davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
KANSAS RHYMEsTERs.

1 wonder if the fishin's good, the way
it used to be, down there beside John
Trivett's wood, the place where Jen and
me would fish for bullheads, sittin'
there upon rotten stump, while ants
would prowl most everywhere and
make us scratch and jump. Bout SIX
o'clock the bullheadS they would nrSt
begin to bite and keep it up, well, any
way, till ten o'clock at night And eve
I'll catch one now, and then, by gee;
I'm catch one now and then, be gee!
I must go home and milk that darned
old cow And we'd catch a bullhead
then Ca beauty we'd allow, and then
we'd drop line and say, 'Duce take
the cow!' And then the bullfross
would begin: 'K-r-r-rk, k-r-r-rk, they
say tit was most unearthly din), per
haps your COW is dead" And so we'd
sit and fish for Just one more or so,
and when we'd caught it, then we'd
And then when ten o'clock had come,
we'd strike for home and bed, and find
our mother lookin glum and shrink at
what she said.l Mad talk about that
wish, and I'd say then: well, any
how, just look at these here fish" 1t
made no difference. though; no less her
tongue was winged with flame, but I'd
reflect-and smile I guess-"Td catched
them just the same" l wonder if the
fshin's good, the way it used to be,
down there beside John Trivett's wood,
where Jen would fish with me. For if
it is, and L could go again my luck to
try, I'd fish and fish, I almost know,
and let the darned cow die.-Minneapo-
lis Messenger.
The fishin' Tommy's just as good the
way it used to be, but Trivett's moved
on t other creek and Jen, well goody
me, I'm darned if L can place her Tom
'mongst all your girls of yore. There
was Sue and Kate and Sadie and bout
q more, but Jen completely knocks us
out, in fact I think you've lied, but
never mind that troubles past and the
old COW, she's gone died. The bull
heads grown to German carp the suck
ers' into bass and wheat and corn now
fringe the creek, where then twas buff
falo grass. The bullfrogs still keep I'D
their din and though for years they've
tried, their voices are no more in tune
than when Jen was by your side on
that rotten stump, which by the ways
washed out and a three's grown in it's
place whose branches shade the creek
and every lazy lout, like you and I
when we were boys, now sit beneath
it's shade and never think of you or Jen,
or the stump that was decayed. Yes,
Tom the flshin's good, they way it used
to be, but perhaps it's true that Jen no
longer now is free and her Oldest boy
would eat you up if once your luck
you'd try, so you'd better fish some
other place and let the old cow die
Smith County Pioneer.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
WHERE AMER1cANs SHINE.

The supremacy of the English navy
over that of the rest of the world is
conceded, her army Is larger than ours,
her foreign commerce throws that of
America into the shade and besides all
this we owe her money, but when it
comes to the size, number and bril-
liancy of the diamonds which the Eng
lish aristocracy can display, Albion is
not in it with the United States.
This fact has recently been made ap-
parent in a way calculated to remove
any lingering doubt which may have
existed on the subject. And this is
how it all came about.
The Duchess of Devonshire gave a
great ball in honor of the queens jul
bilee and all the princes, princesses,
dukes and duchesses and titled digni-
taries, world without end, were invited,
but the Americans who were in Lon
don for the purpose of seeing the
sights, exhibiting their Jewels and fin
cry and spending their money, were
left out. Even the Bradley Martins.
who held the American long-distance
record on balls, were omitted from the
list of guests.
No explanation has been offered for
this slight to the American aristoc-
racy. 1t may have been that the
odor of oil or pork on the clothes of
their American cousins. However that
may be, the Bradley Martins and their
kind were not at the Duchess of Devon
shire's ball.
But London saw another sight. The
Duchess of Sutherland gave a ball.
Either because the Duchess of Suther-
land is less particular or for some other
reason which has not been explained,
she invited to her ball the Bradley
Martins and all the rest of the Ameri-
cans in London who were able to join
the magic word millionaire to their
names.
There exists now a probability that
she is glad of it, for has it not been
published to the world that the display
of diamonds exceeded greatly in value
and number those which sparkled and
glistened upon the persons of the Dew
onshire guests? Not only this, but the
costumes were more elegant and
costly.
As if this were not enough and it
were necessary to plunge the Duchess
of Devonshire and her set deeper in
the dungeons of despair it has been
published broadcast that the diamonds
worn by the Pan-English crowd were
to a large extent hired in Paris.
The English must try again before
they can outshine their Yankee visit
ors. The American nillionaireS in
London are determined to be recog-
nized if they are compelled to buy the
queens crown to do it,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
WHAT "WEn Is SAYING.

We know of one woman who lives
nine miles out, who baked two pies,
a loaf of layer cake, two pans of rusk,
killed, cleaned and fried six chickens,
made a dish of salad, packed this
lunch, got herself and children ready,
and filed her appointment with friends
for basket picnic" at the grove at
IL o'clock and didn't break the Sabbath
the morning of the Fourth-that's what
we call spirit of patriotism. G. A. r.
men who couldn't get up enthusiasm
enough to march in the parade N. B.
Manhattan Mercury.
Sunday is a day of rest and sweat for
most farmer boys. During the week
day a straw hat, thin shirt, light ovdr-
ALL and shoes make up their wearing
apparel, but when Sunday comes, oN
goes a heavy suit, and not being used
or sitting in a hot church they just set,
and set, and set, soakin' in the sweat.
It's horrible.-Dickinson Democrat.
The Keyes girls are sure Rustlers
they sold IA gal of ice cream, cases of
pop, and a barrel of lemonade, besides
a large trade on peanuts, Lemons and
Candy's.-Jetmore Republican.
f'While going down to view the burn
ing hay stacks Wednesday evening Miss
Ida Boggs stepped on a jack rabbit.
killing it instantly, and the very next
step she landed on rattlesnake, crush
ing the life out of it. Her friends man.
aged to get her to the house without
her doing any damage to the cattle and
horses. Coolidge Enterprise.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
THE "GCoDp OLD DAYS.

Some years ago 1 visited my birth
place and another place where 1 lived
as a child. 1t was very unSatiSfac
tory. Everything had shrunk and faded
The river was hardly a river. I was
swimming in it when heard that Cen
era1 Jackson was dead. The meadow
was only short 20 acres The great
house in the village would rent in Den
yer for SIS a month. The great rich
man of my time had become a small in
significant, very old figure. The only
redeeming suggestion about him was
that his two boys were killed for their
country at Cold Harbor. And for that
reason I went over and spoke to him.
And the bank! AS boy 1 don't think
I ever ventured into that awful edifice.
Even now it is with a kind of awe that
I enter q bank. l cannot get over the
feeling that in some way or another
they make money in there. A new
story would not make me laugh in a
bank.
I visited the old school house where
learned wood carving and detained
Marco Bozarris,
AT midnight in his guarded tent, -
which is up to date now. But the
whole scene was vastly disappointing
Where was the wagon shop? They used
to make a whole wagon in that village.
and good wagon. And the maker of
it pointed at it as it rolled along year
work. 1t was his creation. He took
pleasure in it. man now throws in
a chunk of wood and it comes out a
spoke. 1t is work, but there is no
pleasure in it. A machine never smiles.
] shall never more revisit old homes.
may not have gone on from them, but
L am away from them. There is no
returning.
I cannot read by the light of a cana
die. My father could. When he lost
his spectacIes or broke them, he sent
me over to the cross roads store and
bought another pair, or borrowed a pair
from his neighbor. We go to an ocu-
list and get measured and then to an
eye-carpenter and get the glasses fitted,
and so manage to read. There is no
possible return to old conditions. In
the town in which I was born there
was not bathtub. Men shaved them
selves and blood ran. And 1 remember
the soap-it was home made and called
soft. When a boy had been washed
with that soap he could still breathe
and his heart continue to beat. There
was enough life left in him to go to
meetinb and Sabbath school
am getting gray, but I do not desire
to tread the path of my childhood over
again.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
KANSANS' SUMNER PLANS.
What Sunhower Congressman Will
Do After Adjournment.

Washington, d. c., July 12.-The
Kansas members are preparing for adj
journment sine die. Most of them will
start home directly after adjournment,
but some have other plans for the
heated term.
Among the Kansans, Senator Harris
will take short vacation at the sea-
shore. He will probably go to Cape
May or Atlantic City.
Senator Baker will remain in the city
for a short time.
Congressman Curtis and Peters will
go directly home. Mr.. Peters will re-
sumo active work in the Live Stock
exchange, while Mr.. Curtis will look
after private business matters, and in
cidentally will get acquainted with the
lines of his new district.
Congressman Broderick is not well.
He will rest most of the summer.
Jerry Simpson purchased four pairs
of duck trousers the other day for po-
litica1 purposes in the Seventh district.
He will wear them when he starts his
hot biscuit and fried chicken cam
paign.
Messrs. Botkin and Vincent have been
longing all summer for a chance to
wrestle with one good, old fashioned
Kansas thunderstorm and they will
head west as soon as the house ad-
jOurnS.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
WON A BRIDE ATA SHOW.
Young Mar WEEDS the Belle Who Got
the R: bbon Over Him.

New York, July 12-Willie Doerr, son
of John Doerr the horse dealer, has
won the heart of Miss Eta Findley,
only daughter Of ED Findley, a poll
tician of Kansas City. Young Doerr
went west in September last and drove
in competition at the horse show in
Kansas City against the exhibit of Miss
Findley. He lost and won at the same
time. The winning feature accounts
for the presence at the Marlborough
hotel of Ed Findley and Miss Eta
Findley, Kansas City, Mo.
The Kansas City horse show is a So
ciaI event. Miss Findley and Willie
Doerr drove the only entries to a class.
The judges decided in favor of Miss
Findleys bays.
When the decision was given she ex-
claimed: Il am so sorry for him.
Doerr looked around and saw the
sympathizer his rival.
The losing horseman stayed in Kan
sas City, although his business was
over.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
TALL JEFFERSON EXPERT
N-ENTS.

Tall Timberson, the Osborne, (Kan.)
Swede read in his county newspaper
that the proper way to milk an unruly
cow was to treat her with kindness,
and that vocal music or tunes played on
a guitar or mouth-organ would make
her docile. He tried the plan and writes
TO the paper as follows:
SOON tam gone bak Ay tai you fall
lers bot vas Ay reed cen ma paper bot
settin a hen. Ay tried da rule NASAL,
and en- fin eet ban al rite, so by yeem-
my, Ay try das mans milken beeSness,
Oner mite Ay vent Ote da kow pen by,
en- old kOw ban stan dare ven Won leg
ma over hawls hang ote her mout. Ay
tip ma hat to har en- say: Good even
ing oil Miss Kow, Ay tank An ban goang
to milk laik das town failer tai ma OIL
kow room har toong OF har mouth en- go
'bah-h.'
"Ay sat on feence cen vistle SOON fine
toons, en- dane Ay set down en- kuom-
ence to milk. Old zow stan dare bot
meenit en- dane-whang-bang Meek
booklet, ban oop da top da tree cen Tail
Timberson ban stack oop en- fence kor-
ner wed kracked yaW. Old kow rip
roun da lot few tams, yoomp ote, en-
room way. Ven ha fin har, Ay hat to
pay owner mans sax tollar for kabbage
vas she eat oop for heem.
''Ay tank Ay like to has daS town
faller try das kow vounce."
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
BEAUTIES OF THAT FAST MAIL

Says the Garden City Sentinel: The
Inauguration of the new fast mail on
the Santa Fe from Kansas City to
Newton, is only another fair example of
the greatness of our wise-heads and
their idea of improving the mail SER
vice, and people west of Newton have
no right to kick, even if their mail is
laid over from six to twenty-four hours,
just SO the promoters of the new fast
mali have their minds relieved, and
think they have done great wonders
for Kansas.
The general public, especially here in
Garden City, feel away up when they
receive a letter real early in the morn
ing, bearing the post mark of Kansas
City, No, from Sc to 4S hours before.
For instance to illustrate the valuable
services we derive from the fast mail,
letter deposited in the postoffices at
Kansas City, Mo-, July 5th at p. M,
arrives at this city at 11:22 p. m. July
9Th, and is delivered at the address at
$50 a. m, July 7th,-just SO hours from
the time it left Kansas City, and we
throw up our hands and yell "Hurrah,
for the Fast Mall
This P. D. Q. service is indeed a great
innovation and an immense improve
ment over the old system of despatch
ing mails from Kansas City. In the
days gone by. when we had no such
luxury as a $500 per day fast maiP'
service, and plug locals and were re-
lied upon to supply us with mail a man
could mail a. letter in Kansas CITY at
11:20 p. m. and feel certain it would
reach its destination, if it be Garden
City, at 2:25 p. n, the day following
in IA hours and Is minutes from the time
of mailing, whereas under the new fast
mail (oh, we have to laugh) it only
takes a letter Sc hours to make the
same trip.
Great is the fast mail, but greater
are the promoters of the fast mail
scheme for Kansas
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
WHY NOT THE YUCCA.

Hugoton Hermes: Speaking of a
state flower, why not the yucca fill
mentosa? The plant is a perennial
evergreen; it's tall spikes of creamy
white flowers are surprisingly beauti-
full. The fiber is useful, too, for many
purposes, while the roots are an ex-
cellent substitute for soap. There you
have it-an emblem of long life, of pur-
ity, of stateliness. of usefulness, of
cleanliness. And, too, the long stalk
stripped of its flowers, makes a pretty
fair CAD where trees are not numerous
This adds very materially to it's SYM
bolisrn. We are for the yucca, Kan
sas' best and most beautiful flower, the
stately soap weed.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
ICE MEN

(Harvey B. Bashore in Lippincott's)
How palaeolithic man got to this land
for it does not seem likely that the
genus homo was indigenous here's a
question that has puzzled the wisest;
perhaps by way of Greenland, over the
bridging ice field which probably con-
nected Europe and America. How
ever, we know that he did get here,
and, as the first wandering bands of
these old hunters came, we know, too,
that they found a land of snow and ice,
of great rivers and many lakes. 1t
seems probable, from the finding of oc-
casional implements in the older grav-
els, that the earliest emigrants arrived
while the glacier was at it's maximum.
One unbroken field of ice had spread
over all the north, covering Maahat-
tan island a thousand feet and reach
ing to within fifty miles of. Philadel-
phia. AS the years passed. more bands
of these hardy explorers reached this
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
FOR DEAD CHINAMEN.
A Chinese Syndicate Will Start a
Cemetery at Philadelphia

New York July PA special to the
World from Philadelphia says:
Arrangements have been completed for
a national burying ground for the Chi
nese.
The knowledge that other nationali-
ties and creeds had their own cemeter-
les and conducted ceremonies peculiar
to their beliefs prompted the leading
Chinese of this country to purchase
land to give them a national burying
ground, upon which they could erect a
joss house and conduct their own fun
era1 services without interfering with
municipal or cemetery authorities.
A meeting of the leading Cinnamon of
New York, Philadelphia. Boston, Chi
cago. Baltimore and other cities was
called and the organization took the til
tie of the National Chinese Syndicate
and has representatives in every city
in the United States. 1t is said to con-
troll $50. 600, 600.
Lee Toy, the mayor of Chinatown in
this city, was selected to take charge of
the matter and it was decided to select
a site in the vicinity of Philadelphia
A tract of land at Wynnewood, about
six miles from Philadelphia was select
ed, and the syndicate purchased it for
$545, 600.
1t is expected that the adjacent land
owners will try to prevent the Celes-
tials from carrying out their intentions.
In the northeast portion of the plot
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
SOCIALISM IN FRANCE.

ON. Georges Clemenceau in the FORUM
Nothing is so characteristic of the
present regime in France as the. dis
proportion between the hopes it sug
gests to the French mind and the re-
aHties with which it pays such SPLEEN
did promises. The incapacity to bring
about the most timid fiscal reform in a
country burdened with the heaviest
debt and the most incoherent system of
taxation is enough to doom to disap
pointment in advance all hope of social
reforms. Perhaps 1t would be unfair
to throw on the government of the
bourgeoisie the exclusive responsible
ty for this state of things. It is true
that no impulse toward reform has ever
come from them, and that they have
shown themselves as curiously incapa-
BILE of directing the country in an evo-
luton of peaceful liberty as the an
cienne noblesse. 1t must be admitted,
however that the country itself, while
it expects that the abuses of routine,
which it tolerates with no adequate
protest, will bring about these ill-or-
dered movements of opinion that are
in the traditions of France, appears
quite unable to impose on the govern
ment a systematic effort toward re-
formatory action. This mental situa-
ton throws a certain vivid light on the
present state of socialist thought and
action in France.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
ANEcDoTE OF COL. SID COOKE.

[From the Leavenworth Standard
Col. Sidney G. Cooke of Harrington,
local manager of the soldiers home,
probably is the only man in the world
who ever sneezed a bullet out of his
head. Col. Cooke was badly wounded
in the battle of the Wilderness, a ball
from a Confederate rifle having pene-
trated his brain. His comrades left him
on the field where he fell, for he was
q ad to all intents and purposes, and
the newspapers published his name
with the list of those who yielded up
their lives for the flag in that awful
conflict.
All day and till long after nightfan
Sidney G. Cooke who was yet lad,
lay in clump of bushes on a ridge.
The Federal skirmish line was broken
early in the day by a rebel charge,
which was checked by Union bayonets.
The contending forces surged back and
forth for hours, and when both armies
retired from the field at sunset, the
ridge was strewn with a thousand life
less forms.
The night was very dark and a lone
rebel skulked a bout the field, unobserv-
ed by the Union sentinels who walked
slowly to and fro only a short distance
away, in search of a brother supposed
to have met death in the fight. He
stumbled over Cooke in the bushes, and
a $fe still grasped in the apparently
dead s\dier's hand, attracted his atten-
ton. He stopped to appropriate the
weapon for himself, when Cooke groan-
ed. The rebel had few drops of
whisky in his flask which he forced into
the wounded mans mouth and he soon
revived. The rebel was a powerful fell
low, and he succeeded in carrying
Cooke into his own camp, a prisoner
Cookies wound was dressed and he
improved rapidly, the bullet remaining
in his head. Within three weeks he was
sent to Andersonville. where he re-
manned about seven months. He be-
came strong, that is, as strong as it
was possible for man to become at
Anderson, and the lead in his 'nog-
GIN did not bother him at all. One day
he commenced to sneeZe, and he nearly
sneezed himself to death. He -sneezed
for ten days. With the last sneeze came
the bullet 1t had been in his head near
ly eight months.
Col. Cooke carries the bullet as war
relic. The rebel who took the colonel
prisoner guarded him for several days
and they got quite well acquainted. The
rebels name was Charles NJ. Jones. A
few years ago the men met in a hotel
at Washington, D. c., and recognized
each other. Jones is now a prosperous
lawyer at Greens borough, N. c.
Col. Cooke entered the army at the
age of Is and served three years. He
was wounded twice.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-12
RAISED THE WRONG FLAG.

(FTOm the N. Y. Mail and EXpreSS.)
Not so very long ago a crack cruiser
of the new navy plowed it's way through
the Baltic and dropped anchor off ST.
Petersburg, according to the Washing
ton Post.
There were Russian craft lying all
about, and within quarter of a mile
of the Yankee cruiser there was the oil
i've green, high turreted flagship of the
Russian squadron, with half a dozen
great guns poking their noses from her
barbettes fore, aft and midships. The
white cruiser, as custom is, ran up her
ensign with a salute of single gun
that is she intended to run up her en-
sign, but what broke out at the yank of
the halyards was none other than the
double headed eagle of Russia. No
body on board noticed it for moment
but what did attract their attention
was puff of smoke from the Rus
slams forward turret, and almost be-
fore the boom of the great gun had roll
ed to them across the water the star
board turret roared a second greeting.
This was an excess of courtesy, but
surprise increased when the midship
barbettes followed suit and the big bow
guns began again in turn. In casting
eyes over heaven and earth to see what
in the name of nations was the moving
cause of this cannonade, the Yankee
blue jackets saw to their surprise the
Russian ensign which all uninten tional-
ly f1oated from their own peak. 1t was
pain lnaT the Russians were S3iut1lE
their own flag The salute was good,
but the surprise was at SO much of it.
OF course, the American commander
could not haul down the friendly flag
while the salute was going on, so he
kept it up, while the Russians likewise
kept up their cannonade. 1t lasted for
over an hour, and every one had lost
count of the shots, but when it did final
1y cease, to the further establishment of
the visitors, the Russian admiraPs
barge was lowered away, filed with
a miscellaneous load of gold lace and
epaulets, and came Swimming along
across the water.
An excited load of Russian officers
came swarming over the side, which
was courteously manned to receive
them, though the object of their COM
ing was a deep and shrouded mystery.
They fell on the neck of the American
commander and of his officers, swear
ing eternal friendship and brotherhood
in a potpourri of French, Russian and
English.
The American crew had to take it all
for granted till by a series of diplomat
ic questions, they elected the fact that
it was the cars birthday, and the
hoisting of the Russian flag had been
accepted out of hand as the most deli
cate sort of an international compli-
ment.
The Russians had returned it with the
national salute of 100 guns.