davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1903-08-16
SHORT TALKS WITH
PEOPLE YOU KNOW

we lighted up. He smoked gloomily. He
was silent a long while.
Well. Jack, said /. so this is your
honeymoon, eh?'
HE smiled grimly. Don't call IT my
honeymoon he said. IT'S the harvest
moon with me-
THE RETORT DIRECT.
The late John Sartain. the engraver
Of Philadelphia, knew Edgar Allan Poe
intimately. He was free 10 admit that
Poe in his youth had been somewhat
profiigate. but he always denied that
in later life Poe was anything like the
drunkard gossip paints him
"At the University OF Virginia" Mr..
sartain once said. Poe did drink too
much In the middle of his freshman
year there he gave a peach and honey
party. Peach and honey was the drink
OF those days-a mixture OF honey ana
peach brandy that was as overpowering
as It was sweet and pleasant. Poe sat
at the head of the table. Boys, he
said to his guests, shall We behave like
men, or like brutes?
Like men, of course,s senior an
swered.
" Then said Poe. we'll all get
drunk, for that is something brutes new
er do
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

T is interesting to know what stages
the magazine article goes through
before the author receives a check
or a neatly printed notice. which reads:
Your manuscript is returned with
thanks. We regret to say that It is not
available at present. The fact that a
manuscript is declined does not mean
that 1t has not merit"
In the first place, allowing that pub
Usher receives an average of ten manu-
scripts a day. seven OF that number will
in all probability be rejected at sight
The publisher knows from long expert
ence that he is safe in ninety-nine cases
out Of a hundred in disposing sum-
marily of manuscripts whose writers
cannot spell and who have not even q
bowling acquaintance with Lindley Muir
ray. A rapid glance through the first
pages of a manuscript gives a fair idea
of the literary ability of the author
that is, in general terms The common
complaint that publishers are not con-
scientious in the examination of manu-
scripts is unfounded. They are con-
scientious-it is TO their interest TO be
so. They are just as DESTROYS Of dis
covering the talented young writer as
he is TO be discovered. But 1t is not
necessary to eat the whole cheese in
order to determine its quality.
The three manuscripts that remain at
ter the first sitting are sent 10 certain
persons in whose judgment the publisher
has confidence. They read them through
once. and if they appear to have merit
they are sent on TO other readers. Every
manuscript that has possibilities passes
through the hands OF four or five readers.
Each of these makes out detailed re-
port of it, setting forth it's excellence
and defects IN the eyes OF that particular
reader. When the reports on certain
MS. are all in the publisher reads them.
and makes UP his mind as 10 whether It
will be advisable for him to publish IT,.
II he is not satisfied with the reports al
ready received on it he may send ii out
The Washington times., 1903-08-16
WHEN THE PUBLISHER
GETS YOUR MANUSCRIPT

70 other readers and defer his decision
until be hears from them.
There are many elements that inhu-
ence publication. A Ms. may be good in
itself, but it may not be what the par
tieular publisher has a market for. Or
it may belong to certain class with
which he is already fully stocked. Man
uscripts rejected by one firm are fire.
quently accepted by another. It is said
that David Harum" was rejected by
nine publishing houses.
Readers are human, and, therefore, liza
bic TO err. Temperament plays, necessa-
riIy, a considerable part in their decis-
ions, but they are selected by the firms
that engaged them for their critical judy
ment, their knowledge of good English,
their acquaintance with both standard
and contemporary literature, and for
their skill in determining the selling
qualities of book
If a story has live characters and Is
well put together the publisher is will
ing TO expend time and money in bring
ing It up TO the standard he has set.
Some readers are also editors OF the
firm and they correct faulty sentences.
rearrange mixed metaphors. and see
that the demands OF time and place are
not confused
Few persons beginning TO write are
aware, probably, OF the amount OF edit
ing which their work requires before it
is in condition to appear IN print. There
are SOLITARY footmen approaching on
horseback in manuscripts that have
been read and re-read by the author
dozen times. It takes another eye than
the writer's 10 detect these inconsis-
tencies and plumbers.
If The manuscript deals with an hts
toric period 1t is sure 10 be sent to the
reader who Is competent TO give abso-
lutte judgment on the accuracy OF its
statements ANY scientific work viii
be submitted TO an expert In the par
ticular branch with which II deals. Pub
fishers wish TO bring out only such
books as viii bring them financial re-
turn and reputation,
The Washington times., 1903-08-16
:: LEAVES FROM A BOARDING HOUSE DIARY :.

first bribing the hired girl. The motion
was unanimously carried.
May 25-Our chain OF evidence against
the landlady is now complete We hid
IN the china closet and saw her lire a
pie plate with dough, fill it with hash,
sprinkle over It a few currants, and put
on lid Of dough. Then she placed it
in the oven TO brown. The hired girl
called her attention TO something IN the
back yard, and we-stole out Pettigrew
can scarcely contain himself He is for
going directly to the landIady and have
it out with her; but /, who am the con-
sentative member OF the party. counsel
prudence. But even l see that some
definite action must be taken finally.
May give. have met the enemy and
are captives. When we told the land
ady what we had seen from the china
closet, she turned pale. then she put
aer fists on her waist and gave us a
piece of her mind. Dudley says 1t was
worse than a piece of her pie Petit
grew was the first 10 wilt, and we were
all cowed in a moment Then the land
lady put corner of her apron in her
eye, and began to sob and cry. saying:
You are driving me out of nv home.
lone, lorn woman. too. Who would
have thought it. such fine gentlemen 4"
We all looked at each other as II to say.
this is your doing. you wretch. Finally.
Pettigrew apOlogized told the Iandlay
to go ahead with her mince pie and
hash, and We sneaked out of the room.
May 27-The landlady is living up to
the letter of what Pettigrew said. and
the food is worse than ever
May 2S-More hash and mince pie.
May 29-Pettigrew, Dudley, Robinson
and l never refer to mince pie or hash.
We are slaves to the Iandlady. We
even avoid each other. Pettigrew even
boarded car at the risk OF his life to
get out of meeting Robinson and me the
other day.
May 3l-Thls is written on the $40
train for Baltimore. 1 had been pack
ing my trunk for the past week. in
tending TO leave the mince pie to Dud-
ley, Robinson, and Pettigrew. When T
reached the station with my trunk 7
found Pettigrew sitting in the waitine
room l sat down beside him and said
where are you going?' 81 thought I'd
take run over TO Baltimore TODAY
Saturday. and stay over until Monday
What are you going to do?'' "Oh, I'm
going to Baltimore. too" Just then we
saw Dudley and Robinson enter the
waiting room by different doors and we
nailed them. Just a moment" saio
Dudley. till get a ticket to Baltimore
and Ill be with you" ITO Baltimore. &"
said Robinson why THAT'S whera I'm
bound for. Buy me ti.sst. too
Pettigrew and I looked at one an
other. We were all going to Baltimore.
That's a dear little boarding house.
said / when We were seated In the car.
But I'm going to stay with a friend. a
very dear friend OF mine when l return
TO Washington Monday"
so am 1" said Pettigrew. Robinson.
and Dudley,
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

Jus before de third ack fought I'd
count de money, an 1 put me hand into
me pants pocket. When brings out me
wad. what should I fin' but a common
white alley-a alley. what do yer tink
OF dat?
We'll. Tommy Nolan wuz a sittin a
long slider me and he SEE les drop IL on
dat bald head jus below
No. seq 1, you might kill de bloke,
Nolan
But yer know Nolan. Muggsey. (Con-
vufsive chuckles on the part of Mugg-
sey) Besides, I SEE to Nolan, yer das-
| sent do st.
Dissent I. yes I do dassent. But 1
betcher you wont drop it..
"Ill draw straws fer 10 see who will,
SEE I, Jus like dat.
Nolan drew the short straw and in
course he had ter drop de alley. 1t was
a little hard ter do for the bald headed
bloke was sitting under de Teller what
wuz next ter Nolan. Nolan started ter
| drop de alley right off. but l seq: No,
yer foolish. Wait tell dey darkens de
| theayter, we might git pinched'
well, de bad man comes on in de third
ack and dey darkened de house and de
green light chased. him around de stage.
He was a noble villin, he was. JUS as he
was goin' ter kill de heroine 1 whisp-
ers ter Nolan: Letter CO. an my aunt,
he did. couldn't see de hard boiled egg
of head, but knew de alley struck all
right cause I heard IL go 'chink.'
"Saaay, Youse oughter heard dat bald
head man, He jumped up outer de chair
an clapped his hands on his head an
cussed puffectly scanlus fer an old man.
Dere was de play a goin' on jus de same.
His wife seq: Archibald, sit down, sit
down That made him hotter. Den
| people shouts Down in front; down in
front An Nolan he sings out: Put him
out Seemed like everybody started VI
usher comes prancin' down de aisle and
takes old badly by the collar. But de
baldheaded man was game. he was mad
right troo, he was. My aunt, IL was wuth
fifty shows ter see dem scrappin' in de
aisle. Putty soon some more ushers
came down and dey carried de baldhead7
ed man out, a fightin' and roarin' an
cussin' up ter de very las
Il never laughed so much in me life
and Nolan he nearly had a fit. De bloke
at de door never got onter what we did
fer yer see de baldheaded man was too
hot to think where dat alley come from.
OH never will fergit dat fight.
Yaaaah."
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

W n = ' %: .:;::,: , ::;' s::
The Washington times., 1903-08-16
THE STORY OF CHICK,
THE TELEGRAPH BOY

~ ICK WILLIAMS is a messenger
boy for one of the telegraph
companies here in Washington.
more knowing lad would be hard to
find. His folks call him Edward" but
he is always Chick to his boy friends.
Chick is the kind of boy who will
take a message TO a kind-hearted cid
gentleman and hear him say: Smoking
is a very bad habit. You don't smoke.
do you. my boy?"
Not this early in the morning. shank
ye. sir" Chick will reply cheerfully.
"Howsumever. he goes on with a grin,
I'm take a Garcia jus ter oblige yer
and burn it at me leisure" The old
gentleman is Mortified.
The Chicken had a snubby nose as if
he had been pressing his face against
a window pane and trying to look in.
His face is round and very hard to lead.
but the eyes are honest and you might
as we'll trust a Queens messenger. OF
course he idles sometimes. You would
yourself. But he explains that he IS
tender-hearted and does not know
whether the yellow envelope contains a
message of grief or good cheer. Do YOU
suppose him eager to carry the news of
his fathers death to a poverty-stricEen
son? Do you think him swift to bear
summons TO attend at a death bedside .
Again. the news may be of a happier
nature. In that case the people will be
glad to receive it, and every minute he
delays Will only increase their Joy
which nobody can deny. Why should he
hurry? So he goes. guying cabbies. bor-
rowing an apple now and then from a
fruit stand. staring in the windows OF
the athletic goods shop. His greatest
pleasure after reading a dime novel is
TO see one acted on the stage
The other night he went to see 1.-The
Prince of Thieves" melodrama of the
hero villain, black-whiskered. SLOUGH
hat, nickel-plated revolver type. He
heard the heroine say 'Oh! save me
aged muther." and shuddered fully at
the proper moment.
Chick and half a dozen of his com
panions were seated on high in the GAL
Iery. where they smoked cigarettes and
munched peanuts, the glorious gallery
from which they looked down upon the
little boy in the private box with scorn.
But the story is so romantic that Chick
had better tell it for himself
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

! is not rigidly enforced. and children not
over nine or ten are frequently seen
deep in the mysteries of the never TO be
tired of Fairy Tales Of Hans Andersen"
or the new old stories of "Puss in
Boots Sleeping Beauty" and RED
Riding Hood"
A parent or guardian must sign the
card for the child which entities it to
draw out a book daily IL it likes. The
room is open from to on school
days and from 10 to 5 on Saturdays.
Miss Heaton, the attendant in charge,
lends the children any required assist
ance in the selection of the desired
volume and answers or endeavors tosan-
swer the questions propounded her
for the girls and boys who patron
ize the Library have the proverbial ge-
MUS for asking unanswerable questions.
She often renders service in many other
ways, notably when a child has chosen
book entirely unsuited to its age or
sex. A little kindly advice and SUCCESS
tion shows the error, and the little one
is sent off happy with fine book
Attendance on the Wane.
The daily attendance when the Library
was first opened was very large. By
actual count 500 children visited the
room in one day. Now the novelty is
worn off somewhat. and the regulars
do not number over 300 daily. With the
modern child. as well as the modern
man OF woman, fiction is demanded. and
all things considered. is the prime favor
lite. Stories must be presented in an at
tractive manner to be interesting TO the
childish mind Any trace of pedantry
is quickly diseerned. and the book is
virtually boyeotted among the habitues
of the room. The Elsie books. long the
chief desire of the girlish heart, has
no place on the bookshelves of the
Carnegie Library The up-to-date girl
does not desire this somewhat inane
series Of. as they term them. "goody-
goody books"
It has been noticed that the boys are
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

fond of reading the girls books, while
girls are often enthusiastic over the
stirring episodes and heroic deeds of
daring in the Henty books. Fairy tales
are still popular with the youthful mind,
and useful flood in the tide of reading,
one that is invaluable in after years,
Is the increasing liking to read the
stories from the classics and mytholo-
gies. Stories from Livy and the "Odys-
sey'' are rarely in their places and are
exchanged from card 20 card with an
eagerness that shows the interest in
these works. Boys like adventure pIen-
tifully sprinkled in their fiction. AMI
this taste is gratifed by an ample sup
ply of the best class of this fiction.
Henty still reigns king in the boy heart
although his pen has fallen from his
grasp at the call OF death.
Yearnings for Poetry.
After fiction comes biography. then
history, travel, animal books, and lastly,
sad to say, poetry. in the childish fancy.
Children are fond of lives of the char
acters they have met in the course Of
their schooling. and the books on the
life of Washington show signs of long
and continuous use In the school de-
bates reference is often given to books
in the library, and it is getting TO be a
not uncommon sight to see the debaters
getting up their data and points in
the children's room
All classes of children come here.
Little Italians jostle children that bear
the marks of careful. beautiful home
training. A little fellow, black as black
can be, sits next to a golden-haired girl
who in this glorious republic of children
and books is not at all disturbed by his
proximity. This habit of reading books
for pleasure and instruction Is one that
should be encouraged. Foster this habit
in the children Of Washington and it
viii be a seed that in useful and we'll
informed citizens wiz bear bounteous
fruit in the years 20 come.
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

NE OF the prettiest sights in
I Washington can be seen Satur-
day mornings On the stone seat
in front of the Carnegie Library which
scribed with the significant line. "a
University for the People" is a crowd
of children chattering away like a flock
OF magpies. waiting to exchange their
books for new supply of literature.
Passers- by, attracted by the unwonted
sight, stop, gaze for moment at the
unconscious, pretty picture the children
make, and then go to their several
duties with chord of almost forgotten
associations vibrating through the
harsher music and blatant strains of
the worlds great battlefield. This seat
outside the library is the Children's
Forum of the city. Here books are ex-
changed with each other for examina-
ton; their relative merits discussed,
and tit-bits of school gossip and affairs
INDUCED in. The boys outnumber the
girls, for, strange to say, boys draw
more books from the library than girls
Adults Are Not Welcome.
The children's room of the Carnegie
Library is given exclusively to the use of
children. No adult is allowed to read
here. although they may aid the selec-
ton of the youthful reader. This gives
a freedom to enjoy themselves without
The embarrassment of having grown
ups as auditors and spectators of their
actions and words.
The room is nicely fitted up with tables
and chairs, and a pleasant feature Is
the Introduction of kindergarten chairs
and half tables for the accommodation
OF the real little ones. A child to enjoy
The privileges of this treasure room of
books must be over twelve, but this rule
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

! think of it, Pettigrew is in raptures.
He says he can close his eyes when
eating a slice and imagine himself 4
boy again. You see Pettigrew has been
eating at home until here lately and
the minee pie means more to him than
| to Dudley, Robinson or myself
May 22-Mince pie still continues.
/ May 23-We had great deal of trou-
bic with Pettigrew today. He was go
| ing to tell the landlady right out that
he couldn't chew the bottom crust of the
mince pie. Dudley, Robinson and 1 had
to take him out of the dining room. We
told him that none Of us ever ate the
bottom crust, but what difference did
that make. The top and the delicious
interior were what we were after. Pet
tigrew soon listened to reason and a
scene was narrowly averted.
May "a. 8 p. m.-The serpent has en-
tered our Eden. Dudley confided to me
yesterday that this state of things was
too beautiful to last. 1 laughed at him
then, but I see now that it was the
bitter truth. l was sitting opposite
Robinson this evening and l noticed him
choke as he was eating his slice OF
mince pie. He recovered himself, but
after that he chewed carefully, like .
man picking his way over a strange road
on a dark night. He seemed confused
when the landlady eyed him sternly,
but | saw him take something out of
his mouth by stealth when she went
out OF the room. A moment later and
a..
the same thing. Pettigrew seemed TO
have some trouble in cutting into his
slice of mince pie and l noticed him
take some hard substance from the in
terror of the pie and put 1t on one sid9
of his plate. He afterwards dropped 1t
into his pocket I had a piece OF pie N
my mouth just then and as l chewed
on II something pricked my tongue. l
took IT out quietly and found that 1t
was pants buckle.
May "a, II p. mater supper this
evening Pettigrew, Robinson, Dudley,
and I held another conference as we
stroIled around the block. smoking our
cigars. A cough drop. two burnt matches
a pants buckle, and four rusty pen nibs
have been found in the mince pie. Pet
tigrew answered for the cough drop.
Robinson for the two burnt matches.
Dudley for the four rusty pen nibs, and
for the pants buckle. The charm of
the mince pie has gone forever. The
landlady has been working hash off on
us in the form of mince pie
Pettigrew was superb at our open air
meeting He waved his hands and pulled
away at HIS cigar until it burnt HIS lips.
He moved that another committee OF
four be appointed to walt upon the land
lady and confront here with the damn
Ing evidence. Then Robinson, usually a
quiet fellow, came out of himself and
moved that we four hide in the china
closet when the laudlady was making
mince pie and secure additional proof,
The Washington times., 1903-08-16

| to pieces. After that the clay is ready
for molding
The ordinary mold consists OF two
pieces Of iron hinged on the side and
opening like a sewing box. Most of thu
little factories have numerous molds
from the common, unadorned sort that
comes in two -teces. and is INTENDED
for the ordinary plain pipe to all sorts
of elaborate patterns that come in six
or eight pieces, and are made Of brass
| and intended 10 fashion pipes in imi-
tation of wooden models that happen to
be in vogue. The pipemaker grasps one
of the shapeless rolls, tits the fat end
upward-which at once gives the sug-
gestion of a pipe-and runs a wir,
through the pointed end. out of which
the stem is to be pressed.
The Molding Process.
Roughly fashioned. the clay is put in
mold. a plunger is forced in so that
bowl is formed. The clay squeezed
out of the mold is shaved off with one
stroke of dull knife. The mold is then
placed in a room heated to about g
degrees for twelve hours.
1t has lost its gray color by this time
and has become soft. Except for this
the pipe is finished
Then comes the process of shaving off
the burrs. At this stage the pipe still
retains considerable dampness, so that
the clay may be cut smoothly, while at
the same time a wire is again drawn
| through the stem, so as TO insure proper
draft All is now ready for the pipe
in its final state, except that il needs
to be burned For this purpose it is put
into a cylindrical vessel twelve inches
high and as much in diameter This Is
known as a "sagger." Set one against
the other, the pipes are adjusted solidly
in the sagger, which will hold something
like a gross of pipes properly packed.
If the pipes consist OF the more fancy
designs-that is. being merely pipe bowls
that are to be provided with mouth
pieces of wood or rubber-the saggers
will hold as many as two gross of pipes.
Nine of these saggers filled with pipes
are known as a stand and a medium
sized kiln will hold twenty-one stands
and will burn them all at the same time.
For five hours the heat in the kiln is
kept at a moderate temperature. After
that 1t is allowed TO run up. until at the
end OF twelve or fourteen hours II IL
driven TO a white heat. which gives the
pipes their sootless white finish.