davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Origin of Commercial Agencies.

c. s. Ashton, manager of the r. G. Dun
& Co. MERCANTILE Agency of this city
comes nearer knowing all the business
men in Wichita than any other person
in the town. 1t is his business to know
them and to keep run of their financial
standing.
Mr.. Ashton has a wide knowledge Of
business and he has some ideas Of his
own in regard to business. because they
go into something for which there is not
legitimate demand. He thinks great
business enterprises have a slow and
steady growth and are not launched sue
cessfUlly after having been first conceiv-
ed in the mind of some wise business
man.
Looking around over his office yes
terday with its sixteen employees. Mr.
Ashton took it to illustrate his idea and
he explained how the Mercantile Agency
OF r. G. Dun & Co. came TO this country
Scotland. England. Cuba. Australia. Mex
leo, South Africa, France and Germany.
He said away back in 1921 a whole
sale drygoods merchant IT. New York
by the name of Tappan conceived the
idea of writing all the information he
collected in regard to his customers in
a book prepared for the purpose. He
simply did it for his own convenience
and he found that his book was very
convenient for INN in the business.
Other wholesalers found that rarpan
had such a book and they began TO ask
him about merchants. His information
cost him something TO get and people
got to calling so frequently for It that
he conceived the idea of making q small
charge TO each one who wanted TO use
his book in or6er to help TO keep it up.
The other wholesalers were only too
glad n make the contribution and that
was the beginning of this agency. There
was a demand for it and it Kept growing
and became a regular business. In 1851
Tappan turned mis- books over &c 3. Doug
las & Co. and five years later the r. G
Dun company come into possession of
thcm and at thar time the company had
eighteen Offices.
Dir. Ashton's idea is that the agency
made such a rapid growth simply be
cause it was something fer which there
was a demand. When the office WIS es-
tahlished here eleven years ago. two men
were required TO do the business and
nov II taxes SIXTEEN anu lEteEE viii soon
be more adGed TO the force. The Office
mere viii establish a branch in Oklahoma
CITY about the 10Th of February ami sew
eral men viii he reqpired IN the branch
office. This : found necessary in order
10 better accommodate their Oklahoma
patrons
It is simply wonderful how the duties
Of the Office bring 7fr. Ashton IL con-
fdentiSf relations with the business men.
J. requires a discerning man TO 10 JUS
tiee to merchants and 10 give each one
the financial standing To which he IS en-
titled. MI ashton takes deep interest
in all the bis business enterprises and he
ne-er loses an opportunity 20 heip icom
a legitimate business enterprise in this
city and the surrounding towns He IS
n member of the Commercial club
in this city and the new Ch1.nber IF Com
merce, too. His idea that there must
be a demand for a business in order %
make IL successful causes bin, 70 favor
packing houses. nHl. and elevators IN
this city.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Had a Fearful jag.

Colonel Bob Collins. the well known
tufveling man. saw a funny incident on
TIE incoming train last night of the old
year.
a man who was sadly in need OF an
effective New Years resolution got on
the cars at Arkansas City and took a
seat with a frail looking preached TO
whom he Immediately began 10 explain
his condition.
L am pretty full, partner" said the
disciple of bacchus. "ain't u"
Yes. I am awful fun. and on that
terrible stuff they keep at Arkansas City.
Honest, partner. feet as If this train
was going around an eternal curve. 1
am sick too-awful sick"
III tell you. partner. this whisky drink
ing is n wonderful thing and if I get over
this drunk ali right. III
'.Yes. yes" said the slender little man
with great enthusiasm.
IN butt up against It again" said
the man with the jag.
Colonel Collins SAYS that he has never
seen mortal man with such a picture
OF disappointment on his face IS the
poor little man who expected TO hear his
friend say that he would never again
take a drink
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Snow Was % Inches peep.

The present tnha bltantS or the ArEan-
sas Valley may consider that two inches
of snow is a great deal 70 fan at one
time. but William Matthewson tells OF a
storm which visited the state OF Kansas
in 1861, bringing with it a snow fall OF %
TO % inches and such a decline of temper
allure that both civilized man and the
aboriginie lost hundreds OF cattle and
horses.
I was at that time camped along the
Cheyenne creek. A terrible storm was
approaching and we should have timber
for shelter
THE Indians accepted my advice and
we moved our camp to blackberry creek
On January IS. 1861 the storm began. and
the snow continued fer three days and
three nights. For days after the storm
ceased. the wind continued to blow at
a high velocity and to drive the snow into
great drifts.
1--WE made our camp in the timber and
built a big fire in the midst OF the woods
with which TO keep warm. The weather
was so cold that our horses and mules
wanted to hover around the fire and to
keep them back we surrounded the blaz-
ing logs with a rope fence. Hundreds
of our animals died and If It had not been
that we were IN the timber. I believe
some Of thine would have been frozen %
death.
THE herds OF buffalo. elk. and ante,
lope. which in those days roamed these
praries ran before the storm and thous-
ands Of them gathered IN the timber and
stood around the FIRE. The strange part
about this action on the part of these
dumb beasts was that they are naturally
afraid Of man. but the cold overmastered
their fear.
The cold weather continued 50 long
that t was six weeks before We could
break up camp. In order 70 have some
thing 70 feed our stock Ne cut down
trees and let the animals browse on them
During the three days stern. . inches
~
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Frisco Sacrificed It's Bonds.

The Frisco road never got a cent for
coming TO Wichita. The city was to have
given it $4,000. and the county se0.o go.
under conditions similar % the Orient
proposition. The road was TO have
forked at Wichita, one branch going
west and the other south through the
county. The aid was voted to the road
with the understanding that 1t would be
a competing line. but when 1t got TO
Wichita. It combined with the Santa Fe
and the town refused 10 pay the Sio,o1o.
Il sacrificed its county bonds by not ex-
tending farther west than Wichita. Had
II gone on according TO its original in
tentions Wichita nlight have been differ
ent. Il Is doubtful whether the north
end would be the extra choice residence
locality, as the Frisco road would nun
along Pine street. from east 70 west, and
would have made what is now the.boa ton
district. undesirable property.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Relic Of Famous Massacre.

In the window OF Councilman Billy Nc
KEGS tombstone foundry on east Doug
las avenue IS q grim looking witness Of
the famous meadow massacre. j. r.
Messich. a marble e1graver. secured f.
a great many years ago from Salvador
Curtis. q Mexican. who picked i up after
the Mormon butchers left the meadow.
II is a neck-yoke and IL looks venerable
with age. This sane marble engraver
Mr. Messich, IS a curio collector aud a.
his home ne mas over 1.0aC specimens. At
one time he BAD as high as 500 cut he
presented them 20 the Iowa college Mu-
scum. He has a piece OF ara Indians
backbone he found r. --.lakoma and
which shines Ike tire inside u an oyster
shell lie has petriaed hid gourd seeds
walnuts. wood and ratdesnakcs and ether
things TOO numerous 10 mention. Nr
Messich has Travelled much IN America
and Europe and hes seen a persistent
collector or strange things.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Field pax for confederates.

There are thirty-five ex-confederat sol
diers IN Wichita, and thirty-two OF them
have banded together into an associa-
ton. This association is a matter of
considerable pride amongst members. for
While they are all of them now legal cit
liens o. the Republic and as constant
in their allegiance. vet they feel good
when they are together and can exchange
"reminiscences of the great struggle in
which they participated. On The 18th OF
this month they will hold love feast.
Captain John Fl. Shields will be the ora
tor of the day and VIII give a vivid pic
ture of that desperate struggle at Cedar
Creek He was in that fight from morn
ing till night. and Federal and Confed-
crate participants Will remember that it
was 4 sultry occasion. Col. Bean, who
followed Morgan through many warm
raid Will be master of ceremonies
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
MINES can.t STAND CID.

A male can't stand - rauch coid as a
horse. but why % can't 5 hard % tell.
sacn ola p.aius1aen IS Judge Tucker and
Wniiain GattheVs0n can't tel Judge
Tucker Says that BE- vas freish.i1E west
Of sailna about forty years ago. when a
fearful blizzard So 81. lie had . mule
ard a horse in hls team The mercury
vsnt down AID down unsl the muie
frozs q death on BE tracks The horse
stood up I'D rizhr and held oct The
Judge said he lad 70 yak thirty miles
10 Keep IRE Blood ia c.reBfatiep. He
says it ives 81 gd fhat the hrGeises
were 81 st-a from csl1. that De had 60
kick thfm - make them iazre the road
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Old kaintuek "a Th.re.

Ex-ohief o. Police William Campbell is
a good stors-tcuer ard has = Kentrczy
finish 10 every narrative. Re Tas teiiinE
an old army comraee ~ biz and q re-
porter for the Eagle a few days ago about
IN old ran he knew in The Biua Grass
state v-ho bad fought vlth General Jack
son At s-ew oriearf. This veteran Vas
ford ~ telling about that sreat slcferT-
sfr Csm1ecu asked hirn ore day here
he VS. iu TIC fEnf ard fho Cd KAN
sald- IN Tire middle - IT, fah. u was
me greatest fEat ever fought ard rhrn
the e1oka cleared away z stood tfhi1f
q cotton bale. pat nv ae.d riasa ~ ~
ere ard she Only ming 7 cosi1 ree 1is-
unrtly IL that great ed vas 90 Ken
tack
-ff5w many - ths s-erv g. you re-
koa SOD klled aai,s.1 ~. carrossiI
Fuag ~ marYs Fan. 49, TIE enemy
zlir1 - me
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
INCIDENTS
AND OPINIONS

places But yet not all OF the girls are
fortunate to sc. an education and then
they have &c So 70 the kitchen. 7 am
sure they can not help il. That kind
Of work is honest. however have
worked out six years and I must say a
servant has many hardships. I VIII tell
yea OF many places I have had where
was rot allowed 10 go out moro than
ore afternoon or evening.
a girl has TO do much work that a
man ought 10 do. All Office girls. fac
tory girls and store girls have their sun
days for rest. but = servant is tied down
all tie week and Sunday. too. There
are many people who have company on
Sunday and have the girl put in half the
day cooking. while the girl ought to have
rest as well as others But housewives
don't care. They simply think OF the
servant girl as a hired girl OF course
there are girls who do not appreciate
a good place. but I surely do.
There are many reasons why so many
girls do not desire TO be servants.
have had my feelings hurt great many
times because of such girls. Tho well
educated people seem 10 think. so sew
eral young ladies told me 50. that girl
is not a complete woman unless she
knows how 10 do homework. and they
also said it is only ignorant people who
think a servant is not much That
thought comes 10 me often. In many
places they often shut the door in a girls
face. All these things hurt a girls feel
ings. II they are servants. as Mr.. Ken
worthy says. they are the last through
with their work IN the evening and have
TO be the first az the work in the morn
ing. winter or summer. The members
of the family think the girls are servants
and it is all right.
1.-The class of people describe 20 you
are mostly out of girls all the time
one thing 1 must say. When a girl
leaves a place they always lay the blame
on the girl. The servant girl has TO suf-
for it all. / do not mean all places. but
there are such. At the last place
worked 1 stayed over two years, but they
took me in as one OF the family. II they
do that a girl always stays longer. I
do not take a servant girls part always,
but l do know that she has many trials.
l learned a great deal in six years.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Wiehita,s Bio LIQUOR Bill.

About a dozen or fifteer years ago Pat
Healy was broken of the habit of believ-
ing everybody. 1t happened this way.
Pat was in the council and hearing that
the legislature, then is session, was about
to make visit to Wichita, he proposed
that an appropriation be made to enter
tain them. The council was at a loss
to know what TO do as the legislature at
that time was supposed to be the banner
prohibition body in the history OF the
state. The wise heads got together and
adopted this plan:
John V. Moffet was then in state poll
tics and he was wise" He knew every
drinking man in the legislature and beng
discreet the council committee on en-
tertainment selected him to run little
commisary in the Manhattan hotel for
the entertainment CT men who did not
object 10 a nip. The legislature came
down and there was great speal ing in
Garfield Hall. \ red-heH1ed man was
clarifying prohibition and a big crowd
was applauding. Pat couldn't stand it
any longer and started to go home.
Passing the Manhattan he thought he
would drop in and see how John Mof-
4tL WdS 6StO4iS dIOIS- ne was
at finding the place crowded by men whom
he did not know. John Moffet was all
smiles and turning to Pat shouted: Mr.
Healy. permit me to introduce you to the
Kansas legislature" Just then the man
with the red hair, who had been making
the prohibition speech, rushed in and
shouted: John, for the Lords sake shove
me out a little liquor, my throat is as dry
as the hinges of hades.''
The shock almost caused Pat Healy
TO drop dead, but it wasn't as bad as the
shock he received when the bills came
to his committee of the council. The
expense of the entertainment on the
schedule was sf10, and the liquor expense.
$3.50.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
He Saw NapoIeen goaaparts.

One Sunday afternoon about eight years
azo. a reporter Tor The Eogie was over ~
the Little River attending q negro hap
tizing. and coming homeWaTd across
lots. IL q neishborhood where peo9le iieea
n houses that were then 'renii1E Tor
nothing" be called AZ home thar look
"a humble enough. Tor q drink - Eater-
A nan with gay hairs sax or a hack
porch. Il am a little under the weather
toGey Tor the first tiale 81 ms lie De
said and 81 lhar NY co7-7 rsat.on sas
oreued in that conversation the man
made the incrsdihle statement that BE-
Tas = yesrs ~ age Learnl1E that th-
was for the Easie. ard seeing
that he was leigctaut u believe h-s
statement the I'D seusfzzaan sad tasI
Pc VAS Fhy-.ci4n On Col- AH-Gociss Fam
lis fortv wears before. - she-t tfaf -
vas Or. John = weed. who 1e4 -
kansas e. plonser GsyS ard moved =
1-4Nrezc II the early Elites Col Az--
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
INortnaoed His Two Docs.

". n. Rouse. who was at one time
collector for the Deering Harvester com
pany in Kansas. tells good story OF a
stubborn debtor who offered the company
Il nortgas G on his two dogs.
For the sake Of the story" said Mr..
Rouss. Il viii call the man Bozcman
Smith ard have him reside in Hoising-
ton. Kan. Years before he came to Kan
sas, he gave the Deerng Harvester COM
pany a not for $40. which remained IN
paid 50 long that it became barred by
the statute of limitations of Kans as.
but not of Missouri. wherce he came.
when 7 called on him about 1898 20 col
lect the note learned that he was a
candidate for Probate Judge, and also
that lie had considerably property in his
wife's name When ] asked him 10 pay
the note, he offered me another one in
payment 1 asked him if he did not
have some property with which to secure
The note and he said he did not lave
q thing on earth but a broken harrow
And two yellow hounds.
we wrote up the mortgage on that.
Ind then I started for town to take the
train to the county seat to file the mort
gage. When I told him my intention he
burned. alternately, white. yellow, and
rcd. and said:
Il am a candidate for Probate Judge.
What viii happen to me if take mort
tage on Two yellow Sogs2"
Il can't help that, 1 replied. THE
rules Of the company reqoire that all
mortgages be lied
/ then drove to town but I had not
been there long before Bozeman Smith
walked up to ne excitozlly and paid the
,uli amount OF the deot-
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12

Vic concluded to be Roman He be-
came little alarmed when they handed
him horse bucket and told him to get
it filed, but he rested more comfortably
when he found he had enough money TO
cover the bill. The result of that pur-
chase that Vic got gloriopsly fun the
first and last time in his life-so fun that
his conrade had TO stow him away III the
hay-loft to get soker. In rolling around
in the loft he dropped through a hole in
the loft floor and tumbled down among
a lot of vicious horses. barely escaping
with his life. From that day till this Vic
hasn't missed days work and now he
owns a line of hacks OF his own and his
income IS plutOcratic. Inside Of five
years ne will be one Of the wealthiest men
of the town He has hauled more dis
tinguished people than any other man
in Wichita.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12

Nc Cailaf2a vas occuryin- the Jehu
seat 81 has cab last Tuesday evening.
smoking a ten-center is contertediy as
II he owned every foot az real estate
IRON tee union depot 20 tie river. When
b reporter asked him about afTairs social
iio inclined more 10 aa-.rs reminiscent.
because i was the selSfltegnth ana5ver-
sary q his arrival IL Veichits wItl one
sioiiar ana tAirte--t,ve cents in his nocset.
ie had never dreamed c5 bsconluz i
haesnan. hsIt ne strsCE n - English
Tor JOB and got IL. The bows in tho
livery stsbie sad IT vas the standard
ethics of the town that every new conner
taking q job should buy the beer and
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
Tucker Denies OLD Story.

Judge Tucker Is not in the habit cf
denying things. but one story was told
ct him in the early days that he says hsd
no truth in IL and fer the sake Of local
historic accuracy he does noJ want Il
u e. 70 the future generations Encontra-
dlctsd- Tie story v-as this The Judge
lived % farm and brought a load q
wheat - Wichita one day He caught
big rise in TIE market and sold his
wheat ~ a much bigger fEure than he
exDe.lsd. lie was - JOYFUL that he
houghe . neN slit OF clothes and chuckea
them into his wagon. He started FOR
home and then. according 70 the fake
artist % these good old days lie con
ceived the idea Of surprising his wife ~
wearing the new clothes a food IL the
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
A telephone Snap.

A Wichita visitor. recently in Chicago,
lays that a formerly Wichita man IS
having all sorts of fun with party
line telephone. The Wichita man says
That on the formerly Of Wichitans line
there are ten subscribers. These sub
scribers are numbered. When you want
ten you tell central to ring Ten times and
so on. BY rem7ving the receiver any
one on the line can hear the converse tons
OF anybody else or the line If you are
sun1ber FIVE you hear al The others
called but pay 10 attention unless five
IS rung. If you are talking and some
evesdropper lifts his receiver it is known
TO you by a slight click.
WeI this Wichita man was sitting in
the parlor one day reading a newspaper,
while mis- host was below stirring up the
furnace. Presently the bell rang three
times Now. that houses number was
five and the Wichita man paid no atten-
ton to it.
As soon. however. rs it rang three
tines. there was a terrible COM
motion in the basement; The Chicago man
shot up stairs. fell over a cl}air, knocked
a work basket galley-west, slipped and
pulled the cloth of the center table. but
finally reached the telephone. Then he
paused like statue then lifted The
receiver and listened big-eyed and never
said :. word
This almost paralyzed the Wichita man.
Is minutes later the Chicago man hung
UP the receiver, 1eli back into a chair
and roared with laughter.
What on earth?7 asked the Wichita
man.
"Oh yelled the Wichita man. 1T was
the widow again. Oh. but she's q dandy:
she's daisy. You ought to have heard
her II she didn't break that fellows
heart"
He paused and looked at his guest.
You see it's this way. Number three
on this line is a grass widow she is
a blonde darling with n voice like
mountain brook and ewes like italian
lakes. She has four sweethearts and the
way she does talk To those men. Talk
about the Auditorium and McVickers.
Why. theatre Amt in it with this phone
You bet when / hear three rung. 1 get
here. on. but she's a razzle-dazdor.'
The next day the Wichita man was
alone i'm the room when the bell rang
three times, Tho Wichita man rushed
10 the phono and pulled the receiver OF.
lie expected something exciting.
What nc heard was "a feminine voic,
crying Indignantly Rubber" And then
4 second later in "A masculine voice: GET
OF the line YOU beast"
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12

The usual amount OF swear.ng-oI vas
done The fiTst az The year and ii good
Intentions make elegant paving. there is
TO lack 81 material fer the tine warm
streets Of another region. a reporter
for The Eagle put his arm orr Tie mahog-
any pf popular resort yesterday ana
held converse with the bar-keeper on New
Years resolutions.
They Ell mako en-. said she .nan
with the snow-whlte apron. and thew
all break en-. Il is furry 10 vat,I,
them after a0oat The third j1y Grown
drops Il and says 'line day Tor this time
Of year He iooks III his watch and
then u the clock. rs Smita drinking
burst last night Wen 1 must be goin-i
He goes as Tar as the 3oar aad th,n
comes beck repaarking that ii is getting
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12
erouaht the cIoek AIona.

a negro who owed r. II. Piatt bill Tor
professional services. after paying a part
OF the debt q few DAYS ago. asked Mr.
Piatt how much vas stin Que.
Five dollars and twenty cents vas
the reply. III ten you how you can
remember that. Just think o. the fact
that you must get up At $50 O'Clock IN the
morning. and that VIII remind you how
much yoG sfm owe me-.
a few DAYS later tie negro returned
to the Office. carrying a clock under his
arm After paving the BIT. be Tas
asked by Mr.. Piau. what did you
bring that clock for
50 7 would know how much 7 owed
yoa. replied the Eas-o with 2 twinkle
in his eye. The clock iz sci - 5s25.r
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-12

Arkansas river suggested this to him
When he got 10 the END OF the Arkan-
sas river bridge he turned into the timber.
took off his old clothes, emptied his
pockets. and flung them into the river.
He then went TO his wagon to get the
bundle of new clothes. but 10 and behold
they were gone, somebody having stolen
them before he left town. He could do
nothing but get back into the wagon
and drive home. He surprised Mrs.
Tucker greatly. but not in the way he
had planned to surprise her.
That was the story which the Judge
IS anxious to suppress from future gen
erations and he called such a competent
and reliable witness as William Matthew
son 10 prove it