davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

happens to be open when received
here, it is sealed with a special
stamp, bearing the words: ''Post
Office Department-Offici Sealed"
The first stamp of this kind bore the
words: "Post obitum," meaning
"after DEATH" A specimen is to-day
worth ten dollars. 1t is difficult to
procure sealing stamps, and collect
ors offer high prices for them.
Stamp collecting fiends bother the
foreign division of our dead letter
office very much. The average per-
son afflicted with that mania believes
that he can get all manner of stamps
for the asking. One of them recent
ly wrote: "You must have thousands
of foreign letters which you can
never deliver. Please send me q
good collection" All such letters are
answered with a reference to the
law making the removal of stamps
from letters subject to a fine of
$500, with or without imprisonment.
One great difficulty in the delivery
of letters addressed in foreign coun-
tries is that the writer's give de-
fective or insufficient superscrip-
tions to their communications Only
an expert would have known that a
letter addressed: "Teserero General
de Nacion," meant Treasurer of the
United States" But it did; and was
properly delivered, and it contained
considerable sum of money.
A letter addressed to "Br Ameruky.
D. Branz, Kemielbunkport, America"
was sent to the postmaster at Ken
nebunk Port, Me-, and by him for.
warded to Portland, where it was
delivered to d. Branz, in an alley
in the rear of No. "a North street.
Another letter addressed "Br Amer
uka," meaning British America, was
superscribed Elizabeth Avenue SIS.
Joseph Miron, House furnishing
goods" That seemed like hard
one, but the experts in our dead
letter Office found Elizabeth avenue
at Elizabeth, n. J., and delivered the
letter there.
These are merely samples of the
hundreds of thousands of difficult
cases which are handled every year
| by our expert clerks in the dead let
| ter office; and the work increases
each year because of the increased
| illiteracy of Europe. On this point
the superintendent of the dead letter
office says: There is also a great
deal of illiteracy and carelessness in
our own country. I think that the
art of letter writing and of address
ing envelopes ought to be practical
part of the work of our school chill
dren."
| That's q good idea. It could be
| taught with the lessons in penman-
ship. SMITH D. TRx.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
A BLACKSMITH'S STRANGE Elk.
PERIENCE.

Goodland, Kan, June 3.-N. E. Al
bertson, our leading blacksmith, has
been a great sufferer from Rheuma-
tism. He was so bad that he could not
sleep for the great pain in his arms
and shoulders. He had been afflicted
for years, but lately he was so much
worse, that he thought he would have
to give up his shop altogether.
Then a strange thing happened. A
friend of his recommended a new med
icine called Dodd's Kidney Pills, said
to be a cure for Rheumatism. He
commenced to use them and at once
began to recover. His pain has all left
him, and he is well man to-day, and
entirely free from any symptom of
Rheumatism.
To say he is thankful, is putting it
very mildly. He is delighted.
Dodd's Kidney Pills deserve great
credit for having cured this very Sc
we're and almost hopeless case.
From recent reports, there does not
seem to be anything that they will not
cure, as very bad cases of Bright's Dis
ease, Diabetes, Dropsy, rheumatism,
and Heart Trouble, have been cured bs
Dodd's Kidney Pills, even after hav-
ing been given up by the best doctors.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
UNDER VARIOUS FLAGS.

Canada had only LOO saloons in
1850. She has now over $4,000.
England has $500 police; Scotland,
5000; Ireland, 12,4OO.
A fleet of So steamers is to run here
after on the Thames between Batter
sea and London Bridge.
A cycle-racing track at Bordeaux
was destroyed by mob because, ow-
ing to the failure of the electric light,
the races had to be postponed.
An advertisement in Hamburg pa
per dated 1901 shows that cigars were
IN use Though very little as compared
with pipes) in Germany a century
ago.
The London county council some
time ago passed a law that no one
should shout to the annoyance of the
public while hawking newspapers; but
the law is not enforced.
In the British home trade 1000 sail
ing-vessels and $500 steamers are en-
gagged; but in the foreign the proper
ton is reversed-there are only 1,7OO
saiiing-ships to nearly 1000 steamers.
An authority states in medical
journal that the height of a very tall
British woman was, so years ago, five
feet seven inches, while now the
height averages five feet six inches to
Eve feet ten inches.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
FORMIDABLE BArrLESH1P.
United States Likely to Have Power
full Fighter of 10000 Tons
Displacement.

If the report heard at the navy de-
partment proves correct, says a New
York Times special from Washington,
and congress approves the recommen-
cations of Rear Admiral Bowles and
the construction board, the United
States may have battleship of 5000
tons displacement, with correspond
ing armament, thus providing a war
ship of formidable proportions. The
largest batt1eship now owned by any
naval power is of a little more than
$4,000 tons displacement. 1t is related
that the largest one present at the fu-
neral demonstration in honor of Queen
Victoria was japanese battleship re-
Gently completed and displacing Is 900
tons. Great Britain has several battle
ships of equal tonnage on the way, and
Italy's Lepanto is of $1,000 tons.
The British and japanese battle
ships of $4,000 tons draw % feet of
water or more. That would prevent
heir entry into many of our harbors,
and the fact that many American har-
bors cannot afford water for vessels
of such draught has led to the con-
struction of battleships drawing the
least possible water consistent with
stability. The mean draught of the
Maine class will be less than "a feet.
The idea is to produce a vessel that
will not draw much more with the dis
placement of 10000 tons.
Some members of the construction
board hope to secure designs promis-
ing a speed of 81 knots, which, if OBJ
tanned, would make the new battle
ship equal in speed and superior in
power to most of the armored cruisers
now afoat, and make her a formida BILE
antagonist of the most powerful bat
tleship yet built.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

for the word sstaxee," meaning
'taxed" or extra rate. The Italians
are very thrifty people, and it often
happens that the sender in that coun-
try prefers to leave the payment to
the addressee. who, in America, is
usually of the same nationality. On
delivery of the letter he refuses to re-
ceive it and pay the ten cents demand
ed. There may be nothing important
in it, and he is not willing to squander
that amount of money on an uncer-
tainty. His friend or relative having
written, it is safe to conclude that the
writer is well.
Hundreds of letters, though actual
~ delivered to the intended recipients,
are returned to Italy every year. At
least rs per cent. of the mail matter
sent from that country to the United
States is not paid in advance. What
has been said on this point applies in
a somewhat less degree to the Swedes,
who are likewise thrifty people. It
is observed that immigrants from
abroad retain their thrifty habits on
this side of the water. In the next
generation. however, they lose them
entirely. Their sons and daughters
have all the wants and requirements
of Americans. The continental peas
ant is content to live on bread and PO-
tatoes, but his American-born children
must have meat three times day.
Some of the articles found in
closed in parcels from abroad, which.
unlike letters, may be opened, are
very odd. They will often contain
such things as one sock, one shoa
or one glove, the customs regulations
! forbidding the sending of pairs of
such things. Pieces of lace and valu-
| able embroidery are discovered
wrapped up in the newspapers which
! are devoted to destruction when not
delivered. These are disposed of at
! the annual auction sale, held at the
post Office department. Rosaries and
| crucifxes are sent in a similar FASH
ion in great numbers. At every year.
ly sale hundreds of these are dis
posed of, many of them having been
blessed by priests and forwarded by
people in Catholic countries for use
| by friends in our country.
| Comparatively few of the foreign
letters which reach our dead letter
office can be delivered to the persons
addressed, because it is not permits
sible to open them. If one of them
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
GIVES ELEGANT NECKLACE.
James r.. Keene Presents Finest Dia.
mOnd String in United States
to His Wife.

James r. Keene, of Wall street and
racing fame, celebrated his recent
phenomenal success in "the street"
by presenting to his wife a diamond
necklace for which he paid 100000,
and it is said to be by great odds the
finest ever turned out by jewelers. in
the United States.
The presentation was made to Mrs.
Keene at her home on Long Island.
She had been an invalid for number
of years, and while the gift and her
husbands generosity appealed to her,
she had no personal use for the neck
lace, and almost Immediately, with
her hus bands consent, presented the
gittering string of gems to her only
daughter, Mrs. Talbot ]. Taylor,
whose husband is well known in "the
street, as a broker, and in whose Of
fee Mr.. Keene has his headquarters.
Mrs. Taylor is thus the possessor of
the finest diamond necklace in the
United States.
It consists of single large strand
of 90 diamonds of the purest water,
so arranged that they may be wound
around the throat of the wearer sew
eral times as pearls are usually worn.
Suspended from the center of this
glittering strand is a pendant COM
posed of cluster of eight magnifi-
cent diamonds and from this again is
suspended a single diamond, which is
said to be the largest and finest stone
owned in New York.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
Leak. in American Economy.

The American economies on a
grand scale and in large ways, SCOTS
1t petty saving and distributes his
rational patrimony with lavish
.and, thereby unconsciously relin-
gushing much of the advantage that
Yankee thrift might otherwise con-
;erve to him, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. He will only enjoy to the
Utmost the fruits of his labor when
re stops the leaks in his domestic
economy and applies to individual &C
ion the large principles which have
proved so successful in his corporate
Enterprises.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

''Think of it! Goats on racing yachts as
mascots!" "They are certainly no more re-
markable than rams on battleships."-
adelphia Times.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

literary lights, with only England"
on the envelope, have been returned to
this country marked insufficient adj
dress" Letters of that character
from European countries for eminent
ways forwarded to their proper adj
dresses, and without delay.
All printed matter received at the
dead letter office from Canada, Great
Britain, Germany, Switzerland, South
American countries and Australasia
is destroyed, in accordance with spe-
cia1 agreement. Most of this stuff con-
sists of newspapers and trade circu-
lars. The countries mentioned do the
same with similar matter that reaches
them from the United States. But
France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Portugal,
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Bel
GUM want every bit of their printed
matter back, and it is returned to
them.
Take Russia, for instance. All I'M
claimed matter from that country is
sent back to the Russian post office
department at ST. Petersburg every
week, including printed stuff. The
material is done up in bags. If there
is reason to believe that single par
Gel or letter holds anything of value,
the bag containing it is registered.
Many of the letters returned to Rus
STA come to Washington from the post
Office at Boston, in which city there is
a large Russian colony. Returns"
for Newfoundland and small depend
encies in various parts of the world
are made in big envelopes, the bulk
of matter sent being small.
In the same way we get our dead
matter back from foreign countries
weekly from some, monthly from
others. The returns" sent to us
amounted last year to 100000 pieces
only little more than one-third as
many as we forwarded to govern
ments abroad. One reason for this
great difference is found in the fact
that addresses in Europe are more GER
tain and permanent. Immigrants
coming to the United States give their
first addresses to relatives and friends
on the other side of the water. Pref
ty soon they move, and track of them
is lost. Native Americans are mostly
educated and address letters to for
eign parts with accuracy; foreigners
here when they write home are sure
of the addresses.
The number of letters returned to
ITALY is very great, most of them for
non-payment of postage. Under the
regulations of the postal union, let
tiers may be sent unstamped and will
he delivered, but the recipient must
pay DOUBLE. e., ten cents on an or
binary letter. Such an unpaid letter
Is marked with big T, which stands
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

Consul General Guenther, of Frank
ort, in a report to the department of
state, says that, according to expert
nents conducted by S. Jansen on
Mont Blanc, it is not necessary to erect
,oles for stringing telephone and tele-
,raph wires in snow-covered countries.
f the snow is several inches thick it
erves asa good insulator, the wires can
,e laid down and be ready for the trans
mission of messages. The consul gen.
raj adds that similar experiments
With equally favorable results were
made on Mount Aetna.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

10 ys S
9: e
go
ta
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
WE LEAD THE WORLD
Oncle Sans Mail Service the Acme
of Perfection.
Foreign Systems Seem Puerile When
Compared with Ours-Work of
the National Dead-Letter
Omce.
Especial Washington letter.


1HE illiteracy Of Europe rests as
a heavy burden on the dead let
ter Office of this republic. Up
wards of half million letters annual
ly come to this country from Europe
with addresses which are insufficient,
il1egible or undecipherable. They
must be returned to the countries
whence they come. Consequently this
European illiteracy is costly, not only
to the countries whence the misdirect-
ed letters come, but also to us.
The fact is well known that our own
people furnish employment to hun
dreds of employees because of their
inability to properly address their
communications; but the illiteracy of
foreign correspondents is intellectually
greater than that of our own people.
In our republic the majority of the
errors are caused by carelessness, but
ignorance is at the bottom of the enor-
nous number of errors committed by
those in foreign countries.
Compared with our own perfected
dead letter Office system those of for
eign countries seem to be in their in
fancy. Many evidences are shown by
the experiences of our officials, indi-
eating that the foreign governments
do not attach such Importance to the
delivery of obscure addresses as our
government has always manifested.
For example, when Levi P. Morton
was minister to France, a letter adj
dressed 'Levi P. Morton, Paris,
France" was returned to this country
marked, ''inconnu;" that is, Gun
known" And yet the American min
lister was living in Paris at one of the
leading hotels. No effort was made
to deliver that letter, or it could have
been delivered.
Many letters from this country ad-
dressed to Walter Besant, Algernon
Swinburne, Alfred Austin, and other
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07
Reform. In Porto Rico.

The Detroit Journal kindly points
out that the Porto Ricans, if deprived
of the privilege of indulging in cock
fighting, can amuse themselves by
docking their horses tails. They can
also allow their children to use air
guns and giant firecrackers, remarks
the Chicago Tribune. There are
plenty of civilized ways Of being bar
b0rouS
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-07

.sWhat is meant by an elastic currency?'"
various things, but one of its worst forms
is where man has to make dollar stretch
over a week."-Philadelphi Press.
When a man has curly hair the women
think it is a lot of good luck wasted.-Atchi-
son Globe.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14
After the Storm Had Passed.
Ply H TALMADGic.


Downright 1901, by Daily Story Pun. COD
II was rather an extraordinary ST.
uation. Tom Belwynd, elephant man
with the Three World Show admitted
without so much as an instant's hesl-
tation that never during his career
which had not been a commonplace
succession of events by any means
had he known anything like it. He
was inclined to believe for 2 period of
perhaps three minutes, while the eff
fects of the shock were still strong
upon him. that he was in some kind
of a heaven, sitting upon green grass
by the side of running waters. Across
the stream upon the other bank was
his ideal woman, the lovely creature
Of his dreams.
Then a loud splashing and trumpet
ing down the stream distracted his at
tention, and he turned his gaze anx-
iously and with reluctance in that di-
rection. The vision upon the other
bank rose TO its feet, giving utterance
to a squeak of the most conventional
worldlness. The squeak settled it..
The vision was such no more. Bel
wynd smiled, and his smile was an
swered. He spoke.
You are in no danger, miss" he
said, reassuringly. 1T is only one OF
the elephants
The information did not brig the
expression OF relief to the gs:l's face
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14
@ywz-
~es3C

Where are the other elephants?"
inquired the girl, obviously.
Ill be blessed if | know, miss; but
/ do know that they're not with PLATE.
He's an aristocrat, and he won't asso-
ciate with the others when he can
help it. | have to chain him by him
self in the menagerie tent, and have
to let him do his turn in the ring
alone. He becomes offended if don't.
and sulks and makes regular howl
ing snob of himself Here he comes
now"
The elephant, numbering gleefully
up the bed of the stream, his small
eyes twinkling his trunk standing bolt
upright before his face, caught sight of
them as the last word left Belwynds
lips, and stopped abruptly. Belwynd
addressed him.
"Pilate, old man." said he, quietly
come here"
PLATE hesitated. He recognized the
master, but he was not yet weary of
vacation His great body swayed back
and forth uncertainty for a time, and
the end OF his trunk was gradually
lowered to the water Belwynd ad-
dressed him again, sharply.
None of that, PLATE! Come here,
sir"
With sound not unlike a groan the
beast obeyed.
Down SLATER
In another moment the mighty
frame was stretched upon the grass,
and Belwynd, small stick in his hand,
was looking triumphantly at the girl.
You see, miss he said, people are
afraid of elephants because they don't
know 'enl. There are animals in al
most every barnyard of this blossom
ing state of Iowa that are more dan
gerous to handle. Now cows-I'm
timid Of cows. never feel safe when
there are cows around. i left home as
much for that reason as any other.
Father insisted that l help to milk,
and | just slung a few OF my more
valuable possessions into a bandanna
handkerchief and followed off the first
circus that come along rather than do
it. I've never been home since. though
Il NllNS ~ hlONAIl gun
day morning. | sent her the money to
clear the mortgage off the old place
last week. Know anybody in Ohio?"
The girl raised her big brown eyes
big brown eyes and yellow, curly
hair had been the prime essentials to
beauty in Eelwynd's Standardization
the elephant TO Belwynd's face. She
was trembling slightly, and her voice
quavered.
ohio is my home" she replied. Il
came from near Chllicothe."
That's funny. So did I. Who'd
ever have thought that two lonesome
people from the same place who'd
never seen each other before would
have been blown out from among ten
thousand by tornado and pumped
down together in nice pleasant place
like this hollow 10 talk IL over! We're
lucky not to be cead We must be a
quarter OF a mile from the show
ground, and VIC didn't touch once on
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14
sIno Reward Sion.

The readers OF this paper will be pleased 10
learn that there IL at least one dreaded disease
that science has been able TO cure I'm oil It's
stages and that Is Catarrh. Halls Catarrh
medical fraternity Catarrh being q constitu-
tional disease, requires constitutional treat
ment Hail. Catarrh Cure is taken internally,
acting directly upon the blood and mucous SUR
faces OF the system, thereby destroying the
foundation OF the disease, and giving the patient
strength by building no the constitution and
assisting nature In doing It's work. The pro-
prietors have so much faith in its curative
powers that they offer one Hundred Dollars for
any case that 1t fails TO cure Send for list OF
Testimonials.
Address l.. j. CHENEY & CO.. Toledo. O
Sold by druggists zoe.
Halls Family pills are tho best
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

An interesting discovery has Just
been made by a Portugal savant M.
Leite de Vasconoelos has found In a
forgotten manuscript a very ancient
poem, the existence OF which was
known, but which was thought to have
been lost Tho poem, composed In
honor OF Sainte-Foy d'Agen, contains
593 stanzas. II is written in Proven
cal and dates back to the end OF the
eleventh century. Some time must
elnpse, however. before the reading
public can appreciate the beauty Of the
work. for the language in which II IS
written would now be Incompetent
sib,e on the banks CT the Rhone.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

Having found by personal expert
ence that Lydia Il. Pinkham'o
Vegetable Compound Is q unedi-
cine of rare virtue, and having seen
dozens of cures where my suffering
sisters have been dragged back TO lifo
and usefulness from an untimely grave
simply by the use of few bottles of
that Compound, l must proclaim its
virtues, or l should not be doing my
duty to suffering mothers and dragged
out housekeepcrs.
Dear Sister, is your health poor,
do you feel worn out and used mp,
especially do you have any Of tina
troubles which beset our sex, take my
advice let the doctors alone, try
Lydia f.. Pinl<ham's Vegetable
Compound; it is better than any
and all doctors, for it cures and thcy
do not. "-MRs. L. c. SMITH, 1873 Oak
St., Treasurer w. c. T. u, Kansas
City, Mo.-ssooo forfeit II above tsstfson'a, Ia
not genuine.
Mrs. Pinkham advises sick wo-
men free. Address. Lynn. MasA.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

At Gotta, in saxony, persons who
did not pay their taxes last year are
published in list which hangs up in
all restaurants and saloons OF the city.
Those that are on the list can get
neither meat nor drink Mt these places,
under penalty OF loss Of license.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

4 uIII TIC tItIIIItIIIL IIIdHs
that he had hoped for. and he spoke
again, introducing himself
II am the elephant man with the
show, miss. Belwynd's my name
Thomas BelwyBd. And when | tell
you there's no danger know what I'm
talking about. It's old PLATE making
all that fuss. Re hadn't had a good
play in the water for six weeks, and
he's taking advantage OF his opportu-
nifty. 'Tisn't every day that tornado
strikes us, and nothing short OF tor
nado gives the old chap the liberty he
most desires"
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

We promise that should you use PUT
NAM FADELESS DYES and be dissat-
isfed from any cause whatever, to re-
fund 1Oc. for every package.
MONROE DRUG Co.. KNOXVILLE, Mo.
Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-11-14

Black cotton hose should be dried
and ironed on the wrong side to pre-
vent fading.