davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Baltimore ReuIist

Breezy realism, stated in
simple terms, characterizes the
paintings Of Edward Rosenfeld,
about 20 Of which now compose
q one-man show at Franz
Bader Gallery. 1705 @ street.
through February 20. These
are recent paintings; but they
are a natural development
from those the artist used to
exhibit at the Little Gallery.
Georgetown, in the late 1930s,
If / recall correctly.
There is nothing esoteric
about Mr.. Rosenfeld's paint
ings. He is interested in city
streets and rural landscapes,
In sea-coast towns and har-
bors, interiors and flower
paintings. He also has q warm
feeling for the past. which has
made him an authority on
some facets Of Early Ameri-
cana; and he is also a collec-
tor. particularly interested in
mechanical toys. m my Of
which items he lent as a
Christmas display at the
Washington Public Library.
Baltimore, where he was
born (1905) has always been
his permanent home. After
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
.Avunt-Gurde Duo

The Catholic University Of
America opened last Wednes-
day q new exhibition, to. re-
main only through February Is.
1t is open to the public week
days 9 to 5, in the. Salve
Regina building art gallery on
the campus.
The exhibition is composed
Of work by two avant-garde
painters. Hermon Cherry and
Lee Krasner. The former
shows oils in canvas, the latter
colleges. All works were done
in the past two or three years.
Hermon Cherry. born in At
lantic City. now a New York.
er, has had a varied back
ground of study and travel,
beginning as a child in Phila.
delphia. He studied art four
years in Los Angeles, Travelled
and studied in Germany In
1880, has taught children's
classes in painting, travelled in
Mexico studying murals in
194l. and has lectured in
various places. also exhibiting
extensively from coast to
coast.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

conservative--the prototype Of
Southern reaction. Yet he had
remained the same. holding to
the old ideas. hoping for the
realization Of the old dream"
Watterson, traditionally q
Democrat. almost wrecked the
Courier Journal when he
dropped Bryan and free silver
and espoused the gold stand
ard. Prohibition was one Of
his later horrors. One can
imagine what he would have
thought Of the innovation Of
the New Deal. But he did not
live to see them. He died late
in 1921. a celebrity in his time.
often called the last Of the
personal journalists.
Impartial View
Mr.. Wall is sympathetic to
his subject and yet critical
enough to see his blind spots.
such as his devotion to the
cold, aloof Samuel ]. Tilden,
who If he was robbed Of the
presidency, as undoubtedly he
was, yet was hardly the great
statesman Watterson thought.
There is an introduction by
Senator Barley.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Celebrated Leo Frank Trial
Is Brought Back Into Open

prisonment and had to be pro-
tected by the militia from row.
ing mobs. Days later. Is men
in five automobiles took Frank
from the State prison farm to
Marietta. the home town of
Mary Phagan. and hanged him
In q grove.
Watson was rewarded for in
flaming the people by being
elected to the Senate. Hugh
Dorsey. prosecutor Of Frank,
was elected Governor. Gov.
Slaton had to leave Georgia
for several years. His political
career was ended.
It seems incredible today
that such things could happen
in the United States within
recent years. How q man
could be convicted on such
fiimsy evidence can be ex-
planned only on the theory that
the jury and the Judge were
intimidated.
Clearest Account
I've read much about this
case, but this Is the clearest,
most concise and dispassionate
account Of it I've seen. The
authors often quote from the
testimony. They let the record
tell itself. expressing their
opinion Of a travesty Of justice
only in their summing UP at
the close. Their narrative,
aside from its historical signi-
ficance, Is taut and thrilling.
comparable in treatment to "A
Night to Remember" Walter
Lords retelling Of the Titanic
disaster, and Jim Bishops
"The Day Lincoln Was Shot."
It IL to be hoped that no one
will be deferred from acquiring
this book because 1t happens to
be q paperback original and
might look on the cover like
merely some appeal to the
sensational. It 70 an authentic
slice Of history.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

lean language, he wrote In it
easily, naturally and force
fully. Who else has written
American as his basic medium
of expression, except in dia-
lect and regional argot? Mel
vile wrote English like an
Englishman--like many Eng
lishmen, Shakespeare, Carlyle.
Smollett, Browne. Emerson
and Thoreau were masters of
English, but If they some
times considered American.
they were never able to employ
it. Whitman wrote a language
which If 1t Is not English is a
caricature Of American. and
Hemingway seems self con-
scious in his American, which,
moreover. he does not often
write.
An Unborn knowledge
The general feeling Of the
style Of "Huckleberry Finn"
is not American. except in the
passages in dialect. and in an
occasional obvious American
ism. But Mencken, in all his
later writing. used the lam
guage with great fuency and
color. and the f1ne niceties and
distinctions of American show
up as though they were an
Unborn part Of the man rather
than the result Of his lifelong
work on language as a subject
for analysis and dissection.
One final reflection on
Mencken. Would it be wrong
to say that 1t was those he
ridiculed and excoriated he
really admired. and that those
he championed he found, out
side his long working hours,
somewhat drab? It Is hard to
think Of Mencken enjoying an
evening with Ibsen or Nietzsche,
but ] think he would delight
in q stein Of beer while having
his ear bent by Father
Coughlin, william Jennings
Bryan, Roosevelt. Peter Mar
shall. the president Of the
OAR. or the Secretary Gen.
eral Of the United Nations.
Can one read Mencken's story
of the brewery customers
mans Christmas dinner for
Baltimore buns and learn Of
the bitter indignation 1t caused
church and welfare agency
without q smile Of sympathy
for the author? n. L. Mencken
seldom associated with angels,
perhaps. because he didn't
know their haunts: but in this
story, at least, he was on the
side Of the Salvation Army.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
ARTISTS AND EXHIBITIONS
Fine Peruvian Art Works
Now on View at Corcorun

World War II, he purchased
and restored q house in down.
town Baltimore, on what later
became Tyson street. The
house. built around 1910, and
others on the block, had de-
Perforated into a slum. Mr..
Rosenfeld's fine example Of
turning this old dwelling into
modern living quarters and
studio, was followed by other
Baltimore artists and crafts
men who purchased the re-
naming 10 houses in the block
and through hard work and
creative Imagination, have
transformed q disappearing bit
Of old Baltimore into highly
desirable homes and shops.
Annually now. in late spring.
Tyson street has an open house
day for the benefit of charity.
Last year, nearly 5000 visitors
toured these houses on their
open day.
Several paintings in the
Bader Gallery show depict Ty-
son street (illustrated) and
gardens. Other paintings which
offer glimpses of the past are
several Of early fire fighters
with galloping horses, smoking
engines and tense flremen, all
seeming somehow more ex.
citing than today's more ef1-
Gent machines. There is one
painting entitled MA and Pa"
showing a steam engine and q
string Of miscellaneous cars
and coaches with a caboose
bringing up the rear.
Mr.. Rosenfeld has spent his
vacations and various other
periods away from Baltimore.
He loves New England in sum-
mer, represented in the Bader
show with several captures Of
Rockport, Mass; also its sail
ing vessels and fishing boats.
He had a period Of study in
Europe. and O lecture series at
the University Of Puerto Rico.
During the war years. he
served as q consultant to the
Section Of Fine Arts, Public
Buildings Administration. and
Treasury Department.
He has had one man shows
In Baltimore. Washington. New
York and elsewhere: he is rep
resented in a number Of per-
manent collections including
the Phillips and Watkins Gal
leries here.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
First Valentine

A popular American holiday
with an obscure European
origin is st. Valentines Day.
Whether or not this is the last
word on st. Valentine. / do not
know. but THE STORY OF
VALENTINE by Wilma Pritch-
ford Hays tCoward-M Cam;
$3.50 is still welcome as q
charming Roman myth. The
ancient Christian martyr and
his carrier pigeon. his friends
the Roman boys and the
blind girl--caiTy a message Of
love and kindness which may
well give new meaning to the
celebration Of st. Valentines
Day.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Prewur Lincoln

Sterling North concentrates
on the prewar years in Abe
Lincoln, Log Cabin to White
House BRANDON House: $3.50.
The book win not be published
until February IL. so it's no
use rushing to the nearest
bookstore until" then. Just
keep 1t In mind.
There's nothing falsely in
spirational about Sterling
North's treatment of young
Abe, who was called lazy by his
family and neighbors because
he wasted so much time" just
reading. Filled with salty.
homeSpun anecdotes of its
rail-splitting hero. the book
bridges the gap between the
younger picture books about
Lincoln and the adult or sem
ior biographies. Mr.. North
has drawn freely on young
Abe's own account Of his Ca
notwithstanding and on
the "reminiscences OF his
cousin. Dennis Hanks, who
said, when he FIRST saw Lincoln.
Hell never come to much"
Young Abe may have been
born in q log cabin. but his
grandfather Abraham was q
prosperous Virginia squire. who
left his brick house with its
glass windows and polished
floors to follow Daniel Boone
over the mountains to Ken
lucky.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

In blaming certain Southern
leaders for the war. He was.
though, in his early years on
the Courier-Journal. the first
influential editor-long before
Henry Grady in Atlanta-to
urge reconciliation Of North
and South. an end to bitterness
and recrimination.
In later years "Col." Waiter
son, as he inevitably became
known. though he never
claimed the title, became cele-
brated as q lecturer and Q
political sage.
Basic American Ideals
Faith Of our fathers was
stamped across his every opin-
ion." Mr.. Wall writes, land he
could denounce the monied
power behind Senator Aldrich
and the radical demands Of
Eugene Debs with equal vigor
as untrue to the traditions Of
America. He was realistic
enough to temporize with both
extremes, but always with the
objective Of preserving the
basic American ideals of his
youth. Men had difficulty In
understanding this basic in
consistency Of his political doc
trine. Where in 1858 he was
hailed by Northern liberals as
a brother and denounced by
Southern Bourbons as a radi-
cal in 1918. he seemed to
Northern liberals hopelessly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
.Spoofinq History

Robert lawson always makes
sure that we do not take our
selves or our history too seri-
ously. His latest book, CAP
TAIN KIDD'S CAT Little,
Brown; So Is the true chron-
icle Of VIM. Kidd, Gent. and
Merchant Of New York, as mar
rated by his ships cat. Nc
Dermot."
This swsshbuckling pirate
yarn is as Juicy tale Of dou-
BILE dealing as was ever un-
covered by q devoted cat. And
no cat could have been more
devoted than McDermot, who
sold the ruby ring out Of his
left ear to buy Captain Kidd
q clean shirt for the hanging.
What more could any man
ask?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
THE LAST HURRAH. ]

NE AhGA hVHAkAAn. ~
Edwin O'Connor. tAtlantic-
Little. Brown: 81
The city In this novel Is
never identified. For those
who grew up in Boston. within
the sound OF the velvety voice
OF James Michael Curley. 1t is
not necessary: they win read
the book with wild delight.
happy that ct last someone
has captured the cockeyed
hilarity Of It's political life.
For others, identification is
not important. Voters every
where can say Of The Last
Hurrah" what someone says
Of its hero ct the end: Grand,
grand entirely"
Mr.. O'Connor has dissected
the anatomy Of big city poll
tics, its racial. religious and
human elements. with a zest
that forever eludes the politi-
cal scientist. Politics in Bos-
ton is played with a fierce rel
ish matched nowhere else.
The distinguishing thing is
that a populace. bred to out
rageous political maneuvers.
greets each one with a perfect
comprehension. Reprehensible
they may be. but when every.
one on both sides knows per-
fectly well what's going on,
the disapproval used to be. at
least. often swamped In up
roarious laughter.
Frank Skeffington. Mr.. O'Con-
nor's Irish Catholic boss-hero.
is the arch maneuverer. And
what else is he? To the Car
dinal. he is a disgrace to his
race and religion. To the re-
formers wife he is "a corrupt
old darling" To the dyspeptic
Yankee editors, he is a willy.
unremitting scourge. To the
Yankee philanthropist. he is
1.-THE most engaging rogue I
ever met" To the down.
trodden immigrants who file
through his house every morn
ing seeking cash, jobs or ad-
vice, he Is o mighty leige lord
worthy Of the last drop Of their
loyalty.
We meet Skeffington on the
eve Of what turns out to be
his last campaign. We see 1t
all throush the eyes Of his
nephew. Adam Caulfield. who
is brought in to watch by q
Skefiington disappointed In his
featherheaded son. The device
is not the happiest, but no
matter. In ushering up through
the events Of the campaign.
Mr.. O'Connor doesn't miss q
beat. And the other charac-
tiers are superb: Skeffington's
literally pinheaded court jester.
Ditto Boland. the two efficient
lieutenants, Weinberg and Cor
man; the snuffling. stingy
Yankee editor; the coalition
candidate, a good looking
youngster with nothing up
stairs but q mass Of floating
custard." and his rented Irish
setter. Nathaniel Gardiner
who can see that Skeffington
has been loyal to his own and
vindictive to others. and Char
lie Hennessy, q perennial rival
They are all marvelously done
In the swift narrative lead
ing UP to the climactic session
at headquarters on Election
Night. Mr.. O'Connor stops for
some hilarious vignettes. not
ing special attitudes on the
way. There Is, for instance,
the dispatch Of the lecherous
city councillor. an imperative
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Spirit of '76

Another unusual biography,
delightfully."- told, is YANKEE
DOODLE PAINTER by Anne
Colver (Knopf; $2.75). This
is the true story behind the
painting called THE Spirit Of
'76" which created a sensa-
ton when 1t was first shown
at the Centennial Exhibition
In Philadelphia. Small-town
newsboys. wagon-painters. and
horsedrawn trolley cars all
contribute q vital spark to this
patriotic story.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

In" his first Indian pony.
until VIII takes his turn
in carrying the news Of Lin
coins inaugural on the Pony
Express.
A good companion piece is
Lee Jensen's THE PONY EX-
PRESS (Grosset q Dunlap:
$2.5O. This is fully illustrated
with nearly a hundred line
drawings based, on contempo-
rary sources. The pictures
alone are worth the price Of
the book for school and library
use. The text is documentary.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
By FLORENCE BERGMAN

ny EAOnENCE DEN1 NAM
From Peru" an exhibition
of contemporary popular arts
In silver. textiles, pottery and
wood. presented under auspices
Of H. e. Don Fernando Berck-
meyer, Ambassador Of Peru, by
the Institute Of Contemporary
Arts In its room ut the Cor
coran Gallery. IL the most en-
sharing show the institute has
put on, in many months.
Nearly 100 objects, lent by the
Ambassador and Sonora de
Berckmeyer, Jose Gomez Sicre
Of the Pan American Union.
Rene d'Harnoncourt Of the
Museum OF Modern Art, and
other distinguished collectors
and institutions, are 80 covet-
able that many visitors want to
know where they can obtain
similar items. (Mr. Alfredo
Valencia. Peruvian Embassy.
AID. 4-300l.)
At first glance, the gallery
seems to be fnll of bulls
tiny bulls Of silver. larger bulls
of beautiful woods, some highly
polished. showing handsome
grain, and all fitted with ex-
quisitely wrought silver trap
pings: still larger bulls Of pot
terry, with painted decorations.
A chess set, complete with
inlaid board. Is enough to drive
chess players and collectors
mad with covetousness. The
pieces are superbly carved
from q dark wood, with minia-
ture silver fittings. Opposing
sides are headed by the con-
quistador and the Inca ruler.
Many LlamAS
The llama Of Peru is here In
many guises-enchanting little
beasts In silver with textures
Of fur, skin and hoofs care
fully differentiated: llamas
serving as Q stand for q silver
bowl, o llama woven into a
cream and brown rug, and
many others.
The textiles hanging on the
gallery walls are gorgeous
soft rich woods. In red. blue,
yellow. green and other colors,
in the form Of shawls, rugs,
belts, saddle bags and wearing
apparel, expertly woven. with
intricate stripes and other dec
orative designs.
For some visitors the silver
and jewelry (both gold and
silver will doubtlessly be the
most arresting groups. Large
and small plates, bowls and
dishes. also decorative natural
istic figures (don't miss the
fighting cocks) would heighten
the charm Of any home. The
jewelry. too, is fascinating.
Some Of 1t has tiny Inca and
other Indian motifs. either gold
or silver or colored enamel.
All these delightful objects
have been made by craftsmen
Of many communities Of Peru,
trained TO perpetuate their
traditional skills, in the an
cient methods Of beating silver
and techniques Of woodcarving
and weaving.
This exhibition should be on
everyone's list Of things to see.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Beniomin Franklin

Since the 250th anniversary
Of Franklin's birth was cele-
hrated on January 18th, 1t is
appropriate to mention Ruth
Cromer Weir,s BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN, PRINTER AND
PATRIOT abingdon: $3.50.
This "easy-to-read' biography
features Franklin's family life
and early experiences as Q
printer in Philadelphia.
At the same time. 1t In good
to remember the d,Aulaire's
BENJAMIN Franklin. with Its
delightful emphasis on Poor
Richards proverbs: also jean
cite Eaton's THAT LIVELY
MAN, BEN FRANKLIN. And.
Of course. everyone should
know Robert Lawson's BEN
AND ME, in which an egotis-
teal mouse tells the inside
story Of Franklin's inventions.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

lived. This week. however. we
have such q fine biography:
HENRY WATTERSON: RE-
CONSTRUCTED REBEL. by
Joseph Frazier Wall (Oxford;
So
Others have attempted to
write in whole or In part the
stirring story Of the great
editor. But none Of those
writer's quite brought 1t on.
Mr.. Wall, who Is chairman
of the history department at
Grinnell College. not only has
dug up everything It was es-
sential to know about "Marse
Henry" but has made his life
into an absorbing narrative
that never drags for q moment.
The man who was editor Of
the Louisville Courier journal
for so years and made it the
most quoted paper west Of the
Alleghenies fairly steps out Of
these pages: you feel that you
understand him. even his in
constituencies and paradoxical
traits.
The Kingmaker
Henry Watterson was born
In Washington in 1910. His
father, Harvey Watterson, was
q member Of Congress from
Tennessee and q confldant of
Presidents. Thus the boy grew
up immersed in politics, which
was his chief interest the rest
of his life, not only as an
editor but as q leader at po-
itical conventions and a
"kingmaker." Henry was q
youthful reporter on Wash
ington paper at Lincoln's first
Inauguration in 1861, and the
new President flattered the boy
by asking if he was member
of Congress. Not yet, put he
hoped to be some day, Waiter
son replied. AS 1t happened,
many years later. he did serve
out a term in Congress when
the member from the Louis
vile district died in office, out
this was only an episode IN a
career thronged with enough
varied activities for a dozen
men.
The books title Is a little
misleading, Watterson was
never much Of a rebel, and he
didn't need reconstructing
when the Civil War was over.
When the war broke out he
stayed in Washington q while.
then went home to Tennessee
intending to sit out the con-
flict. Like his father, he was
q strong unionist and had all
ways opposed slavery. But Ii
his home town all the young
men were enlisting. and Henry
got the fever and went into the
Confederate Army. He rode
with Forrest for q while and
was on the stats of several
generals. He spent much Of
the war. though, as editor Of q
paper which circulated almost
entirely in the army.
His Editorial Style
As editor Of the army paper
he developed, as the bioerapher
points out. IAN editorial style
that he was to maintain little
changed throughout the rest
of his life. a style exaggerated
and horid, to be sure, but one
that was his own and would
serve as his personal trade
mark. easily identifiable to
later generations Of news
paper readers"
At the close Of the war.
young Watterson as an editor
ial writer on the Cincinnati
Evening Times, went pretty far
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

unquestionably adored his
WIFE,"
America has had a number
Of great iconoclasts who died
with a reputation so wide
spread that posterity has
wanted the glory of association
without paying the price Of
defending the opinions. Kin
ship with George Washington.
Benjamin Franklin. and Henry
Thoreau. for example. gives US
all a warm feeling Of family
pride. but how many Of us
could speak for three minutes
about what these men believed
and said? History Immediately
asserts He didn't mean it,"
and soon. In the excitement Of
admiring the man. we forget
what it was he didn't mean.
Mencken was in many ways
one Of the. greatest writers
America has produced, and
with good authors meaning
never precedes the writing Of
the sentence. write what you
mean" is o nonsensical in
junction when applied to any
thing more complicated than
Keep on the grass" or "The
keys to the car are back Of
the sun-visor." Usually, the
meaning springs to life only
when every word Of the sem
tence has fallen into place
1t did not exist 10 seconds
before. When Mencken wrote
in the Sunpapers. THE Metho-
dist Church Is the secular arm
Of the Ku Klux Khan" he
must have had a general but
vague feeling about the Meth
odists and Ku Kluxers. but he
was not Allied with meaning.
What he meant to say was
nothing until the sentence APP
peared on his typewriter
platen, and until the word
secular" came from out Of the
blue to turn commonplace in
vective into q memorable
aphorism.
The True Meaning
Mencken probably now and
then exposed himself to the
meaning Of what he had writ
ten as did his other readers.
II he liked the meaning, good.
but I imagine he was usually
more interested in new sem
fences than in the revamping
Of old ones the meaning Of
which he considered not en-
tirely credible.
Mencken was unique among
the great writer's Of the United
States In that. having Q thor
ough knowledge Of the Amer
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Frank Slaughter
Turns to Jericho
THE SCARLET CORD.

THE SCARLET CORD. BY
Frank g. Slaughter. Dou-
bleday; $685.
When the walls Of Jericho
came tumbling down. the har-
lot Rahab and her family were
spared the herein Of Habiru
hate by which Israel's enemies
in the promised land Of Ca
naan were put to the sword.
1.-THE Scarlet Cord" tells the
old story Of Joshua's blood
letting and the imaginary en-
broidery Of plot is not I'M
acceptable. Mr.. Slaughter does
his Enthusiastically profii-
cient Job In historical and
archaeological research. Bible
students will devour 1t.
HAL.