davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

TH' OIL BALL GROUNDS,

Ez ] hear ther childish laffter in ther cozy
drawin' room,
sittin here beside my fire in ther deepest
twoll fall d. -.
Frum nn,,5Syood my dim reRas aR fsiln opt''ks ez my
Fust ov all see ther cabin whar spent
my airly days.
An ther orchard an ther medders, and ther
Then ther hosses an ther cattle, an ther
pigs er runnin' round,
An at last, but not ther leastest Gums
th oil ball ground.
When ther master .ov tn OIL log skule'd
An all ov them ez he'd bin good cd put
thar books erway,
Thar ,wuz alwuz sport a-brewin' fer ter
An mex yer feel quite thankful fer ther
chance bein' there. "-r
Girls'd saunter 'mong they daisies are
peatin ov a rhyme
Ed ketch rekreeant luvers an bring 'em
all ter time;
ov 'em wuz found,
An then we'd go a-hikn' to tn OIL ball
ground.
"Two-o-katn' an I'd be ketcher, ev'ry day
'tWuZ ther same,
An our OIL Perfesser Dobbins d be empire
ov ther game.
Wed change erbout an run an romp until
tn masterd say
Twas time ter quit er SquaDDlln over Dali
games fer thet day.
Girls an boysd be laffin' an a-glowin'
from their fun,
An tn cir breath'd KUN in catches frum tn
swiftness ov their run.
Ev'ry thing'd move on nicely an yer c'dn't
tell frum sound
Thet they'd ever bin a whoopln on Tn
oil ball ground.
Then ther biZZy time oV learnin' how ter
read an how ter write
ID crowd ther sports ov recess fer ther
moment out ov sight.
An 18th jogerfry an spellin, an hist'ry
an states
We'd be- bizzy ez ther robbins when theys
huntin' fer their mates.
Yet these things Is only res, fer ther
times hev passed erway.
An ther fres hnesS ov ther springtime seems
ter brighten every day
When. in silent reckoleckshun, reKal
each act an sound
Ez ct happened In my skule days on TN
oil ball ground.
Columbus, Neb. i. A. EWING.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
EXPANSION OF ENGLAND.
Territorial Conquest Not the secret
of the Empire Greatness


WAYNE, Neb., Feb. 4.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: Iron and coal made England great
not expansion. With one arm of iron and one
of coal she has reached around the world.
All natural advantages contributed to make
this little island power among the nations
Look at the map and see England Just far
enough from the mainland that the encir-
cling sea proves natural fortifcation that
enables the English people to bid defiance
TO foreign invasion. The Spaniard attempted
the conquest of England with the result that
the most powerful fleet of the age was we'll
nigh annihilated and Spain received crush
ing blow that very materially contributed
to her final downfall.
In the height Of his power Napoleon
threatened the invasion of England, but the
narrow belt Of water proved an insupeIable
barrier. Alike Spaniard and Frenchman
were powerless in passing the limit that
divided the ocean from the land
Secure from foreign conquest England
has within herself all the elements of pros
perity. She has among the richest iron and
coal mines in the world. All the wealth
extorted from India Is small in comparison
with the produce of her own mines. She has
the most energetic and enterprising people
of Europe. A fertile soil, magnificent sea-
coast with capacious harbors, she has every
thing within her narrow limits essential to
national prosperity and power. Her sources
of wealth are within herself. 1t is a mat
ter of serious doubt whether her foreign
possessions have not been positively detri-
mental to the interests of the British peo-
pie. For long time her control of India was
entrusted to the East India company, pri-
vate corporation, whose acts of oppression
were a disgrace to the English name. Lord
Erskine, the greatest advocate that ever
stood before an English jury, remarked in
a celebrated case that what was wrung by
oppression fraud and force from an unwill-
ing people by wrong oppression, fraud and
force, must be maintained" that II the Eng
lish government was unwilling to rule by
oppressive measures 1t must relinquish
Its foreign possessions. What Is acquired
by force can only be maintained through
force
The burden OF her colonies has been enor-
mously expensive to England. 1t has entailed
the expense of large standing army and
a navy so large as to be at any time ready
to cope with the two most powerful nayles
of continental Europe From her insular
position England like the United States
would require only a small regular army
and a much smaller and less expensive navy
would suffice for all her needs were II not
necessary to protect and maintain an open
highway to and from her numerous colonies
Everyone admits that the success OF the
American revolution was beneficial to Eng
land as well as the United States. The only
tie that untes England and Canada is that
OF sentiment. Essentially Canada Is free
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

and Independent commonwealth. n the sev.
GRANGE Of the politesi bonds that united her
wsth America was advantageous to England
why Is she benefited by the tremendous re-
sponsibility devolvinR on her through the
political dependence OF India? In all cases.
where England has governed by the right oi
conquest or by an enforced colonial policy,
her course has been one OF blood and oppres-
sion, The darkest pages Of English history
are those containing the recital OF the mis-
government OF Ireland and America entail.
ing bloody contests, an enormous debt and
in the latter case an infamous war ending
in ignomlnlous defeat.
English extension resulting from peoplng
the waste places with a kindred people and
maintaining amicable relations with them.
as in Australia and Canada, Is grand ex-
pansion. Chrstianizing and cIvhlzing the
earth, diffusing blessings wherever her be-
nign sway has extended. But English ex-
pansIon through force of arms, holding for
eign peoples in colonial vassalage has
loaded her with an enormous debt. outraged
the moral sense of her people and ensaved
her in wars constituting the most disgrace
full pages Of her history. w. N, FOSTER.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

Frances weekly announcement that it
has made some new discovery that adds
to the efficiency of the submarine tor
pedo boat should be taken with more
than grain of reservation. This Won
derful craft that has been going to
revolutionize naval warfare for the last
quarter OF century Is further away
from that result than ever, and outside
of France, the conviction is general that
the submarine torpedo boat has no ef-
ficiency. The only practical results ever
obtained by this vessel were during the
late civil war when Major Carlson of
the Confederate navy succeeded in sink
ing the Federal man-of-war Housatonic
off Charleston, but in that exploit he
and the crew perished and subsequent
trials of similar boats proved that they
were more formidable to their crew than
to the enemy. The Holland boat, for
which so much was claimed, probably
approaches more nearly TO the condi-
tions that should insure efficiency than
any craft of the kind ever constructed,
and yet after the government had made
thorough and repeated trials, the idea
was rejected because it was discovered
that practical results could not be OBJ
tained. AS a scientific TAD the sub
marine boat may linger, but it Is doubt.
full if anything will ever come of 1t
soon, Frances enthusiasm to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
Personal AND OTHERWISE.

colonel Robert G. Ingersoll favors expan-
Sion because we now have Niagara Falls
and we should have real live volcano to go
with 1t.
Joel Chandler Harris is said to be the
| richest newspaper writer in the United
States. His charities are in proportion to
his means.
George w. Wilson, who has Just been
appointed commissioner Of internal revenue.
entered that service as gauger and worked
his way up.
Judge Ross, the new senator from Yer
mont, paid his way through Dartmouth col
lege by teaching for several years previous
In the roadside schools among the Green
mountains.
A gold nugget about as big as a hickory
nut Is enthusiastically loud decoration
OF the watch chain OF Senator Hanna 1t is
Klondike product and was given to the
republican boss by some church people in
Cleveland
Prof Blumentritt through whom Agui-
naldo and his colleagues have been making
their cause known to Europe, is a member
of the faculty OF an Austrian university and
has made thirty years study of the Phil
ippine archipelago and dts history
William T. King, member of the lower
house OF the Delaware legislature, is the
only single man in that body. resolution
has just been passed ordering him to marry
within thirty days or furnish an oyster
supper for the members. 1t looks as IL he
would pay the penalty rather than commit
matrmony.
General Shafter says in his article on the
capture OF Santiago in the February Century
that while the transports were waiting off
Baiquiri to be unloaded "A ship with fresh
beef on board steamed back to New York
carried troops 10 Porto Rico and returned
to New York, still with a lot OF beef on
board, which was in perfect condition"
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
SOME DIsCoRDANT NOTES.

Not all of the news coming from
Cuba Is of n reassuring character. The
agreement with Gomez, by which he
accepted on behalf of his soldiers the
money rendered by the United States
and promised to cooperate with the
American authorities in the work of
paciication. will doubtless be carried
out. Mr.. Porter, who has returned to
Washington, anticipates no trouble in
was to have been expected there is
considerable opposition to it and this
is quite as likely to grow as to dimin-
ish. Much will depend upon the course
of General Gomez and while the assur-
ances he has given appear to be en-
tirely sincere it is by no means impossi-
bic that influences may be brought TO
bear upon him that will induce him TO
withhold the cooperation he has prom.
ised. Extracts from letters of his, said
to be authentic, show that he has not
favored American direction and control
of affairs in Cuba and while it is true
that he may have experienced a change
of feeling there can be no certainty that
such Is the case until he shows 1t in
acts.
But apart from this there appears to
be Il great deal of distrust of the DIR
pose of the United States. Complaint is
made that our government has not
clearly defined its policy in all respects,
although 1t would seem that it has
given ample assurance of its intention
to enable the Cuban people to establish
an independent government as soon as
the conditions are such that they can
do SO. The writer in one of the lead
ing papers of Havana, who crlticises the
American administration In Cuba. un-
doubtedly voices the sentiment of a
very considerable element of the people
His chief complaint is that Cubans are
not given proper recognition and a
fair opportunity 10 show what they can
do in connection with government.
Very likely there is no just ground for
this, the understanding being that
Cubans have been uniformly preferred
for official positions. This has certainly
been the rule in the province of San
tiago and 1t is doubtless also the rule in
the other provinces. But there are not
places for all the Cubans that desire
them and hence there is a considerable
dissatisfied element and will continue
to be until normal conditions are re-
stored and there is employment for all.
Another complaint is that the expected
return OF prosperity to follow American
occupation is not being realized and
while such complaint at this time is
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
TORRENs LAW IN OPERATION.
System Introduced in IllinOis-Cost of
Transfers.


The law for the registration and transfer
of land titles according to what is known
as the Torrens system is now in actual
operation In Cook county. The law has
been approved by the highest court of the
state. The county board has made an ap-
preparation for the necessary expenses Of
inaugurating the system. The first applica-
tions for registration of titles under the act
were made last Wednesday, when two were
fled one being by the Chicago Edison COM
pany.
The procedure of bringing land under the
operation of the law is not difficult; officials
in the recorders office say the services of an
attorney are not necessary The first step is
to make application to the clerk of either
the circuit or the superior court of Cook
county to have the title to land registered
Blank applications may be secured either
from the clerks of the courts or at the
office of the recorder of deeds, who, under
the law is registrar Of titles. The applica-
tion is referred by the court to one of the
examiners OF the registrars office. who
makes a careful examination OF the title
and reports upon 1t. The court then passes
on the title, and If 1t is approved the regis
trar registers the title as provided by law
The owner is given a certificate of tite
which after the expiration OF two years is
incontestable.
The fees required for bringing under the
act land to which the owner has a clear
title, unincumbered by conditions or limita-
tions, are as follows;
Payment to clerk of court on filing ap-
Registrars fee for examination of title. rs
Granting Certificate Of title .........
Total fees Except charge for in
demnity fund.- for bringing land un-
der the act OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Si
For land subject to mortgage or other
limitations, or where the titles are derived
from more than one source the fees are
somewhat more. There is another charge
which will vary in amount according to the
value of the land. When the title is first
registered payment OF one-tenth of ! per
cent OF the value OF the land Is required for
the creation of the indemnity fund. Under
the law the title to land is made incontest-
able after two years. In order to prevent
possible injury to persons, such. for ex-
ample, as minor heirs, who may have claims
to land which are not presented within two
years, this indemnity fund is created from
which such persons may recover for their
injuries. On land valued at $4,000 the
charge for the indemnity fund would amount
TO only $40
When land is once brought under the
operation OF the act transfers thereafter
may be made on payment OF the simple fee
of SO for registering the transfer and is
suing and registering the new certificate Of
title.
1t is safe to say that many Cook county
landowners will be quick TO avail them
selves OF the advantages of this new system
for making land transfers easy and cheap.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
Determination Against Aliens.

When Adam was driven out Of Eden he
was condemned to earn his bread in the
sweat of his face, but some of the sons OF
Adam are deprived of the right to earn
their bread in the employ of the city of
Philadelphia, or if inadvertently they have
been so employed they are denied the bread
they have earned. The discrimination
against alien and nonresident laborers in
the Philadelphia ordinances is most unjust,
and so far as the latter class is conceSled it
is probably also an infraction of the federal
constitution, which denies the right of any
state to abridge the privileges or immunities
Of citizens of the United States or to deny
them the equal protection of the laws
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
RjTUdL.SM IN ENGLAND

The spectacle of a bitter fight in
England in this day over ritualism is
an anomaly, but if the attitude OF Sir
William Vernon Harcourt is indicative
of anything, a contest seems imminent
that may involve the very life of the
conservative party. The grave question
at issue is whether the ritual of the
Anglican church does not incline too
favorably to the Catholic church of
Rome.
The matter of itself seems unimpor-
tant, but the Englishman cannot see it
IN that light His conservatism in
matters religious and otherwise makes
him fully agree with Pope that what
ever is is right and he will go to al
most any length to defend not so much
the faith as the custom that is in him.
This has always made him a good
churchman and he has fought with
equal bravery and obstinacy on both
sides of the Catholic question. A good
Catholic until the apOstasy of Henry
monastical property and the disestab-
lishment of that church until it was an
accomplished fact and then he trans
ferred his allegiance in all of it's unim-
paired vigor to the new or Anglican
church and whether encouraging the OPP
pressions of Laud or prosecuting the
Puritans, he has clung to it through
good and evil repute and today regards
1T as something little worse than sacri-
lege to tamper with the service of the
established church of England.
But there has gradually developed out
of the old dissenting bodies a sentiment
so antagonistic to ritualism that one is
reminded of the no-popery slogan of the
days of Titus Oates and Sir Giles God
frey, and it is this element that Vernon
HarcOurt is preparing to lead in an as
sault on the established church. In
such conflict, it will tax the ingenuity
and resources of Lord Salisbury to deal
with the situation and while the result
will be problematical the movement
may disintegrate the conservative party
and compel Il general political readjust-
ment along new lines.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

clearly unreasonable a great many peo-
pie in Cuba are influenced by It, The
order reducing salaries above a certain
amount at Santiago is source Of dis
content there with American rule, which
those affected quite naturally regard as
no better than that of Spain.
OF course criticism and complaint are
to be expected. They are simply TIN.
avodable. But these notes OF dissatis.
faction and discomfort serve 10 show
how delicate and difficult is the task
which this government has undertaken
and how necessary 1t Is that the ad-
ministraton of affairs in Cuba snail be
conducted with the strictest integrity
and greatest efficiency.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

General Ludlow's report that the death
rate in Havana for January has been
reduced 40 per cent below what 1t
was for the corresponding period of last
year demonstrates what American meth
DDS of sanitation can accomplish and is
a most hopeful indication that this great
Augean nest of disease germs will soon
be so purified that 1t will cease to be
a menace TO the United States.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
NEBRASKA Ar III e ERoNr.

In the conflict with the insurgents Mt
Manila the men in the Nebraska regi-
ment of volunteers appear TO have taken
the most conspicuous part and to have
performed their duty bravely and with
credit. Over this the people of Ne
braska from whose midst the soldiers
went TO serve their country in n far
away land have reason to feel grateful.
Not only were the Nebraska troops in
the thick of the fight but a Nebraska
corporal is reported to have fired the
first shot to repulse the assaults of the
enemy.
From the reported lists of killed and
wounded the Nebraska regiment seems
unfortunately to have contributed more
largely to the American loss than any
other While the news of the casualties
of the battle is necessarily fragmen-
tary it is authenticity established that
Il number of Nebraska men lost their
lives and others have been seriously
wounded.
The remoteness Of the scene of the
conflict in the Philippines makes it i'm
possible for those at hume, however
willing, to do anything to assist the
troops or relieve distress. All, however,
sympathize with the families and
friends of the fallen while glorying in
the patriotic devotion of Nebraska's
sons.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
Preservation of Game Birds.

The bill introduced in congress by Rep
resentative Lacey of Iowa to so enlarge the
scope of the fish commission as to include
the propagation of game birds has passed
the house and is now on the senates
calendar. The work would of course be
largely experimental in character, but the
experiment would not be bolder than was
that of fish culture, while the possibility
that the results might be equally important
would seem to warrant venture upon the
new field on a modest SCALE
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

After due deliberation Prince Ferdi-
nand has decided that he will not "set
the Balkans ablaze" this spring, as he
has threatened TO do every year for the
past ten. The reason for the change in
the pyrotechnic program lies in the fact
that the ministerial change at Sofia is in
fair way 10 give the prince all of
the warmth his constitution requires
without burning the Balkans.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
Permanent Allics. Never.
Chicago Tribune.

Great Britain and the United States can be
friends, but never permanent allies. If the
interests of the two countries happen to be
identical at any point they will cooperate
the same as If they were allies, but that is
all there can be of the alliance matter. 1t
is to be hoped the British government sees
the matter in the same light and fully under
stands the superiority of friendship over any
entangling alliance that might be made In
any case, the United States will go no
further than the present informal relations
of mutual cordiality.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07
Doing Pretty We'll Mt Iloilo.
Springfield Republican.

According to the theory of inferior races
Iloilo should now be a seething caldron OF
anarchy. Yet ever since the Spanish evac.
uation 1t has been an orderly town under
native rule, and now an English business
house learns that business there is proceed
ing satisfactorily. Our government goes on
the principle that native rule even In local
affairs is an impossibility, notwithstanding
that thus far, where tested, it seems to
have had very fair results
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07


The English newspapers are taking
seriously an alleged interview IN which
NJ. Lockroy, the French minister of
marine, is reported to have said that
the efficiency of the English navy is all
bluff and that as England only has the
brutal advantage of numbers the out
come of an Anglo French war would
not be favorable to John Bull. The
chances are, that unless the Dreyfus
case has divorced NJ. Lockroy from his
wits, he said nothing of the kind, but
II the prevailing malady that has ap-
parently relegated majority of the
French people into the limbo of acute
insanity. has fastened its tentacles on
the minister of marine he would do
well to take a reef on his patriotic
imagination before 1t forces him into
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

The money for Bishop Pottcr's new
saloons having been secured they VIII
now enter the race with the old variety
for popular favor. But as all of the
"drunk and disorderly" will be
squeezed out of the bishops beer there
are grave fears that the ends of the
race will see the new saloons in the
"also ran" column.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

The action of the British Board of
Agriculture in prohibiting the exporta-
tion of horses that through age, sick
ness, or other infirmities, are rendered
unable to stand the voyage without suf-
fering, is a humane act, but as England
last year exported about twenty-five
thousand decrepit horses to Antwerp,
German canning factories.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

Colonel Agoncilo seems TO have taken
his departure with degree of un-
seemly haste that hardly comports with
diplomatic dignity. But the apparent
dlseourtesy will probably be explained
later on by another letter, to Secre-
tnrt Hay
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

The New Jersey trust factory has only
manufactured six in two days and their
aggregate capitalization is less than an
hundred millions. This unnatural de-
preston of business Is ominous and IL
something Is not done to bolster 1t up
the factory may be compelled to shut
down, throwing large force of hands
under the secretary Of state out of en-
ploymaut
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

During the month of January SEN
tences aggregating seventeen years
We're passed in German courts for the
heinous offense of lese maJeste, while
twentysix hundred years OF penal
servltude have been meted out LII the
last ten years for the same crime,
Truly the dignity that doth hedge about
a king lies thick on the crown of EN-
peror William.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

Another Iowa man has been discov-
cred in possession of a trife more than
the usual number of wives, but as he
had only two it would seem that he is
somewhat lacking in that wife-acquiring
enterprise that seems to be too popular
In that state just now.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-07

1t may be cold in Nebraska ana sur
rounding states at this season of the
year, but it is pretty warm In the yicin-
ity of the Nebraska troops in the far