davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
DR.. Funk and the Spirits.

The Rev. DR.. FUNK's solicitude for the
investigation OF psychic phenomena,
especially spiritualism, is entitled to
respectful consideration. That spirit
ualism ought not to be measured in the
public mind by the misdoings Of notorious
tricksters, such as the unlamented ANN
ODKIiA DIss DEBAR, Is unquestionable.
There IL cheating in every trade, and
some people are sufficiently mean-spirited
to pretend to summon spirits from the
vasty deep when they are merely trying
to make the ghost walk for their own
emolument. 1t behooves us to pass such
persons by with the silent smile Of con-
tempt, and to devote our attention wholly
to the achievements Of the genuine
spirit mediums who smatter not with
dear-store Indians nor with doddering
octogenarians.
The real spirit medium deals largely
with the spirits Of those who in earthly
life were believed to be greater than
their fellow men. 1t is notable fact that
communication has often been held with
the spirit Of NAPOLEON, but it is not on
record that in the trying days Of 1870 he
offered any valuable advice looking to-
ward the preservation Of that empire
which he had founded at the cost OF
q wholesale manufacture Of spirits.
OnoRoB WASHINGTON, too, has fire.
quently sent messages through mediums,
but Tor some occult reason they have
not been OF nature to guide the Govern
ment at Warrington, even when 1t was
most in need Of guidance.
Dr. FUNK notes that Mr.. GLADSTONE
estimated the work Of the Society for
Psychical Research as the most i'm
portant work which IL being done in the
world, but since the eminent statesman
has been In . position to furnish inval-
liable information to that society he has
persistently confined his communications
To messages from the grandmother OF
some plain man Of the people on matters
Of excessively personal insignifcance.
TIE only inference which can be drawn
from these facts h that there is q ire
mendous shrinkage In human intellect
uslity in the spirit world.
Yet even from this point Of view the
knowledge impaired by the spirits is
disappointing. It has been shown con.
clusively that the spirits take with lively
avidity to performances upon musical
Instruments popular in the shadowy
world Of negro minstrelsy. Many a
great man has learned across the border
to play the banjo, and he usually con-
cludes his performance by heaving the
instrument out Of the cabinet. 1t Is
easy to see why. No human being has
ever succeeded in playing a banjo per-
feotly IN tune, and when the spirits fail.
a they invariably do, they fall a prey
TO the very human feeling Of chagrin,
and treat the Ethiopian Tyre as the dis
gusted golfer treats his brassy.
But rs DR.. FUNK says, the study Of
thsss remarkable phenomena Is still In
IL alphabetical stage, . stage which
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
Capitol and Canal.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sir: Voters
when considering the proposition TO expend
SOL ooo. 900 on a barge canal should recall
an incident connected with the project to
build the new Capitol at Albany In the eos
An eminent engineer had estimated the
cost Of the building at $4,000. 600. friend
protested to the engineer that his estimate
was palpably and ridiculously Inadequate.
The engineer replied: -D-n IL: II we tell the
people how much the new Capitol will cost
they will never permit US TO begin II. :"
The people were deceived. The work
began and its cost was nearly six times the
engineers estimate.
The barge canal, II begun. will cost vastly
more than Engineer Bonds second guess Of
u hundred million dollars. q.
TROY, April O.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
The shamrocks and Our Boats.

While the trouncing Shamrock Ill.
gave Shamrock I. on Thursday was very
great measured IN minutes, the former
finishing seventeen minutes ahead of her
rival, q noticeable feature Of it was that
II it had been for the Cup it would have
been void for not having been completed
within the time limit prescribed for Cup
races, which is FIVE hours and a half. The
elapsed time at Weymouth was s hours
and So minutes. There was light and
variable breeze.
Shamrock III. ran the fifteen miles to
leeward in hours minutes and SO SEC
onds. She beat back in hours 81 min
utes and 20 seconds.
Columbia, in racing with Shamrock l.,
beat to the outer mark in hours Al
minutes and Is seconds, gaining on
Shamrock I. minutes and So seconds
She ran back in 2 hours minutes and
40 seconds, gaining on this course
seconds.
Shamrock Ills. gain OF 10 minutes or
the run in question shows too big ar
advantage to admit Of the idea that the
wind served both boats alike. 1t was
fuky. and the new boat had the luck OF
it. On the beat home the new boat beat
the old minutes and 10 seconds, OF
2 minutes and AZ seconds less thar
Columbia beat her.
OF the reported betterment of Sham.
rock !. by cutting down her rig nothing
can be said, because nothing is known
We deal only with the facts as they are
revealed.
The Reliance is to be launched to-day
a bold experiment in the untried.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

The importance Of a systematic plan for
increasing the commissioned strength Of
the navy has been emphasized often. and
has finally been recognized by legislation
which will permit the number OF cadets at
Annapolis to be doubled for the next ten
years. Even this is not enough, however.
There are at present 500 vacancies at the
Naval Academy and only 200 candidates,
though there should be nearly 1000 il the
vacancies are to be filed. or the 200 can
didates perhaps i2s will enter the Academy.
II is apparent that the creation Of vacan-
cies at the Naval Academy will be Of little
avail, II steps are not taken to all them
by Congressman and Senators first, in
accordance with the old rule; and by the
President and the Navy Department, il the
others fail to make use Of their privilege
and duty. The shortage Of officers made
itself felt in peculiarly unpleasant manner
recently, when the Bureau OF Navigation
found itself unable to approve the applica-
tions OF many line officers for transfer to
the construction corps. More officers are
needed in that corps, where there is now
work for seventy-fve constructors-thirty-
three more than we have at present; so that
il there were enough line officers to navigate
q vessel safely the applications would be
approved gladly. There are not enough
line officers, however, TO allow any to be
transferred. 20 the construction corps will
have to get along shorthanded as best it
can.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

The decision Of Magistrate MAYO regard
ing MAooIE CLINE is light for all who need
II upon the legal character Of Sunday diver
sions on the stage. The Magistrate de-
cided that MAGGIE is neither an inter-
luded nor dramatic performance. =
The manager who engaged that we'll
known New Yorker to sing Throw Him
Down. McCluskey,' at a Sunday night con-
cert, was summonsed to court by jealous
officers Of the law who charged that the
Sunday Concert law" as section 1881 OF
the Charter Ia known, was violated. The
officer knew that a man or woman who
danced few steps on the stage on Sunday
was held to have committed an offence.
and he may be excused II, without tech
meal reading OF the Charter. he assumed
that such vigorous exhibition as the sing
ing Of Throw Him Down. McCluskey,-
came within the scope Of the same act.
The Magistrate held that comic songs,
moving-picture exhibitions and the playing
Of musical instruments are not among the
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
s,r~., Retaliation in the Argentine

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUs-Sr: In the business
parts OF Bucnos Ayres vehicles 60 UP one street and
down the next: they may not stand on the mAln
streets a, any time; and on main residential stree"
they may not stand after u o'clock Doous io'
c,r,, on ,he main streets must always be brought
from the nearest side streets, and Tor houSts o.
main residential streets must be carried from "a,
nearest SIDE streets after IL. ThCr are othrI
regulations but all are based on the idea that w,
pollce rule the franc and that what poncemA
orders q driver has W do
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

The board making choice Of the officers
who shall form the first General staff Of the
Army has completed its work. An unex-
pected question is raised in connection with
the details OF officers Of junior rank, in the
fact that the cost Of changing station to
Washington. and the high cost Of living In
that city, will not be met by the regular pay
and allowances, while detail to the General
Stan brings no extra pay. Special allowances
to officers Of the General STAFF cannot he
thought Of, for they would simply offer in
centives to officers with influence to use II;
nor can 1t be permitted that only officers
with private means should accept General
StafY details. Both OF such methods OF
avoiding the difficulty are out Of keeping
with our military system. which permits
to the poorest officer the same opportu-
mites as to the wealthiest. The alterna-
tive lies in an increase Of the allowance
made for Communication Of quarters. At
present the rate of Communication Is Si2 a
month for each room authorized, the num-
Der OF rooms rising from two for Lieu
tenant 10 six for a Major-General. This
rate was fred In 1870. the number Of rooms
even earlier. Since the rate was fixed,
however. all the expenses Of living have in
creased. so that the rooms obtainable out
Of the Government allowance are by no
means comparable to what they were a
quarter Of o century ago. A revision OF
the rate OF Communication for quarters APP
pears to be an act OF justice to army
officers.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

Postal ohicials OF Washington are giving good
deal OF thought 70 the question of when and how
70 consolidate the post ofices around Pittsburg
and Allegheny The determination TO unite them
with the two larger ofnces was reached some time
ago but the details are not easy 70 srrange.-Ptns-
burg Dispatch.
Knowing the ability with which the
Postal Department is run. we haven't the
slightest doubt that this would be a sensi-
BILE arrangement. in harmony with modern
ideas We trust that no moss-backed agent
Of paternalism will thwart the Government 3
laudable purpose on the ground that it vio-
lates the Sherman Antitrust law by tending
to monopoly and restraint Of trade.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

To TIE EDITOR or THE Sux--ssr: That late
born monster. Greater New York" which look,
like fa,uous parody OF the term Greater Britain.
should not attain permanent place In the language
Greater implies lesser tAs Greater Antilles anc
Lesser Antilles. Where Is Lesser New York.
Let us-when we must-wrte or pint rteatcI
New York" W. NATcuks.
BRoOELYH.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
Excuses OF Ritualisin.

To The EDITOR OF THE SuS-.S,r: A corre-
spondent OF THE SUN this morning says that
the doctrine OF the Real Presence Is taught
at Old Trinity. with Its many chapels. As q
member OF Trinity parish for several years.
] should like to say that II this Is SO very few
OF those who attend -Old Trinity" or its many
chapels- are aware oft. Certain it Is that no
where In Trinity parish is there celebration
of high mass. at which none but the priests
participate.
The advocates OF the extreme ritualistic
practices INDUCED in at ST Mary the Virgin 8
and st. Ignatius's invariably take the ground
that there Is nothing In the services vt their
churches contrary TO the doctrines OF the
Church and the rules of the Book Of Common
Prayer; yet, as every intelligent and unbiased
man knows. there Is not single service AZ
either Of these churches where the doctrine
and spirit OF the Episcopal Church OF Amer
lea is not violated and distorted. and fire.
quently also where the letter OF the law Is
Elevation Of the Host" nowhere sanct Toned
by the Book of Common Prayer, Is part Of
the service. together with the swinging OF
&c. The counterpart Of such a service thank
God, can be found nowhere in Trinity parish
sionsi, Il is also needless to say. Is not OBJ
served except at churches Of the extreme
Many broad minded churchmen take the
ground that 4 is mistake 70 object TO these
practices 4 they are found TO be aids TO PEG.
pie IN their religious life. But Tor one, IN
Virgin and ST. Ienaiius, form a community
OF their own, but do not let them continue as
members OF the Protestant Episcopal Church
some where and define positively where the
law OF the Church begins and where II ends
not only for the sake OF unity and peace, but
INA. those p o. us Who are not members OF ne
overwhelming majority In the Church may
no longer 6e taunted by our High church
orSstnren WIN oelnH nereucs ana ou.isws
To THE rn,,o, M Tn, srx-s,,. tn.
censure OF the Rev. DIR. Rainsford on ac-
count Of certain sermon he preached In st.
epnen Cnu ,,,,, IN I'm n,,,s sno' sn
@ very niue SUI 'n non n y, w ,hsn
own ideas Is 1t not about time for people to
turn ,heir ave. IN anothsr direction and Oh
'n 'nsn ~ - oi.,'.II... 10 a,.,. "a
serve wna' tnese ni'ualises arc saying anu
doing?
read With much interest the letter on the
~,ovth of RItnslism in Nav York which an
hnI,ayn 'tba n.n6uium has .x,,ns ~ IL
greatest extent and something will soon
be accomplished to mend matters now
existing Lawiessness VIII not be suffered 70
som nnrv veh h ionfe risf 3ao sras" anv
Churches in iondon' some considered quite
Rituaiistic. and they are harmless as com
n Esv Ycrt and IN ntbsr cities in our own land
a,boss serrices would amaze The Ritualistic
chnrcbss IN Enoisnd we baye NO Pariia-
ment, 10 regulate hi, innovation: We can
doing To- avert III Nothing
N'Wha,e is the R,sbon who protests auainst
these irreguiaritiesP I believe that nine out
NJ
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11

TO THR EDITOR or THE SrS-Sir: I have fol
lowed with great interest the discussion OF Nv. HIS
pajama inquiry and have come TO the conclusion
that he has run up against Night shirt Parade.
The time has come for all wearers Of the good old
rough house "Pajam" TO get together and send
out relief before all the rockies" desert.
As I understand II. w. H." does not seek advice
from those who wear red nannes during the day
and pass the night In mother hubbards. So stand
aside. umi ID arried men and unsophsticated youths
and let the march OF civilization 90 on.
The question as To the fitness" OF the two gar
ments Is not In dispute or the Pharmacies should
Is whether he should wear the Badju tucked In the
Pajama or the PajamA shirred around the Badju
This question the writer believes could be hes,
answered by the Ladies' Aid Society. who built the
pajamas for the soldiers during the Spanish Amer
lean War. They went thoroughly into the mNtcr
and furnish ed directions to 90 with each pair. II
was all worked out upon q scientific basis
SPRSoFIELD Mass. April T. CRISIS.
To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-.Sfr; The man who
has once worn pajamas whether "reefed In or with
"spinnaker set" will never 20 back TO the balloon
ybbed" nishtie. Again, they will prevent such q
natural mistsk. as pulm an porter recently made
He called loudly In front OF the wrong section
LADY. your grandma In Upper six has sustained a
Cheer up. Nv. H." They may work up around
the neck but you have the consolation that they
more Appropriate for hanging than q Canton
flannel "nighue." EssEx.
NORTH ADAMS, April o.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13
MeIodrama at the Park.

Park Tbeater audiences are usually asked
to applaud virtue and to show their dis
approval of vice, but in "a Desperate
Chance" the melodrama by Theodore
Kremer, which opened a half-week's en-
gagement at the Park yesterday, the spec
tators are called upon to lionize a couple
of cowardly ruffians. who murder, steal and
commit about every other crime in the
category of human misdeeds. The play is
supposed to be a dramatization Of the sem
~sational doings of the Biddle brothers. in
Pittsburg, a few years ago, but in reality
it Is an exhibition of the most inexcusable
rubbish ever seen on a local stage. A
play Of this sort might do a good deal of
harm were it not for the fact that even
the Park Theater gallery-notoriously in
Northumberland help but realize it's
absolute lack OF common sense, to say
nothing Of it's lack of merit as an enter
tainment. Theodore Kremer can write
good melodramas when he takes the time
TO do so, but he evidently wrote this piece
to order. and wrote 1t in a hurry.
Some OF kremer'S melodramas have been
justly prosperous at the Park, but this
awful perpetration does not deserve sue
fact that the company presenting II Is en-
tirely capable. and doubtless the players
must feel ashamed of themselves for vast
LIE tlCl AAAlO allA kAClA dRO4 0h(h
veritable rot. Kremer has in other plays
written bright lines, but in this piece there
Is no comedy worthy the name, the attempts
at humor being pitiable. The author has
even gone so far as to make light of the
Bible in striving to create a laugh, and
when a playwright takes such a liberty 1t
is time to call a halt. for there are some
times thoughtful people even in a melo-
dramatic audience.
So far as illogical things are concerned,
there Is a rich grocer who counts his 500
bills In his show window where every thief
in the neighborhood may observe him.;
there Is a jailer who wears a dress suit to a
cheap theater; there is a ~jailer's wife who
dresses herself in a decollete gown when
she visits her husbands prisoners; there is
a little child (the daughter OF the jailer),
who is allowed to converse with criminals,
with nobody around TO watch over her,
and there are countless other incidents
equally idiotic.
There nave been good plays at the Park
poorly acted, but In this case it is a bad
play well acted. Every member of the
cast Is a competent performer, so far as
melodrama performances go. Eugene
Frazier, Jack Sharkey, H. B. Stafford and
John c. Hansen are all actors OF ability,
and the women Of the company, Lillian
Bayer. Mrs. Neil Kyrell and Beatrice
Rurke, are pleasing In appearance and
fully capable of playing better parts. Lit
tie Jennifer Sinclair is such an unusually
good child actress that one regrets she
Is not having an opportunity to appear in
a better play. "A Desperate Chance" will
hold the boards at the Park the rest of the
week.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13

Brooklyn Eagle.
Another invitation to a %wedding!' ex-
claimed a professional observation-disclosures he
opened his mail the other morning. II
wish to goodness my friends would stop
getting married, or forget me when they
are sending out invitations. This one
means a present. / don't begrudge the
money, but / do confoundedly hate to have
to rack my brains deciding what to give.
and nine times out of ten striking on the
wrong thing. We have bureaus for so
many purposes, 1 think it would be an i'm
mense saving of gray matter if some clever
individual would establish a bureau where
an unmarried man like me could go and
give an order for a wedding present with
the fair chance of having something suit
able selected and have nothing more to do
than to pay the BILL"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13

Philadelphia Record.
1.-The most popular hair tonic this fall is"
said a woman's barber, Sunshine. 1t is
the best hair tonic, too. There is nothing
like it to remove dandruff and to give the
scalp a healthy, vigorous feeling. All over
the country women are now going bare
headed as much as possible, and are sitting
all day in rooms where the sun will fall
full on their hair. One effect of the rays
is to bleach the hair slightly-to put a
great deal of gold into it. Another effect is
to make the hair thick and clean and sweet.
Particularly after a shampoo, while the
locks are still wet, the unshine benefits
them. Like a very elixir of life it seems to
go through the hair and the scalp, leaving
buoyant health and vigor and beauty be-
hind it in abundance.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13

November Work Among Flowers.
The Ladies' World.
1t is not too late to bed out, or to pot.
the hardy bulbs. Planted earlier, they will
give earlier blossoms, but where one pro-
cures good bulbs. November planting will
result in fine satisfaction.
Be sure and select a well-drained spot
for the bed; make the soil loose and rich
by adding sand and well-decayed manure;
b~arnyard scrapings are good to use. Set
the bulbs to the required depth, then firm
the soil over them. Now scatter seeds of
petunia, peoples, verbena or annual phlox
or perennial pinkS over the bed; cover
these seeds lightly. These seeds will give
you blooming plants by the time spring
sown seed would be VI.
After the ground freezes, mulch the beds
with leaves, straw or barnyard litter. If
the mulch is put on when the surface is
thawing just a little, 1t will not blow and
shift around. A few brush, or better yet
in place.
For pot bulbs, fill the pots two-thirds
full of soil similar to that used for the
beds; firm, then set the bulb in, fill in and
over will soil. water we'll and set in a
cool, dark place for not less than six
water a little and place in a north win
dow until growth is rapid. Now place in
a sunny window and water freely.
Mulch the pansies, the border plants, the
hardy shrubs and the roses this month.
Forest leaves. a good thick coat, are ma
evergreen boughs, the mulch Is perfect, but
straw or coarse litter is very good.
Do not remove the mulch too early, and
dc not put it on until the ground freezes.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13
Miss GoeIet's wedding Gifts.


New York Special.
Among the presents received here are:
A pearl and diamond tiara, two diamond
bowknots and a diamond necklace from
Mrs. Ogden Goelet, the brides mother; a
diamond tiara and a iamon and emerald
pendant, from the groom; a diamond tiara
from Robert Goelet, brother of the bride;
a jeweled miniature of the duke and a fan
with iamon monogram, from Lady Isabel
Innes-Ker, sister of the groom; an emerald
and diamond corsage piece, from Mrs. r..
7. Wilson,; a diamond pendant, from Mr..
and Mrs. r. T.. Wilson, jr., and a diamond
collar from Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr.
OF the bridesmaids Miss Johnston gave a
diamond bracelet. Miss Haven. a sapphire
and diamond ring; Miss Beatrice Mills,
turquoise and diamond pin; Miss Babcock,
diamond pin; Miss Thayer, feather fan with
coronet and initials in diamonds; Miss Whit
tier, Russian enameled clock, and Miss
Therese Iselin. ~turqoise and diamond brace
let.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13
HOME HINTS.
BY MAY MANTON.

Coats with small shoulder capes are
among the notable features of the season
and are graceful and becoming at the same
time that they are exceedingly comfortable.
This stylish one is adapted to all cloaking
and suiting materials and to the general
wrap as well as to the entire costume. The
original, however, is made Of black zibel-
Inc, simply stitched with corticelli silk, and
is designed for general wear.
The coat is made with fronts, backs, side
backs and under-arm cores. the MANY
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-13

had a hard part to act as the foolish young
man who causes all the trouble, and he
was not altogether successful In IL, his
performance being the only weak spot In
the presentation. Grant Mitchell imperson-
the odd character of Peter CullinS-
ham, a chronic medicine-taker TO the life,
and little Edith Talliaferro-a younger sis
ter of Mabel TalIiaferro. who was the
Lovey Mary Of Mrs. Wigs Of the Cabbage
P~atch"-played the part of a precocious
child in a most ingenious and wfnsome
maIHer. All of the minor roles were capa-
bly, interpreted and the play was tastefully
The engagement was for last
night only