davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

WAYS AT HAND. n1
auxuriously appointed fat-the only
flat, by the way, on the loop-Mr.
George w. Jackson lives with his fam
lily. Mr.. Jackson is the engineer who
is so successfully directing the forces
which, out Of sight and out of sound
and all unknown to the majority of
people, are boring the long system of
tunnels under Chicago's streets. No
man in Chicago is buster or more in
demand day and night than Mr. Jack
son. He never can call his days work
done, for his activities extend all
Through the "a hours of each day.
He could not get home to be with his
family, and so he brought his family
down town to be with him, and has
provided for them a fiat whose fittings
and furnishings are said to have cost
$4,000. The unique feature of the ap-
pointments of the flat are the tele-
phones which bristle on every hand.
Each room has it's phone, so that no
matter whether Mr.. Jackson is taking a
cat nap on the parlor divan, or indulg-
ing in good cigar in the smoking
room, or eating dinner with his family
dn the pretty dining-room, or taking a
bath in the marble tiled bathroom, he
can instantly attend to the multitude OF
"details of the: work of digging tunnels.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09
A NEW FAD.

nave 'Cuelr OFFICES
put on display in the department at
Washington. The first picture was de-
signed to call attention to the neat,
beautiful and clean little Office which
the postmaster had secured. His pride
was commendable, and Chief Clerk
Conrad thought it deserved recognition.
He had'no idea Of the trouble he was in
viting. The photograph idea took more
rapidly than vaccination and for the
past few months pictures have,beens ar
irving by the dozens and scores. They
are of all sizes from blurred tintype to
a beautiful photo engraving, and rep
resent post Offices in every section Of the
country from Alaska to Mexico. g.
Il don't know where this thing is go
ing to STOP" says Mr.. Conrad. II think
we now have on file one or two pictures
of every post Office in the United States
except those in the big cities. The latter
will be along presently, I suppose, and
the big towns will vie with each other
as to, the number and beauty Of the pic.
lures they will send Of government
buildings. II this keeps On w, We will have
to secure q separate building to hold the
photographs" s3jz=s 35.:$sG: aS.fe.5 :: Y
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

their kites in the wheat pit these days,
and they-the kites-are soaring pref
ty high and seem to maintain the dizzy
attitudes to which they have been
blown, and display tendency to go
still higher. The fever for speculation
has spread outside of the regular grain
circles and the man of speculative
tastes with a spare dollar to risk has
placed it on wheat. By leaps and
bounds the prices have kept going up
and nearly everybody is on the bull
side of the market and buying wheat.
Never was kite flying contest in China
more exciting and interesting than the
tigura1ive kite flying contest INDUCED
dn by the Chicago grain operators.
Each is seeing who can send his kite
of prices the highest and if the bear
operator can succeed in cutting the
string of his opponent and bringing
down the prices he will do it. 1t takes
a good, strong, steady gale to fly kite
successfully, and the bull kite flyer
has found conditions exactly to his
liking. From the northwest has come
a perfect gale of bad reports to send
up the kites and keep them up. Here
are some OF the blasts which have not
yet lost their strength and power:
''Twothirds of the Manitoba crop is
Threatened by rust and a. very large
acreage is already affected" I'm a
drive Of so miles from Fergus to Alex
andria the wheat failure is absolutely
complete, with not a pint of grain to
the shock, and not hundred bushels
of plump wheat to a thousand acres. "
Chicago spectators are securing the
northwest and closely investigating
conditions and these reports are the
result. A pretty good evidence that
they are reasonably correct is that at
Minneapolis, point nearest the grain
country, prices have made the greatest
advances, and the trade there is said
to be on the verge of panic.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

a. r1Vels1U6 III.
gle child has kept two respectable hu-
man creatures from sse ting up house
keeping IN New York. The janitor has
been called very hard names because
the task of excl dingz chill ren has been
delegated to- him. Behind him IS the
agent. Behind the agent is the owner.
OF course. the real offenders have not
been the janttor, nor, the agent, nor
the landlords. Il T heyreal offenders have
been the other tenants, The landlords
might love children, but they must let
their apartments. Apartment house
jewellers want silence, and silence and
children are not compatible. s= :. q Is
Then here comes man with large
heart, and perhaps q large, head. He, is
William 9. Smith, and he is finishing at
Anthony avenue and Echo Place-sig-
nificant sname!-a large fiat house,
which will be adapted, especially for
children and children are cordially in
vited. LIDO not know that MI. Smith
will exclude tenants without children,
though to be logical / think he should,
but families with children will not need
to lie or evade. On the top floor Of
this fiat house, which is to be devoted
to consistent antagonism OF race sui
eide, Is large playroom, and large
back yard is supplied with swings and
other contrivances dear to the childish
heart ~ - .','N ;''>.'.' 4.
Moreover, to show still further his
hatred Of, the no children idea, Mr..
Smith declares that the parents of any
child born in his new house will get
a months rent free. Should there be
twins, no rent need be paid for two
months. 1t; may 60 without saying
though Mr.. Smith does say it-that
triplets will give any pair of proud
parents freedom Of rent for the quarter
of year.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

proceeded to give away to the poor
children great wagonload of flowers,
wild flowers, mostly. and those of the
gayest colors by preference. The spec
tacle of this little mountain of flowers
in these sun-parched streets, these
streets in which there is almost no
sign of summer but the heat and the
scarcity of clothes, was a remarkable
and sometimes pathetic one. Over
500 little people received flowers and
the bestowal of these symbols of sum
mer created fine sensation. There
were 500 more children ready for flow
ers when the CARLOAD had gone Null
berry Bend indicated very plainly that
it liked flowers, especially those that
were bright-colored and that were %
be had for nothing. ......
It would not be quite tr:,e to say that
even the vilest re~:' If New York
are without flowers III might miss
seeing those that are there If you did
not look sharply, for there are not
many, and they are not conspicuously
placed. Nevertheless, on many lit
tered fire escape there is a little box
containing wretched struggling plant
and sometimes one in blossom. Most
frequently, perhaps, it is hardy gera-
mum with its scarlet flower. But I
have seen other sorts, and sometimes
in very curious places: Everything has
to happen in one room in some parts
of New York, and when parlor. kitchen
and bedroom must be the garden, too.
there is not much chance for the refine
ments of horticulture.
The parks and recreation places have
never been SO crowded as they are this
year, but there are many thousands of
New Workers of the lower class who
have never o~e7 either the big park or
the little spaces. This is especially
true of the children, whose life for the
most part is spent on the square where
they live. - - =
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09


Highland Park and other villages ad.
joining the fort are to be considered,
Chicago is in luck in not being any
nearer to the post than she is. The
matter of special interest at the pres
ent time in connection with this govern
ment military station is that it is to
be enlarged and made the largest and
best equipped fort in the country. The
plans prepared contemplate an ex-
penditure of nearly a million dollars.
One hundred and ten acres of ground
lying southwest of the reservation are
to be purchased as soon as the neces-
sary authorization can be made by
congress. Among the buildings to be
erected by the government at the fort
are two sets of artillery barracks, each
to be separate extension on the east
side of the present large barracks. The
buildings will be detached from the
main structure, and each Of the new
barracks win be large enough to &C.
commodate about 125 men. Then, on
the west side of the present large bar
racks. will be erected two double sets
of cavalry barracks which will each
hold about ESQ men. There will also
be 13 sets of officers quarters scat.
tered throughout the present officers
loops. Other buildings to be erected
are two new stables. new quartermas-
ters' .storehouse, and, most important
of all, a large addition to the military
gardhouse. one which will accommo-
date about so men. The appropriation
authorized for the construction of
buildings is about $350,O00, and this
amount does not include one other adj
dition, which the post officers say in all
probability will be ordered, and which
they are working very hard for. name
y. . new hospital. - E,.s # .sss2
W1LLIss 8. EPSON
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

stable Of fine horses was sold with ev-
erything else that might appease the
creditors. The dashing Woodend, so
charming in manner, so popular in
business, so effective in society, came
to an eclipse. But it was not the end
of the Woodends. Not only did the
newest Napoleon set about the mend
ing of his fortunes, but Mrs. Woodend
was to be heard from. Before she mar
ried Woodend she was Miss Howard,
daughter of DR.. F. F. Howard, with a
pretty sum of money in her own right.
She entered enthusiastically into the
social and sporting gayeties of her hus-
bands life. She is good rider and
driver. She was clever hostess. Oc-
casionally on social occasion she
would recite and she recited very
well. The stage had attracted her,
but the possibility anything in
the professional direction looked very
far OF. When the failure came Mrs.
Woodend did not lose her nerve. She
believed implicitly in her husband. He
disappeared for a few days, but she
said he was all right wherever he was,
and would act honorably. He failed.
she declared, because he had been too
generous, had trusted too completely.
She mortgaged her handsome house at
So West Seventy-flrst street in an ef-
fort to meet the drains of settlement.
Now she is going on the stage. Her
gifts as an elocutionlst are to be
turned to account, together with her
gifts Of grace in manner, and a youth
full attraction not always present in So
ciety women who go behind the foot
lights. She is now &c. think this
was about Mrs. James Brown Potter's
age when she took the same step, and
not far from the age Mrs. Langtry had
reached when a kings fattery lured
her to the stage.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

y: g., :. ~ s,S away aneaQ OF MS
colleagues. He is 1t home; on n any 'po-
slitical subject, and can talk to any sort
:of an audience. He prefers finance,
however, and doesn't much care whett-
zer he. is discussing the subject before q
body of Wall. street financiers or ex-
planning the money system of the gov:
eminent to a crowd of western farmers
at a harvest home, a.. ,.....-
!. Mr.. Shaw is the unltkliest man
in the cabinet. He is about the last of
that, distinguished body of men who
would be picked out as the best political
speaker AS he likes to express it in his
homely phrase: "You cannot always
tell from the looks of a toad how far it
can jump" So the stoop-shouldered,
shambling-gaited, Iowa country banker
is deceptive as to his abilities. The Sec
rotary is in close touch with the soil
and draws many of it's similitudes from
the simple life and. occupation Of the
farmer. He is natural-born story
teller, and his knowledge. Of common
people their lives and tastes enables
him to point his tales in the most eff
: fective way. He has the. faculty, Of
thinking quickly on his feet, and is sharp
at repartee. Although his speech is at
times quaint, there, is no flaw in his
grammar, and his English will pass mus
ter with the most exacting.
Like many of the western statesmen,
Secretary Shaw has the Lincoln habit
of clinching point in an argument with
story. He has new story every cab
met day, and when it comes his turn
to discuss matters of his department the
rest of the cabinet members lean back
in their chairs, knowing that they will
hear matters of finance calculated by
witty and humorous tales. r..is 80.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

this KIDNAPPING has brought 10
light the organized activity of that
monstrous organization which Italy
knows by this sinister name. The
system in the case, of the Man
nino boy was to kidnap and to de-
mand ransom. The letter demanding
money as the price of the boys safety
was written in a fine hand, and in
terms denoting some education and
some practice in the same sort of cor
respondence. But this is only one of
the methods of the Black Hand. In
Italy the gangs organized under this
name keep books in which are ent: I'D
the names of persons of means who
might be attacked. Upon those in the
white book is made simple demand
for money. The first letter is signed
with cross. The second with two
crosses. If the fourth letter, signed
with four crosses, is unacknowledged;
one of the gang is assigned to inflict
the death penalty. If, however, the
chosen person "gWes up" the name is
transferred TO red book, and there
remains. The victims OF the red book
are liable to demand annually, or
thereabouts. In this country the sys-
tenn is much less exact, but it has gone
much further than has ever been sus-
pected, for the reason that it's opera
ton has been altogether among Ital-
lans who, with Italian traditions be-
fore them, have seldom, even in the
case of death, dared to mention the
band of murderers.. The Malta is not
local, of course, but the Black Hand
system has begun to flourish in New
York, and this city has to recognize
the fact that it's Italian population is
it's most troublesome element.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

ffally Tecok nis5 7.
but the Oh rtdne ~ object ca the ocs
cupancy e this partticuIa square 81 tho
sgoyernrae One of It's most interest-
Ing anl sionss is tho Did Blair house,.
which was owned and occupied by Fran
cts r. Blair Who edited the Globe, the
Official organ of Jackson's administers
ton When Blair lived there the house
was the 5rendezv GUS Of such famous men
as Thomas II. Benton, Martin Van
Buren,, Levi Woodbury., Silas Wright
and Others. The historian, George Ban
croft, when heswas secretary sof the
navy during the Polk admit istration.
occupied this house.
Montgomery Blair had this as his city
residence from 1854 to the time Of his
death, and It is said that Col. Robert ID.
/ Lee had, alta dinner given him by Mr..
Blair In the spacious old dining-room.
told OF President Lincoln,s desire that
he: should accept the command Of the
union army at the outbreak Of the civil
war; S# z ss.s
Right near. the Blair mansion is the
home OF the late Gen. Beall. Of Mexican
2 war fame, and not far away is the house
IN which the late. Admiral Porter died..
Other houses Of less note, but still hay
ing memories of the otden time clinging
to them are included in this square Dr..
agonally across from the Blair houses;s
an old, four-story building now used as
shop where uphols tery and furniture
are repaired, which for many years was
the ofhcial headquarterso of Gen. Winfield
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

rank pr0fusion,
and thereby hangs
a tale. and prob
ably various law
suits. 1t is the
variety commonly
known as the Can
ada thistle, and if
it's name indicates
the place. from
which it came it
can't get back
home too soon to
suit the residents
of the afflicted re-
giOn. Thistles,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

fact, big as Chi
cago is territorial
ly, the post is a
long way from the
northern boun-.
dairy Of the city
is al W a y S
thought of as
being located at
Chicago. And it
is near enough to
suit all parties
CO n c e r n e d. In
fact, If the opin-
ions of some peo-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

J ! : = marched the Army
Of the Potomac into Virginia and fed
eral troops crossed and recrossed it by
the thousands during the four years of
civil strife.
The old structure was mentioned by
Dickens in his American notes and it
ton to illustrate some of the peculiarities
of that noted author. During Dickens
last visit to the United States he was en-
tertained and lionized by Washington So
ciety, but at times was inclined to be a
little snobbish and to sheer at the
Americans. At reception he was in
troduced to- a gentleman whom he
this gentleman was sitting on the rail-
ing of the long bridge with a shotgun
looking for ducks. Dickens in his perez
CARNATIONS about the city, went out on
the bridge and met the gentleman. The
latter, remember the Englishman's
manner the night before, simply looked
at him and went on hunting ducks.
Dickens was little chagrined. but sup
posed the man had not recognized him.
Finally he turned to the hunter and
said: 70.
II say, this view reminds me Of q
scene in David Copperfield." r
The hunter turned impatiently aud
retorted: Look here, Dickens; you
can't spring any of Your novels on me
to-day. I'm out after ducks <s}--ss*
This bridge has been used for rail-
road and passenger traffic. A new
railroad bridge which is more than
twice the height of the old one from the
water level has been Constructed, and IN
a few weeks will be open to traffic. A
new wagon bridge will then be erected
above the railroad bridge, and when it is !
completed the old ''long bridge" will be
destroyed. ~ | 5 S.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

thistles, everywhere, and not place
anywhere for flower bed or grass plot
or anything that dresses in green and
belongs to respectable vegetable So
ciety. It is said that the thistles have
gained the upper hand to such an ex-
tent that the residents are in danger of
actually being driven from their
homes. The proper authorities have
not prevented the dangerous weeds
from going to seed, and the result is
that the thistle down has been carried
far and near. and the aforesaid thistle
down displaying the disreputable ten
denotes of it's degenerate species has
at once gotten busy and driven out all
the more respectable and desirable
members of the vegetable kingdom.
The first of what promises to be long
series of suits has been begun against
the city,. the action coming, under the
law passed by the last state legisla-
ture providing for fine Of from SO
to 500 for permitting the thistles to
bloom. George Sherman, the commits
sioner of Canada thistles, is the
plaintiff, and Mr.. Sherman says: "The
whole southwest side is in danger. If
the thistle comes to bloom and the wind
carries the seeds and deposits them
that means that the stalk will spring
up" Farmers who till the soil on the
outskirts of the city are greatly
alarmed and may become the most un-
fortunate sufferers of the thistle pest.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

Poe, where a Frenchwoman, genial but
independent, discourages y sight-seers.
Something new about Irving has, how
ever, just come to light. Irving, 1t APP
pears, once stopped at the inn kept by
the father of Mrs. Harriet Ellis, at
Haverstraw. across the Hudson from
Irvmg's quiet home The usual auto
graph book and album we're laid before
him, and the sweet daughter Of the inn
keeper so far interested the author that
he not only wrote his name in the al.
bum, but a little essay which has only
now come out Of the family archives.
The essay is in the vein of satire fami1-:
lar in Irving and discusses theme
popular, it must appear, even in that
day Ladies' Tongues. . The theme IS.
SO named at the head of the essay.
'"The apostle of the Gentiles,'' says Irv-.
ing, has very ably .discoursed OF
tongues in general but / shall confine
my remarks to ladies' tongues in partic-.
.ular,. and this branch OF the subject isE
alone, methinks. copious theme
The tea table OF that period is cited as
= scene In which one might witness
the activity of The feminine tongue.
& The date Of the curious and charac-
=teristic screed IL about 1923. 4 d
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

Interest and at
;tentfcn of~the peo-
pie. A case of
street fair has
broken forth. on
Madison s ire 9 t
and for two weeks
it promises to be
the biggest thing
in that section Of
the CITY,. This is
not the first Of
tense, for last
year the y. West
side enjoyed q
similar affair. At:
least. a good many.
seems there were
So when the agita-
) for another carnli-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

sabout to'dlsappear.
There will. be no
tears shed over It's
departure, b 0 "
ever, as for aim st.
half :ta . century It
has been q menace,
:, to the city. This is
the celebrate ted.
"long bridge" that
occupied SO promi-
nent place during
the civil war. It
W a s called the
!. gateway to the
d: south - oe oarocctk
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09
Wanted-Lots Of Children

l. u II K risk OF
seeming to devote
much Of this letter
to children d l must
note an extraordi-
nary develo pment
in thehistoryoft the
: child :! Il struggle in
the city. For many.
years the crime of
h avt3fng children
has been svariously
n1lniahn6 tn esNnu,I,u,vi
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

interesting. Kite
flying in the cen
ter Of the city
among the tall
s k v s c r apers
would throw the
small boy into an
agony of despair.
He prefers the
open spaces on the
outskirts of the
city for his sport.
But the bulls of
the board Of trade
seem to find no
difficulty in nvino
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

Treasury Leslie M.
!, Shaw 4, There 9. may
be more polished
orators, like Sec.
rotary Taft, Attor-
ney General Moody.
and Secretary Of
State Hay, blu t
when it com e 8
right down to cap-
]. tiiyating an audi ID
ence and entering
into the give and
take repartee of
the political stump
Secretary Shaw Is
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

L WAS IN an Ital-
ian neighborhood
in the famous
Five Points region
that an interest
ing incident &C.
Cured the other
day. Members of
the Moderation So
ciety met at the
Church of the Epi-
phany in Stanton
street. and then
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

obscure. town in
the southwest has
sent a photograph
of his little Office to
the fourth assist
ant postmaster
& e n e r a l. Chief
Clerk Charles "A.
Conrad displayed
the photograph in
his office here in
Washington, a n d
that has started a
rage among post
masters through
out the country to
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-09

s p ECU | ating In
grain or are stand
ing around watch
ing those who are.
In the very heart
of the city there
is at least one
man who is too
busy to know or
care w h e t h e r
wheat is up or
down. Away up in
the top of the Illi-
nois Tunnel com
pany's building, on