davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18

medical profession ceases to believe
that it's first duty is to save life, let
the consequences be what they may,
the medical profession will have ceas-
ed to be of value to mankind.
The idea of improving race by the
elimination of it's weaklings is older
than civilization and was practiced be-
fore Esculapius. 1t is to-day a GUS
tom among many savage tribes, yet
neither in the past nor in the present
has it resulted in the production of
an ideal race. Sparta is become a
name, attached to short-lived expert
ment, and the race it produced has
vanished utterly away. A stringently
enforced law against the marriage of
those manifestly unfit to perpetuate
the race would, however, be of benefit
to humanity and is probably as far as
the advocates of the ''better dead
theory would go in the practical appli-
cation of their ideas.-New York
Press
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18

unity Of the railroad made the deliv-
cry Of laborers, machinery, tools, sup
plies, etc., an easy matter. The United
States objected to the building of the
canal except by an Independent COM
pany, and accordingly the Universal
Interoceanic Canal Company undertook
the enterprise, and de Lesseps was en-
powered to proceed. e.
From the seeds sown in that con-
vention, what a harvest of corruption
was there! For fifteen years the work
proceeded, the stockholders having ey-
cry confidence in De Lesseps and his
themselves at the expense of that
trust. When at last there came, in
1892, the revelation of what had been
done, the world was amazed. Over
1000, 600 had been sunk in the prof.
ect, but only a small part had been
actually expended In the work. Most
of it had been spent In France, to in
fuence public opinion. Charles De Les
seps, Ferdinand's son, was held to be
chiefly responsible, but the elder man
himself was convicted of fraudulent
maneuvers and sent to prison for five
years. He died within year of his
conviction-in 1896. The hands of the
De Lesseps were not the only unclean
ones. Statesmen were tainted; con-
tractors were fraudulen1y enriched,
and even common laborers had their
share Of the money wrongfully OBJ
tanned. Never before In all history was
there such gigantic swindle SO pal
pably carried out.
Meanwhile visitors to the isthmus
saw distressing sight. The work had
been abandoned From the railroad
crossing the isthmus the traveller
looked down and saw, in the ditch, the
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
passing from the Atlantic to the Pa.
eif1c and back again.

poSS1AS 1IOlA lAc AOoAAAS W IAS =
eif1c and back again.
A Standing Proposition.
Proposals to pierce the Isthmus OF
Panama are almost as old as its dis
covery. Cortez had a route surveyed
and from the days Of the explorer
down to our time the idea has been
kept alive. The discovery of gold in
California caused a new demand for a
great waterway, but it resulted only in
the building of a railroad. The sue
cessful accomplishment Of the Suez
canal construction in 1868 called atten-
ton anew to the American project, and,
finally, in 1879, Count Ferdinand de
Lesseps made an appeal to the several
nations to send delegates to congress
to meet in Paris. to decide upon the
route and plan for, an interoceanic
canal Nearly all the nations Of the
world were represented, and the deci-
sion of the congress was that such a
canal as was projected could be built
by way of Limon bay to Panama. The
preference for this route over that at
Nicaragua lay in the fact that ships
could be towed through in ten or
twelve hours. while at Nicaragua forty
Ave hours would be required. Fewer
locks would be necessary, and the prox-
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18

Edward the Confessor's emerald Is
much smaller and of deep color; it
has been recut in brilliant form, prob
ably for Charles H., which was quite
unnecessary. It is said to have been
taken out of the confessor's ring,
which was buried with him and it has
the reputation of being an antidote to
cramp. A story told about it relates
that the confessor, in one of his walks
about Westminster, met a beggar who
asked for aims, and the saint being at
that moment short of money, gave him
his ring in charity in the name of St.
John. Some time afterward some En-
glish pilgrims, travelling in the holy
land, got into difficulties and consulted
an old man, stranger, who happened
to be in their company. On hearing
that the travellers were English, he re-
vealed himself to them as st. John, the
special patron Of Edward, king of En-
gland, and he assisted them out Of
their troubles, and gave them a ring
to take back to their monarch, with
the message that he would meet him
In paradise in six months time. When
in due time Edward received the ring,
he at once recognized it as that he
had given to the Westminster beggar
and when he died, according to the
saints prediction, it was buried with
him in his shrine at Westminster
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
COLD, coMFoRTLEss MEALS.
"Delicatessen" Men of New York Do
Large Business.

"Delicatessen" Men of New York Do On
Large Business.
The "delicatessen" men do a large
business, says the New York Evening
Post. This very evening, l, encour-
aged by my friends observations,
paused before various open doors just
before 6 o'clock and watched what
was going on within. These places of
provision were literally thronged;
women of every age and every ma
tionality were buying for the evening
meal
Visions of other poor mems homes,
familiar to me in other times and 9th
er places, came almost as veil be-
tween me and this motley company.
Remembrances of open cottage doors,
through which one could see the fire
burning in the tidy stove, the steam
ing kettle with it's cover Gathering
pleasantly through the force of pres
sure within; the big brown loaf Of
homemade bread, with the wide
bladed knife beside it; the savory odor
Of some wholesome stew, or of crisp
bacon, inviting the most sated appe-
tite; dish Of mealy potatoes, ready
to fall into powdery whiteness at a
touch, and the bowl of baked apples
or pears for a dessert-these things
came back in strange contrast to what
I saw now.
"A link or two of sausage; slice Of
this and two slices of that cold food,
laid in papers and added, one after
another, to the store in the basket I'M
derneath the almost invariable shawl.
A bottle of catsup; perhaps head of
cabbage for a cold relish; a loaf Of
bakers bread, and almost invariably a
pie. No thoughtful, house-wifely prep
aration of strengthening food for
strong EARNED man too tired to digest
easily; no warm, well-seasoned dish
to strengthen or refresh him; no care
full use Of his money for his best sus-
tenance. Only the easiest possible
thing to procure that would prevent
hunger, with the profit Of preparation
and cooking, going to him who buys
a low grade Of food at the cheapest
price, and sells at large profit. In
the few minutes in which 1 stood here
and there, a looker-on at what was to
me sad sight, counted twenty cold,
comfortless meals carried hastily out
to provide for the evening repast Of
men hurrying home from hard days
work. Probably third of the value
of the purchase went to the benefit of
the vender.
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
Falling from Aloft.

Zone of the wonders of seafaring
life," writes Charles Protheroe in Life
in the Mercantile Marine" "is the sin
gularly small proportion of sailors who
meet with death or accident by falling
from aloft. Whether or no the cherub
who is supposed to sit aloft and watch
over poor Jack is responsible for it
I am not prepared to say, but the fact
remains. Having to tumble up aloft
at all hours and in all weathers to per-
form acrobatic feats that would al
most puzzle monkey, the saying
among sailors about hanging on by
the eyebrows becomes almost tru-
ism. One would think the situation
was highly spiced enough by dan
ger without needlessly increasing it.
Yet it is not altogether an uncommon
thing to see man, If he happens to
be barefooted, run out along the yard
in preference to using the footrope
placed under it for the purpose, to
reach what Is a post of honor, the
weather earring. In spite of all this,
although not knowing the actual per-
centage, make bold to say that not
more than one sailor man in hundreds
Is killed or injured by falling from
aloft- If I use my own experience
as base, the proportion would be
less, for in over twenty years of sea
life I was never caused the pain of
witnessing such a catastrophe"
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
The Story of a 'Possum.

'You up dar, all right, is you" said
the old darky to the 'possum he had
'treed."
'En you shakin' yo' fat sides en-
laughin' at me, is you?"
"En you don't see dat fire what
gwine ter roas' you brown-does
your
'N'er dem 'taters what'll des swim
in de gravy all round you-n'er dem
But just then he heard the crack of
rifle; the 'possum fell at his feet was
picked up by the man who owned the
land and carried off in triumph.
The old man stood for some time in
silence-looking after him; then he
muttered to himself:
"Hit's nuttin' in de 'roun' worr but
desc po' white trash dat keeps de race
problem stirrin' up de country!-At-
lanta Constitution.
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
LINED WITH WASTE.
DITCH WHICH CAUSED A NEW
REPUBLICS CREATION.
Extravagance in the History Of the
Panama Canal, on Which a Vast Sum
Has Been squandered - ubject of
Great ScandaI-Curious Features.

Events In the Isthmus Of Panama,
and the somewhat delicate position as
sumed by our government, direct atten-
ton anew to the extraordinary engi-
neering work in which fortunes and
regulations have been sunk; where eX-
travagance and waste have prevailed,
and which now assumes new phase Of
international interest by becoming a
bone of contention between republics.
The Panama canal has been a SUBJ ect
of scandal for years. So far as all prac-
tical purposes are concerned, this ditch
and a strip of land on either side con-
stitute the Isthmus of Panama, though
in. wider sense the term, isthmus, en-
braces the whole neck of Land connect
ing the continents of North and South
America. AS generally understood,
however, the fifty-four miles of terri
tory along the proposed ship canal, be-
tween the cities of Colon, or Aspinwal
as it is sometimes called, on the Carib-
bean sea, and Panama, on the Pacific
ocean, are all there is to the isthmus.
The common impression, the one pre-
vailing> among those who have not
studied the topography Of the country,
Is that comparatively fiat land lies be-
tween these two points. This Is erro-
neous, for between the two cities is
range Of mountains, a continuation of
the Andes. This is the great natural
difficulty in the way of the canal, and
second one, scarcely less vexing, are
the floods on the Chagres river. Were
1t not for these obstacles the vessels of
the nations would for years have been
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
A Tin for the Waiter.

Everything all right, sir?" asked the
waiter.
The patron nodded but still the wait
er lowered near.
''Steak cooked to suit you, sir?" he
asked again presently.
Again the patron nodded.
Potatoes the way you like 'em,
sir?"
eyes"
Another period of silence.
81 hope the service is satisfactory,
SIR"
"Well, sir, Of course, we get tips
sometimes, and I've got to go to the
kitchen for another party, So"
so you'd like tip now, to be sure
of it? Well, I'll give you one."
Eyes, SIR
"Here is the tip: I have a large,
strident voice that I am capable of
using. If anything is wrong, I'll let out
a roar you can hear in the kitchen. If
you don't hear it, you can know I am
dining in peace and comfort, for it's
no fun to have to pass verbal judg-
meRt on every mouthful eat"
"But the tip?"
"That's the tip, and mighty good
one it is, too"
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
Is HUMAN LIFE TOO LONG.
Physicians Think Their Art Ward.
OF Death UnnecessariIv.

Physicians Think Their Art Ward.
OF Death Unnecessarily.
A new and rather startling idea is
being promulgated by certain eminent
physicians. 1t is that modern medical
science and its allied science of sani-
tation is injuring the human race by
preserving too many lives. 1t is the
''better dead" theory reduced to
purely physiological basis and viewed
in the cold, white light of medical
science. A short time ago DR.. Chaplin,
superintendent of health of Provi-
dence, R. l., read a paper before
medical convention in Boston, in which
he called attention to the effect likely
to be produced upon future genera
tions by the saving by medical skill of
the lives of weaklings who instead of
dying, as they would have done in the
natural course of events a few years
ago, now have their lives prolonged
until they have married and perpetual
ed their own infirmities and weak vi
tality in their children. He seriously
not doing altogether too much for the
general good of the human race.
Now DR.. Ernest W. White, president
Of the London MedicO-P Psychological
Association, declares that one of the
principal causes Of the alarming in
crease of insanity in England is the
fact that "the old, rough law of the
survival of the fittest is not so forcible
as formerly. Weaklings who would
have died in infancy in olden days are
now brought up to marry and perpet-
uate the faulty stock" The course Of
action for the medical practitioner
which might logically be deduced from
such teachings as these is one from
which poth DIR. Chaplin and DR.. White
would undoubtedly shrink. When the
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18

'
! |kEDrIoRIAlSszs !
T. Opinions of Great Papers important Subjects. Z


clothes they might make another such mob 1t in
fact ghost dance of hyseria brought by the worship
of riches and titles which has become disease in many
vulgar minds.
We shame ourselves in the sight Of the world by such
shocking exhibitions Of regard for wealth. There
for through the expedent calling
ton curiosity. When huge Of cast aside
modesty and sefrespec and struggle in for
glimpse Of wealthy girl going to church marry
they place the level with animals which
herd together for purposes. When
title on American soil decency remembers that there
better things than either the the other and
about Its business Mobs of in good clothes
curse in any community they have nothing
than run together in the streets show their vulgary
Here subject for the cultured of the land to
take up seriously and devise remedy If they
displays as that In New York degrade the
the nation-Chicago Daily News
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
TIcKETs.OF-LEAvE IN ENGLAND.
Ex-Convicts Who Can Afford Smart
Vehicles.

Vehicles.
A Stratford (EnglanO magistrate
says he knows hcket-of-leave men who
drive up to the police station in car
riages to report themselves, leaving the
offices with smiling faces. The police,
who should know, say they would like
to see them.
"Most OF the ex-convicts reporting
their whereabouts to us come to the
station wearing odd boots" said city
police officer. 'They scarcely have the
money to pay for a drink, much less
a cab, while a carriage Is out Of the
question"
While such cases may be uncommon,
however, the fact remains that there
are men who, leaving penal estab-
lishment, return to enjoy ill-gotten
wealth and to partake of the pleasures
of tdleness, says the London Mail.
Three years ago business man who
had suffered imprisonment for serious
charges Of fraud drove up to a police
station to report himself, leaving In a
smart brougham outside his two we'll
dressed daughters, and wearing the
tall hat and frock coat Of respectable
ty. He asked for the superintendent in
the airiest Of manners, saying he had
to see him on "a matter Of private bust
mesa" Only the severe and gruff man
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
rotting frames of dredges half buried

TOluuS 1TdmeS OI uTeuSSS udu DuTlc0
In mud. He could see thousands upon
thousands of dollars worth going to
decay. For miles the piles of rust
ing and abandoned rails stared him in
the face. There was machinery COW
cred with dirt and overgrown with
weeds. Every now and then he passed
house fast going to decay, which was
intended for a station ON the canal
His attention would be directed by
some native or by well-informed fell
low traveller to the house built for De
Lesseps, looking no more pretentious
than many a cheap city dwelling or
country house III our country, but
which represented an outlay of nearly
100000. A wocd-eating worm had
got into this, as 1t did into the sta
tions, and probably little is now left
of the buildings. If he kept his ears,
open the traveller heard other strange
stories of recklessness, such, for In
stance. as that of a locomotive and
left there because the contractor hadn't
the energy and common sense to pull
it out.
Features of the Work.
With the death Of De Lesseps and
the collapse of his company the canal
project dragged more slowly than ever
until the United States took it up. The
question of a canal through Nicaragua,
instead Of across the Panama isthmus,
was for some time discussed, but the,
preference was finally given to the old
route. The treaty with Colombia, how
ever. by which this country was to pay
$1O.OOO,OOO for the necessary conces-
sion, was defeated this summer in the
Colombian Senate. The present attempt
on the part Of the State of Panama to
secede from Colombia Is the outcome
Of this action. President Roosevelt's
desire to follow the Panama route
rather than that through Nicaragua L.
due to the fact that 1t will cost several
millions of dollars less to buy and COM
plete the Panama route and that the
annual cost of maintenance will be
100000 less.
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
KING OF ENGLAND'S CROWN.
II Contains Several Historic Jewels,
Especially q Large Ruby.

II Contains Several Historic Jewels,
Especially q Large Ruby.
The most important historic jewels
In the present imperial crown are the
large spinel ruby in the center Of the
front cross-patee, the large pale sap
phire on the circlet of the crown in
front and the small but finely colored
sapphire in the center Of the cross
patee above the mound at the top Of
the crown.
The history Of the so-called ruby is
well known and Is Of great interest.
In the fourteenth century, says Cyril
Davenport in the Connoisseur, 1t be-
longed to the king of Granada, and
Pedro the Cruel, king of CASTLE, re-
oeived this king under the guise Of
friendship in the Alcazar at Seville
Here he was murdered for the sake of
his jewels, among which was this
stone. Pedro afterward gave it to Ed
ward the Black Prince after the battle
Of Navarette as mark Of gratitude
for his successful help, and it Is also
supposed to have been worn in the
crown Of Henry V. at Agincourt. On
this occasion it may have helped to
save a kings life, as the Due d'Alen-
con aimed a blow at Henry which was
turned by his crown, then worn over
his helmet.
The stone Is a finely colored, deep
red spinel, mineral which Is chiefly
found in the river beds of Ceylon,
Burma and Siam. Like most oriental
pierced; the top Of the piercing is now
filled by a small ruby set in gold, and
the stone is uncut, but polished on its
natural irregular surface. 1t Is irreg-
ularly drop shaped and about two inch
es in length.
The second notable jewel in the i'm
perial crown is the large pale sapphire
in the front Of the circlet. 1t was
worn in the crown by Charles IL and
ultimately became the property Of Car
dinal York, who bequeathed it to the
prince regent, afterward George ".
The prince gave 1t to the Princess
Charlotte, but on her death 1t was
returned, as it was properly considered
to be a crown jewel. 1t is partially
pierced, which may mean 1t was In
tended to be used as a bead, but new
er finished; or it might perhaps have
been intended to serve as support for
an aigrette, in which case a half
piercing would be enough. It is cut
encabochon, as most ancient and me-
diaeval stones were, and as colored
stones should be, the edges being
trimmed into the form Of long, SYM
metrical oval No doubt this Is an
oriental stone; it 1t about two inches In
length.
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18
COTTON WEDDING.

Manner In Which the First Marriage
Anniversary May Be Celebrated.
The first wedding anniversary Is an
important occasion to young mar
ried couple. Because they know 80
little about it, they think they have
settled down into the condition of ''old
married people, and are entirely accus-
toned to their dual life To show this
clearly they feel it desirable to have
some sort of celebration of the fact
that they have actually been husband
and wife for year. .....'.. .
But it is not enough to make the
celebra ton a mere gathering together
of their friends to spend an evening
contemplating spectacle Of mutual
felicity. There must be something
done to entertain them. And since the
first anniversary Is, by common con-
sent, the cotton wedding, the party
must be of an appropriate character. :.
A rather unusual method of bring
ing this about is a sheet and pillow
case party. which is also domino
party. This should not be Of the old
fashioned kind, in which the costumes
were awkward and unbecoming, but
one in which the accepted dress is ar
ranged in graceful fashion. For both
men and women the sheets may be
put on in the same way. The width
is passed around the body just below
the arm pits, the two corners brought
to the back, crossed, then each drawn
up over the shoulder, and secured in
front with a pin. The length Of the
sheet falls straight all around. II it
is too long, part Of it may be folded
below the chest. Rather large sheets
should be chosen, that there may be
plenty of fullness and certain degree
Of grace. After the sheet Is On, the
women may use what they choose In
the way of flowers or ribbons for orna-
mentatton. The men-poor creaturesi
must content themselves with sim
ply the plain dress--November Wom-
ans Home Companion.
Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-18

amenay in the worldly because continued cheer
funess habitually hopeful view Is rewarded with
worlds affection and confdence-two things which
worth a great deal than its money
There far too many good people in the world who
make kind of public calamity Of their goodness.
whether good who thus makes his goodness
cheerless and critical thing off well in
account the who though he may have his
human weaknesses makes people smile instead of
frownmakes them firmly believe that dark skies going
clear and instantly brghtens into sympathetic
weak and hazy quality Of sunshine when
Since beauty is truth the who makes believe in
essential beautfulness of the world good
and true In any with all his faults love
him-New York Mail Express.