davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
CURIOUS HABIT OF WRITING.
scribblins Microbc Never Leaves One
After II Gnins Lofl yinu

scribbling Microbc Never Leaves One
After It Gnins Lodging.
"The habit of writing is curious
habit. and one which may not be out
grown" said an old scribbler in the
New Orleans Times-Democrat. sit
seems to be born in the blood. 1t is a
part of the nature of some men to
write things. Early in life they be-
gin to yield to an inclination to jot
things down; to scribble off few
thoughts at idle moments, and between
times, as it We're; to versify bit; to
philosophers; to put down maxims and
axioms, and to scrawl a thousand and
one little nothings which appeal to the
fancy from time to time. Once acquire
the habit, and it is thine for aye. No
amount of change in life's course; no
upheavals Of fortune, no sudden shifts
of fate and destiny; no nothing that
may come with the fieeting years will
ever once break the mind from the
bent which prompts it to trace in the
queer curling symbols which roll out
from the pencils point the little play
full nothings about which the soul is
wont to dream.
Dainty, delicate children are these
little Migrants which one idly scrawls
INTO existence between times. Often
they are bright, deep, subtle. and of
the verities; sometimes they are mo-
rose. gloomy, of that sterner stuff
which feeds the soul of the hungry
pessimists; sometimes as light and airy
as the very foam which bursts laugh
ingly around the ankles of Aphrodite:
but whether light, or profound, wleth-
err gay or sad, these things of mental
loafing, these little pet nothings of
mental vagabondage, are scintilIants
which cheer and amuse fellow ms he
lurries on from one milepost to an
other. All, for the habit of writing,
1t pays when the bank fails-pays in
the sweet consolation one may know
from close communion with ones own
soul, for man hath not known his soul
until it glare at him in such chean
symbols as he may employ in efforts.
always short of weight, TO speak its
weighty sentiments"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

The report made by Fourth Assist
ant Postmaster General Bristow as n
result of his investigation into the post
office cases presents record of brib-
cry, blackmail and miscellaneous polit-
zeal corruption which has few parallels
in recent political history. 1t is rec
ord of criminal collision and deliber-
ate betrayal of public trust.
The methods pursued by those who
prostituted their offices and entered
into conspiracies to defraud the ma
ton were various but the end In all
cases was the satisfaction of selfish
greed. For a period of ten years, it
Is shown, there has been a system of
organized corruption ramifying through
some of the most important branches
of the Post Office Department and i'm
plicating officials holding places of
high responsibility. Apparently the
dishonest crew, of whom Beavers
Machen and Tyner were the chief Of
tenders. neglected no opportunity
which might be turned to use for their
own profit. Unnecessary and worth
less supplies were purchased, the man
ufacturers and the government officials
dividing the profits of the transaction.
Extortionate prices We're paid to fa-
vored firms. Leases for post office
premises were Cancelled and the rent
increased upon the recommendation of
prominent politicians. Clerks, assist
ants and bookkeepers were hired with
out regard to fitness or the needs of
official business, salaries being paid in
some instances where no work was
done. Nor is this all. In some cases
conspiracies were entered into with
get-rich-quick concerns and other swim
ding devices which bribed officials.
According to Mr.. Bristow, the per-
sonal profits Of the boodlers were small
as compared with the losses inflicted
upon the government and the pub
lie. He estimates the sums secured
by the men who debauched the public
service at between $500, 900 and $780,
900. while the loss to the government,
considering the needless supplies pur-
chased must mount well up into the
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
Prom otinr Harmony.

However much his many admirers
may regret Mr.. Cleveland's final with.
drawal from the political field, all Dem
ocrats will feel grateful to him for
making his position known so long in
advance of the active campaign. Flo
has not only offered an outright refuta.
ton of the charge that lie was covert
~ seeking denomination, but by aban.
donilg justifiablc ambition lie has
helped immensely, as 1t will prove, to
restore peace and unity to the party
which he has twice led to victory. We
have no doubt that, aside from any
personal motives, it was the desire to
contribute to the harmony of the party,
SO far as in his power lay, that impell-
ed him to speak SO plainly.--Washing.
ton Times.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

unity Of the railroad made the dcliv-
cry of laborers, machinery. tools, sup,
plies, ETC., an easy matter. The United
States objected to the building of the
cnnal except by an Independent COM
paIy, and accordingly the Universal
Interoceanic Canal Company undertook
the enterprise, and de I.esscps was EN-.
powered to proceed.
From the seeds sown In that con.
vention, what harvester corruption
was there! For fifteen years the work
proceeded, the stockholders having ey-
cry confidence In De Lesseps and mis-
contractors, and the latter enriching
themselves ut the expense OF that
trust. When at last there came, In
1892, the revocation of what had been
done, the world was amazed. Over
$500 100000 had been sunk in the prof.
ect, but only n small part had been
actually expended In the work. Most
of 1t had been spent in France, to in
fluence public opinion. Charles De Les
seps.. Ferdlnands son, was held to be
chiefly responsible, but the elder man
himself was convicted Of fraudulent
maneuvers and sent to prison for five
years. He died within II year of his
convictlon-in 1896. The hands Of the
De Lesseps were not the only unclean
ones. Statesmen were tainted; con-
tractors were fraudulenly enriched,
and even common laborers had their
share of the money wrongfully OBJ
tanned. Never before in all history was
there such a gigantic swindle SO pal
pably carried out.
Meanwhile visitors to the isthmus
saw n distressing sight. The work had
been abandoned. From the railroad
crossing the isthmus the traveller
looked down and saw, in the ditch, the
rotting frames Of dredges half buried
in mud. He could see thousands upon
thousands of dollars worth going to
decay. For miles the piles Of rust
ing and abandoned rails stared him in
the face. There was machinery Gov
cred with dirt and overgrown with
weeds. Every now and then he passed
house fast going to decay, which was
Intended for station OH the canal.
His attention would be directed by
some native or by well-informed fell
low traveller to the house built for De
Lcsseps looking no more pretentious
than many cheap city dwelling or
country house ~ our county, but
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

One hundred and twenty-five years
ago Colonel Edmeston was compelled
to Zee from his home in what is now
the town Of Edmeston, New York. to
escape the Indians. He directed a SER
want to bury chest of dishes. intend.
ing to exhume them when he returned:
but the dishes remained in the ground
until last spring, when the tenant OF
the farm unearthed them with a plow.
The plow broke many Of them, but
more than fifty were unframed. The
Supreme Court has recently decided
that the dishes belong to the owner Of
tho farm. and not to the tenant who
found them. Inasmuch as six thousand
dollars has been offered for one of the
dishes, the decision Is Of considerable
Importance to the parties concerned.
The incident itself might interest those
who desire to provide for their descend
ants. A twenty dollar set Of dishes of
good design, buried now with instruc-
tons to ones heirs to leave them un.
disturbed for century, might be worth
several thousand dollars when the peo-
pie of zoos begin to study the period
Of American colonial expansion.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
COTTON WEDDING.
Manner In Which the First Marriage
Anniversary May BE Celebrated.

Manner In Which the First Marriage
Anniversary May BE Celebrated.
The first wedding anniversary Is an
important occasion to young mar
ricd couple. Because. they know so
little about 1t, they think they have
settled down into the condition of "old
married people" and are entirely accus.
toned to their dual life To show this
clearly they feel 1t desirable to have
some sort of celebration Of the fact
that they have actually been husband
and wife for year.
But 1t is not enough to make the.
celebration mere gathering together
of their friends to spend an evening
contemplating spectacle of mutual
felicity. There must be something
done to entertain them. And since the,
first anniversary is. by common con-
sent, the cotton wedding, the party
must be Of an appropriate character.
A rather unusual method of bring
Ing this. about is sheet and pillow
case party. which Is also a domino
party. This should not be OF the old
fashioned kind, in which the costumes
We're awkward and unbecoming, but
one in which the accepted dress Is ar
ranged In graceful fashion. For both
men and women the sheets may be
put on in the same way. The width
is passed around the body just below.
the arm pits, the two corners brought
to the back. crossed, then each drawn
up over the shoulder, and secured in
front with pin. The length Of the
sheet falls straight all around. II it
is too long, part of 1t may be folded
below the chest. Rather large sheets
should be chosen. TINT there may be
plenty of fullness and n certain degree
of grace. After the sheet is on, the
women may use what they choose in
the way Of flowers or ribbons for orna-
mentation. The men2oor creatures!
must content themselves with sim:
ply the plain dress.-Novembcr Wom-.
ans Home Companion.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

On All Souls Church, Oxford, En-
gland, there is an inscription reading
"Periunt ct imputantur," which means
that the hours perish and are laid to
our charge. There are too many in
the world today who sorrowfulIy real.
lie the truth Of these words. When 1t
Is too late they recognize that mans
days are numbered and the night com
eth when no man can work. Time like
life can never be recalled. The only
good that time can do us Is the good
that we put in 1t. A bad hour can
never become clean. It carries its
stain forever, and it leaves it's mark
behind. What 1t deprived us Of we
have lost. It has gone into eternity
and out of that there is no return. So
1t is with the blessing that the good
hour carries. That, too, goes into eter-
nifty and the blessing that is in It
abides with us and operates again
and again. The hours are but little
minutes. A bad action seldom lasts
an hour. Evil is rapid in its process.
But the Indifferent actions which Dor
der so closely on bad ones are the &C.
tons that take up minute after min
ute until hours are consumed and I'M
less remedy is applied before the
habit becomes formed, even weeks.
1t is to them, that we should give our
attention. 1t is the spare moments,
which are so apt to be Indifferent ones,
when we sre lost for something to do,
that we should transform into good
hours. Success in self-improyement
is rarely the product of genius. More
often 1t Is the fruit Of careful employ.
ment Of the invaluable fragments Of
time called spare moments" Let
any man take one hour in the even
ing away from frlvolity or vain dream
ing, devote 1t to study and In re-
markedly short time he shall have
mastered the intricacies of complete
science. Let IN ignorant man do the
same thing and in ten years he will
have become learned.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

which represented an outlay Of nearly
100000 A wocd-eating worm had
got into this, MS It did into the sta,
tions. and probably little is now LEFT
Of the buildings. If he kept his ears
open the traveller heard other strange
stories of recklessness, such, for in-
stance, as that of locomotive and
tender topping into ditch and being
left there because the contractor hadn't
tile energy and common sense to pull
It out.
Features of the Work.
With the death Of De Lesseps and
the collapse of his company the canal
project dragged more slowly than ever
until the United States took 1t up. The
question of a canal through Nicaragua,
instead of across the Panama isthmus,
was for some time discussed, but the
preference was finally given to the old
route. The treaty with Colombia, hove
ever, by which this country was to pay
SIC, 100000 for the necessary conces-
sion, was defeated this summer in tise
Colombian Senate. The present attempt
on the part of the State of Panama to
secede from Colombia is the outcome
Of this action. President Rooseveltss
desire to follow the Panama route
rather tlinn that. through Nicaragua Is
due to the fact that 1t will cost several
millions OF dollars less to buy and COM.
plete the Panama route and that the
annual cost of maintenance will be
100000 less
There are many curious features In
connection. with the canal At Pan
ANA, where the range of the tide IL
eighteen feet, tide-lock is required.
and the channel has to be dug far out
from the shore to enable vessels to pass
from the ocean into the canal at low-
tide. On the Caribbean side at Colon,
10 reach the proper depth Of water
dredging will be continued into the sea
10 a point forty-six miles from this;
port. On the Atlantic side the canal
has higher elevation than on the Pa
ciflc, where 1t runs near the base Of the
towering mountain, Picacho, which
looms up in back of the city Of Panama
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
"Aren't you going to try thems

asked.
'Afterward,' lie said, laconically.
II lined my men up with the Mexi.
can garrison on the plaza. The ten
men, most of them half-breed Indians
and Mexicans, We're lined up against
the adobe wall, and l must say they
died like men. Some were only wound
ed, but the rurales showed their bayo-
nets into them and ended their troubles
quickly. That band of cattle thieves
never bothered the ranchers on our
side again.
"a few weeks later we ran into an
other band, but they got away, all ex-
cept five Of them, whom we cut off
from the river. Those five retreated to
small village, cleared out all the in
habitants, took possession of the adobe
council hall and prepared to stand us
off. We knew they had heard of the
previous scrape, we knew they real
lied they could get no quarter, SO we
expected them to fight until the last.
Excited by the skirmlsh, my men, num-
bering fifty, galloped up to within
range of the raiders guns, and before 1
could get them off to safe distance
five dropped out of their saddles. III
nally we scattered about among the
houses and kept up steady fire. Aft
erward, when we examined the adobe
walls of the council hall. we found that
hardly a brick in it did not contain a
bullet.
AT last we clrcled about the house
on our horses and in that way dropped
three of the desperadoes. Just before
dawn the two others made a break to
get away, but we saw them. We tried
to get them to surrender, but they
fought on until my men killed them
both.
"once we had news from our friend,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
passing from the Atlantic to the Pr
cific and back again.

A LonE-Stanlin2 Proposition.
Proposals to pierce the Isthmus of
Panama are almost as old as Its dis.
covery. Cortez had a route surveyed
and from the days of the explorer
down to our time the idea has been
kept alive. The discovery Of gold In
California caused new demand for n,
great waterway, but 1t resulted only In
the building of n railroad. The sue.
cessful accomplishment of the Suez
canal construction In 1868 called atten.
ton anew to the American project, and,
finally, In 1870, Count Ferdinand de
Lesseps made an appeal to the several
nations to send delegates to a congress
to meet in Paris. to decide upon the
route and plan for an interoceanic
canal. Nearly NIL the nations of the
world We're represented, ana the deci.
sion of the congress was that such a
canal as was projected could be built
by way of Limon bay to Panama. The
preference for this route over that at
Nicaragua lay in the fact that ships
could be towed through in ten or
twelve hours. while at Nicaragua forty
five hours wonld be required. Fewer
locks would he necessary, and the prox-
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
DOING THE FAMILY SHOPPING.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


Z |
The group Of men around the stove
in the country store looked up us a
shadow darkened the doorway. A
small girl, barefooted, barelegged,
freckled and tow-headed, stood tenta-
lively on the sill "Morningw said the
storekeeper, affably. "What kin do
for you, sis?"
The little girl looked stolidly up at
him. my mamma wants some BEANS y
What kind o. beans7"
Dunno"
"How many does she want?"
Dunno"
The storekeeper scratched his head.
well, sis, I'll give you some Of my
ordinsry beans, but how am l going to
know how many your ma wants?"
One of the men round the stove
spoke "She's got purse. P'r'ps the,
money is in that"
"sure enough. Gimme the purse,
sis.
The purse was handed over, and the
contents emptied out upon the counter.
There was nickel or two and many
pennies. The storekeeper counted:
Observation-Disclosures three quarts
J o. seaasW 40 ye," and he measured
them out carefully. He was about to
pour them into the brown paper bag
when the little girl opened her mouth
again:
Ny mamma wants some soap"
Some soap7 Why didn't you say SO
hoPnvN2 Cy1ok lylrH ~ coo
Dunno"
"fsunshine,' 1 guess. How much
does she want?'
Dunno"
The storekeeper sighed. "Lemms
see. I'll give you five cents worth o.
soap. Got any more money!"
mo"
well, I'll take 1t outer the beans"
Once more the beans were measured
out. This time they were tied up, the
soap in second package, and the
storekeeper pushed them with beam
Ing smile over the counter to the lit.
tie girl. He was about to sweep the
money into the sill when she spoke
again:
"My mamma wants some matches. /"
Matches! That beats the Dutch!
Why under the sun couldn't you speak
up earlier? Well, how many does she
want?"
Dunno
mo, o. course ye don't Nobody
could have expected you to-. They've
got ter come outer the beans, too,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
@aaa8a8aaSEE4A5
y POLITICS 3
81 =@ OF THE DAY 81
E3989899aRHH8A4

millions. The full loss which tile ma
ton has been made to suffer, however,
Is not to be measured in money. The
ultimate effect of all the proceedings
has been the debasing and demoraliza.
ton Of the public service and the in
PRODUCTION of an element Of greatest
danger into national affairs. Presi.
dent Roosevelt says in his comment on
the Bristow report: "Self- government
becomes farce If the representatives
of the people corrupt others or are
themselves corrupted"
The President makes recommends.
lions as to the desirability of new leg
islation to prevent "boodling," but the
prime need, MS he recognizes, Is the
prompt and effective punishment Of
every wrongdoer., simultaneously,
there must be steady, earnest effort
to dam the sources OF corruption by
putting venal politicians out of power,
not only in executive positions, but in
Congress. Chicago News.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

them In the civil courts, and they usu.
ally got off for lack of evidence. This
became SO much the regular thing that
we got discouraged.
But one day the word was passed
down that, instead Of holding future
captives, we should turn them over to
the nearest Mexican post. Mexican law
is best for cattle thieves.
mot long after this got lnforma-
ton Of band that would cross the
river that night at certain ford, and
got my men ready. After dark we
rode down to the ford and lay low. At
about II we saw the raiders, fifty
strong, crossing the shadows. We gave
them time to cross, then dashed down
along the bank, cutting off their retreat
to Mexican territory and the noun
tains. 1t was hard fight, but we
outnumbered the raiders, and they scat
tered, leaving twenty dead. Next day
we captured ten more, but the rest got
away.
Remembering orders, didn't turn
those ten men over to our authorities.
Instead, l camped my men out till
night, and then we crossed over into
Mexico and made for the nearest Mex
lean post, n small place called Argen-
tina, not far from Ciudad Juarez, but
far enough to prevent interference
from the civil authorities. AT o'clock
in the morning we reached the post,
and the commandante came out in his
pajamas to receive us.
What can l do for you, gentlemenH
he said.
Horse thieves answered.
Il saw the commandante grin. He
had my men shown to the sleeping
quarters and he shared his bed with
me. Before breakfast he called me.
II you want to show your men an
execution he said, line them up on
tie plaza
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16


the Mexican commandante, that he had
cornered over 100 raiders in ravine,
and he asked us to come over and help
him smoke them out.
1T didn't take, long to get over, and
we found two companies of 1urales
stretched in firing line across the mouth
of the canyon, while the raiders, in
trenched behind rocks, were dropping
the MeXicans by twos and threes. We
came just in time to prevent STAN
pede of the commentaries troops.
Then we charged the raiders and Killed
seventy of them. The columantiante-
took no prisoners But forty Mexicans
and ten of my men went down. Con-
sidering the number engaged, that was
as bloody n battle as you will find in
modern listory,'
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16
Lucky,

Cumso-Well, young Frisbie will
make his way in the medical profess
sion.
Cawker-Has he got good start?
Cumso--I should say he had. He
was such a prime favorite in the col
lege that they made him surgeon to the
football team.-Detroit Free Press. =
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

II the business of the people ia used
to further the political fortunes of men
1t 10 inevitable that they will at times
be used to further the financial for
tunes Of men. How long will the
great American people permit such a
degradation Of themselves? For such
1t a. degradation of public standards
ana ideals, a smirchlng Of the national
character. We do not meet the case
when we ferret out and punish the
miscreants. Such a thing is temporary
merely; the cause of the disease Il
touched and there will be another out.
break. 1t is the system.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

A visitor to Coentes Slip, New
York City, where the canalboats are
SOC leseiy packed that the children run
froh boat to boat. asked a girl Of 8
SH1sre- she was going to scbooJ sbiS
Winter sne could not tell because she
did not know where they would be
froze up" The women say. Il hope
we'll freeze up near home, The life
OF the canal-boat population is pic
! turesque feature Of our national exist.
ence. and the educational aspect Of
the life, with it's element of chance.
Is not the least interesting side Of It,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

to height of 1900 feet. The greatest
constructive obstacle in the shape of
excavation is the Culebra, or summit,
cut. which for distance of half a
mile has an average cutting Of 800 feet.
The depth Of the canal is about twenty
eight feet.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

We are democratic and modest peo.
pie and therefore merely mention the
fact that the pallbearers at the funeral
Of w. L. Elkins represented $4,000
100000. In some countries given to
ostentation this would be played up as
q feature.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-16

A scientist estimated that the earth
VIII last for 100000, GOO years longer,
This will give ma time to look in the
glass once or twice more before start
ing for the theater.