davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

to the minister's sermon, which fire.
quently did not reach its conclusion
until seventhly and eighty had BEEN
passed.
But Atoms chief grievance against
the recurrence of Sunday had its
foundation in the circumstance that he
had to get UP bright and early on the
good day. not only to dress up in his
Sunday-go-to-m meetings, but to learn
seven new verses of Scripture-one
for every day in the week-so that he
would shine at Sunday-school The
Westminster catechsm also had to be
memorized from What is the chief
end of man?" clear through to the end
without a slip. There was no way Of
lodging. If the verses were not conf
mitted by the time set for starting
churchward, then it was a case of say
ing them over and over again on the
way in, until mastered, to the stern
faced man at the reins, or to the
mother whose look showed her grief
at her sons religious dereictiou
1t was in this fashion that the boy
received a thorough knowledge of the
Bible, which has caused him as a man
to excite the admiration of even min
listers by his ready quotations from it..
But he no longer attends PRESBYTERIAN
Church. He is prominent in the Epis-
mother who makes her son a yearly
visit at Esopus, on the Hudson not
infrequently takes him to task for
leaving the faith of his fathers. And
/ don't believe l can ever quite forgive
you for it, Alton" she invariably says,
by way Of closing.
His One Hunting Experience.
One of the Incidents of his boyhood
Il n hat ha IN obs
over occurred on one of the very few
Sundays that he was not taken to
church. For some reason or other suf-
ficiently good to his parents, Alton was
sent to his grandmother Betsy's to
spend the day. On the way over to her
place he picked up his chum, Joe Eggle-
ston, who, for a wonder, had also been
left behind by his parents, and the
two, in their best clothes and with
Shining faces, presented themselves
before Grandmother Betsy, who was
famous for her delicious cooking and
her ready remedies for all sorts of
aches and pains
Grandmother Betsy believed in let
ting boys be boys, and instead of seat
ing them on shiny haircloth chairs in
the best room, permitted them to play
around the yard. Pretty soon, in a
tree back of the house, they discov-
cred a gray squirrel perched in full
view on a limb. They listened to the
natle animals lusty scoldins for a
time; then Alton guessed that he'd
make good eating for dinner. Joe
guessed back that that was just about
what, and Alton volunteered the in
formation that his Grandmother Betsy
had a gun in the house which would
surely kill the squirrel Joe thought
it was a shame for a person to have a
gun and not use it; his companion
agreed, and a few moments later disap-
peared into the house, leaving Joe un-
der the tree still keeping an eye on
the squirrel.
When Alton rejoined his chum he
carried his grandfather's cumbersome
old-fashioned gun. 1t took the united
efforts of the boys to point 1t at the
squirrel then there was loud report
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

From the Honolulu Pacific Commercial
Advertiser.
On the night of April 20 the steamer
Mauna Loa, while lying at Keauhou
shook and trembled, then she heeled
over to port and then heeled over to
starboard. Everybody sleeping aboard
was awakened, every one awake be-
came alert; something had happened
Somebody declared IT was an earth
quake. A similar experience had been
met by the Mauna Loa months before.
Capt. Simerson learned, however, that
II was not an earthquake at all that
moved the boat, but a whale. An enor-
nous leviathan of the deep had sea
hives. It's back itched; IL felt the SEN
sation that so many people experience
in the tropics, it wanted to scratch
its back. There was nothing on which
to scratch until the Mauna Loa was
sighted. The whale was reported by
native fishermen to have dived UNDER
meath the boat and scratched its back
on the keel of the vessel. The shaking
and rolling of the vessel were caused
by the whale, so the fishermen claim
ed. rubbing its back against the bot
tom of the Mauna Loa. When the
whale had gotten relief from the ma
rine hives, 1t swan away.
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05
BOYHOOD STORIES OF ALTON B. PARKER
he Dd Chores Helped the Fields Went District
Aplenty and Found His Fun in the Hole

If you were to ask Alton B. Parker,
one of the leading candidates for the
Democratic presidential nomination.
about his boyhood days. he would
likely reply, as he has frequently re-
piled:
Il lived the life of the average farm
ers son of the middle of the last CEN
tury.'
He lived it from A to lizard. From
the time he could toddle he did chores
on his fathers farm in Central New
York, some four miles from the town
of Cortland. He helped in the planting
and harvesting, carried jugs of fresh
water to his father and hired man en-
gagged in blowing, and later followed
the furrow himself; he made himself
useful at hog and calf killing times,
and worked in the sugar bush, Incl
dentally experiencing there the reich
ing sickness of his first smoke.
He went to the "destrict" school
house, where he was known as Allie,
cut his name in the pine clapboards in
rough letters, and each succeeding
year, as he grew taller, emblazoned il
a little higher up, until the clapboards
held ,.c. name of A. B. Parker some
seven Or eight times. He got the US
ual "lickings" at school, where he was
a fair, but not brilliant, student. and
at home, where his rugged health. due
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

She had spent her scanty store Of
money buying food for it, while she
starved herself.
The case was brought to the notice
Of an italian prima donna-a woman
who is famous as a singer the world
over but whose many charities are un-
known to the public which reads col
umns about her fine gowns and cost
ly Jewels She helped this young wo-
man in many ways and employed her
as her maid. But the girl would not
leave America with her-must she not
wait for her man to come out of jail?
and so she needed employment
again.
This was the story the charity
worker told, after he had taken the
girl to a department store in the next
block, where he had secured a place
for her. THAT little Italian girl" he
concluded, lis one of the noblest wo-
men / ever met-and you constantly
meet the noblest, as we'll as the vilest,
women in this business of mine"
Went on His Hounds Armed.
Now we will get out on our rounds,
said the charity worker, as he reached
over to a pigeon-hole of his desk, took
out a serviceable- looking revolver, and
put it in his hip pocket.
do you often need that weapon?"
he was asked.
Il have. not shot anybody vet" he
laughed, but once or twice have had
to threaten them in order to get safely
out of a tough joint. We have to go
into all kinds of places in this work
and buck up against lot of rough
characters.
1.-THE other day it came in handy.
was interested in a man in state prison.
He was doing a long term for burglary.
and had decided to go into our home
and reform when he came out. His
whole soul was wrapped I'D In his sis
ter, his only relative. She was lit
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

tie girl when he went into stir and he
often talked to me about how he look
ed forward to meeting ner when he
came out. 1 promised to fix it fol-
him.
1--WE did our best to look after her
but she had grown into a pretty and
Eighty young woman, and she insisted
on going around with very bad lot.
week before he was due to come out
she was arrested for ro5bing a Ger
man. 1 knew that unless l could pro-
duce the girl. my friend the crook
would go simply crazy, get to drinking,
and soon land in State Prison again.
So l got lawyer for her and persuad-
ed the judge to suspend sentence and
parole her in my charge.
81 took her to my office, but when
I went out for a moment to make ar
rangements for placing her in a home,
she slipped away. I hurried to a GER
tain tough joint, where l suspected
should fin her, and sure enough she
was there, drinking with lot of yegg
men,
What sort of game dye think
you're handing out to me, Maggie -
I asked her. Don't you know 1 want
you to meet your brother next Mon
day.?
"She cried and said she would come
right along with me after she had It'd
led her hair in the next room. She
left her hat and Jacket IN the table,
and so l thought she was surely COM
ing back.
well. she didn't. waited for her
for a quarter of an hour the 'yegg
men cycling me viciously all the time.
At last they crowded around asked mo
what l wanted, and threatened to soak
me good and hard unless I got out.
II told them l wanted the girl.
She went out o. the back door ten
minutes ago. said the bartender.
Well, it's up to you to find her for
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

/ sir, in a few weeks but you might get
a lady to look in here every once in a
while to see If the woman tends to the
kids properly"
will he really pay you back?" the
charity worker was asked afterwards.
Undoubtedly He is an honest man,
and the woman was "a fool to leave
him. You would be surprised to know
how often we are repaid money which
we spend on people whose condition
seems far more hopeless than his. FIRE.
quently a small loan will tide them
over hard times, and when they are
earning money again they come around
to my office and want to pay me back.
tell them to give the money to some
body who Is as badly up against 1t as
they we're. and they do II.
1.-THE very fact that they. are poor is
usually an argument for their honesty.
The man who is dishonest and the
woman who is immoral are not poor
except at the end, in the woman's
case"
In the Tenement sIums.
In another crowded tenement q wo-
man was found lying down uron a
rickety bed with a newly-born baby.
A few days before baby came ihe
mother had no place TO lay her head.
A woman nearly as poor as herself,
except that she rented miserable
room, took her In in her hour of troC-
Bile gave her shelter and got a chart
table doctor 10 attend to her. The
doctor had notified the charity work
err of the case, and the fatter arrang-
cd for her removal to a hospital
II ran up against similar case the
other day. he said, but the baby IN
that case had been born several weeks.
The woman and the baby were getting
a whole dollar a week from some So
called charitable society. She couldn't
nurse her baby, because of worry and
insufficient nourishment, and she
couldn't go to work. She paid so
cents a week for milk for he little
one, and starved on the remaining 20
cents.
"When I reproached the person re-
sponsible for that paltry dollar a
week for not looking after tle 'wo
man better, he replied that she had
not a very good character How much
morality did he expect on dollar a
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

sion by way of advertisement. He
would balance himself on the top of the
rail fence. just like man, and argue
till the sun fell, especially If his oppo-
nent happened to be Joe Eggleston and
the subject was that of moving ma
chimes.
Atoms father owned a mower which
had the cutter bar behind, while Joe's
fathers machine had the cutter bar in
front.
Course the right place for the cut
ting bars in front" Joe would declare.
Suppose a man was drunk and fell off
the machine, and it was like your ia
theirs and had the cutter bar in back,
he'd get cut up and killed wouldn't
he?"
That amt it," Alton would reply.
IF the cutter bars in front you can't
look down on it and keep from run
ming it into stones. But if it's in the
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

back you can. can't you?"
But suppose a man was drunk and
fell OFF," Joe would ask; Alton would
still persist that that wasn't the point
and so on, while the weeds between
the corn hills got a fine start on the
young disputants.
An Adventure With UnbrOISen Oxen.
Young Parker's persuasive powers
stood him in good stead the day he
and his friend tried to emulate the
formers father in the matter of break
ing oxen, Parker senior being the
champion breaker of the neighbor-
hood. They hitched a couple of young
oxen to a pung. and, proud of their
success, determined to drive over to
Neighbor Whites and ask if he had
any work for them. When they put
the query to Farmer White, he re-
called that there was a log back OF
the house THAT he would like down iii
the barnyard, so he told the boys to
go ahead.
They went at the job with a will
but the log proved too heavy-a hall
dozen oxen could scarcely have moved
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

pond until he was well nigh tuckered
out"-skate long past the meal hour,
forgetting chores and all the humble
farm duties; and If there was a circus
within striking distance he'd rather
take a lickin' any day than miss it,"
His first long trip from home alone
was made that he might feel the joys
of eating peanuts and riding the ele-
plant at Ithaca, some twenty miles
away. He was still below his teens,
when, accompanied by a boy friend,
he arose before daylight, hitched up
a team and drove the entire distance,
there being no railroads in that part
of the world then. The boys carried
their savings of weeks with them-a
total of some two dollars-and when
they turned the horses head home
ward late at night they were strap
ped But it was worth while; they
were the Marco Polos of the neighbor-
hood for weeks, and the other boys at
the district school hung on their every
word.
His Love of Argument.
Young Alton dearly loved a discus
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

it-and finally they We're compelled
TO give up and started back home.
They had almost reached there
when the oxen, seeing a gate partly
open leading into an adjoining field.
suddenly made bolt for it. The boys
yelled fit to kill" and made every
effort to stop the animals, but they
kept right on, and when they had
quieted down again, some minutes
later, the fence for several rods looked
as if a western cyclone had swooped
down upon it.
Just about this time the fences
owner put in an appearance and he
was wrathful. He wanted to do all
sorts of things to both boys and oxen,
but Alton. assisted by his comrade,
persuaded the man into the belief that
their fathers would certainly make
good the damage-which they did
and the man allowed them to go on
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05
BY GUY T. VlSKNlSKKI.

SORT of boyhood, despite the fact that
his father had to work hard to make
both ends meet. and the boys only
wagons We're homemade. out Of
boards and boxes. Still the sky of his
young life had one cloud--and that
was Sunday.
Young Parker's father was a Pres
byterian of the sort that would ha re
reJoiced the heart of John Knox him
self. Ills mother is still of the old
school, and it need hardly be added
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

that Atoms rearing was along hard
and fast Puritanic lines.
The family attended church in Cort-
land with a regularity that won the
praise of the God-fearing countryside
for miles around. No matter what the
state of weather-mud up to the wheel
hubs. snowdrifts over the fence tops
Alton and his brothers and sister were
bundled into wagon or sleigh, and
later into the family pew, where the
keen eyes OF their elders saw to it
that the youngsters gave proper heed
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

to an open-air life, prompted him to
indulge in all sorts of boyish mis-
chief.
AS for recreation, Allie Parker got
it in boyish fights apenty with the
youngsters from the adjoining farms,
at huskin' bees, in the swimmin hole
in Browns pond, in lingering the fife
in the countryside fife and drum corps,
but above all in the circus, skating and
argument.
The One Cloud in His BoyhOOd Sky.
Altogether he had a pretty good
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

and next instant the bundle of fur
tumbled. dead, to tse ground
The lads secured their bag. and.
dragging the gun after them, hunted
up Grandmother Betsy, threw them
selves on her mercy, and incidentally
asked if she didn't think the squirrel
would be fine for Sunday dinner. They
were shrewd enough to know that
pride in her cooking was the old lady's
weak point, and so they had squirrel
pie for dinner, and the day was not
clouded with even so much as a sug-
gestion of reprimand.
His First Long Trip from Home.
This incident marked the beginning
and the end of Atoms career as a
nimrod. He never cared for shooting;
in fact, OF all the staple boyish de-
lights only two appealed strongly to
him. He would skate on Browns
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

week and a baby? Anyway. the poor
little child in an apology for a cradle
was not so very immoral Some
charity workers-not many. I'm glad
to say-really make me tired. -
Two old women were visited in a
ramshackle tenement up fifteen fights
OF stairs. One was the mother Of a
boy in prison, and out of pity she had
taken i'm the old woman. who was
homeless. Both were practically des-
titute. 1t is always the poor who are
the best friends of the poor.
After several other cases, each pre-
senting acute features of distress, had
been relieved. it was past o'clock in
the evening. The charity worker had
been toiling steadily since o'clock in
the morning. under the most depress-
ing conditions, but he said cheerily
I'm afraid I'll have to quit work
now, and get home to clear up my
morning mail"
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05
Whale Scratched his Back.

Copyright, 1904, by T. G. MCCLURE
The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-05

Copyright, 1904, by Guy T. Visk-
niskki)
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-17
MY VIsIT6TO
CHARLESTOWN

Ny visit to- Charlestown the home OF
my father. and Mr. johnson, who kind rn1
IL took me to raise after my mothers
death He and my father were school
mates at the Academy OF Charlestown.
+ apa Charles III home was l lllito'W'''j
View" and my fathers home was cave We
FARM and Cassillis, the home OF the
seldens and Kennedys. It was In the
year Of 1901 we left Radford on the ca r.y5
train to Roanoke, where we 4 spent the
day and night; then left Roanoke FOR
Charlestown; arrived there that night
at 10 O. clock. We drove to friends
house Of mamma J.'s, where we spent 9
week; then part OF the time at ara a
disc, tile home Of mamma 8 cousin the
Hon.. Isaac Fouke: then relatives from
the country IL OF Papa Charles. from ON
.l1dgewood Place Farm = ca me for us ..s {
Wish i could tell you OF this beau tlfuls
colonial country home large stone house
with aslnrge 4lawn4and green hedge fence
with cattle grazing in the Immense fields
around ;slong carria ge drive ltlis q mile
ION II otel PoWlia tan College M s. own wi.
ia Their came up from Washngtontto spend
a week with me. IN He was a t the hotel
in5 Charlestownas but walked out to see
lis. He told me he had been to many
dance Y at that lovely l'on,e, when he
Mas a boy. H II got team and took
I,esalie and II out to see his old home
and my uncle, wife and children We
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-17
HOW JOHNNY
SPENT THE FOURTH

4 johnny had spent the morning Of the
Fourth as Il grea t many city boys 40;
He with n few%of his chnms decided
to spend their, holiday in the country;
so they carried oil of their fireworks q
short distance from town where they
would .)e free to fire their crackers
where they pleased. At noon they re-
turned tired and their pockets empty OF
money johnny laid down In the ham
mock to rest and fell asleep.
Why. what was this coming; It was
Johnny BY the arm and lee, him down
1.-THE street. $50 you have been killing
us again have you?" he said. Johnny
did not answer. he was so scared that
he could hardly walk. He was carried
before Judge Pln-Wheel, who was a cross
Old man. Soon it was decided that
Johnny should be tied to q Pln-Whcel
and feel some Of the pain Fireworks 80
through A strong one was selected and
Johnny was tied to IT, Policeman Can
noncracker stood with match lighted -the
word was given and the match touched
the flise-fuzz-z-z-z-z-z-z the wheel
started off swiftly and Johnny felt as
though he was flying In space. rs
"J-O- -N-N-Y." lie nwoke with n
start-it was his mother calling him to
supper. ALFRED c. BARROW.
Blackstone Va,
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-17
GOOD FEATURES
FOR THE T. D. c. c.

u Dear children OF the Club,--1 know sou
will read with Interest a number OF
stories sent Iii by the1mernbers OF social
club H. Radford, va.-"Tfe Rosebud Gar
den OF Girls who have applied for
badges and introduced themselves finely
as contributors. 5s
The editor Is glad to hear that Alfred
\ e.. Barrow is going to enter the kodak
contest Alfreds pertinent Illustrations
Give an excellent forecas of wfat may he
looked for In illustration
One Of the dear children ren,ep1 hers the
club In midoceall and sends n character
slistic, bright and entertaining manuscript
from the steamer Celtic. 1t is to be hoped
that this little lady will not fall to let
the club hear from her after she reaches
Europe, for her Impressions are always
well worth recording and reading
The editor trusts that the midsummer
days are full of enjoyment for the I'D.
c. C. children wherever they may be and
whatever they may be doing.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-17

would get out and pick berries on the
way, Desnic drove part OF the way. and
1 the other IT was most an ENJOYABLE
trip, for it was the first time had
ever been to the birthplace Of my father.
Coming back. papa showed me the Boldd
Academy Papa Charles grand father
was one Of the founders of4it. Papa took
NE TO see his Aunt Julia Kennedy She
was so pleased to see us We had such
"a lovely time. we did not wish & To- leave o.
From there we went to Front Royal, 4 @
Mr.. Reds brother, who lives n t Bell
mont, about q mile from Front Royal,
on higl, hill. This. too, Is an old co-5i
flonial home. You can see all over Front
Royal. From there we went to Markham
station to visit his sisters home, which.
is three miles out, This lovely home Is
Clifton. We had such N a lovely time
going to entertainments and driv-.
Ing everywhere around. a little, girl and
boy had tiny ponies. and we were M
vited there to ride them. II is like what
we read OF now. There SO nlanysser-
wants and black nanny OF We oldcn
days charlestown is the town where old
John Brown was hung, and we can read
OF him In history. Wbuld$ Ike 70 tell
you many more things about this, but
it would be too long alctter,t
ELSIE sDI.DEN.
N " Radford, Va.