davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

bronzed by exposure. He is essentially
a barbarian and would be more at
home in the first century than in the
twentieth. But he is the strength of
Russia. He won for her the war with
Turkey, he wore out Napoleon's re-
treating veterans, and he won Siberia
and Turkestan for the car. In fact,
he is about the only Slav soldier that
ever has gained victories. It remains
to be seen what he can do against the
well trained artillery and infantry of
the Jap. If he fails there it is safe to
say that Russia's day in the far east
is ended.
Kozaku. the SIav word from which
Cossack is derived, means a robber,
clearly indicating the brigand origin of
the present nainstay of holy Russia
The original home of these picturesque
warriors was around the Don, in the
Caucasus and near the southern end of
the UraI mountains. They are mostly
of Slav extraction though with some
Polish and a trace of Tartar blood.
They have more freedom than most of
the Russian peasantry for the reason
that the life of the Cossack is almost
wholly military. The government gives
him a piece of land, from which he Sc
cures sufficient crops to meet the sim
pie wants of himself and his family,
and no more. Thus only few little
patches of the land are titled, the re-
mainder being used for grazing. He
usually lives in a little village of log
huts, but his instincts are unsettled and
.-omadic. Like all wild and primitive
peoples, he is a democrat, and will
stand little restraint His chief is call
ed a hetman, and since he came under
Russian dominion the czarowitz is the
supreme hetman of all the Cossack
tribes.
| The Cossack has played a part In
SIav history from the beginning of the
| empires existence, sometimes for the
bear and sometimes against. It was
/ Yermak a Don Cossacl, who began
the conquest of Siberia in 1881, after
ward turning over all the vast territory
he overran to Ivan the Terrible. The
/ Cossacks of the Ukraine were organ
lied by Poland, but revolted in the
middle of the seventeenth century and
Joined Russia. Some of them under the
famous AIazeppa afterward fought
against Peter the Great, but most of
them have been the allies of the Mus
covite from that day to this.
At present the Cossaeks. of whom
| there are nearly 1000, 900 in all. are di-
vided into eleven voiskos-Don, Kuban,
Terek, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Ural, ST.
IBERIA, Sentry Transatlantic,
Anur and Ussuri- 1t win thus be seen
l that they have been taken from their
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01
HOW FREDERICK STOPPED
nETEL

The tenacity with which German SOL
diers adhere to the practice of dueling
as a custom Of the service is surprising
in view of the strenuous attempts
made at various times to suppress it.
The present emperor of Germany es-
tablished the court Of honor to restrict
dueling within as narrow limits as pos
sible. but this court appears to have ac-
complished little. Frederick the Great
of Prussia was a bitter opponent Of
dueling, and he found a means of sup
pressing it. Finding that the practice
was increasing in his army. Frederick
issued an order directing the summary
punishment of any officer engaging
in a duel without his consent Soon
after consent was asked by an officer
of rank and sgraciously granted on con-
dition that his majesty should be noti-
fed of the time and place of meeting.
When the beIlfgerents arrived on the
ground they found the emperor there
before them and seated near newly
erected gibbet. When the challenger
asked the meaning of this he was an
swered. 1T means. sir, that I intend to
witness your battle until one of you
has killed the other, and then I will
hang the survivor" That duel was Off
at once.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

At st. Petersburg Howard n. Thomp-
son, formerly at Washington, is in
charge. Assisting him are Robert A.
Wilton, who was born in Moscow; Cal
vim O'Laughlin. Mr.. Gates, a native
Russian who has done work in Amer
lea, and several others.
On the south side" of the war have
been placed a number of the best men
in the Associated Press service. At
Tokyo is Martin J. Egan, also Robert
NJ. Collins, who reported the Spanish
American war, and Mr.. Zomoto, a ma
tive japanese, both of whom will go to
the 'front.' There are correspondents
at Yokohama and Nagasaki, in Japan,
also five Chicago men in Japan waiting
to go to the front. At Chefu, China, is
George Denny, formerly at Manila, and
there are also men at Hongkong, Tien-
tsin, Picking, Yingkow and Weihaiwei.
At Seoul, Korea, is the Korean news
agency, with a number of well known
correspondents, while two men are al
ready with the Japanese army in
northern Korea.
In addition to the general service es-
tablished by the Associated Press, the
most distinguished war correspondents
of the world have been sent to the front
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

made, and 1t requires a quick eye and a
thorough knowledge of the situation to
choose the most important item. Some
times an event is told in a few words
that changes the whole history Of the
war. To seize Instantly on the preg-
nant dispatch requires the newspaper
instinct. or. ira the vernacular of the
shop, a nose for news" Headlines are
hurriedly written. copy is edited and
passed up sheet by sheet to the com
posing room. Here the copy cutter APP
portions it out almost sentence by SEN
tence to the typesetting machines. The
disjOinted parts are gathered together,
proof is read, the newspaper forms are
made up matrices are made and cylin-
dricaI forms are cast These pass down
to the press room, and at 1 o'clock OF
a few minutes after the first edition of
the paper is laid on the editors desk.
Then other leaders must be chosen for
later editions as the dispatches contin-
ue to be clicked off by the instruments
and typewriters in the telegraph room.
War ifs a costly thing for newspapers.
While a few more copies are sold, these.
especially with the big city papers. are
not sufficient to meet even a small part
of the largely Increased expense. And
never has news gathering been more
expensive or more difFicult than it now
is in the FAR east.
"A FDCEPTON
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

homes in southern Russia and scat
tered throughout the empire, or, rather,
along the boundary of the empire.
All male Cossacks are compelled to
enter the military service, being trained
to it from boyhood. Compulsory post
service begins at seventeen and active
field service at twenty. They wear a
distinctive green uniform topped by a
great astrakhan cap. Most of them
are in the cavalry, though there are
eighteen battalions of Cossack infantry
and forty-four batteries of artillery.
There We're about 10000 of them in
1900, and this number is being mate
rally increased since the beginning o.
the present war.
In addition to his duties of keeping
and charging the Russian boundary,
the Cossack is the feature of all mill
tary reviews, he forms the personal
bodyguard Of the car, he patrols rail-
roads where they are threatened and
he conveys infantry and artillery on the
march. His sport consists in dancing,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

across Manchuria. AS a matter of fact.
there are five splendid lines from Port
Arthur to St. Petersburg 1t requires
less than an hour to get messages
through, and we have had no trouble
whatever in sending dispatches
Mr.. Stone has received from Admiral
Alexeief a cablegram containing the
assurance that Associated Press CORE
spondents will shortly be placed with
the Russian army in the field.
Perhaps the chief man in all the As
ISOLATED Press service in the far east
is NJ. Kravschenlxo, an eminent Russian
painter and writer now stationed at
Port Arthur. The editor of the Novoe
Kraf is also an Associated Press CORE
spondent at that point. In addition to
these is another Russian, NJ. Durchenko,
at Irkutsk, on his way to the front.
Other correspondents are stationed at
Dalny, Newchwang, Hardin. Mukden,
Vladivostok and Kirin, besides the reg
uIar correspondents at Russian and ST.
berian points and other special men
sent to join the Russian army.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

as members of the stats of individual
papers The veteran of all these is
Frederic Villiers Of London, who has
reported every war Of Importance for
the last twenty years. Richard Hard
ing Davis, the well known New York
writer is perhaps the most famous of
the American correspondents. Mr.. Da-
Wis gained especial distinction in his re-
port of the battle of San Juan HILL
He also covered the war in South At
RIGA George KEENAN,, the man who
got himself so thoroughly disliked in
Russia by his description of Siberia.
viii doubtless write interestingly of the
present struggle from his thorough
understanding of the Slav character.
John Fox, Jrs author of 1.-THE Little
Shepherd of Kingdom Come" will deal
with another sort of kingdom come in
sending back news of battles on the
other side of the earth. Bennett Bur
leigh, who was through the siege of
Ladysmith in the Boer war; viii now
have an opportunity to experience an
other choice bunch of horrors in going
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

ports sent from the south side of the
war must be largely guesswork. We
have twentY-nine men in this territory
ii. e., Japan, China and Korea-but we
are forced to place our chief reliance on
our force on the north side. e., in
Russia, Siberia and Manchuria. While
the st. Petersburg government has the
usual war censorship, it is much more
liberal than that of Japan, as those pa
pers that depend wholly on japanese
sources for their news, which is espe-
cially true of the British press, can
testify.
There are many misconceptions con-
corning Russia's telegraph and rail-
road facilities in the far east. For ex-
ample. it has been stated that she only
has one little telegraph line struggling
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

"gonzies,'' From post to post they go,
crying: 1.-THE car calls youI Mobiliza-
toni" The whole village swarms out,
the red flag is run up, and every man,
woman and child starts for the rallying
place. Even the sick follow as best
they may. To remain behind is counted
cowardice, to which death is preferable.
All the men capable of service mount
their tough little horses and are away
to fight for the little father"
Brave as he unquestionably is, the
Cossack does not heedlessly hazard his
life. His method is to strike and get
away before the enemy has time to re-
cover from the blow. On the march
the little steeds climb mountains or
swim streams with the same readiness
that they traverse the rolling plains to
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

are many more almost as famous-A. @.
Hales, who served both as soldier and
correspondent in the Boer war and in
the Macedonian uprising; J. J. Lawton,
who was a lieutenant in the Boer war;
H. ]. Whigham, who is famous as
newspaper man in America and Eng
land; +. CIough, the writer of animal
stories; Vladimir Grfbayedoff, who is
both a writer and a celebrated artist;
J. F. J. Archibald and A. M. Knapp,
both well known correspondents; Fred
eric Fl. Remington, famous for his
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

stout thong tied to a block of wood.
which is buried about two feet UNDER
ground.
ignorant, but faithful and obedient,
brutal, but untiring and good natured.
wild and free. but amenable to the
strictest discipline, these Russian
rough riders are the cars depend
ence in the far east. Whatever the
result, the outlook promises some Of
the fercest fighting ever seen in the
worlds history.
ARTHUR v. JORDAN.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

a.. practically no cavalry
Al::: is opposed to one that
Yin H: has the best cavalry
on earth. All who
have studied the army of Japan admit
the superiority of its infantry and ar
tillery; but the Jap scarcely knows the
use of the horse either in war or in
peace Russia, on the other hand, owns
one-sixth of the horses of the earth.
Every moujik is a rider. Moreover. the
Russian cavalry in the far east is. COM
posed almost wholly of Cossacks, the
best riders in the world, with the posi-
bic exception of the American cowboy.
On these half savage centaurs the Slav
empire places its chief. reliance. If it
wins to them viii be due the victory.
II it loses, the result viii prove the con-
tention of those military experts who
claim that modern wars must be decid-
ed by infantry and artillery. For this
reason the strategists of the world are
watching the conflict with heightened
interest.
The Cossack is not only a rider but
a fighter. That is his trade. He is the
boundary keeper of the Russian en-
pire- He is in evidence along the from
tier all the way from Finland to Man
churia. He holds the half assimilated
peoples in check. He is a terror to Finn,
to Pole, to Turk, to Mongol and to Mant-
chOo brigand. He comes from peo-
pie whose women gouge out the eyes of
any of their men folk who show the
yellow streak of cowardice. When he
was christened he had a sword placed
in his hand as a symbol of his career.
When he was three years old he was
placed on a horse. He is a simple
hearted child of nature who slices off
his enemy's ear for a ransom, and just
as cheerfully did he cut off the heads OF
his victims until he found them too
cumbersome to carry. He fights with
spear with gun or with saber. He
shoots sitting backward, standing in
his saddle or hiding behind his horse
Everything he does is at full gallop
He picks up articles from the ground as
he sweeps past them and as a regular
part of his drill does feats that would
make a circus rider look tame. He
enits terrifying yells with his mouth
full Of consonants. He is of the cheer
full sort that rips up his foe with g
smile or would just as blandly receive
the ripping as give it. He is ais beard
ed and hairy as a viking, as merciless
as a Tartar and as hardy as an Amer
lean frontiersman. His face is fire.
quently SCARED by conflict and always
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

singing, trick riding and acrobatic
feats, such as the forming of a human
pyramid. The horses are as well train
ed as the men. They are rather small.
why beasts that can undergo almost
any sort OF hardship. One of their feats
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

is to gallop madly, suddenly halt and lie
fat down to form a breastwork from
behind which their riders may fire. AS
an example of the speed of these ami
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

the ambulance so
not have to
in order to carry
is too severe for
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

this, however. two riders viii catch
him up between them and gallop madly
away.
At the outbreak Of hostiIities word is
carried to the various divisions of the
Cossacks by mounted courierss or
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

stolidly marches to
that his comrades
leave the firing line
him. If the wound
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01
Wild Riding Cossacks, the Cars Hope In the Far

HE Russo Japanese war
is peculiar in one
phase-a nation with
practically no cavalry
is opposed to one that
has the best cavalry
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

HOSE who comfortably
read each day the dis
patches from the seat
of war in the far east
realize little Of the
difficulties, expense
and actual danger en-
countered in gather
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
HEAVY LOSS BY FIRE
RETAIL DRY GOODS DISTRICT OF
ROCHESTER, N. Y, PRAcTI-
CALLY WIPED OUT.

Rochester, N. Y, Feb. 26.-Practi-
cally the entire retail dry goods dis
trict of this city was destroyed by
fire today.
Insurance men place the loss at
100000. Of this amount $750,O00
represents the loss On buildings and
the remainder the loss on stocks Of
goods and the occupants of Offices.
It is estimated that $500 people are
thrown out of work temporarily, at
least. because Of the fire.
The burned district lies on the north
street and Clinton avenue, north, run
ming from st. Paul street almost the
entire length of the block. The fire
started in the store of the Rochester
Dry Goods company and worked west,
taking but one store east of the es-
tablishment, that of the Walkover
Shoe company, before it's progress was
I checked in that direction. The store
|, of the Beadle & Sherburne COM
pany, the Marble block, occupied by
the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr company,
the thirteen-story Granite building,
the lower part of which also was oc-
cupied by the Sibley, Lindsay & Curr
company, and the upper part by Of
ices, were burned in the order named.
Only the front wall of the Marble
/ building is standing. The shell OF the
| Granite building is intact and the
floors are in place, but the building
was Quilted.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
FINAL ACTION TAKEN
SECRETARY HAY AND PANAMA
MINISTER EXCHANGE CANAL
TREATY RATlFIcATloNs.

Washington, Feb. 27.-Se Secretary
Hay and Minister Bunau-Varilla, at
1880 a. NJ, exchanged notifications of
the Panama canal treaty at the state
department.
This exchange marks the close of
diplomatic negotiations looking to the
requirement by the United States of
canal rights on the isthmus running
back to the first quarter of the last
century. What remains to be done
|. now is nothing more than the adjust
ment of certain legal questions by the
law officers of this government-the
state department has filed it's func-
tons.
President Roosevelt. at 11:50 a. m.,
signed the proclamation putting into
effect the treaty with Panama regard
ing the isthmian canal. AS soon as
the proclamation was signed. it was
returned to the state department,
where the exchange of ratifications
already had taken place between Sec
rotary of State Hay and Minister Blu
nau-Varilla of Panama f@:
The president may not send to the
senate his appointments on the 18TH
milan canal commission before the first
of next week.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
JAP FLEET OFF PORT.
Harbor Of viadivostock is Reported
Blockaded.

Harbor Of Vladivostock is Reported
BIockaded.
London, March 1.-Vladivostock has
been blockaded by Japanese fleet
since Thursday, according to Daily
Mail dispatch from Hakodate, which
adds that incoming steamers report
Russian cruisers on the east coast of
Nnkwasan, in the bay Of Sendai,
Japan. Japanese warships have been
reported in the vicinity of Vladivos-
took, but this report Of a blockade, al
though considered probable, has not
yet beer confirmed from other sources.
The correspondent of the Standard
at Tientsin, under date of Feb. 26, in
dispatch speaks of the Japanese
fanking movement on Kirin as prom
Using to be the most effective blow yet
delivered.
This probably is only a re-echo of
the reported landing of the Japanese
at Possiet bay, which has not yet been
given any authentic confirmation.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
ROUTED By THE JAPS.
Force Of Cossacks Gets Too Near En-.
emy's Camp.

Force Of cossacks Gets Too Near En-
emy's Camp.
London. March 1.-The correspond
ent of the Express cables from Che
mulpo, by dispatch boat to Chefoo,
that the first land engagement be-
tween the Russians and Japanese &C.
CURED Sunday about a mile north Of
Pingyang.
A squadron of Russian Cossacks
coming from the direction of ANU,
about thirty miles northeast, appeared
on the Seoul road. They were met by
force of Japanese infantry, whose
outposts gave warning Of the enemy's
approach.
The Japanese quickly opened fire on
the advancing cavalry. who immedi-
ately turned and dashed toward ANU.
The Japanese plan Of campaign is
being steadily executed. For many
days past transports have been arriv-
ing here unescorted, Japan being SO
confident of her command Of the sea,
while reports from other places show
the landing Of troops has been equally
successful.
Pingyang is the center of operations
In Northwest Korea. A large body of
troops with many guns is encamped
there. They are faced by a huge force
of Russians, estimated to be 10000 to
10000, with fifty guns, who have
crossed the Yalu during the past week
and are now in touch with their ad-
vance body at Anju.
TT iS annaront tho RnSsianS ara do.
termined to advance still further
south. Military men at Chemulpo ex-
pect battle hourly.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
ORDER is SUSPENDED
UNITED STATES WILL NOT FORCE
CONSUL MORGAN ON RUS
SIAN GOVERNMENT.

Washington, Feb. 29-The orders of
Edwin V. Morgan, appointed and con-
firmed as American consul to Dalny,
to proceed to that port have been sus-
pended. Mr.. Morgan will not proceed
until he has received further orders
from the department.
There is no present intention of
trying to force. Mr.. Morgan upon the
Russian government. Hs.-. -!
The state department recognizes the
right Of any government to withhold
an exequ:.tor. by warrant Of which
the consul is authorized to exercise his
functions, and if not her govern ment
does not feel that q consul located in
one of it's ports facilitates commerce
there is no disposition to make an
issue on that point. Mr.. Morgan re-
mains at his New York home.
No change has been made in the
orders to Messrs. Cheshire and David
son, who have been named as consuls
to Mukden and Antung, respectively.
Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-03-04
MAINTAIN Il uRlou9
eoMBARDMENT OF THE EN-.
+. hi ,. EMY's PosITloN. 4
RUSSIAN TORPEDO BOAT SUNK
AND TWO CRUISERS 'sERl-
oUsLY DAMAGED. ri q
cossAcKs AND. asJAPs MEET IN
NORTH KOREA AND FORMER
. - ARE REPULsED.

London March Ia dispatch to the
Daily Telegraph from Yinkow, dated
Feb. 20, says: ~. 49, :.
"Fifteen Japanese warships> furious
ly bombarded Port Arthur from 10
until IL o'clock this morning. The
Russian cruisers Novik, Askold and
Bayan, accompanied by four torpedo
boats, steamed out to meet the attack.
They were, however, forced to retire.
The Askold was in sinking condi-
ton. The Novik was badly damaged
and torpedo boat was sunk. The
Russian battleship Retvizan was again
damaged. The Japanese withdrew in
good order"
A rumor is current that the jap
anese are making a vigorous attack
upon Port Arthur by land and sea and
Russia has lost more vessels.