davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
FROM The DEAD LETTER OFFICE
By JAMES SPENsER

Copyright, 1902, by the S. S. Mcclure Co.
The doctor had told young James Ridgely
to hunt UP a quiet place and give himself
six weeks rest, and Cressyille was the To-
cality selected. The young man found him
self the only stranger in the village
While he proceeded to rest the villagers
proceeded to size him up At the end Of a
week Josiah Flint who could tell the differ
ence between potato Dyer and a lightning
rod man forty rods away, announced that he
was satisfied. Young Ridgely belonged to
neither class mentioned, said Josiah, but was
the son of "a banker and therefore a perfect
gentleman.
His announcement was followed by that of
Miss Ruth Williams, who was also satisfied.
Miss Ruth had seen her twenty-ifth birthday.
She was the daughter Of poor but proud
widow. She herself was also poor, but proud
The widow did dressmaking and millinery
and was assisted by her daughter. Poor but
proud people must do something to earn their
bread and butter.
It was Miss Ruth's opinion that the young
and good looking stranger was a missing
heir and that he ought to be- made to feel
at home in Cressville while waiting to be
discovered" Her mother looked up from
her work to add:
Ruth, you are twenty five years old
'Well, yon needn't throw it in my face
was the reply.
You ought to get married"
'Well?"
''Set your cap for the stranger"
''pm going to-
She did. She had been setting her cap for
various and divers men since she was twenty,
and if she hadn't met with luck it was not her
fault. 1t had always happened that they died
or got married to some one else or had to
leave Cressvilie to avoid the sheriff.
The young man who had come to rest his
nerves took long morning walks. Ruth Will
liams found out about it from the inn
keepers daughter and took sunrise stroll.
She took 1t in just the direction and just at
horse by young Ridgely. He dashed forward
like hero and beat the old horse back, and
Miss Ruth duly expressed her gratitude and
almost tainted away. 1t was an suspicious
beginning. -...-.. ..--. a.-
In three days more it was the talk of Cress-
vile that Ruth Williams had Captured the
stranger. They went riding and walking to-
gether. She exhibited him to the neighbors
and held her poor but proud head higher
than ever before. At the end of the second
week they were supposed to be engaged. If
anybody had denied the rumor, it would
have been asserted that young Ridgely had
sat with her on the front piazza two sue
cessive evenings till after s o'clock.
Ruth, have you got him." asked the
mother as the rumors reached her ears.
HE hasn't proposed yet, but
II see Ruth, don't let him get away"
Ruth didn't mean to; but, alas, young men
will stray. Uncle Jason Davis was postmaster
at Cressville. but as he was in bed with
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
The PREVENTION OF PANICs

Mr.. S. r. Flynn, president of the Ma
tional Live Stock Bank, of Chicago, told
the Minnesota Bankers convention at
be prevented. He took the interesting
ground that panies are the price Of boom
ing prosperity. And when he said that he
would rather have exuberant prosperity
and intense activity followed by panics;
that is, rest for repairs, than a humdrunl
commercial existence without intense ac-
tivity or intense depression, he was spon-
taneously arplauded. That applause gave
force to Mr.. Hymns declaration that pan
les are Enthusiastically American, just
as characteristic as American prosperity.
Mr.. Flynn sees in possible legislation
and banking evolution some measure of
mitigation of the severity of panics and
the ensuing, depressions, but so long as
human nature remains as it is, he sees
no hope of graduating the American
business paric. This is the conviction of
most people in this country, though they
come to it rather blind1y, saying that we
have always had panics and always will
have them. 81" ..' 49, So ~,:.-c =
Neither in assets currency. nor in
branch banks does Mr.. Flynn see hope of
radical changes. though he does see in
them some Improvement of existing con-
ditions. He agreed with the country
banker that the independent bank is good
for the banker and good for
the community. It was strong COM
mon sense in the people to oppose the
Capitalization of banking power in gov
eminent bank. Through community of
ownership there would be evolved all over
the country groups OF banks that world
serve the main purpose of branch banks
and would yet retain the advantages Of
independent banks. All the legislation re-
quired would be something giving legal
standing to a system brought about BY
evolution. Assets currency, Mr.. Flynn
thought, could not be brought about until
the banking evolution had worked out it's
finished product. In the meantime no
would be content with the present cur
rency, desiring only the restoration of
the refunding privilege which would en-
able the continuation of the national
debt after 1880. s. 49,. ~ s4,<zs:s
Mr. F1ynn's address was q very impress
sive one. We are in thorough accord
with his idea that natural and laudable
evolution will work out a banking system
better adapted to American needs than
any imported system. But it does not
seem to us economically sound to urge
that national debt be- maintained In or
der to prevent curtailment of the circu-
lating medium. 1t ought to be possible
to provide at once paper currency that
will, not rest upon a debt maintained for
that sole purpose, : ~ 5....-...
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
A RIDICULOUS STRADDLE

The unwisdom of a county convention
attempting to define party policies, par
ticularly on national lines, was we'll illus
trated yesterday in the Hennepin repub-
lican county convention, where plat
form, as long as a national convention has
any business to frame, was promulgated.
i The folly of such an undertaking is seen
in the conflicting resolutions with regard
to the Minnesota delegation in congress
and the national administration. There
was first resolution indorsing President
Roosevelt, and declaring sentiments of
approval so complete and exhaustive as
to leave no question as to thorough
committal to his policy in all PARTICULARS,
Now the most characteristic feature of
President Roosevelt's administration, or
policy, and the one upon which he has
laid the most emphasis, has been Cuban
reciprocity. If this resolution indorsing
the administration means anything, it
means the Endorsement Of the presidents
Cuban reciprocity policy. d
y Further along the platform proceeds
to indorse the Minnesota delegation. 1t
does 1t in general terms, it is true, but
the general terms become more than gen.
eral and perfunctory when the conven-
. ton, In connection with that resolution,
turns down one specifically indorsing the
presidents Cuban policy, and does so
tmanifestly for fear that it might be taken
as censure of the delegation; so that, In
the end, the convention is placed in the
ridiculous attitude Of saying in one
breath that it Endorses the president,
Cuban reciprocity policy, and all, and in
tho next breath it indorses the delegation,
.anti-Cuban reciprocity and all.
i; Such straddlng deceives nobody, not
even the members of the convention
themselves, and the net result is I'M
profitable. .
It will be interesting to see whether
the state convention will perpetrate the
same kind of a straddle and say nothing
In an equally ambiguous and circuitous
fashion. 1t is to be hoped not. If the re-
publicans of Minnesota have any convic-
lions on the subject let US have them ex-
pressed one way or the other, and no
lodging. Either they indorse the presi-
dents Cuban reciprocity policy, or they
do not. And if they say anything about
the matter at all it would better be said
so as to mean something. ="
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
Books and Authors
THE NEW SAUL

me ATLANTA Constitution, discussing south
ern novels, expresses the opinion that they
are not at all satisfactory and are Eat best
but cartoon studies In efforts to accomplish
an ideal canYass-that composite tabeau
that with one master stroke of genius will
reveal the living spirit of southernism in its
era, be it colonial, revolutionary, civil war
reconstruction or extant ~
What this 'southerism" is, is not very
clearly explained by the Constitution,
although it breaks forth in series Of verbal
coruscations which suggest the brilliant, but
eVanescent many-colored stars, which come
from an exploding rocket in mid air.
we are told that it Is cult Of civilization,
which "bears the truthmarks of divine sentI-
naturalization" and was 'tcradled in purple
and carried silver spoon in it's mouth -
was trained in authority and endowed with
baronial bearings, and inspired poetry from,
amethyst mountains and sunshot summer
streams and seas, and a deal more of the
same kind, and then we are told that this
''southernism" stands forth full-panoplied
with the power, prestige and predictions Of
unique personality among the sons of men
"a new Saul in the midst of his brethren
No novelist, we are assured, has YET
psychological and revealed the sublimal self
of that Saul"
1T may be gathered from all this that new
conditions in the south have bred new spirit
and temper. There is no use going back to
this Sauls youth or middle age. 1t is hardly
true that the southern novelists who have
written in the last third Of century, have
misrepresented the colonial, slave period and
post bellum southern conditions very greatly
isouthernism produced no novel of real i'm
portance before the war. Something worth
while was produced when Cable began to
write His novels can hardly be called Gear
toon studies. Mary Johnston does some bet
ter work in fiction than cartooning. James
Lane Allan, Miss Murfree, John Uri Lloyd
Thomas Nelson Page and several others VINO
might be named have been an honor to the
new south in the domain Of fiction There
would seem to be enough ''southernism' in
their books to satisfy any reasonable per.
son. There is something better than "divine
sentimentalism' in their work. Much of i.
is real and living portrayal Of soul, body and
spirit The new Saul would seem to have
Interpreters. He is a deal more practica,
than the old Saul. He has quit dreaming ana
moldering and has gone to do his share ot
construction work of the world. The days OF
divine sentimentalism" are over. Southern
novelists are increasingly Kidding themselves
Of the incubus. The day Of Caroline Lee
Hentz Is gone forever in the south.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
HoNoRs FOR CAPT. CLARK
Pittsturg Chronicle-TeIegranh

Z Plttsturg Chronicle-Telegraph.
Captain Clark of the Oregon is to have his
reward at last There were difficulties In the
way of recognizing his great services in
making the remarkable run around Cape
Horn and bringing his ship in good fighting
trim to the Cuban coast where 1t did erect
i've work in smashing the Spanish squadron.
President Roosevelt was extremely DESTROYS
of rewarding Captain Clark, however, and
offered him the honor pf representing the
navy at the coronation Of King Edward This
distinction Captain Clark felt Obliged, to de-
cline. Although he did not give as a reason
for declination the fact that he could not
afford to accept, At is well known that none
tary considerations actuated him. He Is roor
in this world s goods, but rich in patriotism
and in the regard of his fellow fcountrymen,
who will rejoice to see him made q rear adj
miral 9s 80. 81 + vs. e Il .s;s
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

. The senate yesterday voted to appro-
pirate $40 10000 for an Appalachian for
est reserve. If the bill shall become law
the government will have undertaken an
other novel project. The existing forest
reserves in this country were created
merely by keeping land owned by the gov
eminent. In the case of the Appalachian
forest the government has to purchase
justifable as the irrigation project The
denudation of the slopes of the Appla-
chiaps has already seriously affected COM
merce and agriculture in several states.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

rheumatism and his wife had to nurse him.
his niece, Miss Betty Sweet, came over from
Akron to help out in postal affairs. She was
girl OF twenty and fairly good looking.
She didn't set her cap for the stranger, but
in his calls at the postofice he became ac-
quainted with her and at length asked her to
go boat riding on the mill pond She went.
and the widow laid aside the hat she was
trimming to say to her daughter:S
Ruth, that chit of girl must be crushed"
II shall crush her. replied the daughter.
But Betty Sweet refused to be crushed
and young Ridgely refused to devote: his en-
tire attention to either He was having
mild Irritation to assist the recovery of his
nerves, and time passed pleasantly.
On, the evening previous to his departure
he sat on the piazza with Ruth. She had
arranged 1t so. The mother had gone to take
home dress, with orders to hang OUT as
long as possible. 1t was ideal evening for
a proposal, and Ruth divided the subject into
twenty-four parts and worked every one Of
them for all it was worth. It was in vain,
however. The nearest the young man could
be got to approach the dangerous subject was
an admission that when he got married he
should have hollyhocks in his front yard.
When he finally left, he said he might write,
and as the words were accompanied by sigh
Ruth felt that she was still justified in hoping
on. .-. s--a
A week passed, anu no letter came. linen
a second week followed. At the end Of that
time Ruth understood how it was A letter
had arrived, but had been suppressed by
Betty Sweet, who was, of course, determined
to prevent marriage. In another week It
was public gossip that Betty had tempered
with the mails. She denied it, OF course.
Some one thought it his duty to write to
Washington about it, and it finally came
about that an inspector arrived in Cressville
and proceeded to inspect.
Ruth Williams had lodged no formal CONF
plant All she had said or would say was:
"Mr. Ridgely was to write me. He must
have written. What has become Of the let
ter?" -..
The inspector was forced to spend several
days in listening and questioning. He might
have doubled the days had not the dead
letter office solved the mystery. 1t returned
to Miss Ruth Williams of Cressville a letter
that had been misdirected to Miss Ruth Will
liams Of Copesville. She opened it in tha
presence of the inspector and fifty of the in
terested VILLAGERS. It was from young Ridge
ly, and 1t read:
My Dear Miss Ruth-One of my sleeve links
has been missing since my return. Did lose
it on the piazza the last evening Of my stay
in your restful little town? With kind re-
membranes to all
''This is not exactly proposal" said the
inspector as the letter was read.
"N-no," replied the blushing Ruth.
but it may lead to one, and. while con.
graduate you on the one hand, on the other
think you all owe an apology to Misc
Sweet"
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
The Journal is on sale at the news
stands of the following hotels:

The Journal is on sale at the news
stands Of the following hotels:
Pittsburg, Pa.-Du Quesne.
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St. Louis, Mo.-Planters'- Hotel. Southern
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Seattle, Wash.-Butler Hotel
Portland, Oregon-Portland Hotel, Perkins
Hotel
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
THE THRUSH

The briers and leaves and the underbrush
Are in league with the Thrush.
They are full Of subtle and quick suspicion:
And when l am trying to find admission
Into the thicket, they reach to stay me:
And all the vines and the thorns delay mss
And when am creeping along, along,
Softly, lest should break the song,
The vines will hutter
With words of fear,
And the leaves will utter,
"Anear-aneari"
And the Thrush will stop,
And suddenly drop.
Into the dusk OF the underbrush.
Then will listen, and in the hush
The ear perceives
A step In the leaves;
And look below
In the shady room,
And his browns aglow
In the leafy gloom;$
And l catch his eye,
So warily shy,
And then-we are almost friends-and then
There are the chattering leaves again,
Foolish, timoruos leaves that cry,
'.Have care for the folk that pry!'
Mary Burt Messer in the Atlantic Monthly.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

To-day's democratic convention Is the
first one held in Minnesota in six years
that has not had its most important
work mapped out. 1t will be interesting
to see what kind of a candidate for gov
ernor will be found without any one
greatly desiring the place, the choice,
therefore, being left to the sober judg-
ment of the convention as to who is the
best man for the place.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
ADJUSTMENTS
Foyer Chat.

I'm Paradise has caught on at the Met
ropolitan. 1T is light, French farce, we'll
suited to the silly season, and it is proving
immensely popular. Nothing funnier than
Jack Amory's mpefsonation of Papa Pent-
bchot has been seen on>the local stage in a
long time. The farce: has been adapted by a
man who thoroughly understands his trade.
The Partisan slang, always unintelligible to
the average American audience, which did
much to carry the piece to success abroad,
has been eliminated, and in it's stead appear
terse American expressions, always under
standable and always to the point.
DARBY Day will come to Minneapolis next
week. when the :Frawley company will pre-
sent 1.-THE Sporting Duchess at the Metro
poitan. The play is an English racing
in which l. the heroine is the
Duchess of Milford, who conducts a racing
stable under; the name Of 'tMr, Miner, ''rand
its final scene shows the Darby course and
the finish of the great race: The piece is in
four acts and twelve scenes. Thirty people
will be upon the stage. .,--~.~.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
DEMOCRATS AND TRUSTS
Portland fMel Press

fortIdnQ lMe,1 PreSS.
The Indiana democratic platform denounce3
the party tor It's surrender to trusts. Appar-
emily the democrats do that from force OF
habit. All that has been done to suppress
trusts has been done by the republican party.
The Sherman antitrust act was passed by a
republican congress, and republican presi-
dent has recently brought into court the TO-
called meat trust and the railroad combination
projected by Messrs. Morgan and Hill. ALI
that the democrats have to show In support
Of their alleged hostility to trusts is a lot Of
windy defamation. u. stst.N
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

tainly seems more just and more business
like to provide the dairyman with inspec-
ton before he purchases than six months
or year afterward. AS 1t is when he
kills his diseased animals and purchases
others he has no guarantee that they will
not soon have to be killed. In the mean
time the public is not protected against
the milk from such COWS.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

TIL 10 u II N A l. is published
every evening, except Sunday, al
47-49 Fourth Street South, journal
Building, minneapolis, Mimi. s..
G. J. Bi!lson, Manager Foreign Adver-
Using Department. --
NEW YORK oFFICE-s6, 81. So Tribune
building. -.
CHICAGO oFFIcE-so7, 3os Stock Ex-
change building. 49, =
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

( However questionable may be the ad-
mission of Arizona and New Mexico at
the present time it is rank injustice to
keep Oklahoma out any longer. It may
be that the friends of Oklahoma have
prejudiced her case by insisting on the
admission of all the territories. but
whether wronged by friends OF opponents
Oklahoma,s wrong is none the less hard
Ito bear.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

Colonel Willard Glazier, who 'discov
cred" the true source of the Mississippi
in 1881. is bound for Labrador, where he
advertises he will discover" a lot more
things. This discovering habit, with its
prominent symptom Of, self-advertis-
nent, makes Colonel GDazier a most
amusing person. :
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

y While it would seem that 1t Is worth
while to remove tubercu1ous cattle from
dairy herds, even If no means are pro-
vided for preventing the addition Of such
animals to the herds there II no doubt
that the state board of health has the
correct purpose in view in suggesting that
it should be made impossible for dairy
men to purchase diseased COWS. 1T cer-
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

1t is strange that Messrs Reid, and
Choate should have made such blunder
as to decorate their London residences
with grotesque limitations Of the Amori-
can flag having only ten stripes and
twenty-five stars. The Indignation Of
the American colony in London is right
eous
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

The democracy Of Nebraska, like that
of Minnesota, is reduced to such a low
estate that one man, is its breath of life.
Without Bryan in Nebraska and Lind in
Minnesota, the offensive power of de-
mocracy in the two states is small in
deed .-''5.:@ =.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
RELIGION GROWING IN AMERICA

New York Press,
According to statistics given In the Church
Economist, which is not published dn the In
terest OF any one denomination, church menu
bership in this country has sustained an as
tonishing increase during the last ferty years.
This gain being related to the growth in pop
ulation as 16 to S. More money is given to
churches than ever. more old churches ara
paying their debts. and more new churches
are rising than heretofoges
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
THE MAGAZINES

The International Monthly contains some
very interesting features, among which is
paper on 'Anti-semitism In Europe by Rab-
bi Gottheil OF the Temple Emmanuel. New
York city, o distinguished Jewish scholar. He
very truly points out the absurdity Of the
term antisemitisn. the crusade of fanati-
cisn not being directed against the Semitic
branch of the human family, but only, against
Judaism. which stands for a, religion and
,cteed held by portion Of the descendants OF
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
COMPLAINTS

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office in every case where their pa
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or when the collections are not
promptly made.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
JOURNAL ELEPHONE-All de-

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partments ruay now lie reached ON
the Northwestern system by calling
for Main 8. Central will connect
you with The Journal switchboard,
the operator ON which will connect
you with any department or person
you desire, ar Will tell you W hon to
call for If you state your busineSs.
Twin City Teiephones-Busine
No. D; EDITORIAL, No. IL; Subscription.
No. 1872. =. 49,.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
CONTINUED

All papers are continued until an ex-
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and until all arrearages are paid. -
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25

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