davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
THE CAMPFIRE.
Wartime "Reminiscences of a Veteran of
the Civil War.

"Men build fires in various places to
cook their coffee by or to make them
selves warm or for company's sake :"
said a civil war veteran, ''and any fire
is likely to be more or less gathering
point. but I suppose that the fire to
which the name of campfire properly
belongs, the campfire of song and story,
is the cook 8 fire at the end Of the COM
pany street, built on the ground, under
pole supported at the ends by crotched
sticks driven in the earth and from
which the camp kettles are suspended
This was the gathering point of the
company.
"Men did not always stand about the
campfire. 1t depended upon circum-
stances and on the weather. They met
here, of course, at mealtimes, and there
were times when men would stand
around the fire and smoke and talk, and
then it might be that the men would
keep their tents, playing cards or smok-
ing there, or mending their clothes, or
polishing up their accouterments, SO
that there were times when the fire was
quite deserted or when perhaps there
might be seen there solitary figure, a
man who had come to light his pipe.
"But, though it might be deserted,
the fire still burned. Sometimes on cold
and windy nights the wind would
blow it about and scatter it, and some
times, when it was no longer attended,
the rain would put it out black, but
there was usually living fire there by
day and a bed Of embers by night, and
here was the soldiers hearthstone. -
New York Sun.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
THE MAN AT THE KEY
HE KEEPS THE ARMY IN TOUGH WITH
THE NATION.
How Improvements In Military Telegraphy
Were Utilized In Skaters Cuban Cam
paign-The Field Operators Often Click
ed Messages Within Range of Bullets.

When Skaters army moved up to
Santiago, the telegraph wires followed
the head Of the column and kept I'M
broken communication with Washing
ton. During the advance on the city the
field telegraph station moved up with
the field headquarters, and at times the
men at the key clicked off messages
while shells from the enemy's batteries
snarled overhead. Such are some of the
results of the Improvements which have
been made in army telegraphing.
No sooner had Shafter s. army estab-
llshed landing place at Baiquiri than
connection by wire was made with
Guantanamo, where the cable to Mole
st. Nicholas, Haiti, had been picked
up. This put him i'll direct comnunica-
ton with Washington. AS he drove the
Spaniards before him men from the sig
nal corps strung telegraph wires from
the palm trees, and thus, like huge
spider spinning a single thread, the
army left behind it thin trail of sing
ing wires.
Telegraph wire has been reduced so
in weight that a man can transport two
miles OF insulated double conductor as
rapidly as a column of cavalry can
move. This includes the weight &C the
reel for paying out the wire, as Well as
OF the wire itself. The flying field telc-
graph and telephone makes kit weigh
ing not to exceed ID pounds, and this
includes a diminutive Morse key and
buzzer, SO that messages can be sent
simultaneously from both Instruments
We have at the head of our signal
corps in General Greedy an officer
whose tastes are all in line with his
professional speciality. Nothing delights
him more than to experiment. and in
vent new methods in electrical field
work. In his report for 1894 he drew
attention to the increasing value of the
telephone in warfare, with special ref
erence to the war between China and
Japan, which was then under way. All
late wars, he said, indicate that cleo
trical connections are indispensable to
the success of any army operating on
base apart from the general Geographic
system.
He recorded the marvellous success of
experiments made i'll the army with the
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05

ARMY TELESlSAPHER All WORK.
single uninsulated bimetallic wire
stretched on the ground through wet
grass, over which whispered CONVEX
sation was conducted through tele-
phones half mile apart. When the
wire was partly buried, the telephone
could not be held close to the ear with
out discomfort.
general with an excellent object lesson
just at that time when congress was in
q particularly niggardly mood and was
proposing to cut down appropriations to
an extent which threatened to ruin the
signal corps; for he was able to point to
an instance where the japanese signal
and telegraph corps, on the day follow
ing the battle of Ping Yang, ran into
that city flying telegraph line from
Seoul, distance of 20 miles.
Nowadays every commander of an
army or a fleet has with him small
corps of men who not only understand
the working of the telegraph key and
read messages by sound, but are shrewd
enough to do u thousand things in the
way of repairing and emergency work
which may be called for when no out
side aid can be procured.
These men understand splicing wire
and cable i'll any condition and amid
any surroundings. They are of trained
ingenuity in running down and locating
breaks i'll the connection. They have
enough sobriety of Judgment to be able
to play the censor if necessary on dis
patches put into their hands to send.
They are Geographic geographers as
we'll as everything else, having at their
fingers ends the directions and juno
lions of telegraph lines all over the
earth, for it sometimes becomes of the
very first Importance to send message
to the other side OF the enemy's country
without actually passing through it.
The American civil war saw the
greatest development of the military
telegraph and gave to the world the ex-
ample OF its first systematic use. This
was to have been foretold from knowl-
edge of the inventive and time saving
character OF the nation. With us the
extension Of the silent and wonderful
wires first assumed gigantic proper
lions.
One of the least of the things it did
was to save the capital of Washington
time and again. In 1862 all Federal
headquarters We're connected by wire
with Fort Monroe, and the farthest
stations of this system We're just outside
Of the Confederate zone of fire. From
April 25 to Nov. 10, 1861, /, 1877 miles
of military telegraph was built. There
were 106 offices and 1853 operators.
During the war the construction reached
l5, 3s9 miles and 6,50o,0 600 messages
We're sent at cost of So, 219, 400.
These lines were composed of insu-
lated wire, often wound on a reel,
which was attached to the back of a
mule 1t was spun out or taken up as
the tide Of battle advanced or receded.
That is the method today for field work.
CAPTAIN L. b. FRANCIS.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
SLICK PETE's WATCH DEAL.
Bought Them At sa.15 Each and Sold
Them to Swindlers For $40 Apiece.

bought Them at 32.15 Each and Sold
Them to Swindlers For $40 Apiece.
An old time detective the other day
was discussing with some sleuths new
in the profession the methods of up to
date swindlers. After deprecating the
originality Of the modern crook he told
Of what he considered the sharpest game
he ever saw worked.
IL suppose you fellows know" he
said, "that during Centennial year Phil
adelphia was hotbed of bunko steerers
and sharpers of every description. Well,
! was detailed to keep an eye on these
gentry, and in time became acquainted
with most Of the big ones, who We're
generally exceedingly bright men. One
in particular, who was known as Slick
Pete,' took great liking to, for he
had an inexhaustible fund of humor and
was good hearted chap Toward the
end of the Centennial exhibition one
day / dropped into down town auction
room where some fake jewelry was be-
ing sold. A lot of watches were offered,
and saw that they had been made evil
IDENTIFY for bunko steering purposes, for
the works We're good, and the cases were
made to look like solid gold. They were
finally knocked down for Sal apiece,
and saw that the buyer was Slick
Pete. Jewelry was out Of his lire, but
knew he had some scheme in view.
Two months passed before | again saw
Pete, and then asked him what he had
done with the watches. He began to
laugh and said, oh, skinned some
swindler with them!' Then followed
the explanation. He had hired room
and inserted an advertisement in vari-
GUS papers something like this: Found
A solid gold watch; Elgin works
loser pay costs. Apply, etc. Nearly
every crook in town answered the ad.
and claimed the watch. Pete, who
made up as an old man, seemed mark,
and the fly crook, in the hurry to de-
part, made but cursory examination.
The costs, $40, We're invariably handed
over, and in two days Pete had disposed
Of his stock. '-Philadelphia Record.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
The Bamboo Gun.

The natives in the Buchergani dis.
trict of Bengal have been deprived of
their guns, and since then they have re-
sorted to the native bamboo in the hunt
for defensive weapons.
They hollow out the bamboo, load it
with an ounce or two of native powder
and handful of iron slugs and touch it
off with fuse in the immediate neigh
borhood Of the offending person.
Another way, as the cookery books
say, is to employ the bamboo as fork
with cobra pinned to the far end. An
application of the cobra to the sleeping
body of an enemy is all that is neces-
sary.-London Tit Bits.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
Hindoos Use Little Soap.

The only soap which the Hindoos Of
the orthodox type employ is made en-
tirely of vegetable products. But soap
is little used in India, being almost an
unknown luxury with the natives
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
Customers.

Little Boy-Please, want the doc
tor to come and sec mother
Doctors Servant = Doctors out.
Where do you come from!
Little What! Don't you know
me? Why, we deal with you've had
a baby from here last week.
Fun.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-05
S.S.S!tTf}s r. Blood

will accomplish so much toward
rendering the system capable of
resisting the evil influences which
are so liable to attack it during
the summer when sickness is 80
abundant. 1t is the best tonic
and system-builder on the market,
because it is a real blood remedy
and is made solely to search out
and remove all impurities, and
supply an abundance of pure, rich
and red blood. S. S. S. is made
exclusively of roots and herbs,
and is Natures own remedy. 1t
is purely vegetable, and is the
only blood remedy guaranteed to
contain no potash, mercury or
other mineral. Be sure to get S.
8. s. There is nothing half as
good.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
The Lofty Flight of Young Dir. Letter.

We do not think that any one, working
under modern economic condition., has
made a successful "corner" Of any staple
commodity. Young Mr.. LETTER of Chicago
has probably come as near to doing it as
anybody and even he, we presume, would
now be much obliged to any one who would
tell him accurately what the degree and
extent Of his failure to do it have been.
He had wealth, intelligence, a rich father,
and the comfortable social seclusion natu-
rally pertaining to a young gentleman of
his circumstances In a twelvemonth he
has disposed of the wealth, enlarged the
intelligence, reduced the pnternal substance,
and become himself the most conspicuous
and notorious character of the time. The
whole world knows him. In every quarter
of It his 10 the figure that most fills the
minds ofmen. The farmers ofthe West want
to make him President the ignorant So
~cialists and Anarchists of the East want to
sequestrate him and hang him; while he
himself, in the consciousness of his true
dimensions, Is marvelling sorely at the
cost of experience.
Kings of old could corner grain and the
Venetians and tho Dutch, when in their
best form, did their corners to profit
able ends In these days Of rails
and telegraphs, however. it is not for
such as young Mr. LETTER to hold all the
wheat, or all of any other great staple, as
against the markets of the world, with the
possibilities OF supply and the threat of
production to como against him. He has
tried 1t and he has failed upon a glorious
scale. The parental LETTER has seen himself
become celebrated as Young Mr.. LETTERS
father, and he can console himself for tho
disaster in which he shares only by contem-
plating its superb dimensions.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
III PeaoO Uniform or s,n Ham 1ew...

To THg EDITOR OF THE suS-Sir: When I looked
At the register this morning th6 nrt name on the
list was James Hamilton Lewis. Warrington.
d. c." assigned to room 200. sought in vain for a
glimpse OF this famous statesman. When. at luncheon
a few moments ago, my attention was drawn to .
gentleman having words with a waiter because he
could not have a particular table. I glanced up. Tho
pink whiSkers were there, also a red necktis and
black cuiaway coat. the whole set on with a laven.
der silk sash. fully eight inches wide.
There seemed no chance for a mistake, but I cues.
toned the clerk. 1t was he. Even as | write lac ia
again near me burning the hotel paper with au
ardent pen. no doubt. with notes shortly to eleot1fy
the world. Unhappily l leave this afternoon. and,
although l take my secret with Inc. I fear that Hams
disguise may be penetrated by others. 30.
HI0kIA HOTkL, F0RI MOXRoE. juno Is.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
NIiuusc Of tho Torn .AnElo-sn1on.

To THE EDITOR Of THE SUN-Sir: None Of
the writers In THE Sun Of Sunday last has suc-
cceded. In my opinion, in refuting the assertions
OF Mr.. John j. Bealin. This gentleman did not
contend that there is no English race, hence the
effort Of Mr.. w. II. Curtler 10 show that there
Is was a waste of words. -. w. s." says that
tho Normans after tho battle Of Hastings were
reduced TO $4,000, and II this body of men com.
pletely conquered England. as he admits. it is
civilization of the .saxons. ii. w. s." says
further on that the AnRlo-Saxons won the Great
Charter from the tyrant John. Does he moan
TO say that the barons. who were in constant
support from it, and who were the leaders In this
movement, we're Anglo Saxonsi
Mr.. Robert Webster unintentionell rates tho
Saxons still lower than u. w. S." for he says
sand Normuns into Britain" Truly. the Saxons
people. Green's history, however, saws that
German garrisons were placed In All the Eng
which carried all before them.
Perhaps. your correspondents will have no OBJ
lection TO hearing the views of DR.. John Rhys,
joct. In an address delivered in England about
two years ago he said:
Then there are the words England" and English"
which do full Justice to the Engle without recoKniz-
Ing the saxon, whose name survives in Essex. Mid
hear. very little of the saxon and ali the more SO a.
no educated man or woman, talks Saxon. English
EnEls. Then when you come to the oe !. iao
OF race ono nnds on inquiry In almost every
group OF educated people In the south of Eng.
land that the Saxon is mostly conspicuous by
his absence: one man. for instance. is Anglican,
another IL OF Celtic descent-Welsh or Cornish, Iriah
or scotch-and another is Of Morse or Norman origin,
not TO mention representatives Of Huguenot families
and a sprinkling OF Dutch. both Neither aud High.
What. then. Is become of the Saxon ? One. on the
whole, Is left to conclude that he must be an excel.
lent laborer. a good judge OF beer. and n most useful
member Of society under the superintendence and
direction of the EnRle and the Ceit. . Yet
some people talk eternally of the Angie. Saxon race
AZ excellent coloniZers and civiliyers OF the woriu,
Celtic
Now. II the propriety of calling the people Of
England AnRlo-Saxon is, at best, an opon ques.
the negative side, Is it not simply absurd in The
extreme to persist in referring to the people OF
the United States as "~Anglo-SRxons,"
New YORK, Juno Is. WI. r..
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15

Great Britain. He points out, low
ever, that the negotiation Of such q
league would involve the assent not
merely Of STRAY sections Of the American
people, but the hearty concurrence OF that
people as a whole; in other words, a revo.
luton In American public opinion. or any
such revolution he can see thus far no suf-
ncient evidence. els II not suspicious, he
asks, "that hitherto almost the only per
sons In the United States who have re-
sponded to the demand for an Anglo
American alliance are the very persons
who let III in over the arbitration treaty,
for which they alleged the whole Ameri-
can people we're %pantlnR7' For his part,
the editor Of tho Review can see no reason
able prospect Of an Anglo-SAxon alliance,
and he thinks that, II the Washington and
London Governments mutually beguile one
another into any alliance negotiations,
they will commit a %gratuitous blunder. He
believes that such a proposal, IL prema-
turely urged, would be rejected summarily
by public opinion in the United States,
and the 1asco would have q mischiev.
Gus effect upon AnGlo-American relations.
On the one hand, the average American
might feel that the British Government
had endeavored to entangle him in a die.
advantageous arrangement to further
British interests, while the EnRlishman
would say, 1t is impossible to maintain
decent relations with . country where the
Government is invariably overruled by the
people"
In a word, the editor Of the National Re
sIe,r tella hia eonntrymen that. although
clippings from certain New York papers
may encourage enthusiasts to think that
they nave q mandate from the whole Anglo
Saxon world to contract a formal alliance,
nc such alliance is yet on the horizon.
The vast majority of the American people
rave az yet given no thought tothe project
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15

The victory of the One.Eyed Ploughboy
of Pigeon Roost in the Democratic primaries
Of Georgia has found a sacred bard TO sing it.
He comes from Meriwether. where the Warm
Springs guSh. and in the Meri,cether Vindi-
Gator he gushes not less warmly:
"From the blue capped mountains Of north Georgia
to the everglades OF Florida, from tho shining Chat
tahoochsS to where the Atlantic rolls its silvory
waves upon Georgia's golden sands. the voice of tho
mighty Democracy was on Monday heard. The bal
lots fell into the ballot boxes like snowhates from
heavens ether. 1t was q fight between Democrats.
Handsome, sllver.tonGucd Bernor and Gyms brave
knight, ATKINSON. went down In defeat before the
forces OF the redoubtable CASpLRR."
The redoubtable One-Eyed Ploughboy now
has q redoubtable poet. who ought to be ap-
pointed his private secretary and make mos
sages full of glory.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
For and Against.

The arguments for Hawaiian annexation
In the House thus far have been admirable
well thought out and eloquently ex-
pressed. The several speeches in favor of
the Newlands resolution already printed in
the Congregational Record present the sub
ject from various points of Wow and cover
every aspect Of thec case. We believe that
they represent an overwhelming preponder-
ance Of American sentiment.
Il IL q pleasure to observe that somO Of
The men who are strong against any general
policy Of acquisition Of new territory arc
demanding the annexation OF Hawaii as
exceptionally urgent. One Of the best
speeches yet delivered for the Eewlands
SssOlution is that Of the Hon. THEoBALD Or
SKIS OF Milwaukee. His study Of the details
OF the question has been thorough. Like
Mr.. NEwLANDs of Nevada, he is not an
annexationlst on general principles. II
doubt the WISDOM" Gays Mr.. OTJEN, "of
the annexation of Cuba or Of the Philip
pine islands. Our relations to Hawaii,
however, make her an exception. Ninety
ono per cont. Of her trade Is with US. The
governing people of the islands are
Americana or descendants of Americana.
ANU OuLA u tAO C0fiboA AANSSSS "
longs to our citizens. It's value to
Us as q naval and commercial depot is eape-
ciHlly. great, far exceeding any objections
that can be urged against It," at Is our
duty 40 Legislators" said Mr.. OFTEN in
conclusion. not to legislate for to-day, but
also for the generations that are to follow.
II seems to me that, II we do not avail our.
self of this opportunity, 1t will be an
lrreparable loss to the future generations
Of our great country"
And what Is said against the annexation
Of Hawaiif The Hon. CHAMP CLARK
chooses this question as the text for q Ia
bored demonstration Of his abilities as q
humorist. He made the House laugh, and
was satisfied with that achievement. Be-
yond the Hon. CHAMPS effort, there has
not been o single speech against the
Newlands resolution which does not
represent either the selfish interests
Of Sugar. or the Stolid, stupid, timld Bour-
bonism which would have been arrayed in
equal strength against the annexation Of
the Louisiana territory. or against the an
nexation Of Alaska.
To-day the vote will be taken In the
House; and the vote in the House, accord
ing to all present Indications, will reflect
the opinion and the fixed intention Of the
American people.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15
The Revenue Cutter Service.

The public appreciation of the services
already rendered by the revenue cutters In
the war with Spain ought to make Con-
Rress we'll disposed toward the bill now
pending for lettering the condition of their
personnel.
This bill creates for the revenue marine a
retired list. such as the army and navy pos
sess. The evils resulting from the lack Of
such a list, particularly In leaving the higher
grades blocked with those broken down by
age or Ill health. were 80 great that, three
years ago., Congress passed an act allowing
thirty-nine such officers to be put on per.
manent waiting orders. That was a great
relief, since 1t allowed younger and more
vigorous men to hll the vacancies so
created on the active list, and the measure
Is proving very useful to-day. But 1t was
limited In operation, 80 that 1t is only q
question OF time when the service will be
crippled again as it was before the law Of
1898. permanent retired list for incapaci-
tated officers is therefore proposed.
The chief ground of opposition to this
project is that, as the revenue cutter service
Is under the Treasury Department., it Ia q
civil organization, so that to give 1t a re-
lIcu llbI might open inc way TOT ike priv
ileges In the whole civil service. But the
revenue marine Is really as much a part of
the armed force of the country as the army
or the navy. It's officers hold their com
missions by a life tenure, are specially edu.
Gated for their work, have military or naval
titles, command armed cruisers, and main.
tain naval discipline and drill aboard their
ships. When the service was organized, In
1890, there was no distinct Navy Depart
ment, and II was placed under the Treasury
Department, where 1t has ever since re-
NAMED. But just a century ago, in 1903,
when a Navy Department had been created,
the President put the revenue cutters tenn.
p~orarily at its disposal, and seven of them
were employed in the West Indies during
the hostilities with the French, and after,
ward in the suppression of piracy. The
cutters also served as despatch boats and
coast defenders in 1919. aud the little Sur
veyor made a gallant defence against the
British frigate NGrcisSus. They gave aid
In the Seminole war Of 1885, and again In
the Mexican war. During tho civil wharf.-the