davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Origin of "Dumb-BeiI."

l wonder how many of my readers
are aware of the origin OF the words
dumb bell" At Knole. Lord SackviIles
grand old ancestral country seat in
Kent, there is a ''dumb-beil gallery"
Located up in the atties It is unfirnish-
ed and empty. except that in the middle
stands a curious wooden ma.shine re-
sembling a windlass. used fur hauling
up the buckets from a draw-Sell. But
IL has no handles A rope 3 wound
around the middle or the roller and at
each end are four iron arms. each with
a pOise or ball OF lead at the end. The
rope formerly passed through a hole.
which still exists, IN the floor into the
Leicester Gallery below A person by
pulling the rope In this gallery would
cause the rollers with the iron arms
poised with lead TO revolve al the first
pun. and the impetus given would re-
wind the rope again and SO continue 10
wind and unwind at each pull thus
giving the same exercise as that OK
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
TIE RspAe's Forum.
Careless Driving.

To the Editor of The Times;
In recent edition Of The Times read an al
tcle by one Of your readers in reference 10
the prevalent dangerous end apparently growing
evil Of the running down OF helpless children
and crIpPles on the street by careless and NAH
cious drivers Of carts, wagons, etc. This class
O! lawbreskers seems to be composed largely
Of insolent persons. who evidently think that
a pedestrian has few rights which they are
bound to respect
The sole ambition Of these lawless Jehus
seems 20 be the runnin- down Of some luck
less foot passenger, and they seldom ssop u
examine their victims injuries. but run away
and nearly always escape detection. Why Is
thisY Simply because there is no Distinguishing
name or number the rear Of the vehicle
which is visible 20 the public. One OF shess
brutal drivers may some day pay a visit to
the neighhorhood Of some Of the schools when
the children crossing the street to or from,
studies.
1t ought TO be unlawful for one Of these mes.
TO drive vehicle unless il has conspicuous
name or number on the rear. The writer de
sires to get his life insured at once.
WATCHMAN.
Washington, Nov 5
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Discouraging.

Last night / talked with Margaret
On scientific things;
We talked 81 airships. aeroplanes,
And sliding weights, and things:
] grew quite hoarse, explaining, for
The subjects most prolific,
And Margaret seemed 10 enjoy
The discourse scientific.
] love 10 talk Of sirships; and
! s-ar-ed to explain
The principle upon which works
The simple aeroplane:
Its fight Is like buzzsrd's fight
Exactly like" ! said.
Then paused, 90 see puzzled droOp
To Margie's pretty head.
/ love 10 talk~with Margaret
On scientific things;
/ love % watch the earnest fish
such conversation brings,
But aeroplancs-no more. twill drive
Ne 70 the flowing jugl
She knew NOT what a buzzard Was
she thought il Wss a bug.
-SSn Francisco Bulletin
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
A Nuisance Being a King.

never felt any wish TO be monarch The
fuss and feathers Of the whole business are not
10 my taste In a despotic monarchy one would
be exposed every moment to being shot by soma
subject who imagined that this might lead to
freer regime. and there IS 100 much about
constitutional sovereign, as Napoleon once said,
Of the OK fattened up in a stall and occa-
sionaIly shown at agricultural gatherings be-
decked with ribbons. 10 make the situation N
viting This PAYNE OF Official visits b. sST-
ereign to sovereign has confirmed my hxed de-
termination never 70 accept the post Of SOW
ereign. ], therefore, give notice that no e0un-
try in want Of monarch need apply to me-
What a nuisance this royal visiting mus Be
TO the unfortunate guest Every moment IS sol
EMMY laid out beforehand IN what the French
call lie protocole.' lie has TO weigh every
wcrd that he says. and TO address comph-
mentary phrases 70 vast herd Of wearisoma
bores. He has to change MS garb as often a
''quick change artist; and not for one monens
is he Left in peace.
When one sovereign visits another, the host
feels that he viii have 10 return the visit. and
this thought weighs heavily both guest and
host As long As capitals contain number OF
loafers who are fond Of public shows. there viii
always be many who VIII rejoice in the visit
Of sovereign there. The courtiers who may
hope TO set bit Of ribbon or metal disc. or
even-if tley are iucky-a je,Seled snuff box and
the Jeameses OF the press. who are able such
occasions to work OF reans 81 gush, are the only
persons who profit BY these visits They no
more cement friendship between nations than
he complimentary correspondence that passes
between two statesmen Of opposite parties makes
them political allies--Iabouehere, in London
Truth
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
BrevitieS.

Lucky is the man whose dinner fits his appe'
lie.
Figuratively speaking-the lecturer on mathe
MATES
Some people work overtime trying to get
shorter hours.
Oil and water won't mix. unless in the form
Of stock
Patience is virtue when i. has little
hustle on the side.
The man who slways says exactly what he
thinks Is often silent.
Any woman would rather have you look he,
over shan overlook her
Success is largely a matter Of backbone. q
stiff upper Hp-snd cheek.
It is hard to convince people that poor re
lations are better than none.
You can't always tell how popular a man haa
been from the size Of his funeral.
No. Maude. dear; we have never heard thai
hare lip possessed the same virtues as
rabbits foo.
Philadelphia Record
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Lawyer and Cotton Planter.

John Sharp Williams. the Democratic
candidate for Speaker. is a native Of
Memphis, Tenr-, and forty-nine years
OF age. BY profession he IS a lawyer,
by occupation he is a cotton planter.
and by choice OF vocation he is a poll
tician IN the broad meaning OF The term.
because he likes politics
On his plantations in the Yazoo vaa4ey
Of Mississippi there are nearly 1900
negroes. Mr.. Williams has served ten
years IN Congress. He ser held auy
other public office. He IS Q. graduate OF
the University OF Virginia. and OF
Heidelberg, Germany; he speaks Ger
man. French. Spanish. Italian and Greek
as f1uently as he does English. OF which
he is a master. he also has a Latin yo-
cabuIary which equals that OF any col
Iege professor and knows how 70 use II
He Is a thorough student, and, although
his appearance mOV belle him, he is
probably the mus scholarly man IN the
House on .ithIr So u the chamber.
Mr.. Williams = snien OF stature but
big Of brain, IN eloquent and logical
speaker, a quick and ready debater. as
many who have attempted 10 engage
him in a running discussion have found
10 their sorrow. He speaks with a pecu-
liar drawI which has a charm and q
fascination as well as the elOquenee ana
argument which he Dours FORTH
In the Congressional election last year
not single vote was cast against him,
although he had fight for denomination
owing TO the fact that the Legislature
in redistricting his State placed three
members of the Fffty-seventh House
Williams. Hooker and Henry-in the
same district Mr.. Williams won oy
large majority.
When il became known that he would
accept the minority leadership the DEM
ocrats fiocked 10 his standard de prop
ably has their confidence TO a greater
degree than any man who has occupied
the position for many years. If the DEM
ocrats elect a majority OF the House
within the next ten years Mr.. Williams
viii be Speaker
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Political Gossip
Here and There


Representative Joseph G. Cannon.
the Speaker Of the Fifty-eighth Con-
gress. has served longer in the House
than any other member OF that BODY
with the exception OF Representative
Ketcham. Of New York With the IN
coming Congress Mr.. Ketcham begins
the thirty-frst year Of his service, and
Mr.. Cannon his twenty-ninth. The
service OF neither. however, has been
continuous.
Mr.. Cannon entered the House IN the
Forty-third Congress. and has served in
every Congress since. with the exception
OF the Fifty-second, which was elected
in 1890. But for that interruption Uncle
Joe" would be the father Of the House,
title which now belongs to Represen-
tative Bingham OF Pennsylvania, who
is just beginning his twenty-dfth year
Of his service
The year 1880 was one Of great Re-
publican disaster. when the country was
inundated with a Democratic tidal
wave which swept away for the time
being many OF the foremost Republl-
cans. until the membership Of that party
was reduced TO a mere handful. and
the Democratic majority was over
whelming. Two years later, the Demo-
Gratis achieved another sweeping VIC
tOAys uHL Uncle Joe managed &c get
back into the House, although he did
not find some Of his old associates there.
Mr. Cannon represents the Danviils
district Of Illinois. although he Is q
native OF North Carolina. having been
born at Guilford, in that State, IN lSss.
While young he removed to Illinois,
studied law and was admitted TO thu
bar. Uncle joe Is president OF 3
prosperous little bank in his home city,
and It is said that he knows personally
almost every voter in his district.
Since his entrance into the House he
has always taken a prominent part in
shaping legislation, sometimes with the
majority. and often with the minority.
he has had long service on the Com
mittee on Appropriations. and since the
Republicans returned to power he has
been chairman OF that committee
Although the chairman Of the Com
mittee on Ways and Means Is regarded
as the floor leader, the duties OF the
floor leader have been thrust largely
upon Mr.. Cannon for a number OF years
owing to the fact that he is a ready de-
batter. probably the best on the ReDub-
lican side. and because he commands
the confidence and the admiration %
his party associates.
The Washington times., 1903-11-09

Women appeared the stage in Italy and
France early in the sixteenth century. 4 con-
tract is still extant Of the first known French
actress, dated l545. Her name was Marie
Fairet. She engaged herself for year to play
ancient pieces from Rome. or other stories,
farces, soubresauits {acrobatics) before the
public wherever it may please L'Esperonniere''
(the manager)- In compensation she was TO
have board and lodging. besides u francs year.
Any extra present she might receive from an
admiring audience she bound by the con-
tract TO share with the managers wife.-chi-
c-,a.1 News
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Courts and Capitals
of the Old World
By THE lIARQuIsE DE FoNTENoY.
United States Abroad.


Like France and Germany. the United
States should own its embassy in Lon
don, and provide an official residence for
its ambassador. which would remain the
property of this Government 1t Is not
conducive to the dignity OF the repre-
sentatives of this great republic abroad
TO have to go house hunting whenever
they receive their appointments, and to
then be at the mercy Of their landlords.
Thus Ambassador Choate is suddenly
called upon 10 yacate the house which
he has occupied in Carlton House Ter
race ever since he came TO London,
owing 10 the return OF its owner to Eng
land from India, and has now leased the
house Of Arthur Balfour. thus establish
Ing the relations of landlord and tenant
between the prime minister of the Brit
lsh empire and the ambassador Of the
United States. 1t speaks volumes for the
cordially of the intercourse between the
two countries that such a situation
should be possible and excite no com
ment, especially 1t is entirely without
precedent
Ambassador Choate, in his new quar-
tiers. will have as his next door neighbor
Lord Muncaster who. being childIess like
his only brother and next heir, hopes to
Sttfe Dolh MS peefdBe ana MS ancient
family from extinction by the discovery
In this country OF descendants in the
male line of Capt. Joseph Pennington,
the second brother of the first Lord
Muncaster, who died in North Amer
lea toward the close of The war of
independence, somewhere between 1865
and 1850. Lord Muncaster still has hopes
or finding these American descendants
OF Capt Joseph Pennington. For the cup
known as THE Luck OF Pennington, ."
and Whfcls mas its counterpart in that
other cup belonging 20 the Musgrave
family, and which forms the theme Of
Longfellow's famous poem. THE Luck
Of Eden Hall" Is still intact. This cup
OF Lord Muncaster IS curiously
wrought glass affair, presented by the
Inflated King Henry VI. after the
disastrous battle of Hexham. 10 his
faithful servant. Sir John Pennington.
as award for having saved his life
during inc melee, the monarch explain
ing that Is WA the only thing OF value
that nc had left to give away. Sir John
Pennington was the founder OF the fam
lily If which Lord Muncaster is now the
chief, and il is a matter Of tradition that
as long as the cup remains unbroken the
family should prosper and never want
for a male heir
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
A Wonderful Carving.

In a museum attached 10 two almshcnses at
Kirkleatham. England, is a wonderful carving
Of ST. George and the dragan out of i single
block of lockwood. the work of a poor prisoner
and it is valued at 5000 Il is said that
this piece OF VARYING was the cause Of a wager
being once laid in dispute as to its entirety
To prove that the work was one single piece
Of carving, il was plunged into pct Of boiling
oil and allowed TO remain for hours All doubts
we're set at rest when il was Withdrawn and
found to be still complete The prisoner VIII
conpletet This marvellous piece Of work used
an ordinary penknife only-New York Tribune
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Tannnnanu.
It's Enemies Successful Only When It
Is Divided.

Is Divided.
Some good people in the city of
New York are still asking themselves
how 1t all happened. Some wiseaeres
there are, too, who insist upon fur
nishing all sorts of explanations, ex-
eept, Of course, the right one. To one
at a distance it does not seem so very
difficult TO account for the defeat Of
the Low ticket
The Democratic organization in the
city Of New York-T ammany, in other
words-can elect its candidate when
ever it really wishes to do so. If it
should find itself, for one reason or
another. short Of votes, it can get all
the votes it wants from the Repub-
hcan machine. This is not very fat
tering TO the Republican machine, but
il IS what everybody acquainted with
New York city politics knows to be a
fact.
While it seems undisputed tina;
Tammany can secure by purchase or
compact all the votes it needs to elect
It's candidates in New York. it yet
happens occasionally-not often-that
a so-called reform movement succeeds
IN landing" Then the hue and cry
is raised that the decent" people
have asserted themselves, and that the
CORN otion of Tammany has been such
that even community like New York,
proverbially Indifferent 10 municipal
abuses, is unable to stand il any longer.
II Is at such times that We hear
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Murdered Their Captives.

With characteristic want of faith the
Greek government tried to avoid the
payment OF the ransom by comprising
the arrest Of the brigands Thinking
lightly OF the threat TO murder the cap
tives If pursuit were attempted, the eu-
thorities dispatched a body Of troops TO
capture or secure the outlaws The lat
ter. through their friends in Athens,
were at once apprised Of the scheme.
Enraged thereat. the robbers carried OF
the captives still further into the inte-
rior, and after subjecting them for sew
eral days to the most distressing anx-
iety as TO what their fate might e,
murdered them in cold blood The We
tins included Count de Boyl, secretary
of the Italian legation; the Hon Ed
ward Herbert, secretary of the English
legation; Fred Vyner. and several other
gentlemen whose bodies when found
bore, besides the number of guashot
wounds. the appearance OF having been
IN addition thereto stabbed in the back
The AFFAIR created an immense sensa-
ton at the time, which was still further
increased when several members OF the
parliamentary opposition in Greece. as
well as an Engiishman named Noel
domiciled at Negroponte We're arrested
and placed on trial. along with the
briganGs. for completely in the mas
sacre. Most of the accused paid the
penalty of their crimes with their life
Lord Muncaster has never overcome
his gloom resulting from this tragedy.
He Is lord lieutenant Of Cumberland.
makes his principal home at Muncaster
Castle, in the county Of Cumberland.
and is an elderly man OF nearly seventy
years Of age. who few years ago. was
transformed from an Irish peer into a
peer of the United Kingdom. with a
seat as such in the house OF lorcs.
The Washington times., 1903-11-09

mountebanks of the Parkhurst stripe
smite their chests and pose as leaders
who have accomplished the task Of
guiding their people out Of the wilder
ness. 1t is all very fine, but it is alb
solutely misleading. The reform lead
ers have done nothing of the kind.
They simply deceive themselves.
The question will be asked, How.
then, do you account for the election
of Strong and Low? They, certainly,
represented reform movement-the
protest of Ihe taxpayers against the
misrule Of Tammany2" Most as
suredly they did; but they were not,
we assert, the controlling factor IN
the victory for decent government.
They simply profted by the resent
ment which the rank and file of Tam
many felt toward Its own leaders
What had happened was this: Croker
and his friends-tha inner ring-had.
as Kelly and his friends before them,
grown rich on the spoils of the city
After they got through stuffing their
pockets, there was nothing left for
the humble henchman. He was left
out IN the cold to gnaw the file of
disappointment and to nurse his
wrath against the day of retrHution.
Such day came when the good peo-
pie of the city organized citizens
movement" That was the chance the
poor Tammany heller was waiting
for, and, needless to say, he felt with
his dirk fOl fhe fifth rib of his purse
proud brother in a manner that sent
the latter into retirement in very
short order. That's what occurred
two years ago, when Low was elected
and likewise at the time the Strong
administration came INTO power. The
reform movements of those days were
incidents merely of the campaign
important ones, it is true-but the
real battle was fought within the
lines of Tammany itself. If anyone
doubts that Tammany had only TO
present a united front last Tuesday
III order to achieve victory, let him
bear in mind that nearly 10000 men
registered who did not vote, and that
II Is safe to assume that of these
10000 men so per cent were probably
Republicans. Let him further bear
in mind that il the Republican
stronghold Of Kings the Democratic
ticket was elected by an overwhelming
majority, and that since last Tues
day charges of having "sold OUT are
openly made against Republican ma
chine leaders without causing those
leaders to so much as vince under the
accusation.
Oh, no; the Tammany brave is full
Of hope these days. He knows that
new deal is on Murphy and his
gang may be hungry, but they will
play fair-for a while. And in the
meantime he laughs, as everyone must
who knows New York, at the claims
of ''reformers". that they can carry
the city against Tammany when that
malodorous organization is not rent
by internal dissensions and divided
against itself.
All of which may be rank pes
simism, but il contains, nevertheless,
huge chunks of frozen truth.
Rosy checks viii be fashionable this
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Lost-An Idea.
What Has Become of Iowa's Demand for
Tariff Revision?

arm KeYlSlonS
Two or more years ago there
arose IN the State of Iowa a cry
against the so-called burdens of Il
high tariff. The cry was not made
alone by the natural enemies of pro-
tective tariffs-the Democrats
also by the friends of home indus
tries, by Republicans. Their shout
amounted to a protest against exist
ing conditions, yet no one seemed to
know what to do under the circum-
stances, high protection being a part
of the paty's creed; IN fact, one of
the most important tenets of the faith.
Then there came forward among them
one A. B. Cummins, to whom it ap-
peared that the solution of the diff
Guilty was easy, although he may have
studied over the problem for many
long and weary nights and days. He
suggested that the tariff be revised
not reformed, mind you, for the tariff
Is held 10 be a good thing and needs
NC reformation, only revision and
the suggestion was greeted with de-
hight as might be a newly discovered
elixir of life.
So pleased with the suggestion
were the Iowa partisans of A. B.
Cummins that they hailed his thought
as an idea" and gave to it the name
OF Iowa" the Iowa idea"-in order
that all might know that this brilliant
conception had its origin In the
mighty brain of a citizen of the
Hawkeye State. Presently the Iowa
Republicans Incorporated the Iowa
idea" into their party platform, and
in plain and unmistakable language
they declared that the tariff should
not afford shelter to monopoly" A
glorious victory was achieved and the
author Of the idea" was chosen gov
ernor. But time doth make many
changes. 1t would hardly be fair.
however, to charge time with having
wrought change in what was once the
"Iowa idea" Popular opinion at
tributes the alterations to the deft
hand of Senator Allison, who, in re-
writing the Iowa platform for the
present year, reconstructed the ''idea"
50 that no one would recognize the
original, and nothing was said con
corning shelter to monopolies."
With this platform and the same
candidate for governor, the Repub-
I:cans Ct Iowa went forth last Tues
day and again won a remarkable We
tory. With and without an idea"
the Republicans of Iowa achieve sue
cess. The question now is what be
comes of The 'Iowa idea" and where
Is it7 Do the Iowa Republicans stand
by the idea" or do they not? Do
they want the tariff revised as they
thought they did, or do they not ?
Was the majority of $4,000 two years
ago a vindieation Of the idea" or
was the $4,000 majority of last Tues
day a vindicat.on of the elimination
of the idea ~ Has anyone any
idea what has happened to the Iowa
idea?"
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Birthplace Of Y. ". c. "a

VIII the question and answer column Of The
Times tell me where the nirthpl-'e of the
Young Mems Christian ASSOCIATION is and how
old the movement is? Y NJ c. A
London is the birthplace OF the Young
Mems Christian Association, and al
though It celebrated some eight years
ago its senni-centennial II has not be-
come langtlfd
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
. Wandering Peer.


Lord Muacaster. who has been in this
country several times prosecuting re-
searches for the descendants OF Capt.
Joseph Pennington. is a great traveller,
and In the course of his wanderings
has undergone an experience such as
fails but seldom TO the lot Of peers of
the realm in these modern times. 1t is
more than quarter Of a century ago
that one day London, Paris, and Wen
ma vas startled to learn that a party OF
ladies and genueme-1, comprising mem
bers Of the British, French, Austrian,
and italian legations at Athens, as well
as Lord and Lady Muncaster. the Hon
Edward Herbert, brother OF the late
Lord Carnarvop, and the Marchioness
OF Ripons brother, Fred Vyner, had
been captured BY hs1gands during an
excursion 70 the plain Of Marathon.
There were a number of ladies IN the
party, who We're somewhat roughly
used at first, but who were set at lib
erty along with their children after a
captivity of twenty-four hours.
Four days later Lord Muncaster was
released and dispatched to Athens for
the purpose OF obtaining the ransom
and the terms OF immunity demanded
by the brigands. They insisted upon
$l5o.090 in money, a free pardon for
themselves for outrages both past and
present. and the liberation OF certain
brigands then in custody The English
envoy at Athens urged the Greek gov
eminent 20 procure the release Of the
captives even upon the terms Of the
brigands, and received a distinct prom
Use that the matter should be settled at
once. no matter at what cost
The Washington times., 1903-11-09
Still in Doubt.

Il know his Raneee is plain because be says
she's sensible
but you can't be sure Of it,
"Oh, yes No girl is pretty who IS spoken
Of as sensible. -
''But how can she be sensible? Isn't she en-
gagged to him PIP Philadelphia Public Ledger.