davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-07-04

Inside the letter were five beauti-
full red stamps.
Next we hear from a. dear little
South Carolina girl. / know she is
dear and sweet, her letter breathes
it all through. l would like to see her
picture. wouldn't you?
"My dear Mrs. Ransier Il love to
read the Sunshine Corner, and have
been wanting to joint it for quite a
while. and since I read Maye AS
letter to-day, l am still more anxious
to write, l feel so sorry for her in
her loneliness. | would like to cor
respond with her if she is a little
girl. l am eleven years old. l would
freely send her postage for her let
tiers to me. L have SO much sympathy
for the motherless. / have no broth
er or sister. l am the only child my
mama and papa have, but l have a
little foster sister seven years old.
She has been with us ever since she
was seven months old. She too is
motherless. Her mama died when
she was about two weeks old. She
is from your State. / will tell you
more about her if this does not find
its way to the waste basket. | am so
glad when The Progressive Farmer
comes. l am the first one to open
it, and go right to the Sunshine col
umn. | enjoy it so much. / was so
sorry to hear that you were sick. l
missed your (our) column, and won
dered why you did not write. I am
so glad you are better now. You
must be sure and tell us what hap
pened when you were sick that was
so funny afterwards. / am all Gu
riosity to know. / will close for this
time, wishing the Sunshine much
success, | remain,
your little sunbeam,
LOUISE EARGLE."
Bless your dear little sunshiney
heart, Louise, l will tell you all the
funny thing" just as soon as l can
get time to write you about it. Now
as to your letters getting into the
waste basket" no Sunshine letter
ever gets there. They don't all get
into print by any means. Some of
them are very confidential letters,
indeed, but none are destroyed. I've
got a big row of empty candy boxes
in my library. At least they are
empty of the candy. l didn't empty
them either; they were empty when
l got them. On the outside of these
boxes is pasted great big letters, A
B @, ETC., and as soon as a letter
comes, the writer's name is entered
on my big Sunshine book, and as
soon as it is answered, the date of
the answer is put on the envelope
like this-6-25-O5. Which means CO
June, (25) day, (O5) year. And then
the letter goes into the candy box
that has the letter on it that is your
initial. The boxes are not empty
now. And while they are not filled
with things sweet to my sweet tooth
they are fast filling with the little
white and black messages of sweet,
sunshiney thought and deeds that
are very sweet indeed to my soul and
dear to my heart. They are my
Sunshine.
Did I tell you about the little in
valid girl who wrote. to me from
Wisconsin for my autograph with a
verse on a card!
l wrote to her, and this is her re-
ply:
"My dear Sunshine friend: What
a bright ray of Sunshine your letter
The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-07-04
Sunshine COLUMN
MRS. RANSIER'S LETTER.
Miscellaneous Sunny Suggestions From
Sunshine Headquarters.

"Tf each man thought he was sent to
this spot
To make it a little more sweet,
How soon we could gladden. the
world;
How easily right all wrong,
If nobody shirked and each one
worked
To help his fellows along"
Dear Sinners Did you know the
above has been our text for the last
few meetings? It's a good one TO
have and to keep. Pm not going to
preach ON it to-day. We had our
preachment last time. It's a good
deal harder to preach than to find
the text: so the preaching came first
and now the text comes to stay by us.
It's easy to find texts, especially
Sun1hine ones. They are what we
most need, too. Here's another.
Everybody read; everybody hearken;
everybody take it unto themselves:
1T isn't the thing you do, dear,
Its the thing you leave undone,
That gives you a bit of a heart acne,
At the setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten,
The letter you did not write;
The stamps you did not send, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at
night"
Now listen to the nice letters that
came in answer to my call for
stamps:
Dear Mrs. Ransier:-I have been
a silent reader of The Progressive
Farmer a long time, and enjoy the
| Sunshine columns very, very much.
| 1T is real interesting, and | think it
is a noble work. l will send twelve
stamps to help deliver the things
that are sent in. If all the readers
will send some it will not be hard on
any one. Sincerely yours,
MRS. w. G. GILLESPIE"
And dear Mrs. Gillespie enclosed
the l. two-cent stamps. She says
just the true, right thing about it
not being hard on any, if all the
readers will do a little.
Next comes a big, base voice. l
like base voices, don't you, sisters!
like men, don't you? If you don't
you're not thinking right, and you
want to get up and give yourself a
good big shaking, and get your heart
IN tune with the universe. Don't
you know when we poor little women
have done all we can and get in a
tight place, then some fine, generous
man Is sure to help US out. When
We come to a big, broad ditch that
we cannot cross, then some great,
big, strong man comes along and
Jumps US over. God bless them. Of
course they are not all like that,
some OF them are awfully selfish and
mean. Some day Pm going to just
give it to them" right here in these
columns, all such; but I've. found
lhem such generous, helpful sinners.
and Oh! what an awful world it
would be without these great big,
manly fellows to look after and care
LOT US. There's nothing more grand
ana worshipful on this round ball
lnan a noble, whole-souled, honorable
man.
Now listen:
Dear Mrs. Ransier:-I am en-
~ IIosLng a few stamps to help push
se Sunshine work. I have a heart
IeI[ sympathy for the Circle, and
Wish It GOd-CDnad WIFI oo.1 ooro
The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-07-04

If you nave Green Corn, String Beans,
Tomatoes, Okra, Berries, Peaches, Apples,
Pears, or anything to can, you can't Oxford to
undertake it without
An Improved Raney Canning Outfit.
There is no other way it can be done with
so little labor, such small expense, and with
such perfect success.
Send for our circulars and let us nave your
orders. Nothing you yer bought will give
you better returns for amount invested.
THE RANEY GAMER co..
CHAPEL HILL, N. c.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

would have been easy of accomplish
ment.
He came out on the next street, di-
rectly opposite a station of the ele-
waited. Without reason, but follow
ing the instinct that had SO often led
him to his quarry, he climbed the
stairs, passing on tip-toe the ticket
chopper doing in his warm booth. A
stylishly-dressed young man paced the
platform, waiting for train south.
Cold as it was, he carried his over
coat on his arm, swinging it careleSsly.
Jim stood directly in the mans path.
at the head of the stairs, and waited
until the coat brushed against him.
Then giving it quick twist with both
hands he tossed it lightly over the
rail.
The man gave a cry of astonish-
ment, but of what avail? There were
none to hear. He was alone on the
brilliantly-lighted platform. For in
one bound Jim was down the first
fight of stairs, and in another was on
the street. Ten minutes later, after a
mile of quick and devious travelling,
he descended into a foul-smelling
basement and handed the coat over to
Mother Isaacs" for inspection. 1t
was a beautiful broadcloth, silk lined,
with fur collar and cuffs. 1t was
worth ten dollars, at least. But the
Jewess sneered in his face, and he
was glad to take the six silver dollars
she flung upon the counter 1t was
little enough, but it would help. Three
dollars must go for rent, and two
more for coal and oil. He was deter
mined that Alice should be comfort
able. That left a dollar-hardly
enough for chicken, much less tur-
key. And the trimmings? He thought
about it for some time. There was
only one thing to do-swipe the tur-
key from store.
Like all criminals Jim was supersti-
tious, and in the past few weeks he
had encountered many bad omens.
Caution was part of his very fibre.
But he could not disappoint the little
girl. For Alice he must run the risk.
After an hours tramp he found the
place-a market store with row of
hooks outside, on which hung a doz-
en- turkeys. He came boldly up the
street, selected the last bird in the
row, and without a break in his gait
passed into the darkness, the bulky
burden thrust under his coat.
1t was raw winters night.
The moon shone at intervals through
scurrying clouds. Enough snow had
fallen to whiten the streets. Jim
limped toward home, chuckling with
delight. In an alley he stopped to
wrap the bird in sheet of paper,
begged for that purpose. 1t would di-
vert suspicion, for he had still to get
the trimmings; and these he pur-
chased at a small store close to the
house. Thus weighted, and with a
light heart, he climbed the stairs and
entered the dark room. Alice was
asleep, but when he had made a light
he wakened her, and with Juggling
heart strings watched her shining
eyes as she inspected the supplies. SIT
is fine bird" he said glibly. II Sc
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
Massachuse It's MiIiners Warneo

The crusade against the killing of
song birds for millinery purposes has
been waged for years. yet the vanity
OF women in this matter of personal
adornment has proven invulnerable
against diatribes of reformers, ridicule
OF men, and the pleadings Of the hu-
manitarian. Each fall the hats of the
feminine sex have been adorned by
the plumage of some of our most
beautiful songsters. In Massachu-
setts, moral suasion having failed,
the legislature has enacted a law pro-
v1ding penalty for ''the use of plum
age of song or inseetivorous birds in
the making of picture hats or other
head adornments Of women" Notice
has been sent to the milliners of Bos-
ton and throughout the common
wealth by the State Game Commits
sion. 1t Is announced that the State
laws covering possession or wearing
for purpose of dress or Establishment
the body, skin, feathers, or parts
thereof Of 1nsectivorcus and wild
birds whether taken in this common
wealth or elsewhere, viii be vigorous
ly enforced. Persons having prohibit
ed birds and feathers in their posses
sion, whether wearers or dealers, are
liable to arrest
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

1t was not Jim Wilson's fault that
he was born with a game leg. But
it was Jim's fault that the game leg
luxury of southern affluence before
the war, he had squandered first his in
heritance, then a competence earned
by shrewd speculation, and, finally, a
Tsnug ten thousand dollars WrJng
from its rightful owners by a series
of tricks that form in themselves a
story of human perversity, but are
without Importance in this account.
These tricks were the third degree in
his career, however, for they landed
him behind the bars; and when "Lim-
py" Wilson returned to his old hauntS
he fell to the lowest plane. He de-
veloped into a first-class sneak thief,
expert in ''lifting" costly wraps am
furs from unoccupied carriages, from
theatre boxes and hotel parlors. How
he accomplished these slick abstrac-
tons was more than the average in
dividual could understand. 1t was his
beautiful assurance, his unobtrusive
approach and departure, his suavity
and grace that made him for a time
the foremost exponent of his art. But
he went down hill steadily, and when
New York became too hot, Chicago
wealthy and wide open, welcomed him
to the ranks. of the pickpocket and
the purse Snatcher.
Jim had two passions: first, his un-
controllable mania for theft; second,
and dominating much of his life, lit
tie Alice, daughter by his second wife,
who kept for him the tiny apartment
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
." :#SZ9aEoEScslo 49,
8 NIEANV Is N FICIlEY BAD.
VII BY WzzzZ1MZeE0zK4AO1

to any day in the week but Sunday,
when they always went for walk on
the Lake Shore.
"Why no, Papa, it's the 9th day of
December-my birthday. Don't you
remember?
She wanted turkey dinner and be-
fore he left the house she had planned
royal spread, with cranberries, and
celery, mashed potatoes and gravy,
and pie for dessert. Old MRS. Jams
chowski, the Polish widow, of whom
they rented their two little rooms, had
offered to prepare the dinner on her
big stove. All Jim had to do was to
bring home the turkey and the trim
mingS. He promised solemnly,
though he had not a cent in his pock
cts. And Alice had Rugged him in de-
light, saying, "You are my very dear
est bestest papa
Jim stopped at corner and looked
up and down the street wondering
how he might raise the price of that
turkey. A soft-footed policeman ap-
preached. An oaken night stick prod
ded him in. the back. "NIove on. Get
to cover,". said gruff voice. He
started in sudden fear and slouched
into the darkness of nearby alley. 1t
was the same old story. For weeks
luck had been against him. 1t seemed
as though the whole police force of
that great city had suddenly opened
its eyes to his existence. Wherever
he went there appeared the brass but
tons, the badge the club. 1t was get
ting on his nerves, and he feared to
attempt schemes that few years ago
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

on the West Side, in the very heart of
the Polish quarter. During her ten
years of life Alice had never wavered
in absolute alteration of her father,
and Jim returned her affection to the
limit Of his nature.
They say that criminals are born,
not made. 1t is true saying, in Jim's
case, at least. AS boy he was in no
way abnormal, adhering in all re-
spects to the proud traditions Of his
stiff-necked father, who owned broad
acres in Mississippi and ruled his hun
dreds of well-kept slaves with firm
generosity. There was no mother. She
died during Jim's infancy. But at fif-
teen came sudden passion for money.
His monthly allowance was too slen-
der for his expensive tastes. He must
have more. He thought about it night
and day. And then cropped out a
strain of low cunning that had shown
at intervals in his paternal ancestry
for generations uncounted. He formed
his plans elaborately, and one night
during his fathers absence he entered
the library. broke open the little iron
safe, and decamped with upwards of
q thousand dollars in cash.
Ten years later Jim returned to the
plantation. Here he found strangers,
from the North, to whom his father
had sold the family home. To his
credit be it said that he wept over the
old mans grave, and again when the
County Judge turned over to him, in
securities and cash, all his fathers
property, for there was no will and
Jim was the only heir. He had left
home boy; he returned a man, eX-
perienced in the ways of the sea and
in the paths of crime. But his sud-
denly-acquired wealth, his recollec-
tons of his father, and contact with
old and forgiving friends, seemed to
wipe out the past. He threw aside his
degenerate habits. He became a gen.
tleman. and took up his abode in the
city Of New York.
1t is a far cry from the plantation
to Chicago, and the little room in the
Polish quarter. Thirty years lay be-
tween-three decades of steady degra-
dation. Very bitter were Jim's recol-
lections this December night, as he
limped along State street beneath the
glare Of the electric lights eyeing
sharply every carriage waiting by the
curb. A raw wind blew in from the
lake. His hands were numb. His
whole body ached with the cold His
game leg, which had been doctored
during his term in Sing Sing, was be-
ginning to bother him again. 1t had
a way of stiffening in the hip joint,
so that his toe dragged a little at
every step.
And as though the situation were
not sad enough already, fate threw
another burden on his shoulders. He
had made a promise to little Alice,
and it must be kept, regardless of
ped into his bed early that morning
and cuddled down beside him. "Pa-
pa" she said, "do you know what day
tomorrow will be?'
"Not Sunday, surely" he replied.
He could attach no special Importance
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
WOMAN In POLITICS.
RECENT FIGHT AGAINST BOSSES
DEVELOPS HER ASA
STRONG FACTOR.
Campaign of Good Government Calls
Out Enthusiastic Aid of Feminine
Sex

Campaign of Good Government Calls
Out Enthusiastic Aid of Feminine
Sex.
"The man can do it but will not;
the woman would do it but may not
We are bound hand and foot, but for
tunately our tongues are not tied"
said Mrs. G. A. Knollenberg, of Rich
mond, Indiana. A bitter fight was on
for the election of Mayor of that city
The present incumbent, whose private
and public life is obnoxious to the
better element of the town, was up for
reelection. For eight years the poll
teal machine had backed the Mayor,
a mere tool in the hands of unscrupu-
lous leaders. The forces of good gov
ernment seemed on the very verge of
defeat, when the women arose in their
might, twelve hundred strong, demand
ing that their little city be controlled
by men of clean character-that good
instead of evil, honesty instead of
graft, decency instead of indecency
be the watchwords.
They held great mass meeting and
made stirring speeches. 1t was not a
question of politics; it was the moral
sentiment of the community speaking
through its wives and mothers. And
it was effective. The Mayor went
down to defeat. Said a leading paper:
"The women of Richmond made the
result possible. The tide began to
turn when the women met and in be-
half of womanhood and the sanctity
of the home protested against the CON
tinuance of the present regime. 1t
was not until then that the real i'm
port Of the fight was felt"
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
In Graft-Ridden Philadelphia.

But the women of Philadelphia were
equally active. Their aid was solicit
ed by the city party in the great work
of reform, to secure for the citizens
an honest, decent administration, and
physically clean city. And right
well they did their work. In nearly
every one of the forty-two wards
they assembled in enthusiastic crowds,
and listened to addresses from promi-
nent women speakers, including Mrs.
Rudolf Blankenburg, Mrs. Owen Wis
ter (wife of the author of "The Vir-
ginian'), and Miss Jennings, sister-in-
law of Mayor Weaver. In the Toledo
Morning Times appeared the following
trenchant comment on this feature
of the Quaker City campaign:
In quiet, stdid, precedent-loving Philadel-
elbows
They are so aroused in the battle against
pontlcai corruption and graft that they
are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder
with the men and fight.
Precedent may go hangi
1t is a grand good thing to see them
come out of their moss-grown ''sheltered''
life, and put their shoulders to the wheel
IN IN n, aiding f6h the accomplishment of the
been made apparent in their city.
1t required nerve for the first woman to
act: iH Formerly people didn't admire nerve
The old manner of sitting back and wait
ing to be protected" is gradually disap-
pearfng-possibly because there were not
because they didn't want the job.
In every city halt has been called on
the ancient way wherein the woman's mead
grew frantic over its dull routine her brain
rusted from disuse, and her mentality
shrunk !, from the compression Of the "shei-
Now, she breathes comparatively un-
trammeled. the atmosphere of the whole
world, and rejoices in the use of all that
eaped the barrier and She s rsf Of All
human, with humanity's interests at
The women may prove a power for good
In graft-ridden Philadelphia
Whether or not this activity of wo-
man in municipal affairs is welcomed,
the practical efficiency of her efforts
in the recent fight against the bosses
cannot be denied.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
The National anthem.

Army regulations have been amend
ed so as to prescribe honor for the
United States colors as follows:
"Whenever The Star Spangied
Banner is played by the band on a
formal occasion at a military station,
or at any place where persons belong
ing to the military service are present
in their official capacity, all officers
and enlisted men present will stand
at attention, and if not in ranks will
render the prescribed salute, the posi-
ton of the salute being con-
tinued until the last note of The Star
Spangled Banner The same respect
will be observed toward the national
air of any other country when it is
played as compliment to official rep
resentati4es of such country. When
ever The Star Spangled Banner is
played as contemplated by this para
graph, the air will be played through
part, except such repetition as is
called for by the musical score.
"At every military post or station
the flag will be hoisted at the sound
ing of the first note of the reveille, or
of the first note of the march, if a
march be played before the reveille.
The flag will be lowered at the sound
ing of the last note of the retreat, and
while the flag is being lowered the
band will play The Star Spangled
Banner or, if there be no band pres
ent, the field music will sound TO
the Color When TO the Color is
sounded by the field music while the
flag is being lowered the same respect
will be observed as when The Star
Spangled Banner is played by the
band. The national flag shall be dis
played at sea coast or lake fort at the
commencement of an action and dur
ing a battle in which the fort may be
engaged, whether by day or at night. "
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
A medical note states that negro in

meulcdf HOLe sldleS IHat HeSrO III
a hospital, on the promise of free
treatment and attendance, readily sub
mitted to the application of a new
anaesthetie which a local physician
had discovered. The negro died in
about a minute before the operation
began, which was then discontinued.
After consultation, the physicians in
attendance unanimously agreed that
the patient would have died under the
influence of any other anaesthetic.
to say nothing of the cutting up; all Of
which would doubtless be comfort to
the victim if the news could be con-
veyed to him.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
Hot Stuffin New York.

Not only in this Indiana town, but
in larger centers, the women We're ac-
tive in the campaigns. In New York
their earnest work on behalf of Je-
rome, reform candidate for reelection
as District Attorney, has called out
the admiration of even that opponent
of woman's activity in municipal af-
fairs, the Boston Herald, which says
editorially:
Bless the women! How they are work
ing for Jerome and against the bosses,
with their automobiles following up pub
lie meetings and street parades distribut-
ing bushels of Jerome literature; their
armies of picked newsboys dealing out
hot stuff at the subway and elevated sta
tions during the rush hours; their night
professions of autos with stereopticons
throwing upon big sheets the split ticket
to teach the masses how to use it; their
volunteer bands of watchers upon lodging
houses and tenements to prevent the col
onization of foaters Bless the women
municipal leaguers and clubbers and sweet
Rainy Daisies. They are givin~ the men
folks very practical lessons in election
cering, and demonstrating their capacity
and genius for systematic and effective
political work which must rejoice Justice
Brewer and confound Grover Cleveland.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15
We Are The Greatest Letter
Writer'S.

The United States sent out In 1904,
-FOUR thousand one hundred and nine
million letters, about as many as all
from Great Britain and Germany COM
bined. France sent S44 million and
no other country reached 500 million.
The Germans lead in postal cards.
1,161 millions against ITO millions for
the United States.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

Mrs. Samuel Smartwood who died
in Pennsylvania recently, at the age
Of AZ, was the mother of twenty-five
children. She married at IA, and her
first child was born soon after she
was Is. There were but two sets Of
twins.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

Hirobumi Ito is called the Grand
Old Man of Japan. He is described as
being to Japan what Peter the Great
was to Russia. In the diplomatic his
tory of Japan he is what Richelieu was
to the France Of Louis XIII.
Amador ledger., 1905-12-15

Prentice said the poetry which a
handsome girl appreciates best is writ
ten with a moustache on her lips.
The Washington times., 1905-10-11
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY

Take laxative Rrorno Quinine Tablets.
druggists refund money X It failb TO cure.
=. w. Groves signature is on each box. 25c.