davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
nERLIN;s SEWAGE rAR,1s

Excepting for some thinly popu-
lated outskirts, all che houses of Ber-
lin are now connected with the new
drainage works which are carrying an
nually from $4,000. 600 to 70,OOO.OOO Gu
bic meters of sewage to be distributed
by scientific irrigation over tho sur
face Of municipal farms having an
aggregate extent of more than 10000
acres or upward of thirty square miles.
Additional land has been bought from
time to time. II is interesting 10 note
that city the municipal limits of
which include only twenty-five square
miles has acquired an outside domin-
ion of thirty square miles as a place
for the discharge of its liquid waste.
The Berlin sewage farms were tracts
of rather poor and sandy soil: but
land is not very cheap in the vicinity
of so great a city, and the purchase
money reached about $4,000 600 marks.
An additional 15,0O0, 900 marks has
been spent prior to 1898 in laying out
the farms trenching and til.ing them
for irrigation purposes, and euuipDing
them with the necessary buildings and
improvements. At that time there
had been expended upon the radical
system in Berlin and the discharging
tunnels about 65,0O0,OO0 marks. maxi
ing total investment Of nearly 100
100000. With the further outlay to
be made in completion of the system
as a whole, the new Berlin sewage
works including the farms and their
improvements, may perhaps be said
to constitute 10000 coo marks $780,
OOO,OOO) plant, From an American
point of view, it is novel to consider
a city's drainage works as a self-sus-
tanning or productive enterprise. like
its waterworks and its gas works; but
1t is in that light that Berlin regards
1t. Before the new system was in
troduced, the citizen had to pay for
its removal Of night soil, etc. The
city now charges a moderate sewage
rate against all the property that the
system serves. The parts of the
farms that have been brought under
closest cultivation are already very
profitable, although the net income
from the entire thirty square miles
does not yet pay the full interest on
the investment, for purchase and i'm
proyement Of SO,OOO,0oO marks. The
fertilizing value of the sewage is so
great, and the administration of the
farms is so superb that within a very
few years the investment will have
become enormously productive. On
each of the farms are nurseries OF
young fruit trees, and considerable
areas of orchard yield fruitage. Pro-
digious crops of vegetables are grown,
and the yield per acre of cereals and
grass is similarly remarkable. Within
a reasonable period the sewage farms
will have earned profits enough to pay
back all that was invested in them
and eventually they will be a source
of surplus income that will materially
lessen the load OF municipal taxation
Meanwhile from the sanitary point OF
view the system is an unqualified sue.
cess.--Albert Shaw in The Century.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
TANAN1tLAs IN cALIronN1A.

In a recent number Of Popular
Science News, c. f. Foley describes
the habits in Southern California OF
the tarantula (Mygale hentziD which
Is caught in large numbers for sale tc
tourists, but rarely come into the
houses or makes itself troublesome tc
the inhabitants of the region. II,
says that the low hills to the south
OF Pasadena were once famous collect.
ing grounds, being partly adobe, the
soil especially suited to the building
operation Of the insect burrowers. Al
this place I once found the collector,
OF one Of these firms. They were boys
and each was supplied with a large
bottle of water, a tin can and a forked
twig or stick. The ground was rough
dotted over with gopher and squirrel
holes, and every few yards a hole
about an inch and a quarter across
could be seen Sometimes this wa,
covered with a gossamer shutter OF
web, but generally it was wide open
Placing his can on the ground. one OF
b-i' bOto uhtOlhN lhb bObllb ne car
ried and poured a little of the con.
tents into the hole The water was
probably tinctured with alcohol, as ]
doubt If pure water would have sent
the occupant up so quickly. A fierce
spider with span of legs nearly foul
inches in extent, huge hairy crea.
ture with body seemingly as large al
that OF mouse. Out it darted, then
seen danger ahead. drew back, but the
iorked twig was deftly inserted be.
meath its body and the spider was
tossed several inches away where II
settled back in the manner popularly
described as ION its launches" show.
ing the death-dealing fangs ready fol-
action. The tarantula. digs a burrow
from six to twelve inches in depth
and makes no pretence of covering it,
though sometimes there is a mass OF
web at the bottom and at times a web
placed over the entrance. The insect
is a night-feeder, roaming about prey
ing upon critics, beetles and other in
sects so unwise as to venture forth a.
the same time
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Preparinr For a Journer.

Jerome X. Jerome recalls with rev.
erence a habit of his methodical uncle
who, before packing for a Journey, al
ways made list" This was the sys-
tenn which he followed, gathered from
his uncle's own lips
Take n piece Of paper and put down
on it everything you can possibly re.
quire. Then go over it and see that it
contains nothing you can possibly do
without.
Imagine yourself in bed What have
you got on? Very we'll; put it down
together with a change. You get up.
What do you do? Wash yourself
What do you wash yourself with?
Soap. Put down soap. Go on till you
have finished Then take your clothes,
Begin at your feet What do you wear
on your feet? Boots, shoes, socks,
Put them down. Work up till you get
to your head What do you want be.
sides clothes? Put down everything
This is the plan the old gentleman
always pursued. The list made, he
would go over it carefully, to see that
he had forgotten nothing. Then he
would go over it again and strike out
everything it was possible to dispense
with. Then he would lose the list
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
BAFFIN LAND RANKS
SECOND IN SIZE IN
THE WORLD. .

fifty or sixty miles long, that has a
descent of about five feet to the mile.
The conspicuous honor of being the
largest island in the world has been
held by quite a number of islands at
various stages Of geographical knowl-
edge. School children were taught for
many years that Australia was the
largest island. Then Australia came
properly to be regarded as one Of the
continental masses and Borneo took its
place as the largest island. Less than
twenty years ago it was discovered
that New Guinea was larger than Bor-
neo and so the latter island took sec
ond place. When Peary practically
outlined the northern coast Of Green
land, early in the last decade
geographers began to think that they
had overlooked an important section
Of the earth's surface and so they
placed Greenland at the head Of the
list Of islands. At last Baffin Land
looms up as an island 1005 statute
miles in length with a breadth vary
ing from 200 to 500 miles, the aver
age being 305 miles. Its area is there
fore about 100000 square miles In
other words, the island is larger than
the state of Texas by about 10000
square miles or about ten times as
large as either Scotland or Ireland.
Though it takes its place as second in
the list of islands, Baffin Land ap-
pears to be of no great value, since 1t
is composed, as far as we know, Of
barren rocks, partly covered with ice
The twelve largest islands in the
world in order of size, are; Green
land, Bafin Land, New Guinea, Bor-
neo, Madagascar Sumatra, Nippon
(the largest island of Japan, Great
Britain, Celebes, New Zealand (South
island), Java and Cuba.-Chicago
Chronicle.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
THE SECOND
ISLAND

Excluding Australia, Baffin Land,
situated near the east coast of the
American continent, a short distance
north Of Hudson strait, is the second
island of the world in point of size and
still little is known about it. 1t has
long been represented on the maps as
composed Of a number Of islands. It
is still shown in this way on a num-
Der Of maps now in use. One by one
these supposed islands, Cumberland
island, Fox Land, Meta Incugnita, Sus-
sex island and others have been found
to be part Of the main island; thus
Baflin Land has been gradually in
creasing in size on the maps until to-
day it is known to be inferior only to
Greenland in size The latest edition
of the best map OF the polar regions
published in any American atlas, how
ever still shows Cockburn island,
which is separated from Bafln Land
by a wide channel, though a number
OF foreign maps show that it is a part
of Baftin Land. Dr. Robert Bell the
new director Of the geological survey
Of Canada, who mapped long stretch
Of the west coast in 1897 has just pub
lshed in the Geographical Journal
report Of his explorations. He says
that it is "the third largest island in
the world, being only exceeded by Aus
tralia and Greenland" AS Australia
is now ranked by nearly all geograph-
ers as the smallest of the continents,
Bafin Land will undoubtedly take it's
place among the islands as the second
in area. All the best maps Of Bafin
Land now show a great lake region in
the central part of the southern por-
tion Of the island. These lakes lie be-
tween mountain ranges. DR.. Bell says
That the two greatest bodies of water
are larger than any of the lakes in the
whole peninsula of Labrador and that
they may almost be compared to
Lake Ontario in extent He visited the
southernmcst Lake Amadjuak. which
may be 12O miles in length by forty in
breadth in the middle. According to
Eskimo accounts Lake Amadjuak dis
charges northward into Lake Mettill-
ing by short river, without rapids,
the natives passing from one lake to
another in their kayaks Lake Mettill-
ing is perhaps 140 mile; long and sixty
miles wide and its waters reach the
sea through a large and rapid river,
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
TIE TALE oE A sHiRr.
It was n wonderful Hoodoo Worker tc
Its Wearers.


Its Wearers.
A prominent physician who has an
office in n downtown skyscraper,
bought early this spring a supply Of
gorgeous negllgee shirts. One Of the
new garments, which he had made
at a cost of $3.50 each, was so pecull-
arly atrocious that he wore it but once.
When he came down to breakfast one
morning with the awful red and
green plaid adorning his manly form
his wife at once gave notice that if
he went down town with it on she
would sue for divorce. She also
warned him that view Of the shirt
would certainly be fatal to his more
delicate patients. Feeling chastened
by this rebuke, the doctor took off the
nightmare and went down TO work in
white linen.
That evening another young doctor
called at the physicians home and the
subject of the wonderful shirt was
mentioned. Finally the garment itself
was brought down and displayed and
the matter was settled by the accept
ance of an offer Of fifty cents for the
shirt made by the younger physician.
The new owner of the shirt put it on
oSe day and started to walk down
Clark street on his way to one Of the
railroad stations. On the way the
shirt caused almost a riot among the
excitable denizens OF the Levee and
the doctor took it off that night for the
last time. a few days later, by way
of a joke, he sold the now famous
garment to young cousin for twenty
| five cents. The latter put on the shirt
and went to n roof garden, where the
| plaids and stripes attracted so much
more attention than the vaudeville
| performance that he took his depar-
ture before the entertainment was
| more than half through.
That night burglars broke into the
house of the Doctors cousin and
among the property carried off was
the shirt The burglars were never
arrested and in a week or two all the
| parties who had been interested in the
rainbow front forgot its existence.
Last week the original owner went
up into Wisconsin to spend few
days fishing. One evening a wild-eyed
farmer rushed into camp and inquired
if there was a doctor on hand. The
! physician admitted his identity and
was asked to hurry back to the farm
| er's house, where 4 man had been bad
ly gored by bull.
The victim was lying groaning on a
couch in the dining-rOom when the
doctor entered. After his wounds had
been bound up the doctor noticed
something familiar about the shirt
which the unfortunate man wore. He
looked down at the bosom and there
in red embroidery were his own in
tials 1t was, indeed, the famous gar
ment which had had such strange
history
It's no wonder the bull hooked
him." said the farmer. "Ho ought to
know better than wear shirt like
that"
AS a matter of common humanity
the doctor secured possession Of the
ill-omened shirt and sunk it in the
lake, where it will be powerless to
cause any further riots or accidents
Chicago Tribune.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

In speaking to the editor Of the Citi-
zen the other day Mr.. Louis P. Shoe
maker, president Of the Brightwood
Citizens Association, said:
YOUR PAPER IS CERTAINLY
DOING GOOD WORK FOR THE
SUBURBS AND SUBURBAN PEO-
PIE. IT IS A GREAT PITY THE
OTHER PAPERS, TOO, DON'T
DEVOTE SOME SPACE TO OUR
INTERESTS"
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Cats as Gorernment omelnls.

Several years ago a letter contain.
ing a large sum of money disappeared
from the New York postohice," writes
Hugh Netherton, in the Ladies' Home
Journal, in telling Of Cats
That Draw Salaries" "a month
after the disappearance a desk in one
Of the rooms was moved and on the
floor was found a nest Of young rats
resting on a bed Of macerated greln.
backs-all that was left of the missing
letter Uncle Sam at last decided to
employ q cat to protect the New York
postofice from rats and mice. The
first appointee in the United States
Rat and Mouse Catching Service was
a large, gray taDby. She secured the
place through the recommendation Of
her owner, who certified that she was
not only a good mouser but also Il
friend Of the Administration-qualities
which she at once eXemplltied by her
work.
with New York as an example,
other postofIices asked for cats, and
to-day nearly every large Office in the
United States has its official mouser or
rat-killer, who receives from nine to
twelve dollars a year. This income
is expended under the supervision Of
the postmasters for the purchase Of
food MIX is the chief item, for the
cats are supposed to provide them.
selves with meat"
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Military Pensions in England.

England is initiating the pension
system in the United States. There is
a bill in parliament providing for a
scheme for pensioning the widows and
orphans of soldiers who have died in
the South African war. This measure
is Oeing hastened by the officials Of the
war Office in order to stimulate enlist
ments in the army, which are now
very slow.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Town to Honor a chlmpan.ee.


The municipal council of the French
town Of Grenoble has recently voted a
large sum of money for the purpose of
erecting a bronze statue to the famous
Chimpanzee, named Charlemagne, who
not long ago died there. For nine years
the chimpanzee, which was brought
to Grenoble by an African explorer,
had enjoyed the freedom Of the town,
being privileged to enter practically
every house and to help himself to any
thing he fancied in fruit and vegetable
shops. The chief reason of the towns
great regard for the chimpanzee was
that about five years ago he rescued a
child from drowning in a well. Char
lemagne had seen everything, and for
him to swing himself over the top OF
the we'll was the work Of a moment.
Descending by the rope used for the
buckets, he grasped the child and
quickly carried her back to her friends,
climbing up by the rope. Charlemagne
increased his popularity by spending
two hours in the childrens hospital Of
the town, playing in different wards
and amusing the children who were all
very fond of him. In such respect was
this chimpanzee held that when he
died the inhabitants of the town fol-
lowed his remains 70 tha crave,
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

1t is an interesting fact that tho
wireless message can be flashed
through fogs and storms, and seems
only to be affected by electrical dis
turbances Of the atmosphere, and not
seriously even by those. Tho effect Of
the earth's curvature Is also said not
to materially interfere with its use.
That we shall at some not FAR dis
tant date communicate through the
air with Europe from ship-to.ship sta
tions, so that the breaking OF cable
connection will be OF no account, is
by no means a wild dream. The great
ocean liners arcalready belngequipped
with the necessary apparatus.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Maine Snrclnes

"The sardine towns on the Maine
coast" says the Kennebec Journal
"are congratulating themselves on the
fact that herring are beginning to
come Every year the little fishes are
called upon to do their lightning
change act By arriving as herring and
departing as sardines."
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
Enr1neer "oot the old rndr.n

The president Of an Eastern railroad
tells of an engineer of fast freight
train who called on him one day and
asked him to prevent a deaf old woman
from walking on the tracks along one
section Of that division. Several times
the engineer had barely missed run
ming over her, and he was terrified lest
a fatal accident should happen to her.
"The only way to prevent a deaf per-
son from walking on the track" said
Mr.. Underwood, would be to cut his
legs Off" That is just what will do
for my deaf old lady if you cannot
stop her" replied the engineer. In
vestigation showed that she was ac-
customed to go to a summer hotel to
sell baskets and embroidery and that
the railroad afforded her a short cut tc
her destination. She was demonstrated
with, but it did no good And, do you
know" said Mr., Underwood, "she was
finally run over. That very engineer
called on me- with tears running down
his cheeks, one day, and reported: I've
got the old lady at last, sir.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
stopmotner-s alrt to .renrner.

stepmother (entering village school
with whip)-My boy tells me you
broke your cane across his back yes
terday' Schoolmaster (turning pale)-
Well, II may have struck him harder
than i intended, but Stepmother-I
thought I'd make you a present of
this whip. You'll flnd it'll last longer
and do him more good.-Punch.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

The London Academy explains that
the British poet laureate is nothing
more than a salaried member of the
royal household, but Alfred Austin's
predecessor, Tennyson, was something
immensely superior to any such menial
position.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

Tiny insect enemies cause in the
United States an average annual loss
to agriculture Of about $3OO,OOOOOO,
according to the entomologist Of the
Depart -, Of Agriculture. This av-
erage Of des,cctioa is kept up not
only by the occasional widespread
plaques Of locust, chinch bugs, etc,
but by what might be called q scat
tered guerrilla warfare which is going
on nearly all the time.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

Professor thinner, of Berlin, a spe-
cialist in mental diseases, has been in
vestigating the cause of insanity
among women, and has concluded that
if women were admitted into competl-
tion with men the result would be n
tremendous increase Of insanity among
the women.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

President G. Stanley Hall, OF Clark
University, describes in the Forum
"The Ideal School as Based on Child
Study" incidentally. he condemns
the present ineficiency of the high
school, and crlticises the secondary
teachers Of America as prone to all
the narrowness and affectatiOn of the
specialist, without his redeeming yir-
tue Of productiveness in research.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

The grindstone is one stone that's
neYer left uhturned.
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12

r. WILSON, Advertising Manag Ell
The suburban citizen., 1901-10-12
sunsoRIPr1eN RATEsI

EuteroA at ~ Post es9ee for traASRisStOa
Aro,ISA as snhilb al SSoeAd-cIGSs rGtes-
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-12
Famous Men at Famous Dinners. .

\ large audience was delighted with the
lecture Famous Men at Famous Dir
ncrs'' which was delivered in the Baptist
church. last evening. by William McEi-
roy Mr. Mcl:lroy Is very eracc:a,
speaker and a splendid story teller Ifc
told story after story that he had heard
from some of the most famous man Of
the country ana at some OF tho most r.
NOUS dinners. He confined himself TO
American aftcr-dinner speakers, bccatn+,
across the water there are none. He saii
there are many notable cXcrptions, but ia
believed this to bc the general rule. Iii;
m;nisccncts were cSpcc.a ly interesting.
US Tie has mot most Of tho ;ncrc famous
men AT dinners Or other places. Thes.
little incidents threw new light on the
characters Of the celebrities When n
chose he could set his audience in a roar.
ana IN chose ID % this pretty often. SD
the evening PASSED all too quickly. His
opinions Of the most famous dinners and
speakers wcrc vcry interesting, as he has
aad an unusually tine opportunity for
comparing ana Judging. Taken al in all.
It WAS delightful treat that will be long
remembered
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-12
One On the Judge.

w. &. Phiibrcok at the meeting NJ n.
committee, Wednesday evening. ~.
the victim Of q joke Of his own matin.
and one that was particularly suea,
for those present on account Of the ~
variable polish and tact Of the -
mayor as o public speaker. a centn,..
plant blooms about as often as Won ca,
catch him in Il break, so this one w.,
all the more enjoyable. X. w. Dun,
in closing his excellent remarks anolo-
gizcd for taking up 20 much time. Thu
time to be sure had been well occupied
but tho speaker evidently thought thu,
he had gone bit beyond the limit
Mr.. Phllbrook in closing his remark.
said that he feared that he might he
like Mr.. Dunn in taking up more time
than he ought to but a Suppressed
laugh IN the back Of the room caused
him to look around. a look of blank
aet0nisl1nlcnt passed oyer The face. NJ
cvci yonc and then there was roar II
which Mr. Dunn joined as heartily az
the rest.
well" exclaimed the ex-mayor
''yCu said 50, Hrothcr Dunn, you said
80. didn't you?'
This Gtarted anothcr roar and after
it had subsidized the speaker continued
Now Mr.. philbrook mcant-but yop
all know what he meant, 20 it's enough
| said.