davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
OUR TREATMENT OF PRISONERS

Good gunnery and dauntless valor are not the only features of our fighting that have astonished the Spaniards. They are amazed at our courteous treatment of our prisoners of war.
 The Spanish press has contemptuously characterized our soldiers and sailors as American pigs" The Spanish editors have pictured our officers with all the brutal attributes of barbarians. But Spanish prisoners have found our officers among the first concerns of an American admiral or general after an engagement are the safety and comfort of the pris- oners.
 The conduct of the victors toward the vanquished after the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Santiago was magnani- nous in the extreme Admiral Cervera was more impressed by the courtesy of the American fleet officers and their en- thusiastic congratulations than by any other incident connected with the crush generous treatment accorded him that he took especial care to acknowledge it in his official dispatches to the Spanish au- thoritieS.
 It is a pleasure to record the fact that the American policy of dealing with pris- oners, was fully reciprocated in the chi valrous treatment of Lieutenant Hobson and his crew of the Merrimac by both Admiral Cervera and General Linares
 The Spanish officers at the front know more than Spanish editors about the gal lantry and humanity of the American soldier They know that in battle he can fight like a demon; that after the battle he can act like a Christian.-Chicago Times Herald
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
THE CRITICISM OF sHAFTER.

\ FELLOW jealousy and yellow journalism com Y bine to gird at General Shafter. He and his
 old regiment Californians and our people, regarding them as our fellow citizens, interested in their honor and welfare
 In the first place. General Shafter has been criti- cized for putting his into battle soon after landing at Santiago Every one familiar with that tropical climate knows that, especially in the rainy season. which was on when our army landed, men from the temperate zone rapidly weaken and scken. Shafter was highly wise when he fought his men as quickly as he could for he had the of the strength they brought from the North, which ten days later had been sapped completely by the tropi- cal heat and poison. There many casualties. Yes, but if the had lain in camp for ten days the Spaniards could have massacred them all, for their strength would have been gone and they would have been incapable of defense to say nothing ot aggression Again, the casualties were numerous because it was the only real land battle fought dur
 ing the brief war There have been gallant dashes and heroic resistance to wild assaults, like that at Maate wherein the finest results of discipline and the highest exhibitions of personal courage have gratifed the country but at Santiago was the only real set battle of the whole war There our troops met an entrenched and stubborn foe. It was not a Spanish skedaddle, but a contest to the death on both sides It was sustained action. Our troops pressed forward step by step and died hold what they had gained. Many fell heroes all, and the swart soldiers who fell under their fire heroes too It was not an action with heroes on one side and poltroons the other.
 Shafter and his council of planned the battle and it was fought out to the line on which they laid it. The desperate attempt of Cervera to escape and the destruction of his fleet hasened conclusions It is probable that without that event to have car ried the city by assault would have required a con siderable addition to our forces, fresh from the North and bringing strength with it to replace that which was rapidly ebbng from the regiments first landed.
 General Shafter was not responsible for the lack of eouipment of the medical and hospital corps lie was not responsible for the theft Uf what meager stores there were by our ignobe allies, the thieves under Garcia Equipment is the business ot the ouarternaster general and the surgeon general ot the army Shafter is no more to blame for its lack than he is for the poison climate of Cuba which felled his men when Spanish bullets failed.
 Shafter commanded in the single land battle and won it. He received the surrender of city and a province and its guarding garrisons Of 24,ooo men, He maintained civil order, set up government and promoted the resumption of commerce and the arts of peace, so necessary to avert starvation of the people Carpng and yellow criticism cannot alter these facts nor tarnsh his image in history.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
THE DUTY OF CITIZENS.

EN I ATIONAL patriotism, State pride and all the WI thousand personal interests that Insepara- At ply bound up with the welfare of the nation land the State combine to mpe citizens to the per iormance of their political duties, and yet in spite of all and to the neglect of all very large propor-
 lion of the people of this city have yet failed to register as voters and thus their right to vote at the coming elections
 There seems to be something like the deadness Of apathy among considerable number of citizens with respect to politics The registration at the City Hall has been the lowest for many years, and but three days remain for precinct registration Unless there is an immediate awakening Of the laggards to
 sense of their responsibilities citizens 1t IS cer- tain that many will fail to register and thus by their own fault forfeit the privilege of having voice and
 vote in the election of Congressmen and State and county officers this fall.
 The worst feature of the situation IS that 1t is al most a certainty that those who have neglected to register are members of that class 10 which com nunity has to look for support against the machna- tions of bosses and the corrupting elements Of poll ties The henchmen of the bosses always register. Their votes never fail at primaries on election day IT, then the citizens who are independent of machine domination neglect to register to attend the primaries or to vote, the control of our politics falls necessarily into the hands of the bosses and those who are willing to cooperate with them
 Three days remain for registration. The time has come to make the last appeal to the laggards to rouse up from their apathy and attend to their polit ical duty If they continue to neglect the the Government reposed in them when 1t established universal manhood suffrage they will surely regret it. All citizens are concerned in the maintenance of good government and all should help to sustain it.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
THE CHEsT-ExPANsIoN TEST.

H R. OLIN F. HARVEY of Pennsylvania, who is reported to have recently examined more ~ than thousand applicants for admission to the volunteer army, has embodied the results of his observations in a statement that the defects most frequent among the applicants were those of the eyes, of the teeth or of chest expansion.
 Concerning defective teeth, eyes, there not likely be any great differences of opinion but 1t is questionable whether the chest expansion test is a fair one. According to reports of the statement that have come to us pr. Harvey says: Strange as it may seem, nearly all who had chests were young farmers. Brought up to blow pr hoe and scrape the ground with long-handled tools they had very strong and backs but were muscle bound and bent over. Their chests had been contracted and few of them could expand inhala- aion the requisite two inches"
 Y The very fact that young brought up to work on farms could not stand the chest expansion test one that tends to show there IS something wrong with that standard of measuring strength vital ity As matter of fact, great many people prac- tce abdominal breathing Their chests cised only by labor Therefore, the chest, while big enough for the lungs and strong enough to enable a man to work all day at threshing machine, IS not elastic and does respond easily to attempts at expanding it. On the other hand who has practiced chest breathing may have great deal of elasticity and expansion, and yet be but weak ling in comparison with the abdominal breather of the harvest field
 Any set of muscles can be developed by exercise. Continual piano playing will make mans fingers supple and strong, but 1t would be absurd to assume therefore that the hand of piano player is stronger than that of farm boy who has been handling a hayfork and whose fingers not nimble at all
 The elasticity of the chest muscles and the conse- quent enlargement of the extent of chest expansion are undoubtedly desirable, but there IS such thing as overrating their importance to the human organ ism The greater portion of the lungs below the chest and abdominal breathers are in most cases possessed of larger lung power than the chest breathers There is many gymnasium athlete who, ii set to work in a harvest field, would get out of wind while the farm boy would be singing as he worked, and much the same difference of condition might result if the two set to making quick time a long march
 As general rule, 1t may be stated that any test that excludes the American farmers boy from the ranks of vtally strong manhood is very apt to be wrong It may appear that his chest is contracted and his shoulders humped according to city stand ards but he is nearly always of perdurable tough ness and whether fight or frolc is match for any he meets
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
THE VOLUNTEER ENGINEERS.

More than two hundred persons applied for enlisting papers the other day at the recruiting office of the First Regiment, United States Volunteer Engineers, S35 Broadway. The engineer corps is tG be made up of electricians, linemen, steam engineers, railroad men, track men, sur veyors, lumbermen, carpenters, maSons, sailors. boatmen, triggers, dock builders, blaSterS, pipe calkerS, blackSmithS, wheeIwrights, cooks, tailors and shoe makers.
 Such a regiment" said Adjutant Bramwell, will be entirely new to the United States service. It is the plan fol- lowed in the European armies, and its ad- vantageS will be at once apparent. Here tofore the men in the engineer regiments in service here were drilled and instructed as miners and sappers, and their ability ran chiefly to the construction of fortif- cations. We want experts in these va rious lines, and our chief aim is to have each squad commanded by a sergeant who knows how to work the men in these various branches. Drilling and tactics will be of secondary consideration, but will receive sufficient attention. One idea is that if bridge building is required we can at once call on one or more squads for the work, and so in every other branch of work. It is my impression that battalons of the regiment will be sent into service soon after being sworn in, and when it is completed the service will have the finest body of practical men composing an engineer regiment that it is possible to obtain. New York Com mercial Advertiser.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
Date. BeIligerents.
lExp'diture.
THE NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE.

The modern newspaper is in many ways a real magazine. At it's best it presents illustrations of undisputed artistic ex- ceIence, many of which give as good an idea of the happenings they depict as need be. A first-class illustrator can catch the spirit of an occurrence and portray 1t as satisfactorily as If it had been done with a camera and published in the form of a half-tone cut. Indeed, a pen-and-ink sketch is often superior to a photographic reproduction. As for the literary quality been said derisively about newspaper English, the mass of the work of the modern correspondent is not so far below merit as to make comparison impossible.
 Indeed many of the best-known con tributors to the monthly publications are at the present moment engaged In work
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
UPS AND DOWNS.

When all the chairs are ostriches And all the tables trees, And luggers sail to hunt the whale At any time you please; And greenhouse palms in tropic calms Are waving in the breeze; When Fritz, the dog, and Fluff, the cat, Are pumas, splitting fire What can you have to grumble at? What more could you desire? But when the sofa springs a leak, And sharks are in the bay When Indian spies, with fiery eyes And faces painted gay Go lurking round the corridors To grab you on your way; When grizzly bears infest the stairs As fierce as fierce can be What shall we dc for dinner then? Where can we go for tea?
 Pail Mall Gazette.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
STUDYING THE LESSONS.

AR Is about over, at least so far as the West AAI Indies are concerned, and in that part of the
 field we are now studying the lessons that have been taught by the campaign. This, 1t is al ready evident IS going to be pleasant task for us for despite the weakness of Spain she has given us some things to learn that will bitter after the glory in which we have been induging.
 The scope and intent of some of these lessons have been made public even at this early stage of the study In the first place has been shown that this progressive nation actually to the field army equipped with out-o-date arms and ammunition, and that the sluggish Spanards were better supplied in that respect In the second place facilities for transporting troops for feeding them, for equippng them with and uniforms and for properly caring for them when wounded all inadequate to the requirements of the emergency.
 The controversy now going on between the com mandng general at Santiago and the chief of the medical staff to the responsibility for the lack ot sufficient medical supplies at the front during the fighting is of the evidences that much has gone wrong in the conduct of the campaign. Nor does that controversy disclose the whole extent of it. Re ports of other officers abound in statements of our shortcomings In fact it is beginning to appear that our victorious march due almost wholly to the untiring energy and dauntless valor of our troops rather than to any other superiority over the foe When we remember how proudly we have boased of mechanical skill vast resources, our mas tery of all the forces of science and art known to civilization and how often have derided the Spaniard for his medieval backwardness it is dis agreeable to learn that the Spanish outclassed in everything of that kind, and that simply be- cause we are the better fighting animal
 It is useless in prosecuting these studies to seek to place the responsibility and the blame for our shortcomings upon the shoulders of any particular man or set of To do would be to lose the whole profit that otherwise derive from them, The officers in command did the best they could and probably the best any could with the means at their disposal It is their fault that the army had old-fashioned rifles, smokeess powder, suffi- cient for transporting artillery Nor is 1t the fault of the Government that adequate transports for the troops were hand that the army mail went l astray and that other evils happened
 The fault is in ourselves and not in our Govern ment or in our officers We have gone on in the belief that this country has no need of an army We have permitted such nations Spain and even Turkey to surpass in the efficiency of military weapons We have relied upon our isolation from | Europe to maintain peace and upon the inherent vaor of our people win battles This reliance has not failed us utterly but it has cost us much We ought therefore as people learn the lessons of this not be caught so unprepared hereafter
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

for the daily press. The exigencies of the case forbid the presentation of this matter to the public in the most attrac-- tive manner, but a great typographical improvement has taken place in the modern newspaper, even if the yellow journals seem at first thought to have made matters worse. The foundries have been called on for a great variety of new types, and though the general effect is not always happy. the ultimate result is pretty sure to be. Monthly magazines will continue to be published and to find a large circle of readers, but every week marks an advance in the daily press toward what for want of a better phrase may be called the magazine standard.- Providence Journal.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
HUMoR OF THE DAY.

The nurse had been giving the twins a bath. Later, hearing the children laugh ing in bed she said What are you chil- dren laughing about?'
 "Oh, nothing replied Edna: ''only you have given Edith two baths. and haven't given me any. Punch.
 Are there many people in this country who are proud of their lineage"
 Well" replied Mir. Cumrox. 'I don't like to boast, but may say that our own family owns as many railroad lines as any in our part of the continent" t"-Wash- ington Star.
 T see.' said the Chicago man, that they are going to try the experiment of mummifying Philadelphia bodies"
 Before death?" asked the inane New Yorker.-Indianapoli Journal
 Bachelor-How do you like married life?
 Newlywed-Ah, Jack you don't know what you're missing-that is, unless you count your wad every night and morning. and that's mean.-Judge.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
AROUND THE
 CORRIDORS.

Dr. H. L. Meade of San Juan is at the pr, spatzer of Russia is at the Cali fornia. o+ the Palace.
 the Occidental ' Sam M. Rucker, ex-Mayor of San Jose' is at the Palace.
 M Dudley. hotel man of Los Angeles is at the Grand.
 Dr. A. L. wilson and wife of Tulare are at the Lick.
 O. F. Paxton, an attorney of Portland is at the Palace.
 A Borders, a merchant of Tulare' ana wife, are at the Lick
 F. Phiscator, one of the Klondlke aT- e,onauts. is at the Grand.
 Amos Burr of the Vanderbilt line VIII leave for Los Angeles to-day
 Dr. w. J. Yerringer, a prominent phy- sician of Chicago, is at the Palace
 John Gill will return to-day from business trip throughout the South
 c. B. Moseley. wife and children, of Nashville, Tenn, are at the Occidental.
 Dr. c. T. Poore. a prominent New York physician, is at the Palace with his wife,
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
Cremation In Norwav.

The Norwegian Parliament has passed a law dealing with cremation. Accord ing to the act, every person over 15 years of age can be cremated after death. if he or she has made declaration i'm the presence of two witnesses. For those under 15 a declaration on the mart of ths parents is necessary
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
"Mrs. winsIow's Soothing svrun,,

Has been used over fifty years by millions os mothers for their children while Teething win perfect success It soothes the child. softens the gums aIlays Pain, cures Wind Colic reg ulates the Bowels and is the best remedy for Diarrhoeas whether arising from teethfnr or other causes For sale by Druggists in every part of the world Be sure and ask for Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup. 25c bottle.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
cAL1FoRNIANs IN NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, Aug u.-James D. Lyn- ett of San Francisco is at the Fifth Ave nue: " Jackson of San Francesca IS at me Vendome: s. Perkins of San Francisco has gone to Paris.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
Stationery and Printing.

Koh-i-noor pencils, Waterman pens, Pauls inks, Berkshire typewriter papers, Flag" tablets, papetries and envelopes
 Engraving and printing of invitations a speciality. Sanborn, Vail & Co.,, Al Market
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

A GAME OF CRIBBAGE-The failure of the word four to appear in an answer to a question on count in cribbage, pub lished on the 9th inst, has brought forth several letters from crib experts, who call attention to the fact that the an- swer should have been twenty-four in- stead of twenty. And so it would have appeared had the word four had not been accidentally omitted.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

When Arkansas goes into the lynching business there is nothing small about it We bound to say, however that the spectacle of five people, three of them women, dangling from convenient limbs, is not of character to reflect credit upon American civili- zation
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

If is little early i'll the game to accuse Alger of sending men to the front for political reasons Of course there symptoms of peace, but they are more apt to become impressive if there are plenty of troops to encourage them.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

HOTEL DEL COiONADO-Take advantage a1 the round-trip tickets. Now only S6O by steamship. including fifteen days board at ho- tell longer stay g 50 per day Apply at New Montgomery street San Francisco.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen's), 5l0 Mont gOmery street. Telephone Main 1042.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
To Portland and Return Seo First
 Class.

Account Pacific Coast Dental Congress. By O. It- ana N- Cos steamer, sailing August ls Inquire at 63o Market street
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

News accounts speak of busted" miners in the Klondike The expression may not be correct However, no better has been suggested
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

Aguinaldo and his followers are reported to be sullen, but their state of mind is really matter of secondary importance
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

Now the Spaniards showing q disposition to martial Toral circumstance proving that for Spanish general to exhibit any symptom of com mon sense is the height of rashness
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
SEATTNG CAPACITY

SEATING CAPACITY = Subscriber, City The question, What Is the seating capacity of the Grand Opera-house and of the Orpheum?" is one that ought to be pensioned for it has done so much serv- ice in the past three years. Every few weeks there is received a letter by this department in which that question is in cluded. As Subscriber is very anxious to know, it will be answered once more. The capacity of the Grand Opera-house is 2500 and that of the Orpheum 2950.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

Cal glace fruit soc per lb at rownsend's'
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

We hardly prepared to believe that having polished off Spain is preparing to try round or two with England.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
ANUS SEMENTA

Cofunbia-"His Absent Boy" Alcazar-'Camille
 Morosco's-"The Cherry Ptckers'" T1von-fu Trovatore"
 Orpheun- Vaudeville
 The Chutes-Zoo and Cannon, the 6lSpouno man Olyrnpia-Corner Mason Eddy streets. SpecialteS Sutros Baths-Swimming. Fl Campo-Music dancing boating. fishing, every Sunday State Sacramento, September B. Garden Party and Fete-At Maeo, aturday August lS
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12

School Director Waller would be safe even if some one were really to shoot at him. It IS believed by those who saw him sprntng from imaginary danger that he outrun any bullet yet known to military science.
The San Francisco call., 1898-08-12
AUCTION SALES

By Fl. Co.-Monday, August l5, Real Estate at sSs Monr6onery street. at l2 O clock