davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

times, when neither of the preferred
positions is available, he has a scaven-
ger contract up his sleeve or a street
cleaning contract.
speaking generally, and with many
exceptions, the go-between is the boss
of the ward committeeman. The com.
mitteeman comes to him for advice.
information and instructions. Often
the committeeman from several wards
are practically controlled by the same
go-between.
I'm the good old days the ward
committeeman was sure of ut least
ten months of political work each
year. He spent two months in the as.
SCISSORS office and four months each
in the offices of the county treasurer
and county clerk or in the correspond
ing Offices in the city hall. Now this
source of support is cut off, and the
committeeman is taken care of in
some other way. Thus 40 Of the
statesmen who serve as city central
committeeman for the two leading
parties in Chicago hold political jobs
of considerable Importance, while
many of the others get "a Bit out OF
politics in one way or another.
"Below the ward committeeman are
the precinct captains, and at the bot
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
woODCHUCK WIDE AWAKE.

again. He is the soundest of thu
winter sleepers. The gray squirrel
sleeps" (hibernates, it is really only
in the coolest weather; the chipmpnk
sleeps more, but awakes from time to
time for nibble at his store of nuts;
but the woodchuck sleeps continually
for about six months. In middle and
late summer he lives alone, and for
a large part of the time sits perfect
~ still at the mouth of his hole. The
scientific people name him Arctomys
monax. Those of you who have COM
menced to study ancient tongues
know that monax means monk; SO
you see grown-up people have their
fancies when they say in this scien-
tific name that this is the bear-mouse
monk.
While woodchucks are not rapid
runners, it is very difficult to catch
them, for they usually go but a lit
tie way from the hole, and keep 4
sharp watch to see if anyone is COM
ing. Sometimes the farmers boys dig
out the whole family of woodchucks
in the spring. John Burroughs tells
in "Riverby" an interesting story
about feeding milk to young wood
chucks, and says that they would
hold spoon in their little shining
black paws; and in "Pepacton" he
tells how the farm dog Cuff" out
witted an old woodchuck.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
BOY FIGHTS A CATAMOUNT,
II Rescued by q Woman When Near.
~ Killed, and She II Then
Attacked.

Charlie Gallagher, ten years old,
was nearly killed by large cata-
mount the other day within two miles
of the town of Clifton Forge, Va,
where his father, Bryant Gallagher,
lives. The boy, with several COM
Panions, was gathering wild flowers
in ravine when the animal sprangs
on Gallagher from an unseen cover.
The other boys were badly scared and
ran away. Young Gallagher fought
the catamount manfully, and was al
most stripped naked and torn until
he was bleeding from head to foot.
He succeeded in getting near
enough to William Wiltshire's cabin to
make his cries heard. Wiltshire's wife
was at home and rushed to the boys
aid, beating off the animal with a
broom. The catamount also attacked
the woman, but she dragged the boy
inside her door and closed it. Wilt
shire finally reached home, and the
Infatuated beast sprang on him as
soon as he came near, but he succeed
ed in killing the animal with club.
The catam0unt was female, and
Iits savage attack was supposed to be
q On nss4 ac 6 Y q the boy 4pproaching
near Her cubs
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
POSITION OF THE FLEETS.

time in forcing the fight, which was in
evitable. Led by the Olympia, the Amer
lean ships moved to the attack on the
line ahead, at a. speed of eight knots,
the map accompanying this article
showing the positions of the two fleets.
The position of the United States ships,
% shown, was, of course, only mo-
mentary, as they were constantly in
motion. but it indicates their track
while destroying the Spanish ships fair
ly well. >...::.sss... ~.yzsH
:. Neither the fire of the land batteries
in front Of Manila nor the danger from
the explosion of submarine mines in
the bay could stay the progress of the
American feet, and the fire from the
shore battery at Cavite point proved
not 9 particle more effective. The
American sailors, stripped to- the
waist and eager for the fray, stood at
their posts, awaiting orders to open
fire from Commodore Dewey, who,
/ with his chief Of staff, Commander
BENJAMIN p. Lamberton, had taken his
place Jon the forward bridge Of the
Olympia. Capt. Gridley, commander Of
the lagship, was 81 the coming tower,
AZ "a minutes before six o'clock, on the
nnrning ot May 4, 1928, the. commodore
turned 10 the coming tower and Or
dered the beginning 81 the battle.
Capt. GridleY imnedi ately rave the
necessary orders. and tie stsrboatd
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
THE REASON WHY.

The big boys wouldn't play with me: :
They said / was too small sft y.
That they would have to wait and. see
d II I.gFews strong and tall 81
And when they had their club at school,
They all began to grin. .5 1s5 4.
B And said that they had made rule
To let no small boys in. =. 81
But when the holidays brought Jim
From college for week,
The big boys came to call on him T,
And listen to him speak,
He tod them OF the football game
! Where, in an awful crush, ., 49,
He slipped. and for ten days was lame
i He played at center rush;
( He told them Of the record jump
He beat q Yale man In: ..Ir
He let them feel the dreadful lump
The ball made on his shin.
He showed his muscles all I'M play,
He raised a heavy weight. n.
And looked to see what they would say
know they thought 1t great.
They saw his college pins and flag,
They. saw his football suit;
They opened wide his
And thought his cap a 'beaut.'
They saw his yellow, sweater there
A picture Of the gym
They liked the way he wore his hair.
And every one liked him.
So now the big boys notice me.
And, In some way or other,
They let me join their club, you see,
Because I'm Jtm's own brother.
-Montrose J. Moses, in st. Nicholas.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

bay and established the blockade Of
the city. Within 4s hours the Span
iards had lost property to the value Of
$4,000, 900, 1900 soldiers and sailors
had been killed and the cable con-
Meeting Manila with the outside world
cut. Manila, Cavite, Corregidor, SUI
big and other fortified points, shown
in the second map, were in American
hands ten days after war hao been de.
clared.
That an event of such magnitude
should be made the occasion for an
annual rejoicing is not strange, and
that Commodore, now Admiral,
Dewey should have become a national
idol is just as natural. AS long as
Americans take pride in their history
the battle of Manila bay will hold a
high place in the public mind.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
TIE WOODCHUCK,S WAYS.


=
The woodchnck sleeps for six
months out Ct the twelve. "I've been
asleep all winter, but now I'm wide
awake and ready to ENJOY the spring
and summer" q writer in st. Nicho-
las fancies him saying, as he comes
to the mouth of his hole under the
old tree. In the early part Of last
autumn, when he wassvery, fat from
his many summer feasts Of red clover,
he filed this nest nearly full of leaves,
crawled into the middle Of the long
mass and, curling himself up into a
ball, went to "sleep.".
The woodchuck's appetite makes
him the plague Of every farmer, and
his queer and interesting ways make
him the delight Of every farmers
boy. If we dig him ont of his home
in the winter, we shall find what ap-
pears to be football covered with
fur. Let us take him in by the warm
fire in the farmhouse, and soon
will wake up, but in such drows
way as not to be frightened. Befor
long he will roll up and 60 to slee:
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

AAOAAAAssoS$s - =" AS oO-oOSwScHs
man is recalcitrant and absolutely re-
fuses to accept the olive branch he
must have the nerve to drive him out
into political darkness, where there is
no patronage or drawing of salaries.
In addition to ability as a harmonizer
he must be an organizer, though a
man is rarely one thing without. being
the other at the same time. The boss
must have tact as well as push.
j.. '"The reformer who sets out to be
boss is likely to be too dictatorial.
He spells his particular brand of re-
form with capital r, and pays no at
tention to other words which other
reformers would like TO capitalize. Re-
formers must learn to be firm in es-
sentials, but extremely polite and
pleasant in less important things.
Often o reformer who is temporarily
put ii place of a boss is regularly at
the head Of some large business,
where his will is law. He fails I'd
realize that In politics II Is necessary
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

weeds, some of them in the form of
apparently endless serpents, and the
sailors have long called them :''Nep-
tunes gardens" 1t is not improb-
able that these vast storehouses of
weeds may be used commercially for
enriching our soil where it is depleted,
or, as the farmers say, worn OUT
with continuous crops of single
kind. The sea weed is a spontaneous
fertilizer, causing soil long unproduc-
tive to become Immediately rejuve.
mated and verile. It is said that on
the French shore of the British chan.
mel upwards of 100000 tons of sea
weeds are annually gathered and used
for fertilizing purposes. Thus the
sea is made to enrich the soil.
just as gourds are used for dippers,
in many places, there are pods of Ger.
tain kinds of sea weed used for sim
liar purposes. Large pods holding up.
wards of a quart are followed out
dried and filled with whale oil by New
Zealanders, and the necks of these
quaint bolt les are tied with fibers OF
flaxen weeds. Other pods are used as
water buckets, and those of smaller
size are used for dippers. The fac:
that they are impervious to oil rem
ders them exceptionally valuable to
some peoples.
The foods made from these prod.
ucts of the deep are annually increas.
ing in number and variety. One OF
the best known in larger cities, but
appreciated only by gourmets, is tho
sea slug. 1t is from eight inches tc
TWO feet in length and resembles q
brownish prickly cucumber. After
being dried and soaked in olive oil i!
is dried again and then minced tc
serve as a choice flavor in thick soups
The sea slug is found in mud bank:
and shoals where fishermen wade
knee deep to find it. When their feet
strike a slug they reach down with
tongs and take it up. It stings like
q nettle, and yet it is not poisonous
although it usually leaves little burn
ing pin heads OH the skin, which pass
away in a few hours.
| Dyes of many kinds are taken from
the sea, usually from some parts Of
the bodies of mollusks, carp. cutie
Ash and star fish. Shells are still used
in lieu of money by half-civilized PEG
pie. The shells are also used fo,
trumpets, horns, pipes, earrings
brooches, bracelets and other orna
ments for women. Pearls are the
most valuable of all, but only the
largest are now held at a great price
| All of these things are wonderful
and yet only little bit of the whole
story can be told at this time.
SMITH D. FRY.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

AN NAOAsSA' ave oOAAuAS A1OAC
for election expenses. Because of the
fact that he is usually a good talkcr
and is persistent to the last degree
he often imposes on the reformers.
though he by no means confines his
attention to them.
"But the man who is held in the SUI
premest contempt by the practical
politicians is the nine spot He can
be found at present in large focks
about the headquarters of all the can
didates. He knows nothing about
politics and cares less. His only am
bition is to hear himself talk. He
makes wild predictions, waves his
arms and gathers crowd about him
at every possible opportunity. The
sound of his own voice is sweeter to
him than a promise of any political
office, no matter how large the salary
attached to it. Speaking generally,
he is looked upon as a harmless nui-
sance. He rarely touches the candi-
dates, and serves to swell the crowd
at the headquarters.
''Then there is the theoretical re-
former. who is to be differentiated
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
CATS BY THE SCORE.
They Cheer the Life Savers Along
the Atlantic Coast and Keep
on Vicious Rats. -

Nearly every life-saving station along
the Atlantic coast of Long Island is
haven for cats. 1t may seem strange
that among the beach hills, surround.
ed by water in many instances, the cats
should be represented so largely in
Uncle Sans service, but life-savers say
that if it was not for the presence OF
the animals life would be constant
bore and at times dangerous, for hived
among the beach hills with their
growth of sea weed are swarms of rats:
vicious as wildcats and ready to de-
YOUR anything from jolly fat life
saver down to fish. 81
These rats migrate at frequent in
tervals, but generally make their abode
near the stations, where they can se.T
cure food at times when the cats are
away or many of them are asleep.
Sometimes lively chase occurs when
a swarm of rats is discovered pillaging
from the stations crumb heap, and
frequently fierce battles ensue be-
tween the cats and their enemies.
Capt. John Edwards. of the Short
Beach Life Saving station, opposite
Freeport, has the largest number of
cats, there being about so at present
in the family at the station. The cap
tain and his crew take great pride
in showing them to visitors and ex-
planning the reason of their habitation
among them.
Each man in the crew has become
strongly attached to tie cats, and at
a signal from any one of them all the
pussies will scamper toward the sta.
ton and stand in a circle as if expect
ing orders. When meals are ready the
cook calls them by shrill whistle,
and each family seems to form into
group for eating.
Some of the cats at Capt. Edwards
have been there for ten years and know
every maneuver of the wreckers in
their work of saving people from
stranded vessels.-N. Y. Journal. x
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
The Nine SPOT.

cal politician is fond of counteriny
with the charge that the theoretical
reformer never goes out of the house
without buttoning his overcoat up
tightly to his throat for fear that
somebody will steal his watch. -
$50 far as politics goes the best he
ever gets is q chance to make speech
at some political meeting during the
campaign, and far from lucrative
job as vice president of some alleged
reform association, which one of. the
regular machines had most to do with
organizing as q feeder. ~ Chicago
Tribune. s-ses -,at.. { :
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

Many kinds Of sea weeds are used IL
commerce for the manufacture .of
soda, iodine, bromine, and gelatinous
extracts. In Scotland horses and cat:
tie are fed upon sea weeds during t he
winter months. Moreover, sea weeds
are used III abundance for upholster.
ing furniture. Instead Of Eorsehair.
They are used by packers for wrap
ping delicate objects, and chemists
obtain from them chlorides, silicates,
sulphates, phosEhates and carbohates
The sea weeds draw these valuable
materials from the sea water upon
which they live. apparently by alb
sorption, but really by the well-known
process of osmosis. :,5:y =. r. % 81.
But did you ever hear of human be.
ings eating sea weeds? It is a fact.
Tens of thousands of tons of sea
weeds are gathered along the ccset
Of China and Japan every year: They
are packed in bales, just as our PEG.
pie bale hay, and are carried to all
parts Of China and Japan, and even
to 'Thibet, and sold for food for the
poor people. They use it with rice,
vegetables and fish, and also make
soups of it. The people have acquired
taste for this sort of food, and re-
gard it as most palatable!! All of
these sea weeds have salty flavor,
and the natives are thereby saved the
cost of salt, which is very dear in
those countries, although 1t. is SO
very chean in orr land
If the people of this continent
should ever become eaters of sea weed,
they can have it in plenty. All along
the Gulf stream there are banks of sea
weeds, miles in extent. Ships in. the
Atlantic coastwise trade sail over
great spaces entirely covered with
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
somethinx wronR.

Mr.. Benny Benedict had been read
ing his paper in quietude for: almost
five minutes. Presently he looked up
at his wife with an agonized expires:
sion of fear and dread.
whats the matter with the baby p
he cried.
Mr.. Benedict jumped up like buck
ing mule. ''Good gracious, nothing, I
hope!" :. "
"There must be- 1 feel inwardly
that there is something grievous1y
wrong with the pet?"
"Why, Benny-o1,. why?''
"He isn't howling!''- Sloper.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
ADMIRAL DEWEY IN 1888.

when Great Britain issued a proclama-
ton of neutrality, the terms of which
compelled him to take the squadron
away from Hong Kong, British port,
within "a hours. Accordingly he took
his ships to Mrs bay, Chinese port,
only few miles away, where he con-
tinYed the preparations for battle
which he had begun some days before.
These preparations were completed
on April ~, and Commodore Dewey at
once set sail for Manila with his fleet,
consisting of the flagship Olympia,
Capt. Gridley;. the Baltimore, Capt.
Dyer; the Raleigh. Capt. Coghlan; the
Boston, Capt. Wildes; the Concord,
Commander Walker, and the Petrol,
Commander Wood On the evening of
April 30 the American squadron
sighted Corregidor island, at the en-
trance of the Bay Of Manila.
.Corregidor was known to be we'll for
titled, but Commander Dewey conclud-
ed to enter the bay at once. With the
Olympia in the lead, and the Boston
bringing up the rear, the squadron
steamed quietly past the island. 1t was
early evening and the moon was shin
ing brightly, but not until the flagship
was mile beyond the Corregidor bat
teries was the entrance of the Ameri-
can ships discovered by the spaniards.
Then a shot passed over the Raleigh
and another fell astern of the Olympia.
The rearmost vessels of the fleet gave
back shot for shot. Come of the Con.
cords shells fell inside the batteries,
and they were heard from no more.
After that the squadron steamed stead
lily up the bay, the men sleeping by their
guns.
Daybreak found the American fleet
within five miles of the city of Manila
and at the same time the'Spanish fleet
commanded by Admiral Montejo, was
sighted lying under the protecting
guns of the fort of Cavite. The ad.
mirars flag was flying from the Reina
Cristina, protected cruiser ,of $500
tons. Anchored just ahead of her was
the Castillo, protected cruiser of 3 ,2c(
tons, and astern were the cruisers Dor
Juan d'Austria, Don Antonio de Ulloa
Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon and the gun
boats Quiras, Marquis de Onero anG
Correo. Commodore Dewey lost nc
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11

and all sort of feminine artificial adorn-
ment. The Chinese have long had a
method of grinding UP certain kinds of
fish scales and using the dry pigment
as the basis of paints for women and
for the arts.
!. But not only are the scales used. but
also the skins. We have all seen alli-
gator skins made up into shoes. Eel
skins are used everywhere for the
thongs of whips. Dried sole skins are
used to clarity coffee. Shark and ray
skins produce shagreen leather. Whale
skins are manipulated into bands 60
feet long and IL feet wide to drive ma
chinery. The fish skins taken from
the Red sea are used in Egypt for the
soles of shoes and sandals. The Turks
use the skin of the angel shark to
make beautiful scagreen warehouses;;
and the rough skin of the blue dogfish
is used by ebony workers like emery
paper, for polishing their products.
I It is bewildering to walk about this
storehouse of information and make
note of just a little bit of what the
men of science show and explain. Peo-
pie generally suppose that sea weeds
are as useless as weeds in gardens.
But it is not SO. They bring to the
men who work with them large
part Of the annual income. Of the
world. Sea weeds are Of all sorts and
sizes, from the microscopic foaters to
the giant sea-tangle, which grows to
: height Of 500 feet and upon which
myriads of marine animals live. They
make this monster. sea weed both
home and food. They live upon it,
IA i, and, it IS their sole dependence.
When these sea-weeds are taken
from their anchorage on some stone,
lions upon mil ions of minute an.
imals are killed Whoss existence would
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
MANILA BA Y b TIL. E.
PFohably the Greatest g, Well ~ the
Most rnia.e Naval XictoEy % j
Record-OriGln % s.Man. s.
ala Day j. zssS

Nsf,AY l, 1885, will always be glo-
III Nv rious day in the annals OF the,
- American navy, for on that
day was fought the battle Of Manila
bay which, according 70 historians, did
more to bring about peace with Spain
than any other single event Of the war
of that year. Formal declaration of
war against the United States was
made BY Spain on Sunday, April p.
Commodore George. Dewey, command,
ing the Asiatic squadron Of the United
States, was at Hong-Kong when this
event occurred. Instantly orders were
cabled to him to move against Manila,
the capital of the, Philippine isl nds:
These orders had hardly reached him
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
A Tribute.

II want to stop in front of this win
dow" said Mr.. Blykins. 'l> : J.
'sWhy, it's full Of millinery" ex-
claimed his wife. II didn't know you
admired such things Il ILL., .. MI z.
81 not only admire; ! marvel. I take
off my hat to genius, and the people
who can get $40 apiece for q lot of
punches Of odds and ends like those are
qualified to give lessons to Napoleon
OF finance. Washington Star.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-05-11
Eight Fairly Good Riddles.
Feet have they, but they walk not

Feet have they, but they walk not
stoves. T..
Teeth have they, but they chew not
saws.
Eyes have they, but they see not-po-
tatoes. .. 49,.
Noses have they, but they smell not
teapots.. ..
Mouths have they, but they taste not
rivers. -
Hands have they, but they handle
notebooks. .. ~
Ears have they, but they hear not
cornstalks. r.<E ,y7e4. ,..
Tongues have they, :,ut they talk not
-wagons.-Golden Days. .zs NJ. +. /