davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

who Is also a SquatteT. lives in a miser-
able-Iooking shanty near by II is braced
up with wooden beams, and pigeons go
in and out Of the broken windows on the
top story, but in enc Of his rooms he has
stored a $500 piano. Irish point curtains.
velvet carpets, and similar Injuries
He explains that he bought them at
auction. and that they are intended TO
decorate the home OF his motherless
daughter, whom he has managed 10 send
10 fashionable boarding school When
she comes back I'll move out OF the old
shant' and into a grand fat" he an
nCunced shes a beauty, though l says
I, as shouldn't and I want to give her
i chance 10 marry we'll" When he was
asked If he would not miss the place
where he had lived so long. he looked
around wistfuliy and said; sure and
indeed | will that ] brought herself here
as a bride. and the handful of children
were horned and died in these rooms.
Besides. I'll hate TO pay the rent, but
Loretta wouldn't like it down in this
hole, so III say good-by TO it all next
June"
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

Desdemona to the OtheHo Of Booth and
CordeHa to the crazy Lear of Edwin
Forrest-the kindest man to beginners
that she or the stage has ever known
Advises Embryo Thespians.
Would she advise young women in
general to adopt the stage as a profess
sion? BY all means-if they had pro-
nounced Ieanings in that direction. She
declared the stage offered no more evil
temptations to young women than any
other profession-rather to the contrary.
But we must remember-she was saying
that the drama is a Jealous mistress
and can only be won by ceaseIess .ap-
plication and by eschewing the thousand
and one distractions-sociaI or other
wise-that offer themselves to my lady
of the footHghts.
Did the writer remember when David
BeIasco was stage manager at the Madi-
son Square Theater? No? Was it really
twenty years ago? 1t seemed only yes
terday to her But if the writer did not
remember so far back he remembered
seeing Agnes Booth in a box at the
Hollis Street Theater the other evening
when she retired to the back OF the box
with her hand over her eyes rather than
TO witness the narrowing tumbrI scene
in which Nine du Barry rides TO her
death on the gunlotfne.
Ycs-she Acknowledged had cried.
Ab. Cried-she had cried! All you young
women who aspire to play upon the
emotions of men and women in theaters
may do well 10 remember that if you
would move others you must be capable
of being moved by others even as Agnes
Booth was moved to pity the Du Barry.
But the grayhounds were becoming
restless and The horses becoming hungry
Tor The daily lump of sugar which the
mistress of the Abbotsford Road resi-
dence is accustomed to feeding them
from her hand
So there was no time to see the dta-
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

stones, and heats them with the print
tive stove if he c;nnot afford modern ap-
pliances. In this way he turns an honest
penny and acts II sense as a public
benefactoT by giving city folks a glimpse
OF the green, growing life of the country.
The majority Ofthe farms are down in
hollow. and at his season of the year
they look so muddy and UnWhOlesOme
that the casual TisItor is hauntet BY
fears Of typhoid Of malariaI fever but
the squattcTs are healthy and blissfully
content. They bOist that the drainage is
as good as that q which Fifth Avenue
pridcs itself The. rarely make improve
ments in their shmues, as the ground is
held by so pTecarDus a tenure. The di
lapidlted appearance of the exterior is in
strong contrast tothe neatness and taste
displayed in the Interior appointments.
One Of the ssuaters in West One Hun
dred and Thuty-eventh Street. an in
dustTious SWede, las occupied his pres
ent quarters for hirty years, and when
he is Gislodged blythe builders he viii be
able TO buy q moeest home on the street
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

annum, according to its dimensions
Some of the holdings comprise less than
an acre. others run up TO four acres. and
when diligently cultivated the land
yields farm produce which enables the
tenant to meet his expenses and live
more or less comfortably.
The Harlem squatter keeps an assert
ment Of live stock, including COW. a
few pigs. goats. and a number Of hens
1t is from him that the uptown peddbers
purchase their stock Of potatoes. cab
bage, tuTnips, and beans. and as he IS
famous for giving good measure, many
of the fat dweIlers in his vicinity deal
directly with him when they need milk.
new-laid eggs, and vegetables, The
gquatter who IS more ambitious and en-
ergetic than his fellows makes a special
" of catering to the tastes of those
who Insist on having strawberries ana
aspara gus out Of season.
He puts up glass houses, even when his
young family are disposed 10 throw
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

Many of my friends have asked me
the same question" she laughed before
continuing, But they have never been
on the stage, and do not appreciate its
charm No one who has never appeared
before an audience can appreciate the
subtle fascination which the stage has
for even such a veteran as myself"
a tempting remark as to the decep-
tiveuess Of appearances only ELECTED an
answering now uow-now from her-and
then the conversation resolved itself into
a series Of "reminiscences. in which
Agnes Booth was entertaining a temper
airy audience Of one. She was describing
a twelve-year-oH girl who had made her
first appearance at the Royal Victoria
Theater in Sydney. Australia, with a
company in with Nine Anna Bishop
was the star-and how the manager Of
the theater had invited herself and others
to dine and meet young Edwin Booth
then touring Australia with his company
of players. Then she told how the
twelye-year-oId girl finally came TO
America and net and married Junius
Frutus Booth
Mrs, Booth recounted-among her
other experiences in the early days
how she had Travelled through the Cal
tfornia mining camps when the miners
would pay s. and SO and SI5 for seats
and sit for TWO breathIess hours watch
ing Lady MACBETH" or "OtheIlo.'' or
the Merchant of Venice" depicted in
much the same crude way they were
when Shakespeare rehearsed his own
plays at the ole Globe in EIizabethan
London. On one occasion she and her
company had produced AS You Like It"
on the stump o one Of the big trees
in the Yosemite Valley, with 1000 men
and not d woman in the audience
Shifting the ssene to New York and
Boston. she IaEhingly described her
nervous apprehension on first playing
The Washington times., 1903-01-04
j: THE PASSING OF THE MANHATTAN ISLAND SQUATTER g

level. He has five fair-sized rooms in his
shauty. and the front parIor has uphol-
stored furniture, lace curtains, and pic
lures in gilt frames.
Farther up. and nearer the Hudson
River. is the most original and entertain
ing of all TIE squatters. He is an old
Irishman, wi b tWInkiiug eyes and an in
fictitious Iauga When friend D. stranger
calls on him he does the honors of the
farm with the innate courtesy of his race.
He speaks with positive tenderness of the
good old days when squatCeTs in New
York city were as plentiful as blackber-
Ties in August.
Al that time he lived on Fifth Avenue.
near Seventy second Street. where the
5quatteT colony was thickest- He was
master of ceremonies of every wedding,
christening, and wake Of consequence.
and was arbiter in the faction fights that
frequently spTaug up between his couu-
tTymen and the 'fuTTiuers. " He COnfesses
that he occasionally took active part in
the melee. and could crack a crown
with the best Of them" His brother
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

? T is only question Of time when
the last Of the squatters viii vanish
/ from Manhattan Island. The demon
Of brick and mortar Is rapidly TAX
ing possession of the holdings on which
sturdy emigrants settled when Sixty
fourth Street and all the region beyond
it was pasture land Their descendants
cling tenaciousIy to the bit Of ground
where they were born and raised" as
hey will tell you. and it is a sad day
for them when thev are forced TO
abandon the tumbIe-down shanty they
call home.
There are practical as well as senti-
mental reasons for their attachment to
81 The land on which it stands is usual
ly part Of an estate which is in litiga-
tion. or is being held on speculation at
a fancy price, and owing 10 the fact
that it is assessed as farm ground not
as city lots, the squatteF has only 20
pay taxes, ranging from $50 TO $500 per
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

thing about the apartment seemed to
breathe the presence Of genius. Per
ffs5ps. wondered the perhaps
Coquelin had sat in yonder comfortable
chair the last time he was in America
and had stroked his nose as though re
GREETING that he could not always play
Cyrano. The chair seemed made for
CoqueIiu-quaint, luxurious. and differ
ent from every companion chair in the
room. Was the dog-eared volume Of
Shakespeare on the table the same one
which Booth he'd pondered over? The
temptation was irresistible to pick it up.
and. sure enough. the pages opened at
Hamlet
Is This Agnes Booth?
Just then a light tread sounded on the
oaken stairway and died snugly away
in the luxurious vestibuIc rugs as the
mistress Of the mansion entered the
room.
Agnes Booth? Was this smiling
woman with such wealth Of titan hair
and such an AprtHan manner the actress
who made the Sporting Duchess" ia
nous when Lillian Russell was-weII, a
few years younger than now? Yes-Ag-
mes Both was speaking-and there was
no mistaking the wonderfully flexible
voice in which tears and laughter rip
pied along side by side.
rs the report of my returning to the
stage correct2" she repeated Yes,
quite true. Ny morning mail today
brought me a contract from Charles
Frohman and I have just finished read
ing the play in viii I will appear at
the Academy of Music in New York next
Octobe<'
Something-possibIy the comfortable
surroundings suggested a question as TO
whether 1t was not sacrifice to forego
such comforts and resume the stage,
which could hardly yield any more honOrs
to Agnes Booth than it had already
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

young wayfarer-probabIy a Harvard
football player in embryo-if the Booth
home was nearby
BOOTH" queried the very young
American addressed.
'Yes-Booth,"
Nobody By that name Gives around
here"
Are you sure?"
Sure"
The emphatic answer was disconcert-
ing, but it brought one back to the pres
ent with the reminder that it was very
young person Of the genus masculine
who was answering-an urchin who was
a deal more absorbed in wondering how
long the holiday would last than in an
swering an absent-minded stranger in
q strange Iand-Boston.
Where does she Iive2" the present
minded lad was now repeating.
"ABbotsford Road
''Sbe-nobody named Booth lives
there"
Who does. then, and here is a dime
for your answer"
And this was the answer.
"she-the lady with the dogs and
horses and birds and things-lives
there"
A BIookIine Mansion.
So. armed with this information, the
humber writer made bold to approach
one OF the most commodious and invit-
ing of the many inviting and commodt-
Gus residence in fashionable Abbotsford
Road. Reaching the portal he touched
the button. a neatly caparisoned at
tendant did the rest. A wide door swung
open on noiseless hinges and a maid ad-
mitted the caIIer-it was an unfashfon-
able hour-with some dubiousness. say
ing, as two magnificent grayhounds rose
and stretched themselves in front Of the
blazing logs and surveyed the intruder
with open disapproval, that she would
call her mistress.
The intruder found himself in a libra
~ almost large enough to be exagger-
ated. Evidently it was a sanctuary with
Lares and Penates as presiding deities-
Treasures in the way of signed photo
graphs of tragic Booth and witty Barry
more and charming Annie Russell gazed
down with couaborative inquiry Some
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

mond bracelet which Coquelin had pre-
scented her during the famous scene in
which they had appeared together at Il
farewell CoqueIin benefit in this coun-
try Nor was there time 10 explore the
wonderful mine of press notices other
than to extract the following fifteen
The Washington times., 1903-01-04

Who is there among the ED
er generation Of theatergoers
IN whom a sleeping thrill 5s not sawak-
ened by the utterance Of the .nqme-a
name which coniures up memories Of
the premier American tragedian whose
sway was so long supreme in the little
tin kingdom behind the footHghts?
But Agnes Booth. Unless you have
been a resident Of the fashionable Bos-
ton suburb Of BrookIine, or have fol
lowed the social calendar in the City Of
Heavenly Rest-aIias Boston-the name
may come back to you like an echo OF
the past. She is to return TO the stage
next season under the management Of
Charles Frohman, at the Academy Of
Music in New York
Since retiring some years ago Agnes
Booth-now the wife Of John B sehOef-
fel-has devoted her time to her horses,
dogs. and birds-and incidentally to the
most fashionable members of the most
exclusive set in Boston Besides her
splendid house in Abbotsford road she
has a summer home at Manchester-by-
tbe-sea. and whenever she is at one or
the other it becomes a mansion Of hos
pitaIty.
Nevertheless she intends once more
to become a star in the Frohman
s heaven.
A Galaxy Of Stars.
Time was when Agnes Booth divided
bonors with Edwin Booth. Edwin For
est Joseph jefferson, Lester WaIIack,
Maurice Barrymore, and other Plaueta-
~ orbs in the theatrical armament.
And what a GALAXY.
save for herself and Joseph JeneF-
son. the others have twinkled out and
have been replaced for better or worse
by the actors and actresses Of say to
morrow night
Hence the interest that has been
awakened by the announcement that Ag-
nes Booth viii star in THE Best Of
Friends" during the coming season
Since she had the cooperation Of
Stuart Robson and Mary Mannering in
producing The first American outdoor
performance OF "As You Like It. at
Observation-Disclosures. Agnes Booth has
not appeared before the public at all
Prior 10 her retirement from the title
role in the Sporting Duchess" she had
entertained two generations Of theater-
Eoers-
Forty years-mors OF Lesson the
stage with such a company is an ex-
perience such as has fallen to the lot
OF probably no other living actor or
actress in this country. Such q period
Is a long time in this strenuous age
either on or on the stage, and an actress
who appeared with Booth and Forrest in
The early sixties must be a dreamer Of
printable dreams. She also must look
Hpon many Of her contemporaries in the
public eye as mere children-darlings Of
the gods.
So unused the writer. as he aIghted
from car in BrooHlne a few days ago
and inquired. -mindedIy. Of a very
The Washington times., 1903-01-04
By WILLIAM GRIFFITH.
DOTH

II DOTH
Agnes Booth.
Who is there among the cid
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
BRIEF BITS OF NEWS.

Daniel c. Gilman has been re-elect-
cd president OF the National Civil
Service Reform association.
Jesse D. Carr, the well known Cali
fornia pioneer. politician and million.
aire land owner, is dead. aged eighty.
nine years.
Albert j. Wise. president Of the firm
Of j. H. Bunnell & Co. and promi.
nent member of the New York bar. Is
dead from bronchitis.
The gunboat Castine. which sailed
from Philadelphia Thursday night for
Key West, is aground in the Delaware
river near Marcus Hook.
Rev. Robert Bird. a we'll known
Methodist minister. is dead at Detroit.
aged eighty-three years. He was pre-.
siding elder of the Lake Superior dis
trict before the day Of railroads.
An imperial grant in aid Of cotton
growing in British West Africa will lie
proposed during the coming session OF
parliament and 1t is understood that
the suggestion has been favorably re-
ceived by the government departments
concerned
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
SAYS MR.. FAIR DIED FIRST.
Leading Witness in Will Contest on
the Stand.

Paris. Dec. 12-Dr. Perriquet. con.
sidered the leading witness in the Fair
will case. testified during the day be-
fore Commissioner Eiser of New York.
He said he arrived on the scene an
hour after the automobile accident
and found both Charles l.. Fair and
his wife dead. The body Of Mr.. Fair
was already rigid. but that of his wife
was not rigid. indicating that the for
mer died first. From the condition or
Mr.. Fairs body the witness believed
bis death was instantaneous. The
condition of Mrs Fairs body indicated
that her death was not instantaneous.
Dr. PerriGuet recited the case of q
woman who was murdered near the
scene OF the c-.,ident. Her wounds.
which were in the head. were almost
identical with those Of Mrs. Fair. the
victim living for many hours.
The witness further testified that
while he was unable to swear posi-
lively whether Mr.. Fair or Mrs. Fair
died first. yet his positive opinion was
that Mrs. Fair must have survived heI
husband.
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
CASE AGAINST LOUNSBERRY
Hearing at Devils Lake of the Charges Filed
Against Col. c. A. LOunsberry.

Devils Lake Free Press: A case of
more than usual interes. has been un
der inquiry at the Devils Lake land
office for the past week. being the
taking Of the testimony as to the
charge filed against Col. C. A. Louns-
berry, special agent of the general
land Office. E. B. LINEN and Horace
Bennett, both travelling inspectors for
the general land Office, are acting as
referees in taking The testimony, and
conducting the prosecution on the
part d the government. Mr.. Louns-
beryr is represented by Attorney H.
G. Mi1daugh
We have not been able to hear the
testimony offered. except to learn the
drift Of it. 1t appears there are sew
eral distinct charges Of taking money
testified to the apparent considera-
tion for which was stock in the Rec
ord publishing company at Fargo, but
which the witnesses against the
colonel in the present Investigation
claim YVES paid for a favorable report
in the land cases in which they were
interested
In his defense Mr.. Lounsberry main
tains that the Record company was
capitalized for $4,000, and that the
stock at that time was worth par, al
though admitting it was OF no value
at the present time.
Col. Lounsberry has held the posi-
ton of special agent for the depart
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
PENSION BILL IN HOUSE.
Panama Question Discussed by Dins-
more Of Arkansas.

Washington, Dec. 12.-The house
on convening resolved itself into com.
mittee of the whole for the considera.
ton of the pension appropriation bill.
with Mr.. Lawrence (Mass.) in the
chair.
Mr.. Van voorhis (Rep.. o. ex-
Dlained that the provisions of the bill
were practically identical with those
Of last years measure.
Mr.. Dinsmore (Dem.. Ark), who
was recognized for one hour, took nc-
casion to speak of the republic of Pan
anna He said the republic had been
established and that 1t exists by the
power of the United States and that
without that power it could not exist.
Nothing had. he said, been gained
that could not have been gained in a
straightforward and honorable way.
He explained that he did not use the
word honorable" in an offensive
sense, but insisted that but for the
action of the United States there
would be no republic Of Panama.
Mr.. Hit (Rep., Ill), chairman OF
the committee on foreign affairs. re-
plying to Mr. Dinsmore. said he was
astonished at the remarks of the gen
tleman from Arkansas. saying such at
tacks on the government would not be
made by any foreigner in discussing
its action.
Mr.. Hit made a vigorous defense Ol
the administration in connection witt
the republic of Panama, his reference
to the president being loudly applaud
I'd on the Republics side.
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
ROOT WILL TAKE NO ACTION.
MacArthur's Denial Of Honolulu Inter.
view Sufficient.

view Sufficient.
Washington. Dec 12.-The state
ments attributed 10 General MacAr-
thur in dispatches from Honolulu in
which he is alleged to have predicted
war in the immediate future between
the United States and Germany have
come to the notice of Secretary Root.
In an interview with the Associated
Press representative the secretary
said the only information he had on
the subject was what he had seen In
the papers. He did not regard it as
a case calling for action by him. mas
much as the dispatch quoted General
Macarthur as saying that the state
ments in Colonel Jones' report to Gov.
ernor Carter diI not correctly repre-
sent his views in any particular and
utterly misrepresented them in some.
Secretary Root made the assertion
that remarks of this character deliv-
cred In private conversation would
not necessarily shield an officer from
the requirement of an explanation
but he says that General Macarthur
denial carries with 1t the weight OF
an explanation. He therefore would
take no action In the matter.
At the meeting of the cabinet later
in the day it is said the matter was
discussed, as result Of which il
seems likely that Secretary Root viii
modify his view and. in the interest
Of fairness to General Macarthur. cal
upon him for an explanation upon his
arrival in the United States the lattel
part OF this month.
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
THE BENNETT WILL CASE
Widow Appeals From Decision OF Court
Appointing Mr.. Bryan as Executor and
Trustee.

New Haven. Conn. Dec. 12.-Coun'
sci for Mrs. Bennett. widow OF Philo
S. Bennett. has filed a long statement
Of the reasons for the appeal recently
taken from the decision Of Probate
Judge Cleaveland in relation to Mr..
Benefits will
In the formal notice Of appeal it
was briefly announced that objection
would be taken to all Of the bequesis
in the will providing for trust funds
for educational purposes to be admin
istered by Mr.. and Mrs. William J.
Bryan and also to the appointment OF
Mr.. Bryan as executor and trustee.
That statement was elaborated in the
document just filed. which, after re-
peating the clauses of the will to
which objection is taken. says, in eff
feet that Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan induced
and persuaded Mr.. Bennett to sign a
paper addressed to William J. Bryan
and to copy a considerable portion Of
another paper, the said copy to be ad-
dressed to Mrs Bennett. The papers
referred to are the sealed letter by
which Mr.. Bryan and family were to
be given $50n00 by consent OF Mrs.
Bennett, and a letter similar in pur-
pose which Mr.. Bryan produced in
court.
The appeal says it was then the in
tention of Mr.. Bryan and his wife that
Only the sealed letter addressed to
Mrs bennett was to be brought to her
knowledge "and that was for the pur'
pose of inducing her to permit VIII
lam J. Bryan to get the $4,000"
1t is also declared to have been the
Bismarck daily tribune., 1903-12-12
INVOLVES VALUABLE PROPERTY.
Merger Of Independent Telephone
COMPANIES.

Chicago, Dec 12.-Final arrange
ments were made Thursday for the in
corporation of The interstate telephone
association into one company. This
means the amalgamation Of over 1000
Independent telephone companies in
Illinois. Wisconsin. Kentucky. Missou-
ri. Iowa. Indiana. Nebraska. Mime
sofa, Ohio and Michigan. involving
property valued at more than $780,
100000. This action was taken at
the closing session here of the asso-
citation. A permanent committee was
appointed to work upon plans of ac-
tion for the new company.
"One OF the first things to be done
by the new company will be to form
connection with the Illinois Tele-
phone and Telegraph company's lines
in Chicago. bringing our company in
direct competition with the Bell lines
in Chicago" said President Hull OF
the association