davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
HAIR CUTTING IN THE EAST.

The Solemn Ceremonial Which Marks the
Marriageabie Age in Children.
In some eastern countries children's
hair is not cut until they are ten or
twelve years of age. the girls then be-
ing considered marriageable. Up to
that time it is cOiled on the top OF the
head and adorned with fresh flowers.
When the great day for cutting comes,
there is grand ceremony and much
feasting.
One who was present at a royal hair
cutting tells us that the darling of the
harem was robed in long, flowing gar
nents of silk and lace, confined at the
waist by a golden girdle. Her long
hair, coiled for the last time, was fast
ened with diamond pins which cleaned
and glittered among fresh white flow
ers and green leaves like pearly drops
of morning dew. There, in the pres.
ence of the ladies, her father, and an
officiating priest, surrounded by her
maidens, some two hundred in mum Der.
she knelt under a canopy of flowers
and leaves, while prayers were chanted
Then the beautiful tresses being UNI
bound, her royal father, dipping his
fingers in rose water, and drawing
them carelessly over her head, clipped
off about an eighth of an inch of hair
and threw it into golden basin, depos-
iting at the same time on great salver
placed ready to receive them presents OF
Jewels and gold. The priest cut the next
piece, her mother the next. and so on,
each guest serving in turn until the lit
tie lady was shorn.
All gave costly gifts intended for her
marriage dover. princes, ministers of
state and dignitaries Of all sorts. who
waited in the outer courts, sending in
theirs by the attendants. The day
ended in feasting and d display of fire
wcrhs.-Irish Times.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

sald professed not to be afraid of any
body. He even had the hardihoOd to
sauce Col. LudingtOn, the pOmpOus old
banker of Jackson Center, when riding
by one day, insultingly addressing the
great man as ''Old Fatty"
At first we avoided Hercules. Then
we pitied him, growing at length to adj
mire him in sneaking sort of way.
And. finally, we began ass ociating with
him, slipping off, now and then, to
baslx in the sunshine of his superiority
and to listen to his words as to those of
an oracle. We regretted that one so
bold should be SO bad, and presently
began to condone and admire some of
the faults we had previously con-
demned The accomplishment which
seemed to us the most manly was his
smoking. He smoked a pipe when he
pleased and cigar when he could
get it.
You'll never be men till you learn
to smoker he told us
We were at first ashamed of our
selves, then envious, and presently
matters went on from bad to worse till
we resolved to, so far as acquiring the
vile tobacco habit went, make men of
ourselves. Neither Sims father or
mine smoked. but we knew many men
who did, and ere long, owing to Herk's
-rascally reasoning, we began to feel
.sneakingly that our fathers were old
fashioned and behind the times in ali
tanning from tobacco
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
ALGER'S AMBITION.

Next Year 1t VIII BE Buried Too Deep
for Resurrection.
Gen. Russell A. Alger has long been
possessed of the desire to occupy the
white house. He has encouraged the
desire The public has not nor will it
1t is difficult for even the most acute
observer to understand why the ex-
governor of Michigan persists in fos-
tering his presidential boomlet He il
utterly void of the qualities of states
man and possesses not the first requis-
tie which one looks for in the first man
of this nation. He can rest his claim
for the supporter the people on one
foot alone, and that is, he was in the
late war. He has received a moderate
share of applause at G. A. R. reunions
and encampments and this has given
rise In his mind to the belief that the
people of this country will not be salts
fed until he wears the mantle of Wash
ington. Never was there greater mis-
understanding of popular sentiments
Gen. Alger was mediocre governor
who could not succeed himself. Re
publican congresses made him q
wealthy man. and on this wealth he
depends for support at national con-
ventions. His presidential boomlet in
1SSS was poor, sickly thing, and wac
kept alive on liberal doses of money
The Michigan delegation, while os-
tensibly aiding it. wore large-sized
sleeves SO as not to cramp their laugh
ter.
Gen. Russell Alger in 1883 had one
thing to commend him-his frankness-
Early in the season he declared him
self candidate and commenced to lay
his wires accordingly -Four years
later we find him again yearning to
become the choice of his party. By
his side stands his barrel ready to be-
tapped and the contents drawn Oft
After the convention he viii repair to
the presidential boomlet graveyard
and another stone will mark the spot
where Michigan's ex-governor's lofty
ambition rests in peace And the world
will cry amen.-Chicago Globe.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
THE HAwkEYE DEMOCRATS.
a Wise Platform Supplemented by Fear
less and Honest Candidates

a Wise Platform Supplemented by Fear
less and Honest Candidates
McKinleyism finds no favor at the
hands of the Iowa democracy. Hard
listed farmers have seen the folly OF
taxing their industry for the benefit OF
sugar producers They have justified
the prediction of the Louisiana planter
who warned his friends in the rrpub-
lican party that the establishment OF
the principle of bounties as the alter
native of tariff taxes would be the
death knen Ct the protective system
With reason these democrats of Iowa
have denounced that form of paternal-
ism which has substituted direct for
an indirect bounty. They have learned
what is the tendency of customs taxes
that interfere with the freedom of ex-
change on which depends the pros
perity of the producer. No longer viii
the farmers of Iowa give assent to the
proposition that laws must be made for
the enrichment of class They have
entered upon a campaign which will be
fought to the end without compromise
with paternalism- They appreciate the
mpossibility of giving to the raisers Of
corn and wheat the same advantage al
lowed to other classes. and stand on
true democratic doctrine when they
assert that what may not be done for
all shall not be done for any
On such a platform they have wisely
placed a candidate who proved his
fearlessness when he challenged the
intrenched republicans of his state on a
platform opposed to the theory of pro-
lection Gov. Boies has gained strength
by his disqualification of the difference
between honest government for the
people and an unbridled patronage of
the monopolists. He has shown the
people of his state that under demo-
cratic administration it has been posi-
BILE to undo many of the wrongs estab-
lished by continuous republican rule
In the contest thus commenced the
democrats of Iowa will have the SYM
pathy of citizens of the whole country
and such support as may be needed to
drive to the wall the proponents of
higher taxes and extended tribute. To
them the Times gives loyal greeting.
In their triumph the welfare of ths
people will be secured and new reason
for dismay be shown the hosts who
have seen their strongholds in the west
fall before triumphant democracy.~
Chicago Times
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
whatKeeps the Bicycler Upright.

Let us suppose a cyclist mounted on
his wheel and riding, say toward the
north. He finds himself beginning to
tilt toward his right. He is now goin e
not only north with the machine. but
east also. He turns the wheel east
ward. The point Of support must Of
necessity travel in the plane of
the wheel; hence it at once begins to
go eastward. and, as it moves much
faster than the rider tits, it quickly
gets under him, and the machine is
again upright To one standing at a
distance. in front or rear, the bottom
of the wheel will be seen to move to
the right and the left. Then
the stability of the bicycle is due to
turning the wheel to the right or left,
whichever way the leaning is. and thus
keeping the point of support under
the rider just as a boy keeps upright
on his finger broomstick standing on
its smallest end.-Popular Science
Monthly
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

about, and directed him to move on
ward if he had no business there, or
if he had, which was not often,
started him off as soon as it was done.
and cautioned us to avoid his cOmpan-
iOnship
Even his own father did not appre-
-ciate him. For the elder McKerchin to
speak disparagingly of his son seemed
a good deal like the pot calling the
kettle black. McKerchin was not
model citizen. When there seemed
sreally nowhere else for him to go, he
might have been found at home going
through some of the motions of Guilt
waiting his half-farmed farm or waiting
for somebody to come along and banter
him to swap horses. He was lazy,
his honesty was open to doubt, and he
was argumentative. He hunted a lit
tie, fshed a little and passed about
half of his time lOafing in town, where
he whitfield the edges of the dry-goods
boxes and vowed that the rest of the
world was in combination against him
to hold his unfortunate nose on the
grin6stone OF financial degradation.
Altogether. he was little better than a
worthless cum berer of the ground.
And Herk was pretty thoroughly
his wrong-doing, there seemed some
thing about him for US to admire and
envy He was a year or two older than
we, and that was one point Of supc-
riOrity. And then he was SO indie
pendent and enjoyed SO much liberty.
He came and went when he pleased. If
he desired to fish, he fished. Ii it
suited him to return at noon, we'll and
good If he did not get home till mid
night, there was no Strapping in store
for him. When his father strapped him
at all it was simply upon general prin-
-ciples and not for any particular mis-
edemeanOr.
He went to school when he felt like
it, and granted his own vacations. He
wore what he liked and that in the
fashion that suited him best. He did
not suffer the festal miseries of wear
ing best clothes on Sunday, topped off
by riding collar. He wore his bat
tered hat upon the back of his head or
upon his ear. He staggered boldly
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16


that a drop on dogs tongue will kill
of body and spirit.
In his extremity, Simeon had recalled
and sadly mixed two old and doubtless
truthful adages repeated to him by his
father. did not correct him. Herk
grinned like badger.
The cows filed homeward along the
path. hundred yards away. There
came a burst of rain-cooled wind, a
others battered on the leaves of the
his pipe.
''Wal," he said, coolly, 81 guess I'll
be goin'.''
And, without further farewell, he
deserted his victims and sped home
gle to our feet, but fell back limp and
nerveless.
The storm burst with flash of light
ming, crash of thunder and flood Of
water. 1t was a veritable summer
tempest, brief but full of fury. And
we two miserable little wretches lay
shelterless and suffering on the ground,
and feeling as if we would never be
wen dS 1iAAs =" uAlC CilO AdohC0s
the thunder doomed and the torrents
of water seemed beating and soaking
the last remnant of life out of us.
The sun set and darkness fell almost
instantly The black became so dense
that could not have seen my hand be-
fore my face except when a brilliant
electric glare rent the gloom. l Won
dered vaguely if we We're to be struck
1>xy1i <r1f in, 70
punishment, and felt scarcely a care if
we were. 1 remember yet that I
thought miserably that the lightning
Herk Mckerchin, the deliberate author
of all our woe, to escape unframed.
A little of the deathliness began to
pass away and l struggled into sit
ting posture. A CLEAN of lightning re-
vealed Sim sitting up. a wretched,
soaked, white-faced scare-crow. The
storm passed away as suddenly as it
had come, and presently the clouds
parted and the moon shone out. The
believing of the thunder sounded less
and less loud and the drops fell from
the drenched branches of the oak with
a musical tinlzle into the puddles below.
Presently we felt sufficiently recov-
cred to start homeward. Our fathers,
who had grown anxious about us, met
two soaked, muddy and half dead little
wretches coming in very forlorn and
limpsy fashion.
The truth came out. We did not at
tempt to conceal it, and so broken
spirited were we that L doubt if we
would have made any serious objection
had they set upon rs and beaten us
close to the point of death.
But they did nothing of the kind.
Justice was tempered with mercy. We
were cleansed and cuddled off to bed
by our plying mothers, and upon the
morrow our fathers, believing that our
transgressions had carried sufficient
punishment along with them, content
ed themselves with giving us a good
talking to.
1t is to be recorded that no punish.
ment of any kind befell Hercules tn
tempter. The lightning failed to do it's
duty, and he hardly even got wet.
When he pridefully related the Incl
dent to his father, that parsonage, in
stead of strapping him as he deserved,
| merely grinned.
A day or two later, as Sim and were
passing along the road together, we
encountered Herk sitting on stone
beside the track. He smiled genially
and seemed DESTROYS of entering into
conversation, but, like the priest and
Levite of old, Simeon and l passed by
on the other side.
Ton p. MORGAN.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
SlUMBER LAND.

Mamma take her darling baby"
Says a tired little voice;
Baby sleepy; sing Row, Brothers.
This Is often baby's choice.
Little head of silzen ringlets,
BY the summer sunlight crowned
Till its golden rays entangled
Fast in baby's curls were bound,
Dropping rests on mammals bosom,
And forgetful of the day,
Happy throughts TO dreamland gliding
Fade in sunset light away.
Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast
The rapids are near and the daylight's past"
Snowy lids, like tender petals,
Close upon the eyes of blue;
Mother thinks no gem could rival
That serene and perfect hue.
Little hands devOutly folded
Seem to speak q silent prayer;
Surely, some sweet angel whispers
To my sleeping one so fair.
:" Blow, DreeZes blow; the stream runs fast;
The rapids are near, and the daylight past. ~
So may L my darling treasure,
Lay me down in peace to sleep;
When the night of earth is over
pray the Lord my soul to keep"
And with such divine composure
Fold my weary hands to rest,
AS 1 drift into the haven
Where immortal souls are blest.
Annie Russell, in N. Y. Ledger
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
POLITICAL PARAGRAPHS.

The Ohio republican platform
condensed: The peoples prosperity
is best secured by higher taxes and
plenty of them--Arkansas Gazette.
-Cullom says he is candidate for
the presidency. The announcement 10
not likely to produce a sensation, n.
though it may give Harrison . touch Of
the horrors.-Troy Press.
Democratic Texas has two mil.
lion dollars surplus on her hands which
she doesn't know what to do with
Sealed bids win be received from thu
Keystone bank.-Chicago Globe.
Senator Cuflom, of Illinois, frankly
avows that he is in the ranks of those
who want to be president But the
mention of the fact by the gentleman.
however much it does credit to his
frankness. does not cause a thrill OF
joy throughout the country exactly
New Haven Register.
"A year ago Senator Stanford vs.
proposing to loan money from the
treasury at two per cent interest to
farmers To-day Secretary Foster Is.
perhaps, willing to give a first mort
gage on the empty treasury building to
anyone who will advance enough cash
to the government to make both ends
meet-Albany Argus
In view of the condition Of the
treasury. with a threatened If not an
actual deficit, and of the financial pros
perity of the state governments. most
persons, we believe, will now agree
that the direct tax refund was q very
foolish piece of legislation-to say
nothing of still more extravagant acts
of the billion congress.-Pittsburg
Times
The extension" of the national
debt by default on the bonds DUE In
September is part of the working plan
of the republicans to keep the currency
under Wall street control But when
the people get far enough along in
finance to be able to put two and two
together to make four. it becomes
harder and harder to pet" the bond
holding banks at their expense.-St
Louis Republic
Gen Alger has got it bad"
Speaking of the reluctant Jim Blaine.
he says: He cannot disregard the
peoples wishes. He will be disloyal
to the party il he declines to be .
candidate in 1892, and the nation. more
over. will consider him unpatriotio."
This is very entertaining slobber. The
nation referred to expressed its opinion
of the artful dodger in 1854, and there
Is no reason to suppose that il haA re-
canted-Chieago Herald
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
ROUGH ON FARMERS.
4 Prospect That Is Anything But
Cheering One.

u prospect Tn8t Is Anything but -
Cheering One.
There can no longer be a doubt that
in the near future the commercial ma
tons of Europe will retaliate upon the
United States for the policy of trade
prohibition known as McKinleyism.
Already Germany, Austria, Hungary,
Italy and Switzerland have formed a
zollverein, the details of which are not
made public, but which. it is certain,
are hostile to the interests of Ameri-
cans. Nor can it be much doubted
that the passage of the Mckinley bill
FASTENED. if it did not originate, the
formation of this zollverein.
It would not be surprising if the die
tators of our protective system were
well pleased with this European retail
ation-sought it. in fact, for it serves
them a very good turn The chief ben
eficiaries of the protective tariff in
America are the manufacturers, and
anything that tends to give them an ex-
elusive market. is, of course. to their
advantage. If Germany's man ufactures
be kept from the people of the United
States so much the better for them
But how about the farmer? What
effect will European retaliation have
upon him? It will be simply ruinous-
If Europe refuses to purchase his prod
ucts where will he find a market?
Not in Brazil, with which we have
reciprocity" for Brazil produces q
surplus of farm products which she car
lay down in the markets of the Unit
ed States cheaper than the same
produ cts can be raised by our own
farmers. Nor will the manufacturing
popula ton furnish him a market, for
he raises much more than that popula-
ton requires. The fact is he will
have no market at all for his surplus
and it will rot on the ground 1t is idle
to say that Europe must have our farm
products-our wheat and corn and
hogs. The fields of Russia and Hun
gary and India will supply their own
needs and those of Europe too if the
effort be made, and our own stupid
policy of exclusion W Ill force that effort
in the near future Baron Seiman
pointed this out the oEher day and econ
omists the world over have long con-
tempt ated its possibility.
The prospect is anything but cheer
ing one for the American farmer.
European retaliation means eventual
peonage for him With no outside
worker the manufacturer will not only
diet ate to him the price at which he
sh all buy what he needs but the price
at which he shall sell what he pro-
duces.
Between the upper and the neither
milestone the farmer will be ground
out of all semblance to an indepena-
emit American citizen
Sentinel
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

} IHE preJu-
diced eyes of
Sim Sims and
i, Herl1 Nc
Kerchin was a
boy to be en-
We'd. He was
not a pretty
boy, and peo-
pie older and
wiser than we
had long ago
decided that he
was not a nice
bOy. Our IA
theirs frOwned
on He ECU l e s
when he came
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

-Uncle Sam might have money by
cutting OF the rations of the watch
dog of the treasury. The billion-dollar
congress has left him uotksng 70 watch
Chicago MaiA
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

has the money there now. The Inquirer
has been very wild and ridiculous in
some of the charges it has made FL
version has no reason to attack me or to
allow me to be attacked in this way by
his people. In fact he has every
reason to be the other way, and
could stop it if I send him the word
But do not want to commit myself on
paper. The conduct of that paper has
been abominable, outrageous in its
treatment of my poor wife. And did
you notice that he demands that the
investigation should go on He is a
pretty fellow to talk about reform If
a strict investigation should strike in
his direction his record would astound
the community. But look at Bill Sing
erly. As said before, he should be in
Jail along side OF me. There are more
men than one who got money out of
the treasury"
great deal out of the keystone bank
money. He was in the pool with Lucas
and Marsh and Marsh allowed him to
overdraw his account 500, 900, even
when the run on the bank was going
on Widener & Elkins, the traction
magnates, he said, never sold him any
him.
McWade also asked Bardsley if Judge
Wilson ha6 ever borrowed money from
him as city treasurer. He said no: and
on being asked what judges had Dor
rowed money, he answered in a whisper
s'Finletter and Ashman.' The money,
he understood, was simply an advance
and he did not know whether he was
lending the state money, city money or
his own.
The remainder of the statement was
simply a long story of Bardsley's
troubles given in his own words with
numerous comments, all of which con-
tanned no new facts.
Mr.. Wanamaker's Denial.
PHILADELPHIA, July 11.-Postmas.er
General Wanamaker, who had entered
the committee room while Bardsley's
statement to Editor McWade was being
read, then stood forward and requested
that he be allowed to testify. 81 have
been anxious to appear ever since the
question was raised regarding the stock
of which previously testified" said he.
In answer to the question Mr.. Wanna
maker said his interest in the bank
arose out of his acquaintance with
1IcSlucnG LUCAS anu us DEOCncT Wnon
they were young merchants He stated
that he never pledged the over-issue
stock after he was told it was an over
issue, and it was out of his hands at
the time; that he did not know III. II.
Yard. and had met Mrs. Lucas but once
and that was at an interview about the
| over-issued stock.
AS to the story told by Bardsley to
McWade that he had threatened to
close the bank unless he was paid for
the over-issued stock and Lawyer Sulz-
berger and johnson had forced him to
| return it Mr.. Wanamaker said it was
| absolutely false. Granville B. Haines
| and Samuel B. Huey went to Washing
| ton to see him about the over-issued
| stock and he told them that they
must settle for it. and that if they
did not,rin justice to himself. he should
inform the comptroller of the currency.
After the bank closed he gave up the
stock. Bardsley's statement that
Marsh obtained from him $500, 600 for
| Wanamaker in March, 1899, he said
was absolutely untrue and without the
! slightest foundation. and invited the
committee to inSpect his books.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
"A Bad NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ia

"A Bad Blunder.-Visitor (in gacl-
to prisoner)-''What are you here for?'
Prisoner-'-For stealing" Visitor
What did you steal?" Prisoner-.sI
stole girls affections Visitor
well, that is no infraction of the
law" Prisoner-.'Hem, carried 'em
off with her fathers horse and buggy
Epoch.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16
shaky since Last Fan.

LOUISVILLE, KY, July 1L-FinanciaI
circles received a tremendous shock
this morning when it was officially an
nounced that the Falls City bank had
closed its doors 1t was a private con-
Germ and has been shaky since
last fall, when a run was made on it
by its depositors. The liabilities are
supposed to be about 81. 800. 900; assets.
81, 600, 900. Its capital stock was placed
at 5000. 0O0 1t is not thought that the
depositErs will lose anything.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-16

Deputy City Marshal West was shot
and killed by j. d. Gaines. prominent
citizen at Texarkana, Ark. The men
had a dispute about q trivial matter
and the difficulty resulted West hae
fred the first shot