davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

scrawled This is bully scoop for YOU
boys, but it's pretty tough on me. Good
bye. Simpkins."
The managing editor dashed tear from
his eye when he read this to me and gulped
a little as he said: II can't help It: he was
such id thoughtful boy. Why, he even
remembered to inclose descriptions for the
pictureSi'
Simpkins's last story covered the whole or
the front page and three columns or the
second, and il just naturally sold cords OF
papers. His editor demanded that the State
Department take IL up, though the Span
iards denied the execution or any previous
knowledge of any such person as this Senior
Simpkins. That made another page In the
memorial service, which was good for three
columns. One of those fellows that you can
find in every office, who goes around ana
makes the boys give up their lunch money
to buy flowers for the deceased aunt of the
cellar boSS'S wife, managed to collect $2O
among our clerks, and they sent floral
notebook with Gone to Press" done in blue
immortelles on the cover as their tribute" "
/ put a plug hat and attended the
service out of respect for his father. But
| / had hardly got back to the office before
/ received wire from Jamaica, reading
Gable your correspondent here let me
| have hundred Notify father all hunk.
| Keep it dark from others. Simpkins."
| L kept 1t dark and Ezra came back to life
by easy stages and in such way as not
| to attract any special attention to himself
He managed to get the impression around
that he'd been snatched from the jaws OF
| death by a rescue party at the last moment
| The last L heard of him he was in New
| York and drawing 10000 a year, which
| was more than he could have worked VI
| to in the leather business I'm century.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
"Most Popular" English Novelist.

London Letter.
Not long ago 1 had the pleasure of sitting
at dinner beside the author whose published
works run to the largest circulation in Eng
land. His name is Rev. Silas X. Hooking.
His advertised circulation in copies is a
million and half, and every year Mr..
Hooking adds TO this by scores OF thousands.
Yet one seldom sees his books anywhere.
They are seldom reviewed, rarely adver-
tised. People do not talk about them. have
not met any one who has read more than
one OF them. They just flood out upon the
regions OF England where the name of the
Athenaeum is unknown, the villages, the
mining districts. the pastures of noncon-
formity, and there are taken in like daily
food. They are in demand as newspapers
are In demand. They are published at uni
form and popular price. Popular artists IL
lustrate them. Each runs to some 10000
words, Is valued as serial at f700 and as a
property at anything up to $4,000. All are
none ever fails, and the earliest book in a
long list sells its thousand copies every
year.
You may gather that Mr. Hooking is not
an author who troubles himself overmuch
about matters of artistry-about style, at
mosphere. local color and all the rest. His
chief idea as an author is to tell a story,
and to tell Ii as well and as simply as in
him lies; as man and clergyman to boot
his impulse is TO do some good In this sim
full world by means of his written word.
Therefore, whatsoever reads his stories will
ind them direct, simple, fluent, convincing,
clean and wholesome in tone, didactic lit
tie sometimes, and always pervaded by a
spirit of charity and sweet reasonableness.
They are sermons in character, tracts in the
form of fiction, homilies in gilded covers.
They mean well and they do we'll. AS sto-
ries they may not be great, as food for the
hungry multitude they are most excellent.
But nobody-not Mr.. Hooking himself, for
all that the wish of his heart is to gain the
praise him and Frederic Harrison shout his
name-would class them higher than the
| second rate in literature. In person Mr..
| Hooking is middle sized and middle aged
with a type of face which L can only cali
| patriarchal-l0ng white beard sharp feat
ures and quick gray eyes. He is full OF
kindness and large charity. He speaks
excellently, Is a sound liberal and was one
of the strongest opponents in England OF
/ the BOer war.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Fashion I'm Fiction.

Philadelphia Record.
Il plucked up courage enough to send
my novel to a New York publisher about
two weeks ago." said the young reporter,
who has literary aspirations. 81 had been
working on it for about a year, and nat
urally thought it was just about ace high.
This impression was strengthened when
received letter from the publisher asking
me to run over and see him. Well, he tore
my story up the back, in a nice, gentle
sort OF way. He had no fault to find with
its construction or it's literary merits; he
simply said that it didn't fit. He talked
to me for over an hour about tendencies,
and feeling the public pulse, and best SELL
ers, but never word about art. From his
remarks / gathered that the successful
novel is made to order, much as a tailor
follows the fashions in constructing suit
OF clothes. Just at present there is a
chance for three styles-the story of
finance. the novel of political life, and the
characterization of the mildly humorous
and philosophical type, such Mrs. Wigs
or old porkpacker Graham. The historical
novel and the swashbuckling yarn of
bloodshed have taken a back seat. So
am going to write a made-to-order story
of poor young man who enters the finan-
cial world and overcoming great obstacles,
eventually becomes a millionaire What
do / know about finance? Nothing at all;
but I've got to follow the fashion, and If
my scenario pleases the publisher, there S
contract ready for me to sign"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Literary Notes.

Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler, the writer of
epigrammatic novels, and daughter of the
Liberal statesman and Nonconformist lead
er. Sir Henry Fowler, married last
week to Arthur Laurence Filkin.
Charles Dana Gibson refused to be passed
over to the Harpers among the other lit
erary and artistic chattels Of r. H. Rus
sell. He preferred rather to enter into ne
gotiations with the Scribners. Accordingly,
his usual annual book OF drawings Is an
nounced by the latter house for publication
this fall.
Mr. Henry Jamess forthcoming biography
Of w. w. Story is to be rich it is said, in
"reminiscences of distinguished personages
of the nineteenth century; il will, in short.
be "a storehOuse of valuable and intimate
literary recollections." There will be found
in il some particularly vivid notes on WAL
ter Savage Landor. The two volumes will
be illustrated with portraits.
The money has been collected in fun for
a proposed memorial TO the late r. d.
Blackmore, the English novelist Exeter
Cathedral has been selected as the place for
the memorial. which is to take the form
OF three-light, stained-glass window and
sculptured tablet. The committee. which
includes Thomas Hardy, Rudyard kiping,
Hall Game and ". Blackwood. has placed
the sculpture part of the memorial in the
hands OF Mr.. Hens, Of Exeter.
In reply to a correspondent asking for
the names of the twelve greatest English
novels the New York Sun gives this list:
Thackeray's Vanity Fair" and Henry Es-
mond;" George Eliots ''Middlemarch: -
Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield" Scott s
'Ivanhoe;" Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter."
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
The Publishers Side.

Philadelphia Record.
When an unknown man writes a novel
he finds a publisher easily, if there is the
least merit in his works. But should he
write short story, he would find 1t almost
impossible to get magazine to buy it. A
publisher explained frankly yesterday why
it is so easy for the unknown novelist to
get hearing. '1t is purely a question OF
money" he said. THE publishing business
is so well organized that nearly every book
pays for itself. 1t may be a failure, but
no money is lost on it. Therefore the pub
Usher brings out just as many books as he
can, for in doing this he runs hardly any
risk of losing money, while his chance OF
having big sellers on his list is greater, the
greater the length of the list itself But
why does the publisher like to issue an un-
known mans works? This Is because with
the unknown he can drive a sharper bar
gain-give smaner royalties-than with the
author of repute. When an unknown mans
book makes a hit the publishers profit is
huge. But when famous mans succeeds
the tables are turned. and more profit goes
to him than to the publisher"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

Dickens's Tale of Two Cities" Reade's
"Cloister and the Hearth" Shorthouses
John Inglesant;" Miss Bronte's Jane
Eyre and Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
Probably few novel readers would be will
ing to accept this list exactly as it stands
Mr.. Alden says: II hear also that Mr..
Fl. G. Wells has ready another of his
weird adventures into the impossible. 1t
turns upon the effects of a new foodstuh
which has the property of making all who
eat it grow instantly fine and large-like
Alice and like Sunny Jim. The food is
tried first of all upon rats, and these grow
to the length of six feet. Then Ii is tried
upon other vermin, and eventually upon
humans who in their turn sprout into Fin
Macouls and Seven-league Jacks and Go
liaths. Surely Wells Is a wonder. Yet IL
you saw him you would suggest at once
that what he needs most is some of his
own foodstuf. Mind in him has almost
annihilated matter.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
THE VALUE OF A NEWSPAPER
Not to BE Determined by the Number
of Copies That 1t Really Prints.

Brooklyn Times.
The value of a newspaper as an advertis-
ing. medium or as an effective force in
molding public opinion is not determined
by the number of copies that II prints and
circulates. Some newspapers OF relatively
small circulation have a weight in their To-
calities that is not easily appreciated by
the outsider. They possess a field which the
advertiser cannot reach, spend his money
however lavishly he may in the great met
ropolitan papers of the country, unless he
uses their columns. The Observer has in
mind newspaper, one of the smaller
dailies of this State, which he visited
short time ago.
The publication is officially known as the
Amsterdam Recorder. 1t is situated in the
city of that name, lying forty miles north
west of Albany. The city has population
of 5000. 1t possesses important manufac-
tories, being engaged principally in carpet
making and the knitting of wooden goods.
In this small place the Recorder has cir
culation close to 1000. Take a pencil and see
what an enormous circulation, relatively.
that would be for New York city. New
York has population of $500. 900. 1t, there
sessed by Amsterdam. Multiply 1900 by that
and you get 100000 which would be the cir
culation of the Amsterdam Recorder, were
1t published in New York city and had II,
relatively, the same hold there that 1t has
in its own home town. Only one New York
paper claims such circulation. and no.
body places any faith in that claim.
But what does a circulation OF 1000 in a
city Of $4,000 mean? Roughly speaking,
there are five people to each family. Ac-
cording to its population Amsterdam has
5000 families. Therefore, the Recorder
unanimous choice of that city as a
newspaper can ever be anywhere upon this
earth. 1t Is read in four out Of Ave homes
Thus the local paper occupies It's Held most
completely, and the advertiser who wants
to sell goods In Amsterdam must use the
Recorder. whether he manages a local store
or wants to introduce his goods generally
| throughout the Nation, whether he be a do
mestic advertiser or a so-called foreign adj
yertiser.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

but he finds in its cover the names of other
novels. which. in time. he may come TO try,
If only through curiosity.
But whether the library extend its infiu-
ence or not, we cannot afford TO be fndiffer-
ent to il. 1t is too pervasive and too power
full factor in our social well-being. Like
every other civilizing force, 1t needs the sup
port OF a fine and unfaltering faith. We
cannot measure its results through weeks
or months, or even years. But we have ev-
cry reason for confidence in its benehcent
activity. If we are not, therefore, very en-
thusiastic in our confidence perhaps II Is
because we have lost our capacity for en-
thusiasm over things OF the mind. II that
be true in any considerable degree, we have
been making progress backward, and would
better return To worship OF machinery" to
our impractical ideals and to our oversan-
guine hopes.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
WHERE IS THE WORLD GOING.
California Astronomers Go to Chile I'm
Search of the Earth's Destination.
Golfers Week.,

Golfers Weekly.
An Importance which relatively few per-
sons are aware of attaches to an expedi-
ton which has just gone to Chile from the
Lick Observatory in California. Its object
is to find out whittier we are all bound.
Everybody has heard that the solar sys-
tenn is flying swiftly toward the north. j.
is a rlunging flight that carries Us more
than 49, miles straight through the ether
every hour or the day and night. 1t is a
motion that mas nothing to do with the
earths annual revolution about the SUN,
except as it prevents that revolution from
carrying the earth back turn and turn to
the same spot in space.
In truth, we never get back to the same
place. Every new year comes in with the
globe at a point mere than 3E,00G.0v0 miles
nearer to a very bright northern star named
Vega than it was year earlier AS far as
the evidence now IN hand goes the flight Of
the sun toward the north Is as straight
as that of an arrow, but the path described
by the earth, since 1t IL compelled all the
while to circle round and round the flying
sun, is a great spiral
And thus NE sweep onward, moving con-
tinually into new regions, running through
what perIis nobody can guess perhaps
mysterious as that which drew the unfor-
tunate ship III the Arabian Nights TO be
wrecked on the NountaiI of Adamant.
1t is this strange voyage nf the sun ard
it's worlds through the UNEMPLOYED ocean CT
immensely that the Californian astronomers
have gone TO South America to investigate.
Now, he precise object % the eXpediti n
to Chile is to examine the light of the south
ern stars from which We are flying away.
They have been much less studied than
have the northern stars. tc which We are
drawing nearer I. is aC If the people on
the bow of IL ship, after watching for 4
long time the effects of their approach 10
objects ahead, should visit the stern IN or
der to note the recession Of objects be-
hind. Through a combination of such Oh
servations the speed and direction of the
ships motion could he deduced.
But there are many other absorbingly
interesting questions relating to the orgai.-
ization Of the universe and our place and
rank in il, which will be brought nearer
to solution by the success of the exploration
of the southern heavens now hegining.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

aged If the ladies use hat pins and UNI
brellas firmly and judiciously. But when
an organized band undertakes TO put
all kinds of trouble. a long, bold stare is,
of course. annoying to most women, but
the man who wont take good look at a
pretty woman as she passes on the street
doesn't know what his eyes are for. He
is the kind of man who would throw stones
at robin and he would prefer an onion
to rose. A good looking woman is en-
titled to the homage of an admiring glance.
and we'll bet she never gets angry when
she receives one. The general run of the
men who bestow the glances have no in
tention of flirting or being disrespectful.
They do ii because they can't help 1t, and
they would be mighty poor excuses for men
If they tried to help it.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Facts About Coal.
Philadelphia Record.


Coal" said the antiquary. "began to be
used in England in the year 1900. 1t was
discovered then on the banks of the Tyne,
but they did not know how to burn it, and
hence 1t emitted good deal of gas. In
1850 the use of coal was forbidden in Lon
don. The law said that the coal gas made
IL fuel too dangerous for public use. To
burn coal was crime like theft, punish
able with long term in Jail, and to have
cooked a steak upon coal fire would have
filled the heart of good man Of those days
with self-horror and self-reproach. the
same as you would feel IL you should COM
nit robbery. In 14O0 the law against coal
was repealed, and in a little while its use
became general. The word coal comes from
the Teutonic root 'kol.' We in America use
the same word for the singular and the
plural, but the English speak of Goals
Put they say, more Goals upon the fire.
An interesting article might be compiled
on the discovery of coal and it's gradual
adoption.-the people imprisoned for burn
ing IL, etc.-and, since / have at hand all
the necessary material for such article,
1 think I'll sit down some morning and
write IL "
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Well that He Didn't Know.
London Letter.

At book sale during the week the ex-
traordinary sum of $500 was paid for a
single volume. 1t was a copy of Blake's
,shS al March is end Oh nroSced pup hv
Blake about two years before his death
He was then in a condition of poverty.
Five pounds would have been a gift from
the gods. Imagine what his feelings might
have been had he known that in less than
one hundred years a book Tor which he
would gladly have taken 1000 shillings
would be worth more than e5,o00 Perhaps
the knowledge might have edged his ap-
probation of the sorrows Of Job.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
Moses and Jesus.

Methought on two Jews meeting did chance
One old, stern-cyed. deep-browed; yet garlanded
With living light of love around his head:
The other young, with sweet. seraphic glance
Round them went on the Towns Satanic dance,
Hunger a-piping while at heart he bled.
Salon Aleikhem mournfully each said
Nor eyed the other straight, but looked askance
Sudden from church outroled an organ hymn
From synagogue loudly chanted air
Each with its prophets high acclaim instinct
Then for the first time met their eyes swift
linked
IN one strange, silent, piteous gaze, and dim
With bitter tears OF agonized despair.
Israel Zangwill
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

OIL City Derrick.

While feeding a flock of fowls a Doyles-
town woman dropped a valuable earring,
for which the chickens Immediately made
a dive The earring was missing after the
scramble was over, and, believing that 1t
had been swallowed by one of the chickens,
one the flock of twenty-seven was decapi-
tated and post norton examination held,
with no results. Later, in looking over the
ground, the earring was found.
The story abounds with morals as IL does
with feathers.
First-People with diamonds shouldn t
keen chickens
Second-People with chickens shouldn't
wear diamonds
Third-If you keep chickens keep an ak.
Fourth-Don't keep chickens.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

Hickman Ry.) Courier.

Hickman (Ky) Courier.
One day last week couple of girls went
to the Roper livery stable and asked for
a gentle horse, as they wanted 10 drive
out in the country a few miles. The man
gave then one and told them the horse
would be all right If they kept the rein
from his tail. When they returned in the
evening he asked them IL they had any
trouble. "Oh. no. said one; "there was
one little shower, but we had an umbrella
and we took turns at holding IL over the
horses tail, that there was not drop
of rain touched IL, and We got along all
right" That explains the dazed look the
liveryman has been wearing the past few
days.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
THEY ARE POOR SPELLERS.
Students of Nebraska University Like
Most College Men.

Lincoln Star.
The students of the University of Ne
braska are bad spoilers. That may sound
unkind but it is written in the hope that
there may be an improvement there. Are
the methods employed not the right meth
DDS? What have become of the good SPELL
ers? The men in charge of the various de-
partments of the Star have occasion, fire.
quently, to read manuscript written by for
mer students, or active students, of the
state institution, and here are few of the
misspelled words that have been caught
in the matter prepared by university stu
dents:
Stopping. Separate.
Restaurant, Umbrella,
Vscinity Senitor,
Treasurer, Receive,
Parlour. Cadavernous,
NERVOUS, PreemptOry,
LaZyness, Appearance.
could be made much worse, and truthfully.
In the East, during the last few months,
there has been great agitation over this
matter of spelling, and NebraskanS have
been resting under the comfortable delu-
sion that the charges of bad spelling could
not apply to this State. But they can.
Young men and women are permitted to
graduate at a time when they are unable
to spell correctly all the words in their di-
plomas, unless they copy the contents of
those "sheepskins'' without relying upon
their own knowledge of photography. II
there Is no other way to correct this weak
ness, let the university return to the old
fashioned spelling school system. There
were good spoilers in the days gone by.
1t Is an injustice to a young person to turn
affairs before he knows how to spell the
most common words.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

Kansas City Journal.
Booker Washington says that once when
he was Juggling two heavy satchels in Bos-
ton an unknown man stepped up and helped
him to carry them. He afterward learned
that the unknown was Edward Everett
Hale. When negro sits at table with the
President Of the United States, speaks from
platform with an ex-Presdent and has
his valise carried by Dr. Edward Everett
Hale, it looks If he hadn't much grounds
to complain OF the color line
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
To the Blessed Christ.

o blessed Christ, that foundest death
When life was fire and tears,
Not drawing on sluggish breath
Through apathetic years,
Still. still about Thy forehead CLEANS
The light we know Thee by.
o blessed Christ, TO die for dreams.
Nor know that dreams would die,
Israel ZangwIIl.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

Toledo Bee.

ToIeuO Bee.
An assorted lot Of chumps in Brooklyn
have organized society 10 eradicate the
male firt. They are especially intolerant
known in the vernacular of the day as
making goo-goo eyes. The society will
have It's hands full There are all too
many street Washers, but they are far too
goo habit. They can quickly be discour-