davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1897-04-17

to chapel or he marked down for absence
My parents lived some distance away and
l could not get money from home for az
least a week For a time / was in despair
and tEen l went out with my roommate
having pinned up my trousers to get a
pair II new ones on trust. Near where /
lived there was clothier named Frank
We went into his store and asked
10 see some of his pantaIoons. He laid out
pair on the counter. which, he said. would
cost me $50. ! told him that they would
suit me and that I would bring the money
In next week and pay for them. Upon this
ne took the pantaloons out of my hands
and laid them upon the shelf saying:
Ny boy. don't do business that Way
When you bring the money you can have
the pants
can't tel you how much that hurt
me. said Senator Fairbanks Il blushed
Ike girl j was much Inundated and
very angry. There was however. another
talIor IN the town. / remember the name
OF the man was Phumphery. Well, / went
TO him after I left Frank, but before ask
Ing TO see his trousers ] described my
situation. He gave me pair at once and
told me / could have other clothes II
wanted them | can't tell you how CRATE
ful felt TO that man. ! not only bought
my own clothes of him afterward but /
tried to get my fellows to go to him /
never go back 10 Delaware but that / call
Evening star., 1897-04-17
THREE CURIOUS PLANTS.
The CannfbaI Tree. GrappIc Plant
and Vegetable Python.

From the Los Angeles Herald.
Three of the most dangerous Of vcgeta-
tive plants in the world are the ''cannibal
tree" of Australia, the death" or ''grappls
plant of South Africa, and the vegetable
python" Of New Zealand.
the "cannibal tree" grows up in tho
shape of a huge pineapple and attains a
height of eleven feet. 1t has a series OF
broad, board-iike leaves, growing in a
fringe at the apex, which forcibly brings
to mind a gigantic Central America agave;
and these board-like leaves. from ten TO
twelve feet in the smaller specimens and
from fifteen to twenty feet I'm the larger
hang to the ground and are easily strong
enough TO bear the weight of a man of iIo
pounds or more. In the ancient times this
tree Was worshiped by the native saNages
under the name of the devil tree part
OF the Interesting ceremony being the sac
rffice of one of their number to its all too
ready embrace. The victim to Toe sacrificed
was driven up the leaves of the tree to the
apex, and the instant the so-called ''pistils'
OF the monster were touched the leaves
would fly together like trap, crushing the
life out OF the intruder In this way the
tree would hold its victim until every par
ticle of flesh would disappear from his
boEes.
The "grapple plant" is a PROSTATE herb.
growing in South Africa. Its flowers are
purple and shaped like the English fox
glove. Its fruit Las formidable hooks
which, by clinging to any passer-by Is con-
Veyed TO situations where it's seed NAV lind
suitable conditions for growth. Sir John
Lubbock says ii has been known to kill
lions.
The vegetable python" which is known
to the naturalist as the clusia or fig is the
stranger of trees. The seeds of the cIusia.
being provided with a pulp and very pleas
ant to the tropical birds which feed there
on. are carried from tree to tree and de-
pcsited on the branches. Here termination
begins The lpafV
ward, while the roots flow, as il Were down
the trunk until the soil is reached Here
and there they branch, changing tfeir
course according to the direction of any
distractions met with. Meanwhile from
these rootlets leafy branches have been de-
Veloped, which, pushing themselves through
the canopy above, get into the light and
enormously accelerated their growth Now
metamorphcsis takes place! For The hith-
erto soft aerial roots begin to harden and
spread wider and wider, throwing out side
branches, which flow into and amalgamate
with each other until the whole tree trunk
is bound in a series of irregular living
hoops. From this time on IL is a struggle
OF lie and death between the forest giant
ana the entwining clusia. Like an athlete
the Tree tries TO expand and burst its fet-
tiers. causing the bark to bulge betwe.n
every interlacing; but success and freedom,
are not for the captive tree, for the mon
ster clusia has made its bands very n,lmer-
Gus and wide. Not allowed expansion. the
tree soon withers and dies, and the strany-
Ter is soon expanded into a great bush. al
most as large as the mass of branches and
foliage II has effaced. 1t is truly a tragedy
IN the world OF vegetation.
Evening star., 1897-04-17


looms pockets. Gov. Foraker's log cabin
was situated In Highland county, in the
southern part of the state. Fairbanks was
further north. In Union county in the CEN
ter of Ohio. THERE is a tradition that both
babies were rocked in sugar troughs, and
i happen to know that both have had hard
tussles to reach the high positions which
they now hold.
Senator Foraker's father for instance
was farmer. He had eleven children and
little Benny was only one of the six boys
In the family. There were five girls in ad-
dition. and money was none too plenty
The boys all worked on the farm and the
future governor and senator was taught to
wash and iron, to milk, cook and spin and
in addition to all these to pick the geese
at the proper time of year. HIS first school
ing was gotten in log school house. and
ne had to fight. as 1t were, for his educa-
ton 1t was at this time that he wore
those famous coffee sack trousers of which
you may have heard. He was only ten
years old, and school was in full blast
when ne met with a serious accident which
ruined his breeches. They We're in fact. SO
BADLY torn that they could not be patched
There was no cloth for new pair within
miles. and 1t looked for time as though
the school would have to be given up Mrs
Foraker. however. brought out a coffee
sack and asked the boy whether he would
wear pair of trousers made of 1t and
continue his schooling or stay out a while
and wait for a new pair AS Young For
aker looked at the coffee sack he said:
Il can wear them, mother but / don't
like to- If do the boys are sure to make
fun of me-"
Never mind if they do" said his mother
IF you become a useful man nobody will
ask what kind of pantaloons you wore as
a child"
The result was that young Ben put them
on, and although the boys and girls did
iauSh, ne stuck to them until new pair
came to hand. Today Gov Foraker wears
as good pair of breeches as any man in
the United States senate and so far no one
mas made any inv:dious remarks about the
conee sack trousers of his boyhood He
got his reward for wearing them by the
strength which they added to his charac ter
IN the withStanding the laughter of his fell
lows. and they formed very pretty piece
OF capital. too. in getting the votes of the
people when Foraker became a candidate
for governor of the state
senator Fairbanks Trousers.
And just here I want to tell you of a
similar trouble thai Senator Fairbanks had
during his school days. He gave the story
to me last night as We chatted together in
the Arlington Hotel / had mentioned the
wonderful popularity Mckinley had gotten
as President through his little kinGnesses
and his unassuming ways This caused,
the conversation to turn to the Importance
of little things and how they affect ones
Hfe. when Senator Fairbanks told in illus
tration the incident of his torn pantalocns.
1t was. said he when l was at college
In Delaware. Ohio / was poor you know,
and only owned one good suit One Satur-
day afternoon in wrestling with my room
mate l ripped one of my pantaloons legs
from the bottom almost 10 the top. Ii was
torn so badly that / could not mend ii.
1he next day was Sunday and | had to go
Evening star., 1897-04-17
was the largest draft of fishes ever seen on

was the largest draft of fishes ever seen on
Catalina shores.
Another story, which, while it is vouched
for by reliable witnesses, staggers belief.
A school of yellowtail chased swarm
of smaller fry into shallow waters near
the beach, and a four-year-old boy took
his stand among the fishermen to cast
his line for sardines. An older brother
took the precaution to tie the line round
the little fellows waist to prevent his los
ing hold of it. A scream from the child
attracted the attention of the excited fish
ermen, and they beheld him being towed
out to sea, a gamy yellowtail in his pur-
suit after a sardine having caught onto the
hook, and, in his efforts to get away, was
dragging line, boy and all out to sea. The
boy was rescued.
Goat hunting on the mountains Of the in
terror of the island is a favorite pastime
for sportsmen, and Robert Bonner of New
York has the head of an old Catalina
patriarch with a fourfoot beard.
Evening star., 1897-04-17

western part of North Carolina The finest
logs of this timber are to be found on the
mountains. So important is 1t TO get woods
or fine patterns that the leading walnut
dealers inspect the trees themselves before
they are cut down. They employ expert
enced woodsmen to search over the whole
region where the best walnut lies for
months at a time and then, the finest trees
havirg been marked, the dealers leave the
city and travel through the woods on
horseback, selecting the most valuable
trees, afterward buying them from the
farmers or the owners Of the land
Evening star., 1897-04-17
The Song of the Hat.

rom the Chicago Times Herald
With manner naughty. and proud,
AT Il crowded Saturday mat.
woman sat in unwomanly gear,
Wearing a Theater Hat.
Bob, bob. bob,
Now this way and that:
/ tried to get view Of the stage
From behind that Theater Hat.
Bob. bob, bob,
As the interest grows more keen,
And bob, bob, bob.
When the stars come on the scene!
It's oh. to be a Turk,
Or to join Zulu band
Where woman has hat to wear
lf this is Christian land!
Bob. bob. bob
Till the brain begins to SWIM
And bob bob, bob
To dodge that bobbng brim.
Bird, feather and flower.
Flower, feather and bird
Until at the end of the second hour
l say an awful word
Oh. girls with brothers dear,
Oh. girls with lovers and beaux,
1t $ not the hat you' re wearing out;
It's the patience and love Of those.
Bob, bob bob.
II could only get peep.
Alas, that hats should be dear,
And theater seats SO cheap,
Bob. bob bob,
My head incessant wags;
And what is the prospect? 4 hat of straw,
Or velvet. felt and rags!
That ostrich plume and this pheasants wing,
buckle Il mop Of hair:
bunch OF bows and a cabbage rose!
Do you wonder want to swear?
Oh but 10 see the stage.
The heroine blonde and sweet!
Oh, to behold the villain rage
And watch the sOubrette's feeti
For only one short hou-
To see as used to see,
Before knew the woes of Hat
Wabbling in front of me.
With manner naughty and proud,
At q crowded Saturday mat
A woman sat In unwomanly gear
Wearing a Theater Hat
Bob bob. bob
Now this way and row that;
And still with my voice at concert pitoli
Would that its tone could reach the rich,
sing the Song Of the Hat.
CAROLYN WELLS
Evening star., 1897-04-17
Il was twenty. / entered college at six
teen and graduated in 1877"

L y. L
teen and graduated in 1871
Fairbanks Talks of the Law.
Senator Fairbanks is one of the leading
lawyers of the west. Though he is only
forty-five, he has made fortune at the
law, and his practice has for many years
been worth many times as much as he will
receive as his senatorial salary. As
thought of this 1 asked him how he came
to study law. He replied:
fhe law was my first ambition. I stud
led blackstone while was in college and
l got through law school by studying be-
tween the hours of newspaper work While
was at Delaware 1 became the editor of
1He college paper, and after 1 left there
got an appointment as Associated Press
agent at Pittsburg at $50 month. 1 did
this. thinking l could go to the law school
there but when 1 learned that in Penn
sylvania man has to study law three
years before he can be admitted, l had my
self transferred to Cleveland. 1t was there
that I was admitted to tha bar"
Then If you were to be born again, SEN
ator, and had the choice Of the location,
you would choose to be born upon a farm
Yes, | should. emphasical!y," replied
senator Fairba nks Il believe in it. 1t was
upon the farm that learned how to work,
AID such success as I have had has come
from hard work. 1t is from the farm that
are TO come the successful men of the fu-
tire. The great writers, lawyers and bus
among the farmers boys of today 1. is
true that few may come from the city,
but the majority will come from the coun-
try
Where Foraker Learned to Work.
Returning to Senator Foraker, it is won
derful low the lines of his life and that of
Senator Fairbanks have run along side by
.s.Ge Both had to struggle during their
boyhood. both went to school at the same
college for ct least a part of their educa-
ton, and both have made great success as
lawyers, and both are now influential men
IN the United States Senate. Foraker, like
Fairbanks, learned to work on the farm,
and his ambition to do well came TO him
in his cradle. When he was not yet in his
teens his father says that he thought he
was able to do anything that any of the
other boys could do. "One day., so the old
gentleman says, "Ben's elder brother,
Burch, put up thirty-three shucks OF corn,
for which l paid him 81, and Ben thought
ne ought TO earn some money well. l
told him he was too small to do such hard
work, but he said he was going to try.
That day / went to the fair, and when 1
came back l found that he had put uc his
thirty-three shocks. He was not tall
enough to tie them so he got his little sis
ter to stand on chair and do it, while he
held the stalks in place. II was big days
work for boy, and l don't sec how he
oid it, FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Evening star., 1897-04-17
Any Old Watch Would Do.

From the Strand Magazine.
Practical Father-'I want to buy a watch
for my boy-the cheapest you have"
Honest Dealer-''Fm afraid / can't war
rant the cheap ones to keep good time"
Practical Father-"Oh, that doesn't mat
ter. Just make it so that he can open the
back of the case"
Evening star., 1897-04-17

WO OF The MOST
distinguished of the
new United States
senators were born
In log cabins In the
Ohio woods. / refer
to Charles w. Fair
banks, the republi-
can who now stands
in Dan Voorhees,
democratic shoes as
the new senator from
Indiana, and to JOS
eph Benson Foraker.
who Is said to hold a
Evening star., 1897-04-17

upon him, and when I enter his store he
always wants to know IL 1 would like to
have another pair of trousers on credit.
Now, the trusting of boy for q week
was little thing, but it gave that man
a strong friend - ~
LAS to Mckinley" continued Senator
Evening star., 1897-04-17
Just Like the Others,

From Life.
What brought the cashier under sus-
picion?''
We'll, he had been in the banks employ
forty years, and was one of its most trust
ed officials"
Evening star., 1897-04-17
The Revised Version,

From the Chicago Record.
What is your new painting called?'
1.-The Cleaner
"Ah, young girl with a sickle and a
bundle of grain?"
mo; an elderly girl with fiat pocket
book and an armful of bargain dry goods
Evening star., 1897-04-17

II you want anything. try an ad. In The
Star. II anybody has what you wish, you
will get an answer.
Evening star., 1897-04-17
How Two Farmer Boys Fought Their
Way to Success.
won BY THE HARDEST KIND OF WORK
Talks With Senator Foraker aad
Senator Fairbanks.
GETTING AN UCA TION

Copyrighted. 1897. by Frank G. Carpenter)
Written Tor Tne Evening Star.
Evening star., 1897-04-17

Want" ads. in The Star pay because
they bring answers.
Evening star., 1897-04-17

The "best people" in every community testify to the
healing power of Ayers Sarsapala The best people The
people who make the backbone of the country; farmer
iaborer mechanic preacher doctor; Mrs. Smith, rs Brown
rlrs JONES' and others of the worlds first families.
Women whose honor upholds the home. Men whose
is sound i'm Council in business whose names are as
good signed to testimonial they "promse to
pay Is there amy better testimony? any stronger
evidence? Would their word be worth if they had
been i'm the crowd at the Seeley dinner crush at the
BradleyMa ball? They strangers They are
your neighbors. You know them. These the people
who write: There is blood purifier like Ayers Sarsa-
paria' "W1en all other medicines failed was cured bv
Ayers Sarsaparilla. Why shouldn't witnesses be
TRUTHFUL? You
Ayers "ouebook" A by the cured
J. c., Iowen,M
The record-union., 1897-05-09

great many young people do them
selves injury by their excessive zeal in
the practice of competitive exercise.
In this line Of physical activity, as in
any other, there is limit to human
capability, and it is possible to develop
the muscular and nervous systems to
the detriment of the heart and lungs or
Of the digestive system. But the condi-
tions under which athletics are usually
practised are SO favorable to the mainte-
nance of health and vigor that few per-
sons who were sound at the time of COM
mencing their athletic efforts have in
jured themselves by the practice of these
vigorous exercises. 1t is true that a GER
tain number of young men who We're
distinguished for their supremacy in GER
tain athletic events have died young.
But the number of young men who are
now practicing athletic exercises in this
country and appearing in public contests
is very large, as many as six or seven
hundred entries being recorded in some
of the great city meetings.
The record-union., 1897-05-09
MODERN ATHLETICS.

Professor Sargent of Harvard in the
current number of the North American
Review" has a very sensible paper on
modern athletics. a general belief has
been growing that in athletics young
men of this day have gone to excess, and
that this and the next generation will
not realize much benefit from the ex-
ceeding drift in that direction. Pro-
the athletics exercises now so popular
and general are on the whole, beneficial
to the youth of the time and to the
health of those who participate in such
exercises. But that there is excess and
great danger in it, i'm this matter, the
Professor admits. Many of the athletic
sports pursued as a recreation are valu-
able remedial helps, he holds, and great
aids toward physical Improvement But
he adds-and young men should heed his
words:
Unfortunately the spirit of emulation
in athletics, which in some communities
has grown into intense rivalry, is likely
to lead TO excesses in training and prac-
tice for contests, which unless checked
and brought down to a rational basis.
may do more harm than good Many
young men seem to think that because
the practice of athletics is favorable to
health the more they can get of this
practice the better. This is an erroneous
impression, for it is as possible to over
work in athletics as il is in business, and
The record-union., 1897-05-09

The London Lancet" famous au-
thority in matters medical, declares in
the affirmative to its own question,
Are we longer lived than our faith
ers?" 1t holds that the statistics prove
that the mean duration of life has in
creased under the influence of pre-
ventive medicine by four years in the
last fifty years, while the increase of
longevity among females has been five
years in the same period.
That there should be depreciation Of
the value of this fact on the ground
that the increase is due to the reduc-
ton of mortality in childhood is with
out reason. 1t is indeed true that the
expectation of life has not increased
after middle life-indeed, it has slight
ly declined, but this is more than
counterbalanced, says the Lancet" by
the largely increased proportion of per-
sons who survive childhood and reach
middle life. The Lancet" adds:
Thus there has been very consider
dbtt llttIcdSe III the proportional num-
ber Of years lived by succeeding gener-
ations between the most useful age
period Of from 20 to 60 years. This
may clearly be claimed as one Of the
results of the labors of preventive medi-
cine. Il remains to be seen whether
further sanitary progress will make it
possible TO entirely counteract the eff
feet of the increasing intensity of COM
petition and the struggle for existence
and survival which undoubtedly are
now depressing the expectation of life
after middle age. If. therefore, longev-
ity signifies mean duration of life, there
can be no doubt about its increase in
England in recent years. If, however,
by longevity is meant the chance of
middle-aged persons reaching extreme
old age, English life tables do not sup
ply so satisfactory an answer to our
uupstfor
The record-union., 1897-05-09
CONFRATERNITIES.

w. S. Harwood in the North Ameri-
can Review makes a vigorous defense
of secret confraternal societies and
orders, holding that they are, as rule,
influences which tend to hold men to
higher moral standards. and to better
modes of physical living. He might have
added that as a rule the secret societies,
benevolent and fraternal, are conserva-
tors of the democratic spirit. The level
upon which the members meet, the obll-
cations of restraint they take, the rule
of and submission to the will of the ma
jority, and the insistence upon law
abiding and good citizenship, all tend to
cultivate the love of free institutions
and to teach men that they may be, and
should be, self governing.
We would except, however, from this
category dogmatic and purely religious
secret organizations, which attach to the
fraternal principle the obligation to
stand by a religious dogma. These, it
would seem, cannot or should not be
stronger than the church itself, and
therefore the church better fills the field.
They are by their very nature pro-
scriptive and classify men in secret con-
clave by creed rather than moral worth
as men and human beings and by the
duty of man to man regardless Of faith.
int ho q a
issue with many sincere friends of secret
religious organizations. The secret po-
litical fraternity is quite as much op-
posed to, in our judgment, as the non-po-
ltical fraternities are promOtiVe of de-
mocracy and freedom. In these classes,
however, we do not mean to include the
great mass of confraternities which de-
mand as a prerequisite to membership,
general Delief in a supreme being, and
loyalty to the Republic and the institu-
tions of free and self government. Mr..
Harwood has this to say of secret con-
fraternities:
While the secret society has its pecu-
liar dangers it has elements of good.
It's influence in making thOughtless men
reverential, in increasing respect for
government by law; its influence in
maintaining and promoting allegiance
to country, these are important elements
of it's service. While men with evil ten
denotes and deformed moral natures are
known to be members of fraternal orders
and while, when so known. they are not
always rs promptly removed as might be
wished, yet I think it is but fair to say
that cases are exceedingly rare in re-
putable organizations where men Of
known badness are admitted. Indeed
one of the greatest powers of the secret
fraternal orders of the present day is
found in the element of selection. No
other organization in the immediate
hands of man. and unidentified with re-
ngiOn, so universally sets SO high a
standard of sobriety, integrity and hon
esty; none other, when a seeker for ad-
mission appears, SO sharply scrutinizes
his past. so searchingly investigates his
present. The prime essential in all Sc
cret organizations of this character is
that the initiate shall be a manly man;
after that a cOmpanionable man.