davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
stranded on the rocks of Saltwater.

stranded on the rocks of Saltwater.
The Home accommodated two hun
dred seamen. It had balcony at each
story running clear around the build
ing, and was in charge of the crankiest
superintendent in the world. He was
an old sea captain with peculiarities
of his own. But sometimes we got
back at him. Sometimes each sailor
had cot with feather bolster, and at
night we would start a sham battle
and when he came in to read the riot
act, we would knock him silly with the
holsters.
There was an old elephant in Cal
cutta that was character. They said
he belonged to the city, but think he
belonged to the sailors. His name
was Duke of Wellington and he always
had the freedom of the city. He would
wander all over the place and when he
found drunken sailor he would pick
him up in his trunk and carry him to
the Home where he would lay him on
L
ference whether the sailor boarded
at the Home or not. No one could
take him away from Duke until he
had been laid on the balcony at the
Home. He never touched a drunken
fireman or soldier. They could lie
and rot for all of him. But he thought
himself special providence for sailors.
Every day some of them would take
Duke out on the Lucknow road to
Craze, and then they had the time of
their lives. First they would give him
a bucket of water with pint of gin
in it to make him frisky, for he had
been an old tiger hunting elephant
(his head, shoulders and rump were
scared with claw marks) and he need
ed a little gin to liyen him up. Then.
Duke would clear the road to Luck
now. Cocoanuts and bananas had no
show. We would clean up the jungle
and if we had met tiger we would
have treated him to gin.
The natives of Calcutta are queer
fish. Their priests go about in yellow
robes, with hood down over their
faces and calabash in their hand,
begging. They never ask for aims,
but take what is given them by their
own caste. I thought I'd be a good
fellow and threw rupee into the,
basket. The moment it jingled against
the side the priest dropped the calabash
and fled, screaming at the top of his
voice. In moment crowd of natives
were hitting at me with bamboos. A
European public house was near at
hand and 1 took shelter there. The
barmaid explained that if 1 had been
in the native quarters of the city they
would have killed me.
But L got even with some of them.
Ishipped in tramp to take pilgrims to
Mecca. There were six hogs in pen
on deck where the pilgrims cooked
their food. L watched my chance and
when they were all busy 1 turned the
hogs loose. What followed was as
sOou dS PduCOuluc. 1HcIo WoIo
pilgrims, rice, hogs and hot water ali
mixed together on deck, and a Moham-
medan hates hog worse than Chris
tian. After that when we wanted to
wash decks we would turn the hogs
loose and the pilgrims would quickly
go below. If a hog chanced to touch
their garments they would have taken
them off and thrown them overheard.
Nowadays all tramps that carry pill
grims keep hogs aboard to clear the
decks. SINBAD.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
''But pleasure are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or, like the snowfall in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever"

You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or, like the snow fall in the river,
moment white, then melts forever"
Sufficient has been said, I think, to
show that we each and all owe great
debt to the past, and that We only give
utterance in another form to the
thoughts of those who have gone be-
fore. AS Campbell says, poesy, draw
ing within its circle all that is glorious
and inspiring, gives itself but little
concern as to where it's flowers origi-
nally grew.
Some one has remarked that next to
the coiner of good sentence is the
quoter of it, and genius borrows nobly
adding a grace, dropping fault or
rounding the form until it gets an
ideal. 1t ofttimes discovers some old
memory, filings it into the fire, and 10!
it awakens again to new life.
There is another point to the subject
that is most interesting:-How two
persons miles apart have each syn
chronousIy composed and published
identically the same matter. Two in
cidents recur to my mind. Two ladies,
some thirty years ago, sent to two
papers a poem, and strange to say not
only was the same subject treated alike
in both poems, but the meter, style,
ETC., were identical. In fact it was
difficult to say which was which.
In 1870 similar incident occurred
in England. A clergyman and lady
sent two poems to two papers at the
same time. Both poems were called
"Fhe Tear-Dimmed Lamp" and they
were so nearly alike as to be the SUBJ
ject of much controversy at first,
and later proved of considerable curl
osity to those interested in questions of
psychology.
1t would seem, then, that the object
of our quest, Originality, is, like the
Holy Grail, unattainable. The giants
of literature of the past century are all
debtors to their predecessors, and those
glorious, beatific visions they have
painted for us are of colors and forms
old and new. New, inasmuch as they
have been transmitted by the alchemy
of fresh minds through that God-given
chemistry, Genius. s. d.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
ll1obamfned and the Bill.

Mohamned made the people believe
that he would call hill to him and
from the top of it offer up his prayers
for the observers OF his law. The people
assembled, Mohammed called the hill
to come to him again and again, and
when the hill stood still he was never
a whit abashed, but said. eff the hill
will not come to Mohammed, Moham-
med will go to the hill."-Lord Bacon.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
Polly.

Polly's neat, Polly's sweet,
Polly's air, debonair;
Dainty feet, lips discreet,
Laughing an cOntrdire.
Cupid's smile, Circe's vile,
Bluest eyes, surmise
To beguile me the while,
Filched from summer skies.
POlly'S hair-treasure rare,
Golden dream, glimmering sheen.
Polly's fair, so beware!
Royal as queen.
Polly's love? A game of chance.
1 could the vict'ry land
If she'd quit trumping all my hearts
And let me hold her hand.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15

'ment should have faiien. This partic-
uIar law-abiding community in which
the writer has chosen to inflict eternal
silence upon Brand Waecksr, shows
what a thin and porous crust there
exists between barbarism and civiliza-
tion. s.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
A Comedy OF Errors.


rial is nowadays being published
i under the guise of high class, en-
tertaining fiction in some of our
monthly magazines. We always had
an idea that magazines never accepted
anything unless it approached an excep-
tionally high standard of literary excel
lence.5 But we have disabused our mind
of this infantile notion and have ar
rived at the conclusion that anything
which is cheap and passably readable
can gain admittance to the pages
of most of our monthly periodicals.
The reason for the appearance of so
much trashy, boo-boo drivel does not
by any means evidence decline in the
fruitfulness and ability of American
writers, but is wholly due to poor judg-
ment on the part of those whose busi-
ness it is to examine such articles.
But perhaps it is price, and not talent,
by which many articles are estimated.
In Leslie's Popular Monthly for
January there appears an article under
the caption, "The Punishment of Brand
Waecker," that is the most absurd
thing which has appeared in print for
some time. 1t contains not the re-
motest shadow of a moral. There is
not single passage in it that you
would wish to read again. 1t is as
devoid of humor as an icicle is of knots.
and the salient features of the stsry
are so abnormal as to arouse keen
feeling of disgust long before the read
er has reached the finale.
= The yarn pertains to man who was
arrested on strong circumstantial evil
dence for murder. What the nature of
this circumstantial evidence is the
writer does not enlighten his readers,
but says there was no talking of lynch
ing, as it was law-abiding and peace
able community. Then he rushes on
to the trial, appoints an attorney to
defend the prisoner, and has the jury
bring in verdict of not guilty, not
withstanding the fact that the writer
admitted the evidence proved the pris.
oner's guilt.
Before discharging the defendant
the Judge addresses him and says that
If it was within the power of the court
he would infict upon him eternal ST.
lence, and that he should henceforth be
Stunned by his fellow men. The writer
says that the story, including good
likeness of Brand Waecker, was pub.
lished again and again in all sections
of the country.
When Waecker started to leave the
court room he faced the large crowc
and proclaimed his innocence, but nc
one answered him. Shortly afterwards
he entered saloon and asked for q
drink. The judges decree of silence
had already gone forth. The barkeepe1
showed the coin off the bar with spoon
and pointed towards the door. He
went. On the street no one recognized
him or spoke to him.
After four months of this enforced
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15

"What's the matter ?" asked the roos-
ter. aMore Observation-Disclosures ?"
EYES," replied the hen. 81 can never
find things wheFe I lay them" ."-Phila-
delphia Recoro.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15

PERSONS ideas, the coinage
of Eanother's brain, and
claiming ownership thereof. Those
who indulge in it should be shown no
mercy, but deserve to be placed in the
literary pillory and pelted with eggs.
Mean as the offense is, there are those
whe are guilty of it. The writer can
recall two noted instances in thinking
over his Literary rambles. An Amer
ican poet published some verses called
"The Needle, The Pen and The Sword" !"
which did not appear in the collected
edition of her works. A few years
after her death q person published the
same poem over his signature, but was
exposed by friend to the author.
Early in the last century poem
called "The Cuckoo" was published
anonymously in Scotch paper. A
short time after its appearance it was
claimed by a schoolmaster named
Logan, who.was, soon afterwards strip
ped of his borrowed plumage. A like
theft was attempted upon "The Burial
of Sir John Moore" DR.. Talmage once
heard young clergyman preach one
of his sermons verbatim. The great
divine spoke to the young man on the
subject and the latter replied that he
was not ashamed to preach one of
Talmage's sermons, siuce they were
'nearly as good as his own"
But there is such thing as uncon-
scious plagiarism, and when we bring
the charge against one who seems to
be using another's ideas we often err.
"There's nothing new under the sum-"
particularly in literature. Old and
new make warp and woof of almost all
writings. The poet of thousand years
ago looked upon the same heavens
above, the~ same blue sea and green
fields that we do, so who can feel sur
prised that the same ideas occurred to
each? The debt we all owe to past
thought is enormous. What one has
read is so much part of one that un-
consciously one repeats.
Page after page of Virgil recall
Homer. Page after page of Tasso re-
call Virgil. No writer, one would
think, could be more original than Mil
ton, and yet he has been charged with
purloining paradise Lost" from the
works of C9dmon, who died in $50 A..
D. And, in fact, no one can read
C@dmon without being struck with
the similarity. Shakespeare has been
charged with the offense, and Landor,
in an article on the subject says: "Yet
be was more original than his originals.
He breathed upon dead bodies and
brought them to life." Wordsworth,
it is said, as soon as he heard good
thing caught it up, meditated upon
it and soon reproduced it in song.
Southey frankly said on one occasion:
"What would remain to me if this art
of appropriation were forbidden me
Every one Of M writings has been
furnished me by thousand different
persons. My wor are an aggregation
of beings taken from the whole of
nature"
Some of Campbelrs most beautiful
ideas are borrowed, sunconsciously of
course. Like angel visits, few and
far between" was John Norris, thought
before it was CampbelPs; Coming
events cast their shadows before"
comes from Coleridge, while "The
sentinel stars set their watch in the sky, !"
is from Habington. Even the mighty
magician, Sir Walter Scott, was not
free from the offense, but borrowed
from Young's sNight Thoughts"
Bobby Burns, whom one would ex-
| pect to be original, If only from the
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15
Plagiarism.

"Who steals my purse steals trash; tits some
thing, nothing;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed"
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-15

fact that he himself had read so little,
was another. His most beautiful verse
was said prior to his time by Donne
and Hendricks:
Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-31
that's it."-Chicago Tribune.
MORE WORK FOR INVENTORS.

Nixon Waterman In Saturday Evening
Post
With wireless telegraphy to stimulate the
mind
We ought to set to work at once. nor rest
until we find
A lot OF undiscovered things to amplify our
And do away with many cares that bother
and annoy.
A trackless railway route would save
mountain of expense,
A boatless line of steamships, too, would
surely prove immense;
And let some mind evolve for us go-less
60 we can travel round the world yet stay
at home, you know
And since It costs so much TO live we scarce
can save a cent,
A foodless dinner Is the thing some genius
should invent;
And. after that, II we would have existence
truly cheap,
Some grand philanthropist should make
bedless kind of sleep,
Today the trouble is that things are as they
have TO be-
Whereas we'd rather have them as we'd
rather have them; see?
(These verses seem so tangled that the
author here explains
It's all because they're fashioned from a
brainless kind OF brains)
Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-31
CUBA's PROMPT ACTION.

rhe prompt action of the Cuban con-
ess in ratifying the reciprocity, and
2 fact that an exchange Of ratihca-
ms will be made today by cable, IN
der to comply with the requirement
the treaty in this particular, very
hclusively shows the great interest
iich Cuba takes in this arrangement
closer trade relations with the
lifted States. 1t had been said thar
I amendments made by the American
hate were very likely to increase the
ttiment in Cuba against the conven-
Ia and jeopardize its ratification, but
had no such effect, the second vote
2 the treaty being about the same as
EN- it was first ratified. The opposi-
q vigorously renewed its efforts, but
ry were utterly unavailing.
lthe treaty wifi not go into effect
otil It is approved by the congress OF
i United States and President Roose-
Vt has given the Cuban government
: assurance that congress VIII De
led together before the regular time
meeting, probably in November. 1t
Ibaid to be the confident expectation
1.-THE Cubans that the treaty will be
,roved and there is doubtless good
| nnd for this. The senate, 1t seems
So to predict, will adhere to its posi-
ii in the matter and it is more than
pbable that a majority of the new
h,se Of representatives will be found
faorable to the treaty. The course of
thk Cuban congress and administration
rak hardly fail to make good impress
ZION in this country and strengthen the
sentiment in favor of closer trade rela-
ions with the island republic.
Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-31
Personal NOTES.

President Jordan Of Stanford university
worked his way through Cornell by waiting
on the table, husking corn and digging
bitches. >-r' r.F
One Of the greatest achievements Of the
Pennsylvania legislature promises to be the
bill making 1t a mlsdenneanor for saloon
keeper to give a free lunch of cold pigs
feet to thirsty customer
Prof. Dyar OF the department Of biology
of the Smithsonian institution at Washing
ton reports that 76s butterflies will be
needed to complete the government exhibit
of lepidoptera at the Worlds fair, St.
Louis.
The shortest biography in the new con-
gressional directory is that of Congressman
Byrd Of the Fifth Mississippi district. 1t
is as follows: Adam Byrd, democrat, was
elected to the Fifty-eighth congress, re-
ceiving S,OS1 votes"
Miss Roosevelt's triumphant progress
through Porto Rico conveys graceful com
pliment to a charming young woman. But
It also shows that the islanders have not
outgrown the impression that they are gov
erned by royal family.
Senator Alger Of Michigan has announced
that he will give SIS a year until further
notice for the purpose of providing medals
for the six honor men who represent the
University OF Michigan in the annual inter-
collegiate debating contests.
The Quivira Historical society Of Leaven-
worth, Kan, will shortly erect a monument
to Friar Juan de Padilla of the Coronado
expedition of 1541 who was the first reli
gious martyr in the United States and the
first white man murdered by Indians on
Kansas soil tf
Perhaps the most interesting gift to the
pope on his pontifcal jubilee was an an
cieht clock in the form Of a planisphere,
dating from 1925. 1t was constructed at
Plaisance by the mathematician Barnardo
Facfni, who presented II to the wife OF
Philip II Of Spain.
Secretary Root has received a telegram
from Los Angeles warning him that the
president should not travel before March
81, as the stars indicate danger. The tele-
gram is signed Professor Pfuhl." The
professor may be a fairly good astrologer,
but he is a bad speller
The Missouri house Of representatives has
rejected proposition looking to the erec-
| tion OF a new capitol to cost 81, 900 900 at
Jefferson City. the present state capital
| The vote was Ga nays to 81 yeas, but an
other proposition, that the capital be re-
/ moved to ST.. Louis on condition that the
city contribute 81, 900 900 toward the erec-
| tion of a new building, was rejected by an
overwhelming vote, only the st. Louis
members of the house supporting II.
Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-31
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
am Ss2aG Aste=aptS to Give National
Bearing 40 Municipal COStestss

st. Louis Globe Democrat,
The business OF making presidential can
didates to order is proceeding rapidly.
Senator Foraker tells the country that II
ingalls,, the railroad man whom the demo-
Gratis are running for mayor Of Cincinnati,
should be elected in the canvass few
weeks hence, he Will be big parsonage IN
the democratic convention OF 1904, and
probably carry OF the prize. II ingalls,
should carry Cincinnati now he would be
put up for governor by the democrats for
the election this year, and II he carried the
state he would get a boom which would
make him invincible In the convention next
year. Some Of the republican leaders at
the other end Of Ohio are saying the same
things about Tom L. Johnson, who is run
ming for a second election for mayor Of
Cleveland Then, too, some Of the repub-
licans in Chicago are telling that If Carter
Harrison carries that city this time he will
get a prestige which will send him to the
head OF the national democratic ticket In
1904 In each one OF these eases, too, many
democrats coincide IN this republican view.
II Is an old trick Of republican and demo-
cratic leaders to try to give national i'm
portanee to municipal or state elections in
which they have a direct interest. Fora
ker's fortunes are not as intimately as
sociated with the election in his home
town Of Cincinnati as are those Of Senator
Hanna in the municipal contest in his resi-
| dence city Of Cleveland, for the former has
recently been chosen for another six years,
while the latter's term will end with the
present congress. Each OF these men has
some powerful foes at home on his own
side. In this respect they do not differ
from their democratic enemies. Tom John
son declared after the close OF his circus
campaign in support Of the democratic
nominees for minor state ofhces last fal
that he had to fight John r. Mclean a:
we'll as the republican party. johnson
knows that he will be assailed by MeLean'i
influence in the municipal contest in Cleye-
! land next month, far as the Cincinnati
| democratic boss can sway things In his
| party so far away from his home base
Senator Hanna overthrew some OF his re-
| publican enemies in the recent primaries
in Cleveland, but they are not entirely con
quered yet. All OF Ohio's Simon Girtyi
did not die with the old renegade Of revo.
lutionary days.
The Cincinnati. Cleveland and Chicagl
cases are another illustration Of the fac
that the making OF presidential possibilities
! Is one Of Americas leading Industries.
Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-31
DEMOoRATI0 REORoIY1Z -, !, ;,

Ihere is very earnest effort ho,n,
made to bring about denocrot,o : -
organization, but the prospect OF ac
conlpilshing 1t is not at present bright
Ihe old leaders seem to have bttloy a.
nuence with the rank and flle Tbo
course they urge appears not to tako
noid OF the minds generally of the men
VINO followed the Bryan standard 70
defeat In the last two presidentisI cam
paigns. There seems to still remain
aoout the platforms and the nar+v
leadership of 1896 and 1000 co.
tam glamour and seductive Influence
'nat great many democrats cannot
resist. 1t is quite impossible 10 detar.
mine now many there are who are STR,
under this influence, but II IA NOT ~ ha
doubted that the number is very largo
ana that they will be very strongly IN
evidence In the next democratic national
convention If indeed they are not able
to control that convention
The old-time democrats. the man, ~.
shaped the policy of the party IN the
past are doing their best to divorce ~
from the principles which carriad ~ 20
ueteat In the last two national cor,
palgns. They want to see tba da-
inocracy restored to its traditional place
as the representative OF the princinles
OF the men who created 1t and won ,ts
battles. They desire to exclude from
lts policies every phase OF populism ana
Oh socialism. That veteran democrot
senator Morgan of Alabama. said in n
'ecent Interview: IF were drawing the
next democratic platform would nut
n 1t the provisions of the democratic ,
platforms drawn before the civil war ,
ina leave out those which have been ,
tut In the platform since" That is IN
ay' ne would exclude entirely what :
contained in the Chicago and Kansas
'lty declarations, which today command s
he support and confidence of mIJIions ,
I democrats. Such men as Cleveland I
nd German and HIN are doubtless in !,
ccoru with the position of the Alabama n
enator' but win they be able to control Y
majority Of the party, so az to mako o.
platform in the next national CON 8
enuon renouncing the attitude of the a
lrty In 1896 and 1902 II is very doubt. :,
H. -
mere are eqnally influential demo W
ats who insist that the party must a,
'ain make its light on its latest plat OF
rms senator'Carfnack Of Tennessee m
Gently declared that no man viii he Ia
next year who did not sun 70
'rt the ticket in 1895 and 1900, and II an
needless to say that carries with II ri,
platforms OF those years. There sn
other conspicuous southern demo- on
atie leaders who take this position on
d 1t is most unlikely that they win no
AnSe between now and the time OF !