davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1901-11-23

sentative of the ,fnostiD Interesting work
that falls to tfle} 9xpertsD Tot, the trouble
or the fun, as he fiifgM .cai it-arises out
of one or other 'off thsse' four general
causes: e-4
The General Causes.
ID Foreign Ignorance fof American geog-
raphy and the English language.
(2) False or defetsiYes Information about
the particular address Intended. with more
or less carelessness,k ID
(3) Whims and oddities Of cranks and
semi-cranks. So s,e..
"a Various attempts to make public
display of wit and humor.
OF all the queerl addresses in the collec-
ton. those which belong ih the first Of these
classes are the most interesting and anus
ing; those of the iast-the wouid-be funny
are the least so. Several inventors or
ciphers have experimental on the post office
by using their own Inventions 10 aadress
envelopes to themselves with the mortify-
ing result that the envelopes SO addressed
infallibly reached their destinations in
course OF time. To understand Why the
post Office officials should trouble them
selves to decipher these puerjltties one must
esprit de corps. and a wholesome rivalry
between the New York post office and the
dead letter Office '7at Washington forces
the activity OF both afar beyond the point
where strict obligation, might fairly be sup
posed to end.
Then. there Is the smart youth-one could
almost draw a picture of him. leaning
against the drug store newell post with a
cigarette tilted In his mouth after reading
this lofty effort at fcabaHstic humor Oman
envelope: Miss j. H, d. Stone. Saccharine
Elevation. N. H." which promptly went to
Sugar Hill. N. II, -. ss ssg3, -.
Going backward through the four classes
here assumed. the next In order-the crank
Evening star., 1901-11-23

back at the warden's Office for more cash.
You're right" he admitted. IF I'd ha'
had that money when first got out I'd ha'
biowed 1t in." He blew In the remain
der wisely, for with it he bought farm In
Pennsylvania and is living on it and work
ing ii today.
There is a daily change of diet Coffee
and bread are provided every morning and
such of the bread as is not then eaten is
put aside for the late meals. There is no
stint in the quantity of anything each man
having all he wants of every item on the
bill Of fare. For dinner there will be, on
one day, bean soup with pork, on others pot
pie. mutton stew. boiled meat with dressing
and potatoes, cabbage soup and dough balls.
and on Sunday the dinner consists Of a
pound of meat with sweet potatoes. The
evening meal consists of bread and cocoa,
but on four nights week there is a des-
sert of ginger cakes or cheese or stewed
prunes. or stewed apples peaches Raw
onions are likewise included in the dietary.
The sick have their own kitchen, and the
cooking here is better than the average.
The invalids also have good nursing, and
although they are confined like the others,
their apartments are larger, lighter and
better cared for.
Cell Furnishings.
The furnishings of the cells are interest
ing. Such things as easy chairs are found;
there are not few photographs and
prints; there are mats, rugs and strips of
carpets, cabinets, desks and shelves: one
man has a violin, but is not supposed to
play on 1t in the day time, because others
might stop their work to listen.
1t upsets theories to find that many of
the inmates of the Philadelphia prison
thrive in body without work, however 1t
may fare with their intellects and souls.
When a man cannot find anything to do
he may send to his family for materials to
work upon. 1t would be an ideal place in
which to write a book until the Authors
Union heard about 1t and got the usual
bill through the legislature to prohibit the
manufacture of history and fiction In pen
itentiaries. But If one may not compose
books he can read them. Each man has
printed catalogue of the 10000 books in
the library, and he is allowed to draw three
of them every week. This Is in addition to
the papers and magazines and to the tracts
that re'left by Sunday visitors, who also
distribute many copies of the Catholic
Standard.
Evening star., 1901-11-23
A "Blind Reader" Who Solves Thou
sands of Them Each Month.
new YORK has This TREASURE
The Worst Handwriting Has No
Terrors for Him.
CURIOUS SCRAP BOOK
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
through the New York post office every
month seventy y-odd thousand are thrown
aside by the clerks as blind addresses"
This means that they are too ill-written
badly spelled or queerly directed for the
employees of the department, all of whom
are very keen at deciphering these unin-
territorial cryptogramS, and must go to the
"blind reader" Mr.. o.. G. Menger. Mr..
Menger is probably the most extraordinary
puzzle solver in this country If not in the
world, for his range of subjects covers a
wider field than all the prize puzzle de-
partments" put together, and to many of
the problems to which he must direct his
faculties there is no answer. In one month
Of this year he examined 7a,sse blind ad-
dresses, nearly $4,000 Of which he sent to
their proper destinations
Blind readers are born, not made. They
must have a natural instinct for unraveling
mysteries, a certain power of intuition. an
exhaustive range OF geographical informa-
ton, a knowledge of many languages and
chirographies, a prodigious memory for
minute facts and a special taste for the
curiosities of language. All this was de-
veloped in the case of present specialist by
fourteen years of practice and discipline
under his predecessor. Mr.. w. w. Stone,
the first professional blind reader in the
world, who died in August, 1900 Mr.. Men
ger has a collection of these addresses
nine out of ten Of which would drive the
average man to despair.
Poor chirography Is in itself the least of
the experts troubles. He has nothing to
think about until two essential elements
of an address out of three are omitted
and the rest spelled in manner beyond
the dreams of the widest "fonettik ;"
Taking Mr.. Menger's collection as repre-
Evening star., 1901-11-23

d,narences of sound is Invaluable. A man
who has become accurately familiar WIN
Italian sounds sees at a glance that Negi-
osi," giving the Italian values to the letters.
exactly represents an nliterate Italians at
tempt at the sounds which Americans write
New Jersey" On an envelope with Rus
sian stamp "kreenpoynp" means Green
point" for the Russian mouth is apt to sub
sttute labial for dental consonant and
K for cultural G. Again. there is the
wonderful postmark "Przecxaw" on a letter
to Mis- Karoltna Janowska." One who has
listened carefully to either Russian or Po-
lish talk knows how a man of PrZecxaw
would read aloud the line which follows the
name-''Tu woody tn is Chandler Ten stryt;'
1t would sound something very like Two
forty two east hundred tenth street." which
is fairly intelligible address.
OF course, many addresses defy the most
exhaustive study; and many letters land
in the dead letter office. To this class be-
longs the effort of a sturdy Briton, who
wrote to his friend, Mr.. Thomas Clacy, at
New Jersey, United States America" and
then, with truly British misgivings as to
the efficiency of American institutions, ap-
pended a little private note to the post Of
flee authorities assuring them that This
address is correct" Probably il was, as far
as it went, but 1t hasn't gone far enough
yet to get Thomas Clacy. Here is a Rus
sian specimen, with ten cents due: This
handwriting is ow off your brothers daugh-
ter his name is Simon Galitsky, America
All that was on an unstamped envelope
found in a Schenectady, n. Y, mail box
was Please put on this cents stamp on
the letters that go to Italy and has not the
stamp on Yeur p. De Marso.'
No Mysteries Here.
But the blindest Of the blind addresses in
the collection are such as the following:
''aoress) / wish you ALA
Happy New Year
and Merry Christmas.
Americka"
which is from Stockholm. Sweden; and
Mister Samuel Landberg
You is alright old Grandmother
Yaki hada belly ache
2 9 = 8 8 10
in Newlork
from Vienna, Austria; and
Miss
my darling
sweetheart
low Juy
Nortamerika,"
from a country post office in Sweden.
Addresses like these are not only i'm
possible Of translation into anything like
working forms, but they defy the ron-ex-
pert to guess what could possibly have
caused them to be written. The expert S
theory is that in all these cases-and there
are many more like them-the addressee
has written in last letter a few words of
English, just to show his familiarity with
that language; his correspondent at home
has mistaken the words for his American
address and. as rule, the letter finds its
way to the dead letter office. The anguish
of the Swedish Miss - -, whose
coy outpouring OF the heart in a language
her lover knew not resulted in her Set
ting no answer to her letter, is only one
by the contents Of this album Of queer ad-
dresses.
Evening star., 1901-11-23

being the most frequented port of arrival
for mail-carrying ocean steamers. But the
term foreign in this connection must be
taken to include not only Inhabitants of
other English-speaking countries, but also
very largely, the foreign-born persons liv-
ing in this country. This envelope, for ex-
ample, addressed to a young lady at "Spen-
Ger. Insea," where ''Insea" stands for the
initials N. c., is not likely to have been
mailed by native American, but it bears a
United States stamp; the same is true of
the envelopes inscribed. "W. Hoboknly," In
very bad German script, meaning West
Hoboken.' Ancram Lead, Ralambi Coity''
for "Ancram Lead Mines, Columbia Coun-
ty, N. Y, "Al Signor Luigi Scarpina, ,Anovi-
folsi, N. Y" meaning "Annawa Falls. N.
Y" and that triumph of mind-readins in
which trackless jungle of big and little
letters has been 50 reduced to order as to
spell 1o2 NORTH sti Re Ell bostock
Massa." and interpreted 1892 North St,
Boston, Mass" The letter addressed to
'Fedveiteneszi" f''Fayettevine, Tenn.)" has
no stamp at all. but it was mailed In New
York. On the other hand, that addressed
to "Knonghyto p. O., Con-. u g. A." for
'Naugatuck, Conn.," bears the postmark
or Tipperary; and ITO Ann Over Street Sa-
ing. Mass, for '-2 Andover st., Salem,
Mass. comes from Ballymote In the Green
Isle. From the same quarter Of the globe
come the more recent oddities OF Gran.
ston Royal Irish" (for '.Cranston r. Ls}
ana the spelling out OF '.Washington. ID.
C, as Washington. Dublin County"
knowledge OF sounds.
A very important point in solving the
problem of the foreign addresser's inten-
ton is. evidently, a knowledge OF the sound
values which the characters he writes
would be likely to bear for him individually.
Here the experts taste for linguistic nice.
ties, with the corresponding keen ear for
Evening star., 1901-11-23

ornamental plants. boxing them carefully
at the onset of winter and resuming his
work eagerly in the spring
The earnings of those convicts who wisely
occupy themselves are saved for them
against the time when they shall receive
tnelr diplomas and graduate, yet they can
draw on this fund, II they wish, for knick-
knacks Tor their cells, for papers and mag
azlhes or for gifts to friends or relatives
outside One man succeeded in earning
enough to pay the rent of a place In the
country where his family was living. and
this implies hard work at current rates in
the eastern penitent!ary. Another prison
er VINO was there much longer than he
cared to be saved no less than 81 200 With
tnls tidy sum he was deal better off than
the average citizen who has never been
locked up. On the day when he obtained
his freedom he demanded his money. mo"
SAID the warden I'm going to let you
have only $50 of it."
But it's mine." protested the convict.
i don't deny that, but I am going TO
Keep the rest TIL see what you viii do
with this"
y m entitled to my money"
And you shall have it. Take this s3O po
TO town. have a good time and then come
Earned . Farm While I'm Prison.
And he did. He thought the matter over.
spent the money deliberately and not un-
profitabiy. getting back into the ways of
the world again. and In week he was
Evening star., 1901-11-23

]. A. Edgerton in the Denver Coli News.
'Tis truth as old as the soul of things
Whatever ye sow, ye reap.
'Tls the cosmic law that forever springs
From the unimagtned deep.
''fis shown In the manifold Borrowings
or the race; In remorse with Its secret stings;
That be who grief to his brother brings
In his turn some day shall weep.
To the man who hears his victims cries
And hardens his heart at the sound
At last Nemesis dread shall rise
From out Of the void profound.
Who sows In selfshness, greed and hate
Shall gain his deserts In the years that walt.
For the slow and remorseless wheel OF Fate
Forever turns round and round.
II ye give out Of mercy and love and light,
Tho same shall return to you,
For the standards Of right are infinite
And the scales Of the gods are true
By Its good or evil each life Is weighed;
In motives and deeds Is Its record made:
In the coin ye pay ye shall be repaid,
When your wages at last fall due.
Evening star., 1901-11-23
A Private Garden.

The time of exercise is variously en-
ployed. Some appear to care little whether
they go out or not. Few Of the men take
any interest in their bit of ground, In spite
of the fact that if they did so they could
doubtless obtain the liberty of those places
all day long. There is one prisoner who has
developed a taste for gardening, and he is
permitted to spend practically all of his
time out of doors. He raises flowers and
Evening star., 1901-11-23
Gone before.

OOne Be1Ore.
From the Chicago Tribune.
II confess to peculiar and even pa
thetic interest In this old ceiiege foot ball
ground" said the niddle-aged man, who
was revisitine his alma mater after the
lapse Of many years. s~
1T seems q part Of yourself, I presume /"
observed the other man
Yes. that II what invests 1t with the pe-
cuiiar interest" he fe3oined. when 1 play
ed my last game on these grounds left a
nnger Joint and part OF an ear somewhere
about here"
Evening star., 1901-11-23

From the San Francisco Bulletin
Farmer Swackhammer-"I lost my wife
yesterday
Farmer Pildecker--"Noi Dead?"
Swackhammer-"Naw. Run away with q
lightnin' rod peddler."
"Wall. Josh. offer ye my sympathy, I'm
mighty sorry fer ye."
"Yes: I never did have any luck a-losin'
things. Why! / lost yaller dog fourteen
times before he stayed lost
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE.
In Many Respeets 1t Is the Most Re-
marknbIc In the History of
the Country.

The internal commerce of the
tntted States during the first three
quarters of the commercial year is
in many respects the most remark
able in the history of the country's
internal trade, while in some fea-
lures there is a decline from the
high tide Of activity for the CORE
spending period of year or two ago.
The monthly summary of the treas
ury bureau of statistics reports that
the trunk-line movement of -four
from Chicago points during four
weeks OF September reached an aver
age of 90,S42 barrels. For the first
time in the year one weeks grain
movement fell below 100000 bush
els. The provision trade shows the
highest weekly average of the year,
being 31,l96 tons per week.
At the five chief live stock markets
in the west the receipts for nine
months ending September 80, were
5,236,356 cattle. 13,413,669 hogs, and
j,331,15 sheep, aggregating 23,9Sl,lS0
head of these three kinds, compared
with 22.23o.97l head for the like Pc
Rod of 1870
Chicago received 213,11S cars of the
fxe-llindS- Staelt,-ee#pafed vii :,
200,493 ears for the first nine months
of 1900. Kansas CitY's arrivals of
both cattle and hurS were larger than
for the previous year to September
30. Omaha's packing industries con-
sumed 2,6Sl,431 head of cattle hogs
and sheep, AGAINST a,590,662 head last
year to September 30. The CORE
spending figures for St. Joseph are
2.029.406 head and 1,5s0.s91. Mn"
months receipts at St. Louis in 1901
were 2,903,045 and 2,019,652 head for
1900.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
Sunday School Institute.

There will he held at the Salem
Baptist Church, ten miles mort hpAst
of Butler, Mo-, on Dec. 18th and l4th
next, Baptist Sunday School lnsti-
tute conducted by Charles Rhodes,
State Missionary of the Missouri
Baptist General Association.
An interesting program il being
arranged for this occasion. II is de-
sired that good delegation from
every Sunday School in our Associ;.-
ton be present.
No Sunday School officer or teach
er can afford to be absent. A pre-
paratory meeting will be held at lie
church on the evening of the 18th,
and following the Institute. will lie
held on Sunday the 18th an interest
ing meeting
Everybody will be entertained free,
Of course. THOs. j. SMITH, Pres,
Butler Baptist Sunday School
Convention.
W. H. MORRIS, Sec'y. 4-2t
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
To Beautify Washington.

Senator Mcmillan is much inter-
ested in the work of the board that
was appointed last spring to outline
plan for identifying the city Of
Washington by bringing into one
comprehensive chain all the parks of
the city, retaining the Anacostia
fats along the eastern branch of the
Potomac, and connecting all the
parks with a system of boulevards.
The commissioners visited Europe
during the summer and are now put.
ting the finishing touches upon a re-
port to be submitted to congress in
December. The plans of congress
with regard to this park system will
be enlarged, as well as simpIified, by
the fact that the recent consolidation
Of the Pennsylvania and Baltimore &
Ohio Railway companies will make it
possible to remove all the railroad
tracks and bridges that now cross
the mall, leaving n clean sweep OF
driveway and park from the capitol
to the white house.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
INSISTS ON -PUNCTUALITY.
President Roosevelt Insists That EN-
ployes of White House Shall
Be on Time.

Punctuality will be the order Of the
day at the white house hereafter, and
it is quite certain the employees there
will not keep the president waiting
In the future. President Roosevelt
will not tolerate delays in matters in
which he is interested, and he be-
came somewhat impatient the other
afternoon after waiting fully half an
hour for his carriage, which did not
arrive.
firing of the delay. the president
hurried downstairs, through the Tif-
fanny doors, to the portico and de-
manded that his carriage should be
on hand promptly. He entered the
modest government equippage used
by Secretary Cortelyou and drove
off.
The president mad an appointment
to meet q friend in the suburbs,
from which point they were to start
for Q cross-country walk. The presi-
dent was clad in a Norfolk jacket,
,battoned to the chin. a pair of cord
uroy knickerbockers, yellow leather
leggings, and a rough rider hat,
turned up in front, in the most char
acteristic way. The president looked
every inch the rough rider and the
personification of the famous car
toons.
The crisp fall days have caused the
president to abandon horseback rid.
ing as a regular thing, and he varies
the recreation by drive or cross
country walk. On these walks, which
are several miles in length and at a
brisk gait, the president is always
accompanied by one of his friends
who enjoys the outing as much as
does the president.
When the president goes walking
in the suburbs he attires himself in
the proper costume, drives out be
yond the city limits, leaves his car
riage. and, after enjoying the exer
else, which he needs, he returns Il
his carriage, which is in waiting, ant
drives to the white house.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
TRADE OF NATIONS.
Comparative Statement Which Is
Full OF Suggestive Interest
Tables showing the Exports and Inn
ports of Thirty of Leading COun-
tries of the World - United
states I'm the Lead.

An accurate measurement OF the
commerce of the principal countries of
the world at the present time is afford
ed by some figures published by the
treasury bureau of statistics in the
September number of the Monthly
Summary of Commerce and Finance.
The statement is in the form o. ia BILE
showing the commerce of 80 leading
countries of the world during such
part of the fsca, year Of each of the
countries as is available from their
latest Official reports. Owing to the
fact that the fiscal years of the coun-
tries differ in their dates of termina-
ton, the statement is in some cases
for six months period, in other cases
for eight, aud in other cases for IL or
IL months. In order to furnish a
basis for comparison Of the volume of
the commerce of the various countries
the bureau OF statistics gives the aver
age monthly import and export dur
ing the part of the fiscal year covered
in the statement for each of the 30
countries in question.
The table which follows shows the
average monthly imports and exports
of the ten countries in which the ex-
ports exceed the imports in that part
of the current fiscal year for which fig
ures are now available:
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE.
At Anniversary Dinner of Club at
London Declared Tint Machine
Has Come to Stay.

AT the anniversary dinner of the
Automobile Club of Great Britain
and Ireland, to commemorate the
completion of the fifth year since the
light locomotives on highways act of
1896 came into operation, just held
at the Hotel Metropole. some inter
esting speeches were delivered on au-
tomobling in England, the difficult
ties attending it, and what ought to
be done to-rendcr- 1T more popular,
says the New York Herald's London
representative. Mr.. Roger w. Wal
lace, chairman of the Automobile
club, presided. Sir Francis Jeune,
proposing His majesty's govern
ment," said he could not forget that
one at least of his maiesty's minis
tiers, Mr.. Arthur Balfour, had mani
tested a hearty interest in automo-
biles and automobiles.
Mr.. Chaplin proposed the success
of the Automobile club and its af-
filiated clubs. He said the subject of
automoblism was daily becoming of
more Importance and interest to the
public. Automobiles had come to
stay in his opinion, rightly, for I'M
doubtedly they had many compensat-
ing uses and advantages which might
become of real Importance in relation
to other present dry questions.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
Death Of a Missouri Midget.

Savannah, Mo-, Dee. 5.-Samuel
Inlse, the Andrew County midget,
lied at his home near Fillmore, this
"unty, of pneumonia on last Mon.
lay, aged 81 years, after an illness
but n few days
MIR. Hulse was married on the 9th
+ July to Miss Sarah Stephens, also
midget.
Hulse had managed his farm, being
ahle physically to do the work ofany
ordinary man, He weighed fifty
pounds and was forty.our inches
hiyh. His wifi. is 30 Nencs old,
weighs sixty pounds and is iiity-one
inches high. They arr said to I've thu
smallest couple ever married in Mis-
souri,
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
DEEIES NEGRO Is HUMAN.
Manager of Bible House In st. Louis
Escapes Jury Duty on Most
Unusual Ground.

In Judge Douglas division of the cir
cult court the other day Robert S. Nc
Callen, manager of the American book
and Bible house, 211 North Seventh
street, St. Louis, made the statement
when examined as to his qualifications
to serve on a jury in a case where a
negro woman is suing the Suburban
railway for $1,000 damages:
81 do not believe a negro is human.
I do not think he has the same rights
as a white man, and I frankly state
that If went on this jury would do so
with violent prejudice against the
plaintiff because she is black, and
therefore, according to my notion, not
entitled to the same privileges and i'm
munities that human being is"
McCallen was excused from jury
duty.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-12-12
Servant Girls Organize.

Kansas City, Mo-, December a.
The Swedish houspmai'ls and @rvnui
girls Of Kansas City have orgnnized
a union known ~ "rhe Northrr,
Star" The object is IT, meet onrp
month aud compare notes. listin
the places where servants ARE il
treated or under paid, and TO al
members in distress Weekly du,
will be paid to raise sick bench
fund. The girls deny that they al
organizing tn make concerted d,
mand for higher wages,