davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
a HANDSOME PLAGUE.
WATER HYACINTHS CHOKE NAVIGA-
TON IN THREE STATES.

a Vegetable Invasion That Threate Ms
Commerce and Industry-The Plants
Float Freely Until About to Bloom, Then
They Anchor to the River Bottom.
Especial Correspondence.l
PALATKA, Fla. Jan. 11.-Three mari
time states on the southern border of
the United States are suffering from
peculiar plague which threatens their
commerce and industry.
Louisiana's chief commercial stream
has not been impeded, for the current
of the Mississippi has velocity too
great to allow the water hyacinth to
gather and strike its roots into the bot
tom of the river. Three years ago the
water hyacinth was noticed in the Bayou
st. Johns, near New Orleans, in consid-
cradle quantity and attracted notice by
the beauty of its blossom. The next year
the bayou was completely covered with
thiokly matted carpet of the plants.
1t was then cleaned out in the interests
of commerce.
A number of other bayous have been
closed to navigation by this vegetable
plague, which has spread until even the
Atchafalaya, a large stream with cur
rent of about five miles an hour, is part
ly obstructed, while Grand lake is dot
ted with islands of the water hyacinth.
Texas is also VICTIM. The beautiful
plague has more or less choked up her
lesser streams and her lakes. 1t began
to spread there very recently, but as set
no complaint is made of danger to com
merce or the sawmill industry, such as
is made by Louisiana and Florida.
The water hyacinth was first noticed
growing among the tbonnets,' or lily
pads, in quiet and shallow reaches of
St Johns river, Florida, in 1889. Now
there are no ''bonnets'' in these places
the more vigorous water hyacinth has
cholzed them to death.
The storm of Sept. 81, 1894. scatter
ed the water hyaeinths over the river
and up the creeks. Dunn's and Cross
creeks, near Palatka, were their first
rendezvous in Florida, apparently. In
these sluggish streams they became SO
massed that their passive resistance
made it hard for a steamboat to get
through to Crescent lake. Then this
growing vegetable army gathered at the
Palatka railroad bridge until larger
steam vessels found it difficult to force
their way through and the smaller boats
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
HOWELL ON WHIST.
A Few Short Suit Possibilities and Conn
ment Thereon.


WHAT do you lead a short suit for If NOT
20 ruff it?'' an experienced whist player
once asked me. His was quite mistaken
idea of the game. The gambit opening has
in view the improvement of every chance
that may be in hand or in the combined
hands of the leader and Us partner
As matter Of fact, the principles of the
new whist demand that the trump suit it
self be sometimes used for the gan.bit. You
have, say, hearts (trumps), 10, z, 4; clubs,
A, Q, 3, ?; diamonds, X, 10, 4; spades 0,
8, 5. What shall you lead? Not the clubs
on account of the tenaoo. Mother the dia-
nonds nor the spades, because you would
seriously endanger the honor in either suit
Nothing to open is left, then, save the
trump. 1t is a sound opening, presenting
all the possibilities of the garnbit in a plain
suit except that of ruling.
But let us improve the given hand and
see what we get. Instead of the 10 Of dia-
moEds take the queen and instead Of the
of spades take the ace. Now you hold
hearts (trunp), 10, z, /; clubs, a, Q, 3, 2;
diamonds, x, q, 4; spades. y, Q, 3.
This is an exceedingly good hand. II
trun1ps were only out of the way so that
the adversary could not ruff any Of the big
cards, it might yield five or six tricks II
is an ''all round'' strong hand You can
take a sure trick and possibly two in every
suit barring the adverse ruff. Every suit
is so strong that there is scarcely posi-
bility of the advessaries breaking through
your defense, be they ever so powerful in
trumps. In short, the hand should DO
opened with the 10 of hearts, and you
should push the trump attack till you have
exhausted the adversaries or have no moro
to lead.
One of the most valuable teachings Of
the new whist is that you should lead
trumps whenever the plain suit strength
of your hand warrants it. If you have
strength in every plain suit, lead trunps,
no matter how few you have This kind
of trump attack, with all round plain suit
strength and weak truInps, is really the
safest opening at whist, and neglect to
adopt the trump attack with such hand
is correspnndingly unsafe.
In a recent match for the American
Whist league challenge trophy one Of the
opening hands was: Spades (trulnp), a,
s. 2; hearts, A, 9, 4; clubs, a, K, s, 8, ?;
diamonds, Is, TO- Both teams began with
the clubs. They were consunmately skill
full players, but not enancipated from the
slavery of tho long suit routine. / gave
the deal TO four practitioners of the new
whist, and the original leader, having the
great all round strength OF his hand in
view, began with the trump attacI- The
play was as appended (the 10 Of spades is
turned by West, North leads, the winning
card in each trick is underlined, and the
card underneath ia led rextl:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

could not move at all. The river mails
and freights are delayed, and it is al.
most impossible to tow schooners into
port at Palatka Lakes and such tribu-
tary streams as have sluggish currents
are filled with the plants.
Palatka has an ample harbor, made
by an elbow in the river. Ocean going
vessels, steamers and schooners, have
found it easy in the past to approach its
wharfs, where there is a depth of 90
feet at ebb tide, with 40 feet in the
channel. But the long, low railroad
bridge which spans the river at this
point, with a draw over the channel,
catches the plants by means of its piers
and struts and they mass in huge is
lands above it. Hundreds of acres of
them cover the bay. Navigation was
entirely suspended within mile of the
city in either direction one day last
Septemb Der, and only by strenuous exer-
tions was the bay cleared.
The nursery of the water hyacinth in
Florida is said to be the great marsh,
80 miles long and 5 miles wide, deep
ening at various places into lakes, in
one of which the ST. Johns has its origin.
Before the Okechobee Drainage canal
was dug, according to one theory preva-
lent in Florida, the annual rainfalls
cleared out the river, washing all loose
aquatic vegetation to the sea, and the
water hyacinth did not accum ulate, but
this theory does not account for the ap-
pearance of the pest in almost the same
year in three different states.
The plants float freely until they are
just about to bloom, when they strike
their roots into the bottom of the river
and thus anchor the floating islands
formed by the mating together of the
roots and leaf stems-islands which are
occasionally strong enough to bear the
weight of man. If they float into sun
less places, they generally wither and
die
These floating islands consist of from
ten to a thousand or more individual
plants. The roots are long and slender
and easily mat together. The plants are
small toward the edges of these islands.
Toward the center beth they and the
blossoms they carry are larger. The
plants increase with great rapidity and
soon close up any channels cut through
the mass.
The sawmills which abound along the
ST. Johns can no longer operate. Logs
cannot be got to the mills or the product
hoated away. One logger is l ported to
have 1,200 logs tied up in a small
scream which the water hyaeinths will
not let him float out. Some of the RATS
look like floating gardens.
Moved by the representations Of the
business men of Florida and the reports
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
lth is led Eext):
NOTES.

Trick 2.-Whatever East plays the result
would be the same.
Trick 3.-East shows his best suit to be-
hearts.
Trick 5.-West shows his to be clubs.
Trick 6.-Therefere South's must be
diamonds, and North gives partner his best
card in it.
Trick 1O.-The pretty point of the play.
North figures that West has nothing but
clubs left, including the 10 or 9, or both.
If both, North makes his ace Of clubs and
no mere. If only one, North will have this
major tenace in the suit on the next round.
g Nothing to lose and all to gain'i by let
ting his adversary have this trick is n orth's
happy position.
Trick IA suit consisting Of A, &, 8,
g. 2, doesn't look like a tenace com bina-
ton, does it? And yet it is, right here,
being properly managed
Result.-North and South win eight
tricks, can hardly help it, and certainly
East and West cannot stop them.
Now, by the high card opening in clubs
as adopted by the league long suffers and
with correct play by East and West, there
are only six tricks in the North and South
hands. 1 give the deal as played at one
table in the trophy match:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13


Trick 2.-North's ace of clubs goes to
seed and the suit is established with the
adversary.
Trick BEASTS card is SCIENTIFIC
fourth best. South's is false. There is no
common sense in either.
Trick 4-For the purpose of deception,
probably, South leads fifth instead of
fourth best.
Trick THE deception bears fruit.
West thinks his partner has one more dia-
mond (the or s. and that he must ruff
high However, this mistake makes no
difference.
Trick s.-Notice how oonseientiously
North picks out the 8 of clubs instead of
the or s. Artidoiality, thy name is fourth
best whistl
Trick 9--Why North puts in a trump
no one can tell. Still, like the other mis-
plays here recorded, this one does not af-
feet the result.
Trick 11.-North 'staIes home'' the ace
of hearts along with the ace of clubs, and
all because he did not lead trutnps original
II.
Result. North and South get six tricks
which are all they are entitled to after the
club opening
At the other table in the aforesaid match
the play was substantially the same as
above up TO the eighth trick. Then North
led the ace of hearts; West rufed it, and
then perpetrated the awful blunder of lead
ing out his remaining trumps, which
made North and South gift of two tricks.
North and South, therefore, actually got
the maximum score on their hands, but
ONLY through their advsFsary's inexcusable
error. r. Z. HOWELL
Boston Press Club, Boston.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
History Repcats Itself.

Ferdinand, what are you doing with
those boomers at this time of night?''
The voice of Mrs. Peckleigh was stern
and severe as she sat up in bed.
"Wwhy, II am only sewing on some
buttons, MY DEAR mcekly preyaricated
her husband who in reality was going
through the pockets for small change to
buy ice cream sodas.
''Oh, you dear little husband, your
Mrs. Peckleigh exclaimed, with apparent
renorse. but chuekling secretly, for she
saw through his excuse, and she rose and
got out five other pairs Of boomers, and
Mr.. Peckleigh had to stay up all night
sewing buttons on them TO make good his
little bluff New York Sunday Journal.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
PAPER POOL FAILS.
Manufacturers of White Paper Fail to
Effect a Combine.

New York, jan 13.-The Evening Post
says: at was learned definitely last
evening that the negotiations which have
been pending for several weeks between
manufacturers of white paper used by
newspapers to effct a pooling arrangement
whereby the product of all mills should
be handled by stock company with head
offices in this city having fallen through
and that the project had been abandoned
"A meeting was held in Boston a few
days ago at which certain manufacturers
having mills in process of construction
insisted that they should be given repre-
sentation in the pool upon the basis of
future production and that others con-
templating such improvements should
not be allowed such privileges This was
the debatable point which the manufac-
turers have since been considering with
the result that negotiations were today
declared Off
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
AN INTERFERING PARROT.
How Its Bad Language Kept Two Fond
Lovers Apart.

Most old towns have their traditions OF
lingering courtships and queer couples.
One such truthful tale belongs to a queer
little house, with tiny yard full of holly
hooks, on queer little short street run
ming crookedly to wharf in one of the an
cient seaports of New England.
In this house lived Abby Adeline Marks,
a spinster of thirty several" betrothed
for five years to "Cap'n' Hiram Hibberts,
who had boon for that length of time saw
ing up his earnings in order that he might
marry and settle ashore. Unfortunately, on
returning from the voyage which he in
tended should be his last, he brought home
as a present to Abby Adeline parrot of
gorgeous plumage, but unFegenerate ways
Apparently the bird had been seasick OF
homesick on board ship. for it had remain
ed persistently silent during the whole voy-
age, and it was only on being Installed in
the cozy parlcr of its new mistress that 1t
reused itself and gave utterance to Ian
guage at once voluble and startling.
Emphasis in conversation was evidently
the quality it found easiest to initiate and
remeInbe and its vocabulary, therefore,
consisted of the most emphatic explosives
and interjections in good English, bad
English, pigeon English and Portygee, "
which it had heard from the sailors on the
voyage to this country. The result was dis
astrous for the 'cap'n." and Abby Marks,
after many tears and recriminations, dis
carded him, but Kept the parrot.
1.-The poor critter amt responsible, - she
said, land he shan't suffer for the sins of
folks that ought TO know better"
So for 5 years the bird hung every sum-
mer in big wire cage in her perch, and in
winter occupied wide window of the liv-
ing room, and every morning the rejected
captain passed by and glared at him on his
way to the postoffice and grocery combined,
which formed the social center of village
life.
During all that time the former lovers
never spoke to each other and only ex-
changed the stiffest mods, but at length one
day the parrot, squawkipg at the last
most reprehensible expression, curled up
his claws and died and lay fiat on his gay
green back in the bottom of his cage, never
to swear again.
The next morning the captain did not
pass by as usual. He turned in at the gate
and resumed at q breath his interrupted
courtship. Local tradition has preserved
his plea:
abby Adeline. I've been waiting Is
years for that critter to die, and I'll own
there's been times d have p'isoned him il
I'D had the chance, but I'm glad to say
he's died a natural DEATH Sometimes
thought he never would die, for they do
say parrots lives are so years, but provi-
dentially he must have been more'n middle
aged when got him. Now he's gone, and
you're a lone woman ag' i'll, without so
much as a chick, or child, or cat or a
dog, or an evil talkin parrot left, and put
better take me-"
And the bereft Abby Adeline took him,
and the match proved entirely satisfactory.
-YOuth's Communion
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

The new STATE JOURNAL home is
one of tine neatest and most unique
buildings in the State model
newspaper structure. Its fast web
press and its Iinotypes are on the
the ground floor, behind plate glass,
affording never ceasing attraction
to the passerby on the sidewalk.
The public can see and time the
printed papers and know that over
ten thousand are issued daily.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

There is food for thought in Chief
Justice Frank Doster's remark that
the law is unchanged" After all. our
laws are not often faulty. 1t is the
manner in which they are interpreted
and the way in which they re-admin-
istered that cause many of the peoples
woes. 1t is the administration and in
depreciation of the laws which are the
source of much of the public clamor
fNequently heard for repeal and amend
rnent
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
GOTHAM's BEER RECORD.
It's Citizens Drank A,91S,SOS Barrels
in '96-Chicago Next.

Chicago, Jan. 13.-New York consumes
more beer than any other city in the coun-
try. During the year 1896, sos barrels
of beer were sold in the eastern metropo-
lis. Chicago comes next with a record OF
,19S. 222 barrels sold during the year.
The amount sold in Chicago last year
is 5t9.Ss7 barrels more than during the
previous year: This is the largest in
crease noted in any city New York
comes next with 227. 344 barrels increase
over the previous year.
New Orleans shows a decrease of 1852
barrels as compared with the previous
year. The popularity of beer in Cincin-
natl is also apparently waning there
were 7.029 barrels less sold last year than
during the year before This is the larg-
est decrease shown in any city.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Master-Jane. what is that terrible rack
ct going on outside?
Jane-One of the children fell down
stairs, sir.
Master-WelI you tell them that If they
cannot fall down stairs without making so
much noise 1 won't allow them to fall
down at all.-Collier's Weekly.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

In the future, instead of the lion and
the lamb lying down together, it will
be the lion and the eagle. All the pre-
liminaries for such a performance have
been arranged by Mr.. Olney and Lord
Salisbury. The sanction of the United
States senate alone is lacking and that
will doubtless be forthcoming
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Taking the speech made by Governor
Morrill, on retiring as a guide in form
ulating an opinion, he is not as much
ashamed of Kansas as he was. What
ever others may think, he appears to
be we'll satisfied with his administra-
ton of affairs
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
ATHLETES LONG WALK.
Schilling's Dog Died but the Man
Still Marches On.

st. Louis, Jan. 13.-G. NJ. Schilling. the
one-armed athlete who undertook to
tramp from Pittsburg to San Francisco
and back, reached St Louis on his return
trip. He was 126 days walking to San
Francisco. From there he walked to
Portland. Ore. and then started east by
the Ogden-Denver-Ka Kansas City route
He is due in PittSburg again February 20.
He started with a st. Bernard dog but
it died in Ohio. and he is accompani-
ed by a setter. He must neither beg nor
spend any money. and must return to
Pittsburg with 81. 600 or forfeit s.. $50.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
BOY FINDS $4,000.
St Louis Bell Boy Turns Fat Poclz-
etbook Back to Its Owner

st. Louis. Jan. BAT the Linden hotel
boy found a poeketbook containing $40. 900
in money, checks and valuable mining
stocks He gave it to Manager Donovan.
The money and securities were the prop
erty of Mr.. and Mrs. A. T. Harmon
wealthy residents of Canon City, Colo.
who were stopping at the hotel. and who
soon after called at the hotel office to
raise an alarm, thinking they had been
robbed
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
would Be Safer.

Gwendolyn-In case of war between
France and England which side would
you be on?
Cholly-Aw-I really believe I should
prefer to be on this side. -Brooklyn Life
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

ssNo, ma am. - said Tattered Thompson,
ST haven't had bite in the last 4S hours;
not a bite
He thought moment and added:
Yes, I have too I beg your pardon,
ma'am, but 1 had a dog bite about this
time yesterday. Town Topics
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

The attention of those who think the
free silver issue is dead is directed to a
comparison between the convention
held this week and the one held in
Representative hall in 1893, when about
rs delegates were present
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

The American Newspaper Directory
each year gives the Topeka DAILY
B. STATE JOURNAL a guaranteed cir
cuiafiOn. The directory for 1896
guarantees that the circulation
was larger than that of any other
Topeka daily.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

New Building = double front, three
for the exclusive use of the pubIica-
ton and business of the STATE
JOURNAL newspaper-no job office
or side issues.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Askins (meditaSively all, is life
really worth the lyings
Grimshaw-That depends on the liver
New York Sunday Journal
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

It is apparently Attorney General
Harmon's intention to postpone any
proceedings against the Pacific roads
until after March 4.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

The STATE JOURNAL has forty
three regular route carriers in To-
peka and suburbs. These carriers
alone are paid over $40, 900 a year
for circulating the paper in this
community.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Brown hear your wife has left your
bed and board.
Junes-That's about all she did leave
Town Topics.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Buckingham's Dye for the Whiskers
can be applied when at home and il
uniformly successful in coloring a
brown or black. Hence its great popu-
larity.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
No Time For HaIf measures.

Nervous Prisoner-Had I better get hold
of a lawyer, do you Think It's three years
if they convict me.
Friendly onstable-Humph! In that
case you'd better get hold of a juryman.-
Truth.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Toucher-Well, sir, though I am poor
today, wish you to understand, sir, that
1 was born with a silver spoon in my
mouth.
Nitt-Indeed9 What have you done with
the ticket?-New York Sunday Journal
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

The killing of the funding bill indi-
Gates that the people can have their
way some times, if they only cry out
loudly enough.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Now that the Pacific railroad bill is
dead. will the United States senate
have less attractions for ]. r. Burton?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
INDIA'S AWFUL FAMINE.
Natives Reduced to Walking Skele-
tons-BuriaI Grounds Overcrowded.

tOnS-6ur1al GIoohoS ONSNSAo~NoN''
London, Jan. 13.-The Daily Mails Bonn
bay correspondent reports that in all
quarters the famine is daily becoming
more severe and widespread. Heartrend-
ing scenes are reported from the inter-
M At Jubbulpore men and women re-
dtced to living skeletons are lying at the
roas5 sides.
r. IS believed that relief will cost the
sover1: -aent s. 000 900. There are terrible
Scenes az the burial grounds which are
oVercrowdSd.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

There are no secrets about
the STATE JOURNALS
circulation. A detailed
statement, signed and
sworn to, is issued annu-
ally, showing the circu-
EatiOn for each day in
the year. The statement
is sent to'directories and
furnished advertisers.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Not how cheap but how good is the
way we try to do our work. Peerless
Steam Laundry. 112 and ia West Sth.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

Reached a daily average for first six
months 1896 of 10. Gas.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13

In the fifteen months last past
these are some of the results that
have been reached:
Made a showing sworn detailed
statement of circulation exceeding
that Of any other Topeka daily.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
HOW WE GREW.

In 1885 the circulation was. So. 800
January I, 1891, were printed S,125
Daily average for year 1884,. 1850
Daily average for year 1902. 5000
Daily average for year 1893. Gals
Daily average for year 1904. S,4l8
Daily average for year 1885,. 9,217
Daily aNeraSsGst mons. 80. . To- e25