davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

WRITTEN FOE THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
While there iB talk Of establishing . life
saving station at Niagara Falls, the Oldest
inhabitant Of that town shakes his head at
the suggestion and sagely observes that all
the life saving station they nesd f. big
Tern conroy.
Now, who q Tom" Conroyf
He II the St Chrfstopher OF Niagara, the
giant who thinks It q mere nothing to walk
ints the rapids and pick up q drowning per
son. take him on his brawny back and
walk ashore
Five rescues are chaIked up to tom"
Conrcys credit in the records where are
kept the names of those who love their fel-
iow-men. FLYER Well. you say. here Is q
life saver who has eighteen to his credit.
and still another who has thirty-ive-
That's different. Those rescues were not
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

ep~cisl Correspondence Of The Sunday Repunfia. :
Louisiana, Mo-, Aug. 1.-the making OF
pearl Buttons Is an important industry
which has sprung up along the Mississippi
River within the last ten years. That long
ago, the mussel or fresh water clam existed
along the river In great abundance. but was
considered worthless. It is said that q
resident OF Iowa sent some Of the shells
20 ]. F. Boepple, a friend IN Germany, who
discovered that a nice button could be cas-
lily made from them. The discovery was
room made valuable by the invention OF
button-making machinery and button fac
tories began to spring up as IL by magic.
A large number of persons deserted the call
ing OF taking fish to gather the shelin.
Every town along the river that was not
large enough to have a complete button
factory. at least boosted Of a factory
which could turn out the button blanks. a.
the round pieces cut from the shells are
called before being polished and having
eyes cut in them. As a result, the price
>nf buttons went down rapidly. But the sup
PLY Of shells soon became short and now
there is no difficulty in finding a ready sale
for all the shells and blanks. A large plant
for the cutting of blanks is located In this
city. The factory's regular supply Of shells
from the Mississippi is augmented by fire.
quent shipments from the Arkansas River.
A factory is located at La Grange, and al
most every town in Iowa has a button
plant. In Muscatine there are no less than
q dozen factories. Twelve hundred per-
sons are employed and 5000 paid out each
week. Davenport Is a shell arket That
city has several merchants who buy the
shells and ship them to Davenport. Their
business is as lucrative as that of the man
who buys stock or grain for ST. Louis or
Chicago markets.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

Seven hundred feet Of line was fnstantfy
thrust Tito his hands. He calmly wound thu
rope around one brawny arm. crossed TO tbs
foot Of the First Sister Island, took one
look about him. and then st Christopher"
walked out into the rapids.
Folk say that along the Hhors ran one
deep groan. Then all was silence Up and
down, VI and down went this bnro. the
rapids shrieking in his cars. striking at
him, pulling at him from beneath; but some
way he swan down and around the rock
to which chung the little, fraf old man ID
had come 10 save.
What a meeting that Two souls on the
very brink OF eternity looked into each 9TH
er's eyes. No word spoken. only the quick
sharp command by the gian AID the whie-
pered yes of the almost exhausted paint
er. The rope vas made fast around the lat
ter, and then came that heroic backward
swim against the current until eager lands
drew the two In, and men fell upon each
others necks and wept aloud and danced
and shouted and sang the Doxology.
And then Tom" Conroy quietly went
back and took another party down tho Bid
die stairs to the Cave of the Winds.
Not long after that, enc bright moonlight
night, that sinister cry, Man In the Rap
idsi' again resounded through the streets
of the village. Then up again rose the giant
ST. Christopher OF Niagara.
Justly Proud of Medal
Presented by Congress.
This time he took his staff. an iron drill
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

whom Conrcy was guiding. TIE latter
warned the priest against venturIng beyond
a certain point. but he disobeyed.
Conroy saw his extremity and plunged to
his aid. He caught the priest az he was
sinking for the third time. Never mind
me, Tom" said the good father; let me go.
Save yourself"
But Conroy Is not made of that sort of
metal Holding up the priest. he swan
through that tremendous current below the
FAILS TO the ferry Both men were exhaust
ed when help reached them.
"fe may know" said Conroy, his gray
eyes twinklfng. that 1 was pretty far zone
when ! tell ye that 1 arrived at the ferry
with the priest in one hand and one OF my
felt shoes in the other. I have never been
able to find out b I was doing with that
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

How Science Is ~
Lengthening Life. 5
- uR rHE sUNpaY REPUBLIc.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPJBLLC-
In their course the years tear from Us
morsels OF ourselves. says the poet. and
nothing is more disagreeable 70 10 than
this insensible but fatal decline toward old
age.
At the dawn of humanity man made use
of ali the resources OF his imagination IN
order to remain young. Potions prepared
and served by sorcereSses. the elixir vitae
Of the alchemists. the extraordinary medi-
cation in which blood baths were employed
were particularly honored.
But as time. nevertheless. rreEocaoiy
performed its work. men later. following
the example Of the Venetian COrnaro. or OF
the Dutchman Lesius. turned to hysienic
practices to preserve to the body its print
tive vigor. Ths means of attaining this end,
however, varied.
While some recommended sObriety. others
extolled the Joyous life. To-day. better IN
formed as to the causes OF diseases. and. IN
consequence. on the means OF curing them.
one IS enabled. II not to preserve he ad-
vantages OF youth, at least to prvl0nS tns
ordinary duration of life.
It Is incontestable that the number or
deaths annually per 100 decreases IL New
York. for example. the mean annual NOR
tally during the ten years from 1S1 TO 1883
was $50 per 1000 living beings. while forty
years later. from 1880 to 1899. this rate was
lowered to 22.a Thus a gain OF nearly @5-ou
human lives has been realized in these last
years.
But here a question presents itself Nhat
must one understand by the expression. in
creased longevity? Does 1t mean that all
men at present live longer than a century
ago. or, rather. that a greater proportion
reaches the age of 20. 50 and 100 years. or.
again. that the mean age at the moment OF
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
A Message.

The whispers soft which come to me at
night
Are murmurings Of spirits clear and bright:
So clear their echoes wake the siumbering
soul.
So bright their radiance brings the fair
of goal
Into our sight
Then happy we who do both hear and se.
These emblems Of q great eternity.
Eor this . light
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

narrow path. over boiling. kissing water
and jagged black rocks. suddenly above the
boom OF the descending fall overhead rang
a mighty shout Some one yelled to him
from the top of the cliff that most fearful
message, Man in the rapidsi'
The party instantly hurried UP the stairs.
Conroy. looking like an old Morse viking. in
his quaint oilskin costume and winged cap.
went UP to the top of the bank, walked
hastily around the lower end OF Goat Is
lard and saw. out in the rapids above the
Horseshoe Falls, an old man clinging des-
perately TO d rock two feet square
Goat Island and the Three Sisters were
black with agonized persons. shouting.
wringing their hands In impotency Of de-
SPAR. groaning and praying. Instantly
Conroy heard the story. A painter. Nc
Cullough by name, an elderly man. highly
esteemed IN the village of Niagara Falls.
had been working on the bridge leading
from the second 10 the third Sister Island,
had-snaiI wonder-grown dizzy hanging to
his ladder over that roaring. tumb!ing vor-
tex, slipped. goneswept toward that
frightfuI curve below-causht by some mer-
cifuI interpositlon on the tiny rock a few
rods above destruction.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

line is q hook which is q curious contri-
word hook with a barbed point. IL Is, IN
fact. not a hook at all. but a small piece
of bent iron. As the boat moves, this is
dragged over the mussel bed The mussel
secures its food by lying with its shell
open The instant the iron rod comes in
contact with the tender meat in the she'll
the shell closes savagely and clinches the
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Doctor William Farr's
Table of Mortality.

A clear solution of the question can Be
furnished only by trustworthy statistics
above all by the examination and cOmpar-
son OF tables OF mortality setting forth ths
probability OF life at every age Unfor-
t~unately these tables. of relatively recent
formation. treat only of the last two-thirds
OF the Nineteenth Century.
Nevertheless. such as they are. they
should be consulted Thus information can
be drawn from the study OF the table Of
mortality below. prepared by Doctor VII
liam Farr. according TO the census OF 1sf1
and OF 1851. then the last English table Of
mortality following the census Of 1881 and
that OF 1891. and, lastly. the table of mortal
ity OF Massachusetts,. drawn up from the
deaths OF five years QsSS-90 and the census
of the State in 1885.
MEA AFTER-LIFETIME EXPECTATION OF
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

rod The nnussel hangs or and .s hoisted
into the boat One person in the boat can
attend TO a hundred lines or more. and in
the course Of a day can take several hun
dred pounds OF shell, which is sold at 70
cents per hundred. An experienced shell
fisherman has no trouble in making ii or
. per day. Take a trip on a boat. and
you will see "settlementsf' of shell Usher
men. They live in houseboats. It Is q hard
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

The first thing is the gathering OF the
shells. This work Is done mostly BY men
who rave become familiar with the river
in catching fish. In using the net and the
line they have learned the location of the
mrssel beds. Thither they go in a fiat-bot-
toned boat. On either side of the boat is
a long pole resting on an upright piece OF
wood three feet high. From this pole in
Vulnerable lines are suspended. On each
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
AAL A"L
LIFE
English Table. EngIis

One can see here. first Of all. nat the
chances Of life at the moment Of birth have
increased by -four years In half q century,
but this augmentation Is not maintained
at more advanced ages. and II disappears
entirely at the extreme ages Of life
The following table clearly shows TIE
cause of this difference:
MEAN ANNUAL MORTALITY PEI THoC-
SAND LIVING. ENGLAND AM WALES
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17

Gade IA the Niagara River. It Is one thing
10 plunge into q smooth current with per-
hap = boat or launch at hand and many
willing hands anxious to help near by.
II q quite another story TO calmly walk
into S5at awful he'll of waters. with the ter
rfhha, n~ever-ending roar OF the monster be-
NtagHD weighs quite as much as five in
lsny stSer body of water.
It would need tho pan Of @ writer Of epics
70 htly describe this sublime exploits of this
unpretent.ous hero. who modestiy says that
he thinks nothing OF lcisurely ~strolling
about the rapids above the falls. especially
II he can save q life.
Stalwart Irish-American
Knows Not Fear.
Conroy is a fine specimen Of the stall
wart Irish-American. Joined with his su-
perb physique and muscles OF steel are a
tremendous will and absolute freedom from
fear. His face is that OF the typical life
cities Of this land fought fires and faced
mobs. It is the same face that IS seen in
the bow OF the boat that shoots out from
the life saving sations along the coast,
through the surf to the vessel pounding to
pieces On the rocks-steadfast. dauntless-
the face that fights and never finches.
Conroy was for many years a guide who
took parties Under the American Falls to
the Cave of the Winds. one of the most
t~reacherous and dangerous points of in
terest about the great cataract. One day.
when he was guiding a party along the
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Question in Regard to
Use of Surgeons Knife.

The facility with which surgeons make
use Of the knife has caused certain minds to
ask themselves whether IN contributing TO
prolong certain cxistencss these sanguinary
interventions may not abridge others. or
whether. under cover Of snaesthesia and
asepsia. one may not have undertaken dar-
ing operations which have caused the death
OF patients who might have lived some time
longer.
II 10 possible. but very rare, and this
factor alone could have no influence In mod
flying the rate OF longevity. The same re-
mark may be made on the subject OF the
progress Of the dental art. which might up
to q certain point encourage old people to
eat food not suitable for the enfeeoied con-
dition Of their digestive organs
II the frightening OF life Is less accen-
tuated in adult age. that II due to the fact
that the causes OF disease and OF death,
for the greater part subject to the action
of preventive hygiene. do not in any i'm
portant degree affect the health OF people
who have attained middle life.
infectious diseases and gas~tro-intestinal
affections do not represent more than 5
DER cent of the mortality of persons over
Is wears OF age. while deaths due TO al
eoholism, cancer. phthisis. diabetes, senility.
epoplexy, to LESSONS Of the heart and the
blood vessels. the respiratory and diges-
tive organs. the kidneys. the bladder or to
some violent cause reach the proportion OF
80 per cent
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Swan Around Rock
to Which Painter Chung.

PitifuI sight indeed was the gray head out
there in that awful waste of waters-piti-
ful the helplesGness of the frenzied crowd
along the shore.
Said Conroy. quiet. hard-headed. cool:
"Haye ve a rope?"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
the fishermen az seem happy and

nfs. but the fishermen al seem happy and
healthy.
After the mussel has been taken. its
meat must be removed from the shell be-
fore the latter II ready for sale. This is
dons In rather q heartless way. The fish
sheet iron. It Ia located at some convent
ent point along the river. usually at the
houseboat village. to which the catch"
Of the day Is taken each evening. Upon
being removed from water the mussei holds
its shell closed with great tenacity, but
when thrown into one of the tanks filled
with boiling water the shell opens and the
meat Is easily extracted. This work is done
by women and children with. a peculiar
shaped knife.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Pearl Caused by
Irritation in the Shell.

In cutting the meats out OF the shells
many valuable pearls are found, but the
pearl must be secured before the boiling
or It will be ruined. A pearl was recently
found near here which brought fJ8 in st.
Louis. The pearl IS caused by some FRI
tant. usually a grain of sand. within the
shell Of the mussel. Unable TO expel the
troublesome particles, a secretion forms
around II. supposedly to prevent pain. This
10 valuable, according to size and tents. A
New York pearl dealer has an agent here
and in a number OF other towns when
shells are marketed.
TIL fishermen make no use OF the meat
extracted from the shells. In some places
IT Is sought by farmers to feed the hogs
and poultry. From a ton of shells, about
go pounds of meat Is obtained. II has been
suggested that IL this meat were saited and
preserved it might find a sale as fish bait
among ocean fishermen.
The mussel shells. as purchased from the
fishermen. are hauled to the factory and
stored in bins, the different kinds usually
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Due to Improved Hygiene.
conomy of Human Lif

Due 10 improved hygiene.
1t il therefore in~disputable. when one
speaks OF increased prolonged life. that one
must understand that the mean age at
which death occurs has been retarded as q
result OF the benefit more particularly ac-
Quired by early childhood. More people do
not reach great age; only ~infantile mortal
ity has notably diminished. Certain people
hold even that to this fact Is due the mean
feeble longevity OF adults. the proportion
OF normal deaths being falsely increased by
the death of vretched beings spared during
their tender years.
This econon<ASuman life Is due to i'm
proved hygiene 20 10 the progress OF medi-
cine and surgery. One Is better able at the
present time to prevent Diseases: one also
knows better how to cure them
The benefcent role OF vaccination, ths
practical demonstration that some of the
particularly deadly epidemic diseases are
communicated by the stings OF insects; the
action Of the air. OF putrefsction. of water,
or the sun on the organism: the discovery
OF the causes OF infectious diseases bring
with them practical deductions, the result
OF which has been to diminish the number
OF sick and to keep down that Of deaths.
Surgery also has contributed to this end,
although In a smaller degree. Thus, anaes-
thesia has rendered possible surgical opera
tons which formerly could not have been
undertaken. and the employment of anti
septic and sseptic methods has permitted
surgical inteTventions which only a few
years back would have been almost con-
stantly mortal.
A wound penetrating the intestine was
some thirty years ago. as rarely
durable. and the opening OF the abdomen
was regarded as only to be adopted In des-
perate cases. At the present time not only
does one infinitely search out abdominal
wounds In order to sew them up, with tbs
greatest chances of success. but, more, one
removes from the essential organs contained
IN the abdomen the degenerated parts and
even the organs themselves. and
at times one deliberately opens the abdomen
In order to establish 4 disgnosis-to sec
simply what there In within.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-17
Small Stream Of Water
Washes Away Dust.

meath the saw.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1902-08-22

They were in q smoke room IN
Talgarth, and were discussing lie
joys and sorrows of active service
in South Africa.
We'll, I've been with the army
out there and had a very interest
ing time, said soldierly looking
fellow.
Even get close really to the
Beers" somebody asked.
Rather I once took two of their
officers.
Uuajded2"
Certainly! And the very next
took eightmen, with their horses,
All wounded, I expect sneered
a listener. ~You didn't get hurt,
OF course"
~Ju-t a slight scratch, that's all.
And next day I took lot Of
transport wagons, and followed that
up b1- takinGa Boer kraal and
big gun.
Mister, said the disagreeable
man of the audience y have seen
some OF the finest specimens of any
thing that you can call to mind
but | wish to state that y1u are,
without exception, the biggest liar
that ever trod this earth,'
The good-natured raconteur look
ed angry for a moment; but then
an amused smile stole over his
face rs he said:
~oh, no; I'm not that! You see
am a photographer London
Answers.
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1902-08-22
GOLD DECLINING II VALUE

Until recent times both gold and
silver have been used as measures
of values and both have been pro-
duced by manual labor assisted by
such FOOLS Of the miner could carry
with him. As neither metal oc-
ours in large messes the amount of
effort required to produce them long
remained a nearly constant quaint
ity, from which fact came the idea
that they represented definite and
uniform values. In the 70's large
silver deposits became available by
reason Of the introduction of Inn
proved machinery. The consequence
Of this was q reduced cost of pro-
.duction, and this reduced cost was
in a few years reflected by fall in
the price Of silver compared with
gold. During the last decade con
centrated effort has been going into
the production of gold, exactly as
it went into the production ofsilver
some thirty years ago. This con-
centlated effort has been and is now
rejoicing the cost of producinggo gold.
own G partly to the comparatively
short time through gold have been
in operation, and partly to the
temporary shutting off Of the least
expensive supply, by reason Of the
South African war, the amount
added to the general stock at the
reduced cost of production has af-
fected market values to only a
limited extent. With the reopen
ing Of the South African mines and
a continuance Of the process d re
ducing of producing gold, itJEalue
as purchassable to say t9%hat ex-
tent the value Of gold wilS decline,
but it seems probable that during
the next twenty years the decline
will amount to about 30 per cent;
Whatever may be the extent Of this
decline, We may be quite certain
that it will be considerable and will
continue for number Of years.
We may therefore say that in the
immediate future prices viii be
stated in units OF continually reduc-
ing value. IN other words, il Will
take an increaing amount OF gold
to pay for articles W ich have IN
form Value. /. dfeld in the
Engineering Magazine for August. .
The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1902-08-22

Doing 1t Proper" reporter
was interviewing the western mil
lionaire. is it true that you are
going TO endow a chair in that uni
versity?H Endow chair?" he
Numbered; why, b'gosh, I can give
whole set o furniture, an I'll do
it, too. Say that in yer paper!
There amt nothin' cheap about
me. Baltimore Herald.
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-04-04

The city public schools will close
May 80.
Teachers and pupils are busily en-
gagged in preparation of exercises for
Field Day, April u. These exercis-
es will consist of races, drills, ma
tional songs, tugs of war, etc, and
will be given on the Park school
campus. The public is invited to be
present.
At recent meeting of the gradu-
ating class, Euna Rose was elected
Glass Poet and Carroll Todd, Glass
Prophet.
The board of Trustees have kindly
given the schools a holiday during
Confederate reunion week, that
teachers and pupils might have an
opportunity of seeing the depleted
ranks of the most valient army that
ever went forth to battle.
The Commencement Sermon will
be preached Sunday May 25th, by
Rev. j G.. Smith.
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-04-04
Supporting Beall.

The Hillsboro Mirror wants it
understood that it is supporting
Ellis county's choice in the congress
sional race The following clipping
from the Mirror defines its position;
Our attention has been called TO
the notice in yesterdays issue of
Congressman Wooten's speaking
at the court house tonight as seem
ing to indicate that the Mirror was
espousing his candidacy, Such is
not the case. 1t was published
simply as IA news item. The edi-
tors of the Mirror personally are
supporting Bean, who is their choice
for congressman, but the news col
umns of the Mirror are free to each
candidate alike, and both will be
shown the usual courtesies for
which there will be no charge, un-
less an unreasonable amount of
space should be demanded by either
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-04-04

enty-five-pound steel and the track
of the most substantial eonstruc-
tion. 1t remains, however, for the
people of Dallas to provide the
right of way for the entrance to the
city.
AS to the two new extensions of
the International in the southern
part of the state, that from Nava-
sofa to Madisonville is assured,
while the second may go from either
Houston or Spring to Beaumont.
In the former case the route would
be to the south of the Southern Pa
eific and in 9he latter case to the
north by the way of Sour Lake.
Mr., Turner left for San Antonio
Yesterday afternoon. Dallas News.