davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

there IL . brother ins'ths crowd II
brings him fQrward.A 81 ~ W
.From Chsyenne I>ient TO Ogden,
Utah, where I struck the Central Pa
ciflic, and over that straight TO the
Golden Gate. j found from the
trainmen rode with that there was
NO show for work on any Of the dlvis-
ions on the way, 50 / kept right along.
Sacramento, Oakland and San Fran
cisco were as bad as any OF the places
had been In. The railroad men
were hanging together and hoping
for better times, but 1t was trying
business, rs most of the men at work,
and they we're few enough, were
holding up from one to three idle
brothers, hoping that In the near
future business might revive and
there be work enough for all. l saw
plainly there was no use staying In
any of these places, so / went down
to Los Angeles on the Southern Pa
cidc. The conditions there were no
better. Railroad business in the
West swas completely paralyzed. /
couldn't go any further west, SO l
started back east over the Southern
Pacific, eventually landing In New
Orleans after having interviewed
every superintendent and trainmas-
ter between the two points on the
subject of work.
II came up over the Louisville &
Nashville to Cincinnati, and from
there made side trips into Kentucky,
West Virginia, and Ohio. to points
where / thought there might be
work, but it was mo co. and l was
getting awfully tired travelling In the
way had for the last three months.
Il started out over the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, intending to go
through to Toledo. but at Hamilton,
O., ran across an old friend, and l
stopped of to see him. II told him
my story, and he laid of a few days
to let me make a stake / worked
two weeks, and with the proceeds got
me cheap suit of clothes and pair
of shoes. but / was broke again when
/ started for ToleIo.
~There was no chance for work
there, so / went to Detroit, from
there to Saginaw, and from the latter
place up through Northern Michigan,
across the Soo,' and after a trip across
Wisconsin arrived In St Paul. l
could find no encouragement either
in St Paul or Minneapolis, and just
becau | did not know which way to
go star ed west again over the
Northern Pacific. 49,,
Il tried Seattle, Tacoma, and Port
land, Ore, but the search was in
vain. The winter had set in, and
the unemployed were almost starving
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

in exact figures, 4,767, l79-were on
farms and the remainder in cities.
1t thus appears that the country
and the city population grouped in
families is as five to three. Another
statement is that the number of per-
sons in family is on an average less
than five, so that the persons form
ing parts Of the families are only
about two thirds Of the total popula-
ton. The other third, or about 90
600, 900 persons, seem to be, there
fore. living independently OF family
ties.
This is a rather curious showing.
One-third of the entire population
consists, presumably, of boarders, or
OF inmates of charitable and cor
rectional institutions. AS our pau
pers and criminals are not more nu-
merous than those Of other countries,
the natural inference Is that the
habit OF living in boarding-houses or
hotels is far more prevalent than it
is anywhere else.
Another thing that is surpris-
ing in these census figures Of
ours is. that we have fewer
houses in proportion to population
than the French have, for instance
In the United States the average Is
about five and half persons 10 a
house, while in France it is only tour
and three quarters, and yet the lat
ter country is far more densely popu-
lated than even our oldest settled
States along the North Atlantic
coast.
The tendency is, however, toward
| fewer inhabitants to a house in this
country. The decrease has been ex-
ceedingly slow but it has been fairly
steady. In 1850 we had nearly six
persons to a house, so that there has
been reduction OF about half per.
son since then. On the principle OF
the fewer persons under the same
roof the higher the grade Of civiliza-
tion, we are justified In congratulate,
ing ourselves on this fact.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

TIE value OF the timber annually
destroyed by fire on this continent Is
estimated at from $40, 600, 900 to $780,
900, 000 In the alchemy Of nature
nothing can be lost, and, in distant
epochs or cons, this may be recovered;
but practically 1t wipes out that
amount Of wealth from the world
with no compensation. Cut down
and worked into the thousand utili-
ties for mans comfort and cOnven-
fence, or TO keep him warm, cook his
food and run his machinery, its orig
inal value, by means Of his skill, is
returned 10 him fourfold; but to be
burned up in the heat Of summer.
with nothing to show but O heap of
ashes, and to carry with it houses,
farms, implements, crops and even
the very soil, which 1t renders I'M
productive, is, humanely speaking,
an absolute loss. Were it not de-
stroyed it would shelter, or warm
thousands Of human beings, and adj
minister in, scores of ways TO their
varied wants. In consequence of
this destruction, sooner or later they
must give more of their labor to Sc
curing the shelter, warmth, fuel and
the like which these abolished for
ests would have furnished them.
Apart, therefore, from the indirect
loss caused by alternate flood and
drought, which the loss of timber ag-
gravates, there Is direct and re-
NEEDLESS wiping out of SO much nat
ural wealth In a highly available
form. Europe has so learned the
lesson of the value OF timber that
Germany at least expends large
sum annually In preserving its forests
by strict watching, scientific culture
and careful cutting. They have dis
covered that the people cannot af-
ford the loss of valuable timber and
that the expense of preserving it is a
very small percentage of the gain.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
RARE RELIC FOUND.

Pipe of Onyx Once Smoked by - Cave
Dweller In Utah.
This pipe was found in San Juan
County, Utah, during recent explora-
tions of the caves and cliff houses of
Utah ard Arizona. 1t was incased
il a neatly tanned beaver skin, which
served as a pouch. This also con-
tanned some Of the original smoking
material, which consists of the inner
bark of the red willow and leaves of
the kinikinick plant, both of which
grow in great abundance in the can
yons of southern Utah. The bowl is
egg -shaped, being 3 inches in diane
ter and y inches long, Is composed
of Mexican onyx. and highly polished.
The cavity Of the bowl is lined with
a black mineral cement and contains
the ashes Of the last puff the smoker
enjoyed. The stem is of an inch in
diameter aud Il inches in length, and
is composed of Jet highly polished
and cemented to the bowl with pinon
gum.
The pipe was excavated from a
depth OF four feet beside the head Of
remarkably well-preserved male
mummy. The pipe was undoubtedly
his property during life. How 1T was
used is a:mystery, as the lips OF the
smoker and the hot ashes in the bowl
would come into close contact, and
his mouth would seemingly be
burned. 1t is evident that the pipe
had to be held in an upright position
while being used. The Navajo In
dams, who once occupied the coun-
try where this pipe was found, are
unable to give any information con-
corning it, and know nothing of its
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

good, so 1 came on here over the
Panhandle.
Il started a year ago last June, and
since then have been in every State
and Territory of Uncle Sam's domain.
/ have ridden over somewhere near
200 railroads, have made applica-
tions for work In the offices Of over
600 superintendent and trainmas-
tiers, and II could have travelled in
one direction all the time would
now have been fairly started on my
third lap around the globe. l have
tried to keep clean and so far l
haven't starved, though l shudder
to think of the many meals / have
run by and / have not slept in a
bed for over two months now; haven't
had my clothes off only when / could
strike a river where / could take a
bath, In my riding part Of 1t has
been on passes, part on card or let
tiers, and in few instances, through
the East, box car"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

returned from there, the long stock
ing is doomed. Every one wears
socks. Boys and girls in short trous-
ers and skirts display a waste CT pink
flesh between the top Of the sock and
the bottom of their garments. There
Is. of course, not this same display in
the case Of the grown-up wearers of
the sock. but there are sufficient
other disadvantages to make up for
this.
The agonies of the woman who is
wearing these things for the first
time are untold. II, in moment of
absorption in other things she forgets
the fact that she has discarded stock
ings, she is promptly recalled to a
sense Of her loss by the keen discom-
fort of her feelings. She cannot, for
an instant, remember what is the
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

matter with her and the sickening
convic tion that her garter has slipped
is the first explanation that occurs to
her. Then she remembers and her
horror passes, but the discomfort re-
mains.
OF course, socks are chilly. or
course, they make the wearer keenly
uncomfortable. She breads windy
day as she would deluge.. A step to a
carriage or from train assumes a
proportion which horrifies her. But
she has the gratifying consciousness
that she is wearing what fashion de-
mands, and that is sufficient to sus-
tain most women in almost any emer-
pency
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

speed anu RTedteT dC- THE INCURvE
curacy than in almost any other de-
livery.
For the out-curve secure the ball
in the hand by pressing it firmly be-
tween the fingers and base OF the
thumb. In delivering the ball to
the batsman throw the arm forward
midway between the shoulder and
waist, the palm Of the hand up At
the moment OF releasing the ball
turn or twist the hand quickly to the
left, allowing the ball to roll off the
side of the first finger. Although
this is the easiest of all curves to
pitch, 1t is the most difficult to con-
troll. Only practice will make per-
feet in this. AS great speed as pos
sible should be used, for swift ball
changing direction only few feet
from the batsman is much more diff
cult to hit than enc travelling slowly
and curving half dozen yards from
the home plate. For an up-shoot the
ball is grasped in the same manner as
for the in-curve. In throwing, how
ever, the hand is brought down palm
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

THE ourcuRvE OF Brooklyn, was the
first ball player to make practical
use of the curves. He experimental
and practiced for long time before
he could exp ain the apparent anom-
ally Of ball thrown from the hand
changing its direction horizontally
during the course or its fight. Sci
entists have found many theories try
ing to explain why this is so. The
one generally accepted as correct is
simple. II one side OF ball can be
made to pass through the air with
greater rapidity than the oGher side
there is greater friction produced
by the atmosphere on the side
moving most rapidly. This retard-
ing effect drags the ball to one side
and produces the so-called curve. TO
curve ball, therefore, it is only
necessary to make one side travel
faster than the other. This is ac-
complished by twisting the hand
sharply at the moment Of delivery,
allowing the ball to roll of the fin
gers instead of being released from
all points at the same moment.
To produce the in-curve grasp the
ball firmly between the thumb and
first two fingers. the remaining fin
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

paper. Or course, employment may
be found at once, but the chances are
the other way. Herewith is given
a specimen case. A railroader reached
Chicago four days ago without money
enough to pay for a meal. The
stranger had been working in one OF
the railroad yards at East st. Louis
until the hard times Of 1913 had
thrown him out OF work, and since
I that time had been, to use phrase
common among railroad men, @jump-
ing sideways" all over the country.
He was educated and intelligent,
and had kept his eyes open during
his trips in search Of, as he termed
it, IAN Office" He carried very
creditable letter of recommendation
from Chesapeake and Ohio officials for
long term Of service on the trains
and in the yards of that railroad. In
the story he told are many points Of
interest, chief of which is the fact that
since he started on his sofar fruit
less search for work he has been in
every State and Territory in the
United States, has comprised jour-
ney of 50, 900 miles by rail on cap
ital so slender that it would have
given a professional tramp the blues.
Here is his story in his own words:
II lost my job in East ST. Louis a
year ago last June through little
law trouble. j fought the case be-
cause it was an endeavor made by a
shark lawyer to steal my wages, but
in the end lost both the law case
and the Job. l succeeded in proving
to the superintendent the fact that l
was right in fighting the case, and he
recalled the order for my discha ge,
but / found out that my reinstate-
ment meant the laying off Of a man
who had family, so l told him to
keep the job. / could hustle for one
easier than he could for halfdOzen,
and / thought if / tried could find
a Job somewhere. Now / believe
that overestImated my ability as a
hustler, for while / have had clothes
to wear and have STAYED of starva-
ton, am still short on the job.
81 had sunk my small capital in
getting my experience Of the law as
she is writ, and had it not been for
IrlenQ i WOulQ nave lelO Iuc
Queen city OF Egypt broke. The
friend lent me So, however, and j
started West.
Il tried Kansas City, but 1t was
full of railroad men waiting for bust
ness to pick up, so kept on west to
Denver. There were no signs of any
improvement there, but the boys
said: Keep on west; you'll catch on
in the mountains sure So decided
to keep on. went up to Cheyenne
and got there at midnight, put up my
last half for lodging and breakfast
and in the morning hit the superin,
tendent for job, but was told there
were enough idle railroad men in
Cheyenne to stock the division II
need be. was just little blue. II
was a toss-up which way to go, so
struck out for the west coast"
Surprise was expressed at his un
dertaking such journey under such
conditions. The railroader laughed
and. said: at is no trouble to d.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

mouth. Even without her imperial
rank she would be the universally
acknowledged belle of Japan. She Is
immensely interested in the educa-
tion of the gentler sex and In char
liable works of all kinds. She is a
fiue scholar of both polite literature
and music, and plays the piano we'll.
Her poems have been set to music
and used as imperial songs. She is
the founder OF the Red Cross Socie ty
in Japan, frequently visits the hos
pitfalls, and gives TO each patient as
much consolation and care as IL she
were n simple white capped nurse OF
the Red Cross.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Snail Eating.

We shall never, in all likelihood,
grow to share the French taste for
edible snail, though the big escargot
is common enough in many parts OF
England, where tradition says they
were introduced by the Romans, and
still live on rould the sites of their
villas. The escargot Is really at its
best when taken in the vineyards at
the end of March and the beginning
of April. They live on the shoots or
the vines, and during the winter
bury themselves in the ground, dur
ing which time, like the souls hung
up to air In hadeI, they are purged of
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Hard Times in Spain.

Great distress is prevalent among
the laboring classes of Spain. Many
hundreds OF unemployed workingmen
are walking the streets Of Madrid,
Cadiz and other cities in the vain
search for work. One day recently
1000 men went In body to the gov
eminent Office in Madrid asking for
relief in the shape of work for them
selves and families. The government
was able to do but little for them.
Brigandage has greatly increased, and
its spread is attributed to the dis
tress among the rural population.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

In Paris elephant skins are tanned.
The process is the ordinary one ex-
cept that very powerful extract of
tannin Is used. When the giant skin
is taken from the vat it is nearly an
inch and three-quarters thick. The
tanned skin OF the elephant, like
that of the alligator, is used in the
making OF various fancy articles, and
brings high price, small elephant
leather valise costing 1900 to S4OO,
and cigar cases and card cases not
less than $50 to $50.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Aauatic Sniders.

The raft spider" found in Terra
del Fuego, is most extraordinary
insect. 1t derives its name from the
fact that 1t constructs a raft of mat
ted leaves and pieces of wood, which
it uses to pursue its prey on the wa
ter. Raft spiders travel in fours.
They make their oars out OF twigs
and generally row thirty-two stroke,
although they have been known at
times to increase the speed to thirty
viy
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
SkilIful Jewellers.
sIsr

The jewelry found recently in an
excavation near one of the pyramids
of old Memphis, Egypt, exhibits
about as much skill in working gold
and precious stones as now exists. al
though the articles found were made
400 years ago. The figures cut in
amethyst and cornelial are described
as exquisite and anatomically correct.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

The Empress is Al
years OF age, one
year younger than
her husband. She is
not SO tall as Amer
lean women, il slen-
d e r a n d very
straight. For t h e
last sixteen years
she has worn Euro
pean dress. She is
very fair, with rosy
cheeks, large eyes,
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

forward, perpendicularly in front OF
the body, the ball rolling of the end
of the fingers as the hand is twisted
suddenly downward.
Very few but professional players
every master the drop curve. Almost
all amateurs throw instead the @out-
drop" which, as its name indicates.
is curve half way between the out
and the drop. This is not at all diff
flcult to pitch. The ball is grasped
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

that in the west II you belong to any
thing AS far as travelling is con-
cerned the local lodges OF the railroad
organizations all have contracts with
the companies that, In addition to
fixing the rate o: pay, provide for tho
transportation Of brothers who may
be travelling looking for work. The
west is almost perfectly organized,
and a man will hardly get into
town before he is tagged giving the
hailing sign) by some of the boys,
and they never let him go hungry.
Hoist the Pie sign.
@If they are little slow and the
distance between meals gets too long
for comfort the stranger can hoist
the pie sign distress slgnaD, and II
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Tho Busy Bee.

The bee works harder than most
people would believe. There are
about sixty flower tubes in every
head of clover, and only tiny NOR
sci of honey in each. In order to get
enough sugar for load, the bee must
visit about 5000 different flowers,
and each bee must make, on an aver
age, twenty trips day.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Curious Census Lessons.

Slowly the public is getting some
Ineligible ideas from the census
compilation of four years ago. The
clerks have at last figured out that
there were then just 1929 4home
families" in the United States, which
means probably that there were that
many groups Of persons living togeth-
er. or these almost five-eighths-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
Startling Visitor.

A case of ball lightning has been
observed in the Oderberg postoffice,
Prussia. During violent thunder
storm a telegraph post about 900
yards from the Office was struck by
lightning, and at this moment three
clerks round table in the Office saw.
a few inches above the table, a ball
of fire as large as a mans fist, Of
binding brilliance, which immediate
ly exploded with loud crack, but
did no damage. One observer said
that the ball descended from the
ceiling and rebounded from the table.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

and freezing to death in the big
cities. In San Francisco saw men
wearing the insignia Of the railroad
orders working on the streets. They
would have been glad to get away
from the coast, but they had families
and could not raise the money to
move them; neither could they let
their dear ones starve.
Il tried Los Angeles again, but it
was worse than before: so l started
out over the Santa Fe to Kansas
City.
Il steered clear of Chicago, because
almost every day l met squads Of
travellers, who. like myself, were
railroad men, and they all said the
city was overrun with unemployed
men.
Il got to Kansas City in January
and the people OF that good city were
on continual hustle to keep their
own unemployed from starving. !
stayed one day with friend and the
next started over the Kansas City,
Memphis and Birmingham for Bir-
mingham, Ala, determined to try
the Eastern South. l did try it. /
went over Alabama, Florida, and
Georgia like a deputy marshal with a
search warrant, and atSlast in March
struck what looked like regular job
in the yards of the Georgia. South
ern and Florida Railway at Macon,
Ga. They were handling an immense
traffic in early vegetables. The job
lasted twenty-three days; then came
the worst freeze that country had
ever experienced at that season OF
the year, and the vegetable trade
was nil-likewise my job.
Il squared up, got another suit OF
clothes, and started again. l went
to Atlanta, and from there TO Nor
folk, Va, across North and South
Carolina. From Norfolk to New
port News, and from there to Wash.
ington by way Of Richmond. From
Washington / went to Baltimore,
Philadelphia, New York, and Boston,
staying few days in each place, but
not long enough to affiliate with any
of the 'commonweap armies that
wcre tramping over that country
then
In New England Hay Fields.
From Boston 1 went all over the
New England States, but with tn,
single exception Of a week in hay
field near Boston, couldn't find ;
thing to do.
-The railroad men In the Eastern
States are q cold lot, mostly natives
who have never been outside tn,
State they were born In, and who
look on travelling railroad man a!
they do common tramp / nearly
starved out there, and you can tel
all inquirers I'll never go East again
Tho night started from Boston
there were two BROTHERHOOD engin
GERS and an O. X. Oman (Orde
Railway Conductors), who had beer
trying all day, TO got sout over TIT
sFitchburg' railway. We all wanted
10 come West, and we finally got out
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
NOW SHE WEARS SOCKS.

The Latest Fad In Francs-Long Stockings
Given Away.
The latest danger which woman's
relentless foe threatens her is the
sock. In Paris, according to high
fashioned authority who has recently
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04
EMPRESS OF JAPAN.

An Interesting Little Personage the Ony
wife O the Mikado.
An interesting little parsonage Is
the Empress of Japan, who is the
only wife of the Mikado, though
many imagine he has dozen or more.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

gers being doubled In,
the hand. Throw the
ball at a height equal
to the shoulder. At
the instant of releas-
1t from the hand
twist the fl ngers
sharply toward the
body, allowing the
ball to roll of their
ends. The firm hold
on the ball in throw
ing this shoot" per-
mits both greater
\ 4 ..A4- 49,.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

1Ork WOrlu. 40 Dc y
good pitcher requires
net only perfect con-
troll OF the ball In all
methods ofits straight
delivery, but the abil-
ity to toss it In puz-
zling curves which
lead to so many strike
outs.
Arthur Cummings,
)of the old Star team