davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
GOLDEN AGE A MYTH.

A certain popular conviction of the
day ascribes to the condition, of the
workman, urban or rural, constant
deterioration. His wages are held to-
be declining and his comforts lessen
ing; his security Of employment is de-
clared to be less stable, and his eco
nomic freedom to be disappearing.
Growing out of this conviction has
arisen the notion of sort of golden
age somewhere back in the early days
of the republican age when the work
ers of town and country enjoy life
of almost idlyllic comfort and indie
pendence. The mass of testimony,
however, from the time of Yorktown
to that of Bull Run, tells story of
anything but golden age for the
American workman. 1t tells, on the
other hand, the narrative of nation
built up by hard work, resolutely per-
formed under the keenest privations.
It tells of the growth of gigantic ma
tional wealth, and the heaping up of
immense fortunes; but at the same
time it reveals the earlier condition of
the common workman, the mechanic,
the farm laborer, often even the farm
er, as generally one of pathetic desti-
tuition, the maximum of comfort being
found toward the end Of the century
and the minimum toward the begin
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13

~ should imagine not" answers
Van Holden gravely. Il think your
father should be thrashed himself ioi
making you do this. How old are you'
my little siren?"
Fifteen" she answered. HE wants
me 10 be a mermaid in the show this
summer. You wouldn't make me 90
that-if you were my father, wouia
your" she added suddenly. as II struck
by happy thought.
"Assuredly not" answered Van Hoi-
den, taking one of her cold little HANDS
il his; what is your fathers name!
Frank Moran" she answered. III
is Moran's Great Three Ring Circus,
you know"
Eyes," said Van Holden, curious
light coming into his eyes. Il DO
know" The child came closer to him
and looked up at him for a moment
without speaking. Then:
"You are good" she said slowly;
"you are strong. too. think like
you very much" Ere he could stop
her, she stood on tiptoes, pressed her
pretty lips to his, and turned and ran
feetly away toward the hotel In the
far distance. Van Holden smiled and
called after her, Goodbye. little mer-
maid!"
She paused a moment to wave her
hand to him, and answer, Goodbye,
good mani" Then she was gone again.
Frank Moran, indeed" said Van
Holden, the determined lines about his
mouth showing plainly. He is adding
kidnapping to his other fine arts.
WE'LL Mr.. Moran. have stopped some
of your smaller games; I'll see If /
can put an end to this. Poor little
mermaid"
BY five o'clock that afternoon Van
Holden was back in New York, and a
day later there was brief but intense
scene in the room which Mr.. Moran
occupied at the seaside hotel. At the
end of that scene, in which Van Hol-
den, Moran, an old but determined
lawyer from New York, and fright
ened, shabbily dressed little woman,
who proved to be the small mermaid's
aunt. took part, Van Holden showed
the circus owner the. door. with the
admonition: II give you two hours to
get away; at the end of that time If
you are still here, or If you try to
take this child again by pretending to
be her father, or any other relative,
into the penitentiary you go!
And that evening the little mermaid,
whom her delighted aunt called Ma
rian, was placed in the motherly care
of Mrs. Hargrave, the manager Of the
hotel. A few days later Van Holden s
mother came, looked at the child.
looked at her son-and took the
former to her heart, for all time.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
Battle of Tel-el-kebir.

On September 9 the British under
Sir Garnet Wolseley was attacked by
Arab Pasha's forces at Kassassin and
the latter were repulsed and fell back
to the intrenchments at Tel-el-Kebir.
On the night of September IL the Brit
ish broke camp at Kassassin, removed
their baggage to the railway and with
an army of $4,000 marched silently and
in the dark toward Tel-el-Kebir. The
army halted before dawn within 1000
yards of the fertilization without hav-
ing been discovered. There the lines
were formed and the battle began. The
English carried the intrenchments and
completely routed the Egyptians.
Thousands of the latter were killed
and about: 5000 taken prisoners. Ara
bi Pasha was taken prisoner two days
later at Cairo and his power complete
ly crushed. In the negotiations which
followed Great Britain practically
gained control Of Egypt.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
SAVING THINGS.

There is an old saying, "Three
moves are as good as fire." in the
filtering out of household goods and
the lessening thereof. Applied to the
multiform savings Of the attic and Gel
lar the sentence is literally true, for
no one, however courageous, can move
often and carry along the vast accum-
ulations which the saving man or
woman will heap together The sensi-
BILE woman is the woman who will con-
slider all these things when any article
from kitchen to drawing room is about
to be 'banished from its original use.
All the tenets of economy will arise
before. her and cry, Save" but, on
the other hand, she should marshal an
array of commo1-sense argument, and
she should never, however great the
temptation, yield to saving anything
which has not at least half its use
fulness still undissipated.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
TIE GIRL WITH THE HOE.

TIE GIRL WITH THE HOE.
Adown through the Lone Star cotton
lands,
In the fields wherever l go
She Is there, she is fair, she is every
where
The matchless girl with the hoe!
And love to think as I ride the lanes,
And she leans on her hoe and looks,
OF the times gone by and the Muller
tale
That l read in my childish books
"a form more fair and a face more
sweet
Are words that ever occur,
And again and over find myself
Applying the line to her.
She may not see in the skies of night
The things that Lockyer sees;
She may be blank on Platos themes
AS she Is on the Pleiades.
But she plants the flowers in the old
home yard,
And not on the sands of Mars;
And she gives her love to the folks at
home,
While Tesla talks to the stars.
A soldier brave in the bloodless war
That makes for the good of men.
She Yields a weapon of higher worth
Than the man with the sword or the
pen.
Paul Avon in the Galveston NeVs.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.

THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
That there is little sentiment and
much business in all matters. Chat go to
the purse is a proposition that Is re-
ceiving its latest demonstration in
discussion of re-enactment, with modi-
fication, of the Chinese exclusion act,
a question that must be met by the
next congress. Last year there were
$4,000 Cinnamon in the United States,
against 107,475 in 1890. There Is In
California, Oregon and Washington a
dearth of some sorts Of laborers, and
the suggestion is frankly made by the
department of agriculture that II Cali
fornia's possibilities as a producer of
beet sugar are to be developed there
must be an influx of workers from
China, Japan, Porto Rico, Hawaii, or
the Philippines In some quarters In
the south the opinion is expressed that
that section could profitably use 1,000,-
900 Cinnamon, II for nothing else than
to stir up home negro labor to sense
Of what 1t can and should but doesn't
do. So far has this sentiment extend
ed, that western interests are main
tanning lobby at Washington, D. c..
to urge modification of the stringen-
cy that characterizes the statute about
to expire, so that under the law to be
enacted, low-priced Asiatic Drawn may
be brought into the country for more
or less specifically defined useS.-Penn-
sylvania Grit.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
TIE FREIGHT,s THE THING.

about three-quarters of railways
receipts come from the freight depart
ment. The passenger department sup
plies nearly all the rest, the income
from mail, express and other privileges
being comparatively small. Carrying
passengers is simple matter, or would
be if state legislatures did not now
and them take hand in prescribing
added specifications for railway pas
senger service In Ohio a law was
passed decreeing that the height be-
tween the platform and the lowest
steps of passenger coaches should not
exceed twelve inches. This cost the
railroads nearly one hundred thousand
abolition of a number Of flag stops
where the passengers had been quite
willing to scramble up off the ballast.
Legislatures in the west have been
known to hamper and exasperate rail-
way men apparently for the pure
pleasure of the art, state of things
that seems almost inconceivable~ in
some eastern states, where the legisla-
lures represent themselves. Compared
with the freight business, the passengr
traffic presents few complications.
The great simplifying factor is that
passenger rates are stable, while
freight rates are not. Passengers pay
a fixed rate per mile for transportation
a fixed rate per mile for transporta-
ton. But the price Of freight trans
portatioh varies according to the kind
of freight, and according to the size
of the lot. 1t is curious to notice that
the freight trains, scarecrow process
sions of shameless packing cases on
wheels, interminably squeaking
through our streets, are the ones that
really count when you come to make
up the profits. The magnificent trains
of vestibuled Pullmans which glide
swiftly through the country on velvet
roadbeds make ten times the show
that their real value to the road war
rants. Nothing, surely is more dis
Equitable in appearance than. the, pro-
cession Of battered freight cars that
jolts and creaks into the yard in the
sunny mist of Sunday morning
unless it is the physiognomies, of the
pair Of brakemen trailing their. legs
over the roof. Yet the train is doing
something more than its share toward
keeping the line going. The two row.
dies on the roof are, after all, gilt
edge conductors in the making. 1t is
democratic business. Freight brake
men to freight conductor, freight con-
ductor to passenger conductor-that is
the order of promotion on most Ameri-
can roads. So the freight train man
impresses himself on the whole pas
senger service. Carl Hovey in Aims
lees.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
DISTURBING TAX ROLL.

The Norwegian storthing recently
passed a bill which, having received
royal sanction, constitutes serious
menace to property owners in that
country. The bill provides for an es-
tension of the municipal suffrage
granting to non-taxpayers the right to
vote. Under existing laws the munic-
ipal government are authorized to
levy limited tax on real estate and
net capital, besides an unlimited tax
on income. When, the majority Of the
taxpaying citizens have been voted
out Of the municipal councils through
out /. the. country. the 'non-taxpayers
will have. it in their power to levy
taxes and apply the funds thus raised
practically as they see fit.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
FINDS BOGUS SODA FLAvoRs.
Artificial Compound Is Made to Take
the Place of Vanilla.

the Place of Vanilla.
The chemist and the prevention of
sale of adulterated and impure food
have put their rejected brand on an
other favorite beverage. Patrons Of
the soda fountain who have been
taught to ask for lemon or vanilla flaw
oring, for the alleged reason that those
sirups were less liable than others to
adulteration, will be surprised at the
assertion that there is no extract for
which substitutes are more often used
than vanilla. This is said on the au-
thority of the Massachusetts, board Of
health. The true vanilla bean costs
from s12 to SIG per pound, and were
there no substitute 1t could not be used
so freely and so extensively as at pres
ent. Vanillin, the active property Of
the extract, can be made from other
substances at cost Of about 81 per
gallon. The artificial compound Is
chemically identical with the vanillin
found in the true vanilla extract ano
therefore has come to be used extern
sively by manufacturers and dealers.
1t has been made for commercial pur-
poses from turpentine, but more salts
factory results are obtained from oil
of cloves or benzoic acid, and it Is now
extracted chiefly from these. 1t is con-
sidered harmless when taken in small
quantities and has been found to pos
sess certain medicinal properties. Ex-
periments on frogs with large quanti-
ties have however, caused spinal con-
vulsions. There is some comfort for
confirmed soda water drinkers, and a
general warning for others, in the fur
Their statement by the Massachusetts,
authorities that the metallic contami-
nation of the water used in glass Of
soda is far more detrimental to health
than any adulteration of the fiavoring
Chronicle.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
The Mermaid.
RY r. JACK APPLETON.

Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub co.,
He sat on a gray, wave-scarred rock
and gazed thoughtfully out to sea. IL
was early morning and a tiny sait
breeze was blowing inland. OF whlch
Van Holden was pleasantly but lnoo-
lently conscious. His straight, aristo-
cratic nose was tilted at the proper
angle to catch this odor so keenly APP
preciated by those who live far from
the ocean, and his soft hat was tilteu
the other way, over his keen blue eyes.
Van Holden was not in love. he
was not even contemplating suicide
He had merely arisen early to ENJOY
the novelty of. such thing and nau
wandered half mile from the summer
hotel to this protected little cove. AS
his digestion was excellent ne .oon
from his pocket now briar pipe' hiieu
it and struck match.
Tf 1t were not so beautiful" ne re-
marked aloud, looking out to the sea
as the match burned up, IF it were not
a real sacrifice to disturb the apsoiu'e
harmony of this scene-and IL o'ne-
people did not go in so much ana nuss
the water up-I believe l would take
a din right here and now" Inc
match having gone out. Van Holden
struck another and lighted MS pipe.
Then he clasped his hands about MS
knees and rocked gently back ana lor,
ward. 81 ought really to be IN love,
he went on, $50 that l might spou,
poetry this very minute. POOR oiu
ocean! How much you have oorne
from love-sick individuals VINO lhsist
On numbering good verse, with you as
an audience! 1t is really too BAD ou,
I cannot improvise, and never couiu
quote. so you'll be saved this mornins'
7 ought to be in love, but as no hiou
ern Venus is apt to rise from Tue
waves-by all the gods, I'm not 50
sure! What's that?" ~,
His eyes opened widely as MS soi'lo-
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13

Peter N. Oague, farmland who has
worked near Piedmont, S. D., for sew
eral years, left for Denmark, to take
possession of his share OF a fortune
amounting to $l1,OO0,000. For 20 years
relatives of the man have been look
ing for him. He dropped his last name
when he came to America and was
known as Peter Nelson. BY accident
he learned of his good fortune. He
showed important papers proving his
identity. He is related to some of the
wealthiest men in Denmark, including
some of the officers of the army. After
he had purchased his ticket here for
Denmark he was nearly penniless.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
NEWEST FOOD wHiM.
vital stun is the Sort to Take into
Your SYSTEM.

Your SYSTEM.
We are told that in order properly
to support life it is essential to, feed
on vital food. BY vital food, apparent
ly, is meant food that in some sort
lives. Nothing must be cooked, for
"fre destroys life;;" but anything may
be sun-dried, for ''the sun imparts
life." All meat is. vigorously excluded
from this new dietary, on the ground
that flesh implies the loss Of life TO
the animal, and. therefore, by meta
phorical implication, to the man who
consumes it. But on this theory it
would surely. be permissible to eat, for
instance, fresh oysters. AS they have
a larger share of vital force than, shall
we say, cabbage stalk, they ought to
impart a greater degree Of vital force
to their consumer. The chief merit Of
this strange system lies in the neces-
sity it lays upon it's supporters to con-
sumo large quantities of fruit. 1t is
probable that the ordinary mans diet
would, from the point of view of
health, be greatly improved If he ate
something like 20 times as much fruit
as he does. 81,
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
A SPORTING PARSON.
He Boldly Declares That Betting is Not

ho DOiuiy DeChEcS Ah"e AOssAh6 40 A'Os
IntrinsicalIy Sinful.
In a recent issue of the London
Church Times a Church Of England
clergyman. signing himself Sporting
Parson," has a long letter, in which
he asks whether gambling is really a
sin, and comes to the conclusion that
it is not. To drink wine or beer in
moderation is not, he says, a sin,
neither is gambling conducted in the
same way and within ones means. AS
an undergraduate he used to attend
Newmarket out of sheer love Of horse
flesh, and at the university steeple-
chases he and his friends frequently
made bets, and the reckoning up Of
their gains and losses added much to
the fun of the day. Same with cards
always for small sums. When or
dination came round, and he had to
many grave sins to admit, but he did
not regard them as breaches Of the
commandments. The Sporting Par
son" grants however, that "a great
deal of play may be justly discouraged
on the ground of its being a fatuous II
not ridiculous and contemplate
amusement. and therefore deleterious
in the same way as it is deleterious to
eat the skins of ,bakedA potatoes the
hurt of ones Digestion Let us Che
concludes) do all we can to check the
evils of gambling. but do not let zeal
outrun discretion and say that to bet
is intrinsically sinful, as that is not
true, and no cause, however good, can
be really helped forward by. anything
that is untrue or even exaggerated.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
MINERS WILL NOT STRIKE.

There will be no strike on the part
Of the $500 Missouri and Kansas coal
miners in district No. 25. The joint
scale committee composed of ten OPP
orators and an equal number of min
ers,. which was in session in Kansas
City, reached an agreement on every
important point in the new wage scale.
Mr.. Mitchell. president of the United
Mine Workers of America, who went
to Kansas City to assist the miners
in their fight, is satisfied with the new
agreement, which is victory for the
miners.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
The Planet Neptune.

Neptune is the farthest off or out
side planet Of the solar system, known
to science. 1t is invisible to the naked
eye and in the telescope appears as 8
star of the eighth magnitude. Discov-
cred in 1916. Revolves about the sur
at near distance of about 2.79O, 000,.
900 miles. Its year is equal to 165 Of
ours. In diameter about $1,000 miles
It's volume is about 100 times that o.
the earth and its density little les,
than that Of water.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
Our Flag and the Sun.

During the summer months it is said
that the sun always shines on some
portion of the territory Of the United
States, but at other times during the
year there are periods Of the day when
the United States with its possessions
is in darkness. 1t is stated that Great
Britain, France and Holland are the
only countries having colonies SO To-
Gated that the sun always shines on
some portion of them.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
REVERENCE FOR REsPECTABILITY

REVERENCE FOR RESPECTABILITY.
For my part, while my regard for
the hypocrisy of society. which OBJ
serves the letter of responsibility and
disregards the soul of it, is slight in
deed, decline to admit that there is
no such thing as true respectability, or
that it does not merit reverence.
We are most of us sinners. no doubt;
perhaps all of us are. Nevertheless
there does exist the principle of purity.
chastity and fidelity. There is such
thing. or such possibility, rs the ideal
marriage; there is such law as the
foregoing of ones own good for the
sake of others. Actual society is false
and corrupt but it is compelled by the
instinct Of self-preservation to main
tain an appearance of being pure and
true. 1t practices evil, but it breaches
good; because If it preached what it
practices human society would dis
solve. If there were not always grow
ing up amidst us a fresh generation Of
ignorant and innocent persons, cap
able of good, our virtuous pre-
lenses would be vain, since no one
could be either deceived or benefited
by them. Children are the essential
prerequisite of any form Of human
community or civilization; whether or
not we recognize the truth, all We do
that is not exactly evil is done for
them.-Juliap Hawthorne in Philadel-
phia North American.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
INDUSTRIAL NOTES.

Never was labor better organized
and more alive to its interests than
now, and never was Americas foreign
trade so stupendous as now.
An international congress of ma
chinists, blacksmiths, boilermakers,
patternmakers, ETC., was recently held
in Copenhagen. The British Society
of Engineers was not represented in
the congress.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
Snowman Punished for Taking.

A mob at Wichita, Kan, wrecked the
tent of Hi XII wild man, because he
didn't eat raw liver, as the bills said
he would do. And local police Judge
upheld the act, on the ground that
when people pay out good money to
see a man eat raw liver, they have the
right to see him eat raw liver or know
the reason why.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13

Holden is no longer a careless, IRE.
sponsible bachelor. II you care to
look him up, you will find him en-
sconced in a delightful little fiat. deep
" and increasingly in love with his
wife-graceful and beautiful in every
way-and calling her, at times. "mer-
m q III dear"
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
SOmE ITEMS OF INTEREST TO
UNION WORKMEN.

The Freight brakeman Imprcsses Him
self on the Whole Passenger Service
of MISUNDERSTANDING Re-enact-
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13

About 10000 letters of local origin
for local delivery are sent to the dead
letter office from the Chicago postofice
every month.
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-09-13

ming. Not even in the worst days since
the civil warm 1873, for instance
have conditions been as bitter as they
were in some of the earlier periods;
and no one could write of any Of the
recent years Of average prosperity
such tale as Horace Greeley wrote
of the good years" of 1S31-32.-W. j.
Client, in the Forum.
The Washington times., 1901-07-03
HIS SCHEME FAILED AT LAST.
Exposed by the Pension Bureau. an
Alleged SwindIer Is Caught.

An important arrest, in which the PEN
sion Bureau authorities are much inter
ested, has been made in Michigan civ.
Ind. William II. Swallow, also known as
William Law, William Ford. and other
aliases, is now in Jail in that city. charged
with an attempt to swindle a Catholic
priest. 1t is claimed that the prisoner
has mad long career of crime. for which
probably. he will not suffer the penalty
Swallow, who formerly lived in this citv
poses as Confederate veteran. and has
swindling scheme which has heretofore
been eminently successful His victims
nave been invariably clergymen. Com
municatfhg with his prospective victim
ne represents himself as the executor og
tne estate OF former member Of the
church. recently deceased who has ac-
crul4s a large sum of pension money.
Mhlch he has left by Will TO the Church
] MS amount, usually about 81 900 SyaI-
low pays over in bogus checks TO the
clergyman, and so!icits a COMPENSATION
loT his services and expenses.
Ills latest attempt to victinize Father
Johh Bicckmann, of Michigan CITY re-
suited in his downfall The Pension Ru
reau has been circulating broadcast ac
counts OF the scheme of thu swindIer. and
rather Bleckmann had been advised of
yhe matter. On being approached bv SwaI-
low. ne sent for a policeman and the ar
rest followed.