davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

"He looked Offer toward de Admiral
genially, but Porter only snorted, aud
turned his eyes toward de riffer.
81 say. Dave said Old A. J., loud
enough for the rest to hear, franklin
probably means to take a sheet OF paper
and pencil and draw your poats over de
falls"
off de channel vas only as deep as he
thinks he is snorted Porter, 'der'd pc
plenty Of water for dem
81 will let Col. Bailey describe his blan,
said Gen. Franklin. He has explained it
fully to me, and l believe it feasible. l
hat had to study hydrostatics, thoroughly,
and besides hat had de peneft of gonsid-
erabe experience, and belief I'm safe in
advising you to adopt it, And he looked
witheringly at Porter and Old A. j.
".Veli, Colonel, go on, and gif us your
blan, said Gen. Parks. 'Chentiemen, will
you please pay attention"
"Cheneral, brobose to build dams
out from each side of de riffer, to throw
de water into dc channel, and git depth
of enough to vloat the vieet down ofer de
rocks.
Admiral Porter gave low whistle OF
amazement at de absurdity OF do brobosi-
ton.
"'Come, Admiral, We are entitled to
know your opinion on this matter, said
Gen. Parks, nettled at Porters manner.
| You can't dispose of it py Visiting. Let
us hear your reasons why this blan WON'T
succeed
"'Col. Bailey, how vide is de riffer at
dis point?' asked de Admiral In tone
saying that the Lientenant-C Colonel did
MT hat de faintest idea of what he was
dalking apout.
".It averages 7S5 feet answered Col
| Bailey, quietly, but very decidedly.
".HoW deep is de water Offer de shall
lowest rocksr
cit measured y6ost three feet eigh:
inches dis morning
".How fast is de- current running!
"'Petwesn nine and 10 miles an hour.
$50 much a dat, said de Admiral, pc
ginning to show 4 -trife more respect for
Bailey's information! DO you know how
| much water do posts drawT
"'Ds largest OF dem seven feet. But
expect that you. can tighten dem good
I'm not asking you for instructions as
to What shall DO or my officers de AID,
miral proks In roughly. When We want
advice vrom gayalry officers W will call
for 1t. New. do yeu, sane man, and
calling yourself an engineer, and who has
peen honersd with the rank Of Lieutenant.
| Colonel In Dc serfce of your country, &C
| tually assert dat In any reasonable time
Won can pulA dam 300 feet long against
current running nine or 10 miles an
hourr
"T certainly can II am ginfen men and
material answered Col. Bailey, very
quietly and surely.
"'How long will It take you?-Three
| months six monthsT sneered Admiral
| Porter.
"'Of course, We are all chentlemen of
leisure, 70 haf no pizness any where eise.
and can stay here yoost Us vel as any
| vhsrs, putting In our time Wishing and
Watching amateur improvements OF dc
"'I'Il pledge myself to do it inside of
two WEEKS answered Col. Bailey very de
cidedly.
"Tswo weeks groaned Old A. J. Two
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

"'Vhere is he, Chenera Smith, asked
Gen. Parks. very coldly.
"I hat him right here. Here he is,
answered Old A. j., pulling me forward
''All but Admiral Porter looked at me
NIT a sheer, and I thought l could hear
Gems. Franklin and Stone say, o. da,
tamt Chew as dey scanned my Grecian
Nose, and vine, Intellectual veatures.
do you subbOse We are going to pc,
lieve dat man, Cheneral Smith, against ouI
own trusted secret serfice men| asked
Cen Franklin, in his superior way.
"I don't know what you are going to
pelieve, Cheneral Franklin said Old A
j., getting not under the collar. You'll
pelieve a whole lot Of things dat 1 Won't
know dis man veil, and I'd pelieve vha'
he says against whole rechiment OF your
secret serfice men,
"'Dere's where We differ, Chenera
Smith, answered Gen. Franklin very
haughtily. 4 wouldn't pelieve him
against one Of de poorest of my men,
II would half got very hot, but l saw
dat Old A. J. vas laying trap for dem
VERY good he said, NIT a smile which
vas not pretty. If you will not pelieve him
or me, maybe you will pelieve dis (dakina
a baper out Of de bocket-book). / hat
here an order, signed by Kirby Smith, him
self, taken vrom de pocket of one of Dick
troops but Polignac's Pr,gade to march
to choin Price, in attacking Steele:
HE handed de order to Gen. Parks
NIT an air of settling him.
SHAW, dat means nOthings,' said Gen
Stone, scanning de baper. We hat no evi
dence dat dis come vrom Gen. KIRBY
Smith, or if it did dat it vas not vixed
UP to deceive us. Dick Taylor is yoosi
smart enough for bricks of dat kind
"I'fe seen u great many men who took
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

| till dey sink to de POTION
"COls. Robinson and Pearsall yelled for
choy when Col. Bailey told dem de news.
and Immediately ordered out DER rechi-
ones dat at Wrist showed any interest in de
matter. De most yoost LATED at de wool
scheme and would do nothings till dey
! got regular orders. l vent Offer to de
Corps Quartermaster for teams, but he
would not order one out until | vent to
headquarters and got an order for dem.
"Nothings could discourage Col. Bailey
| though. He vas one of dose men who nef-
fer stop when dey start, and he saw his
chance to make pig name for himself
| 1t don't seem TO me dat he sept for days,
nor did Coils. Robinson and Pearsall. Dew
| soon PECAN to infect de others nit DER
confidence, and Shorty dere vas such
| sight around dose walls as vas neffer seen
pefo-e anywhere. Thousands of men we're
at work as if DER lifes defended upon it.
tearing down buildings, saving, chopping,
mailing and hammering, loading de stun on
wagons, hauling it to de riffer, and blacins
it in for dams. Men we're as thick as
ducks In de water, up to der knees, up
to DER waists, up to DER shoulders efen.
pulling and hauling to get de stuff in biace
and yasten it dere. De rocks we're Sip
perry as ice, and dey would slip and go
under, and den come mp and bob along
d
or shallow blaze, when dey would shake
out de water like Newfoundland dog and
run pack to their work. De moon vas
vull, and dey gould work far into de night
and lots worked all night Ply de light of
bine wires and torches made of cotton and
grease. / pecame so eggcited myself
! dat I hardly slept more dan Col. Bailey
| or Col. Pearsall or Col. Robinson who
had DER meals brought to dem where dey
we're standing oferseeins de men. Efery
| little while l would go down and measure
de water, and Wind it was rising vrom
hour to hour, and tearing through de
channel like de Niagara Walls"
How was Admiral Porter acting about
that time?" asked ST. WAS he begin
ming to have faith in the plan?'
mot for a minute. He rode around oc-
casionally, and looked at de work, and
said some pitter things about de scheme,
swearing dat if he effer dried to send his
poats through on dat rush of water dey'd
surely hat DER pottoms stole in on de
de rocks and efferybody drowned. But
at last he vas persuaded to set his men to
| tightening de poats, so as to help dem
bass through. Dey dock off DER guns,
ammunition. chains, provisions. and other
heavy things, and sent dem down pelow
in wagons. May s. only eight days after
he had pegun work. Col. Bailey reported
dat he had water enough on de upper
| FEATURES OF RED RIVER DAM.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15
A SWINDIER

We are informed that there is n man
travelling through Michigan, defrauding
the veterans by claiming to be an agent of
a firm in Washington, which ia conducting
the business Of getting SIPS per acre in
lieu of homestead claims which they did
not make. He induces the veterans to pay
him 81 in advance as his fee, the balance
of the money to be paid to the firm in
Washington. He has collected as high
az $50 in some of the places that he has
visited. This Is a fraud. pure and simple.
There is no law allowing veterans cash
instead Of homestead claims, and any
one who pretends there is, ia a swindler
The firm is reputable one, has no con
nection with such a scheme, and deny all
knowledge of the man who is misrepre-
senting them.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

got through. and Do Neosho and Osags
and de Hindman followed, getting through
all right.
Den efferypody vent to work to puild
more dams and make dem higher, and for
two or three days it vas feverish. dell
you. De ironclads pulled DER armor of.
and sunk it in deep hole. where de mad
would cover it. and keep de reppels vrom
getting it. Den one day We got Dc Mound
City, Carondalet and Pittsburg through,
mitout more loss dan one man swept ofer-
poard and drowned. though dey had an
awful time pumping around against de
rocks. De next day de Ozark. Louisville
whole vleet vas at last pelow, NIT deep
vater before dem, for de Mississippi vas
rising and packing up into de Red. Dey
all dock DER guns and things apoard Mt
Vonce, and we're once more ready for piz-
ness.
"Col. Bailey had done his work in "a
days, instead Of de two weeks he had
hour
Il watched my chance and when Admi-
| raj Porter vas In de pest humor ofer
sating his vleet, vent up to him and said:
Admiral. you are all right now. Moth
ing more to worry you. You are at last
in good shape to dalk pizness. II tell
wv 'HCAS sVu chu more COItOu OSu
you hat yet wound anywhere, may I daks
self?
He looked at me hard. init dose def.
hlish plack eyes OF his. I'll do anything
IN reason for you. my poy. he said You
hat always played fair NIT me. Sure you
can vlnd all de cotton you sayY
Dead sure, Admiral I hat der list
here. dat l got vrom dat staff officer of
Dick Taylor l handed it to him.
| And you neffer showed dis when dey
we're hmbasting you so for not telling de
truth? he said, after looking it ofer. And
dis would haf PROCEED all you said
No. Admiral. Soldering is one thing
and pizness is another. / had done my
whole duty in bringing in de information
dat 1 did. De rest vas a private matter
| for me and you'
Well, you are a Chew. and q cute
one he said. II dey make any ones
smarter dan you. I'd like to see dem. OF
course you shall hat your two loads Of
| cotton. I'll run down dere tomorrow.
and veil clean Bayou Huffpower Of cot
| tom
81 put my share Of de cotton into I'm. ted
States ponds, and effery three months I
get gorns on my vingers cutting of de
coupons. 1 CONCLUDED l wouldn't 10
aproad. De United States is good enough
| for me-"
Go be continued)
The National tribune., 1903-10-15
NEW Yoax.s CANAL PROJECT.

The great and constantly increasing d.
version Of the Western grain trade from
Buffalo and New York to Montreal, Bos-
ton, Baltimore. Newport News, New Or
leans, Galveston and other places has
strongly alarmed them, and they are now
making a vigorous campaign with the peo-
pie Of the State to get voted 100000, 900
for improving the Erie Canal, so as to
permit the passage Of strings of LOCO tons
barges. While this would be an enormous
benefit to Buffalo and New York and to
the grain growers of the West, the people
Of the interior Counties Of the State are
grumbling bitterly against being taxed for
the improvements, which will be Of little
or no benefit to them. They say. with
great reason, that if New York and Buff
falo would abate somewhat Of their
grasping terminal charges the trade would
be enormously increased; that the Canal
is now carrying less than one-third Of its
| capacity and that an improved system Of
| towage would be Of more benefit than the
proposed enlargement Of the Canal. To the
| first charge New York and Buffalo answer
that they pay the largest portion Of the
| taxes, and that the back Counties an
nually get much more out of the State
Treasury for schools, good roads and char
liable institutions than they put 4 in the
shape of taxes. They point ont particu-
larry Broome County, which pays annually
$4,000 in the State Treasury, and receives
$S7, 900 for schools and other pur-
poses. Broome County would pay $13,400
for her share of the proposed improve
ments, which they do not regard as at all
excessive. Many other Counties are in
the same ratio with Broome. Naturally
| the most forcible of the opposing argument
| is that which relates to the terminal
charges. New York has always had the
customary idea of great ports in every
| country and every age and that all she
had to do was to stand pat" and take toll
on all trade going out of or coming into
the country. Buffalo has something OF
the same idea. Her elevators have always
charged exorbitantly for their services,
and the complaints against them have been
| constant and bitter. Not many years ago
New York's charges were so excessive that
great many grain men left the city and
| went to Baltimore, New Orleans and else
where, where they could secure better
treatment New York was forced to make
some concession, but she did not go far
enough, and so they continue to seek relief
elsewhere. The result has been n constant
decrease in grain exports from New York,
and an increase at other ports. For ex-
ample: the exports for II months Of the
present fiscal year showed decline of
more than sS,O0O.00O while there was an
increase Of more than S14 100000 in this
| same time from New Orleans and Calves
ton. More corn and wheat were shipped
| from New Orleans alone than from New
York. Some of the opponents of the Canal
allege that the day of canals has gone by.
and it would be cheaper and better for the
State to drain the Erie Canal and build n
railroad along its bed. 1t looks very much
as if the vote would be largely against the
proposed improvements.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

SUCH a crazy-quilt pattern as the New
York City politics are at the present time
has not been equalled in the memory of the
oldest CRATER. First the Reform element
dominates Mayor Low and put on the
ticket with him two distinguished reform
ers, Grout and F'ornes. These men had
been distinguished by their opposition to
Tammany, but this did not prevent Tam
many from making a brilliant flank move
ment and placing them upon its ticket. The
next step was for the Fusionists. as the
reformers call themselves, to demand that
Messrs. Grout and Fornes should either
refuse to accept the Tammany nomination
or get of the Fusion ticket, which they
CURLY refused to DO Then the Reformers
reconvened their convention. revoked their
nomination, and named two others instead.
AS if this did not enough complicate the
situation, Mclaughlin, the Democratic
boss Of Brooklyn, after lighting both the
nomination Of Mcclellan for Mayor and
Grout and Fornes, now proposes to fight
them at the polls, and Will deliver the en-
tire Brooklyn Democratic vote of 10000
to Mayor Low and the Reformers He
feels it is necessary to do this to defeat
Murphy, the domineering Tammany boss,
who proposes to wipe out Mr.. McLaugh
lin and the Brooklyn organization. The
Fusionists may not be able to take edvan-
tage Of this because they have no end OF
internal disorders of their own, beginning
with District Attorney Jerome's savage
use of the knife on Mayor Lew. Dr. Park
bursts retaliation with several prods In
the District Attorneys ribs. and the vigor-
Gus use of the blade on Secretary Fulton.
with smaller scraps too numerous to men,
| ton. The seventh son of a seventh son,
born with a caul on his head, in the full of
the moon and the beginning of the week.
can not even guess how the election will
| turn out.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

yeeks-a whole blessed vortnight.
ought to pc NIT Sherman dis plasted min
ute, instead Of blayins mumbe-pegs out
here in Louisiana. NIT dis planned Down
East outfit. But dere's no use of my
staying here, any way. Cheneral Parks,
YOU hat got far more men of your own
here dan dere are reppels out dere. You
don't need me-
"'Vhere did You get your unusual in
formation, Cheneral Smith, asked Gen.
Parks, nit his Sneaker of de House of
Representatives manner. My information
is totally different. l peleve dat Kirby
Smith has all de men vest Of de Missis-
sippi concentrated out dere, and We need
effery man We can get to hold him pack.
You can't pc spared, sir. We need many
more men, if anything
Your information is wholly incorrect
Cheneral Parks, answered Old A. j.,
choking down de temptation to add as
usual 'Dere's nopody out dere put
Polignac's brigade. l hat a man who
has yoost been outside, and discovered
dat
The National tribune., 1903-10-15
SPANISH WAR CLAIMS.
The Indianapolis News in an ed

against the service pension says:
1--WE insist that there is no occasion for
any further extension Of our pension sys-
tenn. Already the example that we have
set has had bad influence on the sol
diers of the Spanish war, comparatively
few of whom saw any active service.
Claims from this source are piling up at
a rapid rate. and the next demand will
be for service pension for every man
who enlisted for the Spanish war"
The News betrays the customary igno-
rance of its class in speaking of the Span
ish War claims. For the past FIVE years
its columns have been pretty we'll filled
| with news Of the performances of our SOL
diers in the Philippines. Does it suppose
| morasses and over the mountains of those
| islands. the scores of battles. skirmishes,
and affairs" which have been reported,
have been without effect upon the men do
| ing that arduous service under tropical
| skies? Yet, for all this, including the ser
vices of the army and navy in Cuba and
Porto Rico, there have been only G2,041
claims presented, and there are about
S,772 army invalids and 39S navy in
valids and 1858 widows on the rolls. Con-
sidering the magnitude of the war and the
immense amount of service rendered in re-
ducing TO possession thousands Of islands,
containing about 100000 people, it is
amazing that the Nation has gained its
object with so little in the way of pension.
expenditures. 1t is nothing in comparison
with what the British and other nations
have incurred in smaller operations in like
countries and without anything like the
astonishing success which has crowned the
operations Of the American army and navy
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

TIE comrades in Kansas are strongly
dissatisfied with Gsv. Bailey, whom thsS
charge with being ungrateful for the sue.
port they gave him. he has not shswA
any favor to veterans in appointments and
a conspicuous incident was whore Q vst-
eran, Endorsed BY the comrades to M .
vacancy a. Probate Judge Of Riley oeua-
ty, Was turned down In favor Of Q MAJ
who had served In the rebel army.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

ALL travellers agree that Of the many
bad Governments in South America that
at Bogota is the worst. The so-calied
Republic Of Colombia is always in state
of anarchy or under a despotism as I'M
scrupu,ous and corrupt as that Of Turkey
1t is simply organized rapacity. Any ad-
venturers who can seize the reins OF
power, proceed at once to bleed the coun-
try and people of every peso that they
can get before another syndicate of ras.
Gals succeed in turning them out. IL is
not possible that we can endure having
such gang as this stand in the way Of
great public work demanded by the in
terests of the whole world.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15
WE ARE going up BY leaps and bound

WE ARE going up BY leaps and bound,
in our consumption Of sugar. Only a few
years ago the British ate more sugar than
We did. with over So pounds per capita
Two ysars age We passed them, with an
annual consumption Of eS pounds per cap.
ita. but now cur consumption has passed
that and reached II pounds per annum
per head. Last year the enormous guam.
Gty Of ll,o77.o 65 pounds was i'm
ported, about ens-fourth Of which was beet
sugar. We enly raised about 6,OOo, OOO
psunds ourselves. Here II field for the
Development Of the Philippines.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

THE salt trust is the latest chill to the
appetite of foolish investors. 1t is cap
ltalized at $12,OOO,0O0, and has gone into
bankruptcy with assets Of $37,5Oo. Such
financial operations as these make the
bunco game seem respectable in compar-
ecop
The National tribune., 1903-10-15
GEN. RAUM's HISTORY,

GEN. GREEN B. RAUM Is now hard al
work revising and extending the articles
which have appeared in The National Trib
une on the operations of Sherman's army
He is getting the matter ready for pub
LEGATION in book form, and 1t will be wei
coined everywhere as q very valuable ad
dition in permanent form to the history
Of the Great Rebellion. Gen. Raum is moi
only very accurate. but q forceful and en-
PERTAINING writer.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

THERE is no evidence Of what might
be called unseemly haste in the prosecu-
fion of the Indian Land scandals. Mr..
Bonaparte has so far not indicated any
step that he proposes to take. In the
meanwhile the accused officials are not
losing a minute in the work Of covering
their trail wherever possible.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

THE Tampa Fla.) Times aspires to the
honor of throwing the first real agonizing
fit over the proposed service pension. This
is the way it goes on:
''If the service pension law Is passed
IL means that the bars will be thrown
down, and all claimants will receive non.
sions and no questions asked. 1t means
that our pension bill will be increased IA
SlI5,0O0,00O per annun or about what II
takes to maintain the immense military
establishments of both France and Ger.
many. 1t means that dssertion il to be
equally honored with bravery, and that the
iEalingerer is to receive a reward equal
TO that of the faithful soldier. II mean,
that the rotten spot In the pension system
is to be systematically enlarged. 1t means
that the American people have got to pay
for this oyergrown swindls and will be
forced to honor those who deserve the cat.
o'-nine-tails rather than the reward OF
,nerit. 1t means that msndicancy il to be
COMPOUNDED with patriotism, and that nc
distinction Is to bs drawn between the
brave man and the coward"
The pleasantest explanation Of this q
that the recent concsntratieo Of cyclone,
fidal ware and earthquake in Florida have
ssec tee much for ths pess mans wits, a
yell hey might b fss stssassr nindA
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

As WE have said before, more frankness
can be looked for from English military
officers than those in the service Of any
other European state. This is brought out
by the evidence Of Gen. Sir Archibald
Hunter before the South African War
Commission, in which he says that the
practice with the naval guns at Ladysmith
was SO bad that he could take girls out
of school and do better" Up to this time
Rear-Admiral Lambton has been gaining
much credit for landing some guns at
Ladysmith and preventing the capture OF
the town by the Beers. Admiral Lambton
Is naturally quite excited over this, and
has demanded an apology from Gen. Hun,
ter. Probably the British guns are moi
nearly SO well handled AZ the Americans
are, but all the same. we would rather
have any otter European gunners fire a,
US than the British.
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

THE Federal Grand Jury at st. Louis
has indicted the Private Secretary OF Gov.
Dockery and an ex-Marshal Of the Court
of Appeals for fraudulent naturalization.
II this goes on much longer there will
have tc be a great increase in the Jail
facilities of Missouri, or we shall have
heart rending accounts Of overcrowdine
and lack of proper comforts in the prisons
The National tribune., 1903-10-15

GEORGE DRUMELLER, of Walla Walla,
Wash, is raising wheat at cost of Is
cents bushel. He has 5000 acres this
year, from which he will get an average
of 81 bushels, as against %, the usual
yield. He raises his wheat so cheaply By
having cheap land in the first place, and
In the next by every mechanical device
minimizing costly hand labor. He uses
q gang plow which has three 16inch
plows. With eight horses and one driver
he can pillow from eight to 10 acres day.
His harrows are drawn by II horses, and
cover a sweep of from 40 to GO feet wide
with a man on horseback driving. The
grain is harvested by Stockton machine
which heads and thrashes the grain, put
ting it into sacks and harvesting from SO(
to 1000 bushels day with only 10 mer
employed