davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-07-16

Valley Strewn With
Skeletons.

4 On June l5th'o one million acres
Of land stretching from the Mohave
Desert to the Colorado river were
thrown open to entry for home
seekers by the United States gov
eminent. The land may be taken
up either under the Desert Land
Act or as homesteads in one hun
dred and sixty acre tracts. The
San Francisco Argonaut says of
this land:
We wish to warn all intending
settlers to let this land alone.
There is a good deal of talk about
making the desert blossom as the
rose. Some deserts blossom, but
not this one. Nobody will ever 10
more for this desert than Mother
Nature has done. The only
blooming that Nature has brought
about there is hat freckeled bosom
blossom with large alkali pustules
or pimples, punctuated with sage
brush and cactus. This sums up
the fora of the new promised land.
The fauna includes jack rabbits,
horn-toads, lizards, Gila monsters
and numerous snakes. The soil
is coarse sand and gravel, and on
top of coarse gravel there is a fine
alkali powder which, when the
wind blows-and the wind blows
often-sweeps over the scorched
and barren land like the dreaded
sand storms of the Sahara, which
by the way, they much resemble.
Even far to the southwest, across
the lofty mountain ranges, these
desert sandstorms sometimes sweep
reaching the favored dwellers of
Southern California in the midst
of their orange groves. Even this
distant touch of the desert winds
causes trees to wither, grass to
scorch and men and animals to
suffer keenly. Over this dreadful
desert the sun moves like a ball of
fire acros a sky of brass. Rarely
does a cloud break the intensity of
its pitiless rays. Those credulous
persons who may believe that this
is the kind of desert which, by
irrigation, may be turned into a
garden, r doomed to disappoint-
ment. There is no water on this
desert strip. The waters of the
Colorado may be led on the lands
of the Yuma desert but that is far
lower in level than are these.
Much of this Mohave strip is at
an elevation of two OF three thous-
and feet. AS for artesian water,
the writer knows of one we'll which
was bored for nearly two thousand
feet, ending in igenious rock, and
producing nothing but profanity.
The last hope for the settler on
this barren land would be the
discovery of the precious metals.
They may exist there. We do not
say they can't be found. But we
know that the land has been pros
pected by experienced miners for
half a century. If a tenderfoot
can find a gold mine where an old
California Tor Nevada) miner fails
he is a smart tenderfoot. But we
his success.
We warn all Eastern people not
to be deluded by false even if we'll
meaning representations concern
ing this strip of land between Mo-
have and the Colorado river. 1t is
strewn with the skeletons of pros
pectors and the bones of animals.
1t is a Place ST Skulls.
The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-07-16
CREAM OF WHEAT

is not only one OF the most delicate
and delicious breakfast foods eve offer
ed TO the public, but in addition, being
composed elm ,st entirely Of pure glut
en- lie one OF the healthiest and most
nutritious foods known. For sale at
A. D. Lemaire & Sons.
The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-07-16

All mining companies operating In this and
adjoining districts, and all other parties hav.
Ing business dealings with this paper, will
please transact the same with us directly, as
we have no agents In San Francisco or other
places.
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

let Hen. out me an Jason are goin'
to leave"
During this daring speech the school
masters face was a study. He SEEM
ed to be aware that he had failed, and
at one point he looked as If he were
going to own up that he was sorry,
which at that stage of the game would
nave been as fatal as what followed
but his pig-headedness suddenly reas-
serted itself, and when Jim sat down
he said:
Il don't propose to be helped in the
running Of this school by any one, and
N Keep Master Martyr in that closet
until tomorrow if see fit"
oh. all right" said Jim. Then me
and Jason will take a vacation, and
Wen do you the favor to send for
Hens father"
James and Jason then walked out of
the schoolhouse together. A spirit of
contrariness controlled Ike for the rest
OF the session. He did not care to be
on the same side of the fence as his
Two enemies, and he gave Mr.. Hutch
ms no more trouble.
1t was q sitting hot afternoon. and
the schoolmaster'S conscience told him
that the small closet was no place for
delicate chap like Martyr, but his
mulishishness would not let him open
the door, and class after class got up
and recited, and still the little boy re-
NAMED in his suffocating prison.
School was generally dismissed at
3 o'clock, and ten minutes of that hour
Hiram Martyr, Henry's father, strobe
into the school, He had been haying
when Jim, on his way home, told him
of the punishment that had been melted
out to his little son. He had also been
made acquainted with the various in
cidents that had enlivened the session.
Hiram Martyr was a tall, smooth
shaver, elderly man. He was one of
the trustees of the school. He walked
up to Mr. Hutchins desk and said,
"Wher's my son Henry?"
II had to shut him up in that closet
for disrespect."
Had to shut him up, did yer? Henry
is little terror, 1 know, although it's
taken you to discover it. Now, jist
s'pose you let him OUT
Mr.. Hutchins replied with more dig
nifty than he had yet shown. I'm
teacher here, Mr.. Martyr, and I'll run
the school as L please. When schools
over I'll let Henry out; not before"
Martyr compressed his lips and
worked his gnarled hands nervously.
He glanced at the clock. 1t wanted
six minutes to three.
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

Jim stebbins, still somewhat swayed
by the lofty ideals that Symonds had
implanted. rose to his feet, intending
to give his moral support to the teach
er. Ike was no friend of his. He was
followed by Jason, who rose for the
same reasons. but poor, misguided Mr..
Hutchins mistook the action for more
mutiny and in a thunderous voice he
roared.
Take your seats and fold your arms
until l have a chance to see you"
Jim and Jason wavered a moment
and then sat down hard, and the inn
pact broke their loyalty to their teach
er.
Ike walked up to the desk with
swaying neck and a leering smile. He
was not at all abashed, for he felt
himself a physical match for the teach
er. Mr.. Symonds, the late Instructor,
had been a small man, but he had a
way of saying things that admitted
no doubt of his intentions in the minds
of the most misguided, and Ike had
stood in awe Of him, but this loud
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07
THE RESIGNATION
OF SILAS HUTCHINS.
By CHARLES BATTELL LOOMS.

1t was Silas Hutchins' first day as
teacher of the East Paynville school.
FIe was young man with an abiding
faith in Silas Hutchins, an amazing
lack of tact and a determination to
rule the school from the start. He en-
tered the schoolhouse that morning a
stranger to most of the pupils, with a
chip on his shoulder. -s.
Now, as it happened, they were will
ing to start fair. AS Jim Stebbins said
to Jason Fellows, Lets size up the
moo teacher, an if he's half way de-
cent we'll help him run the school and
keep Ike in order. But if he's chump,
he can run it himself and we'll have a
hand in the run. too"
And Jason assented, with a secret
hope that Mr.. Hutchins would prove a
chump. They. had been on the side of
the late schoolmaster Jonathan Sy-
monds, because he had appealed to their
better instincts; but Jason was perfect
ly willing to give his better instincts a
rest for this term, and he hoped with
all his heart that Hutchins would not
come up to their standard.
iOltdS ildQ IGdu
stories about young men who had risen
to greatness and who had gotten their
start by obtaining the mastery over
unruly boys; but he did not know that
g-headedness is only distantly related
to force and cannot work the same re-
suits. He rang the bell out of the
school window and the children came
hustling and pushing in, a gigglirg,
hearty lot.
When they, were seated he rose e and
disclosed the chip on his shoulder e.
Children" he said, II have come to
this school to teach you all you ought
to learn. and intend to do it," (Ex-
change of gIances between Jim and Ja-
SON. 81 don't know how you feel
about it,. but intend to be master here.
If you all obey me you will find that
l am all right-and you'll enjoy your
work, but I'd like to see boy break
rule. I'd have him out here in min
ute and I'd show him by the feeling of
his palms that there are two rulers in
this school, myself and this"
Here he held up a ferule. He may
have meant to be jocose, but he failed
to elicit smile from a single pupil.
Now we'll begin school, and remem-
ber-no monkey business, or you'll find
that I'm a pretty tough man to deal
with
A more 1nJudlclous speech never was
made by young man just beginning
a career. At the start of it he had not.
an enemy in the school. At the close
he was an unpopular man.
The morning session passed without
incident. Jim and Jason were aching
to show him that he wasn't master;
but a survival of the feeling that Mr..
Symonds had aroused in them kept
them at their tasks. And, for won
der, Ike Roberts behaved himself.
whether through fear or from lack of
opportunity it would be hard to say.
He was a dull, heavy boy with no
ambition and little wit. He had been
in the district school for four years
and had learned in that time nothing
that bright boy could not master in
as many months.
Few teachers had been able to do
anything with him, and it is a, question
whether it would not have been better
for his companions if he had been rul-
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

were doing with it, the Lakerimmers
were bombarding the shore with
questions as to B. ]. One or two of
the .townspeople remembered B. j.
from the description the Lakerimmers
gave, and remembered seeing him
work like a beaver on the deck of the
boat as it left the landing
Just after they started" one of the
townspeople said, "the captain of the
boat sent the young fellow down on
the raft to fix something that had got
messed UP. 1t seemed as if the boy
was not used to walking on slippery
logs floating in the water, because he
tripped and fell three or four times,
and came mighty nigh goin' down
through the raft. If he had got down
between two of them logs, he would
never have got up again. 1t don't
take more than one misstep to finish a
fellow on one of them RATS"
The Lakerim boys in their swim
ming exploits had walked on logs, and
knew how dangerous a test it is of a
sure foot and a sure eye. The thought
of poor B. ]. scampering about across
a thousand or more wet logs in the
middle of the deep swift Mississippi,
gave them all a SILVER of terror. They
wasted no time in conversation, but
struck out on their way.
By this time the "Mudd" was well
out in the middle of the stream and
her wheel was throwing out a long
train of bouncing waves, and her PROV
, was sending to shore an arrow head
of long ripples.
The "Mudd" was a rusty and worm
out old boat, and she was showing a
great stupid raft ahead of her, but she
was more than a match for the ten
oeraY. Tadd1nG Of Talxoriro
And they suffered the bitter sight of
watching her grow smaller and small
er in the distance.
But still they pursued, stopping only
for hasty snacks when their hunger
made them too faint to ply the oars.
And even then they rejoiced to see
that the current carried them for
ward
Again night overlook them, and
again they made the best of a tentless
night, this time on strip Of soft shore
land.
Early in the morning they set forth
again and about noon stopped at a
small town to ask information.
Once more, as II they were being
leased and tantalized on purpose. they
found that the boat was not far ahead
OF them. A breakdown in the rickerty
machinery had compelled her to stop
for repairs. The first mate of a hand
some side wheel packet boat which had
tied UP at this town TO take on pas
sengers. told them that the Hiram
@. Mudd" had left only shortly before.
"Old Capt. Mudd put in here" he
said, "and patched up his boat for
while longer. I told him that the So
clety for the Prevention Of Cruelty 20
Old Boats ought 10 keep him from drly-
ing that poor hack any longer But he
fixed her up somehow, with some shin
gle nails and a little mucilage. and
went on. She'll sink with him some
day. and Il win be good radiance Of
bad rubbish
The Lakerimmsff took 40 their
dreary work again and rounding a
curve ln the channel saw not far ahead
81 them the boaf they hunted 70 eager
~. Far away a. n was tbeY could
heaF IL Grupfing and wheexing, and Il
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

mouthed man would be dead easy"
Hold out your hand, SIR" said Mr.
Hutchins. Ike held his hand out palm
down and wiggled his fingers, looking
over his shoulder at the other children
and grinning oafishly. The wiggle was
followed by a giggle from the pupils.
"Silence!" roared Mr.. Hutchins. 81
will be master"
Then followed an exhibition, pitiable
in the extreme. Ike would not hold his
palm up, and after vainly trying to
make him, Mr. Hutchins brought the
ruler down on his knuckles, as he sup
posed, but a turn of the hand at the
right moment saved them and the
ruler descended with some force on
the teachers own knee.
A litter ran around the school, and
the poor school master colored to the
roots of his hair. No man ever had
better intentions than Silas. but he
lacked tact to a surprising degree, and
now, instead of ejecting the mutinous
pupil boldly from the school, which act
would have restored his prestige-for
Ike was a muscular boy--he said petu-
lantly. go stand in the corner for
a quarter of an hour" OF course Ike
refused. and Henry Martyr, a small,
delicate boy, aged Z, said under his
breath, Good boy, Ike"
Mr.. Hutchins heard him and imme-
diately dropped lke'S case.
"What'd you say, sir?" said he to
Henry. Henry Immediately began to
whimper.-
How dare you incite rebellion, sir?
Go into that closet and stay there until
1 tell you you may come out"
Henry, a nervous, pallid little lad,
obeyed with trembling legs. After he
had squeezed himself into the closet,
which was pretty nearly filed with
kindlings, broken desks, stools and 9TH
er rubbish, Mr.. Hutchins locked the
door and said triumphantly IT will be
obeyed in my own school,"
Ike meanwhile had gone back to his
seat, where he sat with a malicious
grin on his loutish features. Jim lean
ed over and whispered to Jason, who
nodded his head. Then he rose and
said Mr.. Hutchins, like to be ruled
by man that knows how to rule. The
teacher we had before you made us
boys mind and we respected him. He
didn't try to bullyrag us at all; but
you amt fit to govern a class because
you don't know how to act yourself
yet.
Now me and Jason were goin' to
help you to keep order If you'd gone
about it fair and square. We're no
friends of Ike. if he did get the best
of you; but when you shut up a little
kid like Henry Martyr fer whisperin'
I don't want to belong to a school
that's run that way, and If you don't
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

Punk, Reddy ana Heady. who were
nearest to him. reached out and seized
his hands. Reddy and Heady pre-
pared at once to turap into the water
to his rescue, but Tug cried out:
Stay where you are or you'll be in
the quicksand too"
So they kept their places and fought
with the hungry sand that seemed to
be dragging at Tug for its prey. The
struggle was long and fierce, and
again and again it seemed as though
the boat would go on its side and
throw them all into the treacherous
channel. But after a wearying strug-
gle they tore Tug from the alligator
jaws of the quicksand, and pulled him
into the boat where he sank exhausted
and sickened with his fight for life.
With his last remaining breath he
managed to gasp:
Row on! row on! don't mind me-"
And on they rowed, digging their
paddles into the sand which flowed
away like a thick water. until they
were once more in a deeper part of
the stream. 7
From then, on the sluice-way ran
straight and. deep and they made fine
speed. At length they heard, off to
their left, the puff. puff, puff of an
engine, and the smack, smack. smack
of a wheel against the water. Then
suddenly the sluice-way ended in the
wide prairie of the Mississippi itself
Ana ,there-rights abreast of them
is the riram Q. Mudd."
And there on her bow leaned B. j.
weary and detected.
(To be continued.)
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

II don't know whether you know II
or not, but I'm just about accustomed
to have my own way where my son Is
concerned. You let him out of that
closet before count three or I'll make
kindlin' wood of the door"
For answer Hutchins sat down in
HIS seat and called out, Third class in
reading stand up" They had already
been through with their lesson, and in
reality the work for the day was over.
but the teacher wished to show Mr..
Martyr that he was not afraid of his
threat.
you hear mel" said Martyr, strid-
ing toward the closet door. "a man
who would shut up a poor little tyke
like Henry on a scorching day like
this amt fit to teach hogs how to eat.
Now, will you let him out or shall I
break the door down? One, two
three"
Silas Hutchins made no sign that he
heard what the farmer was saying,
and in moment Mr.. Martyrs burly
foot shivered the light door, and with
tug of his powerful arms he had
pulled what was left of 1t off its hinges
and disclosed to view the senseless
form of his little son. The heat and
the terror of the situation had over
come him.
Martyr plCkeU MIN up anu SLrOue
out to the pump with him. Dashes
Of cold water from a half dozen will
ing hands-for all the children had
trooped out with no more thought of
Hutchins than if he had not existed
brought him around in a few min
utes.
Then Hiram Martyr went back to
the schoolroom and picked a pad from
the teachers desk and wrote on It:
This school is closed until further
notice. Hiram Martyr, Trustee"
This he pinned upon the front door.
Then he said: Run out, children.
I'm sorry to have cut your schoolin'
short, but we'll probably open in a
few days with some one TO run the
school that knows how"
The children stood around, wide
mouthed at the words. Hutchins sat
at his desk in a brown study. He was
wondering what to do next But Mr..
Martyr decided the question for him.
Young man." he said, 1--WE nothin'
ag'in you. I dare say you're good for
somethin', but from all accounts you
amt leader of men, nor boys,
neither, and advise you to get some
place wher' you won't nave no occa-
sion to show authority. Your resigna-
ton is accepted"
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

when do, I'll have bath before I'm
ready for it."
And the next thing they knew it was
morning.
During the breakfast-a beautiful
word to waste on such a skinny affair
as they made of it-Sleepy grew very
eloquent upon the importance of turn
ing back. He informed his friends
that they were getting farther and
farther from home and mother. That
they had almost no money with them
in case anything should happen, and
that in place of relieving the anxiety
of B. Us mother and father, there
would probably be twenty-five more
fathers and mothers in mourning, for
sons who had left home and never
came back.
Besides" said Sleepy, Suppose we
oid find B. ]. after we had chased him
10 the end of the Mississippi and
across two or three oceans, and cor
nered him on a kopje in South Africa.
posin' when we had him cornered he
should say, No, thanks; L don't care
10 go back Then what would we do
and what proof have we that he would
ever go back with us?''
Ihey were all aching in every bone
the cold morning light took the ro-
nance out of the pursuit. Their reso-
n Iullon TO pursue Il. j. to the ends of
Il ne world seemed to have an attack of
journalism, and when Sleepy appoint
20 himself chairman and then made
motion to return home, and seconded
ne motion, eleven hearty ayes re-
So back into their boat crawled the
A AIROna1fG 4xtrs, .osx
!oineWard, and very pleasant it was to
MINK of Lakerim again and of all the
CoIntorts of home. But, once they were
out OF the lee of the island, the full
current of the Mississippi caught
men, and 1t was necessary to paddle
win a will and without rest. They
were all feeling as though they had
lived fifteen miles up stream, and
mat II was quite time to rest a while,
asked: anu
That island over there looks pretty
familiar. When did we see that be-
They were all glad for any excuse
80 stop rowing, and they discussed the
sland' 1t had very familiar look
10 all of them, but they could not
lace IT, At length Boobies ex-
Why, that's the measly island we
ept on last night" Reddy broke
DO you mean TO say that we've
zen simply padding az a standstill
~ this time?
Looks as II nothing had been NOV
a ~ around here for the last two
N0urs. but this fool current"
Sleepy was the last 10 speak. He
had stared az the island IN dumb
anlazemfnt and reproach. He said:
That island sticks closer than
younger brother. think we'd better
.ofiit awhile and zee II we don't run
'Dio y J. after All"
- they shipped their paddles in
aihfpst and the current f0wed them
pong A. u "a were electricity ana ne
&anpf trolley car
Ffsiiy was Juef suggesting that they
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

containing the bottle Enough bran
will be collected in the top to hide the
bottle.
Keep the side of the cylinder to
which the tack is fastened away from
the spectators. Place the cylinder on
a table and pla over IL the large
cylinder.
Under the pretense OF stirring up
the bran 10 hasten the manufacture OF
the wine, put the magician's wand ANY
small stick win answer for a wand)
inside Of the large cylinder and poke
the string loose. The spring will 81
course. force the bottle up out Of tho
bran.
When the large cylinder Is removed
there Is a bottle DFotruding from the
box of bran. and the maRician may
al glass from its contents.
The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-07

had better go ashore and see if tbs
walking were good.
I'VE might get home finally by
walking" he said, unless even thC
land down here rolls out from under
your feet faster than you can ske-
daddle.''
But just then the boat came round
one of the endless turnings of the
river, and there ahead of them they
saw small city, the houses crowdins
down to the waters edge as if they
were a thousand ducks about to take
swim. At one of the wharves Of
the town there was SMALL sterr
wheel steam boat.
TN bet that boat is the Hiram @
Mudd'." said Tug.
No one took the bet, but every one
took his oar, and the ten paddles
churned up the water in a fair imita,
ton of a wheel.
II can see the long raft there too,
said Punk. ''old Mudd has been wait,
ing for that all this time
But once more fate was against
them. While they were digging uI
the water IN their frantic haste and
getting nearer and nearer the goal
the old boat was slowly starting out
on its way, and nosing the clumsy
raft out into the stream Tug was fol
pursuing the boat straightway, but
Punk said:
IF old Mudd is as much of a brute
as they say. B. J. is probably pretty
sick of his cruise, and 1 shouldn't be
surprised if he had escaped while the
boat was lying here at this town
Whatever we do, we ought to stor
there for a minute and ask a few
questions"
There was a short hurried debate
and it was decided that Punk's sug-
gestion was the safest one, so they
rowed to shore and stopping at the
landing, found knot of people who
had been attracted by the strange
craft. While the people on the wharf
were trying to ask what sort of boat
the Lakerimmers had, and what they