davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12
Flowers of the Swamp.

What wealth of rarely beautiful
wild flowers there are in the swamps
and meadows even in July, says Coun-
try Life in America-the vivid beauti-
full cardinal, the false sunfower, or OK.
eye, thelance-leaved fragrant golden
rod, the thimbleweed, the bulb-b bearing
loosestrife, hardhack, the early purple
aster or cocash, the iron-weed or fiat
top, the arrow-leaved tearthumb, the
spearmint, native wild mint and pep
permint,t the Maryland figwort or bee
plant, the great lobelia or blue cardinal
flower, the graceful brook lobelia, the
soft, feathery, tall meadow rue, the
poisonous water hemlock, the blood
thirsty, round-leaved sundew, the
wicked strangleweed or common dod-
der, the gorgeous Turks cap lily, the
queer snake-head or turtle-head, the
fragrant bitter bloom or rose-pink, the
attractive meadow beauty or deer
grass, the sea or marsh pink, the marsh
milkwort, the marsh st. Johnswort,
the white alder or sweet pepperbush.
the boneset or thoroughwort, the climb
ing noneset or hempweed, the jewel
weed, the pale touchme-not, the giant
st. Johnswort and two exquisite
orchids, the yellow -fringed orchids and
the white-fringed orchids. The lowest
and the highest, the SNOWY and the
sober, all await to surprise him who
searches.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The Belgian Government has just is
sued statistical report showing that
the population of Belgium is the
densest in Europe, there being Cos
persons to every square mile, as
against 410 in Holland and $40 in Eng
land. There are still over twelve per
cent. of Belgian soldiers who can
neither read nor write.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

A story of dogs loyalty and bows
love that makes life seem richer, finer
and Infinitely more worth while was
recently told in the New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
A small boy, very ragged and far
from clean, was meandering along
119th street. near Eighth avenue, the
other evening, whistling through his
nngers from time to time to dingy
little cur that nosed about the door.
ways for some dainty droppings from
the mornings garbage can. The bow
carried a huge parcel of old clothing,
ana did not look as If the picking of q
bone or two on his own account would
go amiss.
every now and then the dog would
trot back to his small master long
enough to sniff his bare legs reassur-
ingly in acknowledgment of the peri.
odical whistling.
Presently n great mastiff, wild with
the thought of an hours freedom.
bounded down the steps of an apart.
ment house and came into violent col.
llsion with small boy and bundle
knocking one fiat and rolling the other
into the gutter.
Quick as a flash the hungry little cur
was at the great dogs throat He was
hardly half the size OF the mastiff's
head, but for ten seconds he did battle
not unworthy his big enemy, putting
all the love and loyalty of his homeless
little heart into this attack upon the
giant that had assailed bis master,
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

From Chicago comes the news that
woman has conquered still another
field, over which man formerly reigned
supreme. She is now employed in the
stockyards in Chicago, the last place in
the world that one would expect to
find her To be sure, she does not ac-
tually slaughter the animals, but even
that may come in time. In the pack
ing and canning factories some thou
sands more will find positions. The
work is light, is technically called
Kitchen work." and consists in the
cutting of dried beef. packing of cans,
stufling of sausages, etc.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The Galveston News remarks that
every farm is factory in which ma
ture is the boss. The soil and seed are
workman. These workmen should be
as skilled in their trade as is the ma
chinist, the printer or the steelmaker
1t is come to pass that farming must
be done in the most scientific manner
in order to insure success.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The returns of official experiments on
living animals shows that during 1901
257 licensees performed 11,645 expert
ments. In Ireland ten licensees per-
formed 237 experiments. The report
consists of fifty-four folio pages, gives
a great variety of fruitless detail re-
garding the licensees, and is, to quote
the British Medical Journal, "a monu-
mental record of how the state may
hamper science, and how jealously the
grandmother of parliaments protects
the liberty of guinea pigs to the detri-
ment of the overabundant taxpayer"
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The immigrants arriving now have
a low rate of illiteracy. Last year
sixty-two per cent. of the adult Syrians
who landed at the port of New York
could neither read nor write. The
rate of illiteracy among southern Ital-
ians was fifty-five per cent. and among
the Greek immigrants twenty-one per
cent. Among the Polish immigrants
it was thirty-one.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

National airs are seldom made to
order. The committee of the Society
of the Cincinnati may select a tune
of merit from those submitted and
award its medal. 1t is another thing
to get the people to substitute the tune
thus approved for the glorious melody
which they know as America" ex-
claims the Philadelphia Press.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The business of making collars and
cuffs, according to the showing of the
census returns, appears to be New
York State monopoly. Out of fifty.
seven establishments in the United
States fifty-four are in New York, turn
ing out a yearly product valued at
S15,534, ,461. The output of the three
factories in other States is only $751;
1873 per year.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

A brief but sunny day,
The day of song and toll,
Was it some angel came my way,
And touched with holy oil
My eyes that could no more look out
Upon the barren wastes of doubt?
The threads run to and fro,
The wheel of labor turns,
But in their throbbing mist aglow
A light effulgent burns,
Faith trims the lamp and bids me view
Horizons that 1 never knew.
Boston Transcript,
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12
TWO DAYS.


A long and weary day,
The holiday of doubt,
Glad was | when it went its way,
And when the stars shone out;
For never from its frowning skies
Came peace or rest in any guise.
What freedom for my soul,
What uplift for my prayer,
What larger views, what shining goal
On moorlands, waste and bare?
What wonder that breathed at last
Thanksgiving when the hour was past,
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The electric car and the rush for
seats has brought in strange manners
such as once were associated only with
the Generalization caused by fire or
shipwreck, asserts the Christian Regis
ter.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-12

The fact that wealth doesn't always
bring happiness doesn't make us any
more satisfied with poverty.
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

I totype in the commercial world, but
after he has been in the service for
number of years there attaches to
him a peculiar characteristic which
you find nowhere else in men.
His facial expression assumes a
WEAKNESS, his clothes, his shoes, his
hats slouchiness which is unwar-
ranted in the light of his occupation.
His whole nature seems blighted, and
as one with some incurable ailment,
he measures off the years with stole
indifference, being content to SLOUGH
along If the powers that be will but
permit him to drag his lengthening
chain until the day shall come when
his compatriots in office may gaze at
his vacant desk and suggest that he
worked himself to death just like a
government drudge"
The women clerks, or as they pre-
fer to be called, lady" clerks, dress
well, and in many cases, elaborately.
They are different from the rest of
womankind, and the longer they re-
main in the public service the more
unique they become
They, that is the large majority of
them, are presumptuous, impudent
ana superc1lious. Forgetting the
causes which gave them their posi-
tons, they Indignantly wonder why
Washington official society declines to
accept them.
The gulf between them and "soci-
ETY. is the same as that between capi-
tai and iabor-both have their proper
stations in the community, but the
lady clerk" forgets that oil will not
mix with water.
Among these clerks there is the
eternal striving after the unattainable,
the continuous effort to produce
Impressions that must vanish as the
breath from a mirror. This leads to
1nterminable contests in dress, finery
OF all kinds, and prolonged debates
upon the topic, my influence"
Women usually get into office
either by reason of their pretty faces
or engaging manners. There is
goodly contingent of widows who have
been given places in the public SER
vice because their husbands have
met death while engaged in military
or naval operations or duties. Com
paratively very small percentage of
the women in office have obtained
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
Government clerk in Action.

Of every month they line up outside
"he disbursing officers room and
await their turn at the loot
This is the time when you see the
government clerk with a smile spread
over his dull countenance. At other
times he bemoans his fate-but
would not exchange his position for
the same money in civil life, because
he knows what it means-three hours
more every day, and work twice as
great, without the long summer vaca-
ton or the months sick leave with
pay in case OF illness.
The government clerk is of all
'orts and conditions, just as his pro-
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

unique experience. A round ball en-
tered his nose, knocking out his upper
jaw and teeth. He spit out the ball
and put 1t in his pocket, retaining
1t to this day as a memento of his
army life. In his thirty-eight years
of service with the Senate, Major
Richards. has witnessed innumerable
interesting episodes, and has enjoyed
many experiences.
Senator Blackburn of Kentucky
poured out a glass of ice water and
drank it with evident satisfaction.
There isn't anything quite as good
as water, after ALL" quoth Blackburn.
which, by the way" he added, "re-
minds me of story.
Down in Kentucky" began Mr..
Blackburn, there was farmer, who,
strange to say, did not know the taste
of whisky. One day, at Christmas
time, he was at a neighbor's house
and was invited to sample a mixture
of cream, lemon, sugar, and other
ingredients, commonly known as egg
nog He slipped, then drank, then
drained several mugs. When he
started to go home he felt curious.
when he reached home, he went to
bed. The next morning he awoke
with an awful thirst. Breaking the
thin covering of ice on the water
bucket out on the porch, he took one
long drink.
Mandy, Mandy, come here and
bring the children he shouted, L
never tasted such water in my life.'"
John Marshall Harlan, associate
justice of the United States supreme
court, is one of the prominent figures
in Washington. Born in Kentucky In
1888 he was the recipient of many
honors in his native state before his
appointment to the supreme bench in
1877. During the civil war he COM
manded the Tenth Kentucky regi-
ment, and his record during that
strife is as brilliant as has been his
career at the bar and on the bench.
Representative Mercer of Nebraska.
hustled bill through the recent ses-
sion of Congress in great shape He
made record for quick legislation.
At 2 o'clock one afternoon Mr.. Mer-
Ger asked the House to pass a bill
appropriating 900 for the construc-
tion of a quartermaster's warehouse
at Omaha The House at once Obliged
the popular Nebraskan, who, as soon |
as the vote had been taken, hurried
acFoss taG capitol to the Senate, to |
enlist the aid of Senator Dietrich. The |
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

Franllford. and because or its many
quaint traditions. 1t stands on the
west side of Frarl;ford avenue, a
short distance above Orthodox street,
and has been known for over a cen.
tury and half by the name of Jolly
Post. 1t has long been a famous bit
of property.
During the period prior to the revo-
lution-according to local historians
while the patriotic feelings of the
residents of Oxford township were
fully aroused, the jolly Post was the
scene of frequent gatherings and
warm discussions between the lib
erty-loving colonists and the tories.
All through the war as the fortunes
of the colo,pists fluctuated, when the
British army occupied the city OF
Philadelphia; when the battle of Ger
mantown was fought; when the COM
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
The Law of RecapituIation.

The baby epitomizes in the four or
five years before he grows into a
normal child the whole history of the
human race and is therefore an in
terestins object of anthropological
study.
Before he is born he passes through
stage in which he is a fish with gill
Sits, then through the dog stage,
then through the monkey stage, in
which he has a perfectly apparent
tail After his birth he represents
man in his rudest stage, speechless
and without a glimmer of intelligence
Then he passes through the stone
age, through all the phases of the de-
velopment of the barbaric man, until
at last he reaches the upper plane of
civilization. Biologists call this the
law of reorganization.
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

| farms scattered through the pictdr-
esque Maryland hills, while yet others
seek pastoral seclusions beyond
the historic Potomac in the rolling
uplands of Virginia Chevy Chase,
the suburb that Cleveland made ia
nous, contributes it's generous quota
Of government clerks.
The hour of nine is signaled by
the hoisting of the stars and stripes,
which are run up over all government
buildings, token to the initiated that
the United States government has
begun it's daily routine of clerical
duties, and the administration of
official business.
Like any private enterprise, the
government is obliged to conduct it's
affairs on systematic basis. 1t is
not all politics, nor congressional leg
; islation, nor appointments abroad.
The enormous mass of work that is
done daily consists mainly of the kind
that is done in the great commercial
houses.
To do this the government clerk is
appointed, either through influence
or from the civil service eligible list.
Nearly 10000 clerks are necessary, it
would seem, to do the clerical work
of the government in the departments
at Washington. The work cannot be
described with accuracy. 1t compre-
hends every system of Office work
known to civilized man, and a few
systems known only to barbarians.
The individual clerk is representa-
tive of the class. In short time
he has learned to keep his mouth
shut upon all topics political, and he
has little to say about anything af-
fecting the service as a whole.
He will brag about the work of his
desk and work himself into a state
of pacific frenzy when promotions are
in order, but apart from this he is
very lackadaisical fellow, noted
chiefly for his languid listlessness
whenever he walks along the street
or is not rushing to get to his Office
in time.
The subject of promotion is an
endless source of conversation. 1t
bobs into every question up for dis
cussion no matter how remotely from
it the main proposition began. Hand
in hand with the topic promotion"
goes that of influence"
There was a time, long ago, say in
the seventies or early eighties, when
the word promotion" was synony-
nous with influence" The relation
to-day, specifically, is very distant,
but if investigation could be had, it
would be discovered that the words
are still united in a secret and power
full alliance.
Under such conditions it is scarce
ly to be wondered that the clerks
resort to all manner of subterfuges
to keep their names on the payrolls |
of the United States. Between pay
days they contrive to do their work, |
which in most instances is little |
enough, and on the first and fifteenth |
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
A Natural Curiosity.

It is not to be wondered at that
pearl necklace collected by a de-
ceased nobleman" sold in London for
$4,000. The thought of a deceased
nobleman wandering about collecting
jewels lends a vivacious interest to
the most ordinary transaction and
completely disposes of the theory that
our period of usefulness ceases with
death. Perhaps we should dispute the
story had we not read it in a Sab
bath newspaper-that vast repository
of usefu! and diverting knowledge.
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

panies of both the onial and the
British soldiers marc ed through the
village, and during the long, hard
winter months that Gen. Washington
and his army endured the sufferings
of Valley Forge, the jolly Post was
center of information and discus
sion.
The produest day in the history t..
the Jolly Post and for Fran1ford, too,
for that matter, was when Gen
Washington-as chief
of the armies of the new republican
his way from Philadelphia to New
York stopped for food and rest at
the Post. In later years an attempt
was made to change the name of the
old hotel to Washington headQuar-
ters," but the sentiment in favor of
retaining the original name was too
strong.
According toDLhe numerous good
old stories told about the inn and it's
surroundings George Webster, who
-ook the place in 1907. gave the
Frankford fire company the corner of
the property at Orthodox street and
the turnpike for fire house, and
in 1917 they voted to pay him twenty
five cents year rent for the ground
upon which the engine house stood.
During the days of the old cavalry
companies they met for drill in the
yard of the inn.
For twenty years. from 1873, the
famous old Jolly Post was without a
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

rrteenun street, any morning ex-
cept on legal holidays, between
$50 and 9 O'Clock will observe a
great many thousand people emerging
from numerous congestcd trolley cars
and rushing hitler and thither into
this and that public building near by
If he should ask about them he
would be informed that they are all
government clerks employed in the
various departments in the vicinity.
They live. many of them. as far away
as Baltimore. others have houses or
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

The Old oss Keys was one of the
best-knowrf the colonial inns. 1t is
now over , years old, having been
built in II Historians tell us that
during th9lonial period it was the
custom ofle mail coaches running
between Eadelphia and New York
to stop ate Cross Keys inn, which
became faus the country round for
its noted Aerings. During the revo-
luton it still further brought into
prominenas the rendezvous of both
colonial aBritish officers.
Naturalthere are many interest
ing tradits in connection with
"The Old oss Keys" 1t is said that
Gen. Geo Washington on one oc
casion, we riding along with sev
eral of staff, dismounted and
sought re within the hospita, lie
walls of told inn; and, as the sto y
goes. the mortal commander of the
revolutioy armies partook of a
poultry der, as only a hungry man
can, and ,hed it down with bottle
of rare oFine from the cellar of the
Keys ch was noted for the
quality os old wines.
Durir gthe log-cabin-hard-cide
campaign 1S40 political discussions
of imporfe took place in front of
he inn. ke al! places of it's kind,
here wahe proverbial well, with
N inexhtible supply of pure, clear
water ais on hand to quench the
hirst OIL and beast
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

proval. From the time the House
first acted until the measure becams
law, just two hours elapsed.
An interesting discussion is in
progress In Boston in which ex-Con-
gresham Fitzgerald is insisting that
speech making is an essential factor
TO congressional success, and some
or the newspapers are combating the
proposition. Fitzgerald, when he was
In the House, used to talk great
deal, whereas his successor, Represen-.
tative Connery, delivered his first
speech few days ago, Mr. Connery's
friends insist that the man who talks
least gets the most done.
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
How Two Minks Caught a Big Bass.

''o'V 7V0 T''T''<S OaugW0 Dig DaSS.
While standing on the iron bridge
that spans Salmon River below Lees
vile dam, Charles P. Murkett wit
messed a novel sight Sunday after
noon. Two large minks suddenly
dived down and soon regained the
surface with goodsized bass they
had caught. One had it by the head,
the other by the tail, and together
they hauled it ashore, where they en-
joyed full meal. 1t is a well-knOwn
fact that mink are deadly enemies OF
trout, but it is seldom they are
caught in the act of fishing.-Hart-
ford Courant
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

The Bry OF the old Fiss hotel
and thathe Seven Stars is written
largely l the same lines as is that
of their'e noted predecessor. They
have Iobeen popular roadhouses
and the5 hotel was for long time
one of test known stopping places
ion the between Philadelphia and
New Yon the old coach days. The
ISeven is popular to-day because
of it's mnent situation in the tri-
angularner where the old Oxford
pike runto Frankford avenue.
The J Post, however, is worthy
of speclescription because of the
fact tbs is the oldest hostelry of
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

to go around the Horn from lev
| York. Perkins went home to air
to say goodbye to his folks, AM wbe
he came back the mate on z shi
refused to take him, saying at thI
vessels complement was file [. Dis
couraged, but not defeated, Perkin
went to the skipper.
The ships full" said the captaI;
Perkins didn't give a contfna
whether it was or not He was
to California even if he had to
himself away in the hold, and
told the captain so.
Can you c1ew up the tops'ls?"
ed the captain. 4
Yes" said Perkins.
A dozen more questions were al
ed him, and all of them were !
swered so satisfactorily that the cd
tain shipped the lad as. a seai11(
before the mast II -
we really don't need you, MP
said the captain, tand would1N H
taken you if you had not beN apd
ID determined to CO."
The wife of Senator Julius iatSs
rows of Michigan, is notableS lss
hOoISSs. 1nOuSn ner huSDaef4
only elected to the Senate in s.
had previously served for a
of years in the House of Red gbio
t1Ves, and so she is looked sr1seal
quite an "old Wash1ngtortian," as the
phrase is, in that town of kaleido-
scopic changes. The Burrows came
from Kalamazoo, and they occupy
very handsome house at 14o4 Massa.
chusetts avenue.
A paragraph is going the rotrads of
the newspapers accrediting Senator
Bacon of Georgia, with a eulogy ~
the peanut. ,
There is no question that the =
nut is nutritious and appetizing,
it is also true that if you eat opS
craving for a handful is intens>tna assss'H
fact is well known to the boyr
sell peanuts on the train ThesEe ~
once boy who failed to disposo "as
any part of his stock of peanuts. OF
a more experienced vendor t. =,
him a trick. =
Leave one peanut with each
senger," said the wise counseHo
the new boy. "The moment ga
eats one peanut he'll buy a bag.'a Ian
And it's true. Try it yourself
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

Mr.. Fitzgerald has closed the dis
cussion with this contribution:
"A man who goes to Washington
and can't talk should stay at home"
1t pays to be persistent. If Senator
Perkins. when a small boy, had not
hung on like grim death, he would
never have reached California; and
If he had rot reached California, he
never would have been elected gov
ernor and senator.
1t was in 1856 that Mr.. Perkins,
then a boy agreed with q shipmate
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
Criticised Reeds Methods

William NJ. Evarts once met Thorn
as B. Reed in the Capitol at Wash
ington, and said to him: ''Mr. Speak
er, / half suspect that you believe
deliberate body is like a woman
If it deliberates 1t is lost"
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08
Governor Wlth a Reooro

Like other chief executiv, de-
Crane of Massachusetts, writes,w WI
sages annually to the state 10
ture, but his appear to be full of ~ ~
ideas, for every suggestion hees =
made in the past three years has
enacted into laws.
The Rice belt journal., 1902-08-08

their places on competitive examina-
ton under the civil service
All in all, these clerks, female and
male, regulars and contemporaries,
are accomplished and similar in one
respectfully know how to kill time
during office hours, and that time is
killed not by doing government work.