davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
THE METRIC SYSTEM

F. +. Drake who was in charge of the Amer
lean machinery exhibits at the Paris Exposition
OF 1900, and whose management of that trust
was pronounced extraordinarily efficient by
The American Machinist," makes some interest
ing points in regard to the metric system in a
recent issue of that periodical. He has been in
charge of the reorganization OF one of the great
est machine shops in Germany, and has as
sisted in modernzing it so as to compete with
the leading works of its kind in the world. In
cidentally. an equipment for working accord
ing TO American standards. in addition to the
gauges, taps. dies and other tools based on the
metric system has been acquired, SO that orders
can be filled which might otherwise go to Eng
land or America. The cost of this acquisition
was so small as not seriously to affect the gen.
eral expense account during single year. Mr..
Drake thinks that outfit of metric system
tools could be obtained by an American ma
chine shop without any greater expense. Inas-
much he is able TO speak from positive
knowledge, and in the past tense instead of the
future, his opinion possesses peculiar value for
those progressive American manufacturers who
have been considering the propriety of enlarg
ing their facilities.
Mr.. Drake also mentions the criticism TO which
American manufacturers were subjected at
Paris in 1900 on account of their failure
to put metric equivalents in their tables of
measures. He suggests that possibly Ameri-
cans are little too supercilious in regard TO
foreign trade. Instead of forcing the pur-
"ellaser to accept the standard which is easiest
for u.s." he adds. III would appear far more
commercial and businesslike for us 40 meet
hin, halfway and furnish him with what be
wants" OF course. if il were necessary to
follow only one system and choose between the
two. most Americans would follow that which
would better suit their domestic trade. Mr..
Drake believes il good policy 10 be in position
TO serve both classes of customers, though, and
his experience satisfies him that provision for
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

brought their precious freight of human lives and
of enormously valuable carsoes safely into port.
In Lord Byron's time mans control stopped with
the shore. Not
DO you think that women men are as brave a. men nh,
bsor%e tia+ tbe scisntsts who Keen talking with
terror about the bacl in a kiss are all males
washington Star
On the occasion of his sixty-fourth birthday.
cording to "The Kobe Chronicle" the Marquis Ito
was dressed like infant 1t is pretty custom
One picture the effect on the Senate If Ameri-
can legislators on the occasion of sexagensrian
birthdays went down to their places in long
clothes with a coral in their mouths. rattle in
their hands. and-a nurse in charge of them
Happy Day.-"What are you writing?' asked the
Just dropping line to my governor. wishing
him many happy returns of the day. replied the
Why. is this his birthday"
NO; payday. He sent check this morning.
-(Philadeiphia Press
The mistletoe under which every American has
recently done his duty. comes chiefly from Brit
tany. Some seven hundred tons of the charming
white berried plant exported from French ports
This mistletes is to the Breton what the pig is
the Irishman--it pays the rent The peasants of
Normandy and Brittany cultivate the parasite on
their apple trees-contrary to popular belief it
rarely grows on oaks-and 1T forms their most
profitable crop few years ago the French De-
partmept of Agriculture decreed the destruction
of all mistetoe on the ground that IL injured the
apple trees. The peasants however. denied the i'm
peachment, and as the order is not enforced they
grow and export more gut than for the
Christmas enlivenment of English and American
homes
The Professor.-The Doctor-A queer case of in
sanity came under my notice the other day. The
fellow is perfectly sane so long as anybody Is
looking at him., but raves violently when his
friends quit watching him.
The Professor-H' mph Out of sight, out OF
mind.-tChicago Tribune.
A firm which was sued in the Westminster
County Court recently for. the price of sign de-
Tended the the ground that the "o' i'm their
smaller than the other letters IL was
proved by measurement. however. that 1t was a
sixteenth of an inch larger allowance having been
made fer the fact that owing to an optical illu
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
MONEY AND BUSINESS

Increasing confidence in another year of un
interrupted prosperity developed higher range
Oh quotatlohs In the stock market. Investment
buying was supplemented by good commission
house business for speculative traders while the
professional element was conspicuously active.
There was logic in the prominence of coal prop-
critics. since not only is an enormous business
assured during the remainder of the winter but
there will be an abnormal demand for the entire
year. as depleted stocks must be replenisbed
AS these roads have issued remarkably good
statements. notwithstanding the long strike. the
prospect is bright for much better returns in
1908. Taking the entire mileage of the country
incomplete reports for the last year. after max
ing allowance for the loss of anthracite coal
traffc, indicate gross earnings fully 10 per cent
larger than in 1901 which was the banner wear
up to that time In addition to the large vol
ume of traffic in fuel, there is a heavy tonnage
of grain to be moved, while the congestion of
iron and steel. well as other merchandise
promises full occupation for the increased IA
cilities. Net earnings will be reduced in some
cases by heavier operating expenses, especially
to higher wages but against this there is the
offset of advanced freight rates.
Dispropertion between loans and deposits con-
emphasizing the expansion of credits that has
occurred because of the accommodation extended
to syndicate operations in conjunction with ex-
tensiye withdrawals of cash to handle the
bumper agricultural production Currency is
still in transit for New Orleans. or has been
deposited with the Sub-Treasury TO meet de-
mands elsewhere yet the outgo is diminishing
and return must begin. especially If at
traetive rates offered here. Interior needs
will continue larger than usual, however, and
there is the factor of maturing foreign obiga-
tions to be considered in asoertaining the future
course of the money market. These loans
abroad now estimated at about S200000,000.
after liquidation of about one- third 1t is not
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
Amusemcuis.

ACADEMY OF Music s:io-1'ie csiuetv and Nine.
AMERICAN THE EATRIS-S:15The Christian.
H11sASINo THEATRE-S-The Darling the Gods.
fdgoC TFFEATRfc-sI Is-Tfe MockinE bird.
BROADWAY HEATHE-s-Thc Silver slipper.
CASf\O-s:15--A Chinese Honey moon.
CRITERION THEATRE - Ia The Cavalier.
nALT'S THEATRF-S.I Millionaire.
EDEN MI ISEfc-2-s-T1hc Norid n Wax.
EMPIRE THEaTRE-s:I5- -Irlnrudenoe
FOIRTEENTH STREET TIEEATRE-S-Ji.n Eiudsc.
GARDEN THEATRE Hamlet.
<sARTsItN TFiEATfIf2-s.25 Crossvays.
HARLEM OPERA HorSE-s:i5-The Night Of the
Party.
HERALD SQUARE THEATRE-s-JuIius Cesar
IRVING PLACE TFEATFsf,-s.sl--pcT Kaufman Won
Nenedig
KEITH S-Con7inuous Performance
KNICKERBoCKER TF5EATKE-s;l5-The OF
Friendship
MADISON SQUARE THEATRE -s:i5-CIretns Green.
MANHATTAN TIEEATRfc-s-hiarS Of Magdaia.
NETRoPcI.TTAH OPERA HoI-SI--S-Ls Fillc du Begi-
and Fesgliacci.
MlRRAY HIIIr-2-s-Sch"ol for Scandal
NEW SANOY--S;15-The Girl with the Green Eyes
NEW -EORk-S:l5-When gohnrv Comes Marching
Home
pASTOH'S-Continucus PERI rfsTmance.
PRINCESS THEATRE -s:a- Heidelberg.
FFoCTOR'S TFTEATlSE---Na Vaudeville
NTCTOR1A-S.I+-TIa Eternal
WALTACK'S TFgEATRE-s:15-The sultan of Sulu-
WEST END THEATRE Cir.
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

50 doing is not so expensive as has sometimes

so doing is not so expensive rs has sometimes
been feared
Moreover. ii there is not double equipment
of tools and machinery in n factory to meet
these requirements, mt least IL is feasible 10
modify advertising catalogues so as to make
American measurements more intelligibie 10
foreign purchasers. In his recent talk 10 the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers MI
Ualsey declared that certain classes OF goods
were made in France by the old standard ana
sold by the new. In making this statement he
had an entirely different object in view; Tor he
is a strong opponent of the metric system
Granting the correctness of the premises. now
ever. it is possible to draw additional cohciu-
sions One of them is that if the United States
Government in inviting proposals for machiIl-
cry and other supplies. should put its speclfca-
tions in metric standard terms it might he pos
sible to bid successfully without reorGanizing
shop equipment at all.
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

sion the letter 20 always looks smaller than the
neghboring letters Judgment was given for the
sign makers.
Now Let the OK WespI,,A note on the & OK war ,-
Wilson know that the administration is supposed
Post e '''''' sure -''S9'''''''
]. NJ Longyear. OF Marquette. Mich, who built
himself paIatiaI home at cost Of $4,000 in
that city, has become So embittered against the
city for allowing railway to near his prop
srty that he viii move his house, stone BY stone.
to Boston, which project will almost reach the
original cost OF the structure.
At the Horse Shew--She-what pity your Ken
enter his horse He would surely have taken first
He-I fancy he didn't like the idea of having his
hife ni%' coupled with the blue riO'On-'Br'0kly"
Here Is the Newest curs.-Astonishing effects as
tonic and blood former are claimed by Dr. Nau-
gier, of Paris. for balloon aseensiens. He states
that an air trip OF two hours gives marked in
crease IN the red corpusees OF the blood, this in
crease continuing TO be noticeable for least ten
days afterward. and that five ascensfons within
six or seven weeks impart more benefit 20 an
ansenlic person than three months in the noun
tains The good results begin almost immediately
prolonged stay In the upper air being Of no adj
vantage and possibly harmful He urges that the
city should give poor people the benefits OF a
capable of taking fifty patients daily on an aerial
outing.
1t is at best a rocky road
With scarce flower upon IT,
When must breakfast" on an ode
And dine upon a sonnet
And give-sh. that the case should be!-
quatrsin for cup Of teal
-tAtanta Constitution -
The enterprisng Parsians who failed 10 cross che
Mediterranean In srships are now inviting atten-
tion to their plans for sailing over the Desert OF
Sahara IL may be open to debate whether a frop
into the waters of the most famous of all seas or
upon the burning sands OF the most famous of all
deserts Is the less desirable. But this is plain
enough: These intrepid wanderers among the clouds
are not violently hostile seeing their names IN
print and getting themselves talked about
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

another great American industry. Let us, there
fore. promptly grant Cuba the reciprocity she
wants since il will benefit her and not injure
us and then go on and make ourselves indie
pendent of Germany and al the world in the
production of sugar.
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
THE TALK OF THE DAY.

Here is another DR.. Parker story. He was argu-
ing with a man on the problem of continued exist
euce, and at the door the friend declared finally
THE fact is, l annihatonist. I believe
that when die that viii be the end of me-. Thank
Gcd for that,' exclaimed the doctor and banged
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

The United States Government is rich enough
and prosperous enough to use the big granite
building in Broadway, Park Row and Mail-st.
exclusively as New Yorks Post Office Why
not lease, or construct additional buildings in
the vicinity for federal courts, district at
torneys marshals and other officials? Give the
mails room enough They have first claim
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

FinIanders In large numbers coming over
to the New World. They are industrious, frugal
and lava biding. Their departure from Russia
will be loss to the empire of the Czar and a
gain to America The exiling of the Moors from
Spain hurt that kingdom irremediably. and
Louis XIV made of the worst blunders Of
his career when he banished the Huguenots by
theNrevocation of the Edict of Nantes. In driv-
ing out SO many of the Finnish people, st. Pc
tersburg is i'll advised
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

A Southern railroad has decided that here
after it will employ married men only. Anxious
and yearnng Yankee spinsters consulting
tinetab bles.
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

--(NewYork Medical Journal
Atlantic storms have been uncommonly violent
of late and even the biggest and fastest boats OF
the ferry have made slow voyages. But
these colossal hnlls, no matter how rudely they
were buneted and beaten by winds and waves
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
gnNrr to ADVERTISEMENTS.
Netp1lork DsriIp Gribr,te

MONDAY, JANUARY ). 1908.
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05
EXPERT OPINION.

Like port sculler one physician plies
And all his art and all his skill he tries;
But two physicians, like a pair OF oars
Conduct you faster TO the Stygian shores
--(NeW- York Medical Jolrt
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

DR.. Lorenz cannot understand why Americans
are fond of pie. If he had been fortunate
enough to be born in Concord and to be brought
up under the fostering influence of Ralph
Waldo Emerson, he would not be perpexed
New-York tribune., 1903-01-05

Ex-Governor Boutwell, will have difficulty
In persuading the negroes of the United States
that the Republican party is the way to
re-enslave them because it is not admitting
to American citizenship ten million barbarians
in the Philippines. The essence of anti-im
perialism is not objection to expansen-we
have been expanding since 1903 without ask
ing the consent of the geverned-but objection
to ruling the new territory without making
the inhabitants citizens like ourselves under the
constitution. That is something different from
enslavng them. They just free as are
the negroes of the South under the domination
of the Democracy which Mr.. Boutwell, invites
them to join in the name of liberty and negros
rights. Indeed. they more free, for they are
securing local self-goveFnment, which is denied
by Democrats to Southern negroes. When MI
Boutwell, can persuade the negroes that the
people of Canada and Jamaica are slaves be-
cause they owe allegiance to England without
helping to govern her, he may persuade them to
find in Tillman and his fellows saviors from
Republican attempts to re-estabiish slavery.
The spectacle of a venerable man who once
stood by the negroes being led away by his
prejudces as 10 advise them TO strike hands
with their persistent political, social and in
dustral oppressors is melancholy and pitiful.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02
PLANTING in THE FIELD NURSERY

among cats in Westphalia. some Of the
wiseacres of that day connected the
two phenomena as cause and effect.
The comet of 1913 is regarded as the
most marvellous of the present age So
| luminous was this comet that twas
observed in the daytime even before it
was visible at night. 1t startled the
world by appearing in the spring in
the ftweStern heavens like a streak OF
aurora streaming from the regions OF
the sun below the constellation OF
Orion. It was a comet Of the biggest
class.
1.-THE nearest approach of it's head to
the. earth was about S0,000,000 miles
The absolute diameter of the nebu-
losity surrounding the head was
about $4,000 miles. The length of its
tail was prodigious. On the 9th OF
February it was 10S,O00,000 miles in
| length. The stars were plainly visible
through it's TAIL. On the night of Feb
| 27 the tail was in such direction that
had it reached the earth's orbit il
would have passed 100000 miles
south of us.
A Very Hot Tine for the Comet. s
1t is certain that the comet almost
grazed the SUM Rerhaps some portion
of it's nebulosity Amay have come into
direct collision with it. The heat it re-
ceived, accordingsto the computation
of Sir John Hersthel, must have been
At 900 times that received by the earth
from a vertical sun! Such tempera-
ture would have converted into yapoI
almost every Substance on the earth's
surface, and If Anything had retained
| the solid form it would be in a state
| of intense ignition. -
This comets was visible in Bologna
Tfo1x nj dinr of he
suns disc east of the sun, while pass
| ing it's perihelion, being then only &c.
900 miles distant from that luminary
and travelling at a speed of 366 miles
per second. 1t follows, therefore, thai
| in twelve minutes it must have passed
over a space equal to the distance be-
tween the earth and the neon.
| In the latter part of February the
comet was seen at Conception, South
America. 1t was visible from Brazil
on March 1, and on the 5th of the same
| month was plainly apparent in the
| latitude of New York. From that date
| until the close of the. month it pre-
sented a most beautiful appearance
every clear evening. So. brilliant, IL
fact, was the comet of 1913 that OF
| many evenings dHping the month o.
March it cast a bright light upon the
harbor of New York.
The brilliant celestial visitor filled
| the minds of the superstitious will
terror. Many sects, but notably thu
Millerites, regarded it as the forerun.
ner of the end of the world. >,Tht
American Indians gazedz at it with
alarm. They called it the dread Ca,
pishi'-the spirit of the stars - an(
awaited in trembling for the famine
and pestilence which they were GER.
| tain would follow in its wake.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02

Away up in the northern heavens,
travelling at the rate of 100 miles a
second, there is a portent that would
have frightened medieval mankind
into spasms.
1t is Borellfs comet on it's way from
the great outer darkness beyond Ju-
piter to pay homage to our blazing
sun. it's master.
It's long hair trails over the cross in
Cygnus in two wild streams, like that
of an Indian on the warpath 1t is a
yelled and whiskered apparition, cal
culated to cause shudders in the breast
of man.
What is it? Where is it going?
What force carries it on it's headlong
speed of many millions miles day?
From the high places on the earth
this comet is being watched with great
interest by men of science. When
first discovered it was as a nebulous
star in the familiar constellation
known as the 'Big Dipper' 1t threw
out long tail across the stars to the
distance of millions of miles. This
tail was soon supplemented by an
other, and at present the comet has
two huge tails. which look like the
head aigrettes of an Indian rajah.
AS 1t approaches the sun these tails
will grow and spread haring away
from the fiery orb through many de-
greeS of sky, until at perihelion they
will sweep around on the far side. like
two great falchions, at a speed that is
almost beyond computation.
BorellIs comet, while approaching
the sun at an amazing speed, is also
nearing the earth at the rate of mill
lions of miles day. What if it should
strike the earth? What would be the
result? Not even science can definitely
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02

1902 and sown on eighty-nine farms, it
was reported that the average yield
had been 21.5 bushels, as against 1872
for the old seed.
1t was only in 1895 that experiments
in the breeding of flax were commence
ed, but results have been obtained al
ready that are very encouraging to the
directors. No attempt was made to
secure fax for both seed and fiber,
but two kinds were selected, one with
the object Of length in view and the
other for seed.
Both turned out successfully, and the
required results have in each case been
obtained. Flax that usually grew to a
length of two feet has now been made
to grow TO three feet, and the yield of
seed has, in the case Of the other va
riety, been increased 50sper cent. The
trouble with the flax grown in North
ern climates has been that it has been
too short for a long fiber, and the re-
suit of the experiments at the farm
may lead to the growth of new in
dustry, as the new flax that has been
evolved maintains its average height
under almost all conditions.
Experiment With Winter Wheat.
Another of the most important ex-
periments has been made with winter
wheat. This wheat has never been
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02

likely that harm would be done. The
mass of the greatest comet is SO small
compared with that of the sun shat,
ond, it would not generate enough heat
to hurt the earth. .
Serviss Not Afraid of 1t.
In speaking of the probable effect of
collision between the comet and the
earth, Carrot P. Serviss, the we'll
known astronomer, said:
Il will say that it is my belief that
if this comet should meet the earth in
square end-on collision the only re-
suit would be marvelously beautiful
spectacle in the heavens caused by the
instantaneous ignition and dissipation
of the neteoric particles composing
the body of the comet.
Many are, perhaps, unaware how
perfect a shield the soft, transparent
air forms for the earth. When one
runs rapidly against the wind one be-
gins to perceive the vigorous resist
ance that the atmosphere is capable
of interposing against a moving body,
but if the motion becomes many miles
instead of a few feet in a second the
consequences of atmospheric friction
are truly astonishing. The particles of
the comet entering the atmosphere
would probably have a velocity of not
less than twenty miles in a second
and even at the height Of seyenty-f1ve
or eighty miles above the earth the
friction of the air would almost in
simultaneously heat them to incandes-
cence, and, being small, they would be
dissipated in dust and vapor long be-
fore it could reach the surface Of the
earth"
Comets were always a source OF
great wonder and annoyance in olden
times even to people who had reason
to believe that they We're tolerably well
educated.
Contradictory as it may appear, the
signs and wonders caused a general
feeling of disquietude, even though
these signs may have been regarded
as propitious. The excellence Of the
celebrated vintage of 1911 was attrib-
uted to the great comet. which APP
peared in that year, as was also the
abundance of the crops. The number
of twins born in the same year, and
the fact that shoemaker's wife in
Whitechapel had four children at a
birth, were in like manner laid to the
charge Of the comet, as likewise was
the fact that wasps were few and that
flies became blind that year.
AS there was a comet in 1868 and in
the same year remarkable epidemic
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02
PILLARS ARE GIANTS

of the st. John mdnoliths is composed
men in the United States could not
make so large monoIith of one stone.
Not that they didn't try. A great
lathe Sc feet long which weighed 135
tons was built in Philadelphia. Great
chisels were fashioned from cold steel.
They cut three inches out of the solid
stone at each bite. Pulleys, checks,
stocks and beds were wrought of the
toughest steel. 1t looked as if ancient
records might be equaled.
When two years ago men started
quarrying the great red granite blank,
each was a mighty piece of granite 80
tons in weight. The problem for the
lathe to tackle was to cut that blank
down into a round, smooth column SO
feet tall and feet in diameter.
The first blank was fitted to the
lathe. Eight chisels started in to bite.
The turning proceeded smoothly
enough; the lathe worked day and
night. The great column lacked but a
few hours of completion. Then one
night it snapped in two just as reed
might break under the force of the
wind.
A years time was lost forever A
valuable piece of granite was ruined
Nothing daunted. the stone men
went TO work again. A second mono
18th was quarried then carefully adj
justed to the lathe. Where the other
one had reached the polishing. stage
this one lasted but a little time. 1t
snapped asunder still in the rough
state, it's square edges left unrounded
They tried a third time: another
failure. So the engineers gave it up.