davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
~ ~ On the ~ ~
Cathedral Roof
BY FRANK L. POLLOCK.

n HE front of the cathedral in a
city on one of the great lakes
rises in a square stone tower to q
height of so or 60 feet above the
ridge of the roof. On the street face
of this tower shines a large gilded
cross. 1t is illuminated at night by
nine incandescent electric lamps, and
great deal of pride is taken by the
parishioners in this decoration.
One night in February, however,
the lamps failed to burn, and the
next morning Willis Carter, line
man of the Electric Light company,
was sent up the tower ladders to as
certain the reason. Without any
great difficulty he found and repaired
n break in the circuit, and then de-
scended again to the open-arched
belfry below. Here he stopped for q
moment and leaned from one of the
large, unglazed windows to enjoy the
view.
He was nearly IS feet above the
city, and he could see far out over
the green lake. A hard east wind
swept through the belfry with a
force that caused the bells to vibrate
with faint humming as they hung.
The window from which Carter
leaned overlooked the rear of the
cathedral and was not more than
four or five feet above the ridge of
the gently sloping roof. The cold
breeze made his position anything
but comfortable, and he was about to
go down when an unusually sharp
gust whipped the cloth cap from
his head and dropped it on the
roof below, four or five feet out from
the tower and about yard down the
slope.
There seemed to be no particular
difficulty about recovering it, how
ever; Carter was used to clambering
about giddy heights, and he promptly
swung himself out of the window to
the roof below. Rain had fallen DUR
ing the night, mixed with little
sleet, and the slate roof was slippery,
although not iced. So he had to sit
down astride the roof and hitch him
self along slowly till he came oppo-
site the spot where the cap lay.
He leaned over to reach it, but it
was little farther than he thought;
probably it had been moved again by
the wind. He leaned farther, over
balanced suddenly, tried to throw
himself backward-and in the space
of a single gasp he found himself on
the fat of his back and sliding head
foremost down the inclined roof.
The horror or that moment was in
describable. He expected at every in
stant to go flying over the edge. 1t
seemed to him that he was moving
with terrible speed, and he had
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Norway exports four-ffths of IL
dried and salted cod. -.
Tea consumed in England is SUI
jccted to . duty of 10 cents per
pound.
As a consequences of artificial prop
agation. the yield of cod in the coast
al waters between Maine and New
Jersey has in ten years increased 50
per cent.
The rates of illegitimate births In
some foreign cities are: Vienna and
Prague, 80 per cent; Stockholm, 80;
Paris, 20; Munich, 20; Copenhagen.
rs; st. Petersburg. "a; Madrid. 20;
Dresden, 20; Rome, IS; Berlin. Is.
Three hand-cuffcd native conticts
jumped on Ia mail train in Bengal
while it was going at 10 miles an
hour. Two Sikh warders. jumped
after them Two of the convicts were
killed and one of the warders injured
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

study and investigate. Moreover, a
senator says that all of our people are
interested in what we captured from
Spain, and what we shall do with it all.
The island of Porto Rico is one
fourth less in area than the state of
Connecticut, but supports population
about one-third greater than that of
the nutmeg state. The agricultural
wealth of the island was particularly
demonstrated when it supported its
dense population, and also paid heavy
tributes in taxation to Spain, and in
remittances to absent landlords, many
of whom never set foot on the soil of
the dependency, which was naturally
so independent. Moreover, this was
done when there were no modern meth
ods, implements nor appliances, no
good roads, few railroads and unim-
proved harbors.
The treasury department and the de-
partment of agriculture are now begin
ming to take official interest in the har-
bors of Porto Rico, and none too soon.
The condition OF the harbors could not
be worse, except by seismic disturb
ances. They are absolutely without
improvements. and the cost of ship
ping the proaucts of the fertile soil
amounts to an export tax upon the
people. Large portions of the products
of Porto Rico are brought to the coasts
on pack animals, or on the heads of
men and women; and, when brought
there, the products must be lightered
out to vessels in the harbors, because
there is no pace where very large
ship can come to dock. Official cog
nizance is being taken of this and
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

similar benighted conditions which
prevailed previous to that naval en-
gagement in which the victorious COM
mander exclaimed: There is glory
enough for us ALL"
While the agricultural wealth of this
island is marvellous it is restricted. The
people export their products, while
they import their food. Wheat, corn.
rice, nearly half of their imports are
cereal and other agricultural Iproducts.
Casual visitors from this country, par
ticularly from our prairie states, view
the steep mountains and decliyities and
wonder how any portion of the isla nd
car be capabl of cultivation.
The pains along the coast, if SUBJ
jected to modern scientific drainage
and fertilization can become ipex-
haustible food producers. At present
they produce excellent tobacco, corn.
bananas and pineapples. The sea-
shores are lined with cocoanut trees.
In the interior coffee, oranges, lines
and lemons flourish. The oranges are
said to be the finest in the world. and
they ripen earlier than the Florida
product. so that they are paced upon
the market early in August and some
times in July of each year This, too.
with the oranges in their wild state.
Tor very few acres have yet been culti-
Jated.
The coffee crop is cultivated, but not
eeientifcally. 1t begins to ripen along
the coast IN August and September and
e all ready for market by the close OF
October. II the mountains the co1Fee
eron bseins to ripen IN November, and
81 4erinG eQptinu<s until the middle
q ~ etep eeespiez par
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
ARE USING OUR PEANUTS.
European OIL Manufacturers Re.
ceive Large Quantities of the
American Product,

One of the most interesting incidents
in the oil trade of Marseilles, during
the past six months, has been the re-
ceipt of several hundred tons of shelled
peanuts from this country for the
great oil trade of that city. They are
the first peanuts ever exported from
the United States to the oil mills of
that city. 1t has been surprise to
the oil trade of Europe, for it has al
ways been understood that the cost
of labor in the United States would
prevent our competition with the Afri-
can and Indian exporters. 1t has also
been asserted that our peanut is not
so rich in oil as that brought from
Africa or India; but our consul at Mar
seilles writes that the quality of the
American nuts has proved to be very
satisfactory and that there will be
market for as many as can be shipped
from the southern states, states the
New York Sun.
The European manufacturers of
vegetable oils, and particularly those
of Marseilles, consume enormous
quantities of peanuts, which are
brought by the shipload, mostly from
the west coast of Africa and India.
This nut, very rich in oil, is ground
every year by millions of bushels in
the old world. 1t has come to be used
largely as substitute for olive oil,
which it very much resembles in taste
anc smell. In fact, great quantities
OF 1t are now used as olive oil by con-
sumers, who do not know the differ
ence. Consul Thomas, of Marseilles,
wrote to the state department awhile
ago that great many people in the
United States are using peanut oil for
table purposes, under the impression
that it is olive oil.
The African peanut sometimes gets
to this country in quantities. Two
years ago very large manufacturer
OF confectionery in the west was dis
satisfied with the quotations which he
had obtained from peanut dealers at
home for the nuts he wished to use
in the making of "burnt almonds" )" pea
nut candy and the cheaper grades of
chocolates. Several months passed,
and finally one of the dealers, who
thought the manufactures must be
getting very hard up for peanuts,
wrote to him. He was informed by re-
turn mail that the manufacturer had
all the peanuts he wanted. as he had
bought schooner load from Africa.
We pay to the owners of peanut
stands and others who retail this nut
about $40, ,000, 900 year for the 1000, 900
bushels we eat; and we do the shelhng
besides. Southern farmers also feed
them to their hogs and make hay of
the vines. During the civil war, when
the southern states were very hard
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

sickening vision of the sharp-pointed
iron fence that surrounded the ca
thedral, on which he would probably
fall. He tried to grip the smooth,
slated surface of the roof; there was
absolutely nothing to cling to. He
could see only the sky, and he shut
his eyes, expecting momentarily to
feel the roof fall away from under
meath.
But after what seemed an incalcu-
liable time of agony, the motion
stopped. Carter opened his eyes
again, and to his astonishment per
ceived that he had slid not more than
three or four yards. The slope OF
the roof was very gentle-not more
than 40 degrees from the horizon
tal-and it was this fact alone that
had saved him from shooting off to
the brick pavements so feet below.
His head swan from his inverted
position, and his first thing to do
was to shift to more normal atti-
tude. One has strange sensation
of helplessness in lying with. his
head lower than his heels. But at
the first, faintest movement he made
in this attempt his delicate tenure Of
place was disturbed, and again he be-
gan to glide gently down the slippery
states.
In vain he tried to check the fatal
motion that was carrying him nearer
and nearer to the edge. There was
nothing whatever to grasp at; not so
much as a nail-head. Even where
slate Vas cracked or broken he could
not work his fingers into the tiny
crevices. But after sliding six or
eight feet he came to q stop again.
and again lay motionless.
This time he was careful to lie abb
oolutely still. hardly daring to
bfeothe. and he thought hard. He
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Halo, Ind, Jan. 27th.--In answer,
Mrs. L. C. Bowers of this place has this
to say:
II had Kidney Trouble which, neg
lected, finally ran into Diabetes; my
teeth all got loose and part of them
came out; passed from mone-and-a-half
to two gallons of water in twenty
four hours, and such q burning sensa-
tion attended it that I could hardly
bear 1t. lost forty pounds in flesh
and was very much discouraged.
1.-TWO doctors treated me and / took
every Kidney Medicine I could hear Of,
but got no relief whatever from any
thing till / began to use D6dd's Kidney
Pills.
"Seven boxes of this remedy drove
away every symptom I have men
toned.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

by scientists who have recently in.
vestigated this section that the soil is
SO rich that but little tillage is re,
quired; and that is the reason that
the mountain coffee districts are Sc
productive. The mountain coffee is
cut with machetes, or short swords
In this manner the soil is cleared OF
the wild growth of coffee, but the roots
are left alive, and they help to hold
the ground in place, while they also
furnish forth the basis of the ensuing
crops.
African slavery once existed on the
sugar plantations, and on this account
the laborers on the northern and
southern coasts are colored. But in
the interior the laborers are white ma :
tives. The average days wages is 25
cents in American money, and the la
borers board themselves. They do
not require much clothing; only suf-
ficient to cover their nakedness. They
are patient, good natured and gratified
with the change which has come over
their government.
When the American army landed at
Guanica in July. 1898, the commanding
general sent word to our national cap
ital that he did not want any more
meat sent to his army from this coun-
try. This was because he found such
splendid cattle ready at hand. They
are of large size, of uniform light red
color, and they fatten easily. The
cows are almost as large as the oxen,
but they do not yield milk in proper
tion to their size. The heat there is
SO great and so constant that milk can
only be kept by Immediately boiling it.
The people know nothing of cream or
butter.
There are no public lands in Porto
Rico, and whoever is inclined TO 90
there for the purpose of making a
home must go prepared to buy the land
from the holders, many of whom re-
side in Europe, the maiority of them in
Spain. Of course there are some small
estates, but substantially none of them
for sale. The price of land, however.
is comparatively low. when its fertility
and inexhaustibilty are considered.
Ambitious farmers with fair amount
of capital might go there and pros
per.
But before any encouragement
should be given to our people to go
there with view of making fortunes.
it must be understood that the gov
ernment must have time to improve
some of the harbors, if not all of them.
Then there must be established lines
of fast steamers for tourist travel. and
other lines of freight vessels to ia
ciiitate trade relations between Porto
Rico and the continent.
Transportation and irrigation are
needful. Large tracts of land in the
of the island might be pur-
chased now by men of means, to be
held unit, the suggested improve
ments are made; as they undoubtedly
will be made some time. When there
are railways or tramways from the
to the coast, three or four
times the amount of coffee now pro-
duced can be raised there The same
may be said of all of the staples of the
island.
These facts, obtained from official
are not calculated to encour-
age anxious inquirers to leave their
happy homes to go TO Porto Rico.
SMITH u rRy
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
ticular attention thus during seven

months of every year.
There are two mountain ranges on
the island, the Cayey and the Loquillo,
and they are almost parallel to each
other. The Cayey range is unbroken
from end to end of the island, at dis
tance of from to Is miles of the
south coast; but the Loquillo range is
broken by many valleys through which
streams rising on the other range
make their way to the ocean. The
Loquillo is nearer to the north coast
than the Cayey is to the south coast.
On either side of these ranges, next to
the north and south coasts, are beau
tiful plains sloping tothe shore. These
plains are about five miles wide on
the southern coast, and average three
miles in width on the north coast.
They are very fertile, and with proper
cultivation would last as wealth pro-
ducers for all time. The plains are of
rich alluvium soil. Along the eastern
portion of the island the lack of rain
fall is lamentable, and scientific irri-
CATION will be necessary to bring them
to a condition of permanent value.
One of the most wonderful things in
Porto Rico is the depth of the soil on
the face of the steep mountains, and
the fact that the natives cultivate this
soil to the very peaks of the highest
ranges, causes astonishment to our
people who visit the island.
The rainfalls at certain seasons are
terrific, torrential and driven by hur-
ricanes. 1t is marvellous that these
cliffs and peaks are not washed bare to
the solid stone. But the Soil sticks to
its allotted place; and there are no land
slides such as might be expected and
anticipated. 1t is supposed that be-
cause there are no frosts to aid the
rains in dislodging the decaying rocks,
and because of the porosity of the bed
rock, the rain is absorbed almost as
rapidly as it falls, even when it comes
most violently. 1t is officially stated
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Upon the page already adorned NTH
"tennis. elbow" bicycle heart" /" "colf
tongue" and polo shin" science now
indexes new fashionable ailment, the
"auto squint-" Detailed description
makes it clear that in this disease the
"pyramidalis nasi is set at high tension
and the levator labii superioris alaeque
nasi is drawn tight. This distorts the
orbicularis oris." The reader sees At
glance how it all happens. The au-
tomobilist is kept looking so far
ahead for dogs, pigs, trucks. bicyclists,
freight trains. baby wagons and other
incidental annoyances that his face be-
comes scanned and wrinkled and the
pupil of the eye unnaturally strained.
Chicago Journal.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

"And now that you are through
college, what are you going to do?''
asked a friend of the youthful cam
didate.
Il shall study medicine" was the
grave reply of the young man.
"But isn't that profession already
overcrowded?" asked the friend.
Possibly 1t is" answered the
knowing youth, "but propose to
study medicine just the same, and
those who are already in the pro-
fession will have to take their
chances."-London Tit-Bits.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Mrs. Dash-The idea of Mrs. Fash
having society aspirations; why, her
father was q huckster!
Mr.. Dash-Yes; she's entirely too
forward. She ought to hang back
until people have forgotten it. Now,
in our case. my dear, it was your
grandfather who was a huckster.-
Detroit Free Press.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Il wns n fashionable restaurant
S1iI Il about seven o'clock in the even
IL 4 young man of ordinary appear
SS<<| ~ IL The table, and sfter study
f51 q 31e bin Of fare for some time
= q 6onvosback duck. After a
I17n = n &Hfived In its glory Of trim
~ - ~ (1o ri before him. The
orS1 8 jAe celery-fsd fowl
~ "a 81 81 )ons and he said 10
o1Id, ''three hfty,r =
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Dickie-Pa, were you gooder boy'n
me when you were as little as me?
Pa-Yes, indeed, Dickie. / was al
ways very good boy; but, somehow
or other, l had a great many serious
and painful Misunderstanding With
my parents-Detroit Free Press.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
More Tyranny.

Mr.. De Avnoo-I see that calling ha.
gone out of fashion.
Mrs. De Avnoo-Yes; it had to. Serv.
ants have become too tyrannical.
"Tyrannical?"
"Indeed they are. One-6alf of them
deliberately refuse to lie to uDdesira BILE
visitors. IN. Y. Weekly.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15

Professor-Does your father conduct
his farm on scientific principles?
Rural Student--Not on your life. The
old man runs it to make money.-Chi-
cago Daily News.
The Colfax chronicle., 1902-03-15
There astocracy excelence-in labor IN
direct ne Only those kept them

selves "everlastingly at It and
persevered in their calling.
AS BETWEEN THE VARI-
Gus TRADES AND PROBES
SIONS ARISTOCRACY EX-
lists, if the truth were known,
ONLY AS A VAIN AND EMP
The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-06-19
AN UP-To-DATE GAME.

Rockity-Bang, Lively Pastime for Boys
for the School Recess.
a group Of boys gathered for play,
says the New York Sun.
aWhat shall we play?o is the cry.
Rockity-bang,' exclaims one Of
the lads. Ny rock II"
my rock ~ cries another.
my rock 8. "my Z my s. Z and
SO on call others in quick succession.
The last to call must be the ogre,
who guards the castle, said castle be-
ing d large rock or fence upon which
the ogre places the toWer-a rock
at least as large as q good-sized snow
ball. ".
Ogre cries @bang' and the boys ia
turn fling stones at the tower. #
one happens to hitthe tower he starts
Yoff at once, the boys oil following IN
swift pursuit.
III by chance he can pick up the
missile which he, himself, threw he
is free. If caught he must become
ogre and guard the castle. In case
all the throwers miss the ogre may
catch any one Of them if hecan.
Whomever the ogre catches must
take the ogre's place and ogre takes
the captive's missile and bangs at the
tower. The lad who hits the tower
and secures his own rock the largest
number of times during the game
wins first place.
Sometimes the boys make it a con.
test Of sides, then rockity- bang be-
comes d real tug-of-War conflict equal
in nstress to baseball or golf. The boy
who leads for the day wears home the
badge Of victory, and to lead the score
for the week or month becomes mat
ter OF highest honor.
The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-06-19

/ the best passed by the legisla-
ture of the state. He also cham
lpioned various drainage acts of
vital Importance to the state, and
especially TO the Red River Val
Hey. Largely through his infu-
ence the present beneficial drain
| Iage laws were put upon the stat
lutte books Of the state, and it is to
him in no small measure that the
people of this district are indebts
ed for the recent ropriationof
$50, 900 for drainage in this part
| Of the state.
I s. A. Langum, the secretary of
the senate, in q recent editorial
lin the Preston Times, pays this
very high compliment to Senator
Grindeland:
No man in the senate watched over
the interests of his constituents more
zealonsly than did Mr.. Grindeland.
Very rarely, Indeed, Was his seat
vacant and his vote was always right.
While he laid no pretension to ora
tory, he possessed rare gift Of an
alyzing the probable effect OF pros
posed legislation, and this, with his
.studious habits and close attention to
business, made him at all times most
valuable and influential member. He
possessed in the, highest degree the
confidence Of his co-workers. !
The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-06-19
Curious Wedding Gift.

A very ingenius wedding presenS
has been received bysa French bride
from one Of her relatives who is a ge-
ographer The present is a silver
sugar bowl in the design Of a terres-
trial globe, the upper hemisphere
forming the cover The map Of the
earth has been elaborately engraved
on the outside, and the route taken
BY enewly-wedded pairi indicated
BY a line Of lapiz-lazuli, the names
Of the town at which a stay was made
being inserted in enamel.
The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-06-19
Fotter Palmer and the Impudsnt Clerk
he Was About to Discharge.

L no w do 6aUuut W 1ASSAAshA r (
Paul Cores had joined group Of
hotel men who were reminiscent
about the late Potter Palmer and his
peculiarities as a hotel keeper.
.When Iwasat the Palmer house.,
he said, .there was one chap who
proved equal to the occasion. It was
| when the told man, as we always
called Mr.. Palmer, was putting in q
particularly month. Itseemed
at if everybody about the hotel was
booked for dismissal. One day
Palmer walked into the bookkeep-
er's Office, and, after looking for a
minute at man who hadn't been
working for more than aweek or two,
walked quietly up to him and,
moistening his lips with his tongue,
|. in his peculiar fashion, said:
'Er Whenis your month npY
aThe young man, recognizing the.
voice, tossed his pen on the desk With
out looking around, hopped back off
his stool, pushed the stool out Of the.
way, and replied:
Now, by gum! And I've got my
grip packed and undermy desk, ready
to start right away.
Palmer was stunned at first, but
quickly rose to the occasion, and, step
ping up to the young man, patted his
shoulder, and without the culver Of
an eyelash, said:
No, no; you take me wrong I
don't want you to go. ] merely want
to know when your month is up, 50
that I may know when to increase
your salary.
When the young man recovered
his breath the old man. was gone.
But his salary was increased all right,
and he became Palmer's confidential
clerk, and remained with him till he
died. IN. Y. Times.