davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09
Memoirs of Marine in the Gilberts 50 Years AGO

thatch roof and a veranda all around
about 8 feet high. We entered, and
SO many natives gathered on the va
randa that in the middle of the DOW
WOW 1t fell from being overloaded. The
captain, through the interpreter, told the
King that he would expect his call at
10 a m. next day.
Next morning, an hour before tho
call was to be made, a canoe came from
shore with a big black pig as a present
Tor the captain The animal was taken
on board and put on the forecastle deck.
Near the time for the call, We saw so
canoe loads OF natives heading our way,
King Had No Suspenders
THE yards were manned, also thu
ships rail; saluting gun crews were at
their stations; all officers were on deck
in full dress uniform. The marins
guard was paraded on the quarter
deck; I commanded the guard. The
royal canoe arrived, and his majesty
and the white woman came up the
gangway ladder.
LAS his kingly foot touched the quarter
deck, the first gun of the 21-gun salute
was fired. Neither the King nor the
pig had expected it, and both were
badly scared. The pig jumped over
board and was drowned. The King, OF
course, gave jump, after which it
became apparent that an important
part of his uniform had been for
gotten, for he had no suspenders, and
his trousers fell down about his ankles.
"The guns kept on booming and the
salute of the guard was continuous.
The well-trained marines and crew
struggled valiantly with their emotions
and discipline was maintained. The
captain called a midshipman and sent
him for pair of suspenders. The
Kings sword belt and coat were re-
moved, his trousers pulled up, the sus-
penders put in place, and the salute
finished by the time his majesty was
again dressed.
The rest of the natives then came
aboard, luncheon was served, and as
the King left the ship another 21-gun
salute was fired. the yards and rails
again being manned just as though
he had been the King of England. I
never saw Mr.. Stevenson laugh more
heartily than he did later when I told
him of the Kings visit to our ship"
From which it may be seen that
the Gilbert islanders first contact with
civilization was of dubious value; what
they must think of their latest touch
of it is bevond e~r~ese'cn.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

its early transactions, but interesting to
all nations as contributions to the gen.
eral stock of historical instruction and
political science
The only public building to escape the
torch was the Blodgett Hotel building
on E street between Seventh and Eighth
streets. 1t was then occupied by the
Post Office Department and the Patent
ONCE, and only upon the earnest plea
of DR.. William Thornton and his expla-
nation that the destruction of the pat
ent models would be world loss, was it
spared by the invaders.
A peculiar coincident in connection
with this, the greatest of all Washing
ton CONGREGATIONS, occurred when the
British were on their way to destroy the
powder magazine down near where the
Army War College now stands. When
they arrived there they found the maya
zine empty, the powder having been
taken out the day before and thrown
into a dry well. One Of the British SOL
diers, naturally unaware of this fact,
threw lighted match into the we'll and
most terrific explosion was the result
The officers present and about 80 men
were killed outright. while some Al
others were horribly wounded.
Historic Blaze
Another historic fire was the burning
of the Blodgett Hotel building, before
referred to, on December Is. 1886, it
then being still used by the Pest Office
Department and the Patent Office The
building was entirely consumed, to-
gether with considerable loss of early
patent models and postal equipment.
The Patent Office fire occurred Sep
temper "a, 1877, in the old Patent Of
fee Building. which still stands at
Ninth and F streets NV. Upon this
IL o'clock am. in what was known as
the Green House." just under the
roof and directly over the portico of the
west or Ninth street front Thirty-five
minutes after the fire started Sergt
Arnold of 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.
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 general alarm. Secretary of the
Interior Carl Schurz, who had his Of
fees in the building, urged that imme-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

uniform, not breech clout The King
had agreed, and out of kindness to
the simple island folk he loved, Robert
Louis had taken the royal measure and
sent the figures to a San Francisco
tailor
Correspondence had shown that a
Knights Templar uniform had been
made and sent to the King, together
with the biggest pair Of shoes ever seen
in California. Mr.. Stevenson wanted to
know if the ensemble was a success
and had added anything to his royal
dignity.
A Visit to the King
The reader may Judge what success
was attained by studying the exact
words of 1t. Barnett's memoirs:
THE only white people living at
Butaritari, the principal town, were two
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

Americans of German descent-a man
and his WIFE The man was absent
when we were there first. We anchored
of the town about two miles, as the
water near shore was shallow The
next forenoon our captain and six
officers went ashore in full dress uniform
to call on the King of Apemama. Our
boats grounded before we reached shore
and natives waded out and carried us
ashore on their backs. Other natives
lined the shore and we, accompanied
by the white woman as interpreter, and
followed by the population, marched to
the Kings residence
"At the gate we were saluted by two
men with straw hats, trousers of white
flour Sacking with red stripes and
wooden guns. They presented arms with
one hand and saluted with the other.
The palace was one-story house with
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09
By Basil Gordon.

Today the Gilbert Islands are not
likely to be forgotten as the scene Of
a smashing triumph against Japan, and
the place where the bloodiest battle in
the history of the Marine Corps was
fought. Yet, so years ago, few had
heard the name, and fewer still re-
membered it.
Prior to 1893, when Great Britain an
nexed them, the Gilbert Islands be
longed" to no nation in particular. They
were out of the regular trade routes,
and it was satisfactory to the diplomats
of those days to deal with native kings,
on the infrequent occasions when ships
called there for copra. for there was no
trouble and all nations had equal trad
ing opportunities.
Good psychology was used, even by
the Germans. to insure continuance OF
this peaceful state of affairs. The kings,
whose palaces were simple huts and
few of whom ever wore shoes, were
treated with great respect and greeted
with nearly as much formality as the
King of England or the President OF
the United States, though often it was
quite strain to keep straight faces
in the process.
The comic opera courts of the Bal
kan kingdoms were at least held in
stately buildings surrounded by an an
cient and dignified culture and at
tended by splendidly uniformed officers
and handsomely goWned, beautiful
ladies; here court life was in the raw,
and more effort was required to make
the necessary pretense that the Gill
berts were an important place to visit
"a pretense that came grimly true this
year.
A Court Function
1t is refreshing to turn back 50-odd
years and attend court function at
the Gilberts, through the memoirs OF
Gen. George Barnett, commandant OF
the United States Marine Corps during
the last World War. From 1889 to 1892
he was a junior officer cruising on a
man of war among the peaceful islands
of the South Pacific with headquarters
at Apia in Samoa During his stay he
became an intimate friend of the great
writer Robert Louis Stevenson
Mr.. Stevenson, upon learning one
day that Barnett's ship was about to
visit the Gilberts, asked him to observe
particularly the uniform, if any, OF
the King of Butaritari Stevenson him.
self had been there, and had convinced
his barefoot majetsy that he should
dress like European kings and wear Z
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

engines 3 and 4, beat the first trains
time by IL minutes, arriving here in 81
minutes. Upon a previous occasion,
when Baltimore asked for help from
Washington, the trip was made in Al
minutes.
Since the local Fire Department has
been paid institution, some of the
most noted fires to occur here, not in
GLIDING those already mentioned, was
the fire at the old Arsenal, the result
OF the explosion there of June IT, 1864,
which caused the loss of number of
lives. The Jefferson Public School, in
the Southwest section, then a compara-
lively new building, destroyed by fire in
February, 1882. The Star Building, st.
Dominics Church and the National
Theater in 1885; Galts Warehouse, 1887;
the Tracy fire occurred in 1890, when
Mrs. Tracy, Miss Tracy and maid lost
their lives, and Benjamin F. Tracy, then
Secretary of the Navy, had a narrow
escape
On April 49, 1892, The Star office again
burned, and few months later it was
contemporaries when the Washington
Post Building. at Tenth and D streets,
was badly damaged by fire. leaving
homeless for the time being the WASH
ington Critic, the Post and the Sunday
Gazette. Stewart Castle was burnd in
1879, the National Theater in 1885, the
Lincoln Music Hall, 1886, and the Power
House, where the District Building now
stands. in 1896
Many other fires of note might be
mentioned if space would permit. but
ABOUT the most spectacular fire recorded
here subsequent to the beginning of the
Civil War was the burning of the Owen
House, adjoining the Willard Hotel ON
the Avenue side, when Ellsworth's Fire
zouaves turned out for the occasion and
rendered conspicuous service.
The efficiency of our present Fire De-
partment is one of the things of which
we can justly boast In 1891 Chief
Paris gave a conclusive demonstration
of this when he pulled an alarm near
the old Arlington Hotel. on Vermont ave-
nue. between H and I streets. for the
edifcation of some visitors, and in less
than minutes and a half, the first
company on the scene had a line OF
hose out. And those were the DAYS Of
horse-drawn vehicles. Just what they
could do in similar case today with
modern equipment, and chief engineer
like Stephen T. Porter, would, no doubt
be something marvellous.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

quite considerable in the destruction OF
private property.
In addition to setting fire to the Vir-
ginia end Of the Long Bridge, our own
troops, before abandoning the city, also
destroyed the Benning and the Penn
sylvania Avenue Bridges.
The total value OF property destroyed
was then estimated at 81, 100000. Today,
however, the loss would amount to 10
times as much. This, of course, has no
reference to the Congressional Library,
for there is always something here which
cannot be replaced, and many Of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

events depicted ana the individuals
shown will belong to the vague past"
Besides the Stanley pictures, much
scientific and historic materials, docu-
mentS and papers were destroyed. These
included. besides much of the CORE
spondence of the institution from its
beginning, the books and records of the
regents room. then over the south door,
Here also were stored the silver plate
and other effects of James Smithson.
founder of the institution: the library
of Bishop Johns of Virginia and the
Beaufort, S. c., Library.
All went up in flames
The valuable apparatus presented to
the institution by Dr. Robert Hare was
only part of the scientific equipment
lost. as was also full set of pneumatic
instruments of superior size and work
manship, constructed expressly for the
institution, and many other valuable
scientific implements.
The Dying Gladiator" one of the
valued pieces of statuary, was crushed
to pieces when the roof fell in. The
sarcophagus which stands in front of
the old building of the National Museum
and which was offered to President An
drew Jackson as a tomb for his remains,
but politely declined by him, was also
damaged in the Smithsonian fire and
still bears the marks of falling timbers
upon it.
Capitals Greatest Fire
But Washington,s greatestrsfire. all
time occurred when the Britfth, under
Gen. Ross, invaded Washington on AL
gust "a, 1914 Ross made Admiral Cock
burn his torchbearer, and well did he
carry out his Instructions and soon the
unfinished Capitol was In flames, and
this included the Library of Congress-
then located in that building. Then
followed the White House, the War and
Treasury Buildings, the Arsenal and the
barracks for almost 5000 troops, the
light from which, is said could be seen
as far away as Baltimore The Navy
Yard and a vessel lying there were
burned by the Americans themselves,
who also fired the Virginia end of the
Long Bridge over the Potomac. The
British ignited the Washington end.
One of the homes destroyed was that
of Robert Sewell, then near the north
west corner of Maryland avenue and
Second street NE This was done in
retaliation for the killing Of two British
soldiers and the horse on which Gen.
Ross was riding as he entered the city
by some persons concealed in this
dwelling
The Office of the National 1ntelligencer,
then the official organ of the party in
power, and Daniel CAROLS Hotel; the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-09

date assistance be requested of Ralti-
more. and the Mayor OF that city was
accordingly appealed to- to send on what
flremen and apparatus they could spare.
Alexandria was also telegraphed to for
aid and sent the steamer HydIallion and
the relief hook and ladder company
with their truck, which was put on the
boat and arrived here and got into
service about l o'clock.
Apparatus From Baltimore
Fifteen minutes after the Baltimore
department was telegraphed to, several
pieces of apparatus, including Nos. l
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 36 minutes before
starting. not leaving there until LOG
pm, and not arriving il the Washing
ton depot until 2:12 O'Clock, taking l
hour and minutes TO make the trip
At the time it was reported that the 40
miles were made in 80 minutes but OBJ
vlously this was not So
A second train from Baltimore, with
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
Il. ". DURLING

Hair Is black as night, fair,
beautiful, soft skin, and what
eyes! They are like lakes under
the moonlight. am In love
with her just as much, and
maybe more, than when 1 mar
ried her 20 years ago."
A UTOMOBILES are to be ra-
"A toned and the prices frozen
by March San Diego has a
slogan, "A Million Population
by 1916" I think il will come
true. especially If Mexico goes
in for developing Lower Cali
fornia just across the border
from San Diego Pittsburgh
subscriber informs me she has
Swiss musical alarm clock
which instead of a bell wakes
the owner up with the tune,
You're in the Army Now"
HCOOD EYESIGHT," by DR..
" John Ross and DR.. John
Reihner of Plymouth. Mich, is
another book that has helped
many young fellow pass the
eye tests of the armed forces
after once failing to do so.
Am very fond of listening to
Negro spirituals, but only the
Fisk Jubilee Singers seem able
to do them full justice.
Joe Miller of Chicago's 1855
Club" refers to his establish
ment as "one, of the six best
eating places in the world" Joe
didn't name the other five. The
best eating place in the world
in my book is home.
Copyright, 1874, by King Features
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
THESE DAYS
BY GEORGE E. SOKOLSKY
Copyright, is4a. by King Feature.

Copyright, is44. by King Features
10 permitting soldiers 10 vote
when the fact is that the dis
cussion Is about how TO conduct
this difficult and special type of
election without destroying our,
traditional constitutional gov
ernment.
+ dislike sfnears.- When a man
Is called a Fascist because ne
believes in constitutional gov
eminent, that is a smear. When
a man is called an anti-Semite
because he preferred Franco to
the Communists in Spain, that
is smear. When a man is
called an isolationist because he
prefers that the United States
and Great Britain have a voice
in the Polish boundary settle
ment rather than 10 leave il TO
Russia alone-that is smear.
IDISLIKE politicians who love
power and who sacrifice the
traditions of this country TO
perpetuate themselves in power.
still believe that the third
term is an evil.
believe that limited tenure
OF office is the Keystone of the
American system and that its
lapse will result in a depotism
by officialdom.
dislike politicians who speak
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
BETTER HEALTH
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING-

"SPEAKINC of dyspepsia, as
~ we were the other day"
said the seer of Rosedale, Dr.
Adrian Gibbs, II always sort of
classify headache and dyspepsia
together.
For one thing they both lead
10 confused thinking. Doctors
are as likely to get mixed up on
them as patients.
81 have known. in my time,
four and twenty captains Of re-
volt, said the old cardinal, in
Browning's play
Well. l have known four and
twenty kinds of headaches in
my time-neuralgia, pelvic, bill
Gus, gastric, intestinal ABSORB
ton. uric acid-and some of
them are still mentioned, but
mostly they have gone their
way.
The occasional, or cute,
headache is not usually hard TO
figure out. Any oncoming fever
or influenza. or stopped nose, or
spell of overwork will bring it
on.
"THE hangover headache
Il should be an awful lesson,
but too often il isn't The young
occasional drunk has the hang
over headache.
The old, regular boozer
doesn't have a headache-he
feels bad all over. every morn
ing and ascribes il 10 the whole
world That hangover headache
Is Natures warning 70 the
young drunk.
The acute headache is easy
enough 10 cure. Treat the cause.
or go 10 bed, or take that good
old forgotten, reliable grains
Of acetanilid. But don't take il
daily or you'll turn blue. like
that ornament 10 the circuit
bench. who was once a patient
Of mine.
"THE chronic headaches. the
Il everyday headache 49, in
the sense that the doctors see
them every day -- have been
aScribed 10 everything on earth.
But my observations teach me
that they can be reduced TO
four kinds
Eye strain. the people who
need glasses, or. If they have
glasses. properly fitting glasses
You can spot 'em because they
are all right in the morning. but
in the evening after using their
eyes all day the head aches.
You can spot the high blood
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
One Word Led to Another
-Bv ARTHUR "BUGS" BAEI

agree with Butchello LaGuardia against passengers
doubling up in New York taxicabs.
know they do it in Washington where the high silk
hat synchronzed by involuntary reaction to the two
pronged swallowtail coat.
But in New York we have different class of
citizens who with their knives and sleep with their
shoes
In Washington every stranger is a gentleman. In
New York every gentleman must be in Washington.
Let's say you jump into cab at Times Square
Another fellow hops in the other door He says
"Pennsy Station" You lavishly order Grand Central
Depot"
If he goes to Pennsy station first you have to pay
half of teetota strangers urban excursion If he goes
to Grand Central first then the other fellow has to ante
up your swindle sheet While you arguing drunk
drives up the stagger plan and climbs in.
When the driver asks him where he going he says
Take out Of the seats and put in floor show"
The trouble with drunk is he is always enjoying the
beautiful world of tomorrow II hours ahead of
schedule
He doesn't if you stand there six months as
long you take him. Let's add pckpocket two
Long Island fisherman with dozen fnan haddie in
paper bag, musician with bull fiddle and Gypsy Rose
Lee.
Copyright s",
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
FAIR ENOUGH

However, although Dewey has
not attacked the subject, his
tax department is imbued with
the idea that the federal and
state governments should divide
the tax field by agreement and
avoid Implications. as in the case
OF the income tax. not now but
in a reform after the war.
THE question may be raised,
L. for example, whether the
federal government has any
right 20 collect amusement taxes
inasmuch as amusement Is a
strictly local occasion. a man
takes girl 10 the movies. In
what respects n that an inter-
state transaction
II the federal government may
tax tickets, why may IL not tax
real estate7 But II IL confines
itself TO its own traditional
a rican responsibilities IL
won't have 20 collect local taxes.
The Dewey administration
tendency seems 10 be toward
restoration OF the responsibility
Of the subdivisions OF govern
ment and the division OF taxing
powers so that the federal gov
eminent will not be collecting
from the people 10 finance local
Improvements, and assuming the
functi on OF the subdivisions
without reducing their wasteful
and irresponsible rapacity.
DECENTLY, Dewey's con-
IL troller. Frank Moore, has
been telling careless cities that
they can't refund old bond
issues but will have 10 pay
them of. There is political
risk in THIS because il means
higher immediate local taxes In
some cases. But Dewey pointed
out in a speech 10 a meeting OF
publishers that ore city has re-
peatedly refunded an issue OF
bonds sold 10 raise soldiers
bOunties in the Civil War and
iststill paying interest on them
although the payments have
amounted 70 many times the
original amount.
In another case. Boss Tweed
in 1868 sold bond issue paying
Z per cent TO pay for sidewalk
in the Bronx. The sidewalk is
gone and probably no man lives
who remembers II.
That simplified tax return Is
bright example Of the new
type Of New Deal. The old
one, including instructions, con-
tanned six pages.
Copyright, i9ta' by United Features, synd
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05
THE BRIGHTER SIDE

only history tell the whole story of the great be-
aya of the of Bataan that ended in the murder of many of
them by torture in prison camps.
THOSE expressions Of rage that told roared out in
Congress- the other day. those cries of hang the Mkado
and "bemb Japan of existence ead sound I'M
pressve but they emanated many from sup
porters the policy that sacrificed the defenders of Baaan
leave to history decide the right wrong of this
sacrifice but the policy that failed the of Baaan the
policy that empozed with the laps down Pearl Harbo and
that from the beginning has declined to take the with Japan
as of first Importance.
1t the policy of laxy in the handling of nterned Japanese
the United States which has tolerated the utmost mpudenee
from them their people beheadng captured
and orturng death soldiers of the Philippines 1t
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-05

LOW will history view military disaster in the Philippines
the memory of which has been revived the tales of apa
nese barbarities toward our captured soldiers?
Will the failure to relieve MacArthurs be accepted
something wholly unprevenabe and perhaps miEary
necessary will it be analysed cowardy abandonment?
You will remember that the apoogists for Washington
aged the time to dismiss the Philippines minor incident
of the
One of these days the cold light of analysis will be thrown
upon the matter Men will talk who talk and the
apoogists find difficulty explaining the amazing shrinking
of the slightest effort to relieve Macarthur.
There have been some Of our military naval
who unappaed by the desperate problem said et attempt
thus and so the glowing tradition of armed services
all false