most important
Of all, however, Is that as soon as
enemy planes bound in this direction
are sighted the public should be
notified Immediately, and every
available siren should screech at it's
maximum capacity and continue to
screech.
In the opinion of people who ought
to know, and with whom The Star
has discussed this matter infor-
mally, the public should be warned
by every means available as soon as
the first enemy plane comes within
striking distance of its possible OBJ
iective, without wasting precious
minutes on "yellows" and blues" 1t
should not be difficult to change the
signal system to meet the actual con-
ditions anticipated in this country.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
SeurchIiqht

Like FURNISHED steel your certain
beam cuts through
Jet darkness and Eliminates the
sky.
You chart the heaUens until the
starry blue
Reveal its secrets to your cleaning
eye,
oh. searcher OF the night Akin to
moon,
To sun, you fade and Name and
fade again,
ouer metropolis snd ware-vashed
dune
Until the hours OF darkness loon.
tn pdtn.
Hoto magical Ho1o nottt yoar shaft
OF light
But more than beauty. you are sen-
tfnel
OF drotoSy cities. Constant. amber
bright,
You softly moue across the sky to
tell
OF men on ,Udtch-,Dhere darkness
retgns belotO-
Free men! And unafraid Of any foe.
JOHN RICHARD MOREI.ANp.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Americans Said 10 Lack Pride
In appointment of Minister to Australia
To the Editor of The Star

To the Editor of The Star:
The rejection of Edward J. Flvnn,s
appointment should not be considered
as partisan or political issue. and GER
talnly 1t Will not be so regarded by the
country.
Every President, Republican or Demo-
GRAFT has had his quota of unwise an
polntments. This is the very reason for
the existence of the Senate's constitu
tlonal power to confirm or reject presi-
DENTAL appointments to high office.
The failure of the Senate to act on
patriotic rather than party considera-
tons in considering Mr.. Flynn would
shake the faith Of the people in the new
Congress.
The fact that the Senate rejects Mr..
Flynn while at the same time both Re-
publcans and Democrats doubtless will
vote to confirm the new Supreme Court
and Office of Price Administration ap-
pointments should serve to remove the
idea that objection to Mr.. Flynn Is merely
political
Americans want to feel proud of their
representatives to foreign countries Mr..
Flynn has been exonerated of the charges
against him in the paving block case"
insofar as any violation of law is con-
cerned; but his appointment comes at q
time when the Governor of New York
has been requested to reopen the case
and when the Governor has not yet had
time to act upon that request. Amer
leans generally can feel no pride in send
ing a representative to Australia under
such circumstances. r. 3. II.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Mrs. Richards

For the proper appraisal OF Mrs.
Laura Elizabeth Richards new and
more meaningful words should be in
vented. She was the last and in many
respects the most attractive member
of the New England literary group
to which Emerson, Thoreau, the
Alcotts, Margaret Fuller the Haw-
thornes, Horace Mann, Longfellow,
Lowell and Oliver Wendell Holmes
belonged. Her parents were DIT.
Samuel Gridley Howe, the champion
of peoples and persons laboring under
disability" and Julia Ward, the au-
thor of The Battle Hymn Of the
Republic" noblest Of American songs
of freedom.
Born in Boston on February 27
1850, Mrs. Richards grew up IN all
atmosphere which was vibrant with
humanitarian zeal She was named
for Laura Bridgman, the deaf and
blind pupil whom her father educated
as a living proof of his creative
y
career began when she was ten and
continued until just a few months
ago The list of her books includes
approximately hundred titles.
Probably the best known of her
efforts is the unforgettable juvenile
story of Captain January" published
In 1890 and still a classic. Scholarly
biographies Of Joan Of Arc, Florence
Nightingale, Abigail Adams, Elizabeth
Fry and other heroic characters
demonstrated her right to be re-
earded as serious artist but her
fictional interpretations Of people she
merely imagined were preferred by
the general public. To meet "the
Merryweathers," the Armstrong;, -
Mrs. Tree and Miss Jimmy was to
enrich ones experience.
Mrs Richards, however must not
be considered only as an accom-
plished "blue stocking" She was a
personality of such beauty and power
IS to influence many ncighbOrS and
an even larger company OF strangers.
Married in 1871 to gifted architect,
she made her home from 1876 onward
at Gardiner on the Kennebec River
in Maine. Her sons and daughters
were a group whose nurture was her
chief concern, but she did not limit
her services to them exclusively. The
youth of the whole community came
under her guidance. In collaboration
with her husband, she sponsored and
developed one of the first summer
camps in the Belgrade woods. There
by guarded fire and against a fra
grant curtain Of pine trees, she read
aloud to spellbound youngsters the
Bible, Shakespeare, Dickens and
@cca sionally. some fragment of her
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Lost Roundup

One Of the most dramatic mo-
ments in the history Of the old West
Is the tear jerker where the Texas
Ranger must part with his mount.
The faithful steed, under the stress
of carrying him over many a hard
mile, has broken down, and must
head for the last roundup. Accord
ing to legend even this tough hombre
is allowed tear or two, as he sadly
slips the old persuader from its hol-
Ster, signs so long, old pal" and fires
the coup de grace into the stricken
mount to ease its final suffering mo-
mentS.
The other day that scene, long
supposed extinct, was revived deep
in the heart of Texas. The ranger,
it is true, patrolled the highways, not
the plains, on a motorcycle, not a
horse. But his technique was strictly
according to HoyIe. What actually
happened was that the machine
caught fire, and the patrolman,
afraid that the gas tank might ex-
plode, had dismounted and shot holes
into it to let the gasoline out where
it could burn freely in the open-but
amazed spectators did not realize
that. What they saw was precious
bit Of the old West, modernized in
outward appearance yet with the in
herent drama unaltered. There was
scarcely dry eye in the crowd; some.
looking at all that gasoline squirting
from the carcass into the dust, &C
tually broke down and wept.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
THIS AND THAT
By Charles Z. Trdce1CeH.

worms come up out of the soil Of lawn
and crawl onto a sidewalk when water
is turned onto the lawn, even when 1t Is
flooded by water from hose.
Repeatedly over the years, after heavy
summer showers have seen earthworms
on paVements and sidewalks. Usually
they are dead or mutilated. II sudden
rain brings them up out OF the lawns,
why do they never come up when the
lawn may be flooded from a hose?
DO earthWorms actually fall from the
sky? Sincerely yours, c. L. c.
EarthwOrms are nocturnal. and when
the darkness OF heavy storm comes
on, they react in the customary way to
the lack Of light
The water then catches them, as they
crawl out Of the earth, all at about the
same time, and floods them outward to-
ward the sidewalk and street.
Since most sidewalks and streets are
combinations of the grassy areas, it is
only natural that The worms would be
deposited on them at the end of the
storm. The mutllationS and breakageS
would result from their enforced jour
ney. just why they would be evenly
distributed is another question. On the
other hand, there have been instances
Of rains of various living things, but
they do not often occur, and usually only
in strange and far places where climatic
conditions are more severe and dra-
matte.
Our earthWCrm has many relatives,
some of them of astonishing size.
One earthWorm in Java is several feet
in length, and makes noise as it creeps
around in the night.
This sound is said to result when the
creatures bristles hit against stones.
Tasmania however, takes the prize
with an earthWorm of feet in length.
It is said to retire into its burrow with
a gTgling noise
No information comes as to the sort
Of noise made by unWary paSserSby when
they see the creature.
Tree-climbing earthW orms are to be
found in certain foreign lands.
All of these worms, including our own
humble species, are really marvellous
creatures, having red blood in abund-
ance, with thin integument showing it
plainly. That is why they are red. The
red coloring matter exists in the blood
itself, in the fluid, rather than in the red
blood cells, as in man.
The skin enables the creature to take
in oxygen, right into the blood and to
get rid of the carbon dioXide.
Thus an earthworm is all lung" as
one might say in the plan OF speech
devised by the Indian, when some one
asked him why, with very little clothes
on, he did not get cold in winter Me
all face" he is supposed to have said.
An earthworm is all lung, and the rest
of him is all blood Hence he is really
a wonderful thing, something to marvel
at, not to kill on sight, or to think Of
solely as bait.
EarthWorms get into tubs by crawling
up over the sides. We have often seen
them do this in tubs placed in gardens
for goldhshes. The unlucky worm which
crawls into the water is eaten with great
gusto.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16

In few months when left unused, espe-
cially If standing outside as the ma
jority of cars are in this area?
Is it fact Gas Leon Henderson says
that there are 100000 card holders
IN the Eastern States areas where So
called pleasure" driving is completely
banned? That is, virtually banned by
reason of the terrifying threats of Gov
eminent understrappers?
Is it not fair estimate that the
average value of motor cars owned by
card holders is at least $500 per carp
Does this not mean that approximately
two and half billion dollars of private
property $500 times 100000 is threat
ened with complete ruin and loss bv
Government order?
Is it not fact that many of the A
card holders are still paying finance
companies Cor their liquidators) to 10
per cent or more interest on as vet I'M
completed payments on thousands of
these cars?
Has any moratorium been declared on
these payments on cars of which the
Government has deprived the owner of
use?
Is it not fact that municipal and
county units continue to assess these
unused cars a. personal property? Is it
not correct that in Arlington County
the assessment on such cars is $3.50 a
hundred as personal property and a car
valued at the low average of $500 Is
liable to tax of SIS in addition to the
state taxes for car and drivers licenses?
Is 1t not fact that when the Govern
ment wants to stop, or take over the
USE of landed property for it's own pyr-
poses 1t readily pays hundreds of millions
Of dollars in compensation to the owners?
Was this not done, for instance, In the
case of the expensive Friendship estate
and the enormously high-priced property
taken over for environs and roads around
the Pentagon Building?
Is there any law, practice, custom or
ethic that requires preferential treat
ment for owners of real estate rs against
owners of personal property when either
Is seized or estopped from use by the
Government?
is 1t not fact that In Britain when
the government ordered use of motor
cars for pleasure" halted that the gov
eminent offered to. and did buy, from
the owners all such cars at a fair. arbi-
trated value?
VERY CURIOUS DEMOCRAT.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Asks Rhetorical Questions
Relating to Gas Ratjoning.
To the Editor Of The Sta,

To the Editor Of The Star:
Will you be good enough to permit me
to ask the following questions In the
columns of your influential journal?
Does any person of common sense
really believe that an A card holder can
take pleasure" in driving on three
gallons of gas AS to 60 niles per week?
Is it not fact that the overwhelming
number of A card holders are merely
the more honest Cor more periodically
naive) portion of the population who
believed that Is gallons originally was
enough to get them to work or for neces-
sary visits to the grocer, druggist, doctor,
dentist, etc?
Is 1t not a fact that such a finely
machlned mechanism as the modern car
will rust inside the cylinders and working
parts, deteriorate to complete ruin with
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
FOURTEENTH STREET.

4
Dear Sir.
Il always read your daily contribution
to the pages Of The Evening Star, and
was particularly interested in your re-
cent dissertation as TO earthWorms.
When 1 saw what was the subject OF
your discussion for that day I hoped
might find something in it on a point
which has interested me for a good many
years, but you did not touch upon it.
Since childhood days on a farm I
have heard it said that eGrthworms
occasionally rain down. Now, this seems
on its face to be a prepoSterous state
ment. But from observations over a good
many years, I am all but thoroughly
convinced that they do.
L recall once when I was boy that
my mother, with the housewives eager
ness to get ranWater for certain house
hold purposes, set a waShtub under the
caves Of an outbuilding and placed a
wide board S!anting into the tub to catch
as much water as possible from an APP
preaching rainstorm. After the shower
i've earthWorm was found in the tub
carefully Immediately before the shower.
to be able to state positively that there
was no worm in the tub when the shower
began. But certainly no one had placed
an earthWorm in the tub and it is hardly
conceivable that one would or could
crawl into a tub.
r
particularly cum, nv,
shower in a small Texas city some years
ago. 1t was very hard shower which
lasted not more than 20 minutes. When
the shower was over / saw earthWorms
on the asphalt paving of the street and
on the concrete sidewalks of the resi-
dental section where I happened. to be.
The street from curb to curb was literal
ly covered with earthWorms, and I am
certain that there was not g. single
square foot Of pavement which did not
bear an earthWorm or two at least half
OF them broken or mutllated as though
bruised from fall, and those apparently
uninjured were not moving to any ex-
tent.
The same condition existed on the
dozen blocks Or more there were earth
worms quite evenly distributed over the
street and the sidewalks. Farther away
where the rain was equally heavy, no
worms were to be seen on the pavement
although there were lawns along the
streets.
X
Again there is the rather remote pos
sibility that all of those worms during
the shower crawled up out of the earth
OF the lawns and the parkway between
the sidewalks and the curbs, and dis
trlbuted themselves evenly over the
pavement and sidewalks. And very large
drops of rain could, suppose, break
and mutilate good many of those
worms. But the even distribution of the
worms, and the fact of their being
largely mutilated, makes it evident to
me that they were rained down.
IF not why did they crawl up out
Of the earth when it began to rain and
distribute themselves evenly over a 60
foot paved street? Why, too, do they
not come up onto the pavement during
every rain? am sure I never saw earth
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16
Danger of Smoking in Bed
Discussed by Advocate of Educa tior

Discussed by Advocate OF Education.
To the Editor of The Star:
A fire in a District rooming house on
December 81 caused the death of two
young men. Since this disaster, certain
officials have been issuing statements
containing such severe condemnation as
to leave the general impression that
many rooming house proprietors must
be potential murderers.
1t may be that some buildings used as
rooming houses are overcrowded and
not properly equipped with fire escapes.
But the chief culprit in causing property
damage of $4,000 and the loss of two
lives in the fire on Euclid street NV.
has not been denounced by any repre-
sentative of the District government.
refer to the careless smoker.
In The Star for January / Fire Mar
shall Calvin G. LAUDER was quoted as
confirming police reports that lighted
cigarette ignited a fire on a day bed in
a first-foor hallway, which quickly spread
to all parts of the house"
The Brighton Hotel fire probably was
caused by a lighted cigarette in the
hand of the unfortunate victim, who
might have fallen asleep while smoking
In this instance property damage was
relatively slight because a passerby in
the hall smelled smoke soon after the
fire had started But for this early de-
lection the fire might have spread to the
entire building, causing its destruction.
Moreover, the press has recently re-
ported the cases of two women whose
untimely death was attributed to falling
asleep while smoking
Thousands of people in Washington
apartments and rooming houses are ex-
posed nightly to the danger that claimed
the lives Of the above persons. There is
no way of estimating the number of
smokers, driven by habit to smoke in
bed, who endanger their own lives and
those of defenseless neighbors in the
same buildings.
Yes, rooming houses should be IN
speCted with view to saving lives in
case of fire, but there also should be
inaugurated an educational campaign
revealing the cigarette as an agent of
death when smoked in bed
DIR. J. RAYMOND SCHMIDT.
General Superintendent, National Civic
League.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16

own composition. Edwin Arlington
Robinson was among her proteges.
The passing of time brought Mrs.
Richards many honors. Her work
was appreciated by the most dis
eliminating critics as we'll as by non
professional readers. She wished to
write until the end, and her prayer
was granted. In a few weeks she
would have been ninety three. No
other woman of her generation more
truly deserved her country's grateful
remembrance.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-16

@. How many amendments are in
Guided in the Bill of Rights?-E N. F.
A. The American Bill of Rights con-
sists of the first 10 amendments to the
Constitution.
@. What opera was rejected by the
management of an opera company be-
cause there was no part for prima
donna?-A Y.
A. Boris Godunov." AS originally
written, the opera had no solos, no ballet,
no role for a prima donna Revision to
suit managerial requirements took nearly
two years.
Q. Were any of the British colonies
occupied by the enemy in the last WARP
D. U.
A. No British possession was occupied
by enemy forces in the First World War.
O. What is a ciborium2-E. L. H
A. This vessel is used as a container
| for the consecrated bread used at holy
| communion. 1t resembles chance. The
ciborium, however, has cover.
@. How did the fish known as the ale
| wife get this name?-G. H
| A. The origin of the name Is In doubt,
but. perhaps was given from fancied
| resemblance in shape TO the typical
| English tavernkeeper's wife.
@. What Is the oficial language of
Canada?-W. T. T.
A. Canada has two Official Languages,
English and French.
@. At what rate does the Amazon
River empty water into the ocean,
D. N. E.
A. The Amazon empties into the At
lantic Ocean at the rate of five million
| gallons second
@. What is a dumdum bullet?-D.
N. C.
A. A dumdum bullet Is a kind of ex-
from Dumdum, in India, where 1t has
been manufactured
Q. How many kinds of sponges are
there?-T. r. E.
A. There are about 1000 species vary
ing in size from a pinhesd to those
weighing over lUO POUNDS.
@. What is the real name OF the actor
Lewis Stone?-T. I. c.
A. The real name of the actor is Lewis
Stone. He was born November IS, 1879,
in Worcester, Mass.
@. Did Shakespeare invent Romeo and
Juliet, or was theirs a true story?-N.
c. j.
A. The story of Romeo and Juliet was
not originated by Shakespeare. The
story was very popular in Italy before
Shakespeare wrote his famous tragedy.
1t is possible that the original plot was
taken from life.
@. Where did the German Parliament
meet after the fire in the Reichstag
Building in 1933?-H
A. 1t met in the Knoll Opera House in
Berlin
@. On what date in 1868 was Carlisle.
Pa, shelled?-T. r.
A. On the afternoon OF July l, 1863. a
force of 5000 Conferedate cavalrymen
under Gen. Fitzhugh Lee demanded the
surrender of Carlisle, Pa. These men
were from the corps OF Gen. Jeb Stuart
who had ridden around the Union Army
and been cut off from Gen. Lee.