davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

Of persons. and losses the lieutenant
and the apprentice boy about and
keeps them awake with absolute i'm
Partially. The officers and men of
the torpedo boat fotilla employed on
the Cuban coast during the Spanish
war suffered greatly from inability to
sleep in the long spells when the
nervous little craft were kept scooting
about amid the blockading squadron,
or running on their frequent errands
from the fleet TO Key West. The
crews used to arrive at Key West half
dead for want of sleep. and as soon a
the boat was alongside the dock all
hands made for their hunks.
A man who has had much service
on a torpedo boat said to the writer.
1T is not only sleep with which you
have to play catch as catch can on
board a torpedo boat, but you have
to play tag with your food as well.
If there was anything like a sea on,
we never used 10 think of sitting
down to table, but took such food as
we could get in one hand and ate it
while we held on with the other.
"A great part of the time cooking
was next to impossible, and cold
canned stuff, or what was left over
of the stuff which had been cooked in
port, had to suffice US, and we grabbed
that as we could and when we could.
THE cook always, or almost al
ways, used to make coffee for us,
though how he managed it was mys-
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

stirring news we bore all added to the
effect of the occasion, but We did not
feel the strain at all then. We felt as
buoyant As the boat under us, and the
rushing flight over the midnight wa
tiers seemed to proceed from our own
wills rather than from the efforts of
the engines.
Having delivered our dispatch and
having been delayed some time at the
flagship, we started back at the same
high speed at which we had come. A
storm had blown UP in the meanwhile
and into the teeth of it we plunged,
never letting up in our rush for an in
slant, but just flying, now half out OF
the water and now plunging deep into
it, until it seemed as if we were not
coming up again. 1t was important
that we should be back in Key West
with the least possible delay, and we
were.
"On that 2O0-mile round trip there
was neither eating, sleeping nor scarce
ly tallling-nothing but feeding the
boilers and hanging on as the boat slip
ped along. first on one side and then
the other, now Waiting along on her
stern and now seeming to be trying to
travel on her nose"
Such a trip is all in a days work
for a torpedo boat in peace as well as
in war. Indeed. all phases Of life on
a torpedo boat may fairly be CHARGE
terized by that much abused word
Strenuous"
Copyright, 1904, by H. Irving Khg)
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

is the poetic way of saying, repent
and turn to better deeds"
And so the poem runs on, the fourth
Stanza describing the battles at Port
Arthur and ChemulDo. and the fifth
and, happily, the last, continuing the
story of the fourth. and winding up
with a mighty effort predicting the
complete overthrow of Russia. Here is
the Deroration:
Thy fate is already fixed!
1t is too late to regret, too late to
pray!
Let all thy maidens sew the white flag
And If thou dost not wish for surren-
der,
Then prepare for destruction"
1t isn't too late, however. for the
censor to get in his good work on the
poems, but will be he do it? He has his
hands full of trouble already coping
with the correspondents.
Geisha Girls and the War.
The geisha girl is rapidly losing one
of her chief charms, and all on ac
count of the war. She no longer uni
versally dresses her hair in Japanese
style Her wonderful native coiffures,
at once provoking the wonder and adj
miration of the foreigner, are giving
way to foreign styles-or rather imi-
tations that are truly wonderful and
give the merrymakers of Japan a
really ludicrous look.
The geishas of Osaka, an important
business center, are primarily respon-
sible for the change. On the out
break of the war they, in common
with the rest of the island, began cut
ting down personal expenses, that
they might contribute to the war fund.
One of the geisha's chief expenses is
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08
The Humorous Side
of the War
Japs Are Having Their Little Jokes the Russians
Glars Officers at Port Arthur Said to Tremble
Whenever a Theater Party Is Suggested
BY OLIVER T. SAMPSON.

that to the war fund"
As a foreigner will be able to discov-
er after a while. the point in this joke
lies in the last five words:
ION the night of the Sth of Febru-
airy, when our torpedo fiotilla attacked
Port Arthur, the Russian battleships
attacked in turn and sunk three tor
pedo boats. The Russians were much
gratified over the victory. They were
proud that they could handle the big
guns so skilfully. But when dawn
came they found they had sunk their
own boats, and their faces were as
white as the blue sky"
Poetry Not Censored.
The poets-also the would-be versi-
fiers-of Japan are having the time
of their lives. They are literally flood
ing the island with their metrical effu-
sions anent the war, and the news
papers, in lieu of legitimate war news,
are bravely trying to keep up with the
inspired. The censor doesn't touch
poetry, but judging from the majority
of the poems published, he certainly
ought to.
Time was when the Jap poet, unlike
all his fellows elsewhere. took only
short trips on his Pegasus. Two stan
zas of a few lines each was about his
/ limit. and his ability to condense the
tenderest feelings of his soul into so
brief a space was his one particular
pride.
But that fair time has passed. The
poet doesn't breathe in all Nippon to-
day who doesn't cover ,reams of pink
and blue and yellow paper with HE
roglyphics from his ink pot in telling
the Russians what a barbarous and
disgraceful and wicked people they are
and what is going to happen to them
when the Mikado's troops get al them.
Even the big fellows, who ought to
know better, have the long-winded hab-
1t bad. Take Ochiha, for example. He
is one of Japan's leading contempora-
ry poets. He's just had his latest fan
cy published, and it takes up a good
two-thirds of a page in the "Jij Shin
bun" which is about the size of an
American newspaper.
Like the politician who goes back
to the Flood for material to support
his argument. Ochiha begins at the be-
ginning. Russia, what art thou?" he
asks, and then he amblee contentedly
along for a column or more telling Rus
STA all about herself from the dawn
of her history. It's frightful picture
this that he paints of poor Russia in
the first stanza.
In the second stanza Ochiha details
at equal length the causes leading up
to the war. To do this he finds IL nee
essary to reach back several hundred
years. The third stanza warns the
! "old demon" to look to her laurels. and
tells at great length how the Heavenly
Emperor will say. Go away, Car, thy
country is in ruins thy subjects tired
l out, thy throne declining; retreat and
fasten the cord Of thy crown" Which
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

her hair; the geishas of Osaka hit up
on the idea that if they would wear
their hair foreign style they could
dress it themselves and thus save this
particular item entire.
The supervisors of geisha houses
generally have a bylaw prohibiting
all coiffures except native ones, so the
Osaka girls straightway petitioned the
supervisors to grant them amnesty
during the length of the war, the
geishas solemnly pledging themselves
to turn every sen thus saved over to
the government for its war fund.
When the supervisors were convinced
that the girls were in earnest, they
granted the petition.
The geishas in other centers have
learned of the success of their Osaka
sisters, and they. too, have petitioned
and secured the same temporary priv
ilege.
The amount of money that the gov
eminent is receiving by reason of this
concession IS by no means slight. A
geisha pays from one and one-half to
three yens (75 cents to 81 500 a month
for hair dressing. The girls of Osaka
during the past month have turned in
over 1000 yen, or $4,000, to the war
fund. Thus they swallow up the lu-
dicrous in patriotism.
The story of SaitO 0lkuzO.
The lengths to which the japanese
will go to further the cause of their
august Emperor cannot be better ex-
planned than to tell the story of
Saito Okuzo, who lived in Chiba pre-
lecture near Tokyo. 1t is trait that
is causing many little tragedies to be
paralleled with the humors of the war.
Saito was a crippled old man of
sixty-three years, dependent on his
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

Jasugoro, the samurai on guard, re-
fused them passage. and. when the
Europeans insisted, attacked them with
all the traditional fury of a samurai
driving the invaders back at first. but
later getting killed for his fidelity to
his lord.
This fracas Immediately led to an
international hubbub that was only
quieted by the energetic actions of the
English consul at Shanghai. who dip
lomatieally induced the Russians to
withdraw from the island.
The samurai was buried where he
fell near the gate and his grateful lord
erected an imposing tomb over his body
and placed on it a glowing inscription
of his death. Now the islanders, when
their country is at last with war with
their invader. have at this late date
made a hero of Matsumura and are
burning incense and holding festivals
at his tomb.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

Tokyo, April 4.-The Japs are hav-
ing their little jokes at the expense
of the Russians. Here are represen-
tative specimens of their wit culled
from various newspapers:
The Russians in Port Arthur, hear
ing that we are celebrating our vic
tories, are trying to get up counter
demonstration. They mean to have
a celebration called The Celebration
of Defeat. They have sent out in
vitations to the Czars officers stat
ing that the glorfication will be held
in one of the theaters. But the OFF,
GERS. on receiving their invitations,
trembled with fear. They had enough
of theaters when Port Arthur was at
tackled
Americans who have kept up with
the war news will have no difficulty
in seeing the jokes point. but in order
to understand the one following, it is
necessary to explain that the word
"zensho" means total victory"
The Russian battleships attacked
our transports, Nokonoura Maru and
Zensho Mura. They succeeded in
sinking the Nokonoura Maru, but
greatly disappointed. The Russians
now have no hope, because they let
the Zensho escape"
Here is a fling at Viceroy Alexieff
"AleXieff questioned his subordi-
mates as to why Their defeat was so
great. but no one could find a reason.
Finally. when every officer had failed
to make a report clearly explaining
the cause, Alexieff drew this con-
01n II
Tor to blame. The extraordinary
strength of the Japanese alone caused
our defeat.
Another witticism, which naively
ends with land the Russian officer
had no other question TO ask" runs in
this manner:
The Russian civilians in Port Ar
thur have been muchg excited since the
war. They want to equip themselves
with weapons of defense.
You don't need to get excited,
said an officer to them. The laps
will never get into port
THE civilians replied: If the Jap
anese are coming, we are at perfect
peace. We are so worried because of
their not coming
'Why?' asked the officer.
Because answered the civil
ians in time Of war nothing is more
fearful than our own army
The papers are also having their
little laugh at the Japs who are con-
tributing their jewelry to the govern
ment war fund.
The peers, mobiles and rich mer.
chants give their gold watches. gold
pipes and gold ornaments 10 the gov.
eminent but a man who had no gold
possession remembered that he had
gold in his teeth, took it out. and gave
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

ed, so that there is little wrenching
and straining of the muscles.
IF a man does not remember to
hold on to something when on the
deck of a torpedo boat is a seaway
he is likely to be sent spinning over
board to a watery grave, as was poor
Breckenridge from a torpedo boat
running across the Florida straits"
What was the most exciting mo-
ment you ever had on board a tor
pedo boat?" was asked of a sailor who
has spent much time in this sort of
craft.
Il guess" he said, at was once. not
long ago, when 1 was in the Mckee.
We had been down to New London
and We're on our way back to New
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08
A NOTRE DAME LADY.

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Pain in the Back. and all Female
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II you decide to continue IL will only
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write now and tell your suffering
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The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

Put thirty-knot destroyer into a
rough sea" says Sir William White,
land the limit of speed she can make
is what she can bear-what the people
on her can bear"
Travelling at thirty-knot speed is
going at the rate of little over thir-
ty-four miles an hour. You can travel
at that speed in a railway train with
comfort-in fact. it is about the speed
of the ordinary train. But imagine a
runaway horse dragging your carriage
over a rough country road at thirty
four miles an hour and you get an
idea of what it means TO go thirty
knots an hour in a torpedo boat. Good
for the digestion maybe. but rough on
the nerves; and if anything gives way
disaster complete and overwhelming.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08
RIDING THE SEAS BUCkING BRONCOS
Runaway Horse Dmggnga Country Road 1hhfour Miles
Hour Gives an Idea of Life Aboard Torpedo Boat
Bv H. IRVING KING.

a torpedo boat-men in whom age and
experience has not tanned the dash and
daring which the boat itself typif1es,
and whose young bodies can adapt
themselves to quickly varying condi-
tions.
These things apply to peace as much
as to war. There is always "some-
thing doing" on a torpedo boat, and,
with the exception of the pregnant mo-
ment when the boat ste3ms to torpedo
a man-of-war-a moment which, by its
very greatness, raises men above all
physical considerations if they are of
the proper sort for torpedo worlt-the
conditions in peace are as hazardous
and trying as In time of war That is,
Of course if the boat is on active sea
service. though in peaceful times, boats
not being kept at sea for such long
stretches as in war. the mental and
physical strain is not apt to be so con-
tinuOuS.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

was only by the exercise of indefati-
gable energy and skill of the sort
which ought to have been recognized
in General Orders, that finally enough
coffee would be manufactured to give
each man a cupful.
I'VE used to get an outfit of crock
cry about every time we came into
port during the Spanish War, and
smash it up the first day out, prob
ably. If not the first day, then a lit
tie later.
when Schley's fleet arrived at Gil
enfuegos, the Dupont, to which I was
attached. was lying there and was or
dered back to Key West. Being home
ward bound and the weather being fair,
we determined to have breakfast sit
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

was at Dry Tortugas. one hundred
miles away
"One night we received a dispatch
from Washington with instructions In
take it to the fleet as fast as steam
would carry US. Congress had passed
the joint resolution which opened the
war, and the fleet was wanted at once
at Key West.
"On we started through the night
and ran the one hundred miles at
speed which I do not think the boar
ever exceeded. even on her trial trip
The course lay over the open waters
of the gulf-waters lumpy and 'jolty
but we tore along at a speed which
strained both ourselves and the tor.
pedo boat. The excitement of the rae.
against time and a knowledge of the
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

The average age of the commanders
of the battleships in the United States
navy is about ffty-seven years. In Sc
lecting officers to command torpedo
boats 1t is endeavored to get men of
about thirty or under. Torpedo boats
are the bucking broncos of the sea, and
II takes a young man to ride them sue
cessfully.
The Man at the wheel.
A man at the wheel of a torpedo
boat going at full speed has no time
to calculate distances-he must feel
them instinctively. The boat must be-
come as much a part of himself as
his body is. and the thought in his
brain must be translated to a move
ment of the rudder as instantaneously
and as automatically az his arm would
raise to ward off blow aimed at his
head. An instant's hesitation and his
boat crashes into another craft,
plunges upon the shore. or is capsized
by heavy sea, as was the IS. 26' at
the mouth of the Elbe.
Duke Frederick of Mecklenburg,
twentysiX years of age, was at the
wheel skilfully taking his boat in
through a heavy sea TO Kiel. The
youth handled her beautifully. and was
almost inside the harbor when sud-
deIllS SiAS SWeINSu d hhbie anu d sitil
sea turned her upside down, drowning
Duke Frederick and all except one of
his men.
The sole survivor. said that the dis
sster occurred just as all hands heaved
sigh of relief to be through the worst
of il. with the harbor before them.
Probably a seconds relaxation of the
immense strain was the reason the boat
never reached the harbor.
Young Officers and Young Men.
Not only young officers, but young
men for the crew are needed on board
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

A man on a torpedo boat has to catch
his sleep ION the fly and he becomes
exceedingly expert, being young and
adaptable, at making up the required
amount of slumber in little mosaics
of an hour now, half an hour then
and ten minutes later on. He becomes
accustomed to drop into a doze when
ever a favorable minute arrives and
he is not on duty, and TO stay in that
condition until a sudden lurch of the
boat shakes it out of him. Never at
sea does he expect to be able to turn
in for a full nights sleep.
This difficulty of sleeping on tor
pedo boat at sea is one of the princi-
pal reasons why the fleet of destroyers
sent TO Manila had an intinerary ar
ranged or it which provided for ninety
days spent in port and only seventy
at sea. This ninety days of rest
against seventy of active seagoing is
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

Our flotilla of torpedo boat destroy
ers, when on its way to the Philip
pines reaching there the middle of
last month after four months at sea,
made the trip from the Canares to
Gibraltar at an average speed of only
eight knots an hour. This low speed
was maintained for two reasons-to
husband the coal supply and to make
the going as easy as possible, so that
the men might stand a chance of
getting some sleep during the long
runs.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

terry, for, though he used to lash the
coffee pot to the top of the stove and
tie down the lid, the pitching and
the rolling of the boat in a heavy
seaway would spill a large portion of
the contents of the pot out through
the spout.
Then cookey would put a cork in
the mouth of the spout, and when the
boiling coffee generated, steam
enough the lid would blow off, or the
The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-08

calculated to be about the limit of en-
durance of a picked crew on torpedo
boat. A destroyer, it must be remem-
bered, is only a torpedo boat of
larger growth, and not so much larger
as to make any material difference in
the amount of discomfort and strain
put upon the crew, especially where
the theater of action is the open ocean.
No Respecter of Persons.
On a torpedo boat officers and men
suffer alike. The sea is no respecter
The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-28
ODE Black sSzg
VOLTS Breed
e.sy,.s, IS, as y H.,r,. DICKSON

This while We sat Without passing a
word. Truth to tell I was loath to leave
h governor, for / knew even better
than he how much of treachery there
was in those about him. Besides tina;
I a no confidence In my lieutenant,
and vet hated TO acquaist Bientille
With the fact for fear he might mis-
trust my motives. 1 was heavy at
heart and dreaded the future.
When. somewhat after midnight, ]
arose to go. he came around the table
and taking me by both shoulders gazed
steadily into my face. l met his
glance frankly and Quailed not.
Forgive me. Placide, these are such
days of distrust / doubt every one
abcut me. Forgive me. lad. but your
old commanders reputation. aye. his
honor even. depends now so much upon
your fidelity
| could say nothing. I felt q stealthy
tear tremble In my eye, yet was not
ashamed. for its mate Slistened in his
own, and he YVES a man not given to
over-weeping.
The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-28
Niaht Blindness.

Youths Companion: Night blindness Is
d condition in which vision is perfect. or
fairly SO, in daylight. but fails with the
setting of the sun, and is not restored
under ordinary conditions of artificial IL
Elimination. The sufferer from night
blindness ear, usually see the light OF a
candle or lamp when he looks directly at
it, but he INC read, even when the
light is thrown directly upon the page.
Usually, however, he secs well In a room
lighted brilliantly with electricity, the de-
gree of illumination then approaching that
of sunlight.
The cause of night blindness is believed
to be an exhausting of the power of Wis
ion by too great light, for it occurs mainly
NOM soldiers and sailors in the tropics.
who are exposed for many hours to the
glare of the sun, and among arctic ex-
plorers, whose eyes are dazZled by refec-
ton from the snow. On ~shipboard 1t ia
often associated with scurvy. and per
sons who are. depressed physically or men
tally, or in any other way arur down /"
are more likely to suffer than the strong
Sailors have a superstition that the tro,I-
BILE is due to imprudence In sleeping on
deck in the moonlight. and this belief is
embodied in the term moon blink" by
which they call 1t. The tropical moon IS
probably as guiltless IN this respect as IL
i3 In the production of insanity. eycent
that IL might act as the sun does al
though, or course. In a minor degree. In
dazzling and already weakened eye.
The only treatment for night blindness
IS keeping away from bright light. 81
protecting the eyes with goggles or q
baldage Until the exhausted retIna has
recovered Its tone.
The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-28
10000 Plants for I6c.

This is n remarkable offer the John A
Salzer Seed Co, La Crosse. Wis. makes.
They will send you their big plant and
seed catalogue, together with enough seed
TO grow
j 1000 fine, solid Cabbages,
1000 delicious Carrots.
1000 blanching. nutty Celery.
1000 rich, buttery Lettuce,
1900 splendid Onions.
1000 rare. luscious Radishes.
1000 gloriously brilliant Flowers.
This great offer is made in order to in.
duce you to try their warranted seeds
for when Won once plant them you will
grow no others. and
ALL FOR BUT &c POSTAGE.
providing o will retus-. tais notice. and
If you will send them 20c in postage. they
will add to tic above n package OF the
famous Berliner Caulitiower. &C. n. W
The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-01-28

VtSa'SNt Sth&cu ShdtCs tcasd y. i
women. as | ind it insures regular ana
painless menstruation, cures ieacoa'rhoea
and ovarian troubles, and builds up the
entire system. also consider IT enc of
the finest catarrh remedies | know Of"
M. G. Gee. Nj. ID.
Catarr, is a systemic disease durable
only by systemic treatment. "A remedy
that cures catarrh must aim directly at
the depressed nerve centers. This is
what Perlna does. Il
Pcrura Immediately inyigorates the
nerve-centcrs which give vitality to the
mucous membranes. Then catalak dis.
appears. Then catarrh is permanently
cured.
II YOU do not derive prompt and salts.
factory results from the use of Peruna
write at once to DR.. Hartmaa, giving al
full statement of you case. and he will
be pleased to give you his valuable ad.
vice gratis.
Address DR.. Hartman. President Of
The Hartman Sanitarium. Columbus,
Ohio.