davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1959-12-28
"CULPEPER, Va.

SSA4 LII G4bp va
Dear Sir:
do you think it really
worthwhile to feed such big
birds as crows?
I'VE have a lot of them
here, and as far as I can see
they are able to take care of
themselves. Is there any
reason why I should pro-
vide for them further or is
it farther?
Still. I like the big beg
gars.
They come cawing into
my apple trees, and perch at
the highest point. I find it
difficult to refrain from put
ting out corn for them.
Actually, crows do not say
cav as is popularity attrib-
uted to them.
What they do say is 'aw.'
I have listened endlessly, and
I have yet to catch even a
hint of the C. sound.
Some Of the specimens are
much larger than the others.
Are these the males?
"The crows alway interest
me, I don't know whether
this qualities me as a bird
lover. so called, or not; the
crows seem to be more in
telligent than ordinary
smaller birds.
Whereas wrens and car
dinals and titmice and
others, that we are inclined
to think of as songbirds, are
jittery to an extreme, the
steady old crows just perch
around and look the land
Scape over.
They seldom twist their
necks or whirl their heads
around. They remind me
more of dogs than birds.
"I have been told that
crows are songbirds, but that
strikes me as rather silly. I
have never heard them sing,
and wonder If they can.
Sincerely, M. J. L."
&&&
Crows are scientifically
classified as songbirds, being
related to the bluejays.
Their songs, however, are
not lovely. in the ordinary
sense of the word. Probably
no bird songs are, when you
come right down to it.
Newer recordings of bird
songs make this quite evi-
dent. The songs Of our birds
are outdoor songs, scarcely
At for the indoors.
There seems almost an
other-world sound to them,
If we listen to them honestly,
without the whole apparatus
Of modernity. That is, if we
had never heard the spring
call of the cardinal before,
we would be repelled, per-
hapS.
A bird song is something
you have to surround with
love to make 1t click.
Otherwise. it is nothing
much. as witness the fact
that IN Colonial days the red
bird was used as a target,
owing to its brightness, so
easily seen against foliage.
The song had no force.
One has TO love the birds,
either by Uidy or instinct.
Evening star., 1959-12-28
Answers to Questions
BY THE HASKTNS SERVICE

A. reader can get an answer. by
mail, to any question Of fact By
writing The Star Information Bu-
reau 635 F street NV. Washington
4. D. c Please inclose return postage
or self-addressed stamped envelope,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Fire Box Cable
Cut, Boys Seized

Seventeen fire alarm boxes
in Washington's Southwest
area were put out of commits
sion late yesterday when two
youths cut cable
in search of lead, police re-
ported.
The youths cut the cable in
the basement of a District
Government warehouse at
Sixth street and Virginia ave-
nue. S.W. after they entered
the building in search of lead
and lighting fixtures to sell,
according to police.
The fire boxes were out OF
order for about an hour and a
half-about 80 minutes longer
than it took police to arrest
the two youths. Both were
charged with housebreaking
and sent to the Receiving
Home.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Pionist, Is, Wins
Third Place in
Music Contest

Abbott Lee Ruskin. a 49,
year-old pianist from New
York, was judged third place
winner last night in the Merri-
weather Post contest.
The two remaining finalists
will compete tonight for the
grand prize at the Presidential
Arms, beginning at 7:45 o'clock.
They are Paul Rosenthal, Is,
a violinist from Madison, Conn,
and Daniel Domb, IA, native
of Israel who has been in this
country less than a year.
The winner will receive
$4,000, plus guest appearances
with the National Symphony
Orchestra and other SYM
phonies.
The runnerup will receive
$500, and a guest appearance
with the National Symphony.
Abbott Ruskin received 500.
Eleven young musicians, Sc
lected in regional contests
throughout the country. began
competing Sunday in the finals.
Each was accompanied by the
National Symphony. and elimi-
nations were made by vote of
the orchestra members and di-
rector.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
LEGALLY-MINDED
BOY TRIES TO GET
TEACHER DRAFTED

A 12-year-old Pennsyl-
vania schoolboy apparently
believes that it is an i'll
draft that doesn't blow
someone some good.
Recently he wrote Presi-
dent Eisenhower:
Dear Mr.. President:
Il would like to know if
the law makes school
teachers get drafted in the
service. If they do I know
one who has not been. His
name is and he is
26 years old.
Thank you"
The letter was quoted by
Attorney General Rogers
in a recent speech as an
example of approaching
legal matters with Interior
motives"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

over his brief within a few
days" for a top-level legal
opinion.
II hope they clear it all up
so the Board won't be maligned
any more" he said.
Commissioner Robert E. Nc
Laughlin today read a letter
from attorneys representing
Morris Engle. proprietor of
Harrigan's. 729 Ninth street
S.W., where the canvases had
hung.
Interpretation Asked
The letter requested the
Commissioners to ask the Cor
poration Counsel for an inter-
probation of that part of the
District Code governing res
taurantS which says:
a.. No such space shall be
considered suitable If any busi-
ness is conducted therein, other
than the preparation, cooking.
and serving of meals, except
such a business as is inciden-
tai to a bona fide restaurant"
Il hardly think we need an
opinion, said Commissioner
David B. Karrick, after hearing
the letter.
But Corporation Counsel
Gray said he thought the letter
should be referred to him by
way of Mr.. Weakly so the
ABC chief would have time to
prepare his side of the story.
Obviously relieved by the
postponement of Judgment, Mr..
Weakly was happy to talk to
reporters after the meeting.
This whole question has
nothing to do with art" said
Mr. Weakly. There's more
involved than meets the
eye y
Asked how a display of
paintings, from which a
restaurant owner realizes no
personal profit, can be con-
strued as a separate business
such as is forbidden under the
act. Mr.. Weakly answered:
Lots of businesses don't
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Pilot Hurt When Jet ExpIodes,
Wreckoqe Sewers Womon's Leg

he tried to level of at 10000
feet, he had trouble with the
controls and touched the ejec-
ton button. The North Ameri-
can T-2J fighter exploded in
the air.
As debris scattered over a
wide area, a small fire broke
out in the woods but was put
out quickly by the Hurlock
Fire Department.
Mrs. Gunter's husband said
he saw some of the metal flying
through the air, but did not
realize his wife was hit until
he heard her scream.
1t. Gillcrist is a graduate of
the Naval Academy and has
been living at Solomon'S, Md.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Incompetent Label Put
On $50 C. Teachers

would eliminate the right of
appeal to the Board of Educa-
ton now enjoyed by probation
airy teachers.
Appearing in opposition to
the change was Miss Elizabeth
Griffith, president of the Dis
trict of Columbia Education
Association.
Drafting Substitute
Miss Griffith said the right
of appeal should be extended
to all employees of the school
system and added that her Or
ganization was drafting an
other version of the rule and
would certainly present it to
the Board of Education. She
said the system already has
"the techniques to rid the
teaching force of incompe-
tents"
She asked for informal meet
ings with members of the Board
of Education on the subject.
Stephen L. Elliott. represent
ing the Civil Service Commits
sion, explained that a fresh
man in Government service
undergoes a years supervision
during which time he can be
fired without the right Of
appeal.
The change in the rule,
which now enables a proba-
tionary teacher to appeal her
dismissal to the Board of Ed
ucation, is now under revision.
Within the next two weeks. the
rules committee of the board
will meet to discuss the last
draft of the rule.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

age struck a farmers wife as
she sat with her husband be-
meath a tree and severed her
leg at the knee. Mrs. Mary
Gunter, Al, Of near Hurlock,
was in fair condition in the
same hospital after undergoing
surgery.
1t. Gillcrist was on a test
fight from Patuxent when the
accident happened about 4::30
pm.
The injured flyer called the
air station from his hospital
bed to explain the crash. The
Navy sent a helieopter and in
vestigators to the crash site.
OficialS said 1t. Gillcrist told
them he was flying at 20nn0
feet on a test flight and when
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

CAMBRIDGE, Md, May 5
(AP).-A Patuxent Naval Air
Station pilot broke both legs
and one arm when he bailed
out of his jet fighter just be-
fore it exploded and crashed
yesterday,
Doctors at Cambridge Mary
land Memorial Hospital said
1t. Paul T. Gillcrist, 80. of
Freeport, N. Y, was moved
to the Naval Hospital at Be-
thesda. Nd, today. His condi-
ton was termed fair.
A witness said the fighter
plane exploded in a ball of fire
before it crashed into a wooded
area about Is miles northeast
of here yesterday.
A piece of the falling wreck
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

make any money-there's a
very thin line between success
and failure. I may want to be
an impresario along with run
ming a restaurant, but the law
just doesn't allow it," Mr..
Weakly said.
When reminded that there
are a nmber of other restau-
rants in Washington besides
Harrigan's which offer art
shows, Mr.. Weakly said, We've
been very lax +. in fact. we've
leaned over backwards. We're
not going out transforming like
Carrie Nation with a Ratchet,
but we're going to continue to
call them as we see them"
Claims Presidents
He said there was a large
body of precedent for his action
in ordering the pictures down,
although he conceded none had
anything to do with art.
I'm not against art" Mr..
Weakly said. II consider my
self an artist. I used to play
the cello and go to concerts
before I got this job. Both my
wife and I are life members of
the Art Institute of Chicago,
right there on the lakefrcnt--
my family knows I'm not
against art"
But even if I am a patron
of the arts, I'm not carrying
the torch for them (artists.)
But it's just as if you parked
in front of a hydrant-the law
has to be enforced"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
LIenny the L!umu Off
To Spry Stort at Zoo

A spindle shanked little gravel
splitter today began gambling
about with the big fellows in
his enclosure at the Washing
ton Zoo, for all the world as if
he was more than pust one day
old.
The newcomer is a baby
llama named Llenny. I1e is
named after Lenny Ford with
one LII, who is in charge of
the Zoos nine member llama
herd.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
EARLY Action
Is Asked on
Freedmen's

Senate appropriations COM
mitteemen have been urged to
help settle the question of
whether Freedmen's Hospital
should be transferred to How
ard University.
Uncertainty over the status
of pending legislation to let
Howard administer the hospital
has handicapped budgeting Of
both institutions, officials testi-
fled yesterday.
Freedmen's Supt. Charles E.
Burbridge told the Appropria-
lions Committee he was asking
for no major building or pro-
gram changes in his fiscal 1860
budget.
This is due to the unsettled
status of the ownership and
control of the institution. he
testified. 1T is hoped that the
future of Freedmen's soon will
be decided one way or the
other so that the necessary de-
velopment of this important
community agency may con-
tinue."
Speaking for Howard. Presi-
tdent Mordecai w. Johnson
asked for $117.505 to increase
pay of nonteaching university
employees to levels received by
Freedmen's workers doing the
same kind of work.
Gaps from $765 to $3.50
annually now separate How
ard and Freedmen's employees
in the same job classical
tons. he noted.
DR.. johnson said legislators
hesitated to act on transfer
legislation for fear the sepa-
rate pay scales would damage
workers efficiency and morale.
President Eisenhower for
two straight years has asked
Congress to pass an admin
istration bill transferring
Freedmen's to Howard. Labor
leaders insisted on employees
pay and working conditions
guarantees from Howard. AS
yet, pledges have not been
made to the satisfaction
of Subcommittee Chairman
Morse. Democrat of Oregon
who is handling the Freed
men's-Howard bill.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Two Beut, Rob
Circus Employe

Thomas c. Waldrop, AZ, of
Sarasota, Fla. was in Washing
ton Hospital Center after being
beaten and robbed by two men
in the 1400 block of T street
NV earlier today, police re-
ported.
Mr.. Waldrop, an employe Of
the Cristiani Brothers Circus,
showing here, suffered head
cuts and a broken nose as he
was robbed of his wallet con-
tanning between SIS and $50,
according to police. He was
knocked to the pavement and
beaten.
One of the two assailants,
described as colored, was about
81 years old. 6 feet tall, ITS
pounds, and wore a light brown
shirt and brown leather jacket.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
The
Rambler
-. Certainly
Wos Amazed
ny GEORGE KENNEDY

Yesterday the Rambler had
occasion 70 check on the
New York newspapers Of
April u. 1884. A New Yorker,
distinguished at the time,
forgotten since, had died on
the day before.
What is remarkable is that
the newspaper room at the
Library OF Congress was able
to produce within IS min
utes bound volumes Of the
Times, Herald, World, the
Tribune and the Sun. All had
stories ON the demise Of the
distinguished citizen.
How does the library man
age to store such a tremen-
dous amount Of bound news
paper volumes? Understand.
1t is not only the American
press. Go into the newspaper
reading room in the library
annex and you will find men
and women scanning bound
volumes Of French, Ger
man, Italian, Russian and
Japanese papers-and that's
not all.
Volumes of newspapers OF
a respectable age have a way
Of becoming an embarrassing
storage problem.
Most of the bound volumes
of The Stars lot years we're
sent to the newSprint ware
house before the move to the
new building.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

There are $50 incompetent
teachers in the District school
system, delegates to the District
PTA convention were told to-
day.
The estimate of the amount
of incompetency in the teach
ing force was made by Mrs.
Robert McFarlane, who spoke
as a parent. She appeared in a
panel discussion of a proposed
change in Board of Education
rules which is primarily aimed
at incompetent teachers
Mrs. McFarlane Quilted a re-
Gently completed survey by the
education committee of the
Board of Managers of the PTA
Congress.
Figures Broken Down
Though she did not define
exactly what constituted in
competency, she said the survey
showed:
In the elementary schools, 2
per cent of the teachers are
incompetent; in junior high
schools, 6 per cent: in senior
high schools. S per cent.
"In terms of children af-
fected." she said. $4,000 at
the secondary level are in daily
contact with at least one in
competent teacher. Small Won
der that so many parents COM
plain. In addition, at least l 500
elementary children must en-
dure an unsatisfactory teacher
all day long, all year long"
Mrs. McFarlane backed the
proposeds change in the rules
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
CITY IS ASKED
TO NAIVE STREET
FOR POET FROST

Senator Prouty, Republic
can of Vermont, today
asked the District Commits
sioners to name a street
for Poet Robert Frost.
In a letter to the Com
missioners, Senator Prouty
said this idea had come
from a constituent and that
the Senator felt is was an
excellent one.
The Commissioners for
warded the request to the
surveyors Office for COM
ment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Hansen Sets
New -Four Rs
For Schools
Stresses Language,
Moth, Science, Arts
In Address to PTA

District School Supt. Carl F.
Hansen last night pleaded for
a return to four R's-language,
mathematics. science and the
fine arts.
And in addressing the Dis
trict Congress of Parents and
Teachers he passed to rap the
knuckles Of both.
Parents. he said. must be edu-
Gated, and predicted they will
soon have home work to do
DR.. Hansen said the District
needs a main road-what we
have now is an Alcan highway,
full of twists and deviations,
which needs much improve
ment."
Fewer Unskilled Needed
He said there is a reduced
need for unskilled labor, and
introduced the herdsman as an
example.
Even the cowboy must be a
technician," he said.
After saying that mo public
agency can be vital without
criticism" he limited strongly
that the PTA should leave the
administration of schools to the
schoolmasters.
"There can never be a sepa-
ration between responsibility
and authority-authority must
be in the hands of profession
ais" Decision m king for
school management must re-
main with those who direct
them, he told the delegates.
He said further that educa-
ton must "go beyond mere
fact finding into the realm
of problem solving"
DR.. Hansen said that in q
changing world, the tools OF
language, mathematics, science
and the fine arts are the most
important for a student tt
acquire.
Questions Textbooks
He told the District PTA
convention that school text
books, too, should be studied
for possible improvement. He
said that many were wordy
and antiquated.
Discussing the potential Of
the District school system, DR.
Hansen said "a classroom mus
be more than a fuzzy anc
chaotic replica of the WORLD
outside"
Only then. said DR.. Hansen
will the school become the
dynamic heart of community
life."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
Mystery to Be Solved

Prince Georges County's Mys-
terry Mother of the Year will be
selected from 19 candidates at
a dance sponsored by the Chill
lum District Democratic Club
at 9 pm. Saturday at the Bla-
densburg Fire Department Hall
in Bladensburg.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

Zimmerman must have had
one OF those little lapseS that
happen to people" when he
made his statement.
Mr.. Zimmerman, speaking at
a housing and redevelopment
conference here yesterday. was
questioned about Federal poll
cies on the price Of land re-
development officials sell to
private investors.
Local authorities" he said,
would be a lot better of II
they stopped so much negoti-
ating and marketed land more
comparatively"
Referred to Auctions
Later. he told a reported he
specifically was talking about
such things as cash auctions
for land.
Mr.. Mason, asked today about
the Federal policy, said that
negotiation is the way most
redevelopment jobs get done
because of practical problems
involved" and that he person.
ally considers it is preferable
procedure, especially for rede-
velopmsnt housing projects.
Mr.. Mason explained that
negotiations are specifically
sanctioned in Federal instruc-
tons which have been sent to
all local redevelopment agen-
cies, although the instructions
also encourage competitive
bidding"
Competition Endorsed
The instruction order he
cited began with a strong in
dorsement of competitive bid
ding. but was devoted mainly
to the manner in which nego-
tiations can be carried out to
complete land transactions.
Mr.. Mason said the main
concern of his agency--the
parent organization of FHA-
is ito see that housing is built
at prices that make a good risk
| for FILA and at the same time
produce good rents for people
who move in"
| The widest success in meet
ing these goals, he said, ha:
been handled through negoti'
ated sales or leases of land.
"Mr. Zimmerman is not max.
ling policy for the Urban Re-
newal Administration" Mr.
Mason said. He added:
THE agency has not changed
its policy nor is it plan
ming to. The program ha:
worked we'll. From a practica
point of view we have found ir
our experience that negotiated
sales are generally necessary
lin order to achieve rents thai
people can afford to pay.
Negotiation Sound
eve feel that a negotiated
sale of land properly safe
guarded is a sound and prac-
tical procedure under the spe-
cial conditions that prevail ir
the urban renewal program.
I'VE do, however, as the Of
fetal intended to indicate, en-
courage the use of competitive
bids where this offers a prac'
tical method of disposition"
Mr.. Zimmerman. who sue.
ceeded Mr.. Mason in the FILA
post last January, was asked
about the matter by Allan n
Elliot, an official of the District
Redevelopment Land Agency.
The RIA has had seriou.
problems in its efforts to nego
tate sale of land to William
Zeckendorf for the Town Cen.
ter" shopping area in South
west Washington.
One local redevelopment
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

you SEE" SAID MIR.
BERRY, that due to the size
of a newspaper volume, 1t
fills the entire shelf. That
means that only one side
exposes the back with its
title and date. That's the
live size; the other is dead
as far as the library employe
is concerned.
"Look at the other side of
these volumes. You will see
why we prefer microfilm."
Many of the open ends
of the volumes had broken
pages hanging out, a column
or more, sure to be lost in
time.
"But look here" Mr.. Berry
said. Small wooden racks
had been built along the
open ends of the volumes in
many of the stacks. They
contained the packages of
microf1lms, several small
packages equaling all the
volumes floor to ceiling in
the stacks.
This is a very inadequate
report on the newspaper
story in the library. The
Rambler would like to roam
for hours on those decks.
BROWSE" is not quite the
WORD.
He came upon one paper,
the Honolulu Star Bulletin.
The volumes went back to the
Sandwich Islands Gazette of
1886. In between were issues
of Ka Elele, a PolyneSian
newspaper, printed on the
island during 1852.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05

agency official, who asked not
to be named. said that IAN air
of mystery" hangs over Fed
eral land disposition policies as
far as he is concerned.
Believes Guidance Needed
He said he felt more guidance
should be given local agencies
in their disposition problems.
RIA has followed a straight
policy of negotiation with Mr..
zeckendorf for portions OF the
Southwest he wants TO rebuild,
but has said it intends to get to
a policy of competitive market
ing" for most of the rest of the
Southwest.
Mr.. Elliott said the RIA in
tends to do more competitive
marketing" in the future be-
cause there are more inter-
ested developers than there
were five years ago when the
Stun clearance program began.
Stun clearance officials from
other cities backed Mr.. Elliot
up on this point. citing the
large number of bidders on
projects today, while a few
years ago the agencies had to
beat the bushes for develop
erS."
Competition Called Best
However, Federal and urban
renewal officials from other
cities also Joined Mr.. thinner
man in arguing that COMPETE
tive marketing of land was best
from the local agency's stand
point.
ut is the local agency's re-
sponsibility to get as much for
the land as possible" said
James E. Mccormack, director
of the Urban Renewal Admin
istration's land branch. THE
more we get in recovery (the
land with property on it usual
ly costs more than is received
from the developer the more
projects we can do" Mr.. Nc
Cormack added.
Earlier Urban Renewal Com
missioner Richard L. Steiner
called for faster completion Of
slum clearance projects. such
as the one under way in
Southwest Washington.
To-day, after nearly 10
years .. the number of COM
pletions stands at 1.-two Of
which were added last month"
Mr.. Steiner said.
MY minimum target, with
less than two months to go.
is II additional competitions
for this fiscal year."
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-05
CAFE CODE CITED
Top Legal Opinion
On Saloon Art Due
BY MICHAEL MOK

Legality Of art saloon questioned by Frank Weakly
chairman the Alcoholic Control Board and
admitted patron himself is headed for opinion from
Corporation Counsel Chester Gray.
Chairman Weakly whose order took 20 paintings on the
Southwest restaurant last week. he is turning