davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28

Natures Children
BY Lillian Cox Athe,

Coast. The grass pike is a paler
green than the pickerel and the
bars on his sides appear like an
irregular network Of lines. He lives
west Of the Alleghenies reaching q
length Of more than q foot. Both
are fighters in the pike tradition.
The common pike is distributed
all over North America, Europe and
Asia and has q string Of confusing
names. The Greeks knew him well,
calling him lycus because Of his
wolfish habits, the Germans to this
day call the pike "wasserwolf.
The American angler is likely to
call him anything that comes Ia
mind when struggling to land him.
A five-pound pike can dive in the
deepest water with the greatest
speed and 60 down with your bait
with flip of his tail to say farewell
American fisherman are familiar
with the five-pound pike but there
are records Of heavier fish In this
species though It Is never settled
when pike fishermen get together
The fight Of a five-pounder can last
fas long and be as hard as ass20-
3yfofyfSfisufiye 4ssxSssss2y4sszs4ssesss ssea;ss5
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28

Mrs. Marianne Reed Hun Of
Washington, d. c.. has published Z
quaint booklet titled Everyday
Helps From Grandmas Scrapbook'
It Is . compilation OF authentic
clippings, some of which date bach
almost . century.
One item. dated 1870. gives these
Photographers Hints to Ladies':
when q lady sitting for q picture
would compose her mouth TO bland
and serene character. she should
say BOSOM and keep the expression
into which the mouth subsidies until
picture Is taken.
IF the lady wishes TO assume a
distinguished and noble bearing. not
suggesting sweetness. she should say
brush
II she wishes to make her mouth
look small, she should say nip
IF the mouth be already too small.
and needs enlarging. she should ny
cabbage.
This u reminiscent d . passage
from Little DorT1f.. BY Dickens.
ons e IL sIaaractszs. Nm. osn9al.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28
THE FIGHTING PIKE


Opinions differ concerning the
wide-ranging pike. Some call him
the worst desperate among fish,
others say he is ready to fight for
his life but willing to risk it for
bait. On q hook he is q worthy
fighter.
He has many relatives all re-
siding IN fresh water. He has, Of
course, picked up many names.
This most always starts an argu-
ment. The wall-eyed pike is not
Q pike at all. He is O pike-perch,
shaped like q pick, all right, but has
undeniable perch Identification. The
pike family Is called Lucius.
One simple way to identify the
pike Is to learn the pattern Of the
scale arrangement on the cheeks
or the gill covers. Color and mark
ings and size are reliable points to
identity your pike. There are seven
species Of Lucius native to North
American waters In the group you
md the banded pickerel fish never
more that q foot long, found from
southern New England to the Gull
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28
Colombia Fights Attemp,
To Suppress chicho :

Colombia has met with violent
protests over its new attempt to
suppress chicha, the drink Of the
Indian and many whites for CEN
turtles.
Bogota reports that natives
think beer q poor substitute. In
dian revolts ended the last attempt
to suppress the beverage. in the
10th century.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28
Test Your Horse Sense
By Dr.. GEORGE w. Crone

Score one for a correct solution to
the first five problems. The last
problem counts i've.
/. The phrase snake eyes" Is asso-
ciated with which command below?
fore" Roll 'em"
Batter up" 'Hit the hay"
2. A dachshund should make one
think primarily Of which river?
Tiber Seine
Rhine Thames
3. Which one Of the following Is
most likely to be associated with an
ambulance?
Helper Inferno
Rookie Apprentice
4. II the following metals were
suddenly to be transformed into
human beings, which would have q
dual personality?
Pewter Gold
Copper Silver
5. A buckeye Is the symbol OF
which one Of these States?
North Carolina Ohio
Washington Texas
8. The five cities named are IA
NOUS for commercial products typi-
fed by the corresponding terms
listed In the right hand column. Try
to match them appropriately. You
are entitled to one point for each
correct Judgment.
(O Detroit (v Breakfast foods
CD Scranton (w) Molasses
(c) Minneapolis (x) Motor cars
I'D Omaha (y) Coal
(e) New Orleans (zyCattle pens
Score yourself as follows: 0-2,
poor; 3-6, average; TO, superior;
9-10, very superior.
ANSWERS.
/. Roll 'em" (Dice). 2. Rhine. 8.
Inferno. 4. Pewter ian alloy of two
metals). s. Ohio. 8. (a) Detroit-csrs
%. % scranton-Cosl. U. (c) Min-
neapolis-Foods W.. Id Omaha-Cattle
Cd. (e) New orleans-Molasses tw).
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-28

over. II, however, the queen fails
to appear, declarer still has the
even chance that the king Hpf
diamonds can be finessed. TWO
chances must be better than one.
Evening star., 1949-09-15
More Facts Are Needed

The Brook1ngS Institution has launched
comprehensive fact-finding survey that
should be of inestimable value in pointing
the way to sound national health pro-
gram In two-year study the organiza-
ton will attempt to find answers to some
OF the questions raised regarding private
and public medical care programs. It will
investigate the extent Of voluntary sick
ness insurance plans, the effectiveness of
their coverage and the possibility of their
meeting the, needs of the public without
resort to compulsory health insurance.
Manifestly this will be major under
taking that cannot be satisfactorily carried
out without cooperation of governmental
and private organizations concerned with
public health. The institution, fortunately.
is in position to secure this cooperation.
because of its national reputation as an
objective fact-finder The Brookings
study will examine all facets OF the situa-
ton, including medical services provided
by industry, trade unions, medical societies.
philanthropic and fraternal organizations.
national health associations, group health
and other voluntary prepayment plans,
State and Federal medical aid programs
and industrial and commercial insurance.
The findings of such survey undoubt-
edly will influence the trend of thinking
regarding health needs Of the Nation. No
inquiry 20 all-inclusivs has ever been made
Evening star., 1949-09-15
Tactical Aviation Victory

So much emphasis has been put on
strategic bombing of late that 1t is re-
assuring to know that the Air Force is
not neglecting its responsibilities In the
field of tactical air support for ground
forces The publicized achievements OF
tactical air units in "wiping out" a
mythical enemy armored force during the
war games in Eastern Germany tend to
ease fears that the Air Force had become
too preoccupied with the B-36 to give
tactical aviation its due.
In the maneuvers in Germany a fleet
of jet-powered F-80s and propeller-d driven
Thunderbolt fighters struck repeatedly at
armored columns of the enemy" with
devastating effect. Although the. results
of the strafing at first were in dispute, all
officials later agreed that the "aggressor"
columns ito all intent and purpose. were
destroyed. This close supporter defending
ground forces conceivably was effective
enough to defeat the attack in the
threatened sector. i
It is such teamwork between ground and
air units that General Bradley chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has called
for in number of recent discussions
of defense problems. He has insisted on
properly balanced forces, with adequate
tactical air support for the foot soldiers.
The exercises in Germany indicate that
the lessons of World War II concerning
the vital Importance of ground -and air
correlation have not been lost eat the
Pentagon
Evening star., 1949-09-15
Hope Springs Eternal

Politicians are touched with something
akin to genius when it comes to distilling
portents of future triumphs from special
elections which have been won and mini
MIXING the significance Of those which have
been lost. Even so, it seems that Repub-
lican National Chairman Gabrielson is lay
ing it on bit thick in his analysis of the
results of Tuesdays contest in the twenty
sixth Pennsylvania congressional district
The district should be fairly represent
ative one, comprising areas devoted to
agriculture, industry and some coal mining
In 1912 it went Republican by $4,000 votes.
When President Roosevelt ran in 1914, the
Republican margin was cut in half. In
1946 the COP again won, its margin being
above 5000 votes. In 1948, however the
Democrats came up with formidable
candidate, the late Robert L. Coffey, jr.
A member of the United Mine Workers, he
had risen in the mines from coal loader
to engineer. He had most distinguished
war record with the Air Force and when
he ran for the House in 194S he trounced
his incumbent Republican opponent by
more than $4,000 votes.
Now the pendulum of public sentiment
apparently has swung back in that district
In the special election to choose a. success
sor to Mr.. Coffey, who was killed in an air
crash, the Republicans put up another war
veteran, John P. Saylor, and the Democrats
opposed him with Mrs. Robert L. Coffey, ST.,
mother of the deceased Congressman.
The lines were drawn with some degree
of clarity Mrs Coffey with the backing
of both the AFL and CIO, promised to
work for repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act
and pledged full support of the Presidents
Fair Deal program. Mr.. Saylor defined the
issue as "the American way of life, free
enterprise and opportunity versus the regi-
mented semi-police state in the socialistic
welfare state philosophy" Whether the
voters understood precisely what that
meant or not the fact is that Mr.. Saylor
won by almost 10000 votes.
Mr. Gabrielson was quick to see in this
result a reputation, after less than year,
of "the Truman brand of socialism" He
saw in it also refusal by the people to be
led down the road to statism. "The
American people" he declared, will have
no part of that imported ideology, how
ever it may be cAmouflaged or sugar-coated
by such terms as fair deal or welfare
state"
It is possible, of course, that all of this
is true. But it is still an analysis which
does not take into account the reluctance
of many people to cast sentimental votes
for the wives or mothers of former Con-
gressmen, nor does it allow for the pos
sibility that this may simply have been
another case of normally Republican dis
trict returning to its. old moorings.
That the hopes of the Republicans
should be raised by this election is natural
enough But they should not fall into the
Presidents error of claiming the moon
and the stars, too, from a victory in one
election. There are a lot more chickens
to be Matched before the COP can count
itself back into power.
Evening star., 1949-09-15
Transit PROGRESS in Washington

The Capital Transit Company has uoiie
a good public relations job IN remlnoiiis
its natrons that mass transportation mas
come a long, long way since the estaollsn-
ment in 1900 of two-horsepoWer coach
service between Georgetown ana iunni-
cliffs Tavern, near the Capitol. Wasnlng-
tons transit system may not be per1ect-
and IT. has a good many criticS-but 1t mas
been made plain that the service mas Haoe 4.
commendable efforts to keep aoreast ol
the city's remarkable growth during Ine
past $50 years.
In fact, the story of the transit systems
DEVELOPMENT is so closely related 10 tile
development of Washington as to be an
indicator of the citys growth. For as the
city expanded, spilling over beyond Ine
Boundary" now Florida avenue, and into
other sections of the District the morse
cars. the cable cars the electric cars and
the motor buses followed. Usually the
extension of a line into new territory
brought new subdivisions into being
One of the questions raised by the
review of transit progress is whether the
streetcar is on its way out as major
means of transportation here. The
changes from horses to cables to electric
power were not made overnight One era
merged into another, just as streetcar and
bus operations are doing. In 1888 the
number of streetcar miles operated by
CAPITAL Transit was two and half times
the bus miles operated. In 1884 the first
streetcar lines were abandoned, including
the LeDroit Park line and certain services
to Anacostia, Rockville and Chevy Chase.
In the ensuing years other city lines have
been abandoned, the latest being the Ben
ming line in May of this year.
At the same time the bus fleet OF the
company has been growing, until today
the number of bus miles covered each day
is 40 per cent greater than the streetcar
mileage Last year buses ran up almost
four times the mileage covered fifteen
years ago. Is the streetcar soon to pass
from the Washington scene? The best
answer to that question is seen In the
fact that Capital Transit is still investing
money in streetcars and rails, despite the
trend toward bus transportation. The
company boasts 500 strictly modern street.
cars-more than any other city in pro-
portion to the total number of old and
new streetcars operated. Costly rail sub
way work at Dupont Circle indicates that
streetcars will be with us for years to come.
It Is likely that streetcars will continue to
operate in the heart of the city and to
economically practicable outlying points
for several decades, at least. For electric
transportation by rail continues to be
cheap and generally satisfactory means
of transporting large numbers of city
dwellers from one place to another.
Evening star., 1949-09-15
Harry T. BurIeiqh

Possessed of one of the truly great voices
of his time, Harry T. Burleigh certainly was
a melodst of distinction. He sang with
natural power but with compelling artistry.
His talents, born in him and in his race,
were developed in conservatory OF music
whose president while he was student
there was Antonin Dvorak. The erstwhlle
Erie lamplighter and the celebrated Czech
composer assisted each other on an equal
plane of mutual interest. One result OF
their meeting was the introduction OF the
spiritual Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" into
the New World Symphony"
Such collaborations, however, were not
uncommon in Mr.. Burleigh's experience.
He was bridge in effect between his own
people and Others When he applied for
appointment as baritone soloist at st.
Georges in Stuyvesant Square, New York,
he was only one of sixty candidates for the
post. His gifts of personal character,
dignity and poise gained him the position.
From 1894 until 1946 he sang to congre-
CATION which invariably included many
strangers drawn to the church by his ever
increasing fame. Both j. P. Morgan,
senior, and J. P. Morgan junior, were his
friends as we'll as his patrons.
Yet it was not to human listeners so
much as to the very essence Of divinity
that Mr.. Burleigh addressed himself in his
performance of religious themes. visit
ing clergyman summed up his achievement
when he remarked: "I should be terribly
handicapped in trying to preach to folk
who had just heard you sing" He referred
to the missionary effect-the persuasive
eloquence-of Mr.. Burleighs delivery
Now the voice is silenced. Mr.. Burleigh's
compositions-his settings for Deep
River" Nobody Knows de Trouble I've
Seen," Every Time Feel de Spirit, "Were
You There?" and nearly a hundred other
works-remain as an enduring monument
to his career. But even more memorable
will be his example of endeavor and ac-
complishment. He was an outstanding
American in every proper meaning of that
term
Evening star., 1949-09-15
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
"KANAWHA STREET.


Dear Sir:
II am quite an admirer of the spider family.
and so read with interest in your column OF
the danger Of the black widow. She is one
spider I have never encountered, and If I
ever do, shall keep at a respectful distance.
But I have made many friends among
other spiders. admiring their industry and
the agility with which they weave up and
down and across, forming lacey master
pieces.
Il once had friend whom named
Habakkuk. I enclose few lines dedicated
to his memory. Sincerely, J. L. M"
HABAKKUK.
Habakkuk was a spider, who lived down by
the sea-
He spun his web by window pane.
And it's always seemed strange to me,
How he'd stay up under the caves all day.
Nor show himself at all,
But down he'd come in the evening,
When the dew began to fall.
Then woe to the silly senseless bug,
Or the moth that f1uttered by;
For he d trap them fast in his slken web.
And leave them there to die.
Then later he'd sup on the first he'd caught.
But finding it rather tough.
He'd start again on another one.
Till he had had enough.
Yet rather liked old Habakkuk'
In his castle by the sea.
For he dined on many mosquitoes -
Who'd rather have dined upon me.
j. L. M.
Evening star., 1949-09-15
The CrommeIin Statement

the NdVyS case against Cne B-So olo not
get away to happy start The vague
rumors involving Secretary of Defense
johnson, Air Secretarys Symington and
others were Debated in manner that
must have caused considerable humiliation
in the Navy. The House Armed Services
Committee, figuratively holding its nose,
recessed with only two of the eight points
of its investigation covered. 1t left Navy
board to pick up some of the pieces thrown
around by the explosion.
Captain John G. Crommelin's statement
to the press last Sunday may have been
made with that situation in mind. He
evidently does not want the public to be-
lieve that the Navy's complaints against
unification are based on mere anonymous
letters, official disclaimers of responsibility
and admission of error. In one of the few
specific statements contained in his press
release, he expresses disappointment that
"a few senior officers from the fleet" have
not had opportunity to testify on the six
other points assigned to the House COM
mittee for investigation.
These are the six points assigned by the
House for investigation, but not yet
covered: Examine performance character
istics Of the B-36 to determine whether 1t
is satisfactory; examine roles and mission
of the Air Force and Navy, especially naval
and Marine aviation, to determine whether
cancellation of the supercarrier United
States was sound; establish whether Air
Force concentrates on strategic bombing
to such an extent as to be injurious to
national security and the development of
adequate fighter aircraft and fighter air
craft techniques; consider the procedures
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the devel-
opment of weapons of the respective serv-
ices to determine whether it is proposed
that two of the three services will be
permitted to pass on weapons OF the third;
study the effectiveness of strategic bomb
ing to determine whether the Nation is
sound in following the concept to its
present extent; consider all matters peril
nent to the above.
The House committee intends to take up
these points. Captain Crommelin will be
given opportunity to testify. So, it is to
be hoped, will all other Navy officers quail
fed to speak with authority on the sub
jects to be examined. The Nays emotional
reaction to unification and the develop
ment OF first line Of defense in the air,
rather than on the sea, Is wholly under-
Evening star., 1949-09-15
u y y
SPRINGFIELD, Va.

Dear Sir:
1--WE country people would like to see one
of your black widow spiders about the size Of
a dime with legs about inches long.
Your black windows must be from Texas.
"Our Virginia black windows are small.
There abdomen is about the size of fresh
garden pea Standing on nickel, she would
just about cover it,
"And the bite is not as bad as yourn. Ours
gives you a sick headache for three days,
but nobody dies.
' "Ours are too lazy to build web. She
throws several strands in a haphazard man
ner and perches in the center of it. II Jap
beetle falls on the ground nearby, she runs
quickly to him and bites him. He kicks the
bucket in about Is minutes
You city slickers don't appreciate good
spiders. Now take the beautiful derce-look-
ing golden garden spider. She has legs easily
two inches long and belly as big as
quarter. She doesn't bite people-only bugs.
1.-The black window She's Communist.
"Yours sincerely. F. L. T."
"
Insects of all kinds can be as interesting to
watch as dogs and cats, as these two letters
testify.
But one must really look.
The insects have no endearing ways Their
affection for humankind is hard to see, If
any.
They go their different ways, in different
world from ours, and the thoughts they
think (if they think any at alb necessarily
would be different, not only In content but
especially in approach; for the insect world
is so totally different. although no farther
away than windowsill maybe, that neither
group of living creatures, man or insect. can
ever quite understand the other.
Our incesSant onslaughts on them with
sprays and powders fist and hard foot must
strike them as incomprehensible, for, after
all, all they are doing is what mankind agrees
is good thing. trying to earn living in a
hostile world.
The watcher must first get this point of
view, before he can>See the beauty in gol-
den spider even black widow, or sea-
shore spider hanging in the glow Of the late
sun. Then the observer will see what others
do not, and to some extent understand what
others little suspect, that even spider is q
child Of God, Of one blood If not flesh with
the greatest stuffed shirt in all humanity.
and probably down deep far better fellow,
to know. Treachery Is not confined to the
insect kingdom, nor decency to the human;
there is some bad in most and some good
in all. Often in the hurly-burly Of living it
is not possible to see 1t IN others, but it Is
easy to find good and bad traits and to dis
tinguish them one from the other. among
the insects. And when we do We are always
astonished to fnd them interesting and det
u whisper IT. almost human.
Evening star., 1949-09-15

into this important field of human welfare.
There has been altogether too much self
serving propaganda and too few real facts
given the public in the past concerning
the adequacy or inadequacy of medical
care If the Brookings experts succeed
in digging out and presenting all the facts
it's report will be an authoritative guide in
the formulation of national health policies
and in the fixing of governmental and pro-
fessional responsibilities for public health
Evening star., 1949-09-15

standable. No Navy officer should feel
that unification and all it implies has come
about because the Navy's point OF view has
been suppressed. Continuation OF the
B-36 and unification hearings should pro-
duce that point of view. But it should be
expressed with less emotion and greater
dependence on precise and detailed facts
than Captain Crommelin put into his own
statement.