davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1897-12-27

Another proposit ion that will not or ate
Il wild aud del elirious enthusia SIN, and which
viii not become law during this session
OF Congress, is the one submitted by the
aruor plate plant commission. This COM
mission Inade what il denoninated an eN-
haustive investigation as to the cost the
Government would be put to if il estab-
lished a plant fLlly equipped to produce
the arnor plate required by the Govern
mpnt for its naval vessels. The amount
needed, according TO the commission, is
S3,10O,0OO. There are number OF
reasons why this amount viii not b. ap-
propriatcd but the two principal ones are;
first, the contractors, who have many
millions invested in arnor plate plants,
and who have been making many millions
of dollars out of the Government through
the invest nent, do not want the bin to
pass, and they will use all Of their well
known persuasion i'll their efforts to
prevent the Governments ow ming a plant.
Second, the deficit this year under the
Dingley tariff bill is 40 great that the Adj
ministratiun viii not permit the incurrinG
of any extraordinary expense.
The UrCc had been already issued that
appropriations for rivers and harbors, and
all new public buildings, must be kept
down to bottom figures, and such being
the case, it is but reasona BILE to believe
the a administration viii not consent to
this expenditure of $500 900. 1t may
also be said that the proposition has but
very few friends in Congress, while those
inclined to favor the a administration and
the wealthy armor plate contractors are
many. II is a safe prediction To say that
this CungIess will not make an appropria
tiun OF 81, 600 600 for Government armor
plate plant.
The times., 1897-12-27
AUTONOMY JANUARY 1.
Captain General BlancO Takes an
Optimistic View

New York, Dec. ga correspondent Of
the Herald wires from Havana that he
ras been ss'ired by CAPITA in General Elanco
that V len asked to describe just how
Col. Ruiz came to 60 to tie rebel camp,
Gen. Bianco sa id:
Ruiz, from previous intimacy with
ArangLren, knew the latter to be at heart
an autoLomist, and offered to approach
him. Ruiz wrote to the rebel chief,
and Aranguren made an appointment to
meet Ruiz at Tumba Cuatro. We have
correspondence to prove this.
Ruiz went to keep the appointment
The times., 1897-12-27

Do you know that you can have
The Morning., Evening and Sunday
Times-file only COMPLETE news
paper published In Washington
served to you by carl rier for fifty
cents q month9
The times., 1897-12-27

can nation TO make its ow dolls. But
they would hav To lie stuffed with saw
dust, and we should have to do it our
selves. If We must be humbugged. let
other people dc the business.
The times., 1897-12-27

Every mail that comes to Washington
from the Pacific coast these days briggs
with it a consignment Of letters from hose
opposing the confirmation of Attorney
General McKenna. The most IF these
letters are addressed to members of the
Committee on the Judiciary, which las
the nomina ton before it. These letters
are In line with the charges published in
dispatches from California and Oregon
and are intended to have particular weight
with the committee, because of the flood
tide character of the documents. There
is no reason to believe, though, that the
committee VIII make an adverse report.
Not single Republican viii vote 81 make
an adverse report, and the Democratic
members of the committee, unless there
should be some more serious charge nan
has yet appeared, will acquieSce in the
decision reached by the Republicans. There
are six Republicans and six Democrats
on the committee. Mr.. Teller, the silver
Republican, who does not claim now TO
be a regular Republican, holds the bal Gnce
of power. While Mr.. Teller does not be
lieve Mr. McKenna is the best nomin ,tion
that could hc made, he has said to friends
that it was about good as coiild
expected from this Administration iId
would be accepted. Mr. Mckennl will
be confii med.
The times., 1897-12-27

EoGders Of The Times 7cho may at any
;iD be unable 10 procure copies Of 1t at any
, mars stand, railroad station or on railroad
trains 1ciU confer JoU.,r upon The manage
D.ept By sending 20 tbs office Information Of
heJOct
The times., 1897-12-27

Up to the present. writing the only sub
ject of importance that Secretary Gage
has not discussed is that dog-fight in Sena
tor Cul!om's barn. Is this an oversight?
The times., 1897-12-27

IL should he dist inctly understood that
the reports that Mr.. Hanna is in a decline
do not mean that he has declined any
thing.
The times., 1897-12-27
TODAY,
BEGINS A SALE
OF
Hurt and Damaged
BOOKS,

Made necessary by the great crowds
which thronged our Book Store
during the days before Christmas.
Some of the Books have the cover
scratched; some are finger marked;
some are a BIT battered, while
others are OF a style OF binding
that hasn' met with general favor.
In every case the reading matter is
CONF lete and as good as ever.
Hundreds of volumes are repre-
sented, including STANDARD Au-
thors, Poetry, Recent Fiction.
Birthday Books, Historical Works,
illustrated Gift Books, Essays,
Cook Books, Books for grown boys
and girls, Books for little children,
ETC., etc.
In order to close out the entire
collection we have made the fol-
lowing
The times., 1897-12-27

Senator Wellington doesn't seem able TO
get a hearing. He might try the Sai"ation
Army.
The times., 1897-12-27

thought, there are some people in this
country who will not dare to think.
The times., 1897-12-27

The railroad men are bringing the pressure
to bear on the President to prevent him
from making Judge FaXson, of Pennsyl-
vania, the member OF the Interstate Com
mere Commission to succeed Judge Morr;-
son. Two weeks ago, when the repre-
sentatives OF the passenger departments
of some cf the leading roads OF the coun-
try were heIe before the Congressional
Committees on the antiscalping bill, they
discussed this vacancy with Senat tors and
urged that the place be given to some
practical railroad man. They had no par
ticular individual in view, but sought the
appointment of some good railroad man as n
member. The Commission is now made up
entirely of lawyers, and the railroad men
say that the commission will never be
what the law intended until Some one
familia. with the business is made part
of this court. The proposed nomination
of Judge PaXson has raised storm of
protests from all over the country. Or
ganiZed labo is against him, and if the
President carries out his pledge to the
Pennsylvania Senators and sends his ;lame
to the Senate he will precipitate lively
fight in that body. A determined effort
will be made by certain Western Repub-
licans to defeat the nomination.
The times., 1897-12-27

1t might be interesting to know Emperor
Williams opinion of julius Caesar as
compared with himself.
The times., 1897-12-27
SEVERAL HUNDRED IDLE MEN
Made So by the Troy Steel Company
Closing.

Troy, n. Y, Dec. 26.-Work at the i'm
mense plant of the Troy Steel Company,
on Breaker Island, has been indefinitely
discontinued. Several hundred men are
thus thrown out of work.
The times., 1897-12-27
Circulation Statement.

Communications intended Jor publication
n The Times Should be fersely aud plainly
UTItten and must in all cases be accompanied
d dlo name and address OF dte tcriter. Re
ioe,cd communications agW not be preserved,
ord oniy manuscripts % cdrioas importance
{. ali Je returned 10 tier authors.
The times., 1897-12-27

1t is lard to find 4 member of the
House OF Representatives in Washington
now. Nearly al have gone out of the
city to enjoy the holiday recess. Those
whu have homes nearby Ia Sc gone there,
and thos' who have not have gone to the
homes of IL cir friends.
The times., 1897-12-27

The Eanna forces in Ohioh determined
spectacular display, the Hanna crowd
hoping thereby to deter those who are op
posipg the Scna tor and whip them into line.
This is not the first time public caucus
has heen held in Ohio. In the fight be-
tween Sherman and Foraker in the nomina-
tion in SOC a similar caucus was held.
The Sherman men We're in he ma iority, but
feared the work OF 4 determined minority.
The caucus was therefore held with open
doors, and Sherman was nominated ard
elected. Hanna hoCcs 10 meet with similar
success. The caucus will be held in tie
The times., 1897-12-27
cbe z-4A=. u;mes
MORNING. EVENING AND sUNDAY,)
ny
The Washington Times Company.
S1lLSON HUTCnINS, President
HUTCHINs BUILDING.
sunscR1rTIoN RATES.

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TELEPHONES: Editorial Rooms, 4SG;
Business Office, 1910
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

that it was surrounded by clowns. l had
only seen them in the light before. In abb
surd costumes and grotesque makeup,
with whitened skin and painted smile
they leaned wearily against the poles of
the tent or sat upon Whatever was handy,
bending over with their heads in their
hands.
Only the eyes looked out from all the
sham with the human expression in them
''tired," | thought | watched them
gather themselves together and race into
the light OF the people, to the wild delight
of the children. How their gIeeful voices
rippled through the great tent, and their
little hands beat in tiny applause, which
was nfectious. One tall fellow in blue
polka dot and spanglcs watched the little
SIN lie wreaihed faces a. he passed and l
wondered how glad ne would be to leave
his heart and understanding in the shelter
of their Joy and do is work without.
For he doesn't need them-day after day
and night after night, year after year, it is
the same We are bored with a twice re-
peated joke. even though we do the re-
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

And then, after promising to let me pet
the three months old lion cubs after the
show was over, he went awav, as smiling
and apparently light-hearted as il the
prospect of being chewed or clawed 10
death by his unreliable associates was the
pleasantest prospect in the worll.
l was both sorry and glad when he went
back into the circus world again; sorry
because. being an arrant little coward
myself, | simply adore br very even when
it degenerates into foolhardiness, and
glad because those uncanny eyes OF his
gave me the shivers whenever he hap
pened to look at me. Perhaps in tho e
eyes lies the secret of the power" which
he claims, and seems to possess, over his
fierce charges. VINO knows?
After that | tried, in cross-eyed fashion
and vainly, to keen track of what was GO
all interesting and wonderful, and fasci-
mating all but the lady clowns.
wouldn't be found dead in such a make
up, and their strained voices and niminy-
piminy ways didn't suit me a bit. How
ever, the clowns don't count much with
me anyway; 1t is the other people that |
go to see-the acrobats, and the aeriaIists
and the balancers, and the WIRE walkers
and the riders-the wonderful, wonderful
riders, who fill my soul with envy by their
grace and daring and almost unbelievable
skill, and the beautiful, obedient, intelli-
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

bv this slight man with the small we'll
formed features and blue eyes, whose only
weapon was tiny whip.
1t needed no childish Imagination 10
make the performance wonderful. 1he
supremacy of mind over matter is always
o. interest, but when that matter is en-
dowed with life and massive jaw and
sharp teeth, and the desire to attack you,
it is somewhat different.
And how they hated him-hated him
with every fiber of their great. 1.-the, beau
tiful bodies, and crept up upon him when
he turned his back. and hurried to their
pla ces when he turned his eyes upon
them again.
Il want to talk to him." [ said.
The manager laughed.
IAN right, he replied "but he'd rathe er
go into that cage dozen times than meet
you"
Which remark was wonderfully candid
but scarcely com plimentary, nevertheless.
While the lady clown in white satin Turk
ish trousers and spangles stood on the top
of the Cage and sang q mournfully humor-
Gus song, | watched him with heightened
admiration as be ordered the animals into
the cage. But [ met him for a second
during an intermission, and although he
d d tremble he answered my questions
with an unassuming modesty and such
good grac.ousness that it won my heart.
From the peace and homeliness and sober
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

thetically as a fresh cyclone whizzed
around the corner. and 1 fed into the gate
signing loudly, that more usually was
a-comin'." a.
Since the days when specially at
taches of circus-had closely sem bled
gods in my sight and had seemed to
possess unlimited power / had not Wis
tied the show which is conceded to be the
most wickedly glamourous thing upon
earth. My mind was still tenacious of the
idea that the way into circus tent was
intricate and devious and that the bit of
paper, which entitled me to pass beyond
the portal, through the tent cf the ami
mails and down the way lighted by far
ing torch into the sacred zone reserved
seat must be displayed to each one OF the
blue-suited, brass-bnttoned and oddly
hated gods with whom l met.
And after had safely reached the haven
! looked back, and with that backward
glance my illusions of the past were dis
pelleo- 1t is hard to grow up'' suddenly,
but | went forward again with the realiza-
ton of my age full upon me.
The circus tent proper was possessed by
a band in which each separate PLAYER
seemed 10 be racing with his fellow to
reach the final stop. Bright colored bunt-
ing was stretched from side to side across
the ceiling of the tent. Beneath and over
the three rings and the stage cleaned and
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

the lichtest movement of their mistress
hand through all the frantic excitement
OF their wild gallop!
And If you want to see strength and
power look at the woman drivers bare,
white arms; and if you want to see cool,
concentrated courage and determination,
look at her set, statuesque face and those
som ber, steely eyes.
At last it is all over. All the glitter and
glow and whirl of events had come to an
end, and there was left only one ordinary
man in the ordinary garments of civiliza-
ton. standing on the stage and piping as
persuasively as he could about concert
which we would be permitted to see for
the small sum of 10 cents each.
Fancy tamely listening to anything of
that kind at the close of such a perform
ance as we had been seeing. | wanted
something that wouio let me down little
more easily to the prosaic realities of life
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12
The Matron's S Storu

"Windin nuff?" blankly questioned the
man in the red and gold painted box
above my head.
l nodded, endeavoring the while 10 rid
my eye of the sawdust so that | might
gaze into the face of him who guards the
circus by day and by night and sells TICK
cts to those who cannot crawl under the
tent nor pass as members of the press.
"More's a-comin'," he murmured apa-
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

nothing to do but to gravitate from tank
of water to platform and back again and
chew gum, or something of the kind, and
blink amiaby at ad miring spectators.
But the lion cubs, those were he crown
ing glory OF the afternoon. There were
three of them, beautiful creatures, as large
as water spaniels already, with clumsy
paws the size OF their trainers hands. He
brought one to the door of the cage and
let me pat its head and stroke its soft
coat, but it did not take kindly to petting
from strangers, and one of those over
grown paws struck out at me with the
sudden fierceness of spiteful kitten, and
the watchfulness OF the man whose hands
were clasped around its throat alone
saved me from a scratch which would
have been something to remem ber.
you can't get the wildness out of them
even when they are whelped in captiv-
ity," SAID the lion tanner; "they hate US
ALL and don't much wonder and if the Y
can ever get back at us in any way, at any
time, they surely will"
And you are uot afraid ?" | asked as l
had asked before, and 81 can't afford TO
be-" he answered again.
And then he went out into the sunshine,
and i began to wonder if the lion-tamer
was, after ALL really much braver than I
was myeelf for | was going home to face
mamma and tell her where and how had
spent the afternoon.
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

and l hurried to see the evening feast OF
the animals; to watch them scram bic and
fight over their food, and hear them growl
defiance at each other and the crowd of
onlookers outside their cages.
Oh, but wasn't it delightful to be SAT-
on the right side of the bars and then see
those lions trying to tear up the floors of
their dens in their frenzy of excitement
and lashng their tails and beating their
bodies against the steel rods as the smell
OF the meat came to their keen and qu:v.
ering nostrils.
| was disappointed in the Bovalapus,
for he didn't eat meat at al, only hay and
mush mixed up with raw eggs, and [ had
been given to understand, pictorially, that
his food in his native wilds was unfortu-
nate and reluctant savages caught on the
fly. Perhaps such diet would give him
indigestion in confinement where he has
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

And They Te1l What Kind of 3
Time They Spent.

stony New England farm and trained the
animals there just for the fun of it, and
hos some dogs he trained were snapped
up by a sideshow, and how he himself not
long aft was snapped UP by a circus.
And then he told how he served his ap-
renticeship as general assistant and
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

glttered the lights. and the gleam and
glitter were reflected back from the sea Of
faces that lined the tier above tier of
seats stretching with scarcely break
about the great place. The air was tense
with expectant curiosity, and now and
then above the sound of the bal could
be hear the brill plai Mt OF baby's cry.
"Not a seat left" said the gentleman
With the genuine smile as he beckoned US.
We skirted the crowd, walking through
the soft earth that clung to US, and close
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

newspaper W o m a n
and a staring young
girl.
l really thought he
was going to deli
quesce right there;
but he didn't. He
got a grip on himself
after the first minute
or two and decided
that we were at least
no more dangerous
than the animals to
which he was accus-
toned, and then lit
tie by little he to d
us about himself and
his work.
He told US how he
was a little boy on a
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

worse.
But once a clown what can he be else
unless a kings fool? and kings are not
prolific enough to make the business
profitable. And then. again, he must
laugh, and if years take away our childish
way of seeing their merit we laugh at the
laughter of The children and forget the
understanding.
So we turned from the clowns and went
back into the tent where the trained
horses waited. Beautiful animals they
were, with sleek coats and such we'll
rounded forms. Mischievous, too. for
their knowing heads came toward us and
their hind legs went into the air just
close enough to miss US. In the center
were the two chariots, each hitched to
four thoroughbreds, and behind them,
seated behind table, was large woman
in short waist, with a strange arrange
ment made OF paper flowers on her head.
sMrs. Abrams, who drives this chariot, "
said the manager by way of introduction.
Mrs. Abrams came from her chair.
DO you think you could drive onef'
she asked. There are no springs, you
see, and if it goes into rut 1t Will over
turn. Then you must know how to stand
and brace yourself or you will be thrown
out. Step in and 1 will show you.
| stepped into the little insecure box
and planted my feet as she told me; then,
with the keeper at their heads, the horses
walked leisurely to the door.
l have ridden in a hay wagon over a
rough down grade, with the horses at
good speed, and l have also ridden in the
Montgomery and Sansome street cars, but
never have | been so sure that my joints
were coming apart and my teeth were in
secure, or that the earth had such strong
attraction for the back of my head as dur
ing those few feet.
Mrs. Abrams laughed. you see." she
said, lit isn't exactly pleasant sensation
unless you are used to ii. AS l drove out
the other day a little child called out,
Mamma, that's what Moses went to
heaven in, isn't it?' But" she laughed
putting her hand on the gilded outside, Il
don't think it was the same make"
"NorI" And 1 felt of my neck and shut
nv teeth as she led the way to the ladies'
dressing-room.
It was as large as an ordinary-sized
room, and separated
\ from the mems dress
: :: :: !. : !: ! :: !
~ ing-rooms by a cur
~ tain of canvas. About
~ the place, at in ter
g ~ walls of a few feet,
~ were placed small
sized tr unk with
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

they are forced by
slavish fear to 60
through tricks that
in their estim alton
must be undiguifed,
s sil V, meanin gless
and distasteful. l
was afraid that jaws
or claws might take
q swift and deadly
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

q SWi1C ana ueduly
revenge on the handsome trainer or some
OF his assistants, for humlliations past
and present.
| was in abiect fear through it ali, in
fact but liked it-oh, how | liked it! L
liked the ii tie icy thrills of terror which
trickled over me whenever one of the re-
luctant feline actors Jagged in his part
and looked at the trainer sidewise with
flaming eyes of hate and murderous spec
ulauon. | liked the quick heavy heart
throbs that shook me when the big-maned
lion, Duke, struck out like lightning with
his great talons and snarled nom entary
defiance at his tyrant; and when the
jaguar, fancying himself unn oticed for
the instant. crouched for the spring that
ever watchful eyes never allowed him to
make.
But most of all liked the hot rush OF
relief and thankfulness that swept over
me when the master kept his mastery and
cowed the fierce rebels into submission
and obedience in as matter of fact a way
as | would cuff the ears of pet kitten
that played too roughly.
l sat there and shuddered, and gasped,
and glowed, and gripped my neighbor's
until the riding lion-whose horseback
exercise was evidently far from pleasing
either TO himself or his steed-re tired from
the public gaze into the comparatively
peaceful seclusion of his cage, and the
helpful elephant was patiently bunting
MIN and his companions out of the arena.
Then | sat back and voiced the one wish
of my heart.
Il would give the world to speak to that
lion-tamer," l said, and that altoge ther
lovely woman beside me declared You
shall"
Ten minutes later nice looking slender
young fellow in a business suit and high
state OF EN- barrassment appeared before
us. The power of the press had sum-
moned the Iion-tamer and he had obeyed.
Queerly enough, though, the man who
rules lions snd tigers and jaguars and
leopards and panthers with moral suasion
and a stock with plstoi-shot snap
per on the end of it. and doesn't see m to
know what fear is when surrounded by
those treacherous and bloodthirsty beasts,
was decidedly timio and uncomfor table in
the presence of a harmless and necessary
newspaper wo man
and a staring young n
!: !: :: !: !: :: :: !: :: :. !
girl. n
| really thought he II
was going to deli n
quesce right there; ~
but he didn't. He ~
got grin on himself
The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

peating; but oh, the
mon otony of trying
to make the populace
laugh always. with
the same jokes and
the same actions.
And the few pitiful
aItera ii on s ust
make the monotony