davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Mr.. Avery vs.. Mr.. WoIfson

Few struggles for control of one of the
giants of American business have revealed
more dramatic qualities than the current
fight over Montgomery Ward, second largest
mail order house in the country. An esti-
mated $4,000 stockholders, $4,000 employees,
hundreds of competitors, thousands of sup
pliers and millions of customers are stand
ing on the sidelines today-none Of them
sure of the outcome and many not even sure
how they want the fight to end.
Playing the leading roles are Sewell L.
Avery, 81, and Louis E. Wolfson, 43. In 1881,
a low year of the depression, Mr.. Avery
snatched Montgomery Ward from the edge
of bankruptcy. It is a million-a-year
merchandising firm today completely free
of any funded debt, loaded with cash and
with total assets Of nearly $700 million.
Since World War II it's sales have increased
SO per cent. In the same period, however,
Wards bigger competitor-Sears, Roebuck
g. Co.-haS increased it's sales by 1856 per
cent and greatly increased the number of its
retail outlets. Ward has "retrenched" from
CAB retail stores in 1910 to 568 today Mr..
Avery has believed for 10 years that there
was new depression somewhere over the
horizon and that when it arrived his COM
pany should be financially strong and able
to expand at lower costs.
Mr.. Wolfson, whose corporate empire"
including the Capital Transit Company
has an estimated value of about $3.50 mil
lion, believes MIR. Avery is living in the
economic dark ages" He announced his
campaign to take over the company last
August. Since then he has disclosed plans
for expansion of the business, redemption
of some of the stock and various other steps
calculated to win him support.
The first head-on clash between the two
came few weeks ago when Mr.. Wolfson
challenged Wards system of electing only
three Of the nine-man board of directors
each year-a "stagger" system similar to
that used in electing members of the United
States Senate. This issue is awaiting hearing
in the State Supreme Court on March IS,
thus allowing time for resolution of the issue
before the annual stockholders meeting on
April %.
Important changes in ownership of
Ward stock already have taken place. The
AFL TeamSters' Union announced last De-
cember it had invested 81 million in the
company; the Massachusetts, Investors Trust
announced more recently it had liquidated
an investment of nearly ten times that
amount. The company has raised its div
idend rate and has begun to modernize
few of its stores. Personal charges have
been fired back and forth. Actually, how
ever, the outcome of the fight may not prove
either the Avery or the Wolfson philosophy
correct But the fight itself testifles to a
certain vitality--a rugged individualism-
In the American business world.
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Fifty Years Ago in The Star e.
b. Jonas.

down and that he had telephoned for
help because "he feared his wife had
been killed" Her body was found in
bathtub. She had been struck several
fearful blows" and shot lust above
the heart" A small piece of cotton,
discovered by police in the bathroom,
fitted exactly tear in McCue's shirt.
and he could never explain how that
piece Of cotton got to the bathroom"
The names of two women were men,
toned in connection with the alleged
motive of the murderer. He protested
his innocence, was placed on trial Octo-
ber lS and convicted November S. The
scene of his hanging was only short
distance from the house in which he
had lived with the woman he killed
while-during two terms-he was Char-
lotteSville's popular and efficient Mayor.
Citing the Kansas City Journal, The
Star Of January IA. 1905. listed the fol-
lowing as "the millionaires Of
Richest the world: Alfred Belt. dia-
Men monds. $500 million; j. B.
Robinson, gold and diamonds,
$400 million: j. D. Rockefeller, OIL $3.50
million; w. w. Astor, land, 5000 million;
Prince Demidoff. land. 5000 million;
Andrew Carnegie. steel, $125 million;
w. K. Vanderbilt, railroads, 500 mil
lion; William Rockefeller. oil, 500 mil
lion: j. J. Astor. land, $75 million; Lord
Rothschild, money lending, $75 million;
Duke of Westminster, land, $75 million;
J. P. Morgan, banking. $75 million;
Lord Iveagh, beer. $40 million: Isadora
Cousino, mines and railroads, $40 mil
lion; M. Heine, silk, $40 million Baron
AlphonSe Rothschild, money lending
$40 million: Baron Nathanial Roths-
child. money lending, $40 million; Arch
luke Frederick Of Austria, land, $40 mil
lion: George ]. Gould, railroads. $40
million; Hetty Green, banking, $55 mil
hon; James H. Smith, banking. $50
million; Duke Of Devonshire, land, $50
million; Duke of Bedford. land. $50
million: Henry o. Havemeyer, sugar,
$50 million;. John Smith. mines, s4s
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Spires of the Spirit
Today Is Yesterday

In urging fresh start for every new
dawn q poet exclaims: Each night
burn the records of the day." 1t is
Opportunity speaking. But that state
ment must be taken with more than the
proverbial grain of salt. All the records
of the previous day do not go up In
smoke when morning gilds the skies.
In all tomorrows the yesterdays are
much more potent than ashes and
smoke.
In the things possible today one meets
constantly his yesterdays. The traveller
over the isthmus of mortal years does
not cross the frontier Of another "a
hours without baggage. In the most
solemn and serious sense he takes along
his yesterdays. In every failure and
in every triumph Today is Yesterday
sitting in judgment.
One may decide not to reckon the
yesterdays, But no-trespaSSing signs
on today will not keep them out. Will
liam James speaks about a man who
turned periodically to the indulgences
he had vowed to avoid bantering as he
yielded. well, I'll have fling this
once! But l won't count it this time"
Significantly. James comments: 1T was
counted nevertheless. 1t was written in
his weakened will. in his inflamed ap-
petite, in the jangling nerves of his dis
sipated body" Yes, in every day is
stored the records Of every yesterday.
When she was asked to state the
principal lesson the years had taught
her. that valiant and charming person,
Madame Chang Kai-shek. answered:
''The moral foundation of the universe
is that we write our own destiny. Life
does keep books" AS with yearning
one stands at some door which is
locked. how often ghostly figure turks
by his side! The name of the ap-
partition is t-Might-Have-Be It
whispers, I am the yesterdays, when
you neglected to fashion the key which
now you so desperately need.
Incapability to take advantage of
some coveted opportunity is often the
result of misused or neglected yester-
days. The epitaph on the grave of
many dead hope is: To-day is yes
terday." An old adage declares that
chickens come home to roost. And the
name Of these unwanted fowls on the
perch of today is Yesterday When
wellington remarked that the battle
Of Waterloo was won on the cricket
fields of Eton he was putting in vivid
way fundamental truth. That truth
is that the issue Of many crucial con-
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Letters to The Star.
Pen-nan1es may be used if letters carry
t0riters' correct names and addresses.
AL letters are subject to condensation.

untested for atypical classes or per-
haps still in regular classes because of
lack of space in atypical classes for
them, are a severe handicap to aver
age children and to those gifted chill
dren who could progress even more
rapidly if teachers could help them
instead of using disproportionate
part of their time with the atypical
children.
This whole problem of providing
special teachers, classrooms and psy-
biologists for atypical children is one
that is felt at every level of the school
systematic atypical child himself who
needs special training. the average and
above-average child who Is being de-
prived of the teachers time and at
tention, parents. OF course, and even
the teacher who is not trained to teach
atypical children, who feels the frus-
tration of not being able to give proper
attention to any of her students and
who frequently cannot find any salts
faction in her whole routine because
of this situation.
PTAs are going to tight before Con-
gress to get funds for special teachers
and psychologists, despite the fact that
they were removed from the budget
presented by the Commissioners. But
we're goingN to need more than just
our own strength We're going to need
the interest Of an aroused citizenry
who will recognize that provisions for
mentally handicapped children will re-
suit in raising the standards Of those
children, will be a preventive against
juvenile delinquency. will provide more
adequate training for normal young
sters and will give our teachers more
Of an incentive to turn out the type of
future citizens Washington needs
The Star can help More of the type
of articles which Mr.. Deane has written
will assist. The cases he cites are not
dramatic ones in that they are too
comonplace, unfortunately WASH
ington citizens need to know that.
Please do whatever you can. The in
tegrity behind The Star can carry a
lot of weight.
Marian E. Frye,
President. Edmonds School PTA.
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Goodwill Ambassadors

The profession of goodwill ambassador
has taken decided and gratifying upward
turn this month. The latest emiSSary is
Miss Janet Jones, pretty young lady from
Wales. She arrived the other day in New
York to begin a seven-week tour of the
United States, to show how friendly the
Welsh can be, although hardly anyone is
mad at Wales. The British Travel Associa-
ton hopes her visit will successfully entice
tourists to Wales, but if we just hear some
of the Welsh folk tunes she plans to sing 1t
will have been successful enough.
Vice President Nixon is we'll into his
goodwill tour of South and Central America,
and her maiesty's sister, Princess Margaret,
is busy in the British West Indies on SINH
Evening star., 1955-02-13

On February 2, 1905. The Star said:
'"Tha first step toward the realization
of the greater George
GNU Washington University
BUILDINGS was taken yesterday
afternoon when programs
of the competition for plans Of the
the new university site at Van Ness
Park were mailed to six firms of
architects. . The architects who have
been invited to compete are informed
by the programs that their drawings
are expected to be in the hands of the
Board of Award by noon March IS.
D.. Each architect who submits plans
will be allowed fee of 5000, and the
successful competitor will secure the
contract for the construction of the
buildings. :. The cost of the whole
group of buildings is to be about
135,000." Members of the award
board were Charles F. McKim,
Bernard r. Green and Prof. Percy Ash.
were Hornblower & Marshall, Delano
g. Aldrich. Hale & Morse, George
B. Post. William A. Boring and Parker
g. Thomas. Thirteen different build
ings were templated-namely. ad-
ministration, alumni and school of
architecture halls. a school of law
building and building of professors
Offices, plus eight dormitories.
A special correspondent in San Juan,
P. r., wrote to The Star of Feb
ruary 3, 1905: Even
Trouble IN the most optimistic and
Puerto Rico patient Americans here
are viewing with ap-
prehension the anti-American spirit
which seems to be Grazing the House Of
Delegates and which is evident all over
the island. The most sensational politi-
cal incident of the past week was a
rabid anti-American speech by Speaker
Matienz Cintron Of the House, a leader
OF the Unionist Party, who was for four
years q member OF the Executive Coun-
ell as an appointee Of President Nc
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Our Neglected Children

On behalf of the Edmonds School
Parent Teacher Association, wish to
commend Reporter James G. Deane
and The Star for the "Our Neglected
Children" articles which have appeared
in your paper. The stories are of great
assistance to the School Board. the
PTAs and other interested groups who
have worked so diligently toward re-
solving the problems of teaching atypi-
cal children.
Both Mr. Deane and The Star need
to go further, however; there are
certain facts which must be stated in
plain language for everyone to read.
whether they are parents of elementary
school youngsters or not. Those facts
are:
% That by atypical. DR.. Corning
means bluntly the mentally retarded
and the very serious emotionally dis
turbed child He adds that there are
1000 such children in our elementary
schools, which have total enrolment
OF 30,000-plus. That Is an appalling
percentage.
o. That the printing of such figures
as 1000 atypical children for which
no special training is available does
not indicate something new. It is
total which has been piling up for years
and has led to the request for $4,000
for two clinical psychologists-which
amount has been denied by the Com
missioners for two consecutive years.
The figure represents not only below
middle Income families. as many err
roneously think it represents homes
from the lowest to the very highest
level in Washington.
90 That the failure to provide for
the needs of these children at the ele-
mentary- school level results almost in
evitably in behavior problems and de-
linquency problems at the Junior high
level-and it means departure from
school at 16 years of age of a large
number of children who have gained
nothing from their schooling which
will provide even partial support for
them in the way of employment.
a. That the 1000 atypical children
who are now part of regular classes,
Evening star., 1955-02-13

Kinley. His speech was filled with con-
temptible references to the administra-
ton and was cheered to the echo by
the excited delegates. . Delegate Me-
dina Of Mayaguez still stands boldly
for the independence of Puerto Rico He
says that American rule is more tyran-
nical than that of Spain and that
Puerto Rico never will be content until
she is free. :. In Ponce, city which
received the Americans in 1898 with
open arms and was always conceded to
be the most American in sentiment of
any town in Puerto Rico, the anti
American feeling is now openly and
bitterly expressed. The insular
treasury is depleted and hundreds of
thousands are idle and starving"
One of the most sensational crime
stories in the history Of Virginia ended
on February 10, 1905,
Mccue when J. Samuel Mccue,
Execution former Mayor Of Char
lottesville, was hanged
for the murder of his wife, Mrs. Fannie
McCue, September 4, 1904. AS told in
The Star, the convicted civic leader
paid the penalty of his crime in the
Jail yard after confessing his guilt.
1.-The execution was done quickly and
without mishap. Life was pronounced
entirely extinct at O'Clock. but in the
opinion of the physicians. complete un-
consciousness supervened Immediately
after the springing of the drop" at 7:34
am. Three ministers were present in
his cell when McCue admitted that "he
alone twas) responsible for the deed.
impelled to it by an evil power beyond
his control" McCue and his wife had
attended church on the evening Of the
murder. Returning home, they retired
for the night. Shortly thereafter "tele-
phone messages were flying all over
town Of a horrible crime at the home
of the McCues. and neighbors, friends,
physicians and officers we're sum-
moned" The Mayor insisted that IAN
unknown white man" had entered
through a window snd knocked him
Evening star., 1955-02-13

flict won or lost today really was decided
yesterday. either in fruitful hours Of
preparation or in refusal to "scorn
delights and live laborious days"
A certain well-known man rose far
above his past when for years he had
wasted his substance in riotous living
But to the end. realizing that there are
some things that even God cannot do
or undo, often would come his bitter
self-reproach: THE scars remain, the
scars remain" Today is yesterday.
But it is not necessary to sink to
the depths as did that one for whom
the scars reminded him ever of the
yesterdays. Those who also inevitably
will meet their yesterdays in some to-
day are described by Dean Inge, when
he said: christianity is q creed for
heroes, while we are mainly harmless,
good-natured little people who want
everybody Gncluding ourSelves) to
have a good time"
Now the reason that today is yes
terday is that two and two make four.
There is lot of chicanery in this world
and clever attempts at short cuts. But
by no amount of pull or coaxing or
double-crossing can the rule be es-
capped. In spite of devious manipula-
tions it will face you some day: Two
plus two is four, and no more. Every
bank reminds us of that. Life constant
ly proclaims that.
A great many things in life are
mysterious and uncertain. But about
one thing there can be no question. BY
a law as definite and inexorable as the
multiplication table we get out Of life
what we put in. No legislation can re-
yoke the law of returns That law as
serts, To-day is sure to meet you in
Evening star., 1955-02-13
Back to Formoso

Now that the last of Chiang's troops
have been safely removed from the Tachen
Islands, the spotlight in the Far East swings
back to the great bastion of Formosa-the
point at which war with China, If there is
to be war, will begin.
We can only hope that there is no mis-
understanding on this score - that the
yielding of the Tachens will not be inter-
preted by the Chinese Communists as indi-
eating any lack of determination on our
part to fight if necessary for Formosa. For
this is one decision which has been firmly
ported by public opinion in the United
States.
In fact, it may be doubted that any
American foreign policy carrying risk of
war has received such massive bipartisan
Endorsement But the record is there-Six
votes in the Senate against the mutual de-
fenSe agreement with Nationalist China;
only three against the resolution authoriz-
ing the President to use American forces
to defend Formosa, the Pescadores and such
related positions and territories of that
area now in friendly hands" as may be ap-
propriate in assuring FormoSa'S safety. And
the treaty with Chang is but one Of series.
1t Is link in a chain consisting of the
agreements with Japan, the Republic of
Korea and the Philippines; the pact with
Australia and New Zealand, and the SEATO
treaty uniting us with Great Britain,
France. Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan,
Thailand and the Philippines in pledge to
resist aggression in Southeast Asia.
1t may be said that such agreements as
these lack teeth, that the security which
they offer is of the paper variety. To the
extent that this is true, diligent efforts will
be made to strengthen the arrangements.
One of the great miscalculations of his
tory will be made, however, if the Commu-
nists should conclude that the Formosa
agreement lacks teeth, or that the will to
use those teeth is missing. If Formosa and
the Pescadores are attacked, the United
States will meet that attack with all the
forces it can bring to bear. If necessary, we
will use our forces to help the Nationalists
hold Quemoy and the Matsus. And If the
fighting begins, If the Chinese Communists
spurn cease-fire and resort to war, there
is not going to be any privileged sanctu-
ary' for them this time on the mainland
of China.
Evening star., 1955-02-13

million; Claus Spreckles. sugar, $40 mil
hon; Archbishop Conn, land, $40 mil
lion; Russell Sage, money lending, s2S
million, and Sir Thomas Upton. S25
million. To the roster, Of course. the
King of England, the Car of Russia.
the Kaiser of Germany, the King of
Italy and the Emperor OF Austria
King OF Hungary naturally would be
added. A list Of millionaires today
would be much longer-and somewhat
different in its sources.
y
Featured in the society column of
Inc Star for February 4, 1905, was an
account of the second
HyottsviIIe annual ball of the Hy-
CotilIion attsville Cotillion Club.
held at the Masonic Hall
the previous evening. Chaperones in
cluded Mrs. Rexford NJ Smith, Mrs.
II. E. White, Mrs. Theodore Vandoran.
Mrs. H. c. Dobbs, Mrs. j. B. Burnside.
Mrs. w. w. Van Loan, Mrs. J. C.
Rogers, Mrs. c. H. Piggott, Mrs. w. D.
Porter, Jr.; Mrs. Roger Boyle and Mrs.
E. c. Middleton. Among the dancers
were Helen and Ruth Burnside, Mamie.
Margaret. Alice and Rosalie Carr, May
ana Marion Drury. Ada E. Ritten-
house, Bessie Ray, Helen Wilson, Marie
Blundon, Nellie Hyatt, Rilla Dickin-
son, Helen Henry, Laura Latimer. Car
RE SIMPLIFY. Claire and Marguerite Mat
tngly, Carrie Hardesty. Agnes Nc
Chesney. Grace Van Loan, Helen
Turner. Lottie Fenwick, Emily Hickey,
Agnes Mudd, Louise Campbell, Alice
1lerny. Eva Fowler, Alice Paret. Loi
and Hazel Helmsen, Lucy Mayo, Ella
Stevens. A. Louise Fuller. Robert C.
Browning. Frank Fenwick, John T
Hall. Herbert Smith, Harold Burnside
DR.. E. T. Owens. C. D. Hammer, w. S.
Van Loan, DR.. Guy w. Latimer. Arthur
and G. H. Carr. DR.. A. H. Wells. C.
Baltimore Calvert. E. A. Fuller, Mai.
Wellston White. r. H. Dixon. H. j
Call. John Mudd, DR.. William Elljcott
Tyson, T. s. Patterson, jr.: j. Harris
Rogers and w. D. Porter, jr.
h Il
The auction sale Of the art collection
OF Thomas E. Waggaman at Mendels-
49,, sohn Hall, New York
Woggomon City, January 27, 1905,
SeIs was reported--obviously
by Leila Mechlin-in The
Star OF January % as having realized
a total Of $223,225. Water colors to the
number Of 43 were knocked down to
bidders at prices ranging from S100
to $l3.8000, and SO oil paintings brought
accepted bids running from $50 to
$4,000. The last mentioned sum was
paid for Sheep Coming Out of the
Forest" by Anton Mauvre. An after
noon sale Of Chinese and Japanese pot
terry. bronze and iron art brought $13,-
943.S0. Mr.. Waggaman had been q
fortunate collector. He had given only
$4,000 for the Mauvre picture.
Evening star., 1955-02-13
BY Frederick Brown Harris
Minister, Foundry Nathodist Church:
Chaplain. United states senate.

some tomorrow" In the book Of Job
this fateful truth is stated thus: "A
mans bones are full of the sins Of his
youth" A habit, good or bad, is some
thing written on today's records by
the deeds Of vanished yesterdays Our
yesterdays are inscribed on our todays.
There are those who indulge in cer-
tain excesseS, Saturating their bodies
with narcotics or urging them on with
the lash of StimulantS, who have no
right to shake their heads over the
mysterious ways of God. They need
not be surprised that in the hard con-
tests of life sounder men walk on ahead
leaving them in the rear or to fall by
the wayside. In such cases it is for
gotten that two and two make four.
that we settle by the books and that
according to the law of returns We take
out what we put in.
In fields of clover there always are a
few specimens with four leaves. But
life itself is not finding four-leaf
clovers; there is no such luck. Ninety
nine per cent of the work that receives
the acclaim of the world is not ex-
planned by inspiration, but by perspira-
ton.
In 1859 Charles Darwin published his
book, THE Origin of Species" which
had profound effect in the realms Of
science, philosophy and religion. But
back of his brilliant assumptions were
those % years Of searching. checking
and verifying. growing out Of his
famous observation voyage in H.MS.
Beagle to tabulate the facts. When,
at last. he was ready to startle the
world the date OF the publication of
that epochal volume did not tell the
tale. On its fly-leaf might well be
written: Today is yesterday.
Then, of course, the things which
today make life fine and fair, the
things which greatly minister to our
welfare, our comfort and our safety,
were not grown in the garden of today.
A mushroom might claim to be the
product of today, but not an oak.
Withstanding the widest storms the
sturdy oak, confident in its rooted
strength, seems to be saying, To-day
Is yesterday"
Without question our greatest riches
come from the yesterdays. If we lift
up the most precious things that are
factors in life today as we live it. we
will flnd written on the bottom, Made
in Yesterday" It is yesterday that has
given us the power and place to dream,
to grow. to love, to work. Today is
yesterday.