davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

great liar; only one thing requires greater, and that Is to tell the exact truth. An illustrieus list might be made up of great liars, and at Its head. perhaps, should be placed the worlds historians. Defoe may have been a very bad man. but Robinson Crusoe" is very good. When We have the pearl shall we complain that Il comes from a diseased oyster7 His tale has opened many youthful mind to the sunlight of life. It has taught many a mature mind the great truth that the real essentials of comfortable living are few. and not the least of these Is human companionship. There Is no way of estimating the good that Is done in the world by a good book. It may be a lie-so Is Pilgrim , Progress it Is nevertheless truer 10 the real principles of right living and right longing than our own lives are. Defoe was a creature of his own times. but his work Is immortal. His vices were those of his environment: his genius was his own.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
missoURrs NEW SENATOR.
Maj. William Warner Began His Career as an Ore Boy in a Mine,

At six years Of age an ore picker on the dump of a mine; at 65 a mem Der Of the United States Senate. This in brief is the life story of Maj. Will liam Warner. the Republican Senator from Missouri.
 More than 30 years ago in a little room in Kansas City In which Square" Henry White, a justice of the peace, held court a young lawyer named Warner made a remarkable plea for justice for bis client, who was on trial there. Moved 10 prophecy by the eloquence and logic of the speak CT. J. Y. C. karnes, another young lawyer. remarked:
 If Warner lives long enough he will be in the United States Senate"
 MT. Karnes has lived to see his pre- dlction fulfilled. for the young lawyer with the eloquent tongue was Maj. William Warner. who has been elected by the Missouri legislature to succeed to the seat so long filled by Francis NJ. Cockerell
 Maj. William Warner had his full quota of those American aids to politi- cal preferment-lowly birth and pow erty. He was the youngest of six chill dren, and his father worked in the lead mines of southern Wisconsin. Five years after William was born In Lafayette county. Wisconsin, his father died. A year later hls mother died, and the boy faced the stern ne cessity of earning his own bread.
 He had been to the mines with his father, and he turned tothem for a means of gaining livelihood. Too small to do other work, he began pick ing up bits of ore from the refuse heaps piled about the mouth of the
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

It sometimes strikes one that our cl, ilizati is sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mir Hyde affair There are so many contradictions in it. IL is at once ma terialistlc and aitruistic. It Is sordid and saintly. It makes paupers and cries over them. It is an age of loot and law. II Is an age of poodle and beatiic virtues. It steals from the wid DIV and orphan and gives the proceeds to libraries and universities. It is an age of frenzied finance and of hospitals and homes for the aged and children. And all the while the search for moral rottenness goes on. It Is an age of publicity and of challenge and of pro test It Is an age Of aspiration for public and private virtue and of the ceaseless discussion of ethics. Never before have public crimes been so gib- beted. Never before have the ills Of society been so hung up to the public gaze. Lawson Is telling about fren- zied finance and Russell of the beef trust and Lincoln steffens of the shamelessness of cities and Ray Stan nard Baker of the rule of corporations. Every magazine has its corps of scay engers digging at the filth And the newspapers seek most Of all for the headline that tells of graft. The vic tins of our civilization are ever be. fore our eyes. And we go on making tCore victims. How can these things be: Is th.s money -gra bbing society of ours the society that builds blind asylums and homes of refuge? How can the two dispositions go together? Easily enough. Everyone has in him divergent impulses, and society is but an aggrega ton of individuals. The question is. will the better or the evil desire prove the stronger: Can we doubt which: If the desire for self puriication is not greater than the propensity to have and to hold. our condition Is sorry indeed. It is the old. old struggle-with this difference: The day of fourishing evil and wrong is also the day of publicity and pro- test-ths day of desire for better things
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

feel 1t my duty to write and to break of our engagement.
 What I am going to say now has nothing to do with the above, but as I happened to be writing I thought had better mention 1t. Do you remem- Der saying that Miss Adelaide Jones was the most perfect and complete cat you ever met? You were quite wrong. feel that l ought to mention this In order that you may do her more jus tee In future. l saw her this morn ing and I have told her everything, and anything more considerate and angelic 1t would be impossible to con ceive. She said that she had heard of the enga cement and knew from the first that it could never come to any thing. Then she told me the reason why.
 Of course, George, you are not an swerable to me in any way now, and |. Is really no concern of mine, but think you might have told me what passed between you and Miss Brown. If I had known how far things had gone between yoI I should never for one moment have permitted what I did.
 At the same time you must not think that I am blaming you. Of course she Is not beautiful, very far from it; and am not going to pretend that her manners are in any way pleasing. Her laugh is far too loud, and her teeth are perfectly awful. Still everybody admits that she Is ex- tremely good to her mother, and I am quite glad and rejoiced to think that this was an attraction In your eyes. So many men can only take super ficial view You yourself, when you have been talking to me, have said lots of things about my hair and my eyes, but you have never said one word about my intellectual qualities. Yet I should really have valued that much more, because I can get any amount of men to talk about my hair and my eyes. Those are not the things that really matter.
 I really honor you for having no- ticed Miss Smiths devotion to her mother and for having fallen in love with her in consequence. l know many men who could not have done It. Only I do think that in justice to me you might have mentioned 1t, and In jus tice to her you should not have allow ed her to suppose that there was even tacit engagement between you. Of course she did suppose 1t; Miss Adel- aide Jones told me so distinctly, and she told ne all about that week at Henley, too; In fact, she has shown herself a true friend In this trying time. I feel sure now that you will be sorry you ever called her cat,
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

l and that you will never do It again. This had nothing whatever 10 do with my reasons for breaking of our en- gagement, and I hope you will not be small-minded enough to think that it has. I am fairly humble and am quite willing to admit that Edith Brown has very much the advantage of me in age and experience, but am afraid cannot regard her as a rival; she k merely one of the people that ons takes no notice Of.
 should like you to say what you wish me to do about your letters and presents. My instinct, of course, Is to return them I was crying over them all last night and thinking that should much prefer to return them. It seems almost a pity now that you had the ring altered so as to fit me, but I dare say good jeweler could put an inch or so on 1t and then 1t will fit Edith Brown just as we'll She has nice plump little hands, hasn't she? I ask you to tell me what to do because I have only my instinct to guide me and do not know what is the etiquette on these occasions. You see I have never been tilted and thrown over like this before. How ever, l am not entitled to reproach you. I never took the thing very seri- ously myself, and I have no doubt that I shall soon forget all about 1t.
 So you see, George dearest, that must submit to papa's superior wis dom, and that we must definitely say good-by. Perhaps many years after this we may meet again when you have married Edith, and I only hope that we shall meet as friends. Faith fully yours,
 JANE ROBINSON.
 P. Slave just received invitation from the Browns to their daughters wedding reception. She Is dear little mouse of thing, and I think she might have done better than q Dissenting minister, but mamma says that 1t Is a very old engagement. I do not know if there was anything in my letter to imply that we should break of our engagement, but I never intended any thing of the kind. Mamma Is quite in your favor and I can al. ways make papa do just what like.
 P.S. 2.-Mamma says that Adelaide Jones is a cat, too.
 P. S. 3.-Forgive me. am awfully sorry. But how was I to know?- Barry Pain, in the Tattler.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
.vy7 l PAPERS Eli MefnE PElOPI

ston and loved travel change and excitement He gave the safe business of stoekeepng manager of small museum in connection with a travelling show. He eventually made fortune the business and at 50 lost cent of it. but after this he fortune
 James Harper of the best printers and press men in New York This would have satisfied many man. but he desired to become publisher He saved few hundred dollars and started the publishing house known Harper Bros He succeeded from the outset
 Think what the world would have had the artist Turner followed the advice given him to become barber Who would have heard Defoe had he re- mained merchant and factory instead of Ing to literature and producing Robinson Crusoe?
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
BREAKING HER ENGAGEMENT
--~~~~~~

M EAR MR. SMITH: You see .
 even from the first words of ~ my letter you will gather what 1t Is have to say. I can no longer call you George. In fact, l never ought to have called you George at all. I was young and rash and had not taken everything into account. However, 1t Is better that the mistake should be rectified now than when it Is too late. That Is what papa said last night.
 Yes, George, I told papa last night all about what was then our engage ment. He says that it can never, ney CT be; or, at any rate, We ha1 better take time to think about 1t. He had no prejudice against you personally; in many ways he admires you, as, of course, anybody would do who had the privilege of knowing you. I should say that he really was deeply attached to you, but 1t was certainly his idea that we had better not be engaged at present. He says that your income is not sufficient. l am not a strong wom- an and l have never been used to roughing 1t. Suppose fell i'll. Think of the misery of 1t; you would never be able to endure an invalid wife. know I seem to be in health and that l have generally a good appetite and so on, but these things are very decep- tive. Under any strain, as, for in- stance If I had to do any kind of work, feel sure that I should col lapse utterly. So under the circum- stances, however hard 1t may be,
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

The science of meteorology has no, yet taught man what day may bring forth in the way of weather. Farming operations are clouded with uncertain ty from seed time to harvest, and from the nature Of the case the most en- lightened and conservative tiller of the soil Is compelled to gamble in flu tures' much as does the speculator in the wheat pit. Unfortunately, too, his stake Is often his all. Delayed or pre- mature frost, too much or too little rain, to say nothing of the visitauo of creeping or flying destroyers, al ways threaten him with loss or ruin and keep him forever guessing. He must bet his crops on the presence or absence of favorable conditions. an in- exorable fact that in the course of ges may have had something to do with the ingrained gambling habit which be- sets mankind everywhere.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
A Diabolical Plot.

It was in Kansas.
 The first full-bearded legislator beck oned to his mate.
 Isn't there nothing more we can do to lawn"
 Nothing that I can think up now, or I wouldn't be in favor of adjourn ing"
 I've got an idea"
 What is it?'
 wy, when we get that new ref1n- cry built to work the convicts inf" "Yesr'
 Then we'll have lawn convicted for criminal operations and put him in the penitentiary-"
 "Yes"
 And then we'll put lawn to work in our refinery in opposition to him. self"
 But his mate had tainted for very Joy at the prospect" Amer ican.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

shaft, and the thoroughness with which he did this attracted the atten ton of miae foreman. The foreman offered the boy the position of driving the skinny old horse that worked the mine pump. William eagerly accept ed, and for three years he furnished the incentive that kept the horse faithful to his task.
 ! At the end of three years William got a promotion. He was permitted to drive the horse that hoisted the ore bucket from the mine. This horse, be- ing a uyelier and more intelligent ami nal than the other, did not require so much urging, and the boy had time for meditation.
 h some way the knowledge crsQt into Is active brain that an education was a good thing. At that time he did not know 80 much as the alphabet, but the thought took root and fourished. and one night after the days work was over he went to the village store and asked for book.
 The clerk sold him a primer and gave him his first lesson in the alpha bet. William was fascinated with the new world that the ability to read opened to him. He studied every night.
 When he was ten years old he was offered a place in a grocery store. The position paid him more wages and gave him more time to study, and he took it. For four years he work cd and studied and saved and accu- muated enough money to pay board and tuition for year at a college in Lawrence, Wis.
 Following his year In the university there were years of teaching school, saving and studying law, and at 19 he took the examination and WAS admit ted to the University of Michigan.
 He was 20 years old and still stu dent at Ann Arbor when the first shots of the Civil War were fired, and he and others of about his own age form ed a company and offered themselves for enlistment The recruiting officers told them to go back to school. Most of them did so. William Warner went home and began teaching again. But one day in 1862, while class was in the middle of a recitation, he decided to go to war. GO home" he said to the pupils. There will be no more school until you get new teach CT"
 He went to Shullsburg, Wis, organ lzed a company and was unanamously elected It's lieutenant. The Thirty third Wisconsin Infantry was formed. Lieutenant Warmers company was as- signed to 1t, and he was elected adju- tant.
 In the army he was engaged in ac- tice service constantly. He was with Grant before Yicksburg For his gal lant services In the fighting that pre- ceded the surrender of General Pem- berton he was appointed assistant ad- jutant general in the staff of T. Kirby Smith, and served in that capacity in the Red River campaign. After that he saw constant service in Arkansas and Missouri. He was farsighted enough to see the future possibilities of Missouri.
 A month after he was mustered out as a major, at Madison, Wis, at the close of the war, he was on his way back to Missouri with all his scant be- longings.
 A few months after he arrived in Kansas City he formed a law partner
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
MANY WRITE TO OSLER.
Baltimore Doctor Made Unhappy by
 Letters He Receives.

If the people do not stop writing let ters to Prof. Osler he will have DO chance to do any thing in all his walk ing hours but cut open envelopes and glance over the written stun within, says a Baltimore special to the New York Press. Letters by the hundreds and by the thousands have been pour ing in on the unhappy man since he yauited into fame by declaring man was no good after he was 40, and ought to be chloroformed at 60.
 Some persons write to him in all seriousness. Some have fun with him. He destroys most of his letters. but a few have come to light through ac- quaintances who read them. Here is one:
 Dear pr. Osler: I am 2T years of age. was married a year ago to a gentleman of means, who has a large and prosperous manufacturing busi- ness. My husband Is just 60 years old today.
 Il read your speech recently pub lished in the newspapers. I hail your views as opening a new era in our social life and I am firm believer in and an admirer of your ideas.
 Kindly accept an invita- ton to dine with us at your earliest convenience. I will introduce you to my husband and my husbands business manager. very interesting young man, whom I am sure you will like.
 Hoping you will bring your chloro- form along and treat us to a demon stration of your theory, remain yours respectfully,
 MRS. YOUNGWIFE."
 Another read as follows:
 Respected pr. Osler: In these days, when the power of wealth Is throt- ting our time-honored institutions and debauching even the fundamental prin- ciples of our civil government, we may we'll acclaim the change in our polity which would obtain if your theory were put into practice by law. I am a lawyer and am frequently in touch with incidents which prove to me that wealth can obtain for certain men even the highest positions In our gov ernment where others, who should receive these positions on merit and ability, fail.
 Hoping the theory you advocate may soon become law, so that the young men may have a chance, I am sincerely yours,
 FRANK BLACKSTONE"
 Another read:
 My Dear pr. Osler: I have been married eighteen years. Before mar riage I was happy, light-hearted, care-free youth. Now I am almost a physical and mental wreck from the troubles of married life. Yet my wife Is not a really bad-disposit1oned wom- an.
 T long ago concluded that the condi- ton of our social fabric was not as 1t should be. Something was wrong. Having read your theory, have re- newed hope.
 "I like to honor genius in my hum ble way. On March 31 we are to have a social function at our home-a little dinner to celebrate the 6oth anniyer- sary of the birthday of my wife's mother. Will you do us the honor to attendf Don't forget your little bottle. Respectfully yours,
 JOHN DUNN GooDE."
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

There is no sound reason why the preachers should be better men than lawyers or f1nanciers. The real obli- gations of all men are equal. But the preachers are in trying positions, be- cause they assume to represent high standard of morality. They profess religion. Lawyers and financiers can say they do not pretend to be better than other men. To a certain extent they plead guilty. They claim the merit of not being hypocritical The world Is quite in agreement that the hypocrlte is detestable. The charge of insincerity and hypocrisy goes to the weak nerve of the preacher and his misfortune is that the world is still 50 skeptical as to the rule of goodness that under the charge he is placed at once under suspicion. Relatively he is somewhat in the situation of the rich man who is charged with question: ble methods in his business of accumula- ton.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
The Champion Vine.

The largest grape vine in the world is growing in the Carpintsra Valley, twelve miles east of Santa Barbara, Cal, and is called La Para Grande, It was started from q cutting sixty one years ago by q young Spanish woman. Dona Ayala. It is 8 feet { inches in circumference at its base, and one of the horizontal branches measures more than 8 feet in circum- ference. The trelhs covers about a third of an acre, and sixty heavy posts support 1t. The vine produces as many as 5000 punches annually.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

Professor John Franklin Jameson Of the University of Chicago has discoy- cred that the Fourth Of July comes on aug. IS. that being the day when the declarat ton of independence was adopt ed. This is rather confusing, but our celebra tions for the last 12e years have probably been at least as near to an anniversary as Christmas or Easter and were just as much enjoyed as If they had been held on Aug IS.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

Take California It Is half again big as Italy, and will raise the products and feed many people Nevertheless It has only million and half popula hon while Italy has thirty-two millions The irrigation works of California will bring in vast of new land This is in many other States And then take Texas That State could feed th whole country and raise enough cotton to clothe people for all time to come.
 The West has hardly begun to be. At present 90 per cent Of people live east of the Missouri River We support fully many west of that river
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

A New Jersey minister says that few men attend church because the femi- nine element is too predominant in fix ing the character of the services The feminine element is just what attracts some men
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

Defoe, the author of "Robinson
 Crusoe," holds high place among the saints of the nursery calendar, but in a review In the Forum of Defoe's roluminous works Prof. ". P. Trent is pained to confess that Defos was a
 great liar, spy, an intriguer, to tortu- ous secret service man, a government informer, and bad lot generally. Yet Prof. Trent, besides vindicating De. foes genius as the first great realist, has some charitable and extenuatins things to say of "the greatest liar that ever lived" Now, to be the greatest liar that ever lived is a distinction not to be sneezed at. Lying is field we'll filled. The competition Is intense. IL requires rare abilities to be c really
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

Every get-rich-quick concern that comes and goes. leaving a trail Of financial desolation in its wake, only confirms the wisdom of Barnum's ob- serva don that fl large number of peo- pie are never satisfied unless they are being humbugged
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

By the terms of an imperial edlct coming from Picking no more convict Chinamen are to be sliced 10 death. By inference the powers are asked to re- gard China as Chinaman.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
GREAT FUTURE or THE WESI.
By Secretary PauI Norton.

The West Is at its beginning! Peo- pie talk of the richness of the valley Of the Nile It is nothing compared to the valley of the Mississippi. That Is the greatest and richest valley on earth. It extends from the Alleghanies to the Rockies, and its resources are billions The corn crop raised there brings in almost billion dollars a year, A large part of our cotton comes from there and 1t Is a beehive of mining and man ufacturing industry. We are adding enormously to the West by the new irri ga lion uorks now going on
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
A Hard Job.

Teacher-What great difficulty was Demosthenes compelled to surmount before he became an orator?
 Soffmore-He had to learn how to talk Greek.-Philadelph Press.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

The papers cannot be too grateful 10 the valued Milwaukee Sentinel for warning them in advance that II would be unfair to liken young MT. Hyde to Harry Lehr. Some of them might have been careless enough to let the Idea occur 10 them.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06
The Sword Swallower,

"So Nuritch took you to lunch at the Stratview- Belford, eh7 suppose he expected to cut quite a dash"
 Well, everybody who saw him eat ing expected every minute to see him cut quite q gash. sh."-Philadelphia Press.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

minister who had never had prosperous pastorate, became interested in helping country editor get up paper He took real pleasure in the work and found that this his right niche past 4o he changed tons-became prosperous influential and to-day ac- counted one of the most successful of
 P T. Barnum country storekeeper limited to the usual storekeepers small profit. He had restless dspo
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

The army general staff has decided to retain the bayonet as part of the armament of an American soldier. May the time be long before he is called upon to use 1t.
Alaska sentinel., 1905-07-06

Many innocent men are hanged" :" says Judge Freeman, of Chicago. Pos slbly. But the number Is not nearly So large as that of the guilty men who escape.