davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05

"Suppose you stand at A, while the
lightning fash is from B to c. The dis
tance from B to A is small compared
with G to A; consequently the sound
from Bwill reach you first and from all
the other points later. point G being
heard from last. This is why You hear
the long, rumbling sound, which the
echo sometimes increases. ''-Brooklyn
Eagle.
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05

Marshall pass, on the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad, is the highest point
yet attained by a railroad in the United
States. Elevation. 1885 feet
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05

The strait OF Juan de Fuca was named
after an old Greek sailor who explored
its shores in 1892.
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05

Alcohol was first distinguished As an
elementary substance by Albucasis. in
the twelfth century.
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05
YEARS OF INTENSE PAIN.

DR.. J. n. Watts, druggist and physi-
clan, Humboldt, Eeb, who suffered with
heart disease for four years, trying every
reme;.y and all treatments known to him
sci: and fellow-practitioners; believes that
heart disease Is cUrable. lie writes:
II wish to tell what your valuable medi-
cine has done for me. For four years had
heart disease of the very worst kind. Sew
cral uhysicians I consulted said IL was
Rock Island Argus., 1896-02-05

Hundreds Of patents have been issued
10 inventors Of water IA
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Ben Cables Camp Hospitality.

from the New 1Ork sun.
When Ben Gable. of Rock Island, goes
into the Nipigon woods to fish and rough it
he takes with him seven tents, two French
cooks. ten Indians. five birch bark canoes
and chambermaid. Two of the Indians
paddle about the pool with those who can
find nothing better to do than fish. The
rest are kept busy in transporting from
civilized stations down the river green
peas, corn, cucumbers, Ice, kilograms. grid
die cakes, Democratic newspapers and 9TH
er things without which life in the wilder
ness becomes bowling blank.
On his way home from the White Chute
one day Mr.. Gable overlook two gentlemen
from Chicago who were camping on pool
lower down. Ever Hospitality inclined, he
invited them to step aside from the main
trail for moment and see his camp. They
did. and admired the outfit amazingly. 81
regret exceedingly, gentlemen" said he,
that I've nothing better to offer you than
drink from the pool, but" "Oh, come
along to our camp" interrupted one of the
callers; we've a lot of Milwaukee lager
cooling in the river"
81 regret exceedingly. gentlemen" contin-
ued Mr. Cable, that I've no beer to offer
you, but" and he pointed to a quartette
of champagne bottles that lay in the pool
with the rapid waters gurgling around and
bubbling over them, "-but-and with
ice"
Two Indians shot the lower rapids later
with two Chicago gentlemen. who didn't
feel themselves equal to doing the rest of
the portage, but made excellent ballast for
the light birchen canoe!
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
ANOTHER ELECTION "sTRAw.-

The recent action OF the Popocrat ma
tional committee in disseminating its
press bulletins is very significant and is
not to be attributed to the reason alleged
for such discontinuauce-that the news
papers would not print them. There are
Bryan papers in the country which would
have given them space, and the sound
money papers would have printed them as
n matter of news so long as the bulletins
contained any Information. But the fact
IS. the committee had nothing in the line
of legitimate news TO offer. Outside of
Bryan's stumping tour there is no free
silver campaign going on. The managers
are discouraged and respondent and 1t was
deemed better TO close up the bureau than
10 waste time in preparing stun the press
would not print on account OF its palpable
falsity. Having no news favorable to Mr.
Bryan and his cause, the committee wisely
decided that II would be useless to attempt
10 fire the popular heart by publishing
statements that the whole country knew
TO be untrue.
The campaign IS getting to be one-sided.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Bryan. silence on Wheat.
rom the New York Pre-

Il TOIN the ENeW 1OTk fTeSS.
Mr.. William J. Bryan is determined not
to discuss the tariff or wheat ISSUE In
his speech at Duluth on Tuesday he said:
The money question is paramount in
this campaign. Other questions can be
settled at any time. The money question
must be settled now
This means that Mt. Bryan does not in
tend either now or between this time and
election to explain why 1t is that wheat is
going up while silver Is going down.. Mr.
Bryan and all his free silver people as
sured US for several weeks that as long as
silver kept going down wheat would follow
1t, and that wheat could not go up unless
the price of silver went up
Well. silver has gone so low since Mr..
Bryan began his campaign that the bull
lion value of q silver dollar is now less
than 50 cents, and in the same time wheat
has gone beyond Is cents a bushel, Ac-
cording to Mr. Bryan wheat ought to be
less than IS cents a busnel. but, unfortu-
nately for him. the law of demand and
supply does precisely for wheat what It
does for silver. When people want wheat
and there is not enough wheat to supply
their needs the value Of wheat goes up.
When people do not want wheat because
they have more than they can consume.
or there Is more than they are able to
buy, the value of wheat goes down. That
is what is the trouble with silver. There
is more silver in the world than Is needed
for coming IurpossA More silver Is nroa
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
nosrER,s SOCIALISM.

Judge Doster, Of Kansas, is spending
most of his time nowadays explaining what
he said few years ago, at time when
he did not expect to be candidate for
chief justice. He has not changed his
ideas, but has simply changed his policy.
We doubt whether Mr.. Doster. even now,
would deny that he is a socialist, but his
friends most emphatically dispute that he
is now or ever has been a socialist. In or
der to clear away all doubt about the mat
ter, and to give an opportunity for ex-
PLANTATION, We reproduce here paragraph
from an article which was published in
October, 1892. and bears Doster's sigma
ture:
"The civilized part Of mankind is known
to have undergone changes from a bestial,
unsocial, perpetually fighting state OF saw
agery, into a partially peaceable and COM
paratively humane and social state.
Conjectural history involves it in even
more anarchic life and ceaselessly COM
petitive strife. This change has been
marked by the merger Of clans into
tribes, the building up of tribes into
nations, a decadence of feuda1 theory, a
tendency toward the equalizing of condi-
tions, communism of political right, the
rise of altruistic sentiment. and a chal-
lenge to the conscience OF all exclusive
ness of Individual claim. Under the infiu-
ence of widening experience the dynamical
conception of social life has come to stay,
and that conception, taking shape from
the phenomena of past development, is an
absolute negaton of all differences of in
dividual state. The barren fact Of self
hood alone remains"
That is rank socialism and nothing else
Judge Doster knew what he was talking
about, and to show that he realized its rev.
olutionary and incendiary character, we
give the closing paragraph of the article:
ITO the timorous who may be startled
by the prophecy Of that ultimate solidarity
of humanity. which leaves no room for the
play of individual action to Individual ends.
the reassuring words of Bryant may be
spoken:
Gently, so'have good men taught.
Gently and without pain, the old shall
glide 5000
Into the new: the eternal flow of things.
Like bright river of the fields of heaven.
Shall Journey onward in perpetual peace I"
/ Can 1t be possible that the state of Kan
sas would clothe with its richest ermine a
man whose conception of the ideal social
life is IAN absolute negation of all differ
ences of individual state which leaves
no room for the play of Individual action
to individual ends?" Do the people realize
the full significance of these words? They
mean that one man shall not have q bet
ter home than another man; that he shall
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
STEPHENS AND OSCILLATION.

Thus far Mr.. Lon V. Stephens, in his
guberratorial canvass. has not advanced
any new ideas in statecraft or finance.
or any ideas at all. for that matter. but
he has developed the osculation plan Of
campaigning to its highest state of per-
fection. Heretofore it has been the custom
of those gentlemen who cherish the senti-
ment that public office is a public trust,
and who consequently desire the people to
trust them, to ingratiate themselves into
the good graces of the voters by kissing
the babies whenever occasion offered. This
act is supposed to cover a multitude Of
political sins as with a mantle, and there
fore the candidate rarely spares his mouth
or the baby. On such occasions he has
doubtless cast many glances Of admiration
at handsome mothers as they held up their
darlings to his mustached lips, or, perad-
venture. gazed with longing eyes upon fair
damsels in the vicinity and deeply regretted
that the customs Of society, or the pres
ence of a husband or big brother, prevent
ed a chaste salute.
Mr.. Stephens, however, has boldly brok-
en- through these conventional restraints
and inaugurated the custom of kissing the
good-looking matrons and the pretty girls
who turn out to see the incongruous spec
tacle of a national banker running for Of
fee upon platform which denounces ma
tional banks. With the eye of a practiced
conroisseur, 1t is said he invariably picks
out the best looking women upon whom
to confer his salutations. But in justice
to Lonnie it must be said that his kisses
are wholly Platonic and are distributed
solely in the interest of free silver, and
generally at the ratio of 16 on the cheek
or ear. to on the lips. 1t is claimed that
Mr.. Stephens scorns babies in the present
campaign and his enemies assert that UP
| to date he has not condescended to os-
cnlate single kid" his exertions being
confined entirely to larger game.
While this method of campaigning has
many pleasant features and would doubt
less become very popular. besides tending
largely to increase the number of candi-
| dates, still 1t is very doubtful if Mr. Steph-
| ems can make a success of 1t. While the
average elector Is not averse to having his
baby kissed he generally draws the line
| at his wife or sweetheart. and the political
osculator will often get into trouble. AL
ready. it IS said. Mr.. Stephens has lost a
| number Of votes as the result of his under
taking to make fame as the man who mar
| Iied one Missouri girl and is trying to
| kiss all The rest
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18

The country is for Mckinley. Every .day
brings increased evidences of that fact.
The Popocrat press is making desperate
effort to encourage the dismayed follow
ers of Mr.. Bryan by publishing under
flaming headlines declarations that Ohio is
lost to Mckinley; that New York state
can be counted on for silver; that, Illinois
and Iowa and Nebraska, and. in fact. near
ly every other state in the Union. are SOL
i'd for the boy orator; but 1t Is of no avail.
Defeat stares them in the face. Bryan is
left to fight his own battles and to tread
the wine press alone. There is no life
nor enthusiasm manifest in the reputation
ranks. and the procession marches with
funeral pace to its doom in November.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18

duced than the world can use with ad-
vantage to itself. Therefore. the value of
silver goes down, and 1t will keep on going
down.
Mr.. Bryan will not discuss the rise Of
wheat any more than he will tell how he
proposes to obtain sufficient revenues with
the present free trade tariff law; but the
people OF the United States are discussing
these questions. and they will vote on them
at the polls. Then Mr.. Bryan will discover
that his fraudulent candidacy was reject
ed by the people of this country in just
the spirit that they would reject green
goods. Mr.. Bryan is political green
goods man. but there is no demand for
green goods now. The value of political
green goods Is lower than it ever has been
before In the history Of this country, and
Mr.. William ]. Bryan will have to make
his living in some other way.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
A NEW FAD.

In recent years ladies in fashionable cir
cles both at home and abroad, have devel-
oped some remarkable geological tastes.
Reference is not here made to the stuffed
birds which surmount the millinery of the
fair nor to the little mink boas which en-
circle their shapely necks, nor to any other
triumph of taxidemc skill which they fire.
quently call into requisition as a means of
adornment, but to live insects and reptiles
used as ornaments. Lightning bugs have
been employed to set off by their sheeny
glow the charms of lovely woman, and not
many months ago it was considered very
chic for a lady of fashion to chain big
tropical beetle to her bodice and allow it to
wander at its own sweet will, bounded
only by the length of its tether; and at
one time the feminine portion of the haute
ton of Paris went wild over lizards. Bril-
liant chameleons basked in the smile of
beauty and warmed their geld feet on arm
or bosom of many fair Parisienne, who
seemed to be happy. And doubtless the liz
ard was, too, or If he wasn't under such
circumstances he was very unreasonable
reached New York-en route to Kansas
Slly, Nitt lttlS leIIdplIISp
ported from Japan, are made prisoners at
the behest of fashion and attached to slen-
der gold chains, are much in vogue as or
naments. 1t is said the terrapin is fire.
quently worn with evening dresses, at
swell functions, and often astonishes the
guests by crawling over the owners ala
baster neck and shoulders. But the terra
pin never shows any signs of establishment
and continues his explorations with a calm
and unrufiled demeanor Consider the fe-
licitous lot of those terrapins. Too young
to be made into soup; not a care in the
world to cause them worry. Nothing to do
but eat flies from the hand of fair mis-
tress, and from the vantage ground of a
snowy shoulder look around with disdain
upon envious bipeds of the genus homo.
The terrapin may be slow, but he is not
wanting in appreciation, and doubtless con-
stders that such situation beats summing
ones self on a log in a stagnant lagoon
all hollow.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Employer. and Employees.

From the Chicago Times-Herald.
The attempt that is being made by Bry-
an and Altgeld to array the employees of
the land against their employers Is the last
resort of desperate men.
What kind of a cause is it that requires
for its support the antagonism of people
who are engaged in a common industry
upon the success of which they all depend
for their livelihood?
Take any manufacturing establishment
and examine Its working. First, there is
the capital that establishes the plant. The
men who have this money put 1t into the
business that they may make more. To
some extent at least their venture is un-
certain, but they take the risk. They hire
agents, salesmen clerks and workinsmen
and become responsible for their wages.
arheSistart the wheels In motion, and from
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Nature Head. a New Conspiracy.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The famous conspiracy OF '73 Is being
matched at last by another conspiracy. in
which Dame Nature appears TO De playing
the leading role. By one of those 1noppor-
time manifestations of the law Of supply
and demand. the price of wheat, corn and
other products continues to go up. In spite
Of the fact as every hearer or reader or
Bryan knows, that these products were
stricken down with silver and cannot rise
again until silver is restored to its throne.
The extraordinary phenomenon Is present.
ed of something happening which cannot
happen, as every believer In Popocracy
must admit If any one point has been
made more conspicuous than another in the
BRYAN tour of education 1t has been that
wheat is hitched to silver, and was
dragged down when silver was demonetized
and cannot be dragged up until silver coin
age is made free. How foolish Mr.. Bryan
must feel to-day. and how ashamed OF
themselves must be his dupes when they
see wheat mounting higher and higher in
price and bringing with 1t other commod-
tiles. while silver continues to languish In
the depths.
Wheat has reached approximately q
cents a bushel and it is not impossible that
before long the farmers may be gladdened
with an era of dollar wheat. Corn, that
other great staple, has kept pace with
wheat, and the other products. responding
in sympathy with the general tendency.
are not far behind There Is no mystery.
no perplexity about this rise in prices.
Reports from nearly all the agricultural
districts of Europe. Asia and South Amer
lea announce Bad crops. Argentina Is
short of cereals, India is to be a heavy i'm
porter, the same cry comes from nearly
all the heavy producers, and the only pos
sfble result happens-the price goes up.
The supply Is short, the demand is normal.
and the price goes up-the first primer les
son in economies and one which the boy
orator has fatuously sought to repudiate.
And every rise in price puts money IN the
pockets of the American farmer. puts more
and more of those 2OO-cent dollars which
Altgeld speaks of in the farmers strong
box, brings them into the country from all
the lands where the supplies of products
are short. until already the increased val
ue of the products of the United States has
scared past sec 10000 and Is well on the
way to s30O,OO0.00o. and may even reach
100000 If this blessed conspiracy of
nature and the consumers of the earth and
the law of supply and demand keeps up.
How fatty and promptly have Bryan and
Altgeld been stultified in their attempts to
harness the commodities to their infamous
silver crusade. How like gibberish does
their argument become in the face of this
overwhelming denial by the forces Of ma
ture.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18

In the Chicago Records postal card elec-
tion. returns from eighty-eight counties in
Iowa give Bryan 2.4o4. Mckinley 6.l43: re-
turns from eighty-seven counties in In
diana give Bryan 3,1ls Mckinley 7,41s: re-
turns from sixty-nine counties in Nebraska
give Bryan SCI, Mckinley 2,426; returns
from sixty-five counties in Michigan give
Bryan LOIS, Mckinley 3.o4S: returns from
100 counties in Missouri. outside of Kansas
City and ST. Louis. give Bryan 3,sla MrKin-
ley 3.2o6 Considering that the Record is a
non-partisan paper, and that its plan OF
taking the vote was indorsed by Governor
Altgeld in a letter, sound money people
ought to feel we'll satisfied with the show
ing. 1t indicates that the "doubtfur' states
are all pretty securely planted in the Nc
Kinley column.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18

The story that the managers Of the Bry-
an campaign have sent spies to Kansas City
and other cities TO hunt up men who have
been discharged by business firms. and
persuade them to say they were turned off
because they were for free silver. is not
improbable. This kind Of trickery is right
in line with the course now pursued by
the Bryan organs in inflicting sensational
and glaring fakes on the public. The whole
free silver campaign seems to be resolving
itself into a desperate and disgraceful eff
fort at deception and Misrepresentation.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Lonxinxs of Civili.atior

From the New York Press.
As the Christian emperors watched the
unnumbered hordes Of barbarians sweeping
toward their capitals they paled percepti-
bly,.
"They must be checked" they mur-
INJURED land yet-and yet-what a chance
to pull off straw voter
It was clear that the exigencles Of the oc-
casion wouldn't do thing to them.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Doubted Hi. soundne..

From the Chicago Tribune.
How do you like the new preacher?"
There's some of us that don't like him.
We believe he's a goldbug.'
Has he been preaching politics?'
Mighty near It. His first sermon was
from the text, Whatsoever, therefore, ye
would that men should do unto you. do ye
even so to them,' and, blame 1t, everybody
knows that's the golden ruler
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Help From the Enemy.

From the New York Sun,
According to our esteemed contemporary
the st. Paul Dispatch. cit has long been
known that the Popocratic managers pro-
posed TO send Debs. Sovereign and men of
that type into Minnesota In the last weeks
OF the campGign to win back the wage
earners. and Bryan, PETER. and Mrs. Lease
to rearouse the enthusiasm of the farm
ers." From which it appears that special
thanks are due to the Popocratic managers
for taking so much, pains to insure a
rousing plurality for Mckinley In Mime
sofa The company of talents mentioned
above can be depended upon. Bryan alone
would be enough. and Bryan supported by
statesmen like Debs and Sovereign, and a
stateswoman like Mrs. Lease, is almost an
excess of riches. The Popocratic managers
are a queer flock. but they can always be
counted upon to do the wrong thing for
their candidates.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Listen to the Talking Bird.

There's a parrot they call Bryan,
Young Bryan. Bill Bryan.
There's parrot they call Bryan.
With a tongue. they say. that never, never
tires.
Through all the land a-ayin'.
A-fiyin', a-nyin'.
Through all the land a-fiyin',
Goes this talking bird. a-cackling as he
flies.
Chorus
Listen to the talking bird,
Listen to the talking bird,
The talking bird that neither sings nor
crows.
Listen to the talking bird.
Listen to tho talking bird.
A-cackling and a-cackling as he goes.
'Tis easy to remember,
Remember. remember.
IT'S easy to remember
That old cackle always sandwiched with a
smile.
Wen hear 1t till November.
November, November,
Well have it till November.
Then the talking bird will rest him for
awhile.
Listen to the talking bird,
Listen to the talking bird,
The talking bird that cackles all the while.
Listen to the talking bird,
Listen to the talking bird,
That measures out his cackle by the mile
Alas! when he has taken.
Eas taken, has taken,
Alas! when he has taken
His retreating fight beyond the bounding
Platte.
We shall feel forsaken,
Forsaken. forsaken,
We all shall feel forsaken,
With no talking bird a-cackling through
his hat.
Chorus
Listen to the talking bird.
Listen to the talking bird,
The talking bird so clipper and so brave;
Listen to the talking bird,
Listen to the talking bird.
Still cacklng Ger the Popocratic grave.
Indianapolis Journal.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
How Bryan Would Do 1t.

From the Chicago Post.
''The old idea of the alchemists that gold
could be made out of other things is ex-
ploded. isn't it?'
We'll, not entirely. Bryan seems to hold
to some such theory as that"
Bryan. OF what would he make gold?"
"Wind; just plain wind. He hopes to
make a matter of $4,000 a year for four
years out of it. but 1t Is pretty evident now
that he will be disappointed
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18

We cannot have commercial pros
perity without the strictest integrity,
both of government and citizen. The
IL of too vast importance. IN entirely
too sncred. to be the football of party
politics. The Republican party has
maintained It. and is pledged to
mafntain it.-William Mckinley.
Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
Good Thing, Anyway.

From the Chicago Chronicle
The Chronicle has been asked to explain
why the Record has been at so mucn ex-
pense to demonstrate by its postal card
vote the utter weakness of the Bryan
movement. Another correspondent asks
the politics of the Record. Another wants
to know II the Record is not an organ of
Mckinley in disguise. To all of these
anxious inquirers the Chronicle must reply
that 1t does not know. Most people have
been very confident for some time that
Bryan Is to be annihilated at the polls in
November. The Record appears to have
been 50 anxious to- demonstrate this fact
that It could not wait until election day.
Whether 1t was so intended or not, the
Records postal card ballot has been one
of the most successful sound money move
ments Of the year. The Chronicle congrat-
ulates the Record on Its great success in
unmasking the Bryanites.