davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

as a corpse. Tn the rear of the stores, few men perhaps sit listlessly by the stoves. The people of the farms re- main close indoors during this storm. They have not enough warm clothing to venture into the terrible blasts. One can drive past house after house with out seeing signs of life unless it be weak curl of smoke scudding away from chimney. Occasionally, too, one finds deserted homestead, deso- late and unhappy thing upon the des- olate and unhappy prairie. And for miles around this town lie the count ]. less acres of the drought-pestered dis trict.
 ! Some distance from here man was obliged to leave his wife and baby and go into the eastern part of the state to mako frcnzied search for work that might be capable of furnishing them with food. The woman lived alone with her baby until the provisions were gone She had received a despairing letter from her husband. He was still unable to get work. Everybody was searching for it; none had it to give. Meanwhile he had ventured a prodigious distance from home.
 The nearest neighbor was three miles away. She put her baby in it's little ramshaclxle carriage and travelled the three miles. The family there shared with her as long as they could-two or three days. Then she went on to the next house. There, too, with the quail ity of mercy which comes with incredi- ble suffering, they shared with her. From house to house sho went pushing her baby carriage. She received meal here, three meals here, a meal and 8 bed here. The baby was weak and puny child.
 During this swirling storm, the horses huddle abjectly and stolidly in the fields, their backs bumped and turned towards the eyes of the wind, their reads near the ground, their names blowing over their eyes. Ice crusts fayner this morning: "How will your horses get through the winter?"
 ''I don't know" he replied, calmly. "Iain't got nothing to give 'em- got to turn 'em out and let 'em russle for theirselves. Of course if they get enough to live on, all right, an if they don't, they'll have to starve."
 "And suppose there are few moro big storms lilc this one?"
 "Well, don't suppose thero1l be horse left round here by plowip' time then. The people aint got nothin' to feed 'em up on in the spring. 4 horse1l
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

each mans residence. It was the for tune of this committee finally to get into the office of citizen who was fair ly prosperous.
 "Whcre do yeh want yer coal put?" they said, with clever and sly wink.
 What coal?"
 "Why, our coal! Your coal! The coal what was sent here."
 s'Git out a here! If you put any coal in my cellar I'll kill some of yeh!"
 They argued for long time. They did not dare to leave anyone out of the conspiracy. He could then tell of it. Having failed with him, they went to his wife and tried to get her to allow them to put the coal in the cellar. In this also they were not successful.
 These arc part of the difficulties with which tho commission fights. Its obligation is to direct all supplies from the generous and pitying inhabitants of other states into the correct paths to reach the suffering. To do this over a territory covering many hundreds of square miles, and which is but meagerly connected by railroads, Is not an easy task.
 L. P. Ludden, the secretary and gen. eral manager of the commission, works early and late and always. In his of- flee at Lincoln he can be seen at any time when people are usually awake working over the correspondence of the bureau. He is confronted each mail by a heap of letters that is as high as a warehouse. He told the writer of this article that he had not seen his chill dren for three weeks, save when they were asleep. He always looked into their room when he arrived home late at night and always before he left early in the morning.
 But he is the most unpopular man in the state of Nebraska. He is hon. est, conscientious and loyal; he is hard working and has great executive abil- ity. He struggles heroically with the thugs who wish to filch supplies, and with the virtuous but misguided phil anthropists who write to learn of the folks that received their fifty cents and who expect full record of this event.
 From hundred towns, whose citi- zens are in despair for their families, arises a cry against Ludden. From Q hundred towns, whose citizens do not need relief, and in consequence do not get 1t, there arises a cry against Lud- den. The little newspapers print the uncompromising sentence: "Ludden must go!" Delegations call upon the governor and tell him that the situa-
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

for their labor. It was as if upon tho massive altar of the earth, their homes and their families were being offered in sacrifice to the wrath of some blind and pitiless deity.
 The country died. In the rage of the wind, the trees struggled, gasped through each curled and scorched lea I then, at last, ceased to exist, and ther, remained only the bowed and barrel skeletons of trees. The corn, shivering as from fever, bent and swayed ab- jectly for a time, then one by one tho yellow and tinder-like stalks, twisted and pulled awry by the rage of the hot breath, died in the fields and the vast and sometime beautiful green prairies wero brown and naked.
 In few weeks this prosperous and garden-l;ke country was brought to condition of despair, but still this fur nace-wind swept along the dead land, whirling great clouds of dust, straws, blades of grass. A farmer, gazing from window, was confronted by a swirling tempest of dust that intervened be-
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

the inevitable winter had gathered in the north and swept down upon the dew astated country. The prairies turned bleak and desolate.
 The wind was direct counterpart of the summer. It came down like wolves of ioe And this was the time that from this district came that first vail, half impotent rage, half despair. The men went to feed the starving cattle their tiny allowances in clothes that enabled the wind to turn their bodies red and then blue with cold. The women shivered in the houses where fuel was as scarce as flour, and where flour was sometimes as scarce as diamonds.
 The cry for aid was heard every where. The people of dozen states responded in lavish way and almost at once. A relief commission was ap- pointed by Gov. Holc6fnb at Lincoln 1o receive the supplies and distribute them to thy people in want. The rail- road compfhies granted transporta- tion to thd cars that came in loaded
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

with coal and flour from Iowa and Min nesota, fruit from California, groceries and clothing from New York and Ohio. and almost everything possible f.'oil Georgia and Louisiana. The relief com mission became in +olved in mighty tangle. It was obliged to contend with enormous difficulties.
 Sometimes car arrives in Lincoln. practically in pawn. Ut has accamu- lated the freight charges of perhaps half dozen railroads. The commis- sion then corresponds and corresponds with the railroads to get the charges rcmitted. It is usually the fault of the people sending the car who can arrange for free and quick transportation by telegraphing the commission in Lincoln a, list of what their car, or cars con tains. The commission will then ar- range all transportation.
 facetious freight agent in the cast labeled one carload of food: Outfit for emigrants." This car reached the people who needed it, only after the most extraordinary delays and after many mistakes and explanations and re-explanations. Meanwhile, certain minority began to make war upon the commission at the expense of the hon. est and needy majority. Men rcsortcd to all manner of tricks in order to se- duce the commission into giving them supplies which they did not need. Also various interruptions persons received donations of provisions from the east and then sold them to the people, at a very low rate it is true, but certainly nt the most obvious of profits The com mission detected ono man selling do- mated carload of coal at the price of forty cents per ton. They discovered another man who had collectetlsome two thousand dollars from the char itable folk in another state, and of this sum he really gave to the people about eight hundred dollars. The commission was obliged to make long wars upon all these men who wished to practice upon the misery of the farmers.
 As is mentioned above, this stricken district does not include in any manner the entire state of Nebraska, but, nev- ertheless, certain counties that are not in the drought portion had no apparent hesitation about vociferously shouting for relief. When the state legislature appropriated one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to help the starving districts, one or two counties in the east at once sent delegates to the capi- tai to apply for part of it. They said, ingenuously, that 1t was the state's money and they wanted their share of it.
 IT,, ono toxvr, In fha porfharp f,., If of the state there was sent from the east a carload of coal. The citizens simply apportioned it on the basis of so much per capita. They appointed commit tee to transport the coal from the car to
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

made it appear that the entire state of Nebraska is desert In reality the sit uation is serious, but it does not in- clude the whole state. However, peo- pie feel that thirty counties in pain and Restitution is sufficient.
 The blot that is laid upon the map of the state begins in the north beyond Custer county. It is there about fifty miles wide. It slowly widens then in D southward direction until when it cross es the Platte river it is over a hundred miles in width. The country to the north and to the west of this blot is one of the finest grazing grounds in tho world and the cattlemen there arc not suffering. Valentine is in this portion which is exempt. To the eastward the blot shades off until one finds moderate crops.
 In June, 1894, the bounteous, prolific prairies of this portion of Nebraska were ashine with the young and ten der green of growing corn. Round and fat cattle filled the barnyards of the farmers The trees that were con- gregated about the little homesteads were of the vivid md brave hue of healthy and vigorous vegetation. The towns were alive with commerce of an industrious and hopeful community. These mighty brown fields, stretching for miles under the imperial blue sky of Nebraska, had made promise to the farmer. It was to compensate him for his great labor, his patience, his sacri- fees Under the cool, blue dome the winds gently rustled the arrays of waist-high stalks.
 Then, on one day about the first of July, there came a menace from the southward. The sun had been growing prophetically more fierce day by day, and in July there began those winds from the south, mild at first and subtle like the breaths of the panting countries of the tropics. The GOTH in the fields underwent a preliminary quiver from this breeze burdened with an omen of death. In the following days it became stronger, more threat ening. The farmers turned anxious eyes toward their fields, where the corn was beginning to rustic with dry and cracking sound which went up from the prairie like cries.
 Then from the southern horizon came the scream of wind hot as an ovens fury. Its valor was great in the presence of the sun. It came when the burning disc appeared in the east and it weakened when the blood-red, molten mass vanished in the west. From day to day, it ragged like pesti- lence. The leaves of the corn and of the trees turned yellow and sapless like leather. For a time they stood the blasts in the agoey of a futile resis- tancc. The farmers helpless, with no weapon against this terrible and inscru. table wrath ot nature, were spectators at the strangling of their hopes, their ambitions, all that they could look to
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24

D D Y V 1 L L E Dawson county,
 Ncb. vast prairies in this section of Ne braslsa contain a people " h O are engaged in n bi tc and deadly fight for existence. Some of the reports telegraphed to the east have
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24
Costly Business.

.'Lookee here, mistar, kin yo' tell me whar' dey git marriage sustifcates?" in- quired an old colored individual of one of the bailiffs at the city hall the other day. The bailiff stcered him toward the S|f1|fi1n 1ne When he appeared Cupid has visit Repeated his re- name, but, LOT, DIV how she spells it," he sal er to the Luc fo' short. Do to know her age? She's jes' h. we. I'm sixty-five. Oats little L. Pshon in our ages, but it don matter. What money makes get at de top of tele- graph poles-aat is, I'm Q lineman." 1After venturing these remarks the old man stopped minute to renew his supply of oxygen, and then inquired the fee. Oats purity strong, mistar. Ite purity costly biz'ness, dis her get unmarried, even when Ise gwin to git SSyoung an han'sorn' bride," said 7 the olS man, as he fumbled in an aged purse Bud laid three quarters, twcy dimes anHa nickel before the clerlf.~y
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
PLENTY OF WORK.

Large Numbers of Men Could Find 8me
ployment in the Country.
ST. PAUL, July 10.-A member OF q
prominent firm Of employment agents,
in conversation said:
There is more work to be done than
there are men to do it. We have more
applications for men than we can pos
sibly supply. They are wanted for
railroad, sawmill and farm work. just
at present there is large demand for
men for haying. The applications have
not yet begun to come in from the Da-
kotas, but there seems to be good
prospect for very large crop, and there
will be plenty of work to be had there.
A week ago we were obliged to send to
Chicago for men to go to Southern
Minnesota, and we could put 800 men
at work today if we could get
them. But the trouble is that men
do not want to go out Of the city.
They would rather starve here than
accept employment in the country. II
a man really wants work there is no
excnse for his not doing so, as there is
three times the demand for men that
there was at this time last year, and
more are wanted every day. Wages
for all kinds of work are % per cent
higher than they were last year. Men
ON the railroads are paid from $1.25 to
81. so day, and farm hands are sought
for at $40 month and board There
is no need for men to starve, as we
have places today for more than there
are in the city who are willing to
xuOrlr -
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
/. CLOSED THE MILLS.

= = 81
1ssrsAAsy x4noat Orders The Tox nivss
waess Fewer sAus or
ArPLE1oN, Wis.,, July 1.-THE water
power situation in tho papsrmaking
districts Of Fox river from Menasha to
Depere, which has been strained for
many weeks, was brought to crisis
uring the day by an order from the
Secretary Of war shutting of the use of
any water whatever for power purposes
until the water Is raised about 20
inches, to the crest Of Menasha dam.
This order win be obeyed by manufac-
tnrers, but will result in the almost
total paralysis Of all manufacturing on
the river with the exception of three or
four mills who have sufficient power to
run their mills. The loss to this valley
by the shutdown, computed on basis
Of full time and full product as existing
before the first curtailment of water
May 10, is $12, 900 day in wages, $780,
600 in value of product, with 5000 men
out of employment. The duration of
the shutdown is problematical, an
accurate estimate of the time required
to raise the lake to the necessary level
being impossible under existing condi.
Ions
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
sARDINE FISHING.

The Process From the Time of the Catch
to the Canning and Cooking.
Toward the end of April the sardine
fishermen along the coast of Brittany
begin to watch for the bubbling of the
sardines on the surface Of the sea. For
they know that vast shoals of the little
fish are on their way from the coast of
Africa up through the bay Of Biscay to
the north, and that they must be caught,
if at all, as they pass. When any one
sees the water agitated, word spreads
rapidly and the boats put out from the
shore and race to the shoaL
When the net is extended, the water
is sbaited" by throwing balls Of
'sroque" into it. As the bait dissolves
and sinks the sardines rise and remain
long after to nibble it, and their doom
is sealed. For this reason ''roque" is a
most important part Of the sardine fish
erman's outfit. It is made Of the eggs Of
mackerel and Goldfish mixed with clay,
and is rather expensive, costing from 25
shillings to 70 shillings barrel.
Within the curing factories or can
ACI ACC ONOl o11iiS5 10 OOcUiO eAIA WILL u"
sion, for there must not be moment s
delay in cleaning the fish. All night
long the work is carried on by the light
of blazing oil wicks. The sardines are
spread out on benches or tables, where
salt is busted over them. Then the
women go along and snip off the heads
with great scissors.
The little fat boxes so we'll known
to commerce are taken one by one and
filed from the glistening pile Of fish,
after which pure olive. oil from the
province Of Bari, in Italy, is poured
over them and the tops soldered on. St
In the mea1time a great caldron Of
hot water has been raised to the boiling
point ready for the real operation Of
cooking the fish. The sealed boxes are
thrown into it and left for two or three
hours. IF any oil appears on the top of
the water, the master workman knows
that some can has not been properly
soldered, and the loss is charged up to
the man who did the work. A good
workman will not lose more than two
or three boxes in 100.-New York Re-
corder. Fz@ aae g S
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
SCOTCH HUMOR.


- CeoDs Dat Occasionally A0eng Eldsss
q - Kirk.
i The elderof the Kirk, like host Of MS,
can blunder occasionally. The pastor Of
. small village on the borders had gone
for few days to visit s@me relatives,
when an old lady was suddenly stricken
down and not expected to live more
than few hours. The elder was hastily
summoned to attend; but, having been
lately elected to the post, which he had
accepted in order to satisfy the vanity
Of his wife, he did not feel able to face
the trying ordeal His wife entreated
him to do his duty, and whispering a
few lines OF Scripture into his ears sent
him off on his errand.
An hour later his wife beheld him
stepping homeward as brisk as March
hare. She inquired how he had come on.
"Oh, fine, woman, fine |" was the re-
ply. She was deid when got there I"
A short time ago, when disestablish-
ment was in everybody's mouth, an old
lady created quite sensation in a
church not far from Amman. Having
been from home a considerable time,
she was unaware that the election Of
elders had taken place. She attended
services the following Sunday, when the
minister, commenting on the result, re-
marked that in David Richardson the
church had new pillar Of strength, to
which she retorted: "What! David
Richardson pillar! Nae wonder the
auld kinks gaun to fa'!" David, who
had the misfortune to have wooden
leg and hump back, quietly rose up
and answered: "Whee hit, ye gowk.
Criffel's Ga mountain in the neighbor-
hood) not straight
On one occasion the minister met
Donald coming from Dumfries Rood fair
in rather muddled state. David {!
David! Do I see your double?''
Eth, guidsakes, minister!' exclaimed
the elder. "Guidsakes, are We fou tae?"
A minister, feeling indisposed on one
occasion, did not put in an appearance,
and the elder, apologizing for his alb
sence, gave it out that "hls reverence
was unco bad in the roomattic" (for SO
he pronounced the word rheumatism)
land couldn't get out
On hearing this startling intelligence
an old lady who happened to be pres
emit shrieked out:
"Eh, that auld hizzy o. his Has she
locked puir man in the attic because he
was enjoying himself at Farmer Bells
kirn?'-Scottish American.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18

no did not slow mp enough % study
klhe faces. Of the pretty girls. +" ),
There was no glory In It," Sad
.6pellman, p'hut i was better than d.
feat.
Canadians Beatsn.
The crews Of the London Rowing
club and the Argonaut Rowing club Of
Toronto, started in the first heat Tor
the Stewards Challenge cup for four
oars at 4p. m. The Canadians were
first away. r. G. Num- setting the pace
ct AZ to the minute, which placed them
q length ahead, bnt at the half-mile
post the London crew had gained on
the crew from Toronto, and they raced
almost nose and nose down to the mile
post, which was passed at 4:lS:57, row.
ing 46 strokes to the minute. The Ar
gonauts then gained slight advan-
tage. but the pace toward the end
Stacked badly. The crews rowed on
even terms amid great excitement,
until, within few feet of the finish,
the London crew put ON splendid squirt
and won by feet, in S:12.
EuCereO a 1rOtoSCs
Later in the day the Leander crew
entered a protest against the decision
of umpire, which protest will be re-
ferred to the board of stewards, but in
the opinion of the rowing experts, the
stewards will not change the decision.
The umpire informed the representa-
tive of the Associated Press that the
Cornell crew were perfectly right in
every way.
"The Leanders tell me that none Of
them said Yes as to my inquiry
whether they were ready or not. But
we on the launch certainly so under
stood them"
Cornell will in the morning meet the
crew of Trinity Hall. Cambridge,
which crew defeated the London Row
ing club crew Tuesday.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
'DlSBANDED MILITIA.
A Creassr Company In Arizona ID I'm
Disgrace.

A Crsassr Company in Arizons ID I'm
Disgrace.
PHOENIX, A. T., July 10.-Adjutant
General Schwartz Of the national guard
of Arizona has issued an order dis
banding the company of the First in
fantry stationed at Tucson. A gen.
eral courtmartial has been ordered upon
the officers and the non ommissioned
officers, prior to dishonorable discharge,
have been reduced to the ranks.
The company has been known as the
Mexican company Of the, regiment,
having been mainly composed of Span
ish-spealking citizens. Its offense con.
sisted leaving the parade on the Fourth
of July, preferring to appear in the
line of march of bicycle club. An
order will at once be issued at head
quarters forbidding the enlistment Of
any person who cannot speak, read and
write the English language.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
ALMOST LIKE SILK.
Tho Product Of Worm That II Eating
Foliage Mt Bismarck.

Tho Product Of Worm That II Eating
Foliage mt Bismarck.
BISMARCK, N. D., July IA large
green, golden spotted worm is eating
the foliage off the box-elder trees in the
Bismarck schoolhouse grounds, and
playing havoc with box-elders on the
lope generally. Noticing that the
worm spun a cocoon Of unusually
strong texture, Ed Sloane, the school
house janitor, sent cocoon to an east.
ern friend, who is silk
weaver, with the request that he in.
sestigate it's worth for cloth weaving.
Mr.. Sloan has received word that the
thread in the cocoon was almost as
strong as silk, very similar in texture,
and that il he would send on half q
dozen coooons his friend would weave
him a silk handkerchief therefrom.
Specimens Of the worm and COCOON
will be sent to Washinston, D. c., for
analysis, and what now is deemed 4
pest may turn out q blessing.
The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-07-18
HAD A CHILLY BERTH.

A Marinette (Wis.) Attorney and His Fam.
lily Adrift ON Green Bay.
MILWAUKEE, July 10-A special to
The Evening Wisconsin from Mari
nette. Wis, says: District Attorney
E. G. Eastman, wife and three children
and Mr.. Z. Lundberg were adrift on
Green Bay most Of the night in the
small yacht Henrietta. The storm in
the afternoon overlook the party and
drove the boat out in the bay. The
wind continued and finally the Hen.
rietta ran on sand bar where she lay
all night. Her occupants were forced
to stay on her. through the cold night.
A tug went out in search Of the yacht
but she was not picked up until MORN
ing. They were nearly exhausted from
cold and hunger.