davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-02-14
NOTES OF THE DAY

The self-propelling fire engine of Bos-
| ton makes ten miles an hour and climbs
| hills.
Rhode Island started out to erect a
| 81 500, 900 capitol, and is new informed
| that $1,674,4S9 more Is needed to CON-
plete the building.
Among the curioSitieS of tie new
French census is the discovery that the
| French capital contains only trifling
| fraction of native Parisians.
The ivory market at Antwerp, organ
lied scarcely five years ago. has become
the largest in the world-larger than
the two other great markets, that of Lon-
| don and that Of Liverpool.
| The commission of the French budget
has allotted 10000 fracs to be employed
| toward the determination of wolves dur
| ing the present year. In 1888 this SER
vice cost the government 104,450 francs
Only six Of the forty-five states Of the
union indulge in the extravaganza of an
nual sessions of the Legislature, to-wit:
Georgia, Massachusetts, New York
Rhode Island and South Carolina, all be-
| longing to the original thirteen.
The authorities in Pittstield, Mass,
have recently added to the fire depart
ment's apparatus sort of restaurant on
| wheels, or might lunch" cart, a vehicle
| stocked with doughnuts, sandwiches and
coffee, which followes the engines to
fires.
The gunmaking firms Of Sir w. G.
| Armstrong & Co. of Newcastle, Eng
land, and Sir Joseph Whitworth of New
castle, England. are being consolidated
The former has a capital of 100000 .0O(
| and employs $4,000 men and the latter
has $5,O0O,000 and employs 5000 men.
At the recent meeting of the American
Jewish Historical society at Baltimore
| it was shown in careful paper that in
1872 the Jews in the United States did not
number more than 5000, while now there
| are estimated to be SOC, 900 in the country
of whom 100000 are in New York city.
The little village of Martin, Mich, has
not had a saloon for thirty years, but sc
many drunken men were seen on the
| streets lately that an investigation was
| ordered. The authorities found a john
| containing fifteen barrels of whisky In
the cellar Of private residence near the
business center.
| A wedding ceremony took place in
Trenton, Mo-, the other day which was
| a notable one for the reason that both
| the contracting parties had passed the
age of three score and ten, and that the
marriage was the elimination of a court
ship that had extended over period OF
more than forty years.
An enterprising Scotch minister in Mel.
| bourne has arrayed his male chorister;
| in highland dress, while the ladies are
attired in the costume of the Lady OF
| the Lake The hymns are sung to tht
strains Of the bagpipe, and these innova-
tions are so attractive that the church
is crowded.
| Remarkable reports are current about
a new kind of steel invented by Samue
Maxim at his experimental laboratory
at Wayne, Me. The inventor believes
it to be Identical with the ancient stee
of India, which Is alleged to have beer
! far superior to any steel known to- met.
| allurgists in modern times. 1t is sait
that small blade made from the MAXI
| steel possesses the power Of cutting glass
| with a. much ease as II 1t were chalk.
The herald., 1897-02-14

'vada state line? Outside Of the pleasant
country surrounding San Jose there is
absolutely no attempt made to look
after the comfort Of the pleasure seeker
up north. Men In search Of land, or
mines, or strictly homeseekers, are un-
doubtedly we'll cared for, but the people
travelling purely for pleasure. who do not
want. lands or mines. and who have no
wish to change their homes, claim that
in Southern California they are appre-
ciated and catered to, while elsewhere
in the state, outside of San Francisco
and one or two other points, they find
no attempts made to care for them
There is hint in the testimony Of this
class of travelling people. which, intelli-
gently acted on, may prove Of bene-
fit to the gentlemen who are back Of
the movement to direct tourist travel
from Los Angeles to Northern Cali
fornia.
The herald., 1897-02-14

for bringing him into the world; put that
In \ mistake At the same time. the
father is under obligations to his poy' as
well as the boy is under obligations to
his father. The boy knows whether or
not he wants to join his comrades ana
90 to the field to gather flowers or play
ball on the common, and the fa.ner
knows whether or not he wants to toast
his shins by the fire or smoke mis- pipe
on the porch. Each knows what woulo
most conduce to his pleasure for the
time. and there should be no conflict.
The fact of the matter is, boys would
be manlier and better every way IL
fathers would sustain more confidential
relations with them-treat them more as
little gentlemen and less as things thar
are always in the way. whenever
father finds that his boys companion
shin is hateful to him, the quicker both
become angels the better 1t will be for ali
concerned; and if boy can find no COM
panionship in his father which compen-
safes for staying out of the street why
his coming into the world was mistake.
1t is true as gospel that If fathers
would get closer to their boys-get their
confidence and in turn confide in them
there would be more good boys, and
good fathers, too. Most boys really de-
sire to be manly, and fathers who can
discover no manly qualities in their boys
will be found, upon examination, to have
very little manliness themselves. The
same old Hindoo priest referred to gave
1t as his opinion that the father should
grow young as his boy grows DID, and
meanwhile maintain confidential rela-
tions with him. 'Then," said he,
there would be no very bad boys-ex-
cept those who had very bad fathers.
The herald., 1897-02-14
HIDDEN L,0Hrs

The distant glory of the azure skies
Is muff1ed In gray fleece Of downy snow,
Whose penetrating shadows, hanging low,
Dome the still world with myriad crystal
eyes.
Upon the lustrous land there is not lined
The faintest wreath of shade. Each crevics
holds
Its subtle Light whose tender glow unfolds
The shadow threads the busy sun-god
twined.
Thus, cropping SOUL the concentrated woes
OF life, which fall upon thee thick and fast,
Contain a spiritual light to cast
Within the aching wounds thy days un-
close.
Suffer the seeming shades, woudst solacN
win,
- fallen shadow turns to light within,
Jessie willis Brodhead In the Catholic
World. -
The herald., 1897-02-14

Early indications convinced practical
oil men that the deposit was not in very
great volume, and that it did not promise
. long continued yield. Even if the sup
ply had been much greater the sinking
of such multitude of wells in close
proximity TO each other must have served
to exhaust it at no distant date. In
practice, it was found that there was no
permanent or long continuing "gusn-
ers." While a few of the more lucky
holes spouted intermittently at the be-
ginning, and each yielded a hundred or
more barrels per day, it was found that
the natural flow gradually decreased un-
til it ceased entirely. Then it was nee
essary to secure the oil by pumping, and
in turn the yield thus obtained grad
ually diminished. A well that perhans
started in with hundred barrels ner
day would, in the course Of a month or
two, fall to yield of sixty barrels. then
to fifty, forty, thirty, ten, and finally
to such low output that pui0ping was
no longer profitable Finally the owner
faced the alternative Of abandoning the
we'll or. at great expense sinking it
deeper in the hope of striking another
stratum. Many small operate who had
obtained money on mortgage to carry
The herald., 1897-02-14

Recently the city government seems
to have awakened somewhat to the dan
gers Of the situation, and an ordinance
has been adopted prohibiting the en-
croachment of oil wells within 1900 feet
of Westlake park. A noble effort indeed,
to stay this march of devastation. Will
the honorable, the members of the city
council and the mayor tell us why a
public park should be more sacred than
a private home? A park is fine thing
in it's way for people to resort to on Sun
but they go there for brief time to EN-
joy the beauties of the place and fill
their lungs with fresh air. In mans
home he and his family must live What
ever the surroundings may be, they con-
stitute a large factor in the every day
life of himself and his household. Why
is not an individual as much entitled to
protection in these rights as a public
park? 1t is said that an Englishman's
house is his castle. But what Of the
house of an American-of a citizen of
Los Angeles-of a resident of the oil
district? 1t seems to us that If homes
in the oil belt are castles, they have been
very i'll defended by our public guar
dians. Would not a fair and just law
prohibit the boring of oil wells, not only
within 1900 feet of a park, but within
1900 feet of residence? Give US a law
to this effect, gentlemen of the council,
and you will give property owners just
ice though ii be tardy.
The herald., 1897-02-14

The Republican majority in the legis-
lature Is in most awkward position.
The state printer must have money. or
the printers union will order the hands
to quit work because of the non-pay-
ment of wages. The governor will ap-
prove a reasonable appropriation, but
the bosses want to work a steal, and the
condition that now confronts them Is
perplexing in the extreme. A reasonable
appropriation would defeat their aims
and more than what is honest and fair
they cannot get.
The herald., 1897-02-14

The leaders of London society need not
mourn over the departure of Ambassa-
dor Bayard. Depew will take his place,
and for real snobbery, the new ambassa-
dor can beat Bayard every hour in the
q
The herald., 1897-02-14

1t was decided by the physi-
clans yesterday that Nine. Helena
Modjeska is suffering from ap-
pendicitis. This intelligence will
cause general regret to the many friends
and admirers of this talented artist and
true woman throughout the country 1t
is, however, gratifying to be able to
state that she is in no immediate danger,
and that the physicians in attendance
are hopeful of her speedy recovery Nine.
Modjeska is an honor to her profession,
and the verification of the hopes of the
doctors will be a matter of general con-
graduation.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Greece Is threatening the peace of
Europe at this particular time, but no
one knows who or what will be the dis
turbing influence a week hence. The
United States are we'll fixed to supply
breadstuffs and the like, and If it Is all
the same to the powers. peace might be
broken right now.
The herald., 1897-02-14
THE ARLINGTON HOTEL
HUMOR OF THE HOUR

''She says she's 25, but she's 35. I can
read it between the lines"
What lines?"
Those on her face."-Harper's Bazaar.
Social Observation-Disclosures new girl
baby Is sending her cards around
We'll, let's hurryand call on her be-
fore she learns to talk. Chicago Rec
ord.
Harry says his life was barren des-
ert before he saw me-"
well, he looks as If he had lived where
he couldn't get water to drink.
Record.
You geniuses are getting so thick
that you will soon crowd common peo-
pie off the earth"
mo, we won't-most of us are so
lazy."-Chicago Record.
DE man dat boasts OBJ his cha'ty."
said Uncle Eben, makes some folks
crfticise. But he amt ez bad as de man
dat ain got no 'scuse foh boastin,' even
eff he wanted ter."-Was ashington Star.
Policeman (to suspicious looking char
acter)-Have you been passing any bad
money?
Suspicious looking Character-Dunno,
! Fun.
Jones-What is the idea of giving the
protected manufacturers a hearing in
Washington? Is It to see what they
want?
Jenkins-No; to see what they'll take.
Puck.
Mrs. Spat--Your husband is an inven-
| tor, I believe?
Mrs. Spotter--Yes; some of his excuses
for coming home late at night are In
use all over the country-Philadelph
North American.
Miss Summers-That was an awfully
old joke your friend got off Mtt1e while
ago. can remember hearing 1t when
was girl.
Mr. Winters-Oh. 1t can't be as old az
| that!-Yonkers Statesman.
what qualifications have you for
| detective?"
Been in the coal business all my life"
| Cannot see the connection
1--WE been lying in weight for dishon.
Jest men."-Yonkers Statesman.
The herald., 1897-02-14

When the new wool and wooden goods
tariff takes effect, the price of wooden
fabrics will be about doubled. But the
infant industries must be protected II
it bankrupts every wage-earner in the
10 r6
The herald., 1897-02-14

The Nebraska legislature refuses to
submit to the people the question of a
constitutional amendment giving women
the right to vote. That is surprising
thing for a Populist legislature to do.
The herald., 1897-02-14

The current issue of the San Bernar-
dino Times-Index is an illustrated immi-
grafton edition of 2S pages of descrip-
tive pictures and reading matter. Los
Angeles could not get out more read
able nor a handsomer publication.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Senator Quay may not have fiddled
while the capitol of his state was burn
ing, but he will be on hand to guard the
expenditure account" during the erec-
ton of the new building.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Whatever else is said about the Brad
leyMartin ball. the guests, especially
the women, wore more clothes than is
the custom on ball occasions in New
York. But, then, it was a fancy dress
n IF i,.
The herald., 1897-02-14
THE OIL BLIGHT

little more than three years ago a
nrospector. boring in the vicinity OF
Second-street park, in the western por-
ton of the city, found at a moderate
depth a deposit of petroleum. 1t was
believed to be a great discovery Other
prospectors flocked in, and when, few
months later, the Susskind well devel-
oned into a "spouter," the value Of the
denosit was taken as an assured fact,
and heralded abroad as the beginning
of a new era in the industrial develop
ment of Los Angeles. A speculative
fever. more or less contagious, imme-
diately developed, and there were not
wanting citizens of enterprise and cap
ftal to claim share of the forthcoming
wealth. Derricks were erected in the
immediate vicinity of the earlier dis
coveries, and even at considerable dis
tances therefrom; and, as soon as boring
plants could be installed, the work of
sinking holes went forward with the
greatest possible dispatch, and was
prosecuted day and night, holidays ana
Sundays The owners of city lots in
that section early caught the fever. In
some instances men leased their home
steads to operators for fixed rental
or a share in the proceeds; in some in
stances they bored wells on their own
property, bent on securing all there was
in it. 1t was not unusual to find little
home with a derrick on the front lawn,
another near the woodshed, and port
able engine in operation alongside the
back porch. With each fresh tapping CT
the deposit the lines of the oil terri
tory were extended, until the costly eX-
pertinent of dry holes admonished that
1t was dangerous to go further in a GER
tain direction. In time the field was
thoroughly exploited and, to a certain
extent, defined. 1t was recognized by
borers that there was little use of sink
ing holes further east than Bellevue
avenue or beyond the northern or south
er1 limits of narrow strip extending
to the northwest for about a mile. This
territory is the recognized oil district
of Los Angeles. Some work has been
done, with uncertain results, farther
east but the principal part of the pros
pecting is to the westward, and the field
is now invading the Westlake park Sec
ton.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Street traffic has become so great in
Philadelphia that an ordinance has been
passed requiring vehicles to keep to the
right upon meeting The Quaker City
is not such a slow coach, after all.
The herald., 1897-02-14

1t is good deal easier for a Bradley
Martinite to pass through the eye of a
needle than for mechanic, dressed as
a mechanic, to enter the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
The herald., 1897-02-14

John j. ingalls, is posing before Nc
Kinley as a good party man who has been
out of a job for a long time, 'but the
Canton man gives him no satisfying hint
of good things to come.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Dingley says the new tariff will be
framed with the view of shutting out
competing foreign goods. Where will
the proposed increase in customs duties
come in if foreign goods are to be kept
The herald., 1897-02-14

1.-THE bulwark of protection" is the
new name of the Dingley bill, but the
masses will have occasion later on to
call it 1.-The thumbscrew of the trusts and
mOnopolies" )"
The herald., 1897-02-14

forward an oil venture, found them
selves in a desperate plight, not having
been reimbursed for their outlay, and
they had either to plunge ahead in the
hope of saving themselves or face the
alternative of losing their all.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Who would have thought it? Fitzsim-
mons carefully observes the Sabbath.
They say he will not train or talk fight
on, that day
The herald., 1897-02-14

Cui bono? What shall it profit us if
we penetrate the first, the second and
the third sands and draw thereforin their
oleaginous store only to find that, on the
average, we have paid something for the
privilege of prosecuting a nasty bust
ness? Where is the benefit TO us as a
community of all this furore? 1t has re-
suited simply in saving to a few manu-
facturers and large corporations. But
there is another phase of the debtor side
of the account not yet touched upon
When oil was first discovered in the
western hills, Second street park. So
called, was a delightful little breathing
place, with an ornamental lake with
walks, shade trees, flowers, pavilions-
not very much of a park it is true-not
a public park at that-but a pretty spot
and an attractive feature of the land
scape. Today it is picture of desola-
ton and ruin. The little lake is pool of
black, disgusting petroleum.; the boats
it's surface are smeared with the univer-
sal grease and thrown aside warping in
the sun; the pavilions are descroyed
the trees are dead; the flowers and grass
are gone; everything about the premises
capable of being besmeared presents the
universal aspect of slovenliness.
This is but picture of one little half
acre in the oil field. Follow the trail Of
The herald., 1897-02-14

Senators Hoar Allison and Chandler
are acting as though they intended to
break into the free silver party.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Complete independence of Cuba or
complete determination Of all Cubans is
the way Gomez answers Spain's auton-
omy proposition.
The herald., 1897-02-14

"Those who love me call me Lille" re-
marked the ex-queen of Hawaii when
scme one addressed her as Mrs. DOM
iniS
The herald., 1897-02-14

While praying for the poor today. ex.
press your sorrow for them in cash OF
food and clothes.
The herald., 1897-02-14

One Of the guests at the Bradley-Mar-
tin show was carried to the ball room In
a sedan chair. No, he was not lame
or sick 1t was in the play.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Corn is selling at cents bushel in
Nebraska, and there is lots of it for
sale.
The herald., 1897-02-14

The folding-bed mouth of Senator
Chandler continues to operate.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Railroad men say that nearly all tick
cts to Canton read with stopover at
Cleveland" Hanna's 20. X. on McKin-
leys promises is necessary, it would
The herald., 1897-02-14

Shooting at train robbers to kill is legal
all the year round in this part Of the
world
The herald., 1897-02-14

After March 4th, Canton, O., will be
looking for receiver.
The herald., 1897-02-14

Certain it is that many who have dab
bled in oil would be glad to accept the
good money that they have put into the
ground and quit the business. One of
the heaviest plungers in the field, who
once posed as a baron" and prospective
millionaire, is now insolvent, and re-
ceiver is operating his wells in the hope
of saving something for the creditors.
Thus, in a certain sense, 1t may be said
the great speculation has failed. Those
who at first deluded themselves with
the idea of fortunes in liquid form have
had their illusions thoroughly dispelled.
Whatever profit has been made from the
development of this oil territory has not,
in the main, gone into the pockets of the
producers.
The herald., 1897-02-14

If statistics had been compiled we
might have some interesting informa-
ton as to the average life" of pro-
ducing we'll in this district. AT a rough
estimate, based on observation, the time
of profitable yield is under six months.
Some Of the best informed men engaged
in the business admit that the district
already exploited is not likely to con-
tinue in production more than year
longer Already many wells have been
abandoned. So we may say, at the most
liberal estimate, the infant industry is
not long for this world. Had this oil
territory been outside the city limits
and owned by a few individuals, they
might have made 1t profitable. Probably
ten wells would have drawn away the
deposit as we'll as a thousand. and the
expense would thus have been reduced to
an hundredth part. 1t would have taken
a longer time to secure the same guam
tty of OIL but that also must be counted
an advantage, because the competition
would have been less and the market
need not have been demoralized. But
what might have been Is not in the story
The herald., 1897-02-14

Harry says his life was barren des-
ert before he saw me-"
well, he looks as If he had lived where
he couldn't get water to drink. k."-Chicago
Record.
The herald., 1897-02-14

The idea prominently advanced at the
birth of this infant industry was that
by placing at our disposal a vast guam
tity of cheap fuel, 1t would lead to estab-
fishing large manufacturing concerns,
and that, in time, Los Angeles would
develop into another Pittsburg or an
other Cleveland. The early demonstra-
ton Of the unreliability of the oil deposit
blighted these hopes. retrospective
view at the end of more than three
wears, during which we have enjoyed
this cheap fuel, fails to disclose any very
large manufacturing establishments as
a result thereof, or many small ones,
either. Without doubt there has been
a large output of oil and at all times it
has been cheap enough to satisfy any
reasonable consumer. There have been
some substantial benefits from this i'm
proved condition. These have been Sc
cured by the manufacturers and corpo-
rations with steam plants or steam loco
motives already here. They have
probably been able to reduce their fuel
expenses one-haIf These are the only
ones who have uniformly made money
out of our infant industry.
The herald., 1897-02-14

"She says she's 25, but she's 35. can
read it between the lines
What lines?"
Those on her face."-Harpers Bazaar.
The herald., 1897-02-14

You geniuses are getting so thick
that you will soon crowd common peo-
pie off the earth
mo, we won't-most of us are so
lazy.'-Chicago Record.