davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA.

When Mark Hanna took charge Of
the Republican campaign in 1896, after
having purchased the candidate for
president-Mr. McKinley-he also Sc
cured mortgage on every Republican
candidate for congress. After the cleo
ton he foreclosed this mortgage and
took possession. The Republican par
ty gloried in him for awhile on ac-
count of the great victory he had OBJ
tanned over the Democrats. They
praised him, they wers proud of him,
they said that no one was his equal In
greatness. This feeling continued un-
I'll MIR. Hanna proceeded to realize on
his investment. Then the Republicans
came to understand that he had only
defeated the Democrats because he
could not control them when in office,
and had only elected the Republicans
in order to make them his obedient
servants. 1t soon became evident that
the president did not dare to disobey
MIN. The presidents policy was Han
mas policy. Later it became evident
that no Republican congressman who
expected to remain in office dared to
cross the will of the autocratic Hanna.
He held the purse strings of the party,
controlled its patronage and was the
BOSS of its organization. Any Repub-
mean member who kicked found oppo-
sitlon IN his own district at once,
"hlch was easily traced to the in
huence of Hanna. He found his pet
measures pgeonholed, he found his
friends dismissed from office, and he
FOUND himself very coolly received at
.he white house. In short, he received
plain intimation that he must sub
hlt 10 Hanna or retire to private life.
NO man was big enough to resist, and
even the great Tom Reed had to re-
sign his seat in congress in order to
retain his self-respect
And so it is when a Republican con-
gressional caucus meets, and Hanna,
through his mouthpiece, the president
says, DO this" or do that" only a
faint show of resistance is made, and
hanna's will is accomplished.-Illi
state Committee Bulletin.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

reach Of the people; while silver.
which is utterly worthless under this
adverse legislation, is decorated" and
scattered broadcast among the people.
to deceive them with fancied prosperi-
ty until it suits the purpose Of the
banks to precipitate a panic and fore
close on the peoples property. And
this threat of panic will be used for
coercive purposes in the coming cam
paign, just as it was in 1896, only with
thousand-fold more effectiveness, for
under this new legislation a panic
would ruin not only the business man
who depends on the banks for his capt
tai and the gambler who bets on future
prices, but the farmer who has mort
gage on his home and every man who
owes debt Among all the infamies
that were ever enacted into law in the
whole history OF civilization, nothing
has ever equaled the infamy of this
bank trust bill. Why the people with
one united voice do not cry out against
it is more than human mind can COM
prehend.-Mississipp Valley Demo
trat.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
Don't Forget.

We are not trying to array one class
against another; we are trying to teach
each class its relation to every other
The person who warns by the fire
must not forget the hand that brings
the coal from the mine The person
who eats at the table must not forget
the man whose toll loads the table
with bounties. The person who can
clothe himself with the best that The
looms produce must not forget those
whose muscle and brain created cloths.
Shall the bud, blooming in beauty and
shedding its fragrance upon the air,
despise the roots of the rosebush be-
cause they come into actual contact
with the soil? You may pluck the bud
and other buds as beautiful will grow,
but destroy the roots and all the buds
will die.-W. j. Bryan.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
1T IS QUITE A TRICK.
Picking Up String of Barges Requires
More Than n Little Generalship.

Moro Than Little Generalship.
cit is all very we'll to talk about tile
captains and pilots of the large sound
steamers having hard tines" said an
old-time sailor at the custom house,
but for real good seamanship you
must go to the captain of tug. He
has to be able to handle his boat as
Ii 1t were about six inches long, and
tEat is no easy matter" Look at
that" he continued, calling the atten-
ton OF the assembled listeners, and
pointing to a tug slowly steaming out
into the harbor. Just watch him and
see the way he has to maneuver if you
think handling tug is an easy job"
linen all watched, and truly it did taxa
more than little skill to handle tho
tug. First, she steamed to the nearest
pair of barges, and taking position
at the side, was made fast. A minute
afterward the two barges and the tug
began to move slowly toward another
barge. Then there was considerable
lacking and moving about The people
watching, with the exception of the old
salt, could not understand what it was
all about, but that very soon became
evident, even to the uninitiated The
checker board moves completed, it was
seen that the tug with the barges were
in such position that throwing a tow
line from the stern Of one barge to
the bow of the other was easy. The
hawser was paid out until the bargos
were far enough apart to be safe and
the crab-lihe evolutions We're repeated.
These were gone through with several
times and each time another barge or
pair of them was added to the tow, and
scarcely an hour after the first barge
was picked up, the tug with six barges
in tow was steaming slowly out of the
harbor, taking an easterly direction.
There, now" said the sailor, what
do you think of that bit of piloting?"
end all who had watched the operation
of picking up the tow were obliged to
acknowledge that easy as it had looked
it would require more than little sea
knowledge to do the trick without in
juring one or more of the barges and
| In anything like the time.-New Lon
don Telegraph.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
Senses of Smell.

The horse will leave musty hay un.
touched in his Dir, however hungry.
He will not drink wAter Objectionable
to his questioning Unfit, or from a
bucket which some odor makes Of
fensive, however thirsty. His intelli-
gent nose will widen, culver and query
over the daintiest bit offered by the
fairest hands, with coaxing that would
make a mortal shut his eyes and swal-
low nauseous mouthful at gulp. A
mare is never satisfied either by sight
or whinny that her colt is really her
own until she has a certified nasal
certificate to the fact. A blind horse
will not allow the approach of any
stranger without showing signs of an
ger not safely to be disregarded. The
distinction is evidently made by his
sense of smell at considerable dis
lance. Blind horses as rule will gal
lop wildly about pasture without
striking the surrounding fence. The
sense of smell informs him OF its
proximity. Others will, when loosened
from the stable, go direct to the gate
or bars opened to their accustomed
feeding grounds, and when desiring to
return, after hours of careless wander
ing, will distinguish one outlet and
patiently await its opening. The odor
of that particular part of the fence is
their pilot to it. The horse in brows-
ing or while gathering heritage with its
lips is guided in its choice of proper
food entirely by it's nostrils. Blind
horses do not make mistakes in their
diet.-Horse and Stable.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

his light Rob's object in eating neni
the opening was twofold. IN the first
place, there was little light there,
and it was less grewsomb than back
in the black recess he had slept in be-
fore. In the second place, he would
be in the way of any person entering
the cave, and could not be overlooked
as he might be If he went to sleep in
a hidden spot. And Rob had now be-
come so terror-stricken at the gravity
of his situation, and the awful pros
pect of starving to death in that place
that he would have welcomed any one
even Lemuel Starne himself, If that
worthy had appeared to let him out.
Rob sat on his bale of cloth for a
long time, blinking at the little streak
of light, and listening to the trickling
and dropping of the water in the cav
ems around him. To his excited mag
ination it seemed as If this noise was
growing louder, and he thought per-
haps the roof was breaking, and would
let in the water from the river. This
meant speedy death by drowning.
All the events of his past life came
up before him. He thought of his
mother, and the tears ran down his
checks. He wondered If his uncle had
missed him, and if a search would be
made. But he dismissed this hope, for
it would surely have been reported
that he was lost overheard from the
Royal Mail.
The WEAKNESS was too much for him
at last, and with great sobs shaking
him he fell asleep.
Even this time he did not know how
long he slept. But he was awakened
by hearing some one outside the cave
He sat up and listened intently. There
was no mistake about it. Some one
was certainly outside.
Rob's heart now beat violently. Was
this some wandering native, who
would release him from his prison, ant
enable him to go to Buenos Aires and
find his uncle? Or was it Lemue,
| Starne returned to finish his tiendisf
work?
l
er than fear of Starne. and Rob plac.
ed his mouth near the crack and gave
a loud "Halloo!"
"Ho" came in the well-know1
voice Of Captain Torreyo, of eel Gate
Negro. Are you there, after all?"
ooh, yes! Let me out! Let me out
Please, Captain Torreyo, let me OUT!
"You are a jewell" exclaimed Tor
reyo in a tone that Rob did not un
derstand. BE easy"
Rob was now flushed with hope, an,
looked, expecting to see the grea
stone roll away, leaving him free. Blu
the noise suddenly ceased. Bob waite,
a moment longer, and then called
again.
Captain Torreyo! Dear Captain
Let me out. won't your
Ito be continued)
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
ABOUT CHEAP MONEY.

An Ohio paper utters the following
platitude:
Cheap money is always the costliest
paper money was SO taeap cnat ii rooN
$2.40 in greenbacks to buy 81 in gold,
the man who wanted to borrow money
had to pay from s to IL per cent for it.
Now, when every dollar of our paper
and silver is held at PAL with gold,
the borrower can obtain all the money
he can give good security for at from
8 to per cent. Sound currency and
stable credits always produce low rates
of interest"
Upon this the Mississippi Valley
Democrat jumps with both pedal ex-
tremities:
Cali of which is lie in ambush to
fool the unwary. In the first place,
every farmer knows that he cannot
borrow money at per cent. He may
possibly get it at "and commissions,
if he has gilt-edged security; but which
is the cheaper rate, 6 per cent with
wheat at so cents bushel (and all
kinds of produce at the same rate), or
IL per cent with wheat at $40 per
bushel? We should think that any man
with brains in his head would take the
latter. Besides, money never brought
IL per cent in this country, not even in
the flush times Immediately after the
war, when money hung on the bushes
and everybody was out of debt-wheu
as the then secretary of the treasury
said, the people were so well off that
they were putting carpets in their
houses and learning extravagant hab-
its, and it was therefore the duty of the
government to reduce the volume of
currency and teach them better. Some
people seem to think the farmers don't
know anything-and we must confess
that some of them do not know great
deal-or they would never vote the Re-
publican ticket"
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
How IL Halna Iahor.

AS a sample of the benefits which
may be expected from the reciprocity
arrangement of the Dingley tariff act,
it is stated that the government has
entered into an agreement with Italy
whereby reductions of duty granted
the shippers of that country are limited
to still and sparkling wines, brandies.
vermouth, argols, paintings and statu-
airy, engravings and other works of
art. Great aid to the laboring man.
Benefcent reciprocity that gives US our
wines, our paintings and 'argols' at a
reduced duty, and taxes our woolens
and cottons-necessitie Of dan
ger of competition.-ka Ga
Zette
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
A SPECIMEN CAMPAIGN LIE.

In the effort to preserve the individ-
ual lister of prosperity the g. o. p. Or
gans are beginning to cross the broad
line of truth into fable. The Chicago
Inter Ocean finds so much prosperity
in the state of Kansas that the people
are actually suffering from too much
money. 1t says: The banks are unit
ing to find out whether there is any
law to prevent them receiving money,
it appearing that they have so much
money on hand and it is pouring in in
such enormous quantities that they do
not know what to do with it. I'm fact,
says the veracious chronicler OF
finances, "the times are getting worse
and worse out in Kansas for those who
are trying to lend money or to find
banks that will accept it on deposit.
Perhaps this is the reason why farm
mortgages are increasing, according to
the views of the offices of the various
county recorders. Some one has got to
be prosperous, even if it is the money
lenders.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
FOR POLITICAL FARMERS.

A friend in Ohio sends us a clipping
from a political farmers" paper,
which says:
The treasury of the United States
stands ready to exchange an American
silver dollar for a gold dollar, or vice
versa. 1t is the maintenance of the
gold standard that makes every Amer.
lean dollar, whether metal or paper,
as good as gold the world over"
If the editor of this political farmers
paper will write to Senator Allison he
VIII learn that after the passage of the
bank trust bill the treasury of the
United States will not stand ready to
exchange a silver dollar for gold
dollar, or vice versa The treasury of
the United States will do nothing OF
the kind. But gold will then be the
only money that will pay debts, and il
this political farmer owes a debt and
hasn't the gold to pay it with the sheI-
iff will sell him out so quick that i:
will make his wooden head dizzy
Mississippi Valley Democrat
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

covered a box of matches. It was
something to wear the jacket of a
smoker, after all.
With feverishly trembling fingers,
Rob lighted match and applied it to
the torch. In an instant it burst into
flame and lit up the gloomy cavern
around him. The smoky flame, while
it gave light enough for him to see,
made the shadows even more terrible.
And with the light held above his head
Rob gazed with strained eyes into the
inky blackness of recesses opening out
on three sides.
But Rob had been through the cav
ems when dozen such torches had
been blazing, and he knew there was
nothing there that would harm him.
There were no wild beasts. So, bolster
ing up his courage with this one con-
soling thought, he began a thorough
exploration of the place. From one
cave to another he went, closely ex-
aiming the sides, always on the alert
to catch glimpse Of what might be
another opening. But he saw none
There were the great stores of contra
band goods-enough to make dozen
men rich If sold at fair prices, but
nothing that Rob wanted.
To all the rest Of his discomfort now
came the pangs of hunger. He did not
know how long he had slept; therefore
he could not judge how long he had
been in the caves. But he knew he
was very hungry.
He now applied himself to searching
for something to eat.
There was plenty Of tobacco, easily
distinguished by the odor.
But Rob could not eat this. There
were casks of liquor, but Rob had
never touched drop of it, and even
the bottles of which there were many,
did not seem to point to way to
spare him any pain.
He found plenty of bales Of stuff,
silks, cassimeres and everything in
that line that was dutiable. But not
thing to eat.
After traversing room after room
and vault after vault, Rob entered a
large rock chamber, dry and cool, and
there he stood. more amazed than
ever.
1t was an arsenal. Here were stored
hundreds of rifles, pistols, swords,
knives-in fact every kind Of weapon.
And around the sides of the chamber
were kegs probably containing pow
der-and cases-probably containing
cartridges.
/ Even to Rob's young mind 1t was
evident that this was more than a
mere smuggler's resort. All those
arms were there for purpose-he
knew not what.
But he could not eat them.
Weary, hungry and disheartened,
Rob Went back and examined his bed.
Finding 1t clean and dry. he dragged
It 70 the opening. and extinguished
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

haps, after all, Lemuel Starne had
recognized him-had told Captain Ell
vim who he was-and he had been
missed, traced to the caverns and lock-
ed in to await a terrible death by star
walton, or to be kept until they saw
fit to release him and kill him some
other way. Any way he looked at it,
death seemed certain.
With dull heart Rob left the open
ing, now, alas! opening no longer, and
CROPPED his way in the darkness
through the caverns. 1t was dark as
night, and darker. There were no
moon and stars in this damp and
grewsome place to shed a little light
and cheeriness. All was dark and
damp and dismal.
In his aimless wanderings, Rob's feet
struck against something, and he at
once thought of the torches the men
had used when they brought in the
goods The thing he had kicked
sounded like one Of these. He stopped
and picked it up. 1t was just what
he thought it was-a torch made of
some kind of soft stuff like cotton
waste, wrapped on bar of iron and
soaked in oil. The odor from it show
ed that it had been recently used
probably by the men who had been
with him.
But a smothered torch gives no light,
and Rob could not feel that he was
any better off than before. He had
never learned to smoke, and therefore
carried no matches. If he only had
a match!
Suddenly it occurred to him that he
did not have on his own clothes, but
the fantastic garments given him by
Captain Torreyo, of the BLACK Cat"
Instinctively he felt in the pockets OF
his velvet jacket.
First he brought out a package OF
Spanish cigarettes, which he threw
away, not having any use for them
In another pocket-oh, JOY! he dis
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
CHAPTER vI.-(Continued).

CHAPTER VI.-(Continued).
The gang he was with had returned
for another load. Rob heard them
! muttering among themselves, and he
locked up to see the cause. He was
amazed, and felt a thrill Of terror rush
over him, for there, standing with Cap
tain Elvin and Torrevo, engaged in
earnest conversation, was Lemuel
Starne.
Now Rob thought surely he would be
killed. He thought he now understood
some Of the hatred he had incurred
Starne, Elvin and the captain of the
Black Cat" were all in one gang.
Therefore. II Starne had any reason
70 wish his death, the others must
have the same reason.
There was no way to escape them
now. He could not turn back.
When they were taking up their
loads Torrevo rushed out and beat Rob
with his ropes end so that poor Rob
Kept his face bent down almost to the
ground till he got clear of his tor
mentor, which was not until he was
part way up the ridge.
The boys heart was broken with
grief and terror. What should he do?
10 continue in this way was simply to
be killed. Was there no hope of es-
cape. He went into the caverns again,
and this time the black interior seemed
to the tortured fellow like a haven of
rest. And when the gang turned to
leave sudden inspiration came to
Rob. He knew that the last of the
cargo was not on it's way to the cave.
i was possible that he would not be
missed if he did not return. With no
definite purpose, except to escape the
blows and curses of Torrevo, he darted
away from the gang and hid in black
recess behind pile of bales of to-
bacco.
The men came in with their bur-
dens, and then went out Those who
went out now did not return again.
The last Of the contraband cargo was
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
And rh,. wa. a Man. Throw,

At the Meadville opera house the
other night a spectator in the gallery
became SO enthusiastic over the dan
cling of couple of soubrettes that he
wildly drew silver dollar from his
pocket and attempted to throw it to
the stage. In his excitement, however,
his aim was poor, and the dollar,
which was hurled through the air with
terrific force, struck the head of lady
who occupied seat in the balcony,
cutting a cash which required treat
ment at a neighboring drug store. Of.
City Blizzard.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
CHAPTER VII.

For several minutes Rob stood there
In the dark cavern looking at. the thin
streak Of light that came in through
chink by the side Of the blockad-
ing rock, with terrible sense Of ter
ror. He was literally buried alive.
"a. He did not know how often the
smugglers, or pirates, or whatever the
gang might be, came to this place.
If their visits were limited to such
times as the BLACK Cat" brought car
goes of struggled goods, then it was
certain that he would be confined there
for weeks, and perhaps months, and
that meant that he would die there.
When the full sense of the disaster
broke upon him. his boyish heart
throbbed with fear. AS young and
healthy American. he loved life. He
loved his mother. and he had looked
forward to the day when, having by
skill and attention to his uncle's bust
ness, won wealth and position. he
could make comfortable home for
that dear mother, for which she would
not be beholden to any one for char
eity. To die with this brilliant pros
pect before him would be hard. But
to die in that dark hole, a lingering,
painful death by starvation. Oh! it
was terrible.
But Rob was a true American boy.
After the first few minutes of stupe-
faction his spirits returned. and he
began to think of finding a way out.
He CROPPED about the opening, now
so well blocked by the heavy rock, but
the largest aperature he could find
was simply large enough for him to put
his hand through. He could not move
the rock an inch.
While thus engaged in his futile eff
forts the thought came to him that
perhaps this was not an accident. Per-
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
Civilization Must Give Hope.

The civilization which does not en-
brace within it's benefits every worthy
member Of society is fraudulent civ
ilization. We must have civilization
which gives hope and inspiration to
those who work in the kitchen as we'll
as to those who eat in the dining room
and to those who sit in the parlor-a
man who drives the carriage as we'll as
for the man who rides within it.-W. j.
Bryan.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
A Four-Year Holldar.

Objection is made by a Republican
organ to holding the Democratic ma
tional convention on July 4, because it
will deprive various telegraph opera
tors and editors of holiday. But 1T
should be recalled, per contra, that the
purpose of the convention is to give
Republicanism a permanent holiday
Albany On " Argus.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

"The loggerhead turtle" says an old
fisherman, "gets its name from the re-
semblance of its head and neck, under
some circumstances, to the end Of a
log. You take big turtle, one weigh
ing. say. 600, or 500. or 1000 pounds, at
sea, with its body submerged and head
and neck out Of the water. and they
look at a little distance Just like the
end Of a log sticking up. Hence the
name zferhead. New York spl
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
No specia, Class Heaven.

Men have expressed many ideas Of
heaven, but no one has yet pictured a
heaven for the rich and another for the
poor. If the rich and the poor must
mingle together forever in the world
to come, want to help them to get
acquainted here SO that they will not
have to be introduced when they cross
the river.-W. j. Bryan.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29

Gold. the money of the rich, the
money of the banks and the usurers-
the kind Of money that the people new
er see the color Oils made the only
money that legally pays debt, and
then by Law & q placed out Of the
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-03-29
A yerv Bad Ego.

The Republican party is not what it
was in the days of Lincoln. The she'll
is the same, but the contents of the
egg have undergone change.-W. ].
Bryan.