davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05
Matchmaking Wonders

M Favre-Peret. who investigated this
industry In the New England States
some years ago. stated that the aver
age production Of 10000 workmen In
switzerland was forty watches each
per annum. while In America the aver
age was $50 fine watches for each man
employed, says a writer In the Annals
or the American Academy.
By the aid OF special machines in
these watch factories one man can
make 1900 fine screws per day, some OF
which are 50 small that more than 100.-
600 are required to weigh a pound One
Of the finest pieces made is a pallet ar
bor," or pivotal bolt, which for small
sized watch has thread Of ESQ to the
inch, weighs 1-13o000 Of pound. under
goes twenty-five operations and costs
but 2A cents. Measurements are gauged
to 1 250O0 OF an inch
The balance wheel, after being ma
chined. weighs only seven grains. and
when fitted with sixteen gold screws
weighs To grains. There are eighty
separate operations upon a balance
wheel. sixty-six OF them being drilling,
threading and countersinking holes;
the drills revolve at a speed of $500
turns a minute. and one operator can
drill upwards OF 200 holes for the bal
ance wheels per day.
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

of lamentations on the deterioration
of women's health and morale.
To the casual observer it seems that
the women of to-day are stronger,
better made and more equal to the
calls which are made on their health
than they ever were. There is hardly
woman who does not interest her
self in some work, if it be only the
calls of enjoyment, and those who be-
long to the ranks of the latter class
are but a miserable portion of the
thousands who not only earn their
living, but take an active part in all
kinds of charitable, philanthropic or
social work The fact that women
are so full of physical and mental ac-
tivity, and have proved themselves so
capable in all they have undertaken,
seems an unanswerable reply to the
accusation that they are deteriorating
in health or getting. under the in
f1uence of narcotics.
There is, in some ways, less strain
on women's health to-day than for
merly, for they marry later and have
fewer children. The size and height
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

churchmen are exerting feverishly all
their strength to bring about the old
and tried methods to undo the harm
which has been done. Educate the
masses" was once the constant cry
and that education without religion
has evolved scientific burglars, clev-
erer forgers, smarter thieves and
more acute designing men, as well as
giving the masses vast amount of
mundane wisdom. But the morality
of the community has not gone hand
in hand with the pace of wisdom.
Prevention is better than cure.
The whole tone of the nations So
Geological life in the future can only
be raised to purest pitch by inculca-
ton of religious restraint, religious
scruples and religious respon-
sibility in the children now, il
the future citizens are to be self
respecting, sober and moral. There
are yet thousands upon thousands of
homes in this great land that are ideal
homes. There are still parents who
aim at bringing up their children to
lofty ideals and noble characters
rather than shine in the foibles, fol-
lies and wantonness so often pre-
sented. There are still hosts of chill
dren who love, honor and obey father
and mother and are buoyed up with
Christian precepts; hosts of children
who still exemplify the poets ideal
of modesty and innocence And If
these homes are more or less exclu-
sive it is because the parents have
learned that "evil communications
corrupt good manners" Invariably
these homes are those which religion
dominates its influence
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

sors, is certainly of interest. For, if
granted, it also involves the state
ment that, because the nerves of
women are so highly strained, they
fly to drugs and alcohol as remedy
for the lassitude and ennui which is
the result of the state of high press
ure in which their lives are passed.
The life of to-day for both men
and women is more strenuous and
exhausting than that of our fathers
and mothers. The strain is more con-
tinuous and the periods of relaxation
are fewer. Nor does it become less
arduous; for every successive year
seems to add to the duties, occupa-
tons and amusements which crowd it.
To those who work, life becomes
more busy year by year. Even to
the butterflies, amusements are so
numerous and so varied that they are
more often fatigue than a pleasure.
Both try to cram into life an amount
of wear and tear and enjoyment suffi-
cient to try the strongest constitu-
tions, and because some succumb to
the strain we are treated to a chorus
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

roborated mothers teaching. 1t was
the gospel truth grasped in childhood.
1t was the young and tender plant
propped up in weak parts, the useless
leaves nipped off, and the unsymmet-
rical branches, which, if allowed to
grow, would spoil the future career,
were brought under the pruning
knife of castigation and admonition.
This was the nursery of the building
up of character on a religious founda-
tion.
The UNCONVENTIONAL contention and
wrangling brought about practically
the exclusion of all religious teach
ing and moral precepts in the sched-
ules of the School Board system of
England under the education act of
1870. (Gladstone's inception.) The
daily religious instruction of morals,
as part of the school training, being
withdrawn, the children grew up to
respect and admire the Greek, Ro-
man and Saxon heroes and their tales
of "derring do; they were familiar
with these, but the morals and pre-
cepts of Christianity they were not.
They were familiar with the discov-
cries of foreign lands and conversant
with the conditions of the heather,
but knew nothing of the poor, self
sacrificing missionary who made it
possible to live there. Those chill
dren are men and women to-day and
they are fathers and mothers, but the
cry all along the line is the decline of
morality, courtesy, chivalrous for
bearance, respect and reverence.
Consequently the old legislators are
to-day seeing the result of their with
drawing religious inculcations, and
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

in thus being able, and sufficiently
daring, to curb through the very fear
of showing up" the licentiousness of
that portion of the community which,
fearing neither God nor devil, would
terrorize morality either by brute
force or seductive craft. 1t is by this
daring of our press, that other nations
have made inquiry into their own
conditions, with the inevitable re-
suits that the quiet cxternals have
deceived them for years and they
have awakened to the bitter fact that
these same conditions exist among
themselves.
Is "morganatic marriage" a pret-
ty word for bigamy in the high life,
and are the frequent scandals in aris-
tocratic courts on par with frequent
divorces here? Practically evil con-
ditions are but cases of follow my
leader" The masses ape the classes.
But it might reasonably be asked,
"What was the incipient cause of the
unsymmetrical tree?" and find answer,
Lack of careful training" The same
question might be asked of these So
cial evils.
We gather from what we hear and
read that time was when the child
was taught to "honor thy father and
thy mother"-to respect old age-to
revere things sacred-to do unto
others as he would have others do
unto him-to pity and assist the help
less-and, above all, that morality
and courtesy were the essential char
acteristics of a gentleman. 1t was
the simple religion taught at mothers
knees-mother knew, and mother
raught the child what she knew, and
one nod of paternal affirmation cor
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

in the chain gang. At the expiration
of his term he is discharged without
nickel to buy his next meal, thus
making him ten times more wretched
and degraded than before his arrest
The brand of felon is added to his
poverty. I regard this treatment as
nothing short of barbarous. I try to
help these men"
Mr.. Downey had practically for
gotten the incident of the gift of
ground to the negro church until the
day of the FIRE which destroyed his
stable.
That day brought me my reward"
he said in discussing the matter. The
minister was in the pulpit preaching
when the eonAagration was an
nounced- He Immediately called upon
the congregation TO be calm and pa
tient- He recommended that ths
women pray, while the men were
urged to go at once and help me.
They rushed into my place, where
there were 80 fine horses In their
stalls in danger of being cremated,
and all were saved, not one animal
being injured in the slightest. That
was my reward"
The land given by Mr.. Downey to
the church consisted of 400 square
feet, worth about $1,000. In addition
to this he was compelled to change
his building plans, which cost him
$500 more, so that in all his contribu-
ton to the church was SI4oo.
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

aims of the community should be, go
far to show that at last people are be-
ginning to realize that both the froth
and the scum of our social conditions
are getting to be unbearable, and for
decency's sake must be rectihed. The
Augean stables of the twentieth CEN
tury apparently require the sweep of
the food rather than the twist of a
river by some mighty Hercules.
Those articles will do much good in
urging the patriotic, citizen to make
a stand against further encroachment,
upon what he knows and feels to be
right. But to some of US the articles
would seem only to have viewed the
full-grown tree, which has managed
to develop itself in its own sweet
way. Its ragged branches, its un-
couth shape, its accumulation of dead
leaves and dead twigs, so palpable to
the studious observer, all have been
noted and commented upon; sugges-
tions also have been made by which
the tree could be made more SYM
metrical by propping, pruning and
general overhauling. Every one of
those beautiful trees and shrubs in the
Golden Gate Park has been. the re-
suit of constant care and training by
the gardeners-beginning first in the
nursery; and as each little shrub and
tree developed, SC care and watch
fulness were bestowed with an eye
always to the future The useless
leaves were nipped off; branches
which if allowed to grow in some
particular inclination would even
tually spoil the tree were cut off;
weak boughs were strengthened, un-
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

til strong enough to support them
selves; and finally, when removed
to the great open and transplanted, all
still received care and attention. The
result of this training is very appar-
ent in the beautiful symmetery we
can every day see in the park, and
feel all the better for the artistic
beauty presented.
The reflective mind, however, looks
back upon the incipiency of this SYM
metrical beauty, and it must be log;-
cally admitted it was in the nursery,
the training there and the care be-
slowed for few years after trans
planting. The incongruous conditions
of our sociological present might
have been of different shape if the
propping, the pruning, the care, al
ways with an eye to the future, had
been applied in the days of childhood,
obviating the general overhauling now.
The declaration is frequently heard
that there are no more children
now; that the young know as much
in their teens of things which con-
taminate modesty and innocence as
their forebears did in their twenties.
The cynic deliberately states that the
much boasted and poetical simplicity
of childhood is but a platitude of
pulpit sentimentality The cynic, how
ever, is not always right. But whether
it be.so or is not, it is only too evident
that the full-grown sociological tree
presents decidedly wayward ap-
pearance of pernicious confusion, in
asmuch as, not only a city's COM
munity takes cognizance of existing
conditions, but apparently the whole
of the nations of the civilized world.
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

"Good Samaritan Home" home for
the homeless and friendless, which he
has established and conducted since
1906. Mr.. Downey pays all the bills
of the home.
During that time he has cared for,
fed and clothed and secured employ
ment for more than 5000 persons.
1--WE are living in the most ad-
vanced country in civilization and
Christianity in the whole world" Mr..
Downey said to the New York World
correspondent. yet we find In every
municipality throughout this broad
land rigid laws against the destitute
and unemployed workingman who has
not friends or money to secure food
or shelter. When he 10 found strand
ed 1t may be his fault or his misfor-
touS, o1tSA scChiu8 SLuPioyd3cAtS may
be, In hundreds of places. He Ii q
stranger. His appearance Il haggard
and his clothes may be untidy. No
body wants him. He is thus forced
to the choice of four things or alter
natives-to beg, to .starve, to steal
or to commit suicide.
THE Judge may ask him IL he has
anything to say, but the poor man
admits he was begging, as he could
not find employment and had no
money to procure food or shelter. He
receives a sentence of thirty, sixty or
ninety days or maybe six months In
the workhouse and Is dressed in the
suit of convict and forced to work
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

And these nations are supposedly
Christian nations. There has been
failure somewhere. Murder, suicide,
infanticide, divorce, elopement, in
fidelity, newborn babes abandoned; /;
a general laxity of morals on the in
crease all along the line and out of
all proportion to the growth of popu-
lation.
We are told of the decline of chiv-
alrous courtesy of men toward the
weaker sex in these days, so evident
in the generation fast passing away.
We read about the dignihed and
stately manners of gentlefolk of by
gone years in books that are fast get
ting moldy. The new book mea-
sures gentility by purse and dress.
Poverty has become more of a crime
in the twentieth century than before,
and so great is the fear and detesta-
ton of it that poverty must be cov-
cred up and hidden under external at
tire-the very dread of gossip sub
merging the scruples of how OBJ
tanned.
The legitimate press has unswerv-
ingly shown up the evils which are
now so we'll known. The press has
many time been censured for its
audacity in daring to spread out to the
entire public the true condition of
things, when, truth to tell, were it not
for this daring the community would
still be ignorant of the evils which,
like cankerworms, are eating into
the very vitals of our national life.
The pulpit is still a power to those
who have united with the churches;
but it must be nationally admitted that
the press yields tremendous power
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

A disciple of the simple life" and
a true citizen, Mr.. Downey has not
only managed to accumulate COM
Portable share of wealth, but has also
founded charity of large proportions
of which the public was in ignor-
ance until President Roosevelt in in
Producing pastor" Charles Wagner
referred to il and to him as "an ideal
citizen"
This man, whom the President could
not forbear giving the highest praise
as a citizen and as 4 man, drifted to
Washington with the Fourteenth New
York Volunteers in the early days Of
the Civil War. He had been born in
County Limerick, Ireland, in 1874,
and came TO this country with his
parents when but FIVE years old. He
was scarcely IS years old when he
arrived at Washington, but he had 81
in his pocket, the result of running
errands for the soldiers.
With this and indomitable pluck
and perseverance young Downey be-
gan his work by selling wartime Eek
tras." From newsboy he became a
public hackman, driving not for him
self, but for others. From this be-
ginning he saved money and became
the owner of hacks, and to-day is one
of the wealthiest liverymen in the
District of Columbia
This is President Roosevelt's own
description of the good works of Mr.,
Downey:
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

"As an example of what can be
done and should be done by the in
dividual citizen, I shall mention
something that recently occurred in
this city of Washington, thing that
doubtless many of you know about,
but which was unknown to me until
recently. A few weeks ago, when I
was walking back from church one
Sunday, l noticed a great FIRE, and
found that it was Downey's livery
stable.
Il had long known of the very ad-
mirable work done, with q singular
modesty and self-effacement, by Mr..
Downey in trying to give homes to
the homeless, to be himself friend
of those In q peculiar sense friendless
in this community, and by accident
found out what had happened in con-
nection with this particular incident.
1t appears that last spring Mr.. Dow
ney started to build new livery
stable; the stable is next door to a
colored Baptist church. Mr.. Downey
is white man and a Catholic, and
these neighbors of his are colored
men and Baptists, but there is be-
tween them kinship of that broad
humanity that should underlie all our
feelings toward one another.
"Mr Downey started to build his
stable, and naturally wanted to have
it as big a stable as possible and
build it right up to the limits of his
land. That brought the wall close
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

up against the back of the colored
Baptist church, cutting out the light
and air. The preacher called upon
him and told him that he would like
to purchase strip, six feet broad,
of Mr.. Downeys ground, upon which
he was intending to build, as it
would be a great inconvenience to
them to lose the light and air; that
they were aware it was asking great
deal of him to cramp the building
out of which he intended to make his
livelihood, but that they hoped he
would do it because of their need. Af-
ter a great deal of thought Mr.. Dow
ney came to the conclusion that he
ought to grant their request, and so
ne notified them that he would
cnanRe MS plans, nAAo soA1eWuSp
smaller building and sell them the
six feet of land in the strip adjoin-
ing the church.
after a little while the preacher
came around with the trustees of his
church and said they very much ap-
preciated Mr.. Downey's courtesy, and
were sorry they had bothered him as
they had, because in looking into the
affairs of the church they found, as
they were already in debt, they did
not feel warranted in incurring any
further financial obligations, and so
they had to withdraw their request.
They thanked him for his kindly pur-
pose and said good-by.
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

"But Mr.. Downey found he could
not get to sleep that night, until
finally he made up his mind that as
they could not buy it he would give
it to them anyway, which he did.
But, unfortunately, we know that
the tower of Sloan often falls upon
the just and the unjust alike, and
Mr.. Downey's livery stable caught
fire and burned down. 1t was Sunday
morning and the Baptist church was
in session next door to him, and the
clergyman stopped and said:
"'Now, you women stay here and
pray, and you men go straight out
and help our benefactor, Mr.. Dow
ney.'
.And 30 out they did and got his
horses out 30 that none Of them were
burned although he suffered other
wise Z total loss.
Now, call that . practical appli-
cation of Mr.. Wagner's teachings.
Here in Washington we have right
to be proud of citizen like Mr.. Dow
ney, and if only we can develop
enough such citizens we shall turn
out just the kind of community that
does not need to but always will be
glad to study The Simple Life"
Mr.. Downey was not in the great
audience of social, official and diplo-
matte Washington when the Presi-
dent was sounding his praises. In
stead, he was experimenting the
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

HE foreigner must indeed
be bewildered who reads
- the columns of our daily
press. Its variety of sub
ject is endless; and the facileness
with which we discuss every detail of
our private and public life is Gus
tom of which we have the sole mo-
nopoly. From high politics to the
smallest and most Insignificant mat
ter, we treat each subject with ear
nestness and solemnity quite anus
ing.
There is yearly recurrence of the
epidemic; and having just arrived at
the moment when a jaded Parliament
has brought its labors to close,
we rush with alarming haste to settle
the question of early marriages, and
of intemperance in women, as well
as various other social questions all
of more or less importance.
The principal question, however,
which is now occupying a good deal
of public attention, as to whether
the women of our day suffer more
from nerves than their predeces-
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

"HERE have appeared re-
Gently in The Sunday Call
u some splendid articles bear
ing upon the sociological
phase of our city and national life.
These articles, written by prominent
men, besides exhibiting to intelligent
readers an ideal home and what the
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

publicly pronounced the ideal Amer
lean citizen" by the President of the
United States.
The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

EGINNING as a newsboy,
William F. Downey of
Washington, D. C., has
lived to hear himself
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-03

Everybody goes to Dahnke's for
lunch.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-03
OAK GROVE.

The school is progressing nicely
The teachers, Misses Ivy and
Thomas, have organized a society
in their school to be held on Friday
afternoon.
Rev. Bell preached at Beulah
Sunday to fill his appointment as
he was sick the fourth Sunday and
could not be with them.
Miss Ellis Browder, of Fulton,
spent part of last week with her
cousin, Miss Carrie Hale.
Miss Mary Keiser, OF Little Rock,
Ark, visited friends in this vicinity
last week.
Mr.. Gene Stovall and bride, of
Number Seven, were guests of Mr..
w. ]. Beauchamp and family one
day last week,
Mrs. Elvira DeBow, of Dickson
Springs, is visiting her sister, Mrs.
c. B. Brevard.
Miss Clemmie Ivy spent from FRI
day until Sunday with friends in
Union City.
Mrs. Mamie Naylor lost one of
her best work horses this week.
DR.. Malone, of Memphis, and
Rev and Mrs. Baskerville are
guests at the home OF Mr.. and Mrs.
A. l.. Breyard.
Mrs. Bette Pickering, of Fulton,
is visiting her daughter, Mrs c. S.
Tally.
Miss Ethel Henderson, who has
been teaching school near Elbridge
for the past six weeks in Mr.
Bonds place, has returned home
Miss Ottelia Forester, of Pleas
ant Valley, spent Saturday night
and Sunday with Miss Icye Nc
Gaugh.
Misses Laura Carman and Mar
garet Douglas, of Woodland Mills,
we're in our vicinity several days
last week canvassing.
Miss May Naylor has decided to
at home this year and teach
music and expression. Miss May
is a fine teacher of both and we
hope she will have success.
Quite a number attended the bap-
tizing at Mr.. L. e. Corum's pond
afternoon.
ESQ. w. B. Stovall, of Number
Seven, spent Monday night with
his daughter, Mrs. w. J. Beau
champ.
Mr.. and Mrs. H. P. Naylor have
moved to their home near Liberty.
We regret to lose these excellent
people.
Misses Klttie Mott Glenn, Char
lotte and Farrar Mcconnell, of the
Mt. Zion neighborhood, spent Sun
day with Miss Carrie Hale.
ScRIBBLER.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-03
Cinderella
Friday and Saturday
Nights, Nov. 10 and II.

Beautiful Scenery; Elegant
Costumes; Catchy M c;
Pretty Girls. A company of
artists direct from Casino The
atre. Secure seats in advance.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-03
Watch the Label.

If you are a subscriber to The Com
mercial your name is printed on lit
tie yellow label. On this label is
printed the date to which your sub
scriptiOn is paid. Look it up and il
you owe the paper anything we want
it. The amount may be small, but
several hundred small accounts mean
a great deal to US. The Commercial
appreciates your patronage, but if you
will attend to this matter to-day the
favor will be doubly appreciated.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-11-03
ROUTE NINE

Chas DeGraffenreid, who has
been very sick, is better.
Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Mitchell
were in Union City shopping Sat.
urday.
Chas, Clicks little baby is very
sick.
Mrs. J N. Armstrong is not very
we'll.
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. d. Cunningham
visited their daughter, Mrs. Dorrell
Harris, near Union City, Saturday
and Sunday.
Mrs. J. w. Cloar and Mrs. w. ].
Hammond visited Mrs. +. G. Gun
ningham last Thursday.
GREENE.