davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
suicides and insurance.

Not long ago n Missouri court de-
cided that an insurance company must
pay the full value Of the policy OF n
suicide unless It can be shown that
self-murder was contemplated when
the policy was taken out. In 1889 the
suicide rate Of insured was 1871 per
100000, while in 1898 it had risen to
II per 100000. Where insurance
companies declare that they will not
contest any suicide claims they may
be putting a premium on self-destruc-
tion.
Some years ago, when the accident
insurance boom was at its height in
England, n commission was appointed
to investigate the matter. 1t found
that in cases where the premium on
the loss of an eye was greater than
for the loss of a leg, the company max
ing the offer had more "eye claims to
pay than anything else. Where the
right hand was rated at the highest
figure, more right hands than any
other portion of the body were lost.
This matter of self-mutilation for an
insurance reward was clearly demon
strated by the testimony secured by
the commission.
1t also brought to light another in.
teresting fact. The creates number
Of accident cases were reported from
that class that is known as the gen
teel poor" As the members Of this
class follow clerical or professional
careers. rather than financial or ar
duous ones, the number Of accident:
among them, as compared with those
who actually follow hazardous bust
nesses. was remarkable. 1t was fair
ly well demonstrated that when they
were hard up for a few hundred
pounds they would take out an accl
dent policy for the amount needed
come home with a crushed leg or hant
as the case might warrant.
In the matter of suicide, the maj
who is in financial or other trouble II
far more apt to solve it by ending hi
life, If his life insurance will surely bl
paid to his heirs. than he would If
reasonable doubt were raised as TO tn
legality of the claims Of his heirs Il
, such a payment. The insurance com
I panies frequently pay suicide claims
s although they feel morally sure tina
e there was fraud intended when tn
5 polly was taken out, but when the,
p do this. rather than suffer the odiur
= that attaches to disputed claim
they encourage self-destruction.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Afoot and AwheeI.

We hear a good deal of advice dl-
rected to bicycle riders rs-telling them
to keep off the slde walks. ring their
bells. avoid scorcnlng, and not run
down inofensive peiestrians-and
they need it, But here is a bit Of adj
monition TO those who do not ride:
When you see a bicycle coming neith-
er slacken your pace nor increase 1t.
If you are walking do not even turn
to one side. DO not stop suddenly nor
make any false movements. Then If
the wheeimen runs into you, have him
arrested andpray the court TO giveh him
the severest penalty the law allows.
Wheelmen win agree with this view,
provided they are experienced riders.
The bicyclist usually sees the pedes-
trian far ahead Of him and long be.
fore the person afoot is aware Of bis
presence. He calculates distance ana
speed accordingly and If the walka
does not change his speed or COURSE
there is not the slightest danger Of a
collision. IL is the uncertainty of the
person afoot that discounts wheel
men.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Don't Fret.

Somebody says: Don't worry
This is is something like saying,
Don't get sick" or Don't shiver," or
sweat. How under the sun can any
one help worrying any more than he
can help shivering. if there be a cause
for it. Worrying is not voluntary
act or emotion. and yet fretting and
fuming can be minimized. and, by
perseverance. finally pretty well con
Quered.
Watch every passing thought and
every emotion for a few days and re-
strain every nerve-tearing impulse.
This quiet repression can soon become
habit and win keep away the lines
of carking care. Every impatien ges-
ture, word and thought wears away
just so much of vitality and shortens
the days of life. The world would get
along just as well with one half the
energy that is wasted in useless chat.
ing. and more and better work would
be done. The other half could besaved
up in living 10 happy healthful years
after the allotted three score and ten
had been passed.
The man who can receive the buffets
of misfortune with fortitude and re.
cover TO meet good fortune with a
smile when it comes at last. but the
man who curses destiny should have
no good gifts from it, Medicine was
made for those who worry, and early
graves are dug for them. Time digs
deep furrows in the brows of mer
who worry, and dyspepsia meets then
more than half way. Sunshine. 1:
gloom to them. and the song Of bird,
a dirge. 1t takes no more breath t,
laugh than it does to groan. and it,
much more pleasant The man VIII,
can always laugh has plenty OF
friends, while the man who always
has trouble TO talk about, finds only
unwilling auditors. If you like the
philosophy try it awhile and keep {
careful eye on the scales. although 4
you see no increase you are not e
worry. The creed is not really "a new
one. II has had followers in all age
and among all people, and these wer'
called philosophers
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Work.

More people are killed by idleness,
enforced and voluntary, than by work
Enforced idleness is n curse, volun-
tary idleness is breeder of vice. and
leisure is q blessing.
While the health of workingmen is
no doubt undermined by their Occupa-
tions. such, for instance, as match
making, and the various trades in
which lead is used. there are other
trades which tend to prolong life 1t
has often been remarked that the men
who lay the asphalt streets seldom
have a days illness. md those en-
ployed in electric light works and
places where large quantities. of elec-
tricity are generated enjoy quite an
extraordinary amount of vitality. A
visit to the gasworlSs, too is quite fire.
quently prescribed by doctors for
chest ailments. The workers in salt
mines, also. enjoy an absolute immu-
nity from rheumatism.
Perhaps the healthiest occupation is
that at the petroleum tanks that
abound IN Chicago. The men EN-
ployed in these never suffer from sore
throats. diphtheria, quinsy or kidney
ailments. The marvellous curative ef.
fects of the petroleum fumes is such
that it is now quite a common thing
Tor sufferers from throat affections tc
visit the petroleum tanks. much as
people used TO drink the waters at
Bath
A celebrated and wealthy operate
tenor who had developed q throat
weakness has for several months pas
been working as an ordinary employe
but gratis in one Of the petroleum
warehouses deriving from the inhalins
Of the fumes a cure that scores Of phy
sicians and several ocean voyages
failed in establishing
i Although some w0rSmen. and work
women for that matter are killed b,
the quality of their work and some b,
the quantity Of IL, the most KILN,
thing Of all is the condition wher,
there is a lack Of work for willin,
hands and needy bodies. In othe
words the saddest sight on earth "A
this dawning of the Goth century i
the man who wants work. has fam
ily to support, perhaps and yet cal
get no work to do And the big cite
swarm with them.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
MEANING OF LENT
TOLD BY A BOSTON PREACHER
OF TIE UNITARIAN FAITH.

TOLD BY A BOSTON PREACHER
OF THE UNITARIAN FAITH.
Rev. Thomas Van Ness. a Boston
Unitarian preacher, declares Lent to
be a heather name, and asks why il
should be used in Christian churches.
TO answer this question, he says,
1T is necessary for us to inquire into
the religious beliefs of our Teutonic
forefathers. We find that in the lecten
ud'-that Is, the lengthening time
the name given to March, because in
March there was a lengthening OF days.
the Ieutonic priests tasted until the
first of the year-March 25. Their rea-
son for so doing was to come into
communication with Mother Erda, Just
waking to life, and to obtain from her
divine revelations. AS we all know
Tasting Is likely to produce vivid
dreams, and nearly all the ancient peo-
pies supposed that the gods spoke TO
mortals through dreams Going with
ont food exhibited a power Of self con-
troll and will power. and the gods ad-
mlred viii power whether In battle OF
before their affairs All through the
month OF March every priest as we'll as
every strict adherent OF Odin's religion
divided his food into two equal nor.
tlons. No matter how small an amount
it was he compelled himself to subsisl
upon one-half of IL while the Other
half was offered to the spirits of the
departed
BY the middle OF the fifth centur,
Jhe Ieutons were masters of italy
Nominally they are converted to chris
tanity, but they still retain MANY o
their old religious forms and customs
among Others this habit of fastin,
! through March. Wisely does the churci
las 1t did with the Roman Saturnalia
occurring December 25) adopt tn,
Lencten season and (in Pope Felix
tmel add to the length of time. max
ing Il thirty-six days, so that the Bibll
cal law OF giving one-tenth might b.
observed, thirty-six days being one
tenth OF a year. In the Pontifcate o
gregory In the eighth century. fou
days are added to make the time core
5 spond in length to that which Jesu
was supposed 90 have spent I'm fastinI
E while In the wilderness. and the offi
cial title Quadragesima is given. How
e ever the old Pagan name of Lencte,
- or Lent still survives"
Evening journal., 1900-03-22


expressly laid upon the new committee
is wise. because the old committee. hay
ing been engaged in the unhappy con-
tentions Of the past, might be harden
ed by its experiences and might-prob-
ably would-be permeated by the ami
mosities that contention with an ad-
versary begets BY these adverse in
auences a new committee will not be
affected. therefore the new committee
could do its work better and with
clearer heads.
A sincere desire for harmony prevail
ing in this committee; a like sincere de-
sire for harmony prevailing in the com
ing convention and succeeding commit
tee Of the union republican party
ought to assure perfect union
OF the real republicans The disturb
ers may safely be left to emf
their deadly poison upon an un
harmed atmosphere if the antidote, pa
triotic party loyalty, fortifles the faith
full adherents Of the party.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Hls caIcuIatIons-

Every now and then an illustrated
newspaper shows by pictures certain
phenomena of human life-the amount
Of cigars that a man is supposed TO
smoke in a lifetime, the amount of
bread that he eats. or the amount of
beer that he drinks-by having the
materials Of consumption presented at
the side of a mans picture in the
form Of huge cigar. or a loaf. or a
huge cask of beer. These people who
estimate things are a very great mvs-
terry to us. OF course it is very pleas
ant, and useful, too, no doubt to know
these things, but the people who en-.
gage in such laborious calculations are
mystery all the same. Admitted
that their results be correct what an
awful drain it must be on their arith-
meticl The fact that their calcula-
tions pass unquestioned would tend to
lead one to suppose that nobody cares
to work out the verification of the
problems. There is an ingenious
Frenchman who every little while
prints the result Of some extraord-
nary calculation or other in the col.
umns Of lie Gaulois. His latest
scheme has been to make various es-
Inmates concerning the French war iu-
demnity of 5.000,000 paid to Ger
many. He does not say that he has
been at work on the job since 1871, al
though his extraordinary calculations
assuming them to be correct-would
seem to imply that such was the case.
He finds that the indemnity, in FIVE.
franc gold pieces, weighed 55OOO,OO0
pounds. To transport all this gold by
rail, supposing each car to carry H.
600 pounds, a train of 5000 cars
would be required. When spread oui
on the ground in a straight line these
five franc gold pieces would reach al
most around the globe. Placed one
upon another, they would make col
umn 1,6T6 miles in height. If thi.
column, having its base in Paris
should topple over in the direction OF
Berlin, Berlin would be only one
third of the whole distance reached by
the coin at the top of the column. A
quick cashier, assuming that he cal
count 10000 franc pieces an hour, toll
ing for 300 days of hours each ever,
year, would complete the task O
counting the indemnity in nearly for
ty years. Truly. these calculators ar
great mystery.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
How Do You Sit.

As a nation we do not know how to
sit correctly. The reason why is be-
cause most of us get no instructions
as to how we should sit when we were
young. In France and in Germany
school children get regular course of
instruction as to the correct attitude
to be adopted in sitting, and in those
countries stomach troubles are far
less prevalent than in countries where
no precautions are taken to teach
young children to sit without relaxing
themselves. A relaxed position in sit
ting, it is said, causes the stomach to
be crowded out of position. After
time the displacement becomes chron-
ic. When the stomach is prolapsed the
food cannot readily find its way out Of
it, and, being retained there longer
than it should be, undergoes fermenta-
tion, and putrefaction processes are
set up whereby the system is not only
robbed of the nutrient elements neces-
sary for the proper nourishment Of the
blood of repair or the tissues but,
through the conversion of the food in
to potmaines and other poisonous sub
stances, the whole body is contami-
mated.
On these grounds physicians who
teach physical culture assert that it is
not the ice water that we drink nor
the soda water, nor the amount of
smoking that men folk indulge in
that causes us to be a nation of dys-
peptics, but the bad postures that we
adopted when siting.A correct attitude
in sitting requires proper height and
width of seat, n desk or table of the
proper height when desk work is re.
quired, and a proportionate amount Of
care upon the part of the pupil to sit
upon his seat in a proper position. The
height Of the chair you sit in while
writing and that of the desk you write
at are matters of greatest Importance.
The seat of the chair should be exactly
one-quarter of your height from the
floor. Thus, if you are five feet high,
the chair should be fifteen inches. The
width of the seat should exactly equal
its height, and it should slope back.
ward three-quarters Of an inch to the
foot, the back should be a trifie lower
than the seat and sloped slightly, but
not too much. Finally, your desl
should be two-thirds as high again "a
the seat Of your chair. Thus, if youl
seat is eighteen inches the desk should
be thirty inches in height. The rela
tion Of the person to the seat should
be such that while the hips and
shoulders touch the back Of the sea
the other portions of the back remain
clear The center of the back canno
touch the back of the seat without re
Taxation of the musles and resultin.
fatness OF the chest, and perhaps o
the stomach, provided. Of course, tn,
seat back has a backward curvature
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
WORSE THAN EXTORTIoN.


Rates charged for life insurance are
excessive They are worse than extor-
ton, more wicked than usuryl other
wise, how could the companies amass
such enormous reserves and surpluses
while paying all death claims, in ad-
dition to regular dividends and royal
salaries for luxurious and ornamental
officers and supernumerary clerks?
Read the following special found in the
North American:
Hartford. Conn, March 20.-The
Hartford Life Insurance Company, in
anticipation OF the increase in capital
stock of the company, will declare a
special dividend Of 100 per cent. This
dividend is taken wholly from the
surplus belonging to stockholders and
will be formally declared at a meet
ing to be held by the directors on Mon
day.
"The present capital is only s25OO0O
Ex-Judge Dwight Loomis and other di-
rectors were of the opinion that this
was too small, because of the possibil'
lity Of securing for so small a sum as
Sl26 900 the controlling interest in th'
company. with its 100000 of assets
and surplus of over 100000
zone proposition is that at the stock
holders meeting next Monday the CAPT
tai shall be increased from S250,00O t'
$500 900. The dividend declared by thu
directors will. of course, enable thu
shareholders to take up this new stool
themselves. without drawing upon thei
other funds, and as they will have tn
option Of taking the new stock, IL i
doubtful whether any of IL reaches out
lsiders unless some of the stockholder
should prefer 10 keep their dividend
and sell their subscription rights
Here is a company having a capita
Of $3.50 900. which has paid all its ex
penses. including big salaries, heav
commissions to agents and regula
dividends, now dividing a surplu
equal to its capital.
Mark this: its capital is to be half
million hereafter-but, as a matter q
fact It has simply extorted, by unneces
sarlly heavy prices for insurance, tn
half OF that future capital from II
D assured. Here It is dividing a quartz
s Of a million in addition to dividend
5 among its stockholders who did M
81 contribute or earn It.
] That money righteously belongs
S the policy holders and should be r.
turned TO them, If living; TO the he'll
e. Of the dead.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Scientific.

Professor IIupleys definition Of
science is: Trained and organized
common sense" There will never be
a better definition for the wora. rhe
popular mind persists i'm thinking
that there is wide difference be.
tween science and knowledge in gen
eral But it is the difference only
between a trained and organized body
.of men for the accomplishing Of some
great work and a crowd of men unor.
ganized and undisciplined. What un.
scientific knowledge has accomplished
may be roughly seen In the condition
Of savage races to-day while the
changes wrought by knowledge train.
ed and organized, in enlarging the
sum Of knowledge IN extending mems
power of perception. and in increasing
the facilities not merely for living but
for living WELL are changes in COM
parlsop with which all others recorded
in history are trihing.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
THURSDAY. MARCH %, 1900
rHE novER coNvENTIoN.

No republican, anywhere, can fail to
heartily approve the resolutions
adopted, and the action taken at Dover
yesterday. The platform erected does
honor to the state, as does the fact
that Delaware is the first state to in
struot its delegates to the National
Convention to vote first, last and all
the time for the nomination OF VIII
liam Mckinley to succeed himself.
President Mckinley is the one eminent
representative of patriotic America;
william Mckinley is the one eminent
embodiment and representative Of the
principles Of the republican party.
BY the resolutions unanimously
adopted at the convention in Dover
yesterday the delegates showed that
they are true republicans.
The convention was remarkable in
Delaware for two or three things. Il
was a full house in perfect harmony
Every district in the state was repre-
sented and every delegation was com
plete. There were almost no proxies
Usually active party workers are abll
to secure proxies by which they gail
admission to the floor and are enable,
to participate in the convention work
So earnest was the interest in tn
work Of this convention that able, emf
nent active and anxious party leader
were wholly unable to procure proxies
This state Of political activity wa
never before seen in Delaware. It dem
onstrates the interest and the earnest
ness Of republicans in tho pendln
campaign.
There was never before a politics
convention in the state that ranked S
high In talent and ability. Never wa
there anywhere a more harmoniou
convention. Not a ripple Of conter
ton was felt or seen or manifested /
any manner That fact denote
strength and confidence.
The convention extended to all r,
Dublicans the hand of fellowship al
cleared the way for harmony in III
party.
It was a convention that ought
crafty every opponent OF democrat
rule
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
PHEASANT EUCHRE PARTY.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas c. Mum gave
a euchre party at their home, No. 1906
Washington street. on Tuesday even
ing. Among those present were; MT
and Mrs. Thomas c. Num- Miss Har-
riet Mum, Miss McClay, Mr.. and Mrs
william Lawton Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph
Davidson, Mr.. and Mrs. DeHaven Nor
ris, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Van Trump
Miss Louise Van Trump. Mr. and Mrs
Edmund p. Mitchell, Mr.. and Mrs
George w. Kerr, Mr.. and Mrs. Julian
B. Robinson, John w. Huxley, Perl'
C. Talley, Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Bond
Mr.. and Mrs Thomas j. Talley, Mr.
and Mrs. ]. Merrick Horn.
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

Ii was down in Georgia that your
Uncle Arthur Sewal of Bath, Me-,
shipbuilder. chartered that special en-
eine and car In order TO intercept Mr.
BRYAN and have a nice long talk with
him. Yet here is Georgia's big demo
cratic daily the Atlanta Constitution,
generally booming Amos Cummings
OF New York. for second place on the
Bryan ticket this year.-Hartord
Courant
Rev. Mr.. Sheldon's enthusiasm, di-
vorced from good taste and reverence
has led him TO boom a Topeka news
paper by editing it for a week las
Jesus would do Now an Atchinson
paper is to be published for a week "as
the devil would run il" We should
think this parody of his too adyentur-
Gus enterprise ought 90 convince the
excellent Mr. Sheldon OF the impro-
priety OF his undertaking-New York
Sun.
Senator Hoar Is an ardent partisan
OF the method OF senatorial election by
Legislature, as opposed TO choice by
/ popular vote. II is fitting that nc
/ should be the one to put the knife tC
the throat OF his pet system, and make
the early advent OF elections by tn,
\ people Observation-Disclosures Nortl
American.
The heat which certain Chicago pa
pers have developed under the collar
over the hotel rates In Kansas Cit,
during the convention IN July hai
p chiefly served to call to mind thl
shabby meals which We're served at ex
, tortionate prices. by Chicago conces
I sionaries at the Worlds Fair In 1898 p
kansa City Star
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
CARTER-HARPER.

Captain Harry b. Carter, Of Company
A, n. G.. D., and Miss Emma Harper
will be married on Wednesday even
ing, March 2S. The ceremony will be
performed at o'clock at the home OF
the bride, No $40 West Fourth street,
by Rev. James Grove, pastor OF AS
bury NJ 70. Church. A reception will
follow after which the bride and groom
will leave on an extended trip South
They will be at home at their future
home, No. S14 West Ninth street after
April TO-
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
PHILADELPHIA AND READING
RAILWAY.
wilmington DiVislon.) }


Time table in effect January 26, 1900.
Trains leave Wilmington (French
street station) for Elsmere Junction,
Montchanin. Winterthur, Guyencourt,
Granogue, Cossart, Chadd's Ford juno
ton, Pocopson, West Chester, Embree-
VILE, Mortonville, Coatesville and in
termediate stations, daily except sun
day, at 7.35 a. m. daily; 2.15 and 4.5O p.
IN. Sunday only, sos a. m.
For Waynesburg Junction, Elverson
and intermediate stations, daily except
Sunday, at 7.35 a. m. daily; 2.l5 and
4.50 D. m. Sunday only at SOC a. m.
For Joanna, Birdsboro, Reading and
intermediate stations daily, except
Sunday, at 7.35 a. m. and daily 2.l5 p.
m. Sunday only SOC a. m.
A. SWEIGARD, Gen. Superintendent.
EDISON ]. WEEKS, Gen. Pass. Agent
Evening journal., 1900-03-22
Stops the Cough
and works off the Cold.

laxative BromoQulnine Tablets cure a
cold in day No Cure No Pay. Price 25c.
Miss Anna, the little daughter Of Mr..
and Mrs. John S. Rossell, celebrated
her birthday yesterday afternoon, at
her home, No 1900 Clayton street
About twenty young people were pres
ent
Mrs Charles p Maroney, of No. S19
West Ninth street, will this afternoon
entertain a number of her friends.