davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1898-01-17
THE FROG

Once upon time and in place
Conducive to malaria
There lived member of the race
OF Rama Temporaria,
Or more concisely still, frog
Inhabited certain bog.
A bull of Brobdingnagian size,
Too proud for condescension,
One morning chanced to cast his eyes
Upon the frog mention.
And, being to the manner born.
Surveyed him with lofty scorn.
Perceiving which, the batrachian's frame
With anger was inflated,
Till, growing larger. he became
Egregiously elated,
For Inspirations sudden spell
Had pointed out way to swell
"Ha! hal" he proudly cried, "a fig
For this, your mammoth torso!
For l shall shortly be as big
AS you or even more so!'
To which magniloquential gush
His bullship simply answered "Tush!'
Alas! the frogs success was slight.
Which really was a wonder,
In view of how with all his might
He strove to grow rotunder;
And, standing patiently the while.
The bull displayed quiet smile.
But ah the frog tried once too oft,
And, doing so he busted
Whereat the bull discreetly coughed
And moved away disgusted.
As well he might, considering
The wretched taste that marked the
thing.
Guy Wetmore Carryl, In Life.
The herald., 1898-01-17
GLORIOUS NEWS

We are informed by Secretary Gage
that "It is no more the mere longing Of
a dream that our country shall become
the creditor nation of the world. That,
actually, it is today" The high author
ity for this removes ali doubt as to its
verify, and we are today the creditor ma
ton of the world. Everybody is actually
indebted to us. 1t must be so, for Mr..
Gage cannot be mistaken. We have
long been under the delusion that Eng
land was the great creditor nation of the
world, but that was a most egregious
error. Instead of our owing England,
as many supposed, on national, state,
county, municipal, railroad and other
bonds, something like thousand mil
lion pounds sterling, she owes us, but
how much Mr.. Gage does not tell us. 1t
may turn out that her indebtedness to
us is equal to the five thousand million
dollars. and that we actually" hold her
securities for that enormous amount
This discovery of our worthy secretary
must rank among the remarkable ones
of the nineteenth century; it proves its
author to be a most careful student of
the situation as he expresses it. For
tunate, indeed, is the nation that can
boast such a financial minister! The
pleasure of being transformed from a
debtor into a creditor nation is some
thing exquisite, and our gratitude to Mr..
Gage for that happy result, who can
measure it?
This most wonderful change, says our
'student of the situation is 1.-The ac-
complishment of 1897" the period of his
supervision of the treasury department,
and it presents, as he truthfully re-
marks, "a glorious contrast with the
dreary record of wrecking years preced-
ing it, and comes latter years that have
been practically panic times"
Not stopping with the above glad It'd
ings, our most learned student of the
situation" further tells us that the west
(Which includes us) faces in 1898 the
most inspiring situation known to its
history" and that "the country waits
now only to have it certified that sound
conditions underlie national finance
when we shall witness business prosper
ity beyond parallel"
Happy, thrice happy America, to have
at the head of her financial affairs such
a profound student Of the situation! Un-
der him we have become, in jiffy, as it
were, the creditor nation Of the world.
and we only wait for a sound condition
to underlie our national finance to make
us more happy, If possible, than the Sal
walton army people.
The herald., 1898-01-17
PROSPERITY IN MEXICO

The Herald is in receipt of an inter-
esting communication from Mr.. II. W.
Loomis, upon the subject of prosperity
in Mexico, in which he refutes recently
published statements upon that topic
viewed from gold standpoint. Mr.
Loomis has observed the conditions in
Mexico during the past fifteen years and
knows what he is talking about. His
communication is too long to print in
full, but its salient points are herewith
presented.
The point sought to be made, that Mr..
Bryan was the guest Of President Diaz
and of the prominent and wealthy citi-
zens of Mexico instead of the poorer
classes, is so flimsy as to be hardly
worth noticing. Mr.. Bryan came as a
distinguished guest and was so received
by the prominent men of the nation
Popular meetings of the lower classes of
Mexico to consider questions of the day
are unknown; it is the upper classes who
give thought to matters of government
and economics. This condition will
change, of course, when the lower class
es become educated.
We are told that the mine owner is a
free silverite, as though that were an un-
pardonable sin. But the iron manufac-
turer is for a high tariff, and the sugar
producer would like a bounty. Every
body naturally favors such legislation
as will benefit himself; but is his like or
his dislike proof of the soundness or the
fallacy of the principle involved?
A great deal is said about the high
prices of articles in Mexico as compared
with the purchasing power of Mexican
money. If everything is higher in Mex
leo, why does our government keep d
large force Of guards and other customs
officials to keep Americans from pur-
chasing goods in Mexico duty free
What is the nightmare Of Ell Paso mer-
chants? The answer is, low prices in
Juarez.
There is, from the very nature of
things. no semi-civilized nation in which
unsl -s~N lels~- Y the
The herald., 1898-01-17
sQUELCH 1T

The disgraceful phonograph eXhlpl-
ton. purporting to give the dying cries
and curses of the black brute who was
burned at the stake, The Herald Is IN
formed, has again started up on Main
street. and is being visited by large
number of men and boys who are thus
subjected to one of the most debaslng
and brutalizing influences imaginable.
The SHOW was stopped for few
DAYS after this paper had called atten-
ton to it's injurious features. Why the
authorities should have permitted it to
resume is hard to understand. Surely
no valid reason can be advanced for al
lowing anything of that sort. The ex-
hibition should be squelched without
ceremony.
The herald., 1898-01-17

| more advanced nations. because with
them the unskilled labor market is over
stocked to much greater degree; this
naturally makes the price of that class
of labor very low. Were Mexico today
suffering from a contracted, over-appre-
ciated currency as the United States is.
the poorer classes would see nothing
but store orders and small credits, M
stead of having some money, as is the
case at present.
The prosperous copper camp of Bisbee,
Arizona, is about six miles from the So
nora line. Meals there cost from So cents
to so cents, and beds are 81. On the line.
where the American custom house
stands, there is little hotel with corral
attached. One can get there pretty
good meal for 25 cents, a horse feed for 25
cents, and two drinks for a quarter,
American money.
Four miles south, in Sonora, is the,
Mexican custom house, at La Morita.
One can get just as good a meal there
for a Mexican quarter-valued at hall
our quarter-and his horse feed for the
same amount. He can get mescal-MeX-
lean whisky-for cents drink. The
quarter on our side Of the line exchanged
at the line for two Mexican quarters VIII
buy two meals, or two horse feeds, or ten
drinks in Mexico, as compared with one
meal, one horse feed or two drinks in the
United States. "Of course" Mr.. LOOMS
says, "the mescal is not very choice
whisky, but the sun shines just as
brightly, and the little birds sing just as
sweetly after one has been drinking
mescal as they ever do after drinking
Arizona whisky, and the morrow brings
less misery and regret"
1t is very difficult to draw lessons for
our guidance from Mexico, because the
conditions are so very different. But.
the establishment of the single gold
standard in Mexico would do what it has
done here; it would make the rich richer
and press to the grindstone still more
closely the noses of the poor.
The herald., 1898-01-17
Guesses at the Cotton Crop

1t has been cistohary for years for some
of the members of the cotton exchange
to form a pool each member thereof maxi
ing an estimate of the size of the cotton
crop being harvested. These estimates are
taken down and left with the manager OF
the exchange, together with small sum
of money, which goes to the member OF the
pool making the nearest guess to the &C.
tual crop. This Is determined, Of course,
by the annual statement complied by Col.
II. G. Hester. The formation of these pools
is the outcome of pleasant rivalry as to
the better Judgment of operators as to the
size of the crop. A pool on the crop of
1878 was formed Monday. sixty-four esti-
mates being made. The highest was H.
100000 bales, and the lowest 9,713.113. The
average estimate was therefore 1854, S67
bales as the crop now being gathered
New Orleans Times-Democrat
The herald., 1898-01-17
A Cowardly Escort

Miss Lottie Suell of 1863 Seventh street
had an escort Wednesday evening of whom
she is not at all proud. She was being es-
corted from her home to the narrow gauge
depot early in the evening, when at Eighth
and Harrison streets the two were over
taken by footpads and the young lady was
commanded to deliver up her purse.
The young man who had begged to be
permitted to escort her in safety to the
depot took to his heels upon observing
the footpads, leaving the young lady at
the mercy Of the knights of the road. Out
of pity for her escorts faint-heartedness,
Miss Suel withods his name.
When he had gone the two footpads
snatched Miss Suell's purse. and the young
lady could do no more than follow the ex-
ample of the young man who had accom-
panied her. The robbers did not give pur-
suit.-Oakland Tribune.
The herald., 1898-01-17
Encouraging a Good Man

"Come In here and have lunch with me"
said one business man to another as they
were walking in a downtown street yes
terdaq, shortly after the noon hour.
What! You don't eat in there, do your"
"Yes; this is my favorite restaurant"
'Weu, by George, I'm surprised!
thought you were man who would be
more difficult to satisfy than that. took
one meal there, and then declared that
would never go into the place again. The
service was wretched; the things they gave
me to eat were miserably prepared. and.
taking 1t altogether, 1t was about the worst
thing 1 ever had in the lunch line."
II grant that all you have said may be
true yet there is a very good reason why
the place ought to have our patronage"
why is it?"
do you see the sign in front? 1t says
Ladies and Gentlemen's Restaurant.
Look at the other signs. They all read.
Ladies and Gents The man who runs
this place ought to be encouraged, even
If his grub is bad. Come on"
So they went in.-Cleveland Leader.
The herald., 1898-01-17
THOSE STREET SIGNS

The cobwebs are thickening on the
ordinance providing for labelling ano
numbering the three hundred and more
nameless streets that has reposed sc
long in the bosom of the board of pupilo
works. and that body seems supremely
Indifferent to the need for action upon
it.
Several months ago the city went To
considerable expense to ascertain the
number and location of the streets that
are unprovided with signs and numbers
and the board of public works was au-
thorized to set in motion a suitable plan
for supplying the deficiency. Various
propositions were made, and there
seemed to be no good reason why the
work should not be completed at an
early date.
Why is it delayed? What influence Is
stronger than the urgent necessity Oh
the community? The work should nave
been completed weeks ago. There are
thousands of strangers in the city VINO
are entitled to have the customary
courtesies of guidance shown them. Ihe
taxpayers, too, should have some con-
sideration. They contribute money TO
run the city according to metropolitan
ideas but they cannot get their cross
roads labeled. The board of pubic
works is respectfully urged to bestir It
self in this matter, which is of vastly
greater Importance than the compara-
lively small expense involved would
seem to indicate.
The herald., 1898-01-17
Robbed of It's Sole Excuse

it was paid money to publish the insinua-
tions against and the abuse of some of the
best citizens of Los Angeles, the same
being sent to the San Francisco paper by
the rascally school director, Webb, or one
of his confederates. If the Call did not
get paid for the job 1t ought not to tell
it. Nothing but a good, stiff price could
be pleaded as defense to the accusation OF
absolute newspaper imbecility displayed
in coming to the defense of known rascal
by misrepresentation and inuendoes di-
rected against those who have dragged
this rascal into the light, with the applause
of all the decent folk in Los Angeles. 1t is
bad enough to do Objectionable work for
money. To do 1t for nothing Is worse than
a crime. 1t is mbecility.-Stockton Mail.
The herald., 1898-01-17
A Surprising Apology

A young advocate before the Scotch
lords of session, on hearing a decision
against his client, which he deemed con-
trary to law and justice, so far forgot
himself as to exclaim that he was sur
prised at such decision" Their lordships
were very angry and were considering how
to mark their sense of the advocates i'm
pertinence, when pawky old councillor
rose. and besought their lordships' for
giveness for the slip the young brother
advocate had made. ''It was purely lack
of experience that led him into error Had
he known your lordships half as long as
1 have done, I'm hanged If he would
have been surprised at anything your lord
ships said or did."-Household Words.
The herald., 1898-01-17
average legislator and has never been
known to slip cog.


The questionable fact that carload Of
cancelled Kansas mortgages is to be ex-
hibited at the forthcoming Omaha expo
sition. as an evidence of returned pros
perity. is being industriously exploited
by the gold standard press of the east.
which seems unable to see thatit proves
too much. How could there be such an
abnormal accumulation of mortgage
Indebtedness. during years Of plentiful
harvests, but for the operation of a fin-
ancial system that refuses to labor its
legitimate usufruct? That many Of the
mortgages were not long ago foreclosed
is due to the fact that the security, un-
der that destructive system. fell in value
below the face of the loans.
The herald., 1898-01-17
A NEW YEARS MESSAGE
eouel to "FinnigIn and Flanagan. .,

(Sequel to "Finnigin and Flannigan."l
Now Finnegin's letther to Flanagan
Wuz read by Stenographer Lannigan;
An tn foorce in the office wuz fa-aded out
To see how thot darty ould siction lout
Hid gone on an ta-azed tn old mon agin.
But tn foony side sthruck Muster Flanni-
gan,
An he roared out: "Och. Finniganl
Phwat a divil ye've been aginl"
He wuz Oirish himself, wuz Flanagan,
An quick uz a flash he sid: .Lannigan.
Sit doom wild yer pencil an ta-ake this
here,
An we'll put tn ould slction boss into tho
clear
eye impident blatherskite, Finnigin-
Uz 1t whusky ye're dkrinkin or gin agin2
Ye've bate th ould mon agin
It's my tra-ate. r. Flanagan"
VI 8 llls I VI 8 WI Giuilan-
The herald., 1898-01-17
IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Mr. Ruskin has written some sixty-four
books and his publisher pays him S2o,O0o
a year.
Frances E. Willard says that among
other things women of the present need
are larger shoes.
During the war Senator Bate of Tennes-
see was struck by half dozen bullets and
seven horses were shot under him.
Don Livio Borghese, second son or the
Roman Prince Borghese, Is about TO marry
Mile. Porges, daughter of the rich Hebrew
banker of Paris.
Hoke Smith, ex-secretary of the inte-
rior. announces in the Atlanta Journal that
there is no foundation for the rumor that
he intends to move on to New York.
Charles Algernon Swinburne, like George
Francis Train, is very fond of children, and
always carries sweets in his pocket to give
any ragged little ones he may meet.
On the English turf. during the last sea-
son. Pierre Lorillard's horses won $4,000
and Richard Crokers horses won $1,000.
Mrs. Langtry's winnings were $4,000.
A commemorative tablet has just been
placed on the front of the building In Bos-
ton erected on the birthplace of Rev. s. F..
Smith, DID,, author of the words OF the
hymn America"
Archbishop Williams of Boston has pre-
SenteQ TO tHe PupilC iioi"iy " 'i". S.ey =
set of twenty-eight volumes of the "Acta
Sanctae Sedis," containing the decisions
of the cardinals Of the propaganda OF the
Roman Catholic church.
NJ. Fremiet has finished the head of the
enormous statue of the late Comte Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps, which is to be placed at
the entry of the Suez canal. The canal
protector Is to be represented standing,
covered with an Arab bournous.
Longfellows daughter has written to the
publishers of her fathers works to explain
that his pronunciation of the word Hia-
watha was "He-awa-tha," with the accent
on the "wa" which has the sound of a In
mar not as in war, as so many voice it:
David Hume. the historian, once made
an offer of marriage to a lady who refused
conveyed to him the intelligence that she
had changed her mind. $50 have l." re-
| piled David laconically, $50 have T'-and
| he lived and died in single blessedness.
Thomas Mexican of Philadelphia, who
| has given 100000 for the new law school
| building of the University of Pennsylvania
| is a great-grandson of Chief Justice Thom
| as Mexican, one of the most prominent
| representatives of Pennsylvania and Of
| Delaware, as well, during the revolutionary
period.
Miss Bette Runnels of New Orleans, 6
social favorite and a women OF genuine
worth, has the unique distinction Of beint
| the first female student in the state o.
| Louisiana. She has matriculated at Tu
| lane university and will take the full Law
| course preparatory to entering practice.
The herald., 1898-01-17

Bishop Potter has expressed the opin-
ion that the period of rapid expansion of
wealth in this country has passed, and
that fortunes will not be so easily ac-
cumulated in the future. Confined to
individuals and individual effort, this
view is doubtless correct. But the trusts
and combinations fostered by the poll
cies of the party of great moral ideas
will continue to multiply their millions
Bishop Potter, however, refrains from
discussing this phase of the situation.
The herald., 1898-01-17
Finest and Most Complete

The illustrated New Year edition OF the
Los Angeles Herald was the finest and
most complete special number ever issued
in Southern California. 1t contains many
pages of interesting facts regarding the
building up of Southern California and
thousands Of copies should be sent
throughout the entire east. Tne Heralo
continues to grow in popularity in South
ern California and is now one Of the best
newspapers on the coast. The Sunday edi.
tion is the equal of any paper west OF
Observation-Disclosures Tribune.
The herald., 1898-01-17

The cohorts of the gold standard will
wake up one of these fine mornings to
a realization of the fact that a great
question like that involved in the reform
mass meeting.
The herald., 1898-01-17

In such universally bad odor is An
thony Comstock that many people have
been heard to express a wish that DR.
Elverson had invested in dollar
worth of vituperation instead of six
cents worth, the jurys estimate of its
damage to his character.
The herald., 1898-01-17

Since Chambers recent declaration
that the president is as good bimetal-
list as he himself, silver men out this
way are speculating as to the precise
attitude on this question of the New
Hampshire senator. He is probably as
good a Republican as D. B. Hill is a
Democrat,
The herald., 1898-01-17

The proposed new department of
commerce and industry will provide a
cabinet position into which Hanna will
fit to a nicely. He is Napoleon of com
merce, as every susceptible member of
the Ohio legislature will cheerfully tes-
The herald., 1898-01-17

Welcomed to his home in Cleveland,
Mr. Hanna said that, although elected by
the Republican party, he should hence
forth represent all of the people. What
right has he to thus attempt to nationl-
alize the disgrace? Let him continue to
represent the rotten borough of Ohio.
The herald., 1898-01-17

Shall our senators be elected by direct
vote of the people, chosen by the legis-
latures, or the positions bought and paid
for by the national administration, as
it's needs develop? The problem should
be definitely determined one way or the
OF her
The herald., 1898-01-17

Every encouragement should be given
to the industry of gold mining in this
state. The banner wrested from it last
year by Colorado must be recovered
California has the resources. Let them
be drawn upon.
The herald., 1898-01-17

The presidents attitude upon the Sec
ond term question has not yet been an
nounced. But his strikers are likely
soon to demand his denomination upon
the plea that it is not safe TO trade
horses while crossing the stream-that
the efficacy of the Dingley law cannot be
determined until it has been tried for
ten or a dozen years.
The herald., 1898-01-17
Why | Am an optinist
+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+d

| I assume little risk in prophesying that
within eighteen months vestibuled trains
will be running into the Yukon country
and that the visitor to Dawson City Will De
| able to reach that goal from the states
with as little discomfort as would, ordi-
| narily, attach to journey from Los An
gees to Chicago. The construction OF
| railway lines over the pass and down the
| river, from all the information have been
able to gather. presents no greater op-
stacles now than did the building or lines
into Leadville, Aspen, Gunnison. Creede
and the San Juan country of Colorado IN
the years Immediately following the un-
covering of fabulous mineral values IN
those places, About the. only considera-
tion unfavorable to the proposed Alaskan
enterprise Is the remoteness OF the coun-
try from natural bases of supply, and that
is more than offset by the promise OF
greater reward with the consummation Oh
the undertaking. The mountains there are
not nearly so high, the average annual
snowfall is not so great, nor Is the winter
climate SO rigorous.
The Denver, Leadville and Gunnison
railway is but 151 miles in length, yet 1t
crosses the ranges of the Rockies three
times at an altitude considerably exceed
ing ten thousand feet, and twenty miles or
its roadbed is protected by snowsheds or
the most costly and substantial character
For forty miles 1t is carried through the
canyon of the Platte, a raging torrent
hemmed in by walls of granite towering
thousands of feet vertically above the
stream, so narrow in many places as to
leave no room on either side of the river
for even narrow gauge track.
The herald., 1898-01-17

About the wisest step the government
has yet taken in the matter of relieving
the Yukon miners is that suspending
action in the matter. The original i'm
pulse, no less than the later judgment,
is above criticism, although the methods
adopted We're not altogether above re-
Droa oh
The herald., 1898-01-17
Certain Needs

An Arkansas editor who read that a
young lady in New York kneads bread
with her gloves on, says: 1--WE need bread
with our pants on; we need bread with our
boots on, and if our subscribers in arrears
don't pay up soon, we shall need bread
without anything on."-Good Stories.
The herald., 1898-01-17
ouic]x Solution

"Now, boys, two cab-drivers start at the
same time, the first one hundred yards In
front OF the second. but the second drives
ten yards more IN every minute than the
arst. Where Will they meet =
The herald., 1898-01-17
Nav Take It

Traveler-Do the trains for Waxtonbury
leave this station?
railroad Attache-They always have up
TO date; but the thing Is getting pretty
sGaLv and It wouldn't be strange some
dav 70 see one of the trains carrying It
off.-Boston Transcript.
The herald., 1898-01-17

Lii Hung Chang's selection of minis
ter to China for this country is at al
events an improvement upon that OF
the president.
The herald., 1898-01-17

More in the public eye today and from
day to day is Citizen Bryan than either
of our two living eX-presidents.
The herald., 1898-01-17

1t is somewhat significant that the in
tegrity of the administration should
have turned upon the lamentable want
of it in Ohio legislators.
The herald., 1898-01-17

The national honor, about which ad-
ministration organs prate so Justify, has
been pretty seriously wrenched to save
that same administration.