davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-03-20

TIME do-it-yourself philoso-
Il ply of the pioneerS-too
often dormant in modern times
has been revived dramati-
cally in Greenbelt. Out there.
they built their own church.
It took three years of hard
work by amateurs. but the Jew
ish Community Center of
Prince Georges County Is now
no longer a dream. The build
ing at Ridge road and Westway
will be dedicated tonight at 8
after an open house today be-
tween 3 and S o'clock.
For nine years the congrega-
ton has been holding services
and meetings in the public
school or the Protestant COM
munity church. Naturally.
Community Center which could
be used as a synagogue was
needed.
However, when the finances
of the group were examined. a
building of their own seemed
far away. Even architects tees
were out of reach. This first
hurdle was solved when a pro-
fessor at Howard University
drew up plans for practically
nothing.
More cold water was dumped
on the idea when estimates
ranged between 100000 and
100000 for the building.
Rather than admit defeat. the
congregation became more de-
termined. Someone suggested:
Let's build 1t ourselves"
This idea tossed out to men
who. for the most part, had
started and ended their build
ing experience with kitchen
shelves and foot stools seemed
ridiculous. White-collar work.
ers couldn't build churches.
But how else were they to get
a community center?
Three years ago. the ground
was broken by the amateurs.
Jack Ratzkin. an engineer for
the Navy Department. could
read plans and automatically
became the foreman. Others
consumed books on construc-
ton. spent hours picking the
brains of professionals.
Meeting after work during
the summer and on week ends
in winter, the congregation la
bored away. At its largest. the
construction force numbered
40. The bulk Of the work was
done by 20.
Protestants and Catholics in
the community pitched in.
Other Jewish congregations
The WASHINGTON STAR PIcToRiI
Evening star., 1955-03-20
'es," to cut costs.
BY Brian Bell

sent over labor battalions from
time to time. Some supplies,
fixtures and tools we're donated
by friendly businessmen. Pro-
fessional construction experts
visited the job OH Sundays to
criticize and make suggestions.
often, we had the heart
breaking job of tearing down
work that took us weeks be-
cause a construction expert
would tell us it wouldn't do"
says Harry Zubkoff. one Of the
workers. Most of our people
didn't know the front end Of
trowel from the back of
wheel-barrow when we started"
The women of the congrega-
ton pitched in with some of
the work. Other times they
kept the men going with food
and cold drinks. One of the
members turned out to be a
licensed electrician, another
plumber. They were able to
supervise their specialties.
"One of our problems was the
old saying, "A little learning Is
a dangerous thing" Mr., Zub-
koff pointed out. TOO often. we
had Is self-elected foremen all
telling one another what they
had learned from books and
how to do the job"
All work couldn't be done by
the congregation. Professionals
had to be called in with big
equipment for some jobs. FL
nally, the outside was COM
pleted and trucks arrived with
fill to prepare the inside for
concrete floors.
Only then did the amateurs
realize they had not left an
opening for the trucks to drive
into the building. A wall had
to be torn down and rebuilt
when the fill had been dropped.
All these trials and tribula-
tions will seem unimportant-
but not forgotten-at the dedi-
cation tonight. The building
has an auditorium. three class
rooms, a lounge. rabbits study.
reception hall. kitchen, rest
rooms and a boiler room, de-
signed for both heating and
air conditioning equipment,
although the last is still a
dream. 1t cost approximately
$4,000 for the 100000 job.
The center will serve as a
synagogue and social and
recreational building. 1t will
also serve as a monument to
the initiative of the "do-it-
yourself" Jewish congregation
at Greenbelt.
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

one of the two or three best col
lections of this type of American
art.
For twenty-five years DR.. Jones
has been actively interested in a
wide range of aspects of Ameri-
can folk culture. He has pub
lished 40-odd articles on tall tales,
witchcraft, ghost lore, folk songs
and, in recent years, articles on
American folk art. He believes
that an understanding of DEM
ocracy involves an understanding
of the cultural heritage of those
who were untutored except in the
oral traditions of our people.
He is the author of "Clubs of
the Georgian Rakes," Columbia
University Press, 1941, "Spooks
of the Valley" a compilation of
ghost stories for younger readers,
Houghton Mifflin, 194s; books
about Cooperstown and the Coop
erstown Museums and recently,
with Marshall Davidson, "Ameri-
can Folk Art" for the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art Miniature
Series.
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01
SPEAKER AT
WINTERTHUR
Louis c. Jones of Coopers-
town, N. Y, to Be Third
Speaker in Series
THURSDAY, DECEMBER !

Louis c. Jones, director of the
New York State Historical Asso-
citation and the Farmers Museum,
Cooperstown, New York, will be
the third speaker in the Winter
thur lecture series on art and
Industry in Early America" The
visiting scholar will be heard in
Wolf Hall Auditorium on the I'm
iversity of Delaware campus,
Thursday evening, December /, at
8:15 pm.
''Folk Art in America" is the
subject chosen by DIR. Jnoes, who
is a native New Yorker and re-
ceived his education at Hamil-
ton College and Columbia Univer-
sity. For thirteen years he was
a teacher of English, American
literature and American folklore
at New York State College for
Teachers in Albany, but since
1916 he has served as director of
the New York State Historical
Association. During this period
the Farmers Museum has attain
ed a national reputation as the
leading folk museum in America,
a dynamic and living recreation
of life on the New York frontier.
Early crafts and processes are
carried on in the same way they
were one hundred and fifty years
ago.
DR.. Jones has also been active
in the development of the Amer
ican folk art collection which is
housed at Fenimore House, the
Associations other museum in
Cooperstown. This collection of
American primitive paintings,
woodcarvings and metalwork is
distinguished for breadth, range
and quality of its materials and
is generally acknowledged to be
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

ware victory by recovering a fum-
BILE on the Hen five-yard line and
throwing one of two key blocks
on a 60-yard punt return by team
mate Jim Zaiser.
The gridiron leaders agility is
shown by the feat in intercepting
two passes this fall, ranking Sec
ond to zaiser and quarterback
Bob Hooper in this department.
Last fall he became the only in
ternal lineman to score a touch
down when he rushed a Temple
passer and recovered the latter's
tumble in the end zone.
Thomas, who majors in mechan-
ical engineering, is one of the
most active men on the team in
campus affairs. He is the pre-
sent corresponding secretary of
the student government associa-
ton and secretary of Theta Chi
Fraternity. Also, he was president
of the sophomore class last year.
The sill, 191-pound guard was
converted to the internal line pos
ition after enrolling at the Uni
versitv of Delaware. As a player
at Seaford High School, he re-
ceived All-State honors as an end.
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01
Social security News

Thousands of self-employed pro-
fessional people do not know that
they and their families will bene-
fit from the Social Security Act.
Since the beginning of 1855 this
law extended protection to self
employed accountants, architects,
funeral directors and professional
engineers.
This means that any of this
group without social security ac-
count numbers should obtain one
as soon as possible. Net earnings
of as much as S4OO and up to
$4,000 in year must be reported
in conjunction with filing FEEDER;
Income Tax Returns for eve
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01
NAMED CAPTAIN
OF FOOTBALL
Tommy Thomas Elected Cap
tain of 1856 Team at Uni
versity of Delaware
WAS GUARD AT SEAFORD

Tommy Thomas, outstanding
guard from Seaford, has been
elected captain of the 1856 Uni
versity of Delaware football team,
head coach Dave Nelson disclosed
this week. The former All-State
athlete, who was a starter at
right guard this fall, was chosen
by ballot of the football letter
winners.
Thomas succeeds Vince Grande,
6-1, 190-pound end from Water
town, N. Y, as team captain. The
captain-elect lettered last fall as
sophomore and stepped into a
regular berth at right guard this
season when teammate Jim Shell
ton was sidelined with a sprained
ankle.
The former Seaford star retain
ed his first starting assignment
even after Shelton had recovered,
however, sparkling the defensive
and offensive maneuvers of the
1855 Blue Hen line, which statis-
tics show to be one of the finest
of the East.
Thomas made his first appear
ance in the top eleven in Della
wares 20-18 victory over the I'm
iversity of New Hampshire, and
won recognition from the Eastern
Intercollegiate Football Associa-
ton as an "Unsung Hero" for his
performance on that date. Against
the Wildcats, the 19-year-old ath-
lete paved the way for the Della
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

protection to the families of in
sured professionals who die at any
age.
Applications for social. security
account cards and booklet 35,
"Your Social Security" may be
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

year after 1854.
1t is important to realize that
in addition to providing for re-
tirement at age IS, the old-age
and survivors insurance provisions
of the social security law give
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

obtained from the Delaware So
cial security district Office, locat-
ed at s13 West Street, in VII
mington.
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01

Subscribe to The Smyrna Times
$500 a year. payable in advance
Smyrna times., 1955-12-01
@sssaSN.
Sprays ~
Ge of Ivy ~

Chess is a game which can
be played for either sheer intel
lectual diversion, or ten cents
a game.
Il +
The crown Jewels of a nation
IMAGINATION.
\
When we act on impulse, we
take dictation from our hearts
and then can't read our own
shorthand.
The dangerous age for men is
from their first long pants to
their last short breath.
y 4 4
What filthy world this would
be if it weren't for gossips who
keep theirs ears to the ground,
picking up all the dirt.
H. Heurd on "THE HALLS sS
f& OF IVY, cBs-rv. star w
~ ring RonaId coImun 4
The Arizona post., 1955-12-02
Form English
VIC

For many m o n t h S it has
been the desire of the Work
men Circle members to form
an English speaking branch
locally. An organiZational
meeting is planned for Dec.
ID at 8 pm. at the Center to
which young persons, 18 and
over are urged to attend. It
will be an opportunity for
Bernard Levinson, representa-
tive of the national Workmen
Circle to explain the benefits
offered under the CUP in
surance plan as well as the
social aspects of membership
in Workmen Circle. There will
be no charge, no collections
and a socia hour will con-
clude the evening.
The Arizona post., 1955-12-02

co-chairman.
A cantata "What Is Sister
hood" will be part of the after
noon program. Mrs. Samuel
Kurn is director and Mrs. Her
man Novick, musical director.
She will also be soloist. Mrs.
Sidney Cells is pianist. Ap-
pearing in the cantata are:
Mines. P philip Besserman,
David A. Bloom, Gif Giffords,
Melvin Halpern, Jack Nevins,
N a t h an Rakita, Abner
Roberts, Paul Schill, Ben Sill
herman, Robert Winger.
Sisterhood, whose main pur-
pose is maintenance of the He
brew and Sunday School fin
ancially is affiliated with the
National Federation of Tenn
pie Sisterhoods, which today
n u m bers $50 groups with
more than 100000 members
in the US. and foreign coun-
tries. Mrs. Phillip Sollins is
local Sisterhood president.
The Arizona post., 1955-12-02
Shubbos Dinners

Next Friday, Dec. 9 at 6:15
the first in a series of Shabbos
dinners with the Rabbi will be
held at Temple Emanuel. 1t
will also mark the first night
The Arizona post., 1955-12-02

of Hanukah. Special invita-
tions have been issued for this
dinner. Mrs. Ralph Harrison
is chairman and Mrs. Oliver
Goldsmith co-chairman. These
dinners are under the auspices
of the SiSterhood.
The Arizona post., 1955-12-02
Temple Sisterhood Plan
Poid-Up Lunch tuesday

Marking the Hanuk a h season members of Temple
SisterhoOd will hold Padup Membership Lunch
at the Temple Tuesday at 1890 noon.
Luncheon chairman will be Mrs. Charles Houb Irving
Kapan is membership chairman and Mrs Herbert Bloom
Evening star., 1955-05-02
Mother of Year Thrilled
On Meeting President

that she hoped Mrs. Eisenhower
was feeling better. He replied
that she was.
Tours Flower Gardens
Mrs. Fugal's hobby is flowers
and she told the President as
she left his ONCE that she would
like very much to see those on
the White House grounds. Mr..
Eisenhower instructed Murray
Snyder, assistant press secretary,
to take her on a tour Of the
flower gardens.
Il wish you many more years
of happiness" the President said
as Mrs. Fugal left his office.
After the tour, she said:
ut was the thrill of a life
time to meet the President. He
is a marvellous mana prayerful
man chosen by our Heavenly
Father to lead and guide our
Nation"
She added that the President
told her his own mother had
been chosen Kansas mother of
the year shortly before she died
after World War II.
Mrs. Fugal was accompanied
to the White House by one of
her sons. G. Royal Fugal. 48,
an executive of the General
Electric Co. at Bridgeport, Conn.
Evening star., 1955-05-02

with Bao Dai's earlier messages
accusing the premier Of stirring
up turmoil and summoning him
to France at once.
Bao Dai changed his tune last
night, messaging MIR. Diem that
he was interested only in avoid
ing civil war and getting a gov
ernment with wider popular
backing.
A Diem spokesman had
warned yesterday that if Bao
Dai doesn't come to his senses"
the Premier would consider Sc
riously demands by the national
revolutionary committee that
Bao Dai be ousted as chief of
state.
Traitors" Assailed
The committee declared Sat-
urday Bao Dai was to be deposed.
The group apparently has only
advisory powers. however. 1t is
sued manifesto today asSailing
traitors who now try to sacri-
flee all the south to French CO.
lonialism by provoking civil war.
The statement cited the groups
earlier order" for Bao Dai's
custer and formation of a new
government under Mr.. Diem to
force the French army out of
the country. The committee said
it would enlarge itself with rep
resentatives from the provinces
and would hold another national
congress to take additional rev
olutionary steps"
Mr.. Diem repeatedly held of
formation Of a new provisional
government awaiting word from
Gen. Collins whether the United
States should recognize such a
regime.
Evening star., 1955-05-02
WET NAM


Charge d'Affaires Randolph
Kidder told newsmen at the air.
port American backing for the
anti-Communist premier still
stands.
Premier Diem was closeted for
an hour with Gen. Collins. The
general also reiterated that the
United States supports his gov
ernment. The premier said re-
suits of the talk were excel
lent"
Briton Calls on Premier
Soon after Gen. Collins con-
ferred with Mr.. Diem the pre-
mier received Malcolm MacDon-
aid. British high commissioner
for Southeast Asia.
h But not since the crisis began
+neariy asweek ago has he talked
with Gen. Paul Ely, the French
commissioner general.
Hostility toward the French
has mounted since French
Premier Edgar Faure declared
publicly in Paris Friday that
Mr.. Diem had shown lack Of
capability in handling the situa-
ton here.
Ely Not at Airport
The split between French
hostility to Mr.. Diem and the
continued American backing
for him was underlined by the
absence from the airport of Gen.
Ely. Gen. Collins was greeted
by Foreign Minister Tran Van
Do and Wet Namese and Ameri-
Evening star., 1955-05-02
By the Associated Press

The American Mother Of
1955"-75-year-old Mrs. Lavina
Christensen Fugal-shook hands
with President Eisenhower today
and called it "the thrill Of life
time-something like an atomic
blast"
Her voice quivering with ex-
citement. Mrs. Fugal-mother Of
eight living sons and daughters
and grandmother Of "a children
told newsmen after talking
with the President:
when the first explosion is
over, it kind Of leaves you in a
state of shock"
Discards Her Clutches
A pleasant-faced woman who
discarded her crutches during
most of her brief stay at the
White House, Mrs. Fugal said
she thoroughly enjoyed her chat
with the Chief Executive.
She was born in Pleasant
Grove. Utah. on September 9.
1879, and still lives there.
How many children have
you?" Mr.. Eisenhower asked
Mrs. Fugal as they shook hands
in his office. When she told him
eight. four boys and four girls,
the President smiled and re-
piled:
II was one of seven--only five
of us left"
Mrs. Fugal told the President
Evening star., 1955-05-02
Marshall Rejects
Bid for Memoirs

NEW YORK. May 2 R.-
Gen. George c. Marshall says
he has turned down offers of
up to a million dollars" to write
his intimate memoirs.
The former Army chief of
staff said in an article in Look
Magazine today that unless you
tell everything. tell all the truth
in the context of the time, it
Evening star., 1955-05-02

known as the knights Of Labor.
But it gave way to the American
Federation of Labor led by an
iron-willed cigar maker named
Samuel Gompers.
AFL FlOurished
Under Mr.. Gompers, the AFL
became the dominant force in
organized labor through an as
sociatien Of unions organized by
crafts. BY 1904, the AFL had
about two million members.
For the next 80 years the for
tunes of organized labor rose and
fell with AFL membership stand
ing at fewer than three milli N
when the New Deal came to
power in 1888. The great depres-
sion was on. There were 13 mil
lion jobless. The Nation was in
the grip Of fear and unrest, and
industrial turmoil such as the
country had never known.
In this atmosphere, Congress
passed the Wagner Labor Rels =
tions Act. giving workers the
right to bargain collectively
through agents of their own
choice, which meant the unions.
It outlawed certain unfair labor
practices, and protected workers
from employer coercion. Labor
hailed the act as their Magma
Carta."
With this Act of Congress. the
wheel had turned. Organized la
Dor was in a commanding oosi-
ton for the first time. And labor
leaders moved quickly to take
advantage Of a favorable climate
Tor organizing-supported by a
sympathetic administration. ses
John L. Lewis was among those
who saw the times as a golden
opportunity for labor-a rilne for
organizing, entire industries un-
der the banner of one union
rather than organizing by crafts
He and a group of like-minded
labor leaders formed the Com
mittee for Industrial Organiza-
tion" within the AFL. Within
two years the steel industry, the
automobile industry, and other
mass production industries had
capitulated but not until there
was a brawling. bloody round of
strikes.
Split Over Ideas
Then in 1897, the CIO and
AFL split apart in bitter dis
agreement over organizing meth
ods and the CIO changed its
name to the Congress Of Indus
trial Organizations. Three years
later. Mr.. Lewis led his miners
out Of the CIO. He went back to
the AFL-but then left the AFL
again in 1947 when other union
leaders wouldn't back him In his
proposal for a labor sitdown
against the Taft-Hartley law.
But despite feuding, the AFL
and the CIO prospered.
Then the pendulum swung
against the unions at least part
way. Sentiment in Congress
hardened against them. In l947
the unions virtually unrestricted
freedom won by the Wagner Act
was curbed by a Republican
controlled Congress. The Taft
Evening star., 1955-05-02
LABOR
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
president of the merged group.
Mr. Reuther will continue to
head the CIO group within the
new federation and will direct
the organizing campaign. The
name Of the merged group is yet
to be chosen.
Mr.. Meany said in a recent
interview: I'm extremely opti-
mistic. I think that after the
merger we really will get going.
We plan a definite organizing
campaign in which we will be
able to do it without the COM
plicating factors created by
union rivalries.
I'D say we've been spending
three-fourths of our organizing
energies in fighting each other.
And this has meant a tremen-
dous amount of energy wasted.
But we'll iron out our differences
one way or another and with the
merger, labor will speak with one
voice."
Crusading Spirit
Mr.. Reuther has told his
unions: Il believe if we can in
still in this tmerger) situation
the kind of spiritual crusading
spirit that we had in the early
days we can launch the kind
OF organizational drives that will
really electrify America, get
workers marching again, get the
kind Of dynamic forces in motion
that characterized the period in
which CIO was born" -
Both these men rose from the
ranks to gain their positions.
Both are implacable foes of
Communists in labor. Both have
shown extraordinary skill in pol
itics and organizing. And both
are convinced labor should be
united as an active political
force.
Unless some unforeseen block
develops. Mr.. Meany and Mr.
Reuther will lead their unions
into the merger by the end of
the year The executive coun-
ellis Of both AFL and CIO have
approved. but the councils ac-
ton must be ratified by sepa-
rate conventions and then by a
joint convention. These may be
held in New York in December.
While merger plans go forward,
the old lion of organized labor
John L. Lewis-Sits on the side
lines giving no hint of what
course he may take with his
100000 United Mine Workers,
afiliated with neither the AFL
nor the CIO. He has been at
odds with Mr.. Meany and Mr..
Reuther for years.
But Mr.. Meany and Mr.. Reu-
ther are going ahead without
Mr.. Lewis. And their ambitious
program reflects the position of
power and influence which or
ganiZed labor has achieved after
decades Of confiict-often bloody
conflict.
U. s. Shift Noted
Perhaps the greatest change
that has taken place in the labor
Evening star., 1955-05-02

field since Americas early day.
has been the attitude of the Gov
ernment. of the courts, of man.
agement and of the public itseli
toward the right Of workers X
strike. to organize and to bar.
gain collectively.
Secretary of Labor Mitchell
has noted that while strikes draw
public attention. there are about
100000 collective bargaining
agreements made every year with
little heard about them.
There is a great deal Of in.
dustrial harmony in this country
and far more cooperation be.
tween labor and management
than we sometimes realize" he
says.
The distance that has been
Travelled in the field of labor
management relations is well il
lustrated by a court case in Phil
adelphia in 1908 resulting from
what may have been the first or
ganized strike in the United
States.
In this case, a group of shoe
makers who called themselves
the Federal Society of Journey
men Cordwainers" walked out
on strike in an effort to force
their ~employers to give them
higher wages for making GER
tain types Of boots. The en-
ployers charged the workers
with "criminal conspiracy
which was forbidden by law.
Pregnant With Mischief
The judge ruled: I'm every
point of view, this (strike) meas
ure is pregnant with public mis-
chief and private injury .
A combination of workmen to
raise their wages may be con-
sidered from a two-fold point of
view: one is to benefit themselves
-. The other is to injure those
who do not join their society.
The rule of law condemns both
i. "
In the beginning of Americas
great Industrial development, by
any modern test. the interpreta-
tion OF the laws was weighted
against the unions. With rare
exceptions, labor had no voice.
Back in the last century, too.
some theorists developed what
they called "the iron law of
wages" This theory, in effect,
was that if wages were raised
much above a subsistence level,
then the working people newt
ably would have more children,
the labor supply would be in
creased. and wages would be
driven down-so there wasn't
much sense to raising wages in
the first place.
The generally accepted theory
today, Of course, is that good
wages mean a stronger national
economy with benefits to both
employees and employer. The only
serious argument is not whether
workers should be well paid-but
how well paid.s
Toward the end Of the 1800's
there was a surge of unionism as
industry grew, Workers flocked
to the banner Of an organization