davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
the Conquest of the
"

more boldly than It ever did before~
There is too much ego in the worldr
Yes. and yet We are always shack1s&
more or less, to those invisible constable. n
modern society. Discretion and Deception.
are We not?"
In autobiography or really true storiesfs
Only in the realm Of fiction. it seems ia
me, Is there liberty for facts
You have written a novel?"
Perhaps I have" she said. with some
embarrassment.
IT'S namei"
1.-The Story of waitstill Baxter" ami.
ably.
1T must have a hero. and vet you said a
while ago that man was impossible to vou
In literary action!'
It's really the story of a woman. though -
In male attire?"
1t Is a story that occurs in Maine; that
disposes of your question"
But how is 1t the story of a woman?'
In the only way that women's storie,
are told in life. If not in books"
And that is?"
in the shadow of man."
"A psychologist story, too?'
ut is the story of a fine, splendid crea.r-a
to whom the needs. the moral needs. of a
man appeal strongly. The great heart NJ
the woman takes him in. schools him. com.
forts him at the sacrifice and surrender Of
herself. One of those complex, human plans
In life hat are Gods or nature's: who shall
say which?'
q might have known it would be purely
feminine In its plea"
1T is purely a woman's story" replied
Mrs. Wisgin tender!y, quite simply, quite
indifferent to the literary skill Of her story
In her personal companionship with IT.
In speaking of "Penleope's Experiences"
she described their purpose as "old ground
This seems to be a. good, general %epitor,e
OF the authoress herself. She is in presence
woman we have idealized. becanse thank
heaven! she Is the direct opposite to the
new woman" and yet she is treadine the
new way in literature. Wv
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

with a mock sigh Of alteration.
Where do you write your stories?"
Il have n house in Maine, which I have
called Quillcote on Saco.'
/ Your workroom Is there?'
One. of them. for rainy days. but when
the weather is fine 1 have a nook in the
orchard. near the house. which we call the
apple-tree, study"
AN ideal chamber in the abode of ma
tEre.'
80 much depends upon the way of tell
ing a story. and I find sweet atmosphere
Is a stimulus to beauty, mental and moral"
THE elements of a story are dependent
upon the inspiration of the clements of SKY
and sunshine?'
Beauty is truth and truth is beauty. The
question of style In writing seems more
important to me than anything else. No
labor should be spared in the effort to clothe
ideas in becoming raiment of diction. The
way of telling a story is the charm. the
bridal veil as it were. that symbolizes the
union of the author and the book"
But. is there not a likelihood of writing
essays by this rule instead of stories?"
B sure, in the first place. that you have
something to tell. 1t may appear trivial
by comparison with the motives that mas
q tiios ia'e ieit peiiio Oh the sheiNes
of libraries: but. never mind. If you believe
in IT and feel that it is yours you have the
sole right to it. and it will be interesting
according to the enthusiasm and integrity
of your faith"
Having something to tell. and a style
to tell 1t with. what next?"
THE surrender of self to the story. that
it may possess the individual stamp. which
is all there is in the mystery Of success in
literature. I should say. According to the
amount Of individuality expressed will the
book hold and charm the reader. You must
have the gift Of freely, unreservedly inject
ing yourself into your story. situate your
self in II, live with it. with It;
write your story that it can talk to you and
with o These are only opinions. mind;
the personal pronoun stares me In the face
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

den. President of the Excise Board and
| President of the Board of Health; and he is
| almost as poor as he was ten years ago.
Truly this is a man to fear In politics and a
man to m Thomas Platt himself
This shrunken little man, who to so large
an extent must justify the Democratic par
ty and the Tammany organization In Ne"
York City. is no more daunted by his phys
ical inirmities than was Thad stevens or
Robert Toombs. He comes from Limerick.
Ireland. where people are born with iron
physique and iron nerve
Il intend to run this Police Department"
said the Colonel briefly the first day.
He works like q diulinutive steam engine
The biggest rounGsman on the force quails
before his piercing gray eyes sunk In their
cavernous sockets.
When he Is not porting over reports ana
studying the records of his men. or holding
trial board. he is driving about the city,
into all the tenement districts spread out ia-
saualor and misery beyond Mulberry Bend.
AS President of the Board of Health he
gave New York a model administration In
the Police Department he is a martinez.
Every man. even among the finest" along
Broadway. reports at headquarters these
days as though he had stepped newly from
q bandbox. He shines as to his shoes and
his shirt front; his clothes are speckiess.
Colonel Murphy has established a reputa-
ton as a trial board officer. He fined one
roundsman thirty days pay because a small
burglary had been committed on his beat,
and other sentences of like severity were
meted out.
The keynote of this strange little Tam
many man is his simple loyalty to the
things that he thinks are right. He doesn't
know how to blow both hot and cold. He
has been a politician all his life and he is
not ashamed of 1t. He has drawn a salary
for public services in many capacities, has
done his work well and he is poor.
There is no room for politics in the Po-
lice Department, SIR" he says In his clear-
cut, old-fashioned speech.
II shall enforce the laws"
Then. after awhile. he adds, as II 1t wero
an article of faith:
II am a Democrat. I am a district Ieade7
Of Tammany Hall.
Mr.. Croker is a giant-one Of the ablest
men I know, sir; and If the other party
could get him to change his politics and
take charge of 'em it would be the best
thing that ever happened to EN-"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
HEALTHY YOUTH

During the past month, the United
States Government has maintained a
naval recruiting station in ST. Louis. \
week ago the office was closed. after
more than 800 young men and boys had
been enlisted.
Lieutenant Blaner, who was in charge
Of the station, in an interview published
in The Republic, said that st. Louis was
the best recruiting station in the couu-
try. There is some prospect for a per-
manent office being established here.
The main eason is that about 40 per
cent of the applicants are able to pass
the physical and mental examination,
while the average in the East is only 10
per cent.
There is cause for satisfaction in this
acknowledgment of the high standard
of body and mind in the portion of the
Middle West of which st. Louis is the
center. st. Louis itself raises some Of
the best specimens of physical man.
hood in the world. The numerous ath-
letic societies and %turnvereins are con-
ducive to just such a round, full de-
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
Yorks Police Power Concentrated in a Nnety-Pound Man.
Analytical Study of Colonel Michael c. Murphy, Tammany Man, and
How 1t Happened That He Came to Have More Real Power Than the "
Sultan of Turkey. y ** "A

Special Correspondence OF The Sunday Republic.
AT EW YORK, March Gone police Off
Ger there is in the United States. and
y only one. who official acts may have
direct bearing upon national affairs.
The reason of this will be made apparent
later, but first take q look at the man him
self.
He is a man. who has considerably more
real power than the Sultan of Turkey. for
example. or the best of the Indian Rajahs,
but what you are aware of at first Is 4
little humped-up figure in q chair before u
roaring CRATE fire. Whether it Is a marrow
chilling day. with the wind roaring off San
dy Hook, or genial and smiling spring
weather. you find the crate fire.
The little figure. with Its big head on its
attenuated body. leans over a table stacked
high with official documents. reports. letters.
More than likely he has a secretary at
work.
In the foreground looms the figure Of a
giant-a man who weighs 300 pounds, yet
boasts that he is ''hard as nails" But the
small. shrunken man shivering before the
fire is the boss"
You know this. perhaps. by what the pa
pers have said. and by what is printed on
the front door. If you do not know it by
any of these signs, you will read 1t in a
pair of the keenest gray eyes that ever
sparkle under bristling white eyebrows-the
eyes of the small figure that seems all
head.
The little man is Colonel Michael C. MUIR
ply. Police Commissioner of Greater New
York. His appointment to the position three
weeks ago was the sensational feature in
one of the most determined political fights
that New York has seen for many years.
1t was a fight between Plat and Tam.
many. and Tammany won. for Colonel Muir
ply has been a launch Tammany man
for thirty years.
1t is expected by Democrats that Colonel
Murphy's administra alton will do 50 much
to strengthen the party that it will sweep
New York in the next presidential election
and everybody knows what effect that would
have upon the result
Briefly. this is the story Of the appoint
ment of one of the most remarkable men
who ever headed a Police Department in
this country:
,Tammany, as every one knows. is prepet-
ually under fire. Tammany enjoys this, be-
cause 1t serves to maintain discipline In the
ranks. Last fall. just previous to the ma
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
X Next Century,
BY "PENDENNIS."
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE sunday REPUBLIC.
EOR years Kate Douglas Wiggln has
automatically avoided the curious ones
of the press. and WHEN I told her pub
Usher. Mr.. Houghton. tina. 1t was my in
tention to interview this delightful au-
thoress at her New York home he was
gravely skeptical. But fortunately there
was a way out of the difficulty. and I was
so lucky as to find It.
my work is not impulsive," she said.
Every line that I write 1 read aloud to my
self, and alter the phrasing until it is musi-
cally balanced to my ear. I read five proofs
of everything. I think more q graces OF
style than of plot, or situation. or story.
There is the utmost reverence in me for
the manner of telling things. My books
must have good manners and they must
tell the truth. otherwise they have TO rights
in the communities where l hope they may
visit"
They are like good children!" I sug-
gested.
in a way, and they have rights which I
am compelled to consider"
The responsibility is a big one. when 1t is
known that Patsy and The Birds
Christmas Carol' nave. been translated for
the readers of almost every known race in
the world, and even into those strange
books that are tenderly read with the
fingers of the blind. These and ''Timothy's
Quest" are the stories that have made Mrs
Wiggin famous-stories Of children for chill
dren and those who love them.
After Patsy it was expected that you
would write nothing but children's stories.
or tales about children" 1 said.
Il never had a literary intention Of any
sort in the beginning. How could I map
out a course in the grand march of liter
AZURE when I was Utterly unconscious of n
gift for writing? Patsy was written for
the purpose of raising a few hundred dol
lars toward a fund for a San Francisco
kindergarten in which I was interested. The
children's stories that followed were an out
come Of impressions that balanced to my
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
velopmcnt as the navy requires Of ap-

velopment as the navy requires of ap-
prentices.
Just as healthful are the youth who
come to st. Louis from the farms and
villages in this portion of the United
States. The Mississippi Valley has al
ways been noted for its handsome men
and beautiful women. The clean air
and healthy morals Of the young men
make them particularly fitted for the
rigid examinations which the Govern
ment's agents make Of every applicant
for a place in the navy. The permanent
establishment of n naval recruiting sta
ton in st. Louis would be n merited
recognition of the physical projections
Of the Western youth.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

Colonel Murphy is a remarkable man in
many ways. In the first place, he is a
phenomenon physically.
Il weigh over ninety pounds, sir" he
cried at a reporter who had the temerity to
suggest that that was the C%olonel's avoir-
dupois.
Colonel Murphy is the victim of a peculiar
stomach trouble, and his case Is one of the
strangest in medical annals. For twelve
years he has not swallowed a mouthful OF
food. He takes his nourishment through a
silver tube. through which various fluids
are pumped into his abdomen Beyond Il
shrinkage in weight from $40 pounds to
over ninety pounds. he is fairly healthy
and comfortable. He is not robust, but
shrunkeri and somewhat feeble, with hands
through which the CRATE fire seems to shine
as through wax. For all this he has the
mental vigor Of healthy youth and the
~tenacity of a dozen bulldogs.
One story connected with his af1iction is
interesting. In 1889 he was a candidate for
reelection to the State Senate. Among his
friends and supporters was ex-Chief of Po-
lice, then Chief. Thomas Byrnes, whom
everybody knows as Inspector Barnes OF
New York" Opponents of Murphy told
Byrnes that II the Colonel was reelected
Senator a bitter attack and q partisan in
vestigation would be begun of the Police
Department. Byrnes promptly turned to
and gave Murphy the political trouncing of
his life.
Murphy was defeated. and on the heels of
that he fell Ill. He was poor. as always.
and Byrnes at his own expense employed
the best physicians in the city and paid all
bills, amounting to thousands of dollars.
AT last it was decided that the Colonel
would never be able to swallow again, but
that a chance remained for him IL a per-
foration could be made in the abdomen and
Il silver tube inserted.
You will, perhaps. die" the medical men
informed him.
II don't want to live forever responded
the Colonel. Besides, I was frightened a
few times in the course of my four years
in the army"
They performed the operation. the Colonel
refusing an anaesthetic and chatting with
the doctors while it went on.
1t is an interesting fact that prior to his
illness the Colonel was worth just $50. upon
his sworn statement. This was after a ca
reer of NEARLY thirty years in politics. Since
then he has been State Senator. Park War
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

Interesting statistics are presented in
the biennial report Of the Board of In
spect4s of the Missouri State Peniten-
tiary which has just peer issued by the
State Printer.
From a material point Of view, the
penitentiary is a success. Its operation
has not cost the State a cent for the
last two years, If the $4,000 which vas
appropriated is offset by the $S3,991 re-
naming in the treasury from the earn
ings. Although supplies have cost
about $4,000 over those Of the two
years previous to the present report, a
gain of $3.50 has been made in the
balance remaining in the treasury. The
appraised value of the penitentiary
property is placed at 81 ,659,940.
There are in the penitentiary at pres
ent 2,047 males and 60 females. During
the past two years, 1,6S6 prisoners have
been received. OF these ZOOS were
white. Eight hundred and eighty-four
of those received were born in Missouri.
OF the previous occupations of those re-
ceived, 961 were laborers, 100 shoe
makers. 14 farmers, SO BARRIERS, "a
cooks and the remainder scattering"
OF the crimes, 1863 were convicted for
offenses against the lives and persons
Of individuals; LOSS for offenses against
public and private property; II for of
lenses affecting the administration of
justice; 40 for violations of public
morals and decency, and the remainder
for violating the laws Of the United
States.
To the believer in education, the sta
tistics relative to the mental character
istics are convincing. OF 1,6S6 prisoners.
received, only 1,214 could read and
write. Is could read only, while the
others, 459, had no education. Nine hun
dred and seventeen were incorporate,
while the other 7G9 were temperate. Ac-
cording to their religious belief, the new
prisoners were divided as follows: Bap-
fist, 1914; Catholic, 331; Christian, 119;
Dunkard, l.; Episcopal, II; Hebrew, 3;
Lutheran, 80; Methodist, 3OS; Presby-
terrain, so, and of no religious belief,
42&
People who think that the world is
growing better can find satisfaction in
the fact that there are fewer inmates
now than at any time since 1894. There
are 30 less than two years ago.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

tional election. a hue and cry was raised
about the terrible state of affairs In New
York City. AS usual. the attack was di-
rected mainly against the Police Depart
ment. then under Chief w. S. Devery: and.
as the heads OF the department were DEM
ocrats and Tammany men. the fight devel-
oped into a battle against the Democratic
party and Tammany.
The Republicans carefully nursed all the
reform" forces, and when the Legislature
met with n large Republican majority and
a Republican Governor in the executive
chair. 1t was proposed to pass a State con-
stabulary bill. withdrawing New York's po-
lice force from the control Of a nonpartisan
board and placing 1t under a single head to
be directed from Albany. This was United
States Senator Tom Platt's measure. but 1t
nevertheless met with opposition from even
pronounced Republicans.
Governor Odell opposed Senator Platt's
measure. and in lieu OF 1t caused to be
passed n bill which places the New York
police force under a single head, to be ap-
pointed by the Mayor. but subject to re-
moval by the Governor, and provides for
two Deputy Commissioners of Police, who
are not subject to removal by the Governor.
The police bill was passed at Albany, and
Chief Devery was retired.
Mayor Van Wyck. rotund, amiable, a
Chesterfield in his manners, comes of good
old Southern stock. whose men are. first,
gentlemen; and. second, politicians. In adj
dition to his natural shrewdness. he has had
a training in Tammany which, when all is
said and done. turns out more
masters Of politics than any other organ
ization in the world.
Van Wyck deliberated four hours and
twenty-five minutes. and then named
Colonel Michael C. Murphy as the new po-
lice head.
Colonel Murphy accepted. and within half
an. hour had named ex-Chicf Devery as his
first Deputy COMMISSIONS for Manhattan;
and the Deputy Commissioner Is not re-
movable by the Governor.
Colonel Murphy's course as head of the
Police Department will do much toward de-
termining the Democratic majority in New
York this coming fall. D.
Efforts are being made to prove that Muir
ply is a mere figurehead and that ex-Chief
Devery is in the saddle as before. Murphy.
however. Is the ruling power. ANY man
who doubts it has only to talk with the
Colonel five minutes and be convinced.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10

crowd cheered him goodnight and the
meeting came to an end.
Now" continued the storyteller, quiz
zingly. to his colleagues, when Brother
Evarts gets through expounding the Con-
stitution. II some one of you will get up
and remark that you are not feeling very
well I don't think it would be necessary
for ingalls, to put the motion to adjourn"
Senator Evarts once unwittingly gave
deep offense to bluff Senator Beck. He was
discussing the latter's bill forbidding MEM
bers of Congress to practice before the Su-
preme Court. and, having occasion to refer
TO lawyers whose practice was limited to
specialties and who never had occasion to
appear before the highest judicial tribunal
In the land, he called them "unilateral'
lawyers.
The professional dignity of Senator Beck
was wounded. He had been fairly success
full at the bar in Kentucky. but he had
early laid aside the law for politics. and
there were even some of his colleagues who
did not know he was a lawyer. Daniel
O'Connelrs war Of epithets with the fish
woman. in which he finally triumphed by
calling her a "contumelious parallelopipe-
don.' was nothing to the Scotch epithets
which Senator Beck began hurting at Sem
ator Evarts. He finally satisfied his
wounded amour propre by assuring the Sen
ate that IAN unilateral lawyer in Kentucky
was more respected than a quadrilateral
pettifogger in New York"
Senator Evarts finally succeeded in paci-
flying the sturdy Kentuckian, and their re-
lations became quite kindly.
A Western Senator of good intentions but
Of slight acquaintance with the modern
classics had been talking about Don Quixote
and the windmills. He was distressingly
exact in his pronunciation. sounding the
%" after his own standard and drawing
the TX" Senator Evarts having occasion
to follow his Western colleague, referred
pleasantly to his friends illustration from
Don Keehcte.
"Kee-hote? Who's he?" inquired his col
league.
Without moving a muscle of his face Sem
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
IAlE DOUGLAS WlGGN Declares 1.-The Fairy Story Prefigures

environment at that time. Women are pro-
verbally creatures Of environment, you
know"
THE current of circumstances has drifted
you away from the environment of chill
dren?'
mo. not entirely, but 1t is quite possible
to want to talk to grown-up people after
one has had long talks with children"
But you have proved that you under
stand the child mind SO well, you know eX-
actly what children should read!'
For one thing, I believe that very young
children should never read sad stories.
Stories are often read to youngsters that
should not be read to them-deathbed
scenes, for instance, are unsuitable: and
my Carol and Patsy have often reached
a younger audience than I meant them
for"
VIVA should the child read?''
Fairy stories, by all means. The fairy
story is the baby expression of what the
race feels; the fairy story %pref1gures the
conquest of the next century; we tell the
children the marvels we wish for in science.
the things We prophetically feel are prac-
ticable."
Fairy stories are prophecies in a way? %
Sos AohO nv "ISiill6 cap. thC
magic sword the magic carpet: they have
all been achieved by science, thanks to the
children who counter them first in
fairy stories and worked them out to real
tiles when they grew wise with age"
(Which constitutes the difference between
the child's story and the novel?'
I've never written a novel," said Mrs.
Wiggin. looking w%istfully out of the win
dow. .
Somehow or other. I can't get a man to
stand on two legs long enough to do any
thing. to be anything, to walk through
enough pages of a book to make him pos
sible. and is a novel without a man
Of flesh and blood?'
HE evades me when I want him to be
heroic and truly beautiful or truly wicked"
MAN il arrogant" I suggested.
"Ha's 10 important eompared to uE,-