davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22
THE TRAGEDY OF A LIFE.
The Young Soldier who Is Doomed to
AlcatraZ Prison.
Washington Star.

washington star.
How would you like TO do ninety-nine
years in a military prison?" asked a for
mer ncncOmmissioned officer of the army,
of a group of friends the other evening.
They replied that the temperature was
pretty high for folks to be TALKING about
such hot stuff as that.
Yes. ninety-nine years" said the ex-
noncom.. refectively. That's a pretty
fairish bit OF whizz for a young fellow
TO face on a miserable seven-acre rock
like Alcatraz island. isn't it?"
They asked him if ii was a seagull that
itude, and he went on more seriously:
NO But here is the way of it. About
eight years ago q young recruit came TO
my battery. We were then stationed on
that aforesaid miserable Alcatraz rock.
where the military prison is. This recruit
was a fine chap from Kentucky. He was
of a good family and he had had a good
education. He drifted into the outfit back
East through a bit OF wildness. and they
Battery to be hammered into shape. II
fell to me to drill him, and / took an in
terest in him. After he'd had a chance TO
look around him and size UP the service
he began 10 take an interest in the game.
and he declared that he'd try for a COM
mission. He had the head and the edu.
cation to nail one. too. If he'd only listened
he went wrong with the drink every once
and a while, and his chance were consid-
erably damaged. Nevertheless. he studied
hard for the commission, and the officers
OF the battery, liking the lad, overlooked
his occasional lapses and. at the end OF
a couple of years. sent him along 10 take
his preliminary examination for promotion
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22

from ranks TO the shoulder-strap wearers.
'Ue passed the examination, difficult as
=, was hands down. But before he LETT
the post at which he took the examination
10 vent off on a bat with some OF the nom
CONS of the garrison, and that queered
him. His name was stricken from the roll
of successful candidates for nnal examina-
lion AT Fort Leavenworth. and he was sent
hack 70 his battery on AlcatraZ TO mediate
mon his boyish imbecility in throwing away
the chance OF a lifetime for a little iiquor.
Tbe how was a heap broken up over the
bash he had made of il, naturally enough.
hut when he came to a full realization OF
IL he went bravely TO work and straight
800 ont and got ready TO stand for the
eXamination the following year. He kept
Straight the entire year, and the officers
overIooked his previous break and he went
- aeain for examination. He could have
rassed the mental examination again with
put any trouble, but a very slight visual
defact that had developed during the year
knocked his chances and he was turned
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22

down in the physical examination given
him by the surgeon. He was discharged
from the service. He came back 10 Al
catraz TO pack up his things. L never saw
a Young man in a more stunned state Of
mind. He had had a commission right
within his mitt twice, and both times II
got away from him. He went TO work IN
San Francisco, and saw him once in a
while.
THE last time / saw him he was embark
ing on board a transport at San Francisco,
bound for the Philippines. He had enlisted
in = regular army outfit under an assumed
name. after having successfully passed the
examination al the surgeons hands. eyes
and ali-but il was another surgeon OF
course-and he was in for some hard sol
diering. He was one of the sort that loved
soldering, and he couldn't keep away from
IL, even II ne had TO enlist fraudulently- l
had a chat with him on the transport, anc
he pointed 10 the bleak old Alcatraz rock
living in the sunlight OF the haroor-
We'll. thank God. anyhow. ne SAID 10
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22

me. that I'm not going to soldier there any
more. Say he went on. ilapulsiVely. L
used 10 feel so sorry for the poor devils OF
prisoners there that l often felt like help
ing the patches L was on guard over 10 get
away. It's bad enough soldering on Alca-
traz. but it must be fierce 10 be a prisoner
on the gloomy old bowlder. None OF il for
me. thanks
That, / say. is the last l ever saw OF
this athletic, fresh-skinned. clipper-buiit
young fellow. who loved soldering just for
the sake Of soldering. and who aspired TO
a commission that would surely have been
his had he possessed a bit Of self-controi
on one occasion and a soupcon OF luck on
another.
The young fellows outfit was sent 10
one Of the remote Philippines. The men
went OF on a payday foot about a year
ago. my former young swaddle from Ken
lucky with them. While loaded up with
the horrible intoxicants of that neck Of
the world the young fellow had an alter
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22
Hard Political Proposition.
Baltimore Herald.

Baltimore HeTdlu'
IT is an adroit election law that an east
arn shore vOte-seller cannot beat. A Demo
cratic nolitician who was In town this week
thinks he has about the hardest proposition
ON hand that ever came his way. The sell
cianS Down there early. He says that one
of them came to him recently and put the
matter to him in this way: Now, you
csn,t mark that ere ticket without goin'
or an gettin' an education. Sal, she's my
wife. she can read, but she's a Repub-
Iican and won't learn me how unless /
x.ofe her ticket. I got four boys TO vote.
and none of 'em can read. nuther. Now.
IL you'll give me s10 well all learn how
70 yofe the Democrat ticket any way you
saw. but IL YOU don't. I'll git Sal TO learn
me how TO vote it straightout Republican,
ana II take my chances on gittin my
lection money out'en en-.
~ Is little matters OF diplomacy like this
that makes statesmen OF eastern shore poll
ticians.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22

mOmentary fash OF passion. helped on by
his condition. he pulled a knife and killed
him. Still daZed with drink. and desperate
over. a fear OF the consequences Of this
rum-caused crime, he could think Of moth
He deserted 10 the enemy. They got
him in a roundup OF Filipino prisoners a
few months later. and he was recognized.
He was tried for the murder Of his pal
and for deserving 10 the euemy and con-
demned 10 be shot. His sentence was
cOmmuted 10 imprisonment for ninety
nine years on Alcatraz island. and he's
out there on the rock. in a coarse suit
OF WOoliy gray. to-day. 4 often get TO
thinking OF the boy IN the middle OF the
night. when I'm restless and can't sleep.
] can't help but believe that the pity he
felt in his heart. and expressed 20 me,
when he was clothed in his clear mind.
for the prisoners he guarded as a seidicr
on Alcatraz. Will somehow or another
make IL easier for him. now that he's
chained TO the rock himself
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22
My Dream.
I dreamed that I was singing
A little song for you;

7 dreamed that l was singing
little song for you.
The happy notes went winglng
Like swallows DER the dew.
NY heart SO fondly pleaded
In strains by passion stirred.
No waking prayer were needed
II YOU had only heard.
Sweetheart.
II you had only heard.
Your glance was rrief-beguiitng,
1t made my sorrow lee;
In Deerless beauty smiling
You gave your heart 10 me.
But night hath fled, and morning
brings back the old heartbreak-
To meet your cruel scorning:
Alas. why did / wake.
Sweetheart.
Alas, why did l wake?
Samuel Minturn Peck. in Boston TRANSCRIPT
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
FINE FOR FUEL.
The New Texas Oil and Its Quality
Considered.

The New Texas Oil and Its Quality
Considered.
When Pennsylvania or Ohio oil is
distilled, the last distillates, on cool
ing, deposit crystals of paraffine wax
and the residuum left in the stills has
certain characteristics quite peculiar
to these oils. When, however, Texas
or California oil is distilled, the
heavier Gistillates obtained by the
ordinary methods adapted to Penn
slyvania and Ohio oils yield no par
affine wax, and the residuum is great
er in amount and like asphaltum in
it's character, and consists essentially
Of asphaltum. Exactly what the diff
ferences are in the oils themselves,
before distillation, which cause this
result has not been adequately deter
mined Very little has been learned
in regard to the chemistry of the Tex
as oil. We know that in addition to
this "asphaltum base" the oil con-
tains considerably more sulphur than
the sulphur-bearing crude petroleum
Of Ohio and Indiana. The odor of the
oil is extremely disagreeable. The
statements in regard to it's usefulness
have varied within the most extraor-
6inary limits. Some experts with
a natural bent toward the optimistic
have staked their regulations on it's
being adaptable to all the uses of the
petroleum industry, that enormous
proportions of Illuminating oil can be
obtained from it with the greatest
ease that it's properties as a lubricant
are unexcelled; whereas, on the other
hand, it has been condemned as $50
bad that it can furnish practically no
illuminants;" "has a viscosity too low
for lubricating OIL" lis valueless as
fuel oil on account of the corrosion of
the iron in furnaces from the sulphur
in the oil, and therefore unfit for fuel"
which would take from it the last pos
sibility of usefulness. Against this, ON
the practical side, is evidence of more
value from the fact that the oil has a
sale at 20 cents a barrel in large guam
titles. The railroads and other in
terests requiring steam are adapting
their furnaces as rapidly as can be
done to the use of this oil in the place
of coal, and in this respect, as in Cali
fornia, it comes as boon to the fuel
consumers. It's use as a fuel oil has
been established, whether it corrodes
boilers or not. In regard to the pros
pect of using the oil for other pur-
poses, we must remember, in the case
of sulphur, that only few years ago
the problem of taking sulphur from
Ohio oils was unsolved, and yet
fully as good illuminants are now OBJ
tanned from the sulphur-bearing oils
of Ohio and Indiana as from any other
source.-David T. Day in American
Monthly Review of Reviews.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
A GOOSE GAME.

'Ha, hal" said General Yellowbill
TO Colonies Holk and White
Here's fun Well storm the corn
crib hill
And give a jolly fright
To that relocated miss
Who's come to visit Little Sis.
LET every gander shake his tail
And flap his wings in air,
While arter us in state will trail
The lady geese SO fair
Well give the timid little misses
A fusillade of savage hisses."
"Oh, dear! What dreadful things are
these?
I'm sure they mean to bite!''
Screamed tiny Bess. And, cousin,
please,
Please hug me very tight.
want my papa right away!
I want to go somewhere and play
I'm not afraid said Little Sis,
Because they know my name,
And say it every time they hiss;
It's just goosies' camel"
''Then ask them, please" said Bess,
to play
Their game with us some other day.
Forest Crissey in st. Nicholas.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01


more than ruin in the, midst of the
innumerable ruins of monuments that
are spread all over the ground around
it, It's branches are supported by thick
pillars, the trunk propped by masonry
in the shape of pyramid, which has
grown in height from century to cen
tury.. Affairs stand all around, on
which the pilgrims lay their offerings.
The tree is enclosed by walls.
The sacred enclosure is entered,
through the portico of a temple, the
priests of which have charge of the
maintenance of the Bo. NJ. Leclercq
has brought with him a souvenir of his
visit: leaf, sold to him by a yellow
robed priest for 1 rupe. The leaf is
about the size of a mans palm and is
heart-shaped, somewhat like birch
leaf It's stem is so slender that it
shakes constantly like an aspen leaf.
It is because, the believers say, it is
still rejoicing at having afforded shade
to Buddha.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
THE NAVAL CIPHER.
1t is Worse Than kanaka to the Un-
initiated [ avnan

1t is Worse Than kanaka to the In
initiated Layman.
The naval cipher would make a good
textbook for the puzzle editors and the
queer people who solve their freakish
maneuyerings. Words and sentences
are as involved in these mysterious
writings as it is well nigh possible for
human thoughts to be concealed. All
the great departments of the govern
ment have their own way of transmit
ting secret messages, but the naval
code is the most intricate and vexa-
tiOus of all.
This naval code has been doing
business for good many years, but
no one ever thought much about it I'M
til the Washington newspaper men
suddenly discovered that it was a very
great nuisance in their business Not
that these enterprising chaps are I'M
patriotic and want to pry into gov
eminent secrets, but the transmission
of a code message takes such a long
time that the waiting becomes tire
some. In some mysterious manner
the receipt of an important message
is always breathed forth in this little
newspaper community, and there is
usually scurrying to the department
to get such portions as are to be
given out.
At first sight, these code cablegrams
are not different from any other code
messages. They are a tumble of words
from all languages, LIMOGES and dia-
lects, with sprinkling of common
strong slang. They suggest history,
prize fighting, art criticisms, mathe-
NAUTICAL problems, politics, circus ad-
vertising, and, in fact, almost every
thing except something about ships.
Italian words are joined to Bowery
brevities to form word, and strange
surprises come in the shape of col
lection of letters with rs on both ends
and two or three ks in the middle.
Detroit Journal
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
FEW PEW DOORS LEFT.
Once Considered Essential in Church
Ea.,;nroau+ MoIu Counted OheoIe+el

Once Considered Essential in Church
Equipment, Now Counted Obsolete.
I'm old times, said a dealer in
church fittings and equipment, 1t was
common thing to have doors on the
pews in churches. Fifty years ago III
most Protestant churches there were
pew doors. While used in Catholic
churches also, they were not so COM
mon.
'In those days the pew door was an
institution; now it is pretty nearly
obsolete. There are still some in use.
They will be. found here and there
yet in some of the old Protestant
churches, as they may be occasionally
too in some old Catholic churches,
but they constitute no part of the
equipment Of any new church, and III
many old churches the pew doors have
been taken off as unnecessary and in
the way.
There are various reasons for this.
Conditions have changed for one
thing. In the old days pews were
more commonly rented entire. Now
there are more free churches, more
free pews, and there are rented nova
day a greater number of individual
sittings.
I'm such conditions pew door is
not in any degree necessity; it
might indeed be undesirable in itself.
Partly opened or closed, the door was
in the way; it might squeak; it was
likely to be slammed in opening Or
closing. 1t was a quite unnecessary
expense. 1t was really surplusage.
and in all new churches it's use was
everywhere discontinued whether the
pews were rented or not.
I'm Catholic churches, where it is
still the comomn prevailing custom to
rent the pews, and where there might
still be some need for a pew door, its
place is now to some extent taken
by modern attachment called pew
guard. This is simple but slightly
strip of leather attached at one end
to the inner side of the upper part of
the endpiece of the pew next the
aisle, the otner end, when the guard IS
not in use, hanging down over the pew
arm.
eff all the regular occupants of a
pew are not yet in it, and it is de-
sired to hold their places for them,
the pew guard is put up across the
open end of the pew, the free end of
the guard being then secured in a
holder made to receive it, fixed on the
inner side of the upper part of the
end piece of the pew in front Not in
use, the pew guard, hanging loosely
over the arm of the pew to which it
belongs, occupies practically no room
at all, and is in nobody's way.
And SO the pew door, once in com
mon use and commonly considered an
essential adjunct in the fittings of
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
NEW AsPIRANT FOR FAME.
Congressman Jim Butler, of st. Louis,
the Coming Leader.

Congressman Jim Butler, of ST. Louis,
the Coming Leader.
The latest representative of the
strenuous life who is headed for a
place in the Hall of Fame is Congress
man-elect Jim Butler of st. Louis.
Out in Kansas City the other night
Butler was doing the town in company
with Champion Pugilist Jim Jeffries.
when there occurred one of those little
misunderstanding which will come at
times even to gentlemen Of quality
Pugilist Jim started for Congressman
Jim with the evident purpose of in
yestigating the condition Of his solar
plexus, and a cly of horror went up
from the Threats of the assembled
multitude of admirers of the two Jims
who had gathered about them. They
recognized the CLEAN in the Jeffries
eye as the same that had carried
terror, and defeat to the mighty Cor
bett; the swing of the great right arm
was ominous of sudden death. On
rushed the champion, and then -
When several hours later he was
restored to consciousness, Jeffries in
CURED the particulars. Then he
learned that convenient beer glass
Welded, by ST. Louis statesman was
responsible for his undoing. 1t had
put him to sleep.
There are fortunately more ways
than one of acquiring fame. Congress-
man Butler is a marked man. So long
as he is in the house to be pointed
out by capital guides, there will be no
dearth of interest in the American
statesman. John Lentz and Jim-Ham
Lewis will not be missed; H. Clay
Sulzer can no longer hope to be the
object of all the adm:ring glances
from the galleries. Baltimore Sun.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
Anecdotes of IngersoII.

Senators Morrill,, Voorhees, and Cor
man were conversing together outside
the senate chamber. Colonel Ingersoll
CHANGED to pass by. Mr.. Voorhees,
greeted him and said, eve are dis
cussing the meaning of improbable;
what is your definition of the word?"
Promptly Colonel Ingersoll replied:
ut is a negro going in an opposite di-
rection from brass band"
Colonel Ingersoll was temperate
man, but not a teetotaler. One day
Mrs. James G. Blaine was passing
through Fifteenth street, opposite the
treasury department, when out from
a liquid refreshment saloon came
Colonel Ingersoll and a friend. my
dear Colonel" said she, you would
not be seen coming out of such a
place, would your" my dear madam"
replied he, would you expect me to
stay there all the time ?'-Washingto
Times.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
SOUTHERN MoUNTAINEERs.
The Part They Played in the War Be-
tween the States.


tween the States.
1t is odd to think that the southern
mountaineer was not discovered until
the outbreak of the civil war, although
he was nearly a century old then, and
it is really startling to realize that
when one speaks of the southern
mountaineers he speaks of nearly
100000 people who live in eight
southern states between-and occupy
a region equal in area to the combined
areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania, as
big, say, as the German empire, and
richer perhaps, III timber and mineral
deposits than any other region of SINH
lar extent in the world This region
was and is an unknown land 1t has
been aptly called Appalachian Amer
lea and the work of discovery is yet
going on.
The American mountaineer was dis
covered, say, at the beginning of the
war, when the confederate leaders
were counting on the presumption
that Mason and Dixon's line was the
dividing line between the north and
south, and formed, therefore, the
plan of marching an army from Wheel
ing to some point on the lakes and
thus Observing the north at one blow
The plan seemed SO feasible that it is
said to have materially aided the sale
of confederate bonds in England, but
when Captain Garnett, West Point
graduate, started to carry it out he got
no farther than Harper's Ferry. When
he struck the mountains he struck
enemies who shot at his men from am
bush, cut down bridges before him,
carried the news of his march to the
federals, and Garnett himsp1lf fell with
bullet from a mountaineer's squirrel
rife at Harper's Ferry.-Scribner
Magazine.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
Broken on the Wheel.

In the diary of that remarkable
man, General Patrick Gordon, who left
Scotland in 1861 a poor unfriended
Wanderer, and when he died, in 1899.
had his eyes closed by the affectionate
hands Of his sorrowing master. the
Gar Peter the Great, the following
entry is to be found, under date, Ham
burg, March %, 1886:
This day a man and a woman. q
burger of the town being the woman's
MASTER for numbering, were carted
from the prisone to the house where
the murder was committed; and there,
before this house, with hottie pinsers,
the flesh was torren out of their arms.
and from thence were carried to the
place Of justice without the town, and
there broken and layed on wheels"
An instance fifty years later han
those quoted at the last reference is
recorded in the Correspondence Of
Mr. Joseph Jekyll." Murray, 1894.
In April, 1775, from the balcony of his
lodgings at Orleans, Jekyll saw Il
criminal broken on the Wheel In a
letter to his father (p. 49, he enters
infinitely into the sickening Details
adding that 'the crime of the I'M
fortunate creature was burglary, as we
learnt from his sentence, which is
posted up at every corner of the
street. London Notes and Queries.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
From Rain in the Woods.

When on the leaves the rain insists,
And every gust brings showers
down;
When all the woodland smokes with
mists,
take the old road out of town
Into the hills through which it twists.
| find the vale where catnip grows,
Where boneset blooms, with wetness
bowed;
The vale through which the red creek
Turbin with hill-washed clay, and
AS some strange horn the wildman
blows.
Like knots upon the gray-barked trees
The lichen-colored moths are press
ed;
And, wedged in hollow blooms, the
bees
Seem clothed pollen; in it's nest
The hornet creeps and lies at ease.
The butterfly and forest bird
Are huddled in the same gnarled
Dough,
From which, like some rain-voweled
word
That dampness hoarsely utters now,
The tree toad's voice is vaguely heard.
crouch and listen; and again
The woods are filed for me with
forms
Weird, elfin shapes in train on train
Arise; and now feel the arms
Around me Of the wraiths of rain
O wraiths of rain o trailing mist!
Still fold me, hold me, and pursue!
Still let my lips by yours be kissed!
Still draw me with your hands of
dew
Unto the tryst, the dripping tryst.
Madison Cawein in Atlantic.
Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-07-01
Judicial Decision on "Humph."


The meaning of the word ''humph"
was the subject of judicial decision
in the Irish court of appeal on Monday
last. Four judges Of the queens
bench division, from which the appeal
was taken, were unable to come to a.
unanimous decision as to the meaning
Of the word. Mr. Justice Maddren and
Mr.. Justice Boyd held that "humph"
as used by Sir Walter Scott and Miss
Austin in their novels was an express
sion of dissent, while the Lord Chief
Justice and Mr.. Justice Burton in
clined to the conclusion that "humph"
only meant dissatisfied condition OK
mind. The Court of Appeal has now
decided that the word is IAN express
sion of doubt or dissatisfaction" or,
as Lord Justice Walker put it, in the
words of the Century Dictionary"
'grunt of dissatisfaction. London
News.