davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
DOLLAR GAS SETBACK.

After months of wearisome. protract-
ed litigation. the dollar gas case has
reached a decision, which though it is
not final, serves to indicate almost con-
clusively that the city is destined to de-
feat in this important case.
According to the findings of the spe-
cial master appointed by Judge Hook
to take testimony, the evidence has
proved that the gas company can man
ufacture gas in this city at cost Of
about 10 cents per 1000 cubic feet At
the rate of sale DroDosed in the dollar
gas ordinance, the company would only
make a profit Of one cent a thousand,
which is manifestlv too low. 1t would
mean net income for the plant of only
1850 year If it really costs the gas
company 80 cents thousand, no one is
disposed to insist upon rate of one
dollar.
1t must be remembered, however, that
the masters report allows the company
to appropriate per cent. on an alleged
investment OF $3.50. O00 or s22, 400 a year.
This S22.400 year is added to the cost
of making gas. The master also allows
the company to charge 5 per cent. of
the value Of the plant and mains to
depreciation" and also add this to the
cost OF making gas. This is about S.
600 more. provided the per cent. is
inquired on the real value, which is fixed
at $4,000 This would be a total in
come of $4,000. even If the rate of one
dollar thousand should be put into
effect. The real value of the plant he
ing only $3.50, 900, it seems that an IN
come of $4,000 a year is not so very
unimportant. after all.
It seems that for some reason-the
masters report does not show exactly
Why-the evidence introduced by the
city as to the cost of making gas met
with very slight consideration. The
city had several expert witnesses who
testified that gas can be made here for
about rs cents a thousand.
Even if the city is defeated. and the
dollar gas ordinance is invalid, the fu-
ture is not entirely without hope. If
the new scheme to pipe natural gas to
Topeka is carried out in good faith, it
means the practical collapse of the
manufactured gas industry. 1t will
solve the cheap gas question very eff
fectively.
Again, the city has pending in the
supreme court an action to compel the
gas company to forfeit it's charter on
the ground that the charter was never
legally granted. Many good lawyers
think that the city has a good chance to
win this case.
But even If these ways out both fail,
there is one thing which is certain,
and that is that the gas company's
franchise will expire in about seven
years, and then the city can demand
such terms as it sees fit. 1t would take
about seven years to conduct hard
fought litigation in the fyieral court
so this last remedy may be the quick
est. after all.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
QUAKER REFLECTIONS.
[From the Philadelphia Record

lfrOm the RnllaQelpnla RECORD.
Every day is a palmy day to the PALM
list
It's generally the lazy man whose liver
won't work
NeIl-"See Maude blushing?" Belle
ooh. that's just put on.
Men are judged by their actions, also
by the things they neglect to do.
A man never ceases to marvel at wo-
men who kiss strange babies.
The cost of experience depends upon the
amount of good it does you.
The man has never been born that the
world couldn't get along without.
Many woman with a poor complexion
is rich enough to afford better one.
All the world loves a lover except those
who have been disappointed in love.
The opinion man has of himself isn't
always of value to the rest of the world.
The trouble with some people is that
they believe one good turn deserves
better one.
Even the woman who can't afford ruff.
f1es on her gowns can have her temper
ruffled.
Married people should take some con-
ISOLATION from the fact that they might
have done worse.
The rapidity with which some men make
money is only eQualed by the rapictty
with which other men lose it.
Mrs. Muggins-"Say what you win Of
Mrs. Backbyte, she would go out of her
way to tell the truth" Mrs. Buggins-
Yes; particularly if it was unpleasa Mt"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
PASSING OF AN 3RYE SORE"

The Topeka City Railway deserves the
gratitude of the city of Topeka for one
thing and that is the eradication of the
unsightly gully that has marred East
Fifth street for Is years.
For years the people have been COM
PEELED to gaze on this rough expansion
Of mud and stones and though grave
and dignihed councilman have often
spent their time to correct the evil it
was not corrected and the mud holes
and debris continued to Occupy the mid
die of Fifth street.
Many years ago there was contro-
versy between the City Railway
and the property owners on East Fifth
street because the City Railway ADAM
doned the line and took up the tracks.
The people had not yet found that the
city railway. franchise permitted it to
do almost Whatever it pleased. The
remained in the courts until people
had almost forgotten that street cars
had ever been run on Fifth street and
then the suit was dismissed. But that
did not fix the street. The company
claimed that the city should repair the
street and the city insisted that it was
the duty of the company to repair it and
that is as far as it ever got.
But the street has at last been re-
East Fifth street and for this the credit
must be given to the reiuvenated City
Railway company.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.

IF'rom the Chicago Daily News.1
Kleptomania is merely lucrative form
of insanity.
Even the ambitious oarSman draws the
line at lightning stroke
Money gets tight occasionally, but you
seldom see 1t lying in the gutter.
Sometimes it's the sun that makes a
mans nose red instead of what you think
it is.
The average man loves work so much
that it makes him weary to see other men
idle.
There are three scruples in a dram, yet
there are some men who car take a dram
without any scruples.
Some men Join clubs because they have
scolding wives and some have scoiding
wives because they join clubs.
At the age of q a man knows n lot
more about women than he ever will at
any subsequent stage of his career.
Indian summer is the season when tie
summer girl returns to the parental wig
wan with a choice collection of scalps.
IT'S the little things that worry a man.
remarked the tired husband as he wrote
out creek for his wife's new 500 bath
ing suit.
The man who gives a dollar to charity
and then deducts the amount from his
wife's allowance is the lowest kind of 8
low-down hypocrite.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

The adulteration of milk is general.
and strange as it may seem in nearly
every CITY in the country formaldehyde
is used as a preservative. Food in
spectors everywhere are busy and in
some cities they have done quite as
much as Inspector Farnsworth of To-
peka, who has threatened to tell
Names" The following editorial from
a Pittsburg paper indicates the nature
of their troubles:
Harrisburg dispatches say that out
of niue milk samples taken by the state
authorities IL Allegheny county, six
contained forInaldehyde, one boric acid.
and two had been literally watered.
The samples were taken outside of
Pittsburg. but what assurance is there
that the Pittsburg milk supply might
not yield samples making as bad a
showing. During the time that an
effort was made to enforce the milk in
spection laws in this city ample evil
dence was obtained of the prevalence
of adulterat;on. but as soon as the mat
ter became serious the political pull
interviewed to stop prosecutions. How
dangerous is the adulteration of the
milk supply is shown by the fact that
an alarming death rate among little
children drew the attention of the state
authorities to the situation at Punxsu-
tawney and investigation showed that
dealers were putting formaldehyde in
milk supplied by them. 1t would be
gratifying ii the state authorities would
turn their attention to Pittsburg, as the
local administration cannot be depend
ed upon to protect the community"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
MUNICIPAL 8 SOCIALISM IN
GERMANY.

The special dispatch from Berlin in
regard to the free dentistry for school
children at Strasburg probably passed
with many readers as of no special in
terest. To the student of municipal af-
fairs, however. the item will be another
significant indication of the hold that
multiplication is gaining in Germany
in recent years. Once the German mind
had grasped the idea that enterprises
such as supplying water, transportation
and light can be conducted for the gem
eraI good by the municipality, it pro-
ceeded to act upon the principle with
characteristic German thoroughness.
AS a consequence greater strides have
been made in Germany in municipaliza-
ton than in any other country. For
instance, while San Francisco is still
debating the question of taking over
waterworks by the city, in Germany all
the larger cities except two-Frankfort
and Charlottenburg-have municipalized
their water supply system, and the
works are yielding profits from IA per
cent to rs per cent, the latter figure be-
ing reached in Dusseldorf.
In addition most of these cities also
have their own gas works and electric
lighting plants, many have municipal
slaughter houses. and 10 have their own
street car systems. A still more radical
departure is the establishment of mum
icipal drug stroes in several cities-the
city determining the number and loca-
ton of these stores. AS has been stated,
this is now, in one city at least. to be
followed by free dentistry in the schools.
Whether all these departures win vim
dictate themselves is a question in Amer
lea. Germany, however, seems to have
no doubt about il.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
GLOBE SIGHTS.
[From the Atchison Globe.l

IC IOHl the AlCIilSOn dlODS.l
A good many of the men hired to help
are simply in the way.
Did you ever notice that real 'dressy''
people are tiresome?
Don't look for praise; the more praise
you get, the harder the reaction will
be.
It's rare man who dares invite
guest to dinner without first consulting
his wife.
Haven't you right to few of your
own notions; must you do everything
your neighbors suggest?
We have noticed that in a shooting
ARRAY, one doesn't have to read far to
come across the word love"
1t is said of an Atchison man that
the second time he takes girl out, he
tells her that his intentions are not
serious. s n
plished'' in describing bride, we are
glad that we don't have to tell just
what it means.
When a mans wife makes strange
sounding statements before company,
is it his duty as a Christian to deny
them, or as husband to keep still?
AS people get older, they find that if
they want a quiet seat on the porch,
they must take it on the shady side in
winter, and the sunny side in summer
They tell of an Atchison man that he
uses an old-fashioned stick on his chill
dren, and that when noises come from
the barn. his wife tells the neighbors
that he has gone to his club
A New York woman who lately Wis
tied in Atchison. was asked: DO you
have trade lasts in New York ?" To
which she replied, Yes, and we like
them as much as anybody
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
The Nature of Bright's Disease.
New York Herald:

new 4Ork derdiOs
Brights disease, which caused the
death of Lord Salisbury, is a very COM
mon malady, especially in men past 40
years of age. and may be understood,
in general way. as a more or less
chronic inflammation of the substance of
the kidneys. The ailment may be caused
by exposure to cold and check of the
skin circulation or by direct disturbance
of the organs from irritating substances
that are not readily eliminated. OF the
latter spurious liquors and other indul-
gences of high living may be mentioned
as leading causative factors. The
various symptoms of the disease are
generally of slow development. extend
ing as they do over years of i'll health.
Occasionally they may not declare
themselves for a long time after the at
lection has secured firm hold on
the patient, and are only discovered ac-
cidentally in connection with attacks OF
vomiting, disturbance of sight, trans
lent dizziness, asthmatic seizures and
drOpsical manifestations.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Total losses from failures in August
were larger than in the corresponding
month of any year since 1895, according
to r. G. Dun & Co. but that the excess
occurred in manufacturing only is
shown by smaller liabilities of trading
concerns than in any preceding August
of the decade, with the single exception
of 1899, while the difference in that case
was insignificant. Another gratifying
fact is found in comparing the last
month with earlier months of this year.
June alone shows materially smaller fin
ancial mortality, while March was
slightly better. February liabilities were
somewhat larger. and the other three
months reported much heavier losses. In
view of the readjustment in prices of
securities and the serious interruption
to building operations by labor troubles.
the failure statistics are not nearly as
heavy as might have been expected. This
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

may be taken as evidence that the gen.
eral business situation is on a sound
basis, and the outlook for the future is
the more encouraging because of these
signs of conservatism and evident pre-
paration for stress. Even the Wall street
firms have made a better showing than
seemed possible in view of the democrat
ization in July. when many strong con-
Germs were burdened with unmarketable
securities and forced to take vigorous
measures to prevent disaster.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
ST. PETERSBURG LEGEND.
Tale of the Foundation of the Russian
CAPITAL

On a glorious spring morning toward
the close Of May 90 years ago a momen-
quiet way, with not even a chronicIer to
describe the. details. Woodland, water
and a cloudiess sky formed the frame
which was occupied with number Of
boats sailing on the surface of a broad
ana oddly dressed and wrangling among
themselves in loud tones. They were the
famous ''Bombardier'' regiment which mad
achieved feats of prowess few weeks
before during the battle with the Swedes.
and their captain was the most im7os-
of a stout vessel ahead of the rest. The
weather was bright and braclng, and the
Neva to wrinkle. as it lost itself in the
Finnish gulf The captain" stood with his
back to the sea gazing at the smiling is
cred with dense forests; indeed. had 1t
not been for the noisy-tongued men on the
boats he might have fancied himself in
a country heretofore unvisited by man.
The whole district, Swedish down to
couple of weeks before, had recently been
tain Eow landed on the most pleasantly
SITUATED and attractive of the ISLANDS, ana.
with a few of his officers. was making his
way TO the center when O. curious sound
IN the air above arrested his attention.
Looking up he beheld q great eagle flap
dizzy height anc then swiftly descending
70 spot not far from where ne STOOD.
ne did not then know that it was bird
tanned Dy the men who were wont to load
the boats with timber. but looked upon
It's appearance as good omen for his un-
dertaking. Selling a bayonet, therefore,
ne cut out two sods OF turf, placed them
one on the other like the beams of a
cross then made a wooden cross from
two boushs and, pressing 1t into the sods,
exclaimed: In the name of Jesus Christ,
let there be church on this spot and
let its name be those of the chief apostles
Peter and Paul. And it was as he mad
said The church. with its golden spire.
now surmounts the terrible fortress in
which many political prisoners have per-
ished miserably, and the city around 1t Is
st. Petersburg, for the Captain of the
Bombardiers" was Peter the Great.
Such is the legendary tale of the foun-
dation of the northern Palmyra which is
said to have been jotted down by an offl-
Ger of the corps at the time, and to have
been laid in gold casket, which still lies
among the foundations of the fortress.
count of the matter. Petersburg was not
built on virgin soil, but on the site of a
rising town. Novgorod. when a member OF
the Hanseatic league, had used the Neva
as commercial waterway, and the
Swedes, well aware of its enormous value
fortress on the stream Okhta, on whose
banks town soon arose, inhabited by
merchants, who owned as many as 8
hundred ships. In those vessels Russian
produce was exported abroad and foreign
wares were brought back to Russia And
so rapidly did the well being of these
traders grow that in the year 100, Wher
Peter the Great began his war with the
Swedes, many houses were built of stone
Another generation and it would have
power; but on the last day of April. 1903
Peter bombarded the fortress and entered
it on the following day.-London Tele-
graph.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
EDITORIAL COMMENT.
Great Britain Received a Shock

New York HeraId:
All England is filled with consterna-
ton. says the Herald's special cable
from London, at the revelations con-
tanned in the report of the commission
on the conduct of the Boer war. And
well it may stand aghast at what is
told of the plumbers. if not worse, that
were committed by those in charge of
the preparations, as detailed in the Her
AIDS cables. Our own people had
much fault to find with what was done,
or. rather. left undone. to provide the
American forces with needful equip
ment and provisions in the Spanish
war, but after reading this British re-
port one concludes that we did not do
so badly after all, and one wonders, too,
how in the face of such unpreparedness
Great Britain managed to gain even the
victory that she did.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

| would like me to hat me yacht, yet.
Dat would sail all Offer der state, yet;
Der change would be goot for a pot, yet,
IND possibly lower der freight, yet.
Ven King Etwart sees again Sir Thomas
Liptin, he say Ply him so: Tom, I hear
Kelley saws py Mort Albaugh: .dy
calls. him he say it ISIS wicket to gamble.
1t ISIS such a humorousness. dis argoo-
ment between der men What hat cows to
sell und der railroads. Der COW men say:
roats say: How much hat you got?''
IND den the COW men say it ISIS highway
burglary
Chake House ISIS gone by New York
If der people of New York iss real bright
dey win put him under bonds to leaf der
might bring der town -vay nit him.
Dere fss a obening for Upton und der
Shamrock on der coast uff Delaware, by
der oyster harvest -iclds
Der fad uff collecting things OBJECTS der
bolice department chust der same as oder
fad for collecting old books. Some oder
chumP makes business UNI collecting old
furnishments, but You meter see a man
who hat got both falls in his system at
der same time. So by der bolice ISIS 1t.
Vile dey make COP nice collection of
busyment. So2
Sam RaS-ches say der town iss a deaf
vun because der noos- bapers knock on it
allreatty. Berhaps it ISIS Der noos-ba-
pers hat got acquainted NIT der town, und
dey vas like Chorge Washington. Dey hate
to do 1t, but efery dime dey brint a COL
unn of truth Ger town gets 1t IN der
mech.
We notice der main strasse-afenoo fss
lined NIT signs. so: "Barrister at-law.'
"Attorney-at-law." und so fort. Und We
notice it vass Chloe Rect. lawyer. who gets
der coke fiend oud un bolice court.
Der street railroad company ISIS going
to re-make ofer der asylum line. GooI
business Chust now you can get in der
asylum car at Kansas afenoo und be
candidate for admission ven you get to
der end uff der line.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
REFLECTIONS OF A BAcHELoH

Some men are not fit even for them
selves to associate with
1t would be a terrible temptation to
take out insurance on ones mother-in-
law
1t takes a widow to act as IL she were
puzzled to death over what being mar
ried is like
You can't always tell by how ripe a wo-
mans lips are how much a man would
like 10 see If any of 1t will come or
After q woman makes up her mind that
thing isn't so terrible q 9 she thought II
was before she knew all about It. general
ly she begins to look for something else
that is.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
HOME NEWS WHILE AWAY.

EMtsctfEeys of the State journal
Gway during the summer may haze
the paper mailed regularly each day
10 any address at The rate Of thirty
cents a month. address changed as
cffe,f as desired. Whfze ont of f0zV's
lite State journal sgfH be to son like
a daily letter from home.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Little is heard now about relinqulsh-
ing the Philippines. Probably nobody
ever thought of it seriously. 1t an
swered as poor quality of political
ammunition for a time. but it could not
be raised to dignity of a live issue.
Consent Of the governed" sounds well.
but it IS not considered necessary in
practical affairs, even in the United
states. Take the political status of the
southern negro. as an illustration.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05
Coffee.


New AOrk TINES:
Recent news from Brazil brings the
information that the coffee producers of
that republic are contemplating the re-
duction of the areas to be devoted to
coffee planting for the purpose of re-
stricting the coffee output and so Sc
curing larger price for smaller crop,
for which there may be a more anxious
demand. Whether that course will, if
adopted. and persisted in. raise the
price OF Brazilian coffee in the United
States market. which is the market to
which the greater part of the coffee of
Brazil finds its way, is an experiment
the outcome of which can only be as
certained by trial The trial may
also be accompanied by some losses by
diversion of the trade to other coun-
tries that it may take years to recover
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Great solicitude is being manifested
IN certain quarters for currency reform,
but as long as there are big crops and
plenty Of money in the country. the two
viii get together somehow and make
business
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Wall street has accused President
Roosevelt with being responsible for the
recent shrinkage in the price of stocks
and bonds. Who is responsible for the
still more recent rise in the price of
these same securities?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Southern Europe has been monopoliz-
ing the limelight ever since the begin
ming of the late Pope Leo's fatal illness.
Both China and South America have
been compelled to remain in the
shadow
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

The newspaper correspondents who
have been for years past predicting war
in the Balkans have in some instances
lived to see their forecast justified. The
war has come. Predictions of war and
of weather are made on the principle of
sticking to it until you win
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

The attorney general of Missouri has
undertaken another job of trust bust
ing" This time the gas company is
made the object of his attack. Consid-
ering that these Quixotic battles with
the trust never accomplish anything
the energy which they display Is
worthy Of a more prolific field of en-
deavor
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

Washington Post: Every time Con-
gresham Curtis picks up the Leaven-
worth Times he probably regrets that he
did not give D. r. Anthony that post
Office appointment.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

All the staple crops appear to be
making new records in the United
States this year. The surplus of cotton,
wheat and corn will be great enough
to insure at least one more year of
prosperity for the whole people.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

One Of the interesting uncertainties
regarding the future in politics is
whether or not another drubbing this
fall will serve to bring the Democratic
factions together.