davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

ed out q check payable, to himself for
the remaining few hundreds When he
reached the Apache National on the
corner, of, Colorado. and Texas streets
he was the one hundred and twenty
seventh man. in thes queue. which ex-
tended around the corner and doubled
back and forth in the cross streets to
the stoppage- Of all traffic. The an
nouncement in the Clarion had done its
work, and the balef'Il flower of-panic,
which is a juggler's rose for quick
growing possibilities, was filing the
very air of the street with its acrid
perfume the scent of all others that
soonest drives mem mad. 81.
i Major James Guilford. the president
OF the Apache National. was In the
cage with the sweating paying teIlers,
and It was to him that Kent presented
his check when his turn came.
WHAT You too, Kent?" said the
president, reproachfully. 'I thought
you had more backbone" -,
Kent shook his head -t
. CASTOR has absorbed nine-tenths Of
the money I brought here I'll absorb
the remaining tenth myself. II It's Just
The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

impending cataclysrn. The Western
Pacific, after so long pause on the
banks of. Dry Creek, had hoated its
second mortgage bonds and would
presently build on to the capital leav-
ing CASTOR to way-station quietude.
Therefore and wherefore
Kent was not lacking in native
shrewdness or, energy z He foresaw,
not the pitiable bubble burst which en-
sued, indeed. but the certain and inev-
table end OF the speculative era Like
every one else he had bought chiefly
with promises to pay. and his paper in
the three banks aggregated sum
equal to a frugal New Hampshire COM
petence.
How long have got?" was the la
comic wire which he sent to Loring,
the secretary of the Western Pacific
Advisory Board in. Boston. from whom
his hint had come. And when Loring
replied that the grading and track
laying contracts were already award
ed, there was at least one long" on
the CASTOR real estate exchange who
The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09
Copyright by Bobbs- Merrill & Co.
CHAPTER L.
Ashes OF Empire.


" point Of age, Gasten- the stren-
uOus was sill no'lnore than a, ,lusty
infant among tile cities of the
brown plafncwhen the boom, broke
and the junta Fygs born. though its be-
ginnings as ashslt camp ran back to
the davs Of the Iatter Mormon migra-
tons across The thirsty. plain: to that
day when the eadVanced guard Of 70
phar Smiths o1,sfrain,dig wells in the
damp SANDS Of pFy..creek and called
them the Waters of, ,8seronl.
Later, one Jethf6Ssin}sby, a Mormon
deserter. set pp1hts rod. ana staff on the
banks or the,f creek -ho1nesteaeed a
quarter sectGSh-of Sh9 ssge-brush plain.
sild IN cue tne came, 70 be. known as
The Dry Creek cattle king And the
coH-camp 'Nas stTi simsays when-ths
hcaung engineers of The sATestern Pa
ciile, searchings FOR tank stations in a
land IA here kExIter was SCARCE and hard
To cc1ne by. sdroYe their stakes along
The north ilet-of the squarter-section;
and having, nsmedsth their last station
A. e.. christened this one, CASTOR.
From ke-driring Of the engi-
necrs y the spike-driving. Of the ira clzt
lay lrs Was1 a fulI DECADE. For hard
times overtookstbe Western Pacific. at
Midland city. eighty miles to<thes seast-
ward. while the.~State, capital. two
days broneo-joiting west Of Dry. Greek:
hsd railr0ad -outrets ia plenty and no
Inducements 10 offer newcomer. u
But with the breaking Il the cloud OF
financial depression. the Western Pa
cihc succeeded in placing its extension
bonds, a2d q little later the earth began
10 hy on The grade OF the new Iine.to
the west Within a SundayIess month
the electric lights Of the night shift
could be seen, and, when the wind was
rlght, the Shrek Of the locomotiva
whistle could be heard at Dry Greek
and IN this interval between daUr, ard
Daylight Jethro Simsby sold his o,,ar-
ter-section for the nominal SIM of
s-VVV' spot cash, TO wo men who buck-
boarded in ahead Of [ G traclz-la,srs
ms purchase Of the "J-Iazv-e,,'
ranch by Hawk and GuilforS ,1asl,-.5
the modest beginning of Caster tha
marvellous. By the time the ten,po,..,,,
sidinss were Down and the tani, ,,-oi,
was dug in thes dsmpa sands - ,,.as
heraloed far and wide that the We
elm Pacific would make the cit,
on the banks OF Dry Creek citv
consisting as yet only of the Simsbv
ranch shacks--its western ferni,,,s
Thereupon followed one Of the seDsa-
less rushes that populate the waste
places of the earth and give the nro-
fessional city builder his reason for
being. IN fortnight after the driving
Of the silver spike >the dusty plain was
dotted with the Black rooted shelters
Of the argonauts. and. by the follow
ing spring the plow was furrowins
the cattle ranges in ever widening cir
cles and CASTOR had voted a bond loan
Of 100000 to pave its streets.
The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

Then under the forced draft Of
skillful exploitation three years Of
high pressure passed quickly; years
named by the promoters the period of
development. In the Year One the
very heavens smiled and the rainfall
broke the record OF the Oldest inhab-
liant Thus the region round about
lost the word arid, as a qualifying
adjective and the picturesque fictions
of the prospectus makers were lnirac-
ulously justified. In the Year Two
there was less rain, but still an abun-
dant crop; and Jethro Simsby, drift
ing in from some unnamed frontier Of
newer cow country, saw what he
had missed, took to drink and shot
himself in the lobby Of the MidsCon-
tinent Hotel, an ornate, five-storied
brick and terra-cotta structure stand
ing precisely upon the site of the ~
lays branding corral.
1t was in this same Year Two, the
fame Of the latest Of Western Mec-
cas- for young men having penetrated
to the provincial backgrounds Of New
Hampshire, that David Kent came.
The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

n HIS is the first instalIment
Of "The Grafters," Francis
Lynde's Well-knoUn novel
4 of politics and romance. As
il deals with political graft of to-
day il holds the interest and sus-
Pense OF the reader until the
final denOuement.
The story will be pEbIished
complete. with illustrations. In
four installments.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
His Fears Were Realized.

A Georgia statesman says that
while he was in the shop Of an opti-
clan In Atlanta he once heard an anus
ing conversatio nbetween the proprie-
tor OF the establishment and an aged
darby, who was just leaving the place
with pair Of new spectacles. says the
Youths Companion.
AS the old chap neared the door
his eye lighted upon most extraordi.
nary looking instrument conspicuous
ly placed upon counter. The ven,
cradle negro paused for several mo.
ments to gaze in open mouthed won.
der at this thing, the like of which he
had never seen before. After long
struggle with his curiosity he was
vanquished. Turning to the optician,
he asked
What is It, boss?"
That's an opthalmometer," replied
the optician in his gravest manner.
"Sho!" muttered the old man to
himself as hey backed out of the door
his eyes still fastened upon the
curious looking thing on the counter
"Sho, OATS what | was afeared II
was!"
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
BATTLE WITH GAME COCK.
After Struggle of Half an Hour Boy
Is Exhausted and at Roost-
er's Mercy.


After battle of almost half an hour
with game rooster, Frank Spencer, 49,
year-old son Of Mr.. and Mrs. John Spen-
Ger, living north of Lafayette, Ind, was
so fatigued and weak from loss of blood
that he fell to the floor before the on
slaught Of the enraged bird and would
probably have been killed had 1t not been
for the timely arrival of his mother. The
fight between the young farmer and the
game chicken was the result of meddling
on the part of the former.
Years ago the elder Spencer was quite
a sport and raised fighting cocks for
mains in different parts of the country,
generally for Indianapolis people. He
formerly had about so birds which he
sent to different places, but for the past
ten years has not meddled much with
the chicken fighting game. He has lived
on the farm for about five years and con-
cluded that farming was little bit bet
ter than fighting chickens, anyway.
He kept but one game rooster, having
purchased it about two years ago. 1t
was said to be agood fighter and the for
mer chicken raiser thought he would
like to have remnant of his old life
about the place. The game chicken
could not be left out with the other
chickens, as he refused to let any other
rooster stay about the place. So Ted
dy," as the rooster was called, was put
in large yard all of his own, where he
could strut around and crow to his
hearts delight.
The old fellow had been left alone for
a long time and grew spurs about two
inches long and as sharp as needles. The
father had often cautioned his son
against going into the coop with the
rooster, declaring that game chicken
would fight him the minute he entered
The boy thought his father was fool
ing and on the first opportunity crepi
into the yard, where Teddy was king
Teddy is beautiful bird with long
shiny red feathers, and Frank believed
that there would be no trouble. He car.
| Ilcu CluU dioh5 WiIu Hihi, hoWCNOi ohe
to this is partly due the fact that he Is
at present alive.
AS soon as he entered the cage, Teddy
was after him, using both spurs and bill
in the attack. Frank used his club as
best hecould in the cramped quarters, bu
soon tired out. He then used his hands
trying to catch hold of the fowl. Teddy
was in his element and dug his sharI
spurs into the soft flesh of his victim
with vengeance, two Of the stabs goin:
through the wrist. The boy finally fel
to the floor of the cage with exhaustion
the rooster still keeping up his murder
Gus assault.
Mrs. Spencer. climbed into the Gag
and after short fight with the then tiret
rooster, knocked him to one side
grabbed her child and managed to- es
cape.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
WAS A NAIVE COMPLIMENT.
Musician Played So Well That the
Congregation Wouldn't Bs
Dismissed.

Reginald De Koven was touring the
country with one of his operas" said New
York musician, "and a certain Sunday found
him in the town of Dayton.
They told Mr.. De Koven that an Epis-
copal church in the neighborhood had a SUI
perb organ. Accordingly he went to that
church, assembled to the organ loft, and sat
beside the organist during the morning 8
service.
You seem to know something about
music" said the organist in a cond ascending
way. tn let you dismiss the congregation
why, yes said De Koven, 4 would like
that very much
Accordingly, at the end Of the recession
al, he exchanged places with the organist
and began to play Mendelssohn's Spring
Song He played beautifully. The Dayton
people, enthralled by the wonderful music,
refused to depart, They sat in rapt enjoy.
ment, and after the Spring Song was fin
ished Mr.. De Koven began Chopin's Flu.
neral March
Suddenly heavy hand was laid on his
shoulder and he was pushed off the music
STOOL
"'You can't dismiss congregation" said
the organist, impatiently. Watch and see
how soon Ill get them out
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21

in vaulted chamber of beautiful
architecture, is the we'll on which the
sculptured figure of ST. Winefride
looks down from under an elaborate
ly-carved canopy; by the side of the
we'll is stone on which the bathers,
after leaving the water, kneel In
prayer, while all around, hanging
from the roof and resting against the
pillars, are crutches and other invalid
appliances which the pilgrims, re-
stored to vigor, have left behind them
as votive offerings.
In a neighboring chamber is a spa
cious bath surrounded with dressing
rooms, Here the pilgrims hattie IN
the healthful waters and call on "St
Winefride, most admirable virgin,
even in this -unbelieving generation
still miraculous" to pray for them
For IL hours every day, but chiefly
during the summer months, the PHI
grims battle in these waters, and Of
fer up incessant petitions to st. Wine
fride, and on certain days the banner
of the saint is carried to the we'll by
chanting priests, followed by a long
procession of pilgrims and residents.
Wonderful stories are told of the
miracles wrought in this small Welsh
town, and, however skeptically some
may regard them, they are at least
anti NA ftY1 tnr1
That marvellous cures have been
wrought is beyond question, and it is
the writer's duty to chronicle them,
and not to attempt to explain them.
In one case, so the records state, a
father brought his dead child and laid
It ON the altar, there to rest during
the night before burial. To the
amazement of all, when morning came
the child was found restored to life
and clamoring for food.
In another case woman whose
body had for years been racked and
terribly deformed by rheumatism, and
who had tried all the waters of the
continent in vain, was able to stand
| for the first time Tor many year tnt
moment she entered the waters of the
Holy Well, and after two more i'm
mersions was able to walk without as
sistance.
A girl who had been blind from
birth was restored to sight on dip
ping her head once in the water o
the well, and a dumb child began t.
speak after little of the water hat
been poured into his mouth. Thes'
are but samples of the miracles salt
to have been wrought by the well o
st. Winefride; nor is the virtue du,
to any medicinal quality in the water
since analysis proves that beyond
little chalk and sulphate of lime,
contains nothing to which any heal
ing virtue could possibly be credited
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
Sad Confession Of a Sweet Bride.

Sad Confession of a Sweet Bride.
Darling, have q confession to
make
Young Wimbledon and his wife had
Just returned from their honeymoon
AS they stood in their beautiful little
apartment, with its spic-andspan ap
pearance. Wimbledon, seated in com
Portable armchair with good cigar,
was expressing by every gesture his
perfect satisfaction with everything in
general.
Mrs. Wimbledon as she spoke, came
over and took her husbands hand In
hers. "You won't mind, will you,
DEAR" she continued, If l tell you
something think you ought to know
The fact is, am not what you think
I am"
Wimbledon started.
mot what l think you are?" he re
peated. Impossible. AS if didn't
know that you are the dearest and
sweetest girl in all the world"
Wimbledon half-closed his eyes and
watched the curling smoke.
do you know, my DEAR" he said
"the best thing about you is your do
mesticity. You are just simple
swat 1ittla woman whn doacn,t Innr.
It all"
Mrs. Wimbledon timidly held hi'
hand.
my DEAR" she said, that is what
my confession is about. In our Ions
courtship have carefully avoided any
Of those subjects that might have beer
calculated to excite your suspicion
But now might as well tell you tina
am really an educated woman.
can speak three languages, am satu
rated with German opera, know Her
bert Spencer by heart, have made |
thorough study of socialism, trans
cendentalism, the higher philosophy
education and biology"
The stricken man beside here burie,
his face In his hands.
"Oh, why" he cried, did you no
tell me this before?'
And his trembling wife replied.
"Alas, dearest! I did not dare.
knew II did that you would neve
marry me."-Life.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
OLD WORLD ODDITIES.

A London fashion authority states
that the new winter color will be
Commemorative peculiar shade Of
purple worn by cardinals.
To check an influx of tramps at Var
mouth, England. a member Of the
board of guardians gravely suggested
that the board circulate rumor that
the town almshouse was haunted.
The vicar of Little Hutton, England,
does not like makers of tombstones
to cut their names on the stones, but
allows them to do so on stones placed
in his graveyard If they pay $3.50 for
the advertisement.
A German decorator was so fond
of reading his Bible in working hours
that the foreman took it away from
him, and found between the leaves a
large amount Of gold leaf. The man
had been stealing regularly.
BY means of an accidental short
circuit in one of the junction boxes
In an electric main in Melbourne.
Australia, an alarm was sent in to
every fire department station, and
$500 calls were received at the same
instant in the head telephone office.
Announcing an apparently hopeless
disagreement, the foreman of a Lon
don coroner's jury asked the corone-
whether the Jury would be allowed
any Injuries. "No, nor necessaries
either" was the heartless reply. The
jury retired sadly to its room, and re-
turned verdict five minutes later.
Two hundred and seventy-two quarts
of brandy, 127 quarts of whisky, 261
bottles Of champagne, 3S1 bottles u
port, sc bottles of sherry and 80 bot
ties of claret-such was the drink bill
incurred by Glasgow woman named
Mrs. Mclean during 81 days of mar
ried life. Then she died. Her viii
is being contested.
Next to the proverbial shilling, per
haps the smallest legacy has been in
herited by native of New Zealand HI
had son, who died in the Dutch In
dies, and left him his effects, amount
ing to 10 pence one-half penny. Thu
money was payable at Middleburg, AM
the man had to walk ten Dutch league
for 1t, losing also days work.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
THIS WOMAN KNOWS
WHAT ONE OF THR SEX DISCOVERED
TO HER GREAT JOY.
Mrs. DO Long Finds that the Indescribabls
Pains of Rheumatism Can be Cured
Through the Blood.

AHouSh tAS Aaoous
Mrs. e. NJ. De Long, of No. 100 West
Broadway. Council Bluffs, Iowa. found
herself suddenly attacked by rheuma-
tism in the winter Of 1895. She gave
the doctor chance to help her, which
he failed to improve, and then she did
some thinking and experimenting of her
own. She was SO successful that she
deems it her duty to tell the story of her
escape from suffering:
my brother-in-law," she says"
enthusiastic on the subject of DR.. Will
liams' Pink Pills as q purifier of the
blood. and when I was suffering extreme
pains in the joints of my ankles, knees,
hips, wrists and elbows, and the doctor
was giving me no relief, began to re-
I feet that rheriaatism Is q disease of
the blood and that, If DIR. Williams Pink
Pills are SO good for the blood, they
must be good for rheumatism and worth
trial.
~ was in bed half the time, suffering
with pain that cannot be described to
one who has never had the disease. 1t
would concentrate sometimes in one set
Of joints. When it was in my feet
could net walk, when it was in my ell
bows aud wrists could not even draw
the coverlets over my body. I had suf.
fered in this way for weeks before I be-
gan using DR.. Williams Pink Pills.
Two weeks after I began with them I
experienced relief and after ! had taken
six boxes I was entirely well. To make
sure ! continued to use them about two
weeks longer and then stopped alto
gether. For several years I have had no
reason to use them for myself, but !
have recommended them to others as an
excellent remedy"
DR.. Williams Pink Pills furnish the
blood with all the elements that are
needed to build up healthy tissue, strong
muscles and nerves, capable Of bearing
the strain that nature puts upon them
They really make new blood and cure
all diseasesarising from disorders of the
blood or nerves, such IS sciatica, neural
gia, partial paralysis, locomotor ataxia
st. Vitus' dance, nervous prostration
anemia and all forms Of weakness in
either male or female. They are sold by
oil druggists.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
SAFEST FOOD
In Any Time of Trouble Is arape-Nuts

Food to rebuild the strength and
that is pre- digested must be selected
when one is convalescent. At this
time there is nothing 80 valuable as
Grape-Nuts for the reason that this
food is all nourishment and is also all
digestible nourishment. A woman
who used it says:
Some time ago I was very Ill with
typhoid fever, SO i'll everyone thought
would die, even myself. 1t left me
so weak l could not properly digest
food Of any kind and | also had much
bowel trouble which left me weak,
helpless wreck.
Il needed nourishment as badly as
anyone could, but none of the tonics
helped me until l finally tried Grape
Nuts food morning and evening. This
not only supplied food that thought
delicious as could be but it also made
me perfectly well and strong again so
Soh Wv III luy itouoCWOlh, olcCp VIGIL,
can eat anything without any trace Of
bowel trouble and for that reason
alone Grape-Nuts food is worth its
weight in gold" Name given by
Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich.
Typhoid fever like some other dis
eases attacks the bowels and frequent
ly sets up bleeding and makes them
for months incapable of digesting the
Etarches and therefore pre- digested
Grape-Nuts is invaluable for the we'll
known reason that in Grape-Nuts all
the starches have been transformed
into grape sugar. This means that the
first stage Of digestion has been me-
chanically accomplished in Grape-Nuts
sood at the factories and therefore
anyone, no matter how weak the stom-
aeh, can handle 1t and grow strong,
for all the nourishment is still there.
There's sound reason and 10 days
trial proves.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21


asylums. At the time of It's organiza-
ton there we're IL local unions repre-
sented by % delegates at the conven-
ton, but in the few months of its ex-
istence it has grown until at the pres
ent time it has "a locals affiliated with
a membership of about $500. There
is broad field for organization work
under the jurisdiction of this union,
and it intends to start an active cam
paign to bring members into the fold.
Although it has local unions in a num-
Der of cities, Chicago is Its strong
hold, as this class of labor is not or
ganized in the principal eastern cities.
The local unions of janitofs and win
dow washers have increased their
wages on an average 80 per cent. since
they organized and the working condi-
tons have been improved. CHARLES L.
Fieldstack is president of the national
organization and James Mclean is sec.
rotary. The former was elected at the
convention in February and the latter
was appointed by the executive board
to fill a vacancy.
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
GOING TO STAY YOUNG.
Even Government Inspectors Couldn't
Make Her Older Than
She Looked.

A Brooklyn woman lately returned from
Europe was describing to her husband who
had remained at home aer experiences with
The customs inspectors who had taken her
declaration in the cabin of the liner coming
up the bay, relates the Brooklyn Eagle.
When he asked me my age" she said, Il
told him 3d."
But, my DEAR" exclaimed the husband,
II know it, she returned, "but do l look
more?"
Wal Sa s dsa i0n nsSss ias sriumphau.ly,
convinced that mere man was squelched
once more by the force of feminine logic,
until / look more than 80 I'm going to be
80, and don't care for the old United States
government and all its customs inspectors
and declarations. They can't make me
older than ! look'or want to be-"
Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-10-21
Her Pertinent Query.

"Of course she said, 81 realize that
you have every confidence in me, as
you say, but I must admit that il
would be great satisfaction to me ii
you would tell me why"
"Yes?" he said anxiously, as she
paused.
If you would tell me-" she re.
peated, why it Is that you deem II
necessary to put your love letters
through copying press"
Then he instantly recalled that she
had once been a stenographer in q
business house and was ION to- his
little precautionary measure, so tc
speak.-New York Press.