davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09

Meanwhile, the stress is
mounting already on the veteran
employees who have to figure out
as best they can the intentions
Of absent-minded senders. In
the same division where the
two deer are keeping cool. there
are stacks of loose auto tires,
drive shafts. leaf springs. gaso-
line drums. posthole diggers
wallpaper rolls, brass rods. a bas-
ketball hoop, curtain stretchers
ak handles, broom handles, MOP
handles. exhaust pipes and a
few items no one is able to
identify. All were found loose
in the mails without a clue to
their senders or destinations.
Phone Books Explored
In another section, experts
are leafing through telephone
books, city directories and other
references to try to locate ad-
dresses. Commercial packages
sometimes contain an invoice
with the name of the addressee
Other packages do not yield their
secrets so easily.
Favorite ways of fouling up the
post Office are to give ones own
address where the destination
belongs. writing the street. but
leaving out the number, putting
down the correct street address
in some other city and then fol-
lowing 1t with Washington
ID. c."
Some people leave off the ad-
dress altogether. Others give
their own address. but put il
down incorrectly. Some address
a letter to the Michigan State
Department of Highways" and
then put down a non existent
address on Connecticut avenue
NV, Washington.
But the clerks are ingenious
If a piece of unaddressed mail
was stamped by a postage meter
the clerks can write to the post
Office of origin and have the
number of the meter traced back
to the sender.
Thousands of letters come ir
with insufficient postage or none
at all. Clerks try to find the
sender or the addressee in every
case--with one exception.
Letters to Santa
These are the Dear Santa
Claus" letters from hopeful chill
dren. They come in addressed
to the North Pole, the North
Pole-Alaska, the North Pole
Washington or just to Santa
Most have only a Christmas sea-
where a postage stamp should be
These are not returned fol
insufficient postage" because, in
the words of the dead letter
foreman, John r. Schulz, 1--WE
don't want to destroy the chill
dren's illusions" They are kept
on file until after Christmas and
then destroyed.
Santa Claus letters ran tt
more than a thousand last year
but have dropped to less than
half the usual number this year
Maybe the children are los
ing their illusions anyhow Mr.
Schulz says sadly.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Picture on Poee Al

Picture on Poee Al
finds itself custodian Of the
thousands of seasonal oddities
that every year make postal en-
ployes wonder what in the world
people are thinking of. The two
deer are only an example.
They came in this week in q
big cardboard box with the ad-
dress missing and no return ad-
dress on the outside. Employees
in the inquiry section" on the
third floor of the main post
office at Massachusetts, avenue
and North Capitol street opened
the box looking for a clue to the
sender or addressee.
Inside they found the two
fresh d~eerskins with heads at
tached. Wired to the antlert
of one was a slip of paper with
two names and the words elias
gov, Va" They have sent of
a query to the Glasgow postmas-
ter and hope to turn up the
owners. In the meantime, the
deer are reposing in a big waikiki
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Maryland Employment
Reaches New Peak

BALTIMORE, Dec. 9 (P.-
Employment in Maryland
doomed to a new all-time high
in October, the State Depart
ment of Employment Security
reported yesterday.
1t estimated that as of Octo-
Der Is there were $4,000 work.
ing full or part time.
This excludes those employed
on farms, proprietors, the self
employed, domestic servants, and
the thousands of servicemen sta
toned in Maryland.
The mid October figure repre-
sented a gain of 1900 jobs over
mid September and an increase
of 34,600 over October of 1854.
Employment has been setting
new records each month for sew
eral months.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
BCC Choir to Sinq

The A Cappella Choir OF
Bethesda Chevy Chase High
School will present its fourth
annual Christmas concert al
I7:45 pm. tomorrow in the
Washington Cathedral. The
20o-voice choir, directed by Mrs
Faye Finley Shaw. will sing six
chorals from Bach's Christmas
oratorio.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Musons Will Trim
Walter Reed Tree

The Scottish Rite Masons will
trim the first Christmas tree at
Walter Reed Army Hospital at
i pm. Sunday in the hospitals
Red Cross Hall.
On Monday from 2 to 4 pm.
Scottish Rite members will con-
duct their annual Christmas
party for hospitalized service
men in the hall. Former District
Commissioner Renah Camalier
will be master of ceremonies for
the affair,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Stanley Drafts
Plan
0 Referendum
Gray Vote Drive
May Be Directed
By Ex-Gov Bottle

Va. Dec. 8 (P.-
Former Gov. Battle topped q
group of four prominent Vir-
ginians who were being men
toned today as possibilities tt
head a Statewide campaign ir
behalf Of the constitutional,
amendment plan.
The others were DR.. Franci.
p. Gaines, president of Washing.
ton and Lee University; DR.
Dabney Lancaster, retired presi.
dent of Longwood College. anc
Representative Abbitt of the Att
district.
Well-informed but unofficia.
sources said one Of the foul
might be named to head the
drive, or the quartet might joir
to form a central committee fol
the campaign.
Announcement Awaited
In any event, Gov. Stanley l:
expected to disclose plans fol
the drive soon. The likelihood
is that a State headquarters viii
be opened at a Richmond hotel
The amendment plan will bt
voted on In a referendum Jan
uary 8. A favorable vote will
pave the way for a convention
to adopt an amendment to tn.
State constitution to permit thu
State to give tuition payment!
for the education of children II
private non-sectarian schools.
The tuition plan is the basic
part in a package recommends
ton Of the Gray Commission fol
preserving school segregation IL
Virginia areas with high Negro
population ratios. Localities will
ing to integrate Negro and whit
pupils would be free to do 81
If they wished.
The State administration de
cided on an about campaign t,
try to sell the amendment plai
after some legislators expressed
the fear many persons did no
understand its implications ant
were fearful it might harm tn,
public school system.
Teachers to Meet
Meantime, the Virginia Edu'
cation Associations board Of di'
rectors will meet in Richmond
Sunday to consider the possibil
ity of taking a stand on thu
referendum. The association /
an organization of the State
white public school teachers. TIL
YEA has a membership Of $4,000
The Virginia Teachers Asso'
citation, the State organization
Of some 5000 Negro teachers
will meet later next week Il
consider possible action.
Gov. Stanley continued hi
State wide tour in support o.
the amendment plan and to give
legislators a glimpse Of his pro
posed legislative program fol
the 1856 General Assembly.
He appeared in Danville to-
day to meet with legislators from
the 5th district. 1t was thu
fifth briefing session of tht
week for the Governor.
Tonight Gov. Stanley and
group of five 5th district legis'
lators-all of whom served or
the Gray Commission-will ad'
dress a public meeting on thu
referendum question.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Clemson Alumni Elect
Martin President

Lloyd Martin of 3104 GayloI
place, Silver Spring, Md, has
been elected president of the
Clemson Alumni Club of Wash
ington.
Other officers for the 1856
term elected Wednesday night
are Capt. J. C. Bennett, jr.. vice
president: John o. Gerald, treas.
urer: H. W. Dill. secretary; Ed
ward Minis Walker. sergeant al
arms. and H. Erskine Fraser
historian.
Trustees are Howard D. Not.
tlngham and Lavan c. Chappell
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Chi|ds Cough Saves
as Home Burns
Family Aroused,
Escapes BIoze
In Chevy Chase

Dry, itching Threats and q
ichild's cough saved a Chevy
Chase family of four from suf-
locating in their beds while their
new home burned early today.
Capt: William Hall Of the Be-
thesda Fire Department, which
fought almost two hours to put
out the blaze in the basement Of
the house at 5000 Warwick street
in the Somerset section of Chevy
Chase, said if the family had not
awakened. they surely would have
died of suffocation.
Hears Daughter Cough
1t happened this way:
About 1920 am, Mrs. Joseph
SLIDER awoke in her upstairs bed
room with a painfully dry and
Itching throat. She heard her
l1-year-old daughter in the next
room coughing.
She awakened Mr.. SLIDER. His
throat was dry, too. The air was
stufy. he thought, and he went
down the steps of the new $751;
1000 split-level house and opened
the door leading to the basement
recreation room.
There was an instantaneous
explosion, which blew open all
the other doors of the house.
Mr. SLIDER saw smoke and flames
and called f1remen.
The fremen said the fire had
been burning in the recreation
room for well over an hour. They
believe it had been started by a
cigarette falling unnoticed into a
stuffed chair.
Sudden thrush Of Oxygen
Firemen explained both the
; dry Threats and the explosion
on the basis of suction to the
fire, which gradually drew the
oxygen from the rest of the
house. The blast was caused by
a sudden thrush of a new sup
ply of oxygen.
Inside the recreation room the
fremen found the furniture
} which the Silbers had bought
| only a week ago-destroyed. The
ljoists overhead were almost
completely burned out.
+ Intense heat of the fire had
> melted the gas meter from the
wall. Above it, where the es-
; Gaping gas had famed steadily
a hole was burned all the way
through the ceiling.
: A 13-year-old son was awak-
/ ened and hustled outside into
the cold.
$4,000 Damage
Capt. Hall said damage was
"at least $4,000 to the house
and another $1,000 to furnish
ings.
After the first explosion, two
more followed as fremen fought
the blaze. They were caused by
changes in temperature and diff
ferences in oxygen content. One
blast blew out several windows
and flying glass cut Fireman Pat
Rooney on the arm.
MI. SLIDER is sales manager
of District Distributors. Inc. a
liquor wholesale firm.
Firemen said the excellenS
construction of the house, with
tight joints and wall-to-wall
carpeting, contributed to the
str2nge behavior of the fire and
the later explosions. The fire
was not inclly eXtinguished and
washed down until AIS am.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Byrd Still Opposes
u. S. Schoo! Aid

Dec. 9 (P),-
Senator BYRD Democrat of Vir-
ginia. has reiterated his opposi-
ton to Fedora aid for education
The Virginia lawmaker sale
yesterday he believes it would
be impossible to provide such
aid without accompanying Fed
eral controls
Marion Folsom. Secretary Of
Health, Education and Welfare
said "Wednesday the administra-
ton will present the new Con-
yress with 4 program aimed at
providing Feteral help for the
building of thousands of new
schools.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09

Department had asked permits
sion to send juvenile squad rep
resentatives to interview princi-
pals on whether knife-carrying
was prevalent and if so to what
extent.
Mr.. Cantrell said he passed
this information on to principals
at a meeting three weeks ago,
After a check this morning. he
said Garnet-P Patterson and Kelly
Miller were the only schools that
had conducted any systematic
checks, however.
Small Knives Not Barred
Mr.. Brooks said the four knives
found in his school were left
in the students possession.
The school system has no rule
against small pocket knives. but
principals frequently discourage
students from carrying them in
school. They also make it a
practice to confiscate knives
from troublemakers.
Switchblade knives-in which
IA blade springs out when a but
ton is pressed - are the only
knives fatty illegal in the Dis
Itrict. The law provides a special
penalty for carrying any knife
with a blade longer than 3K
inches where intent is proved tc
linjure someone, however.
The police departments in
quiry resulted from severa.
letters and telephone calls from
parents reporting that student:
were carrying knives. Inspector
Winters said.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09

can see no serious problem II
weapons in the schools"
The Police Department severa.
weeks ago asked school authori.
ties to provide Information or
the knife situation.
Yesterday, the 675 pupils at
Garnet-P Patterson were lined UP
in the schools two gymnasiums
and asked to empty theil
pockets or-in the case of girls
to open their pocket books
Principal Albert N. D. Brooks
said four boys were found tt
have penknives, but none was in
the illegal weapon category, he
said.
Mr.. Brooks said he was told
by Assistant Supt. Lawson ]
today, however, that he
had misinterpreted instructions
in conducting an actual check
of pupils. All that was intended
by school officials was to pro-
vide a report on the number
of knives conflscated recently
Mr.. Brooks reported.
At Kelly Miller, police sale
boys were checked by student
leaders and seven pocket knives
were found. These also were moi
illegal, they added.
Search Not Ordered
A spokesman for School Supt
Hobart M. Corning said no in
structionS for any search o
students were issued, and tina
none was intended.
The spokesman said the Polio,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Take $3.50

Thieves early today forced two
sliding doors and used an Office
screwdriver to open a desk
drawer and remove $3.50 from
the Crowders Transfer Co., 1919
First street. Alexandria police
reported.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
BY HARRY BACAS

Have you been expecting to
find two big antlered deer in
your mailbox and been disap-
pointed?
The Washington Post Office
may have your animals in cold
storage.
With the Christmas season
building up, the city post Office
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09

AND FURNISHINGS - this
is bound to be another chore.
The Government naturally
will want to consider early
American, despite any per-
sonal feelings National Cap
ital Parks officials might have
about modern furniture.
You can get along with
furniture enough for the liv-
ing room and one bedroom
unless you're a Government
that's bound to have a lot of
visitors. But If you're going
to set yourself up as a mu-
scum, and invite all corners,
you've got to get the stuff In
right away.
This is going to entail ex-
tensive shopping around for
the precise pieces to fit the
motif.
The Government can't very
well leave to the distaf side
the matter of picking the cur
tains and Grapes, or saying
how the kitchen is to be ar
ranged. This is something
which will have to come from
the cold council table, with an
eye to history.
National Capital Parks has
promised to have the Old
Stone House ready for visitors
by December 81, and that
doesn't leave much time.
There is one point on which
Uncle Sam should be warned.
1t is the unexpected electric
bill, or gas bill, or insurance
bill that throws the budget
of the new home owner out
of killer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
Street Scenes

A Davy Crockett display in
the right-hand window Of a
toy shop getting more atten-
ton than electric trains in the
other window. -.
A woman in a fur coat and
Stacks, window shopping on G
street. 49,.
A man wearing a placard:
"This Is the Most Beautiful
City in the World-And I Am
Blind" 49,.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
School Weapons Check
Up II Penknives

Metropolitan Police Inspector John E. Winters disclosed to-
Idy that police have been surveying District junior and senior
high schools to learn if any students are carrying weapons.
So far, the check has turned up II penkniyes, he said. These
were at two Junior highs, Garnet-Patterson and Kelly Miller.
Inspector Winters told reporters that on the basis of reports
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09
The
Rambler
Uncle Sam and His
Old Stone House
BY JACK JONAS

Well, If the Government is
going into the HOUSEKEEPING
business, it's got to expect
some uncertainties.
The Old Stone House in
Georgetown is about as lost
to history as any in the city,
and for decades the historians
have been trying to come up
with something solid about it.
The ordinary man doesn't
need to know who lived in his
house before him. though 1t
piques the imagination. 1t
would be interesting to learn
whether the previous owners
wore boards, or kicked cats,
or kept a mysterious trunk in
the attic.
But it is not necessary to
know these things unless you
are a Government, and have
assigned yourself the task Of
preserving an antiquity for
the future generations.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-09

FACTS COME HARD about
the Old Stone House at 3051
M street NV.
There's a plaque on the
front which says George
Washington used 1t as a head.
quarters while he planned the
Federal City. But the his
torians say, sadly, that's more
q legend than . certainty.
He could have used it. It's
old enough. The historians
are pretty much agreed that
the Old Stone House was built
sometime around 1894.
That was enough to smash
the legend that the British
Gen. Braddock used the place
as a headquarters. He died
some II years before.
There is another legend
that 1t served as a model for
Washington's town house in
Alexandria. But the archi-
tects say this type of house
was common at the time it
was built, and probably both
Just followed a pattern.
There is the story that the
Old Stone House was the stu
dio of Pierre L'Enfant while
he drew plans for the Capitol.
Another legend: It once was
Suffers Tavern. But there is
more reliable evidence that
Suter's-its location not fixed
definitely--was somewhere on
Wisconsin avenue. At any
rate, this obviously was a
modest home, its appurte-
nances not fitting to a tavern.
1t must all be very frus-
trating to the new owner-the
Government bought the place
in 1858 and is a comparatively
new owner, anyway. And aside
from the historical angle,
there is a natural feeling of
sympathy for the Government
as a new home owner. A news
note reveals that the money
for remodeling the house did
not become available for
nearly two years after the
deed finally changed hands.
It's hard enough finding
money to repaper the bath
room, let alone remodeling
and refurbishing a whole
house. and new home owners
everywhere know how the
Government must feel. The
new home owner who can find
money enough in two years to
do the job is lucky.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
President Of A. U.
Heads Study Group
On Chest Problems

DR.. Hurst r. Anderson, presi-
dent Of American University. has
been appointed chairman Of the
Community Chest Federation
evaluation committee, Federation
President Herbert c. Blunck an
nounced today.
The committee. 40 strong, will
study the relationships Of the six
Community Chests that make up
the federation. including policy,
structure, administration and
distribution Of the money COLI
lected.
The study was voted by the
federation directors in December,
after the Montgomery County
Chest threatened to leave the
federation unless 1t got more
money.
A report on the study is due
June 80.
These will serve with DR.. An
derson:
Caesar L. Aiello, Edmund D.
Campbell. Kenneth Clark, John
B. Duncan, C. w. Eichelberger,
Frank M. Ewing, Carroll Ford,
Arthur z. Gardner. James C..
Gildea, Charles c. Glover III,
Aaron Goldman, William j.
Haggerty. John 8. Hayes.
Charles s. Hill. Ray C. Hop
kins, Fisher Howe, Mrs. D. H.
Patterson Knight, Victor F.
Ludewig, Hugh MeGrath, Edgar
r. Melon, Nicholas Orem, jr.,
Arthur ]. Phelan, Mai. Gen.
Louis w. Prentiss, Judge Sted-
man Prescott.
A. Murray Preston, Ralph w.
Powers, Mrs. Helen Rau, Eugene
Roberts, David Scull, Albert
Smoot. Harold Stehman, Mrs.
Harold A. Stone, Mrs. Katherine
VanSlyck, Charles White, Tay-
lor M. Williams and Mrs. Isabel
Zimmerman.
The FIRST meeting Of the COM
mittee has been scheduled for
$3.50 pm. February In the
Hotel Statler.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Three Area Scientists
Get Academy Awards

Three scientists in the WASH
ington area received annual
awards for outstanding contribu-
tions in the biological, engineer
ing and physical sciences fields
from the Washington Academy
Of Sciences last night.
DR.. Leon Jacobs, parasitologist,
of the National Institutes of
Health, Bethesda; w. s. Pellini,
metallurgist, of the Naval Re-
search Laboratory, and DR.. Sam
uel N. Foner, physicist, Of the
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Laboratory, Silver Spring, re-
ceiyed awards from the academy
at q dinner in the Kennedy
Warren Apartments.
DR.. Jacobs. George Washing
ton University graduate and
senior scientist at NH labora-
tory Of tropical disease, won the
biological award for his work In
the field of parasitology.
Mr.. Pellini. superintendent of
the metallurgy division Of the
Naval Research Laboratory. re-
ceived the academy's engineer
ing award for his notable con-
tribution IN the field Of metal
processing.
DR.. Foner won the physical
sciences award for studies of
constituents Of flame reactions.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
175fh Year Marked
By Presbyierians
OF Georgetown

The Presbyterian Congregation
Of Georgetown last night cele-
brated its 175th birthday in st.
Luke's Methodist Church. CAL
vert street and Wisconsin ave-
nue. NV.
The dinner for the annual
meeting was served by the ladies
of st. Luke.s. and was in the
American tradition. The main
dish was roast turkey.
There were reports of the last
years work and a program fea-
turing the history of the group.
1t was presented by Col. Henry
Schauffier.
Each 25-year period Of the
history was marked by songs Of
the particular period, with the
singers in the costumes Of their
times. These periods harkened
back to the Scottish ancestry Of
the early founders Of the church
in Georgetown. such as q killed
bag-piper, who marched around
the tables skiriing his pipes at
the beginning and end of the
meal.
Neville Miller, an attorney, told
Of the progress Of the past year.
DR.. Leonard Weyl. a surgeon. told
of how the Georgetown Presbyte-
rian Church is engaged in a
building program to restore to its
original form the 1921 building
that houses the sanctuary. and
in addition, build a new educa-
tional and recreational building
next to it. So far. $150,O00 has
been raised toward the $4,000
goal. DR.. Weyl Is In charge Of
the campaign.
SMuch Of the CONGREGATIONS
history was recounted by DR..
Russell Cartwright Stroup, the
minister. It is recorded on the
tombstone Of Or. Stephen Bloom
er Balch. the first pastor Of
Georgetown Presbyterian Church
that he planted the gospel In
this town"
Congregations worshiped in
Georgetown before 1880, and
possibly as far back as 1850 there
was q Presbyterian congregation
with intermittent services and
supply preachers.
While the Presbyterian Con-
gregation in Georgetown has held
yearly meetings since 1850, the
church was incorporated by an
Act Of Congress in 1906, the pa
pers Of incorporation being signed
by Thomas Jefferson, and they
provided for the annual meeting
to be held in March. When the
date Of meeting was changed to
January, in 1850, 1t became nec-
essary to have the change au-
thorized by another joint Act Of
Congress. This was passed in
1850 and signed by former Pres
ident Truman.
Evening star., 1955-01-21
Paul Reyere's Horse
Inspires 500 Gift
BY fhe Assoelaied Presa

BOSTON.--A 500 donation in
honor Of Paul Revere's horse has
been sent to the Old North
Church to help rebuild its hur-
ricane-razed steeple.
Philip r. Allen Of Boston sent
this note with his contribution:
"An old horse lover is glad to
send the inclosed check in recog-
milton Of the part Paul Revere's
horse played on that historic
night"