davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

ple when YOU get TO Rome anG see the
churches thicker than saloons in Mil
waukee. and everyb body attending
church and looking pious. YOU catch the
fever and Try TO forget bad things you
have done, anu ii you get a chance 20
see the pope, you may go TO his palace
Just cause you vant TO see everything
that is going on. and you think you
don't care whether school keeps or not
and you feel Independent. as though
this religion was something for weak
people 10 indulge in. and finally you
come face 10 face with the pope, and
see his beautiful face. and his grand
eyes. and his every movement is full
OF pious meaning. you 'penuk RICH,
there. and want 10 kneel down ana
let him bless you, by gosh.
Say. | never saw dad weaken like
he did when the pope came in. We
cot tickets to 60 70 his reception, but
dad said he had rather so 10 the cata-
combs. or the lion show al the Coliseum.
He said he didn't want 10 encourage
popes. because he didn't believe They
amounted to any more than presiding
elders az home. He said he had all
ways been a Baptist. and they didn't
have any popes In his church. and he
didn't believe in en- but some other
Americans We're going TO see the pope.
and dad consented 20 60, under protest
II being understood that he didn't care
tvrn vrhoonu ANYWAY
Well. sir. We went. and 1t was the
grandest thing you ever saw. There
we're guards by the thousand. beautifr.
gardens that would make Central par
look like a hay marsh, hundreds o.
people in church vestments. and an
air al sanc;.ty that We v dreamed
Jewels that are never seen outside th'
pope's residence. and we lined UP TO SCI
the holy father pass.
Gee. but dad trembled like a dol
tied out In the snow and the perspira
ton stood out OF his face. and he locke.
sorry for himself Then came The pro
cession. all mobiles and great people
and then there was a party oi plou
men carrying the mos beautiful ma
we ever saw on a platform above u'
and IL was the rope. and he smiled q
me. and the tears came 10 my eyes, AZ
| couldn't swallow something whlc
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

I s'pose was ny sins. and then he looked
al dad and held up one hand, and a
was pale. and there was no funny bust
ness about dad any more. and then
they set the platform down and the
pope sat in a chair and those who want
ed 10 went up 70 him. and he blessed
them.
Say. for awhile dad dassent 20 Up,
n he thought the pope could see
right through him. and would know he
was a Baptist. but the rest OF the Amer
leans were going up. and dad didn't want
TO be eccentric. SO ne and | went up.
The pope put out his hand 10 dad. and
instead OF shaking II, as he would the
hand Of any other man on earth, and
asking how his folks we're, dad bent
over and kissed the pope's hand, ane
the pope blessed him. Dad looked like
a new man. a good man. and when the
pope put his hand on my head. and
blessed me. my heart came up 10 my
throat. cause | thought he must know
OF all the mean things ! had ever done
but | can feel his soft. beautiful hand
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07
The StranSest Financial Transaction
Ever Known in This Country.
A ROMANCE is BACK OF 1T ALL.
Capt. Milo Green. Tilted by the Girl He Loves.
Advances Money, with Her Child as Secu-
rity. When She Gets in Financial Diff
culties-Claim Is Due September
II of This Year.

him bravely. even after he was forced
10 leave st. Johnsbury and seek work
day labor-at Guildhall. What the
little woman suffered In the first ten
years of her married life she alone
knows. Her beauty changed-but she
still was beautiful. Trouble and hard
work could not change everything, and
her eyes we're just as flashing and her
hair as black as ever. The husband
still drank hard. but for a time She
thought she had won the victory. He
quit drinking. settled down to work,
and there were three years of compare
tive happiness. Then Claire came, and
the mothers heart. %hungering for years
for her lost boy, was satisfied.
The birth Of Claire was fatal TO his
fathers good resolutions. The day aft
er the child was born Jaques went out
10 celebrate. He returned home drunk
and for most OF the next W years he
remained drunk. He lost his savings,
his little home. his employment. The
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

this Is a morgue," but 70 cheer him CO
! told him his head murt be wrong, and
I pointed 10 about a hundred dried
corpses. a thousand years old IN a cor
ner. with grinning skulls all around.
and told him that wa the ballet, and
told him 20 look az the leading dancer,
and asked him II she wasn't a beaut.
from Butte. Mont. and that killed dad
lie leaned against me. and said his
eyes must have gone back on him, be-
cause everything looked dead TO him.
/ told him he Won d get over Il after
awhile. and TO stay where he was while
| went and spoke 10 one OF the ballet
that was reckoning 10 me. and | left
him there, dazed, and went around q
corner and hid.
People were coming along with
torches. all the time. looking at the
catacombs and reading the inscrip-
tons cut In the rock. anC after awhile
went back 10 where I left dad. and he
was gone but after awhile I found him
standing up with the stifs. He was
glad 20 see me. and wanted 20 know II
/ thought he was dead. told him / was
sure he was alive, though he had a death
ly look on his face. Well, sir, says
dad. Il thought It was all over with
me, after you left. for man came along
and moved me around. and took hold
under my arms and jumped me along
here by these stiffs. and told me II |
didn't stay where I belonged he would
break me up into bones. and throw me
into a pile. and I thought / would have
10 do a. the Romans do and stay here,
and before the man left me he reached
into my pocket and took my money
and said | couldn't spend any money In
there where | was going 10 stay for a
million years. and. by gosh, | was SO
petrifed I couldn't stop him from rob-
bing me Say. Hennery. they will rob
you anywhere, even in the grave, and
If this Catacomb show is over, and the
curtain has gone down, | want TO get out
OF here, and 20 to the Coliseum or the
Roman amphitheater. where the wild
beasts eat people alive" And so we left
the Catacombs and went back to town,
and dad began to show life again.
Say. o tell the folks at home that
dad is gaining every day, and his va
cation is doing him good. He has prom
Used 20 XIII me for taking him TO the
Catacomb show. but dad neve harbor'
revenge for long. and ] guess your lit
tie nephew will pull through. I wish
l had my skates. cause dad wants 20 q
TO Russia. Yours,
HENNERY.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

ter will not listen to anyone n
speaks OF Capt. Green's hardness.
It is peculiar, also. that the lawyer
down in Peacham. who drew Capt
Green's will, chuckles whenever the
subject of the mortgage is mentioned.
yaques Lcseuer, Owe in the lumber
ward. is working desperately and few
erlshly. 1T will kill my Wife. he
SAYS. Il must pay it,"
The Mother Only Smiles.
Ana. stranger than anything else, a
few DAYS ago Marie Leseuer was sew
ms on a little blue jacket for Claire.
and she said 20 q noighbor.
"Don't lot Jacques hear OF It. but
I'm making this so Claire can so over
70 Peacham for a visit this fall
Then the old skinfint "a going to
foreclose the MORTGAGE" asked the In
d!gnant neighbor.
you mustn't call him a skinhint
He's been kind 20 us, and. whether The
mortgage Is paid or not I'm COINS "a
let him have Claire FOR a time. thinh
Il will 10 them both good"
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

on my head now and from this ou |
would fight any boy twice my size that
ever said a word against the pope and
his religion. When we got outside dad
says TO me. "Hennery, don't you ever
let me hear Of your doing a thing that
would make the good man sorry II ne
was 10 hear about IT," And we wentto
our hotel and stayed all the afternoon.
and all night, and just thought Of that
pope's angelic face, and when n OF
the Americans came 10 our room and
wanted dad 70 play cinch, he was IN
dignant. and said: Il would as soon
1 think Of robbing a child's bank. and
We went 70 bed, and If dad wasnta con-
verted man ! never saw one
Well. sir, trouble. and sorrow, and re-
/ ligion. don't last very long on dad. The
next morning we talked things over, and
I quoted all the Roman stun could
think OF 10 dad. such as In that elcer
day. 10 be a Roman was greater than
a king but before / could think twice
there was a connection in the streets
and a porter came and made US take of
our hats. because the king was riding
bv. and We looked at the king, and dad
was hot. He said that fellow was moth
ing but a railroad hand disguised liz a
uniform, and, by ginger. II we had seen
that king out west working on a rail-
road. with canvas clothes on. he would
not have looked like a king. on a bet
There was nothing but his good clothes
that stood between the king and a cage
digging sewers in Chicago.
After the king and his ninespots had
passed. dad said: When you are In
Rome. you must DO as the Romans do
and he said he wanted to get that heavy
feeling OFF his shoulders. which he got
at the religious procession. and wanted
me to suggest something devilish that
We could DO, and told him We better
20 and see the "~Catacombs." He want
ed to know II il was anything like "a
trip to Chinatown" or the "Blacl
Crook" and ! told him il was worse
Then he asked me If there was muci
low neck and long stockings in thu
"~Catacombs. and / told him there wa.
a plenty. and he said he was just rips
TO see that kind OF a show, and so VI
took a carriage for the "Catacombs.
and dad could hardly keep still till W,
got there.
/ suppose ! ought to be killed 70
fooling dad. but he craved for excite
ment. and he got il. The "Catacombs
are where Roman citizens have beef
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

Peacham. VT One of the %strangest
mortgages e recorded in this coun-
try is held by Capt. Milo Green, a rich
recluse farmer. living near this place.
The amount OF the debt is 81 500, and
the security given is a bright-eyed, sew
~en-year-old boy.
The mortgage falls due on September
q Of this year, and il IL is not paid
promptly on that day no one who
knows OF the case doubts for a minute
but that il will be foreclosed. and lit
tie Claire Leseuer will pass from his
parents 10 Capt. Green.
That it may not be paid is moro than
a possibility.
To tell the story Of this remarkable
transaction. and the strange romance
which is hack of it. It is necessary 10
20 back a number of years. and 10 the
town OF st. Johnsbury, where all Of the
characters. with the exception OF the
boy. lived % years %. At that time
Cant. Green was but beginning "a
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07
When he boy Yves IN bed MILO turned

When the boy was IN bed Milo turned
upon Mrs. Leseuer. We'll" no said.
what are you going TO do?"
The Mortgage Given.
II cannot leave him-he is my hus
band" she said.
"You cannot live this way he said.
IL have paid the mi and the nurse
for a month, and the grocery bill, but
you must have more money"
lie will soon be able 10 work she
began.
"Not for months-perhaps longer"
"Then must work" she said, des-
perately.
"You shall not. II will kill you. |
will advance you money
I'VE cannot accept IL from you. We
have nothing TO give as security.
Eyes. you have" said Milo Green.
There is the boy. III advance you
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

mother worked desperately. taking in
washing and ironing. doing anything TO
support herself and child. But the
strain, the worry and the shame told
on her beauty.
Then the drunkard husband fell sick,
and affairs came to a crisis.
Green to the Rescue,
How Milo Green ever heard OF the
Might of the girl who Tilted him no
one knows, but one morning he ap-
peared in Guildhall and inquired the
way TO the home Of the Leseuers. The
mother. worn oct by nights Vigil at
the bedside OF her sick husband and
the care OF her child, answered the
knock on the door. and saw her old
sweetheart standing there. With a
word OF sympathetic greeting he enter
ed and spoke with her plainly. lie
urged her to leave the man who had
treated her so badly, but she refused.
lie pleaded that she owed il TO herself
and her child. but she still refused and
he departed.
an hour later he returned with q
woman. bearing food and wine and del
icacies. He assumed control. sent the
mother 10 bed. sent the woman TO care
FOR the sick man upstairs and then sat
down TO rock the baby TO sleep.
Loved the Child.
Never before in his life had Milo
Green held a child in his arms. II
was reunited mon the little boys and
Girls Of his neighbors that he ate chill
dren after boiling them alive. and. in
substantiation Of this charge there are
several small boys who declare he
rrovled al them when he caught them
in his apple trees
Vet with the infant in his arms, the
man appeared happy. and The child
which had been fretful and neevish
saemed 10 find something TO trust II
he hard. stern face above IL, and Eel
asleep with its arms clasped around
the mans neck.
Throe hours later when the mcthei
awoke. refreshed, the house was clean
"a a n%ourlshing meal ready lot her
no woman had gene 10 employ a nurs'
sor me sick man. and Milo Green wa
s,,.,nr before tho fire with the boy
snund asleep. clutched In his arms
and he seemed happy. Marie sa'a n
VAS almost smiling as be wa'cne' 'H
: boy.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

buried for thousands OF years, In graves
hewn out OF solid rock, and they are
petrihed. and after they have laid In the
graves for a few hundred years. the
mummifed bodies are taken out and
stood up In corners, if the bodies vii
hang together. and il not the bones are
piled up around for scenery.
We had to take torches 10 go la. and
we wandered through corridors. gazing
at the remains. until dad asked one Of
the men with us what II all meant. and
the man said II was the greatest show
on earth. Dad began to think he was
nutty. and when | laughed and said:
That Is great" and clapped my hands.
and said: Encore" dad stopped and
saiI: "Hennery. this is no Lex show
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

anass the wealth which is now his;
AT hat time Jaques Leseuer had but
lust crossed the American border from
Quebec and was beginning TO thrive IN
the lumber business. at that time Ma
lie MERCER. daughter of poor Frenc
Canadian parents. was n OF the beau
ties OF the district around St johns
bury. aud among her admirers were
Mo Green and Leseuer.
Green had lived a hard life. Born up
IN the northern hills Of Vermont. Oh
poor parents. he had had TO fight for a
litle education. and had succeeded. lie
was a reserved. cold. silent man-as
|f1raidding and cold 70 most people as
hfs native hills in winter, but TO Marie
Nareier all the warmth that was I'D
Ai, nature "a turned.
Wealth vas beginning to come 10
him then. and the little. black-haired'
tlacb-eyed girl perhaps was fatterea az
tho silent. unasking alteration OF the
man who was so hard to Others. she
c.uld turn him with a smile, or draw
him from his Office or his work with
a nod. and she knew It. In those =
suer was a strong. handsome, young
man. given TO drinking and gayeties.
Green Tilted by the Girl.
There was any promise, so faT
a. men knew. from Mare MERCER 70
Green. but every one supposed she
would marry him for his m%oney-tt not
foi himself: and some thought perhaps
she would love him because he was s.
opposite. There was surprise, there
fore when she was married to Jaque'
Lesouer.
II his heart was broken Green failed
70 Show IT.. He was a little o silent
q little harder. a little colder, and h'
cot rich a little faster-that was all
For five years he continued 70 live Il
S Johnsbury; then he sold his grow
ing business TO q combine. and. with
cu a word Of explanation. retired to
farm he had bought near Peacham. II
The hills. lie put his money into mort
cages, stocks and bonds. and simpl'
dropped back TO live the life Of a ricI
r~ecluse.
Misfortunes in Abundance.
Things went badly with the Leseuer
from the first. A boy was born-Emi
and three years later he died. The
business went rapidly to the bad. IL
seucr drank heavily. His wife stood b
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

Copyright. 1895. by Joseph l. Bow.es)
Rome. Italy.-Dear OLD Friend. You
remember. don't you, when you were a
boy, playing tag, you're H." and
button. button, who's got the button?
that one OF the trying situations was
to be judged to go TO Rome, which
meant that you were W kiss every girl
in the room.
/ never got enough going TO Rome
when | attended church sociables and
parties. but always got blindfolded, and
had 10 kiss anybody they broughtto ne.
which was usually a boy or a colored
cook, 50 | teased dad 10 take me 10
Rome, and when be got over his being
ratified and robbed and burned by lava
at Vesuvius. he said he didn't care
where he went. and. besides. I told him
about the Roman Coliseum, where they
turned hungry tigers, and lions, and by
enas loose among the gladiatOrs. and
the people could see the beasts a them
alive. and dad said that was something
like ii. as the way he had been robbed
and misused in Italy, he would enjoy
seeing a EouA SNARE VI NAf pAlAlatN'A
chewed by lions. If the lions could stand
Il. didn't tell dad that the wild ami
NAL show had not been running for a
couple Of thousand years, cause !
: thought he would find il out when We
got here.
say. old man. I guess ! can help you
10 locate Rome. You remember the time
| spoke a piece al the school exhibition
when | put my hand inside my flannel
shirt. like an orator. and said: And
this is Rome. that sat on her seven
hills. and from her throne Of beauty
ruled the whole world" Well this Is
II. where I am now. but the seven hills
have been Graded down and Rome don't
rule the whole world a little bit; but she
has got religion awful.
The pope lives here. and he is the
boss Of more religious people than any
body and though you may belong 70
my other kind Of church. and when
you are home you don't care a CONT
mental for any religion except your own
or y0ur wife's religion. and you act
Ike an inhdel. and scon al good peo-
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

$500 in cash for a mortgage on the
boy"
The mother wept awhile, and then
sobbed her assent. Two weeks later.
when Jacques was able 10 sit up in bed,
the mortgage was given, and both hus-
band and wife signed II.
Swears He'll Foreclose.
Milo Green put the document in his
pocket and rose to go. The wife Was
sobbing. AS he started towards the
IGOR Milo turned suddenly and blazed
out at his sick rival:
Before the Almighty" he declared.
If you don't brace up and be a mar
and support this woman and child III
~foreclose the mortgage the minute II
falls due. | did this in the hope Of
making a man of you. | wish you'd
debut. If she wants you TO live. I'll
give you a chance. II you drink and
fail 70 pay that mortgage I'll take the
boy."
From that day or Jaques was sober.
As he slowly regained his health ne
sought work and found it in a lumber
ward. and he and his wife settled down
10 a Y money to raise the mortgage on
their boy. Every six months they paid
the interest. and the little fortune in
the bank grew larger.
They do not know II yet. but every
cent OF interest money that has been
paid is in a bank at St Johnsbury to
the order Of one Claire Leseuer.
The struggle has been a hard one
but the couple is certain that. by extra
work and extra saving. they can al
most accumulate enough to settle the
debt by September. The father IS o
rying over the prospect. and working
harder and harder 10 get money enough
70 settle the debt. but. strange as Il
may seem. the mother is not worrying
a bit.
Minister Takes a Hand
A few weeks ago the minister heart
OF the strange mortgage that Capt
Green held on the little boy up a
Guildhall. and he drove over 10 remon
strate with the captain about such un
natural traffic.
What Capt. Green said to the minis
ter is not entirely known. But II Is
strange thing that the next day, oil
meeting a neighbor. Capt. Green re
marked that the preacher was a prett!
decent sort Of a fellow, and the minis
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

.Did my diamoncs call forth any COM
ment?" asked Mrs. CumrOx
Eyes. indeed answered Miss Cay
enne. Il heard several people refer TO
YOU as the human chandelier Wash
iugton Star.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

Young Mother-John. you are simpls
undoing all my training. You must no
give the baby everything in the house
Helpless Father-ss not my fault.
II 1 don't give him everything he wants
NJ yplls-Detroit Free Press.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07

when ny husband comes home ana
tells me he has had a corking good
time" said Mrs. Gayman, Il always
know he has had an uncvrking good
time. Chicago Tribune.
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07
The Bad Boy and His Dad Visit the
Pope-They Bow 70 the King Of
Italy aud His Nine Spots ~ Dad
Finds That The Catacomhs"
Is Not a Comic Opera.

BY. HON. GEORGE ". PECK.
Ex-Governor u Wisconsin. Former Ed
itor Of Pcck's Sun. Author Of Peck
Bad Boy ctc)
The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-07
Misfortnnoa IN Abundance.

Misfortunes in Abundance.
Things went badly with the Leseuers
from the first. A boy was born-Emil'
and three years later he died Then
business went rapidly to the bad. lie
sencr drank heavily. His wife stood by
Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-03-08
Collision Injuries Num-
Der of People.
The Entire Street Car System
Badly ParaIyzed Throughout the
City, Disseminating a Million
People.
6y Associated Press.

NEW YORK, March with one
collision, in which twenty nine we're
injured and none killed New York has
passed through the first day of gen
eral strike on its rapid transit system.
BY this accident and some minor cas-
ualties, due to abnormal conditions,
the sum total of the day was annoy
ance and vexation to a million or
more people who are usually depend
ent upon inter borough lines tor
transportation to and from business.
So far there has been little disorder.
Sporadic encounters between indi-
viduals, some bad language and the
action of few hoodlums, in throwing
missiles at passing elevated trains tell
this phase of the strike. Annoy nee
TO the multitude was increased by the
wet snow, which began falling this af-
ternoon.
Service on the elevated and subway,
while not tied up was crippled badly.
Trains we're run on irregular schedule
on the underground but the elevated
trains did not fare so we'll. On the
east side practically no attempt was
made to institute the service, while
on the sixth and ninth avenue lines,
which serve the west side we're run in
a fashion woefully inadequate. In
fact the elevated system of the inter
borough lines was pretty we'll paralyz-
ed. The company's energy seemed to
be directed towards an effort to main