davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

The chickens got to work first, but
MIR. Buzzard had the enticing smell OF
bad fish in his nostrils, and, after
executing a couple Of preliminary cir
cles in the air, he alighted, and open
ed the battle by pulling a couple OF
tail feathers out of the nearest roos'
ter. The chickens outnumbered the
scavenger, and the whole outfit went
to the defense of their outraged COM
panion-it is very grave and humili-
ating thing for a rooster to lose his
tail feathers.
The tactics of that buzzard were
wonderful. He side-stepped, and
ducked and every little while he
would uppercut one of his opponents,
with the result that out would come
more feathers. If there was an in
stant's delay in the attack he would
help himself to more fish, for that
was what he was there for. In the
end he had pulled so many feathers
out of the biggest rooster that he
looked half undressed. When the FISH
was all gone the victor cast one scorn-
full look at the subdued flock or
chickens, and flew away without a
single note of triumph, for buzzards
do not crow.
Oscar Malmos, the United States
consul at Colon, is doubtless the old
est man in the American consular SER
x-;a hoc ,o1, onr
than any other man in it. He is
nearly II years of age, and was ap-
pointed by Abraham Lincoln in 1867,
just three days before that lamented
statesman was assassinated.
Mr.. Malmos was consul at Wtnni-
peg, now called the Chicago of the
Northwest, when it had only 400 in
habtants, and was still under the
rule of the Hudson's Bay company.
Later he served in Nova Scotia for
eleven Years, and during the trouble
with Great Britain over the fishery
question, he travelled 900 miles in
canoes and fishing smacks, collecting
evidence to support the American con-
tention.
He has held stations in Roumania,
Scotland, France, Spain and Bohemia,
and he still keeps posted on. the af-
fairs of all the nations in which he
has been stationed. He is bachelor
and an enthusiastic student. He is
an accomplished lnguist, being able
to converse in six languages.
For three years he has been in
charge of the office at Colon, and the
recent revolution here was the third
uprising he has experienced in his
career. He is man of frugal habits.
and carries himself with the dignity
of gentleman of the old -chool. He
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

too, and kiss a pair of lips that erst.
while were his to kiss, but he stopped
and listened, and the lump in his
throat choked him. for he was listen
ing to the old-new story of the prodi-
gal son, and the narration seemed to
move the sweet saint, and the chill.
dren, who had heard 1t hundreds OF
times before, always found some
fresh questions to ask.
Sweet" was the informal address
of one dark-eyed boy, who seemed a
favorite, what would you do if your
son came back to you like this prodigy
son who ate husks?"
Sweet never had a son. Sweet
has never been married." came from
an elder girl.
And the heart Of the man bounded
within him.
81 should welcome my prodigal
dearly, of course" And the sweet
mouth had grown wistful, but her eyes
seemed as if they had visions CT some
thing far away.
would you kiss him, l wonder?"
SchOolma'am blushed and laughed
like a young girl.
"Yes, think should kiss him." she
said gently.
"Well, let's pretend I'm the prodigy
and you be the man who owned the
fatted calves"
Seaton chuckled to himself, feeling
boy again.
Then he went for walk, returning
an hour later, to find school dismissed.
Margaret Radford felt strangely
lonely when her little flock had run
off shouting down the hill, and the
sad little look came again into her
face.
And then a shadow fell across the
floor and she looked up. For a mo-
ment she did not speak; her eyes
grew round, and her breath came and
went in deep gasps between her part
ed lips.
"The prodigal son has returned,
Margaret. Lord knows ! have eaten
husks enough down under!'
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

cape being a neighbor to rottenness
You meet a dog and it will likely
have the mango; if duck waddles
across your path its feathers will be
disheveled and its feet will be sore
the pony that staggers at the task OF
pulling a rckety cab in which you
ride Is so poor and weak that you feel
it would be mercy to shoot it, and
all the while the procession of dead
men and women files solemnly on to
that grewsome spot, the world famed
burying ground on Monkey Hill.
1t is understood that two years
residence in a tropical climate rem
ders a person immune from yellow
fever, but this does not always hold
good. as shown in the case Of three
sisters of Col. Shaler, president OF the
Panama railroad. These ladies had
made their home in Colon for several
years, yet last May they contracted
the disease, and all of them died with
in fourteen days. A travelling man
may be taken down with it the second
day after his arrival.
On account of a better understand
ing of this dreadful disease, the medi-
cal men are combating 1t more sue
cessfully all the while. Formerly 60
per cent of all the cases were fatal.
but now the mortality has been re-
duced so per cent. The great advan-
tage lies in a proper diagnosis and
getting an early start in the treat
ment. A healthy person, with prompt
and proper care, now has a good
charce for recovery
Colon is one of the filthiest cities
in the world, and its defiance of all
laws of cleanliness has made it very
fat graveyard. 1t is dull day here
when there are not several funerals.
If this abiding place of pestilence can
be redeemed and made hakitable,
it will be a victory for science greGc-
er even than which was won in Ha-
vana.
The dawn of new era in Colon
will mark the passing of the buzzarG.
This is interesting, because under or
binary conditions the buzzard is to
the south, what the dog is to the
north, necessity. 1t is part of the
local organization. 1t has served lorg
and we'll in the street cleaning de-
partment, but the new order of things
will take away it's job, and force this
old and faithful employe, who has
worked all these years for its board,
to seek other pastures.
The buzzard is much maligned
fowl While it is the black sheep CT
the bird family. it is like other black
sheep, inasmuch as it is not without
it's good traits. Vigilance and prompt
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
RattIesnake Seminoles' Messenger.


Great CONSERVATION was created
among the members of the Seminole
council at Wewoka yesterday, when
a large rattlesnake glided into the
tent where the assemblage was being
addressed by the attorney of the ma
ton, Capt. A. ]. McKennon. Capt. Nc
Kennon was about to kill the snake,
when one of the councilmen stopped
him, explaining in broken. English:
Him rattlesnake; he come down to
Seminole council; no other snake do
that. He sent by Great Spirit. He
go South that mean Mexico. We
must all go Mexico soon."
The captain was told that the rat
tlesnake had long been messenger
to the Seminole tribe from the Great
Spirit. They told him that just be-
fore their fight with Jackson in the
South, many moons ago, great rat
tlesnake crawled from the bank of a
lake and came into camp. The medi-
cine man assembled and told the
members of the tribe that great trou-
BILE was about to come upon them.
They would have a great fight and, cs
the snake went west, part of the
tribe would be driven west. They
said that the rattlesnake had been
looked upon as a messenger ever
since.-Muskogee correspondence Of
Kansas City journal.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

"You are thousand, thousand times
welcome, Herbert Seaton!" And sho
began to sob.
He had not yet even touched her
hannl, but had drawn nearer.
What did you tell little bob Carey
you would do when the prodigal re.
turred?"
He. spoke in tone Of banter to ulde
the deep feeling that moved him, but
he held out his arms and his love flew
into them, and he rained kisses upon
lip, cheek and brow.
my love-my love!" was all he
could stammer out, after a silence of
twenty years.
And she, too. lay silent in his
strong arms. thinking many thoughts
that shaped themselves into a prayer
of thankfulness.
"Why did you ever leave me. dear
one?" she asked.
"Your father told me that you were
engaged to Haygarth, and he was
richer than I. He even showed me
the house you were to live in when
you married."
"And you believed him-you, Her.
bert, my lost love? How could you-
how could you? To go away without
world"
Her eyes had filled with tears again
and he took her once more to his
heart.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
Why Diamonds Increase in Price.

Diamonds are very high now, and
they are apt to go higher still" said
Mr.. Irving L. Russell.
within the last two years the in
crease in the cost of diamonds has
not been less than 40 per cent. The
big South African company that virtu-
ally controls the diamond situation Of
the world claims that the ground
which holds the stones is gradually
giving out, and that with the end of
production in sight the advance in
price is natural and legitimate. Wheth-
er this claim is founded on fact, or
whether it is an excuse for curtailing
the output, no one outside of the COM
pany knows. Anyway, it is a wise
policy for owners of really valuable
gems to hold them, as the tendency is
constantly toward appreciation in val
es.'-Washington Post.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
Try a Smile.

Try Smile.
If the world will not be conquered by
Try a smile; t.,
you're down,
Try IA smile.
If stolid countenance
VIII not help your cause advance,
Thaw a bit and take chance
Try a smile.
Try smile:
If an everlasting grumbe don't protect
Try smile.
Dash away that childish tear,
Check that sob, it's bad to hear;
Spread your mouth from ear to ear
Try smile.
If you've had to let some stronger fellow
Try smile;
Let him know it takes two lickings
to defeat you
Try smile.
Make him clearly understand
You don't bear the towards brand;
Make him show his strongest hand
Try a smile.
If they've told you you are going to the
Try smile:
Don't go cutting any desperation didoes,
Try a smile.
When you've been so knocked about
That you're nearly down and out,
And are scheduled for pout
Try a SMILE
If your very utmost efforts didn't work.
Try smile;
Though you feel that it must be sickly
smirk.
Try a smile
Show the world that you can do 1t:
Send giggle gurgling through it;
Try a smile
Baltimore American.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
oh. the Pleasant DAYS of Old.

Oh, the pleasant days of old, which so
often people praise!
True they wanted all the luxuries that
grace our modern days;
Bare floors were strewed with rusheS.
the walls let in the cold
Oh, how they must have shivered in
those pleasant days Of old!
Oh, those ancient lords Of old, how mag
nificent they were!
They threw down and prisoned kings-to
thwart them who might dare?
They ruled their serfs right sternly; they
took from Jews their gold:
Above both law and equity were those
great lords of old!
oh. the gallant knights of old. their
valor so renowned!
With sword and lance and armor strong,
they secured the country round,
And whenever aught to tempt them they
met by wood or void,
BY right of sword they seized the prize
those gallant knights of old!
oh, the gentle danes of old, who, quite
free from fear of pain,
Could gaze on joust and tournament and
see their champions slain;
They lived on good beefsteaks and ale,
which made them strong and bold
oh, more like men than women were
those gentle danes of old!
oh, those mighty towers of old, with
their turretS moat ana keep,
Their battlements and bastions, their
dungeons dark and deep;
Full many a baron held his court within
the castle hold:
And many captive languished there, In
those strong towers of old
Oh, the troubadours of old, with the gen.
tie minstrelsie
OF hope and joy. or deep despair, which
e'er their lot might be;
For years they served their lady-love ere
they their passion told:
Oh, wondrous patience must have had
those troubadours Of old!
Oh, those blessed times of old, with their
chivalry and state!
love to read their chronicles which
such brave deeds relate;
love to sing their ancient rhymes, to
hear their legends told
But Heaven be thanked! l live not in
those blessed times of old.
Frances Brown.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
Plowinq by Dynamite.

At Pendleton, Ore, and on several
farms in the eastern part of the state
of Washington, dynamite is used to
break up the hard pan" stratum just
underneath the surface. Good soil
and moisture are under the hard
pam"
In the sagebrush and alkali regions
this stratum of "hardpan" will not
let the moisture come to the surface,
nor can tree roots and alfalfa roots
reach the moisture. So the surface is
dry alkali, the mother of sagebrush
and nothing else.
The dynamiters believe that by
smashing this barren and rebellious
stratum they can make the moisture
come up and the roots go down.
Crops have been planted over con-
siderable tract of dynamited ground.
In the fall we shall know how good a
farmer dynamite is.-Eyerybody's.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
New Idea In BattleshIps.

According to American cables the
United States authorities are serious
ly considering the building of Col
Cunibertis ideal battleship, which was
described in last years "All the
Worlds Fighting Ships" The concep-
ton of Italy's distinguished naval
architect was at first good deal
laughed at, but it probably had good
deal to do with our Lord Nelson class
armament, and after the Lord Nels.'.
the projected American ship is reason.
able. No doubt few years hence
nothing will puzzle people more than
why the navies of the world fitted
ships with guns incapable of attaining
hits at battle ranges, and unable to
do any serious harm even If hits were
secured.-London Engineer.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
MEMORY HARD TO BEAT.
coIored "Auntie's" Claim That Was
Almost the Limit.

CoIored "Auntie's" Claim That Was
Almost the Limit.
In the days of Barnum, an old
"auntie" lived in East Tennessee who
was reputed to be of great age. Like
all of her kind she was extremely
proud of the distinction. and never
underestimated her age in the least.
She had outgrown that weakness de-
cades past.
Darnum heard of her, and conclud-
ing that II she was as old as rumor
made her she would be valuable ac-
QUESTION to his show, he sent an agent
down to make an investigation. She
caught the direction of the wind very
promptly, and was prepared for any
test question that might be asked.
Gradually the agent led up to the
crucial interrogatory, and at last
said:
"Aunty. do you remember George
Washington"
Does / recomember George Wash
ington? wy laws-a-massy, Mistuh, I
T6ChOu 1 uOtS. L OIlcI, OIlcuI IL Ci
done nussed him. We played to-
gether evy day when he was a Ill
chile"
well, do you remember anything
about the Revolutionary war;"
"G'way, chile! Yes, indeed l does.
Honey. l stood dar lots er times, an
seed de bullets flyin' around, thick
er'n rain drops"
"Yes-well, how about the fall of
the Roman empire? Do you recollect
anything about that?"
"The old woman took good, long
breath. In fact, it amounted to a
sigh. She reflected for few mo-
ments, and said:
"De fact is, Honey, I was purity
young den, an | doesn't have a very
extinct recommembrance bout dat;
but l does member, now dat. you
speaks of hit, dat l did heah de white
folks tell about hearing some'pp
drap."
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
MSEZ7zh2/V o.
7@ 7@Rx22<1zAz
~ 0ORGE AAR7ZE|

| her what bides tew Peak schule.
Radford who bided near the church,
and finding the announcement that
apartments were to let, engaged bed
room, and there was no grumbling
about her terms, for the Australian
had generosity all over him!
Then Herbert Seaton made his way
up the steep path he had been told
led to the "schulehouse."
In his day he remembered the loca.
cobbler kept school and turned out
perhaps poor scholars, but good fisher
men, and he emphasized his remarks
with a strap. Seaton felt it now. Be.
tween hedges twenty feet high, up the
steep red path he made his way, and
at the end stood the schoolhouse, fac
ing the sea- He stood outside for
some minutes, brushing perspiration
from his forehead.
Then he peered between the serried
ranks of fuchsia and myrtle that stool
on the broad window sill, and he saw
q beautiful woman, of nearly his own
age, who had blue, gentle eyes, and
gentle face, and an aureole OF fair
hair, that in beams of sunlight looked
to him like a halo.
Small man and woman kind were
around her knees, from tiny tots to
girls of 13, and she was talking and
teaching as only an angel upon earth
or good woman. which is the
same thing-can talk and teach from
the Book Of Books that lay upon her
lap.
And the Australian wanted to 60 in.
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
Hopeless! F!

A well-known Baltimore society
man was recently spending few
days with his wife at Atlantic City,
and in connection with his visit he
tells the following story: When he
seated himself in the dining room on
the evening of his arrival he discov-
cred that he could not read the menu,
as he had left his glasses in his room,
and his eyes were useless without
them. When he passed it to his wife
she exclaimed that she was in the
same predicament. At loss to know
what to do, the gentleman called the
waiter to him, and, pointing to the
menu, said:
Read that to me and l will give
you a dollar"
Quick as a flash the waiter replied:
"'Scuse me boss, but l amt had
much ejication maself!"
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

A tall, thin man, deeply bronzed
tiny crowsfeet showing athwart the
tan at the corners of his eyes, his fore
head white when he pushed back his
soft felt hat, leaned over the rail of q
small pleasure" steamer that made
short trips between Bar Harbor and
Jonesport twice and thrice q week.
His hand was brown and sinewy,
like himself, and the cigar he held he
dropped overheard as the tiny craft
came in sight of Sidbridge.
Good God"-and there seemed no
savor Of irreverence as the man spoke
the words, and his keen gray eyes
were moist-"not specll of change
not speck! No railway apparently,
no pier, no anything. after twenty
years. And I've come 10000 miles
to see you and | find you just as |
left you!
"Eh-eh? It's my body that has
grown old, not my heart"
''Do you get off here, sir?"
Eyes, purser, and look out for me
on your way back. What quaint
old place this seems to bel"
The purser laughed.
"They say of Sidbridge that no one
ever dies there and no change has
taken place for. fifty years or more"
"Ah, it's different on my side! Ia
from the other side of the word"
Herbert Seaton walked the plank,
the only passenger to alight, leaving
buns and babies behind him, and, car
rying his grip, he went up the main
street, looking keenly from hand to
hand
The name on the few stores were
familiar to him. He nodded and gave
Good day!" to an old lady summing her
self upon the doorstep, who returned
his greeting with no sign Of recogni-
ton.
Behind the coast guards cottage is
a small square. You enter it from the
main street by a narrow passage that
looks like a cul de sac, but it opens
out into tiny quadrangle, where tie
sound of the sea scarcely penetrates.
The houses-all of one pattern
are lime washed and tiled, with green
shutters, and the rust from the hinges
has stained them almost red in
patches.
And the man made his way toward
one with feet that Jagged. The green
shutters, the hall mark of respectHbili-
ty hung awry, and their hinges we're
rusted. He turned to the mex. house
and knocked at the door.
At the house of his quest the front
door swung to and fro.
"Can you tell me where Mrs Hay
garth has moved to-"
81 have never heard the name, sir"
"Did not Mrs. Haygarth-her name
was Radford before her marriage
come here to live on her wedding
day."
BRADFORD is common name here,
sir. There are three Margaret Rad
fords in the parish now"
"But the Margaret | mean married
the New York broker twenty years
ago"
THAT is long before my time, sir.
But the broker, | have heard, was
killed on his wedding day."
"Give me the address of these Mar.
garet Radfords. I've been clean ava"
for many years."
The Yankee speech slipped back to
the mans tongue, and the young wom'
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
5 In Fever-Ridden Colon !
G~..~Qr-.-Hr ..~er-.-ar-s.~aN~-ar
Especial Correspondence.)

These are hopeful days for Colon,
and, IL cheer can raise it's head in
this nest Of misery. then we Of the
north are strangers to wretchedness.
The wonder of every American. who
sees this place for the first time. Is
that there is any one left alive in it..
1t sprawls In the mire of the marsh
with a recklessness that is abandon
itself.
Under the houses are stagnant
pools of black water, floating witt
filth, while between them are scum
covered ponds which offend the very
sky with their fearful stenches. De-
cay is monarch and rules with auto
cratic sway.
He who would live here cannot es-
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

they put into effect Is splendid. Some
of them are always on duty. They
scorn to associate with other mem
bers of the feathered tribe. In event
Of a conflict over the division Of spolls
in some back yard. gobbler or a
rooster has no more show than a billy
goat would have in a contest with a
mad bull.
| was a witness to a disturbance
of this sort one morning recently.
The cook had thrown lot Of refuse
over the back fence. and in the mess
was some spoiled fish. A feathered
patrolman promptly reported for duty.
Some chickens were near, and they,
too. began an immediate invoice OF
the pile Of scraps
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
A Commodore's Tip.

Commodore e. c. Benedict and his
Wall street friend, l.. D. Huntington,
were fishing together recently when a
casual acquaintance in another boat
who thought it golden opportunity
to get valuable tip maneuvered his
craft so that it floated by quite near
them.
How do you think things are go.
ing, Commodore?" as asked, eagerly.
WELL" said Benedict, who is an en-.
thusiastic steam yachtsman, but has 8
holy horror of naphtha, "sailboats may
go down, but naphtha launches are
more likely to go up
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14
Saw a beautiful woman.

an laughed, for at first the man spoke
with the twang of foreigner
"Well,' she said, the laugh still up
on her lips, there's Margaret who's
gone clean away Margaret who bides
to Salcombe, and the schule mistress
Kansas agitator., 1904-10-14

Heavy Grape Crop in France.
It is reported that the past summer
has been extraordinarily favorable to
the vine in France and an unusual
grape crop Is expected