davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
BELLS CURIOUS HISTORY.
State of Illinois Il Presented with an
Interesting Relic Of the
Civil Wer.

4 bell with q remarkable history e
TO be- presented to the state Of Illinois
by st, Joseph's churcn - congregation
OF Tazewsl county. TheebeA VIII Be
fitting companion in point OF ksfoF3-
cal interest to tbs famous wooden leg
OF Gen. Santa Ana. captured during the
Mexican war. aad which now is the OBJ
5ect OF such curious interest In con-
pany with other relics. in Memorial
hasi. Springfield.
The prospective companion 90 the
leg Is a bell cast In VaiIadoiiid. Spain.
and captured . few days before the
Leg and b. the same Illinois soldiers.
They packed the bell In a hogshsad Of
straw and directed 1t te Pekin. where IL
arrived several months later At that
time Pekin had no railroads and Its
traffic with the outside world was by
steamboat. The bell fell into the hands
of the captain of the Prairie State. He
needed a bell and mounted 1t upon his
|. boat. where it sounded for several
years. Then one day the Prairie State
got into a race with another river
steamer and blew up near the Pelzfn
landing. A dozen people were killed
and the, bell blown or into the river
1t rested there a couple of years until
1t was found by youngsters in SWIM
ming.
The next heard Of the bell Il was
over a little frame Methodist church.
After the lapse of. several years the
congregation built a new and larger
church and the bell was sold to the St
Joseph's parish, which was erecting
its first church, Now the latter parish
is erecting a fine new church and the
bell WIFI go to the state.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
JHE "cHAMPIoN FAINTER. !"
One Of His Most Successful Tricks Was
to Collapse Before Wed
ding Party.

A fraud on a lady has just come to
light on the details of which much time
and care must have been expended, nd
yet the profits amounted TO only three
shlll1ngs, says the London Nail
man, who described himself as a
ships mechanic, called On The lady at
her residence at Putney, He displa. ed
most intimate knowledge CT the fam
lily, and stated that two letters nd
been found in a berth On a German
liner addressed to her two brothe IS,
who were in Australia He said that
ne had been to the London Office of
these gentlemen, the addresses of
whom he mentioned, and added that he
mad been told to Gallon her. as a tel
egram had come asking for the letters
to be forwarded at once
He said that the third mate of the
liner had the letters, and gave the lady
an address in Hamburg to write to. He
added that his expenses had been three
snliilngs, which the lady gave him,
promising to communicate with him la
ter Inquiries afterward proved that
there was no such third mate and no
such liner
1t is perhaps due to universal educa-
tlon that frauds of this nature are in
creaslng, as opposed to crimes of yio-
fence. There is one man, for example.
known as the champion fainter" He
never asks for money, he merely faints
on your doorstep. He is almost invari-
ably taken in and given a good meal
and in many cases money is pressed
upon him.
One of his feats was to faint outside
house in which a wedding party was
assembled. He was tenderly looked
after, was given champagne. and
wished the newly married pair good
luck in neat speech.
A man who lived on his wits noticed
that lamps were being used in house,
while all the others in the row were
burning gas. He deduced that some
thing had gone wrong with the meter.
and called early next morning from
the company" Under his directions
the family distributed themselves in
the various rooms ready to appIy
matches to the burners at signal.
while he stood at the meter
Experiment after experiment ended
In failure and the family were moved
from room to room, while the gas
man made the most of his opportuni-
ties. He eventually left with a good
maui, and instructions to wait until he
sent the WOrkmen
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
MUST NOT RIPEN ON PLANT
Bananas Are Unfit for Food When
Allowed to Fully Mature
on the Stem.

There is a vast amount of ignorance
prevailing among Intelligent people of
the north concerning. the growth, pro-
auction and marketing of bananas,
says southern exchange. Many peo-
pie imagine that the natives in tropical
Chimes step out of their huts in the
early morning and pluck and eat
bananas fresh from the plant the same
as they would oranges and other fruits.
Bananas ripened on the plant are not
suitable for food and would be much
the same as the pith which isfound in
the northern cornstalk Or elder. Ba-
nanas sold in the United States, even
after travelling 5000 miles in a green
state. are every bit as good as bananas
r1pened under a tropical sun. This is
probably true of no other export fruit:
The plant OF which bananas is the fruit
Is not a tree nor is it bush or vine. 1t
Is simply gigantic plant, growing to
height of from Is to 20 feet. About
Ii feet from the ground the leaves,
oftimes eight feet long, come out in a
sort OF cluster, from the center of
which springs a bunch of bananas.
These do not grow with the bananas
stem grew straight they would hang
exactly as seen in the fruit stores and
grocers' windows. This, however, is
not the case; the stem bends under the
weight OF the fruit and this brings it
into directly the opposite position,
with the large end of the stalk up and
the fringes pointing toward the sun.
A word of explanation concerning
some banana terms. Each banana Is
called a Finger" and each of these lit
tie clusters of fingers surrounding a
stalk is called a ''hand;" the quality
and value of each bunch depend on the
number Of hands it has. Some may
wonder how the fruit is cut from the
top of plant Is feet from the ground.
The native laborers cut the stalk part
B way up its height, the weight of the
fruit causes the stalk to slowly bend
over until the bunch of bananas first
nicely reaches the ground, then the
bunch is cut off with the 'ever-ready
machete and carried to the river or
railroad for. shipment The plant at
the same time is cut close to the
ground. The banana is very prolific
producer of itself, and at every clean
ing OF the land it is necessary to cut
down many of the young plants, or
suckers" as they are termed, in order
that they may not become overcro wd-
ed up to certain limit; the fewer
suckers on a given area the larger the
fruit they will produce
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
POLICEMAN AND HIS CLUB.
Used It Too vigcrously-After Being
Reprimanded Did Not Use
It Enough.

Apropos of Mr.. Jerome's Chicago
speech In which he advocated strenuous
treatment of thugs by the poplice,'' said
Lawyer Frank Moss, according to the
New York Times, when l was a police
commissioner had a little experience
of the philosophy of the club versus
moral suaSion.
one day f1ne young policeman. of
but few months standing on the force,
was brought before me charged with
brutally clubbing a prisoner He was
perfectly frank in admitting that he had
administered the beating. Sure / was
beating into his hide the consciousness of
his crime he commented defensively.
''Of course advised the exercise of
more gentieness in the future and dis
missed the youth with a reprimand. had
completely forgotten the incident until
three months later, when the same young
policeman was presented again, this
time charged with allowing prisoner to
escape. In his defense he exclaimed:
It's all because didn't give him the
stick was going to remind him of his
sins with few taps. when remembered
what you said to me, Mr. Commissioner
Then I grabs him firmly but gintly and
starts to lead him off While walking
along began to talk to him about his
crime and the consequences / got so
eloquent and pleased With my flow of
words that loosened my grip, when he
broke away, hit me behind the ear, and
Knocked me into an area way
Here was stickler that reserved
Tor several days to mediate over"
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Art OF LEAVING OFF.
Is Sign of True Greatness in It's
Possessor.


Who does not remember. asks
Langdon Kaine in the Commercial
Advertiser, the reply of Napoleon
when Ney asked for more cavalry
troops at Waterloo. "Where, then.
does he think ! can get them? Does
he expect me to make them?" Ma
poleon had not that rare, that super
lative quality of knowing when to
quit. Almost no writer but Shakes
peare has been known to have it,
lie ruthlessly killed Mercutio while
the cunning of his tongue was still
fresh and tingling in the ear. Singers
OF renown sometimes have the knowl-
edge and the strength to retire while
the applause Of the discriminating is
still loud. Christine Nilsson, Miss
Cary and a few others are remem-
bered only at their best, while there
are many poor Old Marios who cry out
for favor in fractured voice to pitt
less ears that never knew their glori-,
GUS notes. It was Napoleon's misfor-
tune that with gifts of mind that en-
abled him to confound historic,
prophecy, he lacked the great gift of
knowing when to leave off. Had he
chosen his time well, posterity would
never have listened to arguments to
prove him the creature of accident
and mere good fortune Often a man
has the reputation of being a wit only
because he has the tact, when he has
made his hit in company, to disappear
instantly. To stay, to say more, would
be to weaken the effect of his happy
word, to expose the frailty of hisintel-
ligence. This is not more of sailing
under false colors than the rules and
purposes of societyrequire. AS Goethe
says, the world is masked ball, and
no man has right to remove his
mask.
1t is common fate of statesmen to
continue too long on the stage, the re-
suit being nearly always broken
heart, burning sense of the base in
gratitude of mankind. There is an
hour when the man in public life may
make his bow, and as he leaves the
scenes of his triumphs his delighted
ear may hear the plaudits of the null
titude, and he can carry into his quiet
life the memory only of the praises of
his fellows. Yet he tarries instead,
and there comes an hour of sheer IA
tigue, of unhappy judgment, perhaps
OF petulance, and for one petty fail
ure or honorable disagreement all his
good deeds are quite forgot, and he is
driven in hatred OF contempt into an
obscurity where his only companions
are his bitter thoughts It is instruc-
tive to fancy how different might
have been the popular sentiment to-
ward Lincoln had he been spared to
wrestle with the hard problems of the
reconstruction period.
1t is easily conceivable that there
are writer's whose fame would be
more pronounced and enduring had
they been satisfied with the laurels of
first success. Estimated by their
best work they would have been great
or nearly great. The public opinion,
however, is formed with recollection
of feeble strivings, in which ell that
contributed to success is drawn out
and hammered over until 10 fair and
unprecedented valuation of the origin.
ii matter is possible
A BOY VIGOROUSLY JAWED.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
MONEY IN cATALPA TREES.
The Financial Side of Their Culture
. Should Be of Interest to
Farmers.

There Is probably no other tree which
promises such big returns to those who
engage In forest culture as does the
atalpa speciosa, or hardy catalpa, with
which the government forestry experts
have been making experiments in vari-
Gus parts of the west Not only is the
catalpa rapid grower, but it produces
lumber of good quality. for variety of
purposes, says the Cleveland Leader.
The younger growths make excellent
fence posts, railroad ties, and stakes,
and constitute the first crop that is cut
from catalpa reservation The larger
trees can be cut into lumber for furnf-
ture, Interior woodwork, desks and a
variety of uses. The wood is light in
. weight. nicely grained, works easily, and
when properly cured lasts for century
The hardy catalpa is a native of In
diana, and it formerly fiourished along
the Wabash river, but it can be trans
planted successfully into the soil of near
ly all the states. 1t grows as we'll in New
Orleans as it does. in Portland Me- It's
growth is, moreover, very rapid. Itadds
about nine feet to it's height each year.
and takes on about an inch in diameter
in the same time. 1t will be seen, there
fore, that the forest farmer who plants
catalpa does not have. to wait very long
for a return upon his Investment
But the financial side of catalpa cuI-
ture is interesting. From bulletins is
sued by the division of forestry of the
department of agriculture it is learned
that in Kansas and Nebraska, where
catalpa plantations have been estab-
lished, the value of the trees at the end
Of IL years after planting ranges from
1882 to 1916 an acre. and in some cases
the net return upon the investment has
amounted to comfortable fortune for
the farmer. who devotes land to forest
culture.
. ALI efforts calculated to direct the at
stention of farmers to the subject of for
estry should be encouraged, because
from year to year this branch of agricul-
ture is certain to grow more profitable
as the supply of lumber diminishes. and
the forests are cut down to supply mate
rial for the wood pulp mills. There are
few crops which will pay as we'll as
trees.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Plump white oysters.

Many people seem to regard the
plump. white oysters, so often served
now. in restaurants, as preferable to
the grayish rather thin oysters that
the gourmet is accustomed to consider
the luscious delicacy best suited to his
> taste. Because of this false taste, oys-
tiers are bleached and rendered plump
by dealers on the way to local markets.
Normally, oysters are accustomed to
sea water. If they are removed there
from and placed in fresh water for a
time they become much whittier than
before, and apparently grow fat be
cause they absorb the fresh water.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
LAND OF NO POVERTY"
PLENTY OF Opportunities for Energetic
Young Men on the Pacific
Coast.

The opportunities on the Pacific coast
for the right kind of young men with
grit and Astounding energy are lnnumer-
able. Should 100000 young men, with
the right sort OF material in their make
up, reach the Pacific coast in one day.
1t is the opinion of conservative western
employers that they could all gain a.
fOothold and eventually become men of
property and affairs. An essential pre-
nmlnary is stern determination to lay
strong hands upon the first opportunity
that presents itself, whether it be roll
ing logs in lumber camp, driving spikes
on a railroad. clerking. keeping books
trading or working along professional
lines. The day of bOomS, as pupulsrIy
understood, has passed; yet there has
not been in the most 4umultuous excite
ments attending western expansion any
thing comparable TO the growth of the
year just passed, says an article on The
Two Pacifics." b. Harold Bolce. in Book
lovers Magazine
There are thousands of young men
on the Pacific coast still under 50, many
of whom borrowed their fare west OF
landed without the slightest capital who
are now living in beautiful homes, and
are actively engaged in enterprises
valued all the way from 500, 600 to $780,
coo.
The truth is that the citizen in any OF
the rushing western cities is so occu-
pied in Selling the manifold opportuni-
ties in his immediate bustling environ
ment that he lacks the perspective to see
that his prosperity and the progress of
his city are part of a wholesale COM
mercial evolution. Neither is this mag
nificent development confined to the Pa
cific slope.
In the middle west, for example, 80 new
towns have just been built along the
lines Of the Northwestern railway
South Dakota produced over 800. 600 900
worth of grain and live stock in 1903. and
dug $4,000, 900 from the Black Hills.
No state in the union equals il in the
per capita wealth of its people Every
place. in fact, touched by the vast tide
of energetic men moving westward from
the Mississippi valley is surging with
new life
'"To the land of no poverty is the
motto of the great migration.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Her Record Never FquaIed

The friends Of the famous old shin
Glory Of the Seas make strenuous OBJ
lection to the German ship Optima be-
ing credited with having broken the
record of the passage from San Fran
cisco to Newcastle, Australia The
Optima recently made the trip in 81
days The Glory Of the Seas made the
run in 1871 in 35 days The American
ship Swallow. the American bark Ell
wood Cooper and the British ship Ala
habad each made the run in SO DAYS.
The pace set in 1871 by the Glory of
the Seas has never been equaIed- The
German ship Optima holds second
place.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
No Natural Resources.

Tibet is no temptation to the
greediest of nations. Save for little
patch in the south and east, it is bar
rem land. Gold in Insignificant guam
titles is washed down in the sands of
the rivers. This. the lamas teach, Is
the flower of which the buried nuggets
are the roots. To remove the nuggets
would diminish the WALKING fEids
q the earth" so mining Is not aaoweA
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Much Changing of Hanaa

Port Arthur was named By the Enr-
lfsh. fortified by the French for tzs
Chinese. captured by the 1aDsres-
LEASED" to the Russians, and Is p-=
pairing again to hang q sign that ssTlsls
Place Has Changed Hands."
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Could Raise Immense ARMY.

The United States could mobilize as.
600 regular army soldiers at any point
in the country within i've days; could
add Sc. 900 more in the next five days.
and in 80 days could enlist, equip and
mobilize SOC. geo men
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Good Piece Of. work

1t has been found that the Sierra Ne
vada mountains are 8. zoo. OOe years old.
AS far as can be learned, says the Chi
cago Record-Herald. they are still In
frst-class repair. too.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
QUEER CHURCH ORNAMENTS
Scythe Placed in House of Worship to
Commemorate Peasants De-
Tense of Their Faith.

At first sight the scythe is a strange
ornament for church, but there is moth
ing incongruous in these curious agri-
cultural implements as seen in the parish
church of ST. Mary's, at Horncastle, in
Lincolnshire, says the Christian Age
Thirteen of these blades are nailed
above the door in the north chapel. At
one time the blades numbered 40 or so.
but owing to rust and decay many of
them have been lost. Each of the scythes
is about yard in length.
The general belief is that these blades
were placed in the church in commemora-
ton Of the zeal of peasants who welded
them in defense of their faith in the re-
bellion known as THE Pilgrimage of
Grace" which had its rise at Louth in
1886. When the people saw the ruins OF
their churches and abbeys, they rose in
revolt, and arming themselves with the
instruments of husbandry, such as
scythes, they went forth to encounter the
enemy. They were beaten and dispersed
but in the eyes Of their countrymen they
were heroes, and the rude implements
with which they fought were deemed
worthy of an abiding place in the old
church where the peasants had wor-
shipped.
Convict's Discovery.
Several months ago a man named
KurZpeski, having committed seri-
Gus offense, was sentenced to a long
term of Imprisonment in Germany, and
since then the public heard nothing
about him until the other day, when the
news spread that he had discovered a
cure for consumption which he claimed
was infallible. In letter to the min
lister Of the interior, KurZpeski gave
glowing account of the new remedy, stat
ing that it had worked wonders on him
self and others who are imprisoned with
him at Luneburg, and requested to be
set at liberty for time in order that he
might continue his investigations in a
properly equipped laboratory. With this
request the minister has not yet seen fit
to comply, but he has thought the matter
Of such Importance that he has instructed
committee of scientists, to go to Lune-
burg and make a thorough test of the
alleged remedy
Would Be Blessing.
"Now that my daughter has been mar
ried to a nobleman." said the Yankee
father, 81 must hustle and make all my
labor count"
what pity it couldn't be reversed. %
replied the Disguised friend.
''How's that?"
Make ALI counts Chicago
Daily News.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
With the Goods

WHAT Yer city nephew in iail?
Why, allus understood he wus coin
In money!
"Yep.s That's jest it They ketched
Atm!"-C Chicago American.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
Entirely Eligible

can wot has the new brother done,
Weary, that makes him eligible to .hif
organization?
Giles all right, ] tell you"
eBut wot has he done?"
81 tell you wot he's done. He's set
fire to soap factory and bowed up g
bathhouse. That's wet he's done.
Worcester Spy.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20

The 25 largest LondoS theatsrs 80
$500 people and earn $50 90 q ma.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20

"A mans account of what he said
to another in quarrel is often col
ored by what he wanted to-say, but
was afraid Washington Demo
crat.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20

Women seldom say what they
mean when they say they mean just
what they say Truth.
Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-03-30
Anthony.


That terrible poison, anthony, KNOWN
most Familiarity in the compound called
tartar emetic, has very interesting
history. 1t was introduced into medl-
cine some centuries ago by Paracel-
sus. Its name signifies that it Is
against monks" as some on whom II
was tried displayed the now familiar
symptoms. Its use in modern medicine
has been reduced to the vanishing point
with other depressing measures, sucn
as bleeding. In the table which ar
ranges the elements in series ana
shows their connections-so that all are
probably notifications Of one universal
substance-there is q sequence, nitro
gen, phosphorus, arsenic. anthony, bis
muth. Sir Lauder Brunton has shown
that these possess many common prop
critics in their action upon man ana
that these properties vary in relation
to the place of each in the scale. In
the days before chloroform anthony
and tobacco were used to produce the
partial Inconsistencies which ATTENDS
their action.
Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-03-30
MARKET QUOTATIONS
Sugar Grove.

Everybody is preparing for the
spring crop.
Why don't you get a mail box
j. E. Kimble sold a valuable
COW and calf, not long since.
Mrs. Jane Buck, has been on
the sick list.
Charley E. Kimble of Paden
City, is calling on friends on Buck
Run.
L. C. Slider, was business caller
in your city last Saturday.
George Buck was in your town
last Saturday on important bus
mess.
The oil we'll on the Louis Billet
er farm is down about 800 feet at
this writing.
Mrs. Eunice Slider is sick with
the neuralgia and sun pain, DR..
Dye IS the attending physician.
G. B. iIenthorn, was in your
city last Saturday on business.
Several of the young men and
ladies from this vicinity, spent
last Friday at the last day OF
Greenly. School on Paden Fork.
They all report large crowd and
a good time.
Miss Arlie Glenn left for Paden
City, last Sunday.
E. r. Ice is doing hustling bus
mess at the present time.
Sunday School was organized
at the Christian Chapel last Sun
day.
Msr. Medis, of Slider Run spent
last Wednesday at Mr.. Del. Hol-
mes.
G. w Smiths will soon COM
mence the construction of a tele-
phone line from T. j. Bucks, the
central office on this run, to his
new home on Sliders Run.
Mr.. E. Wilson is ploughing up
the earth on Mrs. Pollocks farm.
Holsted Heslep, of Paden City,
was calling on relatives on Buck
| Run last Sunday.