davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-10-06
This and That
BIZ Charles E Trnne1re1l

correspondent wants to know about a bird
seen right after a storm
There on the fence post" she saws. "sat a
bird larger than blue Jay It was slate grav
with little brown, polka dot breast. with !.
broad black mark on the chest, and in back OF
MS neck was red spot, tomato colored like.
Please tell me what kind Of bird was he."
The bird was the flicker
In1s Is one OF our best. It Is large handsome
good to have around; 1t is q member of the
woodpecker family, not q thrush as so many
people believe
The flicker is big one, as songbirds 70. It.
Is II inches long, with fine tail and handsome
feathers
When 1t flies, it flashes gold, that is why It Is
called goloen-winged woodpecker and golden
smarter WooopecKer, IN some parts Of the coun-
try.
1t likes to nest in hollow tree, but will ac-
cept a box
The flicker box is built as follows: Floor bv
7 inches; depth of box, 16 to 18 inches: diameter
OF entrance hole, inches; hole above floor, IA
70 10 incnes, and height OF the box above the
ground 8 to 20 feet.
This bird house is large enough for SQUIRRELS
and will be occupied by them, so we hope no
one who makes 1t grows red in the face over,
the squirrels; they. too, need a bit of shelter,
and are most likely to occupy this house in
the cold, when the birds do not use It,
Such bird house as this is best made out of
thick soft wood, and shavings or sawdust should
be left inside.
The yellow undersides Of the wings furnish
an excellent identification of the bird
He is one Of our best with special fondness
for ants.
The flicker likes to find them in crevice Of
the sidewalk.
along a crack in the walk you can feel pretty
sure that this is a flicker helping you with your
lawn.
No doubt If it were not for fiickers, we would
have much worse lawns than we do.
The bird also eats ants in crevices OF tree
bark thus furnishing a sanitary service un-
equaled by any other bird, perhaps
The bird lays from five to nine white eggs
Sometimes starlings, break up its nesting,
though.
The way the starlings do this is as follows:
One bird flies into the flicker nest, and is
driven out.
While the flicker is chasing the first startling,
. second flies in
Then the female flicker chases him out.
Now both f1ickers are out of the nest, 50 q
third startling flies In.
When the father flicker returns the startling
flies out with great squawking whereupon the
victorious flicker cfases it.
This merely gives opportunity for another
starting to fly in.
And so it goes, until the exhausted f1ickers
give up the unequal fight and go elsewhere for
their nesting.
It is friendly bird, noted for its acceptance
of robins, bluebirds, sparrows and swallows, in
particular
t At times it even accepts hawks, neither fear
ing nor resenting them in any way. This must
surprise the average hawk, which is not used to
being accepted by other birds on equal terms.
II the hawk were human, no doubt he would
wonder at times what the flicker is "up to-
This bird Is always noticed, being larger than
the average songbird, with just enough flash"
to him to catch the eye Of persons not usually
interested Ia birds.
Evening star., 1947-10-06
Stars, Men and Atoms
Russians Report Floating
Steel in Air in Experiment
Professor Describes Process Which
Defes Law of Gravity

Pieces of steel that float in air in defiance of
gravity have just been reported from a Rus
sian laboratory
They are small magnets screened" from the
earth by layer of liquid helium under lead
plate.
Prof. V. Arkadiev of the Maxwell Laboratory
OF the University of Moscow reports in the
British scientific journal Nature that computa-
tions led him to believe such a result could be
attained with the proper conditions and the
actual experiment was performed for him by
DR.. Peter Kapitza, best-known Of Russian nue.
lear physicists.
Just Scientific Curiosity
This weird phenomenon Of anti-gravity Is
not considered at present as more than
scientific curiosity. but since 1t probably would
be possible to duplicate 1t in vacuum it may
be an approach to complete absence Of friction.
That what Is described actually happened Is
substantfated by photos.
The theory is quite complicated 1t amounts
to the conclusion that gravity will be over
balanced and the earth will repel magnetizsd
object If 1t Is placed over a screen of some ex-
treme super-conductor of electricity with
current passing through it. Liquid helium first
produced at the United States Bureau of STAN
dards, is the greatest of all known super con-
ouctors. Resistance to a current Is reduced al
most to zero. The material at present is too
olmcuit TO obtain and handle to be Of much
practical Importance.
1t Is necessary Prof Arkadiey savs for +hs
magnet to be quite small The one used IN
the experiments in Prof. Kapitzas laboratory
was only about half an inch long by approx
imately tenth of an inch in width and thick
ness. Much depends, he points out on the
material of which the magnet is made. Theo-
retically, by selection Of the right material, q
considerable number OF magnets could be made
to float around hollow ball filled with a
superconducting material so that they would
essentially constitute model of solar system.
The magnet planets" however, would remain
stationary and vibrate instead of moving in
revolutions around the sun"
Large Meteorite Studied,
One Of the largest meteorites to hit the earth
In modern times fell in eastern Siberia last
February. 1t has just been investigated by
committee Of Russian scientists, according TO
reports received here.
Within 125-acre area they found los era
ters the largest Of which was % feet In diam
eter with depth Of 20 feet. In addition to the
large number Of fragments they collected 256
individual meteorites - pieces Of the giant
which broke off at q great altitude and then
followed an independent course through the
atmosphere.
The fragments, On the other hand, we're
formed when the main meteorite struck the
ground The largest OF the pieces weighs about
$50 pounds. They are covered with crlsts, due
to melting while the fragments have q rusty
color and look like clay or stone. Nearly 5000
tons OF clay and rock were blasted out Of the
largest crater tn few seconds, the committee
reported.
Evening star., 1947-10-06
Food-Saving Suggestions

To the Editor of The Star:
There are several simple ways Of keeping
down food waste that should have been put
into operation long ago. Commercial proc
essors of food should keep in mind that the
majority Of households consist Of persons who
live alone married couples with no children
and married couples with two children There
fore whenever food is packaged 1t should
contain quantities for one, two or four people,
which would prevent leftovers which are un-
usable.
Whenever practicable food should be sold
in bulk SO that people could get the exact
amount needed. Vegetables should not be sold
in punches: coffee should be available In half
pounds; bread in loaves half the present size
for households Of one or two.
Especially should food be handled better in
growing, shipping and stores. Considering the
exceedingly poor quality of foods we often are
forced to eat, it is amazing that people have
any semblance of good health at all. Often
food Is grown in the poorest manner, thrown
in bulk into large containers where 1t Is slam
banged hundreds of miles over the country,
arriving in such . bruised condition that 1t
has to be eaten half rotten Added to that Is
the careless handling in stores where 1t Is
bruised and mangled further. Vegetables and
fruits should be shipped In interior corrugated
cardboard, like eggs. Certainly the extra cost
of this would not be as much as the enormous
loss through spoilage and the consumer would
have better health through better nourishment,
as foods would not have to be picked before
they reached the peak of their vitamin and
mineral content, also flavor. Cargo planes
could play a vital part in quickly getting fully
ripened foods to consumers.
The Government should have strict super
vision over the growing of food to insure the
maximum food value getting to the consumer.
It should also devote the greatest attention to
helping the farmer financially and educa-
tionally Much Of the power Of . nation rests
On it, healthl ]. n
Evening star., 1947-10-06
Advice Wanted on Saving

To tbs Editor Of Ths Star:
Concerning our feeding the starving, and
in order that 1t may not be too little and
too late" we poor so outnumber other classes
that we need instruction on how to live
as frugally as those whom we must keep;
on what to buy and how to prepare it-not
for taste, but primarily for subsistence
Most of us are too tired at night to think
much, but we also love our neighbors as
ourselves. MRS. MARION G. BROWN.
Falls Church, Va.
Evening star., 1947-10-06
BY THE HAsKIN sKRy

BY The HASkIN O&RvfCR
Q. What Was the hrst nnustoal hnstFamensf
IT r. II.
A. Some historians hold that tho drum. snd
others that the flute, was the first nnuacal
instrument made By primitive man. The harp
Il the most ancient Of stringed tnstsuments
q. When were eamels used in the Omitted
States to carry freight7-R. g.
A. Camel pack trains were used On the
Mullan Road in Montana The first camel
train to freight goods in Montana came out
Of the Nevada desert in the summer Of 1854
1t was source Of wonder to whites and Indians
alike. Each camel carried 1000 pounds.
Q. How many children did Nelly Gusts
mother have?-A. H.
A. BY her first marriage, the mother Of
Nelly Gusts had four children. The late Dr..
Charles Moore in his book on George Wash
tngton says that Nelly Custis' mother Is gen.
orally credited with having seven children by
her second marriage. but in letter from Nelly
Gusts to Mrs. Charles P1nckney. dated jan
uary J, 1902, We read MY dear mother has
Just recovered from her confinement with her
10th child"
g. II the number Of rattles On q rattiesnaks
. correct indication Of ager H. B. C..
A. The number of rattles on the snake b no
indication Of It's age.
G. How can one remove marks on ruas
caused by tar from streets tracked into the
house?-A. C.. d.
A. The older the stain of this kind the more
difficult it is to remove. Use cleaning fluid
(grease solvent) not soap and water On car
pets and rugs, scrape of all the black possible
with dull knife Then sponge with the clean
Ing fluid. using light brushing motion In order
not to rub the stain into the fabric Several
light applications using fresh cloth each
time, may be necessary to get out all black
traces To remove these marks on waxed floors,
rub with cleaning fluid on a soft cloth Then
re-wax. because the fluid removes wax as well
as stain.
q. How much weight Is estimated IN mems
clothes compared with female attire in sum-
mer? J. P.
A. A woman's fashion magazine once figured
that the average weight Of the average women's
summer costume amounts to one pound, IL
ounces, while the average man wears clothes
totaling S pounds, 9 ounces.
O. How far will man be able 10 see with
the new 200-tnch telescope on Mount Palomar7
v. l.. H.
A. According to Raymond B. Fosdick of the
Rockefeller Foundation, this new telescope Will
project mans sight into the universe two times
farther than it has ever gone before-to a
distance Of more than . thousand million ueht
years away.
Evening star., 1947-10-06

our Government accords its hard-working,
faithful employees. Nothing contained there,
however, approaches the injustice visited upon
these employees Of the immigration and Ma
turalization Service. P. B. p.
Evening star., 1947-10-06

Junior having bathed himself after the
nrst corner-lot football workout of the
year, 1t becomes necessary to give the soap
good scrubbing.
Evening star., 1947-10-06

millions. And a review Of the labels of
these recent dynamic years suggests that
mankind as community has quite lot
to be proud Of
Evening star., 1947-10-06
Questions and Answers

A reader can get the answer TO any ausstdon
81 fact by writing The Evening Skar fnformaffon
Bureau 3Io / street n E.. WashinGtnn & s. g.
Please incloSs oents for return postagA
Evening star., 1947-10-06
Letters to The Star

Letters for publication must bear
the signature and address OF the
1oriter, although it is permissible for
1Uriter known to The Star to use
nom de plume. Please be brief.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Catholic Charities
Branch Organized

Organization of Catholic Charities
Of Northern Virginia, a branch of
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of
Richmond, to function in Alex
andria, Arlington and Fairfax, was
announced today.
The organization will take care
of such needs as placement of chill
dren, care of unmarried mothers,
Juvenile delinquency and other
humane problems relating to the
family and the individual
Officers are Stephen Smith,
Arlington, president; John A. K.
Donovan, Falls Church, vice presi-
dent, and w. E. Jeffrey, Arlington,
treasurer, The Rev. Thomas P
Scannell of st. Charles Church,
Arlington, was named director.
Members of the board of directors
include the officers and the fol-
lowing:
Judge James r. Duncan, Judge
William P. Woolls, Francis H.
Fannon and Joseph Whelton of
Alexandria; DR.. John A. Gilligan,
DR.. John B. Sullivan, Frank E.
Rooney, w. Stafford Shaw, Edward
A. Hicks, Clarence E. Brown,
Cornelius H. Doherty, Thomas
Delehanty and Francis c. Browne
of Arlington, and DR.. Charles Fin
negan, Falls Church, and John
Ferguson, Clifton.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
a Army Flyers Saved
As Planes Collide

Four men escaped injury when
the two Army training planes in
which they were flying collided over
Upper Marlboro yesterday, officials
at Andrews Field reported.
Two of the flyers bailed out OF
one plane, which crashed on the
farm of Charles Binger. The other
plane was landed successfully at
Andrews Field by Capt. Charles H
Pigeon, a veteran with Is missions
over Japan as a fighter pilot.
With Capt. Pigeon was Master
Sergt. Andrew j. Swetz, a former
flight officer with 81 months serv-
ice in the Asiatic theater, who re-
enlisted as a noncommissioned off,
Ger. The two who jumped from the
other plane are Maj. James o. Tyler
and 1t. Thomas H. MoWry.
Maj. Tyler, a veteran fighter pilot
of Mustangs and Spitfires, is credited
with eight Germans shot down in
the Tunisian and Italian campaigns.
1t. Mowry is an instrument flying
instructor and a veteran bomber
pilot with q missions in the Euro
pean theater.
Cause of the collision is unde-
termined, field officials announced.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Two Pilots Escape Injury
In Maryland Crashes
By the Assoeioted Press

CEDAR POINT, Md, Feb. IA
P-sO jet fighter plane and a new
type torpedo and dive bomber, on
separate missions from the Navy's
Patuxent River Air Station, made
crash landings yesterday, but the
pilots of both escaped injury.
The Navy identified the pilots as
1t. j. M. Thomas, Chicago, and
Mai. C. E. HOLMAN, U. S. M. c.,
Hubbard, Ohio. .... -
1t. Thomas encountered trouble
of an undetermined nature and set
the Jet plane down on a beach at
Deal Island, Md, across Chesapeake
Bay from here.
Mai. HOLMAN crashed into the
bay off Sharpe Island, about so
miles north of here. He was picked
up by a fishing boat and an am
phibian plane later took him of.
Evening star., 1947-02-14

You can take your pick on how to
say BE my valentine" today.
With. wartime shortages over, val
entines for the last week have been
piled high on the counters of the
ve-and-ten and stacked neatly in
the better shops, and there's wide
selection from which to choose.
You can be up-to-date and send
an "atomic" message. In one card,
a boy says to girl who is standing
inside a miniature gold heart with
him:
IT wouldn't want this valentine
To be considered comic,
But darling your effect on me
= Is positively ATOMIC"
Or you can join the teen-agers
One which pictures boy and girl
of the bobby-sox type on their way
to play a game of tennis says:
I'm set on making this love match
that's my game"
Another pair of teen-agers hold a
heart on which is written II love
you," and:
Boy-"Will you learn to love me,
my valentine"
Gin I'D like to elect you for my
pet subject"
On another card, panda says:
you'll find me very dePANDAble SO
be my valentine"
George Washington even makes
Evening star., 1947-02-14
BE NV Valentine Can Be Said
With Atomic Tenderness ] 7oddy
By Mary Coedell

an appearance on a valentine. Pic
tured as a small boy with hatchet
in hand, he says, II cannot tell a
lie-you are my valentine"
You probably will be disappointed
if you are looking for a valentine
with lace and a tender message. The
closest thing you can find Is small
red heart with the words, ITO my
sweetheart" and a spray of pink
roses on the outside cover. Inside
the verse reads:
"Just to tell you, sweetheart, that
every single day
Life's happier because of you anc
all you do and say.
This valentine brings all my love
all my best wishes, too,
With deep appreciation for youl
dear ways-and you."
You will have better luck if YOU
taste is for the comic valentines. Al
always, fisherman" golfer" ano
"supersalesman" come in for theil
share of jibes. But the ones prob
ably turning up in valentine boxes
at schools today are addressed to
teacher" and may read, as did one
verse under a picture of a stern
faced teacher:
"You think you know all the an
SWerS-
You know what it's all about
Why don't you get an eraser
And just go rub yourself out"
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Watermen's S League
Joins Drive Against
Sandy Point Airport
BY the Associoied Press

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 14-The Mayo
Watermen's League, an organization
of oyster boat operators and fisher
men, yesterday joined Anne Arundel
County land owners and farmers in
their protest against building of a
$12 2,00O,0 900 Naval Academy airbase
at Sandy Point.
The watermen's league passed a
resolution to join the Anne Arundel
County Farm Bureau and the newly
organized Anne Arundel Anti-air-
port Association in a campaign
against the project.
Norman Hazard and Robert At
we'll, members of the oyster and fish,
ing group, were named vice chair
men of the antiairport associa tion.
The organization plans to canvass
Maryland members of Congress and
administration leaders with argu-
ments against the airf1eld.
Mayo watermen expressed fears
that the Navy would restrict wa
ters off the airport and deprive
them of oystering and fishing
grounds along Chesapeake Bay and
the mouth of the Magothy River.
One other group actively opposes
the airfield. owners of estates ad-
joining the proposed site organized
the Magothy River Association sew
eral months ago. Most members live
between the bay and Ritchie high
way north of Annapolis. The new
antiairport group is made up prin-
cipally of residents in other sec
tions of the county.
Navy spokesmen have declared
that it might become necessary to
move the academy from Annapolis
if it cannot obtain the new airbase
for training midshipmen in the es-
sentials of naval air warfare. Sew
eral Annapolis commercial groups
and the city government have ap-
proved the project.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Fairfax AII-Day Meeting
Called on Garden Problems

An all-day meeting to discuss gar
den problems in Fairfax County will
be held at 10 am. Tuesday at the
Fairfax courthouse, Miss Jesse M.
Hammersly, county home demon
stration agent, and Joseph E. Beard,
county agent, said.
Plans have been made to elect
a garden committee to serve on
the County Agricultural and Home
making Board to assist in combat
ing the japanese beetle and to make
garden recommendations for 1947.
Speakers at the meeting will be
DR.. Flood S. Andrews, extension
horticulturist, and H. B. Aroian,
horticultural specialist of the Vir-
ginia Polytechnic Institute, and Mr..
Beard.
Representatives of clubs and
other civic groups are invited to
attend,
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Air Patrol Evidence Ruled
Insufficient in Oyster Case

LA PLATA, Md, Feb. IA (P.-Ob-
servation of wet oysters and what
looked like a dredge" from Mary
lands Tidewater Fisheries Commis-
sion patrol plane is insufficient
evidence to prefer illegal oystering
charges, Magistrate Richard H.
Stubbs ruled yesterday.
He dismissed charges against
Maurice Simms of Cobb Island, Md,
charged with illegal dredging on the
Potomac River side Of Cobb Bar at
the mouth of the Wicomico River
The commission asked that Mr..
Simms be held for action of the
Charles County grand jury in May.
William M. Shehan, pilot of the
amphibious plane, and Inspector
Chester F. Cullison testified they
saw what looked like dredge," wet
oysters, man-power winder, gaff,
block and tackle in Simms' boat.
They said they were flying at about
$50 feet.
Mr.. Simms' attorney contended
the equipment can be used for legal
longing and other lawful purposes.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Be|tsvi|Ie Man Faces
6 Months, $500 Fine
By the Associated Press

LURAY, Va, Feb. 14-Raymond
Booth, Beltsville CMd3 carpenter,
was convicted yesterday on charge
of involuntary manslaughter in the
death of his wife Frances by a jury
in Page County Circuit Court which
recommended that his punishment
be fixed at six months in Jail and a
$500 fine.
Sentence was deferred by Judge
William Ford on the plea of Defense
Attorney A. E. Hackley that the ver-
dict be set aside. The court set
March IA as the date for argument
and Booth was released on bond.
The charge was changed from
murder to involuntary manslaughter
yesterday by Judge Ford in his in
structions to the jury.
Mr.. Booth testified to the events
of the night of August 3-4 when his
wife was injured in a fall from a car
and died several hours later en- route
to hospital
A prosecution witness had testi-
fled about an automobile ride on
the night of August on which he
said Mrs. Booth had appeared in
toxicated. The defendant told the
court that when his wife was drink
ing she was violent and unpredict-
able" and said that on the night OF
the ride, on which they were ac..
companied by another couple, she
became angry and slapped him two
or three times.
He told of driving toward church
and that his wife objected, asserting
I'm not going there Thereupon
Mr.. Booth testified, Mrs. Booth
opened the car door and jumped
from the vehicle while it was in
motion.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Virginia TO Offer $4,000
For EIko Hospital Site
BY the Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 14.-The
State Hospital Board yesterday au-
thorized DR.. Joseph E. Barrett, State
commissioner of mental hygiene, to
make an offer of $50, 1000 to the War
Assets Administration and endeayor
to get any discount possible in OBJ
tanning the Elko site for new Negro
mental institution near the Rich
mond Army Air Base.
The $4,000 was the evaluation
placed on the property by the Gov
ernment.
The board, upon the motion Of
Gen. E. Walton Opie of Stauntorl,
asked DR.. Barrett to take all steps
he thought necessary to acquire the
property which consists of 2,37o acres
OF land declared surplus by the
Government. Two representatives OF
the Federal Land Banks Baltimore
regional office discussed the matter
with the board at its monthly meet
ing yesterday.
Evening star., 1947-02-14
Charlotte Hall Society
To Mark 150th Year

The Washington and Stonewall
Literary Society at Charlotte Hall
Military Academy will celebrate the
sesquicentennial of its founding on
February %.
Oldest of the societies still meet
ing at the military school at Char
lotte Hall, Md, it was founded in
1897. Meetings are held weekly in
the society's room in the White
House, which was erected in 1903
and is the oldest building on the
campus.
Planned for the celebration are
supper at $50 pm; meeting of
active and alumni members at $50
pm, and a sesquicentennial ball at
9 pm.
Four boys from the Washington
area will be among Is new members
initiated into the society They are
Paul Baker of darlington, Robert
Leopold of Washington, Harry Nor
tenson of Hyattsyille and Oliver
Tucker of Leonardtown, Md.