davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

Asa matter of fact. l had already pur-
chased the cigarette case. 1t was stow
ed away in the bottom of my armoire
drawer for safe keeping. Now and again
/ took it out and looked at il, thinking
how proud the boy would he TO offer his
cigarettes in that pretty new case in the
place of his old one. which was finger
marked and worn at the edges.
And now it was all over. Perhaps he
would scorn TO take il from me. Il penny
a-liner. a scribhler who mixed up her
imagination with facts in so alarming
manner that she had at last arrived at
n stage wherein she could no longer
speak the truth.
The morning arrived. and as l say. il
not only rained but it poured. I deposit
ed a franc or two in the hand of Bethc,
who brought me my chocolate. to remind
myself that II was Christmas day, and oc-
Cupied myself briskly with my toilet TO
keep from thinking what a royal good
time they were all having At home. Then
l gave few francs to Florence of the
velvet foot and to Anne, the cook, after
which | went ont into the rain to the
Care St Lazare. where L bought great
bunch of French roses for mademoiselle,
presented them to her, received her.
thanks and compliments, profusely eX-
pressed in English so fractured as to be
scarcely recognizable. and, retiring to my
room, worked all day long at that penny
R-liner business for which l was so look
ed down upon by the boy from Milwau
kee, trying TO pretend that it only
an ordinary every day and not Christmas
a all.
From my window / could see the rain
descending dismally into the court, the
palms huddled in one corner and the big
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

with my nand on the knob. laying the
question of marriage aside. here is vour
OLD cigarette case | promised you. Ana
l threw il at him.
In my room l stood before the mirror
arranging my crushed pompadour and
smiling at myself, so glad was 1 to be
friends with the boy once more, when
there came a tap at my door.
l tiptOed TO it. opened it and peeped
out.
The hall was dark. 1t was empty.
But there on my threshold. in all the
bravery of cockade and cuirasS, stood the
little Napoleon.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15
TOMMY TO SANTA CLAUS.

You are dear old friend to me;
often dream OF you at night.
And am sure as ! can be
Your whiskers always have been white,
Like I nCle Thomas. and that
You're very good and kind and fat.
l want to kiss your smiling face
And ride on horseback Your knee
And tell you at the chimney place
How good YOU each yea- to
To bring me cars and railroad tracks
And trumpe;s. blocks and jumping jacks.
And 50 | wish, when next YOU come,
You'll from your pack OF pllythings take.
Beside my bed, big red drum
And bang it hard until l wake.
Then give from Your great fat hand
The things you bring from Fairyland.
And then I'll know You, and you'll know
How much like the gifts you bring
And how Ia like to see you 20
And he fine, old jolly king,
Whose throne should he of frosted cake,
Whose crown the holly leaves should make.
So il with joy you'd make M jump
Next Christmas eve-'twill soon be here
And let fondly give lump
OF sugar to your good old deer, =
Please don't forget when in YOU come
To Illy upon that big red drum.
r X. MUNKITTRIcK.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

When DuchenoiS, the great French
actress, died. some one met an old man
who had been her intimate friend ana
who was apparently crushed with sor-
row. Kindly meant professions of sym
pathy and consolation failed to cheer
him. For" said he. lit is not so much
her loss which troubles me as her base
ingratitude. Can you credit it? She
left me nothing in her will. and vet
dined with her at her own house three
times week regularly for 30 years."
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15
nad quaTrelcd.


If you want fully to appreciate an
American boy like Doddy, you must first
live i'll England awhile. Then he bursts
upon you with the radiance of noon
LAY sun. Doddy could hardly say that 1
failed to appreciate him. He never
cracked n joke that 1 didn't laugh until
the tears came. II he told story, he
considered me practically-bcing the only
American N the table and consequently
IT" only individual in possession of II
."nsc of humor sufficient for the under
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

drcnched bronze girl, whose upnfUed
arms. holding up the lamp, gave me al
times Il feeling of such intense WEAKNESS.
One bright spot alone cleaned through
the window Of the concierge's room,
which was opposite mine, two stories be-
low. 1t was his fire over which he bent,
reading all the letters before he sent
them up to the rooms.
The day passed somehow, and it was
evening. The boy had not come to din
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15
To Live Long.

VirchO~, the German scientist, said
the way to live long is to BE born with
n good constitution. take care of it
when you are young, always have
something to do and he resigned if you
find you cannot accomplish all you
wish" 1t is easier to live long with
poor constitution than to violate the
other conditions and reach old age.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15
Little InterrurtIon.

'Niy boy" said the first proud papa,
has bad habit of interrupting me
when I'm talking. Your kid isn't old
enough for that yet"
No replied the other. "NIy boy
contents himself with interrupting me
when I'm sleeping" - Philadelphia
Press.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

\ girl should learn to bake bread be-
fore she learns to paint. 1t is better 10
tickle the palate than to tickle the pal
ette.-ChicagO Daily News
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

Edward " enacted that every Eng
lishman and every Irishman living
with an Englishman should have an
English bow of his own height
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

A baby begins to be human being
when it is between three and four
teeth old.-Ncw York PreSil
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

Or some inexplicable reason they
pass over Christmas day in
France and celebrate the New
Year instead. There il no cheer
M christmas .t.y N, holly md
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

10 plum pudding. There was no use in
hanging up 4 stocking the night before
because there was nobody 10 I'LL it. Be
sides. unhappily, my stocking hanging
time is over.
We had expected something like it
D1ddy, the boy from Milwaukee. and /.
We had been prepared by the Sweds
with the long yellow InUstGche who sat
81 the foot Of the table. 1T will be just
like any other day" he had said. and it
had been, only worse.
In the first place. IT raincd; in tine sec
und place. it not only rained. but it pour
%. and, in the third place. Doddy and
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-03-21
MRS. ASA PERKINS DEAD.
Passed Away Peacefully After a
Nine Days Illness.

Mrs. Asa Perkins, wife of Uncle
Asa Pei kins, passed away at the
family home on the corner Of Jeffer-
son and Wyoming streets, at about
II o clock last Wednesday morning.
The deceased was i'll only nine
days, the cause OF death being acute
bronchitis coupled with general de-
bility and heart failure. Her sud
den death was surprise to her
many friends and shock to her
relatives, who were aware that she
was enjoying good health up to the
hour of her first illness. Ten min
utes, before her demise, when life
was fast ebbing away, Mrs. Per-
kins called every one in the sick
chamber by name, and babe them a
kind farewell.
The funeral was held from the
residence at two O'Clock FRIDAY
afternoon, the Rev. Henry Good
acre of the Christian church,
officiating, and the interment oc-
Cured in the Redwood cemetery.
The funeral services were brief.
Mrs. Sarah Catheryn George Per
kins was 68 years old at the time OF
her death. She was born in New
York State. where she resided up
to the time of her marriage to Asa
Perkins, the two moving from that
State to Columbus, Wisconsin,
where they lived for many years,
and where Mr.. Perkins CARRIED on
farming operations very success
fully. About ten years ago Mr..
Perkins disposed of his farming in
terests there and came to Redwood
Falls, his wife accompanying him,
and here Mrs. Perkins has resided
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-03-21

from that time up to her demise.
She leaves a husband and FIVE
children, the latter being Randall
Perkins, residing in Urk, Washing
ton, Charles Perkins, residing in
Elmira, Washington, Arthur Per-
kins, whose address is not known
at the present time, Frank Perkins,
who has resided with his parents
in this city, and Mrs. Steven Mar
vim of Redwood Falls township.
The latter two were with their
mother at the time of her death.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-03-21

The committee meeting was de-
cidedly harmonious. the only con-
tention arising over the place for
holding the last convention, which
went to Lamberton by majority of
one. AS soon as this was settled it
was unanimously decided to hold
the other two conventions in Red
wood Falls.
The general opinion of the COM
mittee was that there would be no
contests at the first two conventions,
the Republicans of the county being
in harmony over the purposes for
which the conventions would be
called. It is admitted that Presi-
dent Mckinley will be renominated
without opposition, and hence there
can be no contest on that point. In
the second convention. to elect del
egates to the State nominating con-
vention. and to the Congressional
nominating convention, it is pretty
generally conceded that Capt. Van
SAINT will get the delegates from this
county for Governor, he having no
opposition at this time and that J.
T. McCleary will get the delegation
for Congress without opposition.
At the county nominating conven-
ton, which is to be held at Lander
ton, there will probable be as much
political fun as usually occurs at
these nominating conventions. At
the present time James A. Larson
of Johnsonville is the only candi-
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-03-21

date in the field to succeed himself
as representative, although it is
limited that Mr.. J. L. Byram Of
Paxton may become candidate.
For auditor l.. n. Tompkins and for
treasurer W. P. Tenney are likely
to have no opposition. For clerk
of court f. L. Warner, who has had
but one term of four years, is can
didate for denomination, and at the
present time has no opposition. For
sheriff there are a host of candi-
dates. E. A. Pease wants to sue
coed himself, while other gentlemen
who would like to succeed him are
R. S. Pickett and Gus. Engemann of
this city, John Longbottom of Vail,
VIM Week and Oliver Olmstead of
Walnut Grove, and Alvin Small, the
well-known butter maker of the
Three Lakes creamery. For regis
ter OF de- DIS it is likely that n. W.
Cobleigh will stand for a renomina-
ton. He will be opposed by Eric
Wilson, of the First Commissioner
district, who is reported to be quite
strong in his section, and probably
by A. S. Gerhard of Lamberton, a
rustling young Republican of that
town.
The county attorneys Office will
develop into quite a contest. Mr..
Clague is now serving his third
term and is candidate for renomi-
nation. He has an enviable reputa-
ton as prosecuting officer Pitted
against him will be Albert Hauser,
the wellknown young Morgan at
torney, and G. T. Howard and A.
G. Dolliff of this city, both gener-
ally known throughout the county.
Arthur H. Mohler of Lamberton is
also mentioned for the place
For superintendent schools Mr..
Race will be candidate for renomi-
nation and will have opposition in
the person of Prof. Lang, at present
principal of the Walnut Grove
schools. For Judge of Probate E.
E. Harriott and George l.. Evans Of
this city, are mentioned and it is
barely possible that j. L. Byram
will not enter the field for repre-
sentative but run for this Office, and
the fact that he resides within two
or three miles of the city, may lead
him to conclude that he could con
duct the affairs of the farm and of
the Office without any loss to the
| former.
For surveyor D. L. Bigham alone
is mentioned, while for Coroner the
two term rule will probably lead to
the nomination of DR.. A. B. Halves,
the present efficient coroner. For
court commissioner George Hough-
master will probably accept re-
nomination.
Commissioners are to be elected
in the first, third and fifth dis
tricts. Arson Evans of Walnut
Grove is a candidate for the nomina-
ton in the Fifth district, and if nom
mated, he will be one of the best
commissioners the district has ever
had. In the third j. W. Garlic
will probably be candidate to sue
coed himself. as will also T. J.
Sloan in the Fifth district. where
Chris Olson and Chris. Knudson
! have also been mentioned for the
place.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-03-21
HE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
BY AIKEN & scHMAHL.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH q, 1900
COUNTY CONVENTIONS.
Hold TWO Here and
the Third in Lamberton.

Tha Republican county commit
tee consisting of Arson Evans of
Walnut Grove, w. G. Starr of Lam
berton, VIM. Kinman of Morgan, A.
O. Gimmestad of Belview and ]. A.
Schmahl of Redwood Falls held a
meeting at the parlors of Hotel
Francois last Wednesday, and de-
cided to hold the first two conven-
tons at the court house in Redwood
Falls, and the third. or county NOM
mating convention, in Lamberton,
on Wednesday, Sept. 18th.
The first convention is to be held
on Wednesday, May 9th, and will
be for the purpose Of electing dele
gates to attend the Republican State
convention to be held in Minneapo-
lis on May 10th for the purpose of
electing four delegates at large to
the National Republican convention.
The county convention will also
name twelve delegates to attend the
Republican Congressional conven-
ton, yet to be called, to elect two
delegates to the National conven-
ton. The second convention will
be held in June for the purpose of
placing the proper candidates in
nomination for the State and dis
trict Offices.
The primaries in each case will
be held on the Saturday evening
before the convention, at the usual
places for holding the primaries.
They are to open at eight o'clock
and are to be continued open for
the space of one hour
The committee decided to give
one delegate at large to each voting
precinct, and in case Vesta and Re-
we're have been made separate cleo
ton districts for National and State
elections they are each to be
given one delegate at large. The
basis for all the conventions is one
delegate at large for each precinct
and one delegate for each % votes,
or major fraction thereof cast for
VIM. Mckinley for President in
1896. This is the same appoint
ment as at the last conventions, and
each town will be entitled to the
following number of delegates:
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26

sands One day it flashed upon him
that the Goler camp was the center of
an enormous extinct crater; that the
golden particles in the sand were
washed there through countless ages
from Lodges formed by volcanic action,
and if the rim of the volcano might be
found the original ledge would be a
source Of fabulous wealth. For days
he told and re-told his story to his COM
panions. Finally Singleton and Bur-
chem agreed to go and search for the
ledge. Two days of prospecting led
to the location Of the seven mines
known as the Yellow Aster group,
where Randsburg has since grown up.
SO rich were the specimens whacked
from the outcropping rock that the Vel
/ low Aster paid from the start. Mooers,
Singleton and Burchem had taken over
S7O0,OOO in ore from the golden lodges
up to January, 1900.
With the knowledge that the Yellow
Aster was to be the source of thou
sands of dollars every month as long as
he would probably live, Mooers set
about having gloriously good time
with his suddenly acquired fortune. II
know too well,' said he to friends,
that my life has been one of such
hardships that will probably live but
few years more-ten or twelve years
at the outside-and 1 mean to have fun
and make some people remember me
for personal kindnesses after l am
gone"
And he kept his word.
First he bought magnificent man
sion owned by Thomas F. Fitch, at S1S
Bonnie Brae street, Los Angeles. He
isent to- New, York and g2t his aged
mother, his young Son ana his broth
ers, and brought them all in a private
car to Los Angeles. The home was
furnished superbly He bought horses
and carriages for the family's use, pro-
vided his mother with servants to an
ticipate her slightest wish, and made
sure that the home circle should have
certain part OF the dividends from
the Yellow Aster monthly.
All the rest he devoted to al ,Sayts.p of
whlms OF pleasure.
A month later. In Buffalo. he found
printer Of his own name dying OF
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26

of the Imperial hotel, where he was
stopping, tell another servant of how
the sweeping of dusty carpets in the
hotel was gradually killing him with
consumption. He inquired at the Of
fee about the man, had a doctor ex-
anime him, and found the case genu-
inc one for charity. Shortly after the
man, his wife and child were on their
way to California at Mr.. Mooers' ex-
pense. They are now in Phoenix, Ari-
iona, and the man is the chief cook at
the Adams House.
Two months ago Mr.. Mooers was in
a blacksmith shop in Los Angeles to
see about shoes for his PAGER. He
heard several men discussing the pros
pect of getting gold at Cape Nome.
None of the men knew him. He be-
came interested in one of the young
men because Of his burning zeal to go
to Nome. He invited him to his house
that day and several days thereafter.
On one of the first steamers from Sc
attic to Cape Nome, early in May,
Richard B. Judson sailed north with
supplies and capital enough to last two
years. Frederick M. Mooers was his
silent partner.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26
GIVES HIS FORTUNES
> TO THE POOR, e

en-. The Eagle changed hands and
Mooers was out of job.
Mooers next joined filibustering ex-
petition to Costa Rica, in Central
America, and with his comrades lay
in Jail one year, expecting almost any
day to be led out to execution He was
a sailor before the mast for the next
year and a half. Returning to New
York, in broken health, he wrote an
article for the Sun about the hardships
of common sailors, which brought him
to public notice. He was called to
Washington by committee in con-
gress to relate in detail how American
sailors were treated on ships sailing
under foreign flags.
In April, 1895, Mooers, John Single
ton and Austin Burclem were living in
tent at Goler, earning dollar day,
and on particularly favorable days a
dollar and a half. For weeks Mooers
had pondered over the problem of the
source of the golden specks which they
We're dry-washing in the brown desert
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26

he became compositor on the New
York Sum- later joined an expedition to
Brazil, and before he was "a made
fortune of some $4,000 in the diamond
field along the Amazon. Returning to
New York he married, and gayly spent
his little fortune within two years. He
went back to the Brazilian diamond
fields. Meanwhile the governmental pol
icy toward the diamond miners had
changed, and aliens were no longer
permitted to mine there.
He returned to his type-setting, this
time on the Brooklyn Eagle. One day
he contributed an article to the Eagle
on commercial affairs of Brazil, at
tracing the attention of the proprietor,
Thomas Kinsella, who made him
bookkeeper in the business office, Next
Nooers was cashier for the Eagle, at
$1,000 year. Those were palmy days
Of journalism in New York and Brook
1yn-days when Tweedism put vast
sums in the pockets Of favored pub
fishers. But Tweed was sent to pris-
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26

Frederick M. Mooers, mining king
and prince of good fellows, whose ca
reer the past four years has been ex-
traordinary and eccentric in its lavish
expenditure Of money, died suddenly
the other day at the Fifth Avenue ho-
tel, in New York. He will be remem-
bered because, like the blithesome
prince of old, he went along tossing for
tunes into the laps of all to whom his
fancy turned.
The story Of Frederick Mooers' rise
from poverty to wealth is an interest
ing one. Indeed, his whole life was one
Of unusually romantic vicissjtudes.
At the age Of so Mr.. Mooers was with
out dollar. At the age of IS he died,
possessed Of one-third OF the Yellow
Aster mines, property for which the
Del Mars, OF Utah, vainly offered $4,-
100000.
His father was a cobbler in Cam
bridge, Mass. He went to New York at
the breaking out of the civil war, and
for months was a street arab. Then
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26

consumption. The next day the print
er, his wife and two children were trav-
cling in sumptuous style toward San
Diego, where for over year, until the
man died, they received from Mr.
Mooers' Los Angeles bankers certain
monthly stipend.
A year ago man fell down the shaft
in the Yellow Aster mine. The Yellow
Aster company pensioned the widow
literally. Mr.. Mooers happened to be
on the cars few weeks later, and the
widow came forward and introduced
herself to him. During their CONVEX
sation she spoke of her three daugh-
tiers and of the plans of their dead faith
er to send them east to the paternal
home. A day or so later Mr.. Mooers
had bought round trip tickets for the
whole family to New Bedford, Mass.
Not only that, but he secured berths
in the Pullman cars for them, and gave
a $40 gold piece to each Of the trio.
While in New York last summer he
overheard colored man in the hall
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-07-26
THE DOLLAR.
History of a Term That Has Become
Worldwide.

History of Term That Has Become
Worldwide.
Our word dollar dates back to 1875,
when resolution was passed by con-
gress which provided that it should
be the unit of money of the United
States. Another resolution was passed
in 1875. August S, providing that it
should weigh 1854 grains Of pure sill
yer. The mint was established in 1892
and then required to coin silver dollars
containing 371.25 grains of pure silver.
This was due to the influence of Alex
ander Hamilton. No dollars were
coined until 1894, and then irregular
They are now worth S100 each. In 1894
the coinage of regular dollars began.
Our coin was the adaptation of the
Spanish milled dollar, coin very pop
ular wherever the Spaniards Travelled.
The coin was called 'spiastre," meaning
fiat piece of metal; it is synonymous
with plaster. 1t is supposed that the
Spanish took the German 'thaler" and
called it by the name of plaster" The
word dollar is entered in Bailey's Eng
lish Dictionary of 1745, and was used
repeatedly by Shakespeare at the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century, es-
pecially in Macbeth, II: 2, 81: ''Till she
disbursed $4,000 to our general use"
and in Tempest" II: l, II. The ques-
ton where Shakespeare found the word
dollar is answered by the fact that the
Hanseatic towns maintained great es-
tablishment called the Steel Yard in
London. The Steel Yard merchants
were mostly North Germans, who
would call the German thaler as if it
spelled 'dah-ler." The same merchants
originated the word sterling, an alb
breviation of the word "esterling." AS
the Hanseatic trade was particularly
brisk on the Baltic and in Russia, the
standard coins of the Hanse merchants
were called esterlings, and sterling
came to mean something genuine and
desirable. The world dollar is the
English for thaler, the first of which
was coined about 1885, and corresponds
quite closely to our present American
silver dollars. The word thaler means
coming from dale or valley" the
first dollar having been coined in a b.
hemian valley called Foachimisthal. 1t
was under Charles ", the emperor of
Germany, King of Spain and Lord of
Spanish America, that the German tha-
Ter became the coin of the world
Golden Thoughts.