davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
OVERRIDING q Fad.

'Microbophobia" is more than joke,
if we may credit the report which is
in circulation concerning DR.. w. Van
der Hayden, the Dutch bacteriologst.
He has so long pursued the festive
microbe that the latter like a true
worm, has at last turned. We read
in a San Francisco paper that Dr. Van
der Hevden, in his fear of disease
germs, has removed to Yokohama and
built house which is one of the Won
ders of modern Japan.
1t is built almost wholly of glass
and is dust and air-proof. Large
panes of glass" the chronicle informs
us, ARE set in iron frames so as to
form the sides of a circular building
block. OF these blocks the walls are
constructed. There are no window
sashes, the air escape being through
several small openings around the up
per part of the second story, but
through which no air from the outside
is admitted. The air supply is OBJ
tained from a considerable distance,
forced through pipe and carefully
filtered through cotton wool to cleanse
it of bacteria, To insure further ster-
ilization the air is driven against a
glycerine-coated plate of glass, which
captures all the microbes the wool
spares. The few microbes brought
into the house in the clothes of the Wis
itors soon die in the warm
sunlight with which the house
is flooded. The space between
the glasses of the building
blocks is filled with a solution of salts,
which absorbs the heat of the sun, SO
that the rooms of this house are much
cooler than those protected by the
thickest shades. In the evening the
interior is heated by the salts radat-
ing the heat they have absorbed dur
| ing the day, So effective is the sys-
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
THE HNEW', JOURNALISM.

Ply your muck-rakes, thrust them in
To the fetid bogs of sin;
Lift them dripping with the slime
OF the cesspools of our time;
Search through every social sewer,
Search for all that's most impure,
Hunt for every deed of shame
And for deeds without a namei
Let the eager public see
All uur moral leprosy.
For it is our daily stint
The unprintable to print;
'Tis the glory of our clique
The unspeakable to speak.
Run we through our printing press
Myriad miles of nastiness;
Smear with slime its league-long rolls
Food my masters; food for souls.
Pour we through our printing press
Tons of moral putridness;
Let it through the land be spread,
Let the people all be fed.
Ply your muclS-rakes with all haste,
Lest some filth shall run to waste;
Rake out every carrion shape,
Let no noisesome thing escape;
Heave II from your sewers vast,
We will scatter ii broadcast.
This is stuff supremely good
For our hungry children's food,
Let the printing press be whirled,
Smear this sewage o'er the world;
Let not your supply grow less,
Dump II through our printing press;
Smear again its league-long rolls
Food, my masters; food for souls.
-Leslie's Weekly.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
GROWTH OF THE CHURCHES.
From the Washington Post.

L rom lIc w NdSHlllSlO lOll OSt'
Although only a minority of the people
of the United States are church men,
bers, nearly all citizens are more or less
interested in the work of the churches.
1t is one of the customs of the New York
Independent to present in January of each
year q comprehensive survey of the
growth of all the prominent religious
bodies during the past year. The issue OF
that paper for last week contains the
statistics in this connection for 1896. The
Roman Catholic church is, as usual,
shown to be not only the largest but its
actual increase was greater than that Of
any other religious body in this country.
Its total number of communicates is es-
timated at S,271 1909, and it's gain during the
year a 272, ,137. This shows an increase of
3l2 per cent, while the increase of the
churches as a whole was less than per
cent. The Methodists, divided into seven
teen bodies, holds second place having
total of 5,G53,2 ,2S9, and having added 1851
communicates to their rolls in the past
twelve months. The Methodist Episcopal
church is the strongest of all the sects of
that denomination. 1t has 2,675,035 men,
bers, and shows a gain of 4505O in the
year. Next come the BaptistS with thr-
teen bodies, having an aggregate of i,l53,
S57, and their gain in 1896 was S,3lS. OF
those, the so-called "regular' Baptists
have a membership OF 1851, 666 OF whom
S2.Sl4 were added during the year. Next
to the Baptists are the twelve Presby-
terian bodies with 1,460, 346 members; then
follow the nineteen Lutheran bodies with
/, ,l2O 9O5 and next in numerical succession
come the Disciples of Christ with l,OO3 S72.
The Providence journal, reviewing the
independents figures, suggests that not
the least interesting fact which they dis
close is that the Methodists and Baptists,
though far in the lead of the other
Protestant bodies, are growing more slow
ly in proportion than some of the latter
The Methodists have gained less than 3
per cent. during the year, and the Bap-
lists have increased but little more than 3
The Anglican communion has gained more
than per cent in members, and so has
the Congregational church. The Episco-
palians and Congregat!onalists are in
creasing very equally. The former add
ed 49, $50 communicates in 1896, and the
latter about 10000, while the total number
of Eipiscopalians is put at G3G,773, and the
Congregationalists number 622.557 The
Unitarians have total of 10000, having
increased 1,5OO in 1895. The Universalsts
report 1926 communicates, with gam
of ,O39 The Seven-day Baptists had 9,2A
members year ago, but now report only
gl73. The total number of communicates
of AN churches in the country is put at
%, 424, ,333 a gain of 1883 during 1896
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
The Proper View.

A very sensible comment is offered by
the Chicago Record upon the bill at
Springfield to give the mayor Of Chi
cago five year term at $4,000 a year
and to pay the aldermen of that city
(who perform the functions of our
councilmen $4,000 a year with a re-
quirement for exclusive services. In
stead of treating the bill as a joke it
says.
1T is a grave mistake for the citizens
TO ask their public servants to manage
the great affairs of great community
for a pittanCc. The legal pay of a Chi
cago alderman is less than that of a
street laborer. The mayor of Chicago,
il is true, receives $1,000 a year, but
there are many corporations in this
city which pay at least twice as much
to their presidents or general man
ayers. Possibly $40 900 is a larger sal
airy than is necessary, but certainly the
mayor of Chicago should not receive
less than $4,000 to $4,000 a year for
his services. Chicago is one of the
greatest corporations in the world. ANY
business man knows that there is no
economy in placing large affairs in
the hands of a manager who can af-
ford to work for small pay. 1t is equally
true that good service by the chief
executive officer Of great city is cheap
at any price.
Each member Of the city council of
Chicago should receive a salary of not
less than $4,000 year The number OF
aldermen should be considerably less
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
Our Disappearing Forests.

During 1896, almost 2000OO,000 feet of
lumber We're shipped from Williams
port a gain of 11,000,0 900 feet over 1895.
This lumber comes wholly from Penn
sylvania forests. Less than SO per cent.
of the commemorative original wooded
area remains. What is being done to
protect what is left and to replace
what is gone? We regret to have to
say, almost nothing. On this point the
governor in his recent message oppor-
tunely said
This is, perhaps, the first generation in
this commonwealth that has been brought
face to face with the dangers and disas-
ters of a timberless country. The re-
moval of the marketable timber from our
forests, thus cutting off one of the great
industries of the state and the fact mat
Pennsylvania is no longer able to supply
to her own inhabitants the lumber which
they require are of themselves discour-
aging: but, when coupled with the appre-
hension that further destruction of the
forests will work perpetual harm to our
agricultural interests the situation be-
comes alarming. 1t is recognized as a
fact that of the waters which fall upon
cleared areas four-iifths are lost because
they run Immediately out of the country,
while four-ffths of the waters which fall
upon our forest areas are saved; thus
proving that If the vast volumes of water
which so frequently deluge the state could
be retained long enough to soak into the
ground. destructive floods would be pre-
vented and the consequent loss of proper
ty and life averted. Two floods have oc-
CURED within the past eight years of un-
equalled proportions and destructiveness.
Large areas of alluyial soil once titled
have been abandoned along the Juniata
river because the repeated floods have
made it impossible to maintain fences or
mature crops. This is true also of other
portions Of the state. During the past
eight years the valleys of the Juniata and
the west branch of the Susquehanna have
lost more than million dollars in the
bridges which We're swept away. The re-
curing floods overhowing the banks Of
nearly all our rivers and the consequent
loss of property, the personal danger
apprehension and fear, are quite enough
to excite serious solicitude.
Cannot the present legislature do
something effective to stay this swift
ruin of our forests?
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
TINES SWIFT MUTATIONS.

New York Letter in Philadelphia Ledger.
Mr.. Platt will return to the senate after
an absence of nearly sixteen years. Six
teen years are a long time in politics.
When Platt first entered the senate, in
1881, Grover Cleveland had not yet been
elected mayor of Buffalo, and was un
known. He returns to the senate just as
Mr.. Cleveland retires to private life. The
rise and fall of David b. Hill are en-
braced in the same period OF all the
members of the senate, when Mr. Platt
was sworn in, March 4, 1884, only fourteen
will be there when he takes his seat,
March 4, 1897 These fourteen senators
are: Allison, Frye, George, German:
Hale, Harris, Aldrich Hawley, Hoar,
Morgan, Morrill,, Plat, of Connecticut;
Sewall and Teller, Sherman, who returned
to the senate from the cabinet in 1881.
will go into the cabinet again on
the day Platt enters the senate. Davis,
Anthony, Beck Brown. Ferry, Lamar,
Logan. Malone, salisbury and Window,
who served with Platt in 1881, are dead.
Dawes, Edmunds, Harrison and ingalls,,
who We're senators in 1881, have retired to
private life. Bayard is ambassador to
England, and Cameron is about to leave
the senate.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
OnesSided Reciprocity.

In 1891 we imported from the mari
time provinces of Canada hay to the
value of S., 1854. and from the remainder
of the Dominion. hay to the value or
$437 ,O40. In 1896 the record stood: FROM
the maritime provinces, hay to the
value of $126,5Oi; from the remainder
of the Dominion hay to the value OF
81, ,G4G.SS4 This all came from lower
ing the duty. The great increase in
Canadian hay imports which followed
the enactment of the Wilson tarlff
robbed the American hay-grower OF
New York and Pennsylvania. There
isn't Il merchant in Scranton who
hasn't felt the indirect effects.
In the fiscal year ended June 80, 1895,
our imports of Canadian lumber rose
to 12.4S2, 900. under the Wilson bill.
and swept that much money out of the
pockets of American lumbermen. In
1895 and 1896 Canada sent us over
100000 worth of wool, on which she
paid no duty, and the admission of
which took just so much bread and
butter out of the mouths of the Ameri-
can WOOL grower. Last year SllN SVli'
us two and a half time more hides and
skins than she was accustomed to dc
before the tariff was entirely lifted
from these articles; and the effect
again. was to help the foreign at the
expense of the domestic producer.
These few casual citations indicate
the difficulties which lie in the way
of any acceptable scheme of CONNER
cial union with Canada. OF the things
which Canada wishes to get through
our custom houses duty free, scarcely
any would fail to enter into immedi-
ate and hurtful competition with Amer
lean producers of the some article
What can Canada offer as an offset
Where is her quid pro quo? We have
read much on this subject in hope OF
ascertaining what the reciprocal bene
fits could be, but up to this time we
have been unable to locate enough OF
them to constitute what we should con
slider a fair trade.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
Concerning Ventilation.

DR. Charles b, Dudley, chief expert
OF the Philadelphia Railroad company,
says that no sanitary problem is
fraught with more practical difficulties
than that of properly ventilating NOV
ing railway cars in winter. In order
to insure the WhOlesOmenesS of the air
in a closed space, 5000 cubic feet of
pure air must he supplied every hour
for each person. This means that in
a crowded car the total air must be
changed every so seconds. TO admit
so much cold air at this time of the
year would of course neutralize the
heating capacity of the steam pipes
and give passengers the chills. Hence
it becomes necessary to compromise,
and largely to this compromising dis
position travellers owe the fact that
they can rarely make a long journey
without being annoyed first by stupid,
sleepy feeling, and then by a headache.
Notwithstanding the practical diff
culties to be overcome the ventilation
of railway cars is upon the whole de-
cidedly better to-day than it was five
or ten years ago. The leading railway
companies employ expert talent to
study for improvements in this respect,
and patents governing new appliances
designed to minister to the comfort
of the travelling public'g lungs while
in transit are being issued every few
days. In this respect the railway
car presents sharp contrast with the
average church or lecture room. Sc
far as we know there is not a board
of church trustees in the United States
which employs expert talent the year
around to plan improvements in
church ventilation. II there We're
Christianity would doubtless gain in
Vigor.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
AN OUTRAGE.
Philadelnhia Record.

FTOm The PhlIaleIpnId KeVOTN.
A poor man cannot buy pound OF oleo-
margarine in the markets of Pennsylvd-
mia without exposing the seller to the
danger of conviction for crime in the
quarter sessions court. Yet in the forum
of conscience and common sense 1t is no
more unlawful to make and sell pound
of oleomargarine than II IS unlawful to
make and sell Il pound of butter or cheese.
The law which makes the arbitrary dis
tinction between the two acts is a shame
full exercise of legislative tyranny.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
TWO,GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
ON the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press.
Two suggestions have been made with
reference to the appropriations by the
state to charitable institutions not under
state management which should receive
serious consideration at the hands of the
legislature. The first of these is that
every charity should be required to raise
by private subscription an amount equal
to that appropriated by the state; the
second that a voucher shall be presented
the auditor general for every dollar OF
the state approximation eXpended.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
HIS ONLY BREAK.

He would not break his promised word.
To teach the maid to skate:
He did not break the slender ice,
Although he worked till late.
The only break he made, in fact,
That did him any harm,
Was when he tried to break her fall,
And broke leg and arm.
Town Topics.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
NEED OF A UNIFORM CENSUS.
From the Times-Herald.

From the Times Herald.
The probability of the establishment
by congress of permanent census bu-
reau, which will Immediately begin TO
arrange for the decennial census of 1900,
calls attention to the Importance of there
being some effort made to secure inter-
national agreement among the principal
nations of the world as to the manner of
taking the census. Under the present sys-
tens comparison between countries,
which is one of the most important re-
suits of a census, is almost impossible.
Even the most expert statistiCians, men
like Mulhall or MayoSmith, find their
work difficult, and at times they are led
to false conclusions. The mere number of
people is easy to obtain for purposes of
comparison, but this is a small part Of
the modern census The same subjects
are not investigated, or when investigat-
ed different questions are asked: the man
ner and classification vary greatly, and
even in such simple matter as vital sta
tistics, dealing with births, marriages and
deaths, it is found difficult to make COM
parisons.
There are also wide disparties in the
methods employed in computing agricul-
tural, manufacturing and mining re-
sources and production, which have
often led to erroneous comparisons, es-
uacially nv those who do NOT understand
the proper use of statistics and do not
know how to make DEDUCTIONS or omis-
gions 10 gain basis of comparison.
Even those who do make such allow
ances, and with the greatest care, find
tbat tbov vary greatly from the conclu-
sions Of other statisticians NuIhaII the
foremost of statistirians has hinself heen
criticised for error in mis- respect. His
tables nattering 10 Americans are made
TOO aatterIne. bv showing the nroductIon
of America to he foo far in excess of that
of other notions America,s anornone
Iead In manufactures shawn nv NInIbalrs
tables Is for Instance dua to the fact
thot in tbe American oensus indnstrias
oro inCluded in the rnanufncturiro can-
,,ass which arc omitted inconsI,ses ,oodo
w., ~, ,i,,aIs of tba TrnitaI SIatas ,rh,g
~ A,1,arica tho hutldinf, des',o ,,,,so'
tars r,ointars ana ranor, ba,,a,a,s ~ r,,aII
ne l,irTrnd industrias--are inclrdad 70 an
a,.,ant not followed nv, a,,,, otbo, alto,
MI, of <,,,,rs, sa,,,ae ,,,aotl - t,,,ae'.I
tr,'o w. ,,,,arar,t ,aad Of thts ao,,ntr,. io
,,,,'faat,,,i,,o Its aff.ot ~, 30 ,a M
tapIa, is a,'nn rnoro n,a,,,oG NJ, o,,-
,ia,,a5 :, tba hmiidina. tradas auoroaa
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
SCRANTON, JANUARY 25, 1897.

Not to be a second time caught nap
ping, David Martin, it seems, has had
his candidates for councilmen nomin-
ated on all the tickets going. 1t VIII
be interesting to learn if the ballot law
can be bent to such scheme.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25

Judge Ito a couple sentenced for fight
ing)-Have you anything to say?
Male Defendant-I would like my wife
TO commence her term in prison after |
am released-German Exchange.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25

tenn of regulating the temperature that
a few hours of sunlight, even in freez-
ing weather, render the house habit
able. 1t is only when several cloudy
days follow in succession that 1rti-
fetal heat is needed. Then it is sup
piled by pumping in hot air. DR.. Ven
der Heyden thinks he has solved the
problem of a complete germicide on IA
big scale"
The foregoing description may have
embodied some touches of fiction, but
not enough to rob 1t of It's usefulness
as an illustration of a fad carried too
far For "microbophobia" is a fad,
just as vaccination was, and skin
grating and the bichloride of gold
movement. 1t is one thing to be pru-
dent and quite another to be daft. The
human race thrived on microbes for
several thousand years, and it is rea-
sonable to assume that it can get along
just as well in the future If in the
meantime it is not needlessly scared
to death. The Van der Heyden type
of glass house may be the scientific
ally correct thing; but he who lives in
it would never make a good pioneer.
According to a statement prepared
by Controller Lloyd, the last election
imposed cost on Luzerne county of
Sl9,32G.16 and the Wilkes Barre
Record estimates that $4,000 would not
much more than cover the expenses
of the various local candidates. 1t
would be interesting to have figures
for every county in the state. SO far
as we know. such a table has never
been compiled.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
Bad for Them.

Benny Bloobumper-lslands don't agree
with volcanoes, do they, pa?
Mr.. Bloobumper-Wha do you mean,
Benny?
II read in a newspaper that the vol
cano of Bogoslov, on the Alaska coast,
is constantly throwing up new islands. -
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25

During the last five years receivers
have been appointed for 2l3 railroads
with $4,000 miles of line, or nearly 80
per cent. of the total railway mileage
in the United States. 1t is to be hoped
the next five years will witness a re-
turn of this vanished prosperity.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25
4 Natural Deduction.

The Teacher-When a wOman's husband
dies, Patsie, what is she called?
Patse-A wilder.
The Teacher-And when a mans wife
dies, what do we call him?
Patse (after some thoughD-A wid-out-
her, mu' UNI !-Cincinnati Commercial Trib-
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-25

Out of SO members of the present
United States senate 66 are lawyers.
OF the 326 members of the present ma
tional house of representatives, 232
are lawyers. Perhaps it is for this
reason that the laws they make are
on the average 50 poor.