davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
Drix,in9 Our "EyH One"

The Japanese little folks know moth
ing of the mysterious joys of Christ
mastide, but the name of Hotel, a
celebrated priest VINO was kind to
children, signifies to the japanese boys
and girls, in a measure, what Santa
Claus does to young America. Hotel
is represented with an immense sack,
gathering good things for his young
friends. He is said to have eyes in
the back of his head and to be able
to see around corners, thus finding out
whether the little ones are good or
naughty.
The Japanese New Year was form
erly a movable festival like that of
the Chinese, but it is now celebrated
on a date corresponding to our first
Of January. This is a day of universal
rejoicing with both old and young.
The ceremony of mame-maki, bean
throwing, is a leading feature in the
preparation for this holiday. There
is a superstition prevalent among the
Japanese that there may be evil spir-
its in the house which must be driven
out before the dawn OF the new year.
Accordingly, on the last night Of
the old year the house is swept and
cleaned and the windows and doors are
hung with ferns. Then the house ia
Their, arrayed in his very best clothes,
goes through all the rooms, the little
ones of the family, undismayed at the
thought of possible h~obgoblins, skip
ping gayly after him. He has provided
himself with a quantity of dried beans
and these he throws into the corners
and recesses, crying aloud: "Oni wa
soto, fuku wa uchi." Demons depart,
good luck enter.) The young folks
join joyfully in the cry, frolicking and
laughing till the tour of the house is
completed, and the horned demons
and other evil spirits-who are sup
posed to have a great aversion TO
beans-have made their escape
through the open door.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
Sbe Metz Year |ojr;f

The return Of New Years day in
vites many people to the most somber
reflections. Undoubtedly most of us
can nnd abundant occasion for these,
out there is such a thing as pushing
determination and self-condemna-
tlon TO the point of disbursement,
The best temper with which we can
enter upon the e year is that Of
talth, faith in God and faith in our-
selves through His help. 1t is about
as certain as anything can be that the
new year will bring us new expert
ences. Our courage, our capacity for
endurance, u steadiness of character
and power of resistance is to be tested.
At the end Of the year we are going
to be nobler men and women than we
are today, OF we shall have deterior-
ated morally, and forever afterward
there will be narrowing opportunities.
While We think of the latter a~lterna-
tVe 1t is well to strengthen our hearts
by the former. Let us believe that we
are not going to fail and we have taken
a long step towards success. When
another New Years day comes around
we are going to be able to reckon solid
gains in character won through the
trials and temptations and emergen-
cies OF the years OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Waterman.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
Goodbye, old year!
Waterman

Goodbye, old year!
We've journeyed on together many
days,
And now behold the parting of our
ways
Is very near;
With thoughts Of mingled gladness
and of dread.
I see the winding way that 1 must
tread
To Future Lands;
For thee awaits the realm Of shadows
deep
The Silent Land of years that lie
asleep
With folded hands.
Goodbye, old year!
A few more steps ere we forever part
A few more words that wake the
throbbing heart
To hope and fear;
A farewell smile, a lingering clasp OF
hand.
Ere thou shalt lie within the shadow
land
All silently;
The while l haste a glad new year to
greet,
The while | journey on with memories
sweet.
Old year, OF thee.
Goodbye, old year!
Alas. not half | felt or knew till now
How kind and brave and true a friend
vert thou;
For ali, twice dear
A loved one seems when comes the
darkened day
When heart and lips all tremulous
must say
A last goodbye;
Yet. though thy friendly face no more
I see.
The memories sweet my heart has kept
of thee.
Alice Jean Cleator.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

Directly opposite, and on the same
level with wilkins apartments, were
the central Offices OF the telephone
company, and as he looked across
he saw the harnessed heads of half a
hundred or more OF the hello girls.
With his own room dark he felt
justified in boldly studying the busy
picture before him. AS he looked, he
thought Of the dividends he received
regularly from the telephone stock he
owned and then reached the conclu-
sion that he was entitled to know
something of the details of the busi-
ness. And so, forgetting his resolu-
ton to make a night of IL, he Won
dered as to the wages paid to the
girls, and then, dreamily tapping his
fingers against the pane, he reached
the conclusion that the world is liv-
ing altogether too fast, our impetus
is too great; we have no time to be
even decent toward each other: we
grind ourselves and crush others
and"
n sentence was never finished,
because Wilkins walked slowly back
to his bed, and within ten minutes
was sleeping peacefully.
Early the following morning the
bachelor millionaire and cynic visited
the office OF the telephone company
and was busy for nearly an hour with
he managers and a stenographer.
Then, taking a coupe, he was driven
to the markets, the dry goods stores,
and department stores and elsewhere,
and on the morning of Christmas
every one OF the girls in the service
OF the telephone company received the
Compliments of the Telephone Co."
attached TO a large turkey which
rested across two large boxes, the one
being filled with groceries and the
other containing a fine four-button
coat and various smaller articles, such
as gloves, handkerchiefs and the like.
On the day following Christmas,
wilkins entered the reading room at
the Ego club just in time to hear
n of the members reading from the
morning paper: Among the many
benefactions of a public character,
which were bestowed yesterday, were
liberal and useful gifts to every girl
employed by the telephone company.
Strange to say that while the girls
believe the gifts were made by the
company the manager of the company
says this belief is incorrect and that
the company hasn't spent a cent FIR
such a purpose.
And among the comments made on
this item of news was one by wilkins,
who said, as he lighted a cigar:
That's a pretty newspaper romance
all right, but I'll bet the company
bestowed the gifts. I've got no faith
in these mysterious, unknown bene-
factors"
And the other members of the club
were of the same opinion.-Detroit
Free Press.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

In those days to be plain and perpetu-
ate both the virtues and the estab-
lished wit OF the human family. BY
this time of the year the cattle had
been comfortably weathered IN, the
poultry had been housed and the win
ter wood was beyond the reach OF the
trusts. The nude form Of the rabbit
lay frozen upon the woodshed, and
the spelling bee as we'll as the husking
en- comfort around the neck was bet
ter than a rope, and fire crackers were
a luxury not to be scoffed at.
In those olden golden days a red
candy fish couldn't get so nea the foot
of the Christmas stocking rs to make
its digestion difficult, while the jack
in-the-box never failed to please. That
was long before a toy railroad train
ora moving universe in miniature were
necessary to stir up the sentiments Of
the gilded urchin. 1t was not so hard
then to get up and milk half a dozen
cows, carry fodder to them, feed the
rest OF the stock. and split a cord OF
wood before breakfast, as it is now to
get into the bath tub, Notwithstanding
1t was bitter cold. So cold, in fact, that
every potato in the hole was frozen,
as well as the apples in the celler.
The weather forced the grease from
the pores of the boots, and before noon
many an ear came up magniied by the
frost. While it takes a facile magma
ton to realize it those were the days
before underciothes were considered
indispensable. A pair of jeans trous-
ers, properly ventilated, were good
enough, and the boy that had a new
pair was the possessor of a lucky num-
Der in the lottery of life.
Every bush was an etching, and
every woodland scene a phantasy OF
beauteous shapes and colors. The deep
snow defed the sun and held up a
world of glittering crystals to his earli-
est courtesies. Jack Frost was a big
boss in those days. Christmas came
when the patient toilers who had
tanned the forest lands sent upward
their last prayer, and found a resting
place on the sloping side OF the little
graveyard still in sight, though tears
dimmed the eyes of the old cold Christ
mas.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

sort OF trapeze swinging high or low
with the wings of ambition, I'D to
greater heights"
BY the way, Dorothy sketches and
paints. l will give her a subject,
earth, sky and water, the soft green
turf' the blue ethereal, the hazy noun
tain top, while the lazy tapping waves
touch the eager feet Of the climbers
yet in the valley as they stand
on the shore twixt earth and sea. grid
ed n armed for the steep ascent to
the shrine on the distant heights.
Send them wings, o guardian angels.
and give me sight.
L cannot read the all of their dear his
tory,
Vanish old year;
Forward, the new,
Detroit Free Press.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
Gbe Days Heiebf and Depth.

Christmas realm is 5000 feet thick.
1t reaches in "a girdle round about
the EARTH" spreading its breadth
from Greenland's icy mountains" to
where "Afric's sunny fountains roll
down their golden sand" and in
height and depth extends from the
hospice of st. Bernard to the lower
levels of the great sale mines of Eu-
rope, 1000 feet below the surface Of
the ground, where men and entire fam
lilies have lived and worked for the
last six centuries. From bleak st.
Bernard to poisoning Salisbury is
about 300 miles, but around one is per-
petual winter, with snow seldom abb
sent, and the fringe of it's continuing
mantle ever near at hand, while in the
mines of the other is ~unending sum
mer. At Christmastide 100 degrees OF
temperature separates the two, and
while the boundless snow-covered hills
of one glisten in the broadest diffused
and brightest light known to earth, the
contracted crystal walls of the other
scintillate under the feeble rays from
restricted lanterns.
Thirty degrees below zero is q fire.
quent temperature at the hospital
monastery OF st. Bernard on Christ
mas day. There Is seldom a traveller
over the famous pass Of the Penine
chain of Alps in that season. but there
is never a Christmas eve or Christmas
day the visitors do not join with the
two score monks of the Augustinian
order in the mass of their church and
in the joys of the feast.
Then in the salt mines. miles away
and thousands of feet below, are all OF
these things, for in the vaulted cham
bers, amid massive pillars of salt. is a
population Of human beings not only
miners who work 1000 feet under
ground, but a permanent population
living in homes along streets hewn
out OF mountain masses OF crystal that
glistens under the artificial light neces-
sary In these depths. Many Of the pop
ulation seldom see the light Of day. On
Christmas eve and on Christmas day
the echoes Of the rock-ribbcd caverns
are awakened by children's voices. The
song, the merry laugh. the Joyous
shouts in childish games and sports,
are heard. There are music and the
dance. feasting and merry-making, the
brilliantly lighted and decorated gift
bearing tree that i1urnines diamond
like crystals that gather up the light.
800
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
LBbffnG the Tree.

We have u share Of ups and downs,
Our cares like other folk;
The pocketbook is sometimes full,
We're sometimes nigh dead broke;
But C a year, at Chrismastime.
Our hearth is bright to see;
Then baby's hand just touches heaven
When daddy lights the tree.
For weeks and weeks the little ones
Have lotted on this hour;
And mother, she has planned for 1t
Since summers sun and shower.
With here Il nickel, there a dime,
Put by where none should see,
A loving hoard against the night
When daddy lights the tree
The weest kid in mothers arms
Laughs out and clasps her haJes,
The rest of us on tiptoe wait;
The grown-up brother stands
Where he can reach the topmosi
branch,
Our Santa Claus to be,
In that sweet hour Of breathless Joy,
When daddy lights the tree.
Our grandpa says twas Just as fine
In days when he was young;
For every Christmas ages through
The happy bells have rung.
And daddy's head is growing gray,
But yet a boy is he,
AS merry as the rest OF us,
When daddy lights the tree.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
CbriSrmos Long HSo.

Along the country roads the trees
wrung their hands in frightful agony,
and there was no sect or nobility be-
yond the reach and comfort OF the
plebeian earmuff. A veil across the
nose didn't go so bad early in the
morning on the way to the turkey raf-
fe. The Christmas shooting match
was reached through banks OF ethereal
frosts, and before 10 o'clock in the
morning the snow had been Swept
from the mill pond. The beeches pop
ped like the ring Of a patrolman's
mace against a metal lamp post. On
either side Of Old Sol sat a "sun dog
and the stalactite was a fixture be-
meath Grandfather's mustache. No
mar stood In danger OF losing his life
~, ..IStnn hta paiuhhor III IL uaQ -allx1
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

Or? Here it is under ny foreflnger:
"A Shadow" 1t reads:
l said to myself If I were dead,
What would befall these children?
What would be
Their fate, who are now looking up
For help and furtherance? Their
lives,
said,
Would 1t be a volume wherein I have
read
But the first chapters, and no long
er see
To e the rest of their dear history
So full Of beauty and so full OF dread.
Be comforted; the world is very old,
And generations pass, as they have
passed,
A troop of shadows moving with the
sun;
Thousands of times has the old tale
been told;
The world belongs to those who
come the last,
They will find hope and strength as
W. have done.
Was eve answer sent to a mortal
mar clearly?
| think I'm sent for; there's some
thing besides old Father Time after
me, surely. Here is the very answer
1 IN nv diSmaIc DC m tbOca hove oDd
their doings. But here comes Dorothy,
singing, apparently in a very cheerful
mood.
This is perfectly lovely, George
Augustus.
"~Johnnie's trousers are all right for
tomorrow, and l have been looking
over my precious tin box, and / find
such lovely bits of literature and all
sorts; suppose we look them over to-
night"
Perhaps Dorothy noticed an unusual
expression on my manly countenance,
for she paused and said: What are
you thinking about? What has this
old year been saying to- you? Are you
having a retrospective sort of revival
meeting all by yourself?"
Only a few ideas have struck me,
Dorothy. l rather like this den of
mine, especially tonight, and n or
two articles in these books here seem
to have been written especially for me,
and an uncomfortable little voice
has been questioning me. A thought
strikes M that we, you and l, have
drifted apart rather more than | ever
dreamed We could. There has been
a sort of We fellows at the club air
and manner about me, that I really
think now, as | sit here, has been a
foolishness OIL my part that l shall
endeavor to discontinue; a sort of
desire to be in with the boys and
off with my wife / hope, Dorothy,
that you do not think my past is
really a dreadful one to look back
upon"
20, no." Dorothy replied, with some
thing of a twinkle in her eyes; but,
then, you know, you might be more
of a saint, if you tried, dear"
And perhaps, most noble and ador-
able (my temper rising) and TWEEN
tieth century wife, if l should give up
my Sunday evenings at the club, pos
sibly you may be willing to sacrifice a
few Of those insufferable teas and
bring an appetite uncontaminated with
such diet as slipping frappes, Russian
teas and chocolate to a respectable,
coy dinner with your George Angus
tus; and" (pausing for BREATH don't
be angry; couldn't you leave out that
tiresome, quarrelsome card party and
await my return with %unrufied nerves,
for instance, meet me at the door just
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
DOROTHY is REALLY ELOQUENT

as you used to do. little wife?" (grow-
ing a little more tender).
why, whatever can be the matter
with you, George Augustus? 1t is
only a case of too many clubs in the
family, that Is all; easily remedied.
you know. If this is to be a Home
club tonight, let us invoke the spirit
of the New Year here, right under
this roof; let us stand here, and with
the right hand uplifted vow that
naught shall come between thee and
me, George Augustus and Dorothy;
we will reach that land of trust and
confidence that requires no weapon,
not even a club. to create or quell a
disturbance" Dorothy is really elo-
quent.
Bring down the tin box. Dorothy:
I'VE are the Ollapodrida club (the
tin box. Dorothy and ID In memory
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
Tragic.

Tragic.
81 shall not see you till another year
Has dawned," he said.
Oh. tickle maid! she turned not pale
with fear
She laughed instead.
This seems a tragic lay, till we remem-
Der
1t occurred the thirty-frst day OF De-
cember.
IN. Y. Truth.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

,v Years Eve, and at home. This
eozy little den of mine, just as 1t
\ now, quite eclipses anything l
| 900 at the club; books, pipes, easy
i a cheerful fire in the CRATE;
nres, busts, my we'll beloved etch-
all about the walls.
hats the matter with you, old
! tonight? Why are you taking an
Intory Of these surroundings on
last night of the year? Everybody
rs YOU are tired of them, don't you
III for you spend very little time
heir midst. says some provoking
! voice. (Wonder if it's my con-
|nce.)
brothy is up stairs, the servants
ont. as soon as she finishes the
kng of q button on Johnnie's re-
tory trousers she will come down,
saws. and watch the old year out,
p evidently we'll pleased over the
meet of a club night of u own.
lille Home. Sweet Home" sort Of
arrangement.
seems that Johnnie is the only
bber of our family not a member OF
hub. Dorothy simply holds on to
little shaver by the collar, tied to
apron strings he is, and | am glad
In | aver forget the day when our
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
TIE Metz Century.

Loves harmonies flow toward him full
and sweet:
SIMS wild. discordant cries are past
him hurled.
with sad, glad heart and brave. re-
luctant feet
He steps upon the threshold OF the
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
None TO 6urn Ouer,

Il thought you were going to turn
over a new leaf, john" she said.
Il was he replied, "but / find !
can't"
"Why not?"
There won't be any new leaves until
spring."-Chicago Post.
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

hborhood took on a sudden quiet?
question arose, where are those
Dorothy and l knew all about it,
Fere we not invited to become
)rary members Of their club, THE
Podrida?' We helped to foot the
and evinced an interest in the
3 OF the club; we lent them ten
to buy material to reseat an old
-out chair; there was another
twenty-five cents for lumber,
and last, but not least, and that
caused Dorothy much suffering,
sundry pieces Of rope to be fur
q with all the paraphernalia of a
re arrangement, preparatory to
(derings aloft, all of which caused
P1sh OF blood to my head, as I
Eht OF these venturesome boys,
OF them at work daily, expert
ing with the center of gravity,
PFng On their heads being the OBJ
e point apparently.
are happily rejoicing these days,
yer, in a more recent occupant Of
[amily cradle, who so far walks
downward after the fashion of
bis.
time goes on, the children's
inl exploits, with the accom-
ng worries of their elders, fade
oblivion, as the more serious as
fonfronts us.
Ollapodrida members OF my
nave taken unto themselves a
atra years; two of these afore-
members are looking college
and seem to worry about them
Tonderful way quite unlike my
bread and butter question con-
me? What profession will be
Are they sufficiently strong in
e to resist this or that?
Jay will come when Dorothy
cannot shield them or stand be-
mem and the cold world; we
pe here to settle the little ac-
or encounters, or watch the lit
unions they are going to have
ne jewellers of this mundane
comes the question over again:
Old fellow. what's the matter
oant you let the boys alone,
them fight 1t out just as you
some truth in that, | answer.
walt until Dorothy comes and
ner, Just for curiosity, what
INKS OF my past, and the general
at am going to turn over a
IS a volume Of Longfellow be-
n the table; ne is SO human,
Nv and I will close my eyes.
Nne book Ga little game of
see), and on the page
niger rests l will try IL by
WORD OF comfort come to me,
ouid hit my case.
70 nave a case OF the blues:
slaying away from the club
onvivial occasion is not agree
your eyes, open the book.
"'tie exhorter, that unseen,
Van nange--o. what meets my
.be..soma dir. nraahear
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
use.

The housa
Eict of Colunl
time was %.
b Of Blu
Facilities Of |
in this city 4
elevation Of
south Of Pen
| opposition y
much flibUts
bin succeeded.
p II O'Clock
he the exesaa
federation 81 |
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
A MlI|i000iIe'5 Christmas,

x y: x ,: q =: !: q y ,: Z >: x \: X ): x !: X: s:ss * & x y: :s J
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

bate. 4.
|.-CongreS h
|dent to appdh
) A. Boutels
a of the UaiH
Etired list. u
|rd Of opposltA
| senate pass
authorizing \
1t Is ezpeca
Rove the rssa
be with the q
him as cap1
the navy n
| of the prsa
|er-elect !
ksumed tsrl
|berskip IN 4
the way for
ice with the u
|on. ASIDE ha
routine baais
|enty-ons pfss
e did noaist
|ssion.
use.
nd Of a Eru
two daysp@
|ennsyfvaHs z
establish ga
[eir routes
e their tsfTY
hent was pss
a bill 70 reg
" station bn
| The bills g
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
hate,

pen session j
er Of the d,
Mt in execu.
Hay-pauaos
Of New Han
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Montana 81
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aside from
ansacted
Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27
|use.


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Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

Mrs. viHns1
ident pro.,wl
Eyed ohebs1
h%Journmsr' +
/. ooSrss4
y awoomuous5y
|rn Tss -
airD ass itrsaA
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