davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30

If you want Home make money, selec
lots in location that has the brightest future
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30

WANTED-Furnished apartments for house
keeping: OF rooms and daughter IA.
near school: close in but good neighborhocd-
Address room 40s. Palace Hotel.
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30

Continued On Page -
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
MONEY TO LOAN.

DR.. ROSEN. residence 2995 Folsom ST.. corner
Twenty sixth; ladies. relief or no fee: $40.
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
CARDS AND INVITATIONS.

Engraved wedding invitations, visiting q busi-
ness cards, crests. etc. .high-class work; mod
crate rates J. II. Duncan. 126 Kearny. Rs 1-2.
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30

Los ANGELES S.. Los ANGELES IS.
TO Los ANGELES S5.
IS rough carpenters build railroad sheds,
catte guards. etc; steady jobs. $50.
125 aborers- hours work, SEQ.
"a hamnlersmen and muckers. S75.
- two-horse transfers; you II suit; $50.
o5 lsborers, help on wooden bridges. SIS.
80 siN-horse ueamsters. SIS.
Lse extra section and gang laborers.
GREAT CROWDS GOING. ARE YoU7
MURRAY & READY. 634- -636 Clay st.
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
HORSES AND WAGONS.

NEW and second hand laundry and bakery
wagons. all kinds of business wagons, new
and 2d-hand business buggies and run
abouts. l rubber tire doctor buggy fine sur
reys and top buggies, carts and harness.; look
at our bargains before you buy. KLEIBER s,
1503-5 Folsom &
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
SOLICITORS.

EXPERIENCED solicitors wanted something
new, big profits; call evenings. MOLONEY,
1543 Pine St
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
SAN MATEO REAL ESTATE.

AT Burlingame, is miles from the city. We
have sold 40 lots since the first OF the year,
ard wonder: great big lots. 50x15o and
larger, for $500; terms 500 cash. $40 month
ly; streets macadamized and severed; they
will surely double in value when Bay Shore
'cut-ofr is completed. Branch office at
Burlingame.
The San Francisco call., 1905-08-30
MEDICAL-Coutinued.

DR. C. C. OiDONNELL-Officea and residence
102115 Market st. bet. 9Th and 7th; particu-
lar attention paid to diseases of women.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

Whats the use? They viii promote
wfomsoeyer they like, anyway"
But in our bureau the examination
had an immediate Importance which
gave the clerks special interest III its
results. No appointment had been made
to fill O'Mara's old place, and 1t was
the expectation that the chiefship would
go to him who obtained the highest
marking in this competition. 1t had
been my confident belief that Mr.. Mac
pherson would be named. l have since
learned that he and the bureau chies
expected the distinction 10 fall upon me-
By the finding of the examining board
however, no one could contest Mr. Jen-
nings' claim. His average was 87-based
upon marks Of 50 in tie law, IS ia
practice, So in the general topics, and
96 in letter writing ami penmanship,.
But he was an utter ifnpossibility in
any post of executive power. Old SOL
dier as he was. he was so mild ana
weak and undecided that the other
clerks used TO have great fun drawing
preposterous answers out of him simply
by asking him leading questions.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

ability enough, I think. but. perhaps.
not quite enough character. II is
Colonel Poweirs desire that you get the
place. Would you like 10 have it2''
My heart thumped SO loudly I could
hardly speak. But I kept a good grip
on myself. When I answered 1t was
in as restrained and low q tone as I
used ordinarily.
Il should like the appointment better
than anything else IN the world al
most" / said. But I think I ought TO
remind you that there are two Or thee
other clerks III our little brueau who
have better claims on It, Mr. Macpher-
son has had much more experience than
l. and Mr. Jennings has just passed the
examination for promotion with 2 great
deal more credit.
The Secretary half closed his eyes be-
fore he replied:
That examination does put the matter
In an awkward light. The results In
your bureau have complicated affairs
decidedly. For various reasons re do
not desire TO make this selection accord
ing 10 those markings And yet the
merit system demands that We follow
those markings in making promotions
| wherever possible. It is enough fust
now. l guess, to say that both Colonel
Powell and I want you to be the chief
We can talk Of the salary question
later"
I walked back to my desk with my
heart still humping It was no small
honor 10 be made division chief after
only four years of service. It was an
especially pleasant honor to be made
chief Of the division In which 1 had be-
gun my career in the departments Best
of all, the post carried with 1t a salary
of 5000. and that would enable me TO
pay every one OF our debts, buy some
Of the clothes [ wanted my wife 20
have. and complete the furnishing Of
the home wanted her TO own. The
fancy flies far at such a time In that
brief walk had clear vista of a
secure Office standing. relief from ali cur
money worries, servant regularly IN
our kitchen, and a deed for our iiffls
house.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
WHERE BUTTONS ARE MADE

According TO an official OF the Depart
| ment of Commerce and Labor almost all
the buttons made in the United States,
whether called ivory. pearl, rubber. horn
or bone buttons, are manufactured from
the ivory plant. The cultivation of this
plant rewards its growers with no in
considerable returns.
The best ivory nut for commercial pur-
poses is found on the banks of the Mag
daIena river, in Colombia, where it Is
called the Tagua palm. The fruit forms
a globular head about twice the size of
a mans Uranium and weighs from TWEEN
ty to thirty pounds. The head forms
what might be called a cluster OF
bulbs, containing from fifty to sixty
seeds. The seeds are allowed to dry and
are harvested several times each year
by the natives.
The ivory plant also grows in Califor-
MIA but the nut there found is of an
inferior quality 10 the Colombia variety
and will not make UP as well into but
tons. 1t is, however, believed that with
cultivation the California nut may be
made as valuable as the South Ameri
can.
The nuts exported to the United States
are shipped by way of the Pacific coast
and thence across the continent to the
big button factories from which they
come forth in every conceivable design,
color. grade. and classification OF but
ton
Although the ivory plant Is used al
most exclusively for the manufacture
OF buttons. yet some factories use it
for the making of poker chips. The
nut has not. it should be added. entirely
superseded the old-time rubber and
bone buttons In vogue for so many
years. Bat it admits of wider and
more varied treatment for the pur-
poses for which II is used than any
other known substance and. further
more, is easily worked. The United
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
The Angel Unawares.

She walks unnoticed in the street;
The casual eye
Sees nothing in her fair or sweet.
The world goes by
Unconscious that an angels feet
are passing nigh.
She little has of beauty's wealth:
Truth will allow.
Only her priceless youth and health,
Her broad, white brow;
Yet grows she on the heart by steaita,
l scarce know how
She does thousand kindly things
That no one knows,
= loving woman's heart she brings
To human woes;
And to her face the sunlight clings
Where'er she goes.
And SO she walks her quiet ways
With that content
That only comes TO sinlcss days
Ard innocent
a life devoid of fame or praise,
Yet nobly spent
Pail Mall Gazette.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

1t may be that some VINO read this
story viii blame me as one who was
hot content to dig. And that Is true
/ was not content TO dig. My wings
We're made for flying and whenever the
hood was lifted from my head-as In
the courts al home or the compiling of
the department laws-I few straight
ahead toward success. Yet when
found myself in the ditch, / dUg-indus-
triously and vigorously.
In month. or less, I had become a
capable routine clerk. In a year | had
learned the office procedure as few
clerks have ever learned ii. In three
years I had earned rank with Mr.. Mae
pherson as one who had d supreme
knowledge of the law affecting our de-
partment.
When the Secretary announced. there
fore, that the President would extend
the merit system by basing promotions
upon competitive examinations / filed
my lungs exultantly This was the
beginning Of my race. / had risen two
grades in four years In spite of Congress
sional interference with the merit sys-
tenn and departmental perversion OF 1t.
Now / could rise IA grade with every ex-
animation. The Attorney GeneraIship
oiu Hot hSeAl So iai INSTANT aItef all.
Mr. Macpherson s desk and mine were
surrounded by the other clerks as soon
as the news was understood. Several
wanted a "quiz' In the law ar so much
a student. Others proposed talks, at
so much a talk. One or two asked test
questions for nothing, or the loan of
our law books. If either of us ever
doubted the basis for his office stand
ing, this tribute from our workmates,
springing out of each mans watchful-
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

chief clerk; the general subjects were
covered in almost the exact form OF the
general civil service examination
A day was ample time for us all Mr
Macpherson, MIR. Hutterly, Mr.. Donnelly
and l were finished by O'Clock. Young
Mr.. Kellogg was through an hour LATER
By O'Clock, only one man-oid Mr.
Jennings, the veteran of the bureau
was still at work, and we could see
that he was wrestling. not with the
technical work of the bureau, but with
a letter we had to write on the broad
subject of Immigration
The corridors. vestibuies and other
public meeting places all buzzed with
comment that afternoon The ear caught
Il had them all right but one, ! feel
sure" 'I was stumped for half an
hour" II didn't have any trouble over
the law. but the practice" and so on.
The other clerks stepped aside for Mr.
Macpherson and me with an air that
indicated plainly their belief that we
would outdo all our associates. As we
passed out Of the hall together, on our
way home. we both felt. / dare say, that
the merit system was bringing us into
our own.
4 day before the results were an
nounced, Colonel Powell walked quickly
through our room. SO absorbed that he
c. not hear the "Howdy do?" of the
chief clerks messenger. IN a few min
utes the examining board-in the persons
CT the appointment clerk. the chief clerk
and a division chief. named Roe-passed
into his office after him. The four re-
mained together for an hour or more.
When they left, Colonel Powell went
along. his brows knit and his manner
depressed
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

swered. One OF the men whistled.
They soaked you. didn't they?'' he
said
a general comparison of the markings
gave Mr Macpherson the best rating.
not counting the letter writing and
penmanship." / was next. Mr. Dom
nelly was only two-tenths of per cent
lower than / Old Mr.. Jennings, who
had finished first, after all, could hardly
have passed the examination-veter
though he was-if the letter writing test
had not been included.
1 would have appealed to the Secre-
tary. and the entire force would have
supported me. If Mr.. Macpherson had
not advised against 1t. With his thin
lips. thinner than ever, and his voice
so rough that it ratified. he argued: 1T
would do no coed. The marking Of
that letter is discretionary with the
board. We have been soaked that is
all. Let's be good losers"
That, then, was the harvest of the
competitive examination system. Either
the politicians had controlled It for their
uses, as they had controlled every other
effort to reform the departments, or the
blockheads had wrecked 1t. 1t was of
no use to argue that the markings made
the whole incident a farce, that a letter
on an Irrelevant subject was permitted
to outweigh the very substance of orr
work That letter-w writing test had been
Included for that particular purpose.
But it was hard to stand idle and reflect
that the best-equipped clerk In the
bureau. as Mr. Macpherson was every
where regarded, and the author of the
law book on which the bureaus practice
depended. could both be iockeyed out OF
their standing by means OF the false
marking of letter on immigration.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
Momentous DAYS.

The days were monentous with dis
coveries. Now we were finding the
radishes "up;'' now Annie's briar-rose
was IN bloom, and now the baby unmis-
takabiy held out her chubby little hands
to us. The first honeysuckle over our
library mantel, the first bouquet of
milky snowbalIs-even I. man as I was,
could see; how beautiful they were and
how, at Annie's touch, they fitted into
our home and became part of IT,
made the best discovery of all the first
afternoon when all the windows were
thrown >spen. for then. as / neared the
house. I heard, clear and sweet, the
wife's cradle song mingled with the
hush of the new leaves. Nearly every
day held something wonderful for US
all held something beautiful
OFTEN, that summer, we ate our din
ner on the porch (the vegetables thriv-
en- by our own care. and the berries
from our own bushes), as secluded as
ever we could have been mile from
the road. Afterward I would take off
my coat, to help wash the dishes. and
TO work in the garden, while the gem
tlest voice in the world read to me.
Sometimes we had "The Light of
Asia" which was new then, or one of
our childhood stories like "The Tfnk-
ham Brothers Tide Mill" or Donald
and Dorothy, or a chapter out of An
MES Bible, read with quiet reverence.
With the first real GarRness we went
to our beds, Annie's arm to shelter
our little daughter.
Sunday mornings one of US would
go 70 the union chapel end worship
Presbyterians as we were. among
Baptists. Methodists, Episcopalians,
and members of every other denomi-
nation, while the other stayed at home
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

~ HE oroeusses first shifted the air
H. da,, little Anr,ie was q month

He crocusses first shifted the air
the day little Annie was a month
old. bringing Us their promise of
relief from the cold just as the
two grandraothers went away, I found
the first little flower as I was coming
home from the station, in a spot where,
only a few days before. there had been
a great pie of snow, The train had
lust borne our two guests around the
curve. | remember looking a oar home,
with its bushes bleak and its vines bare,
and thinking the crocus good omen.
We sat together in silence nearly an
hour-Annie with the little one on her
arm, I looking at the TWO sweethearts,
and all of US happy in having our homo
to ourselves. The fire cracked and
snapped loudly. Outdoors the afternoon
March wind whipped the scrawny trees
angrily. The wtfe's delicate eoIor, which
had slowly driven the gray from her
cheek, gIowed In the freight. The babe
was white and sweet The house SEEM
ed 10 have been suddenly filled with
Deace
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
Into the Coglike Grind.

How simple all this seems now, The
perspective OF later years always makes
ones troubles little. But it was not
simple then-ft was not simple telling
all our creditors of our straits, or seeing
the dear wife wear made-over clothes or
looking at bare rooms which her heart
ached to furnish, or doing without n
carriage for our little daughter. I could
have gone about my work in overalls
with a song on my lips; but I could
hardly endure 1t to stint our home and
It's gentle mistress. IT was far from
simple.
From that day we settled into the
cogIike grind OF those who pay debts
graduaIly-crunch, crunch, crunch, to-
day. tomorrow, forever. The unfolding
Of spring, awakening new desires; the
passing OF summer, with its long twi-
light OF discouraging meditation; the
coming Of fall, threatening u new win
ter. with new bills. left us still grind
ing The October that brought the dear
wife's birthday found me too poor to
buy her a single new dress.
We stood on the threshold of winter
with our debts In this state: Coal. s37
unpaid; provisions. $40 unpaid; furniture.
$40 unpaid; doctor. SLOT unpaid; books,
$50 unpaid; Mr.. Chamberlain, $50 un-
paid. and the druggist and tailor
checked off.
Yet we were not unhappy. While life
is young, love, little baby. and flow
cred home in the woods can easily van
quish debts. Waving those three good
by from the last train the morning and
meeting them at the station with the
first train in the afternoon. I lived the
family life as long each day as I could
and the Office life as briefly.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
"Who Takes the Odds %

When he heard his name mentioned
for the appointment, he thought it an
other joke at his expense mo sir
You boys are fooIiag me all the time. =
he would say. You can't fool me about
this. The Colonel has no idea OF put
ting me in the next room. No sir That
place will &c to some one with big pull
I've been here long enough to know
that Saying which, he would give his
waist coat tug with both hands and
wag his mead as though he thought him
self the wisest man In the office.
The next in line was a 81 100 clerk who
drank and gambled to the degree OF CON
tinous scandal. When he heard his
name associated with that OF Mr.. Jen-
nings, he proposed making a pool on
the prospect I'H take and give any
odds, he announced, standing before his
desk with his legs crossed like a figure
Come one; come all. Who runs
me for a place? Who takes the odds
on your humble as q 4yiauer? Four to
one and your money bach In a mo-
ment the whole office was laughing,
whereupon No 2 pointed at the second
button of his coat majestica1ly and sang
"0n a tree by q river little Torntit
sang Willow. Titwil1ow. Titwfllow." If
Mr.. Jennings was discouraging 10 the
appointing powers, Mr.. "Titwil1ow'' was
impossible.
Mr.. Donnelly was third. I think, and
the rest of Us were behind him on about
an even standing. Sc, If Mr. Jennings
and No. were both passed over, the
department superiors had yet as much
of a problem to solve as though no ex-
animation had been held
What we clerks hoped for was a new
test, with letters on immigration"
omitted. None OF US could see any
reason why the examination should
have included any general questions in
the first place, when there were months
of practical labor which could have
been used as the bass for the same
findings. Other departments had not
included them. And in his particular
matter of an important post to be filed,
according to our relative knowIedg of
the bureaus regular wor.-, we hoped
earnestly that the rating hight depend
on our knowledge OF that work and
nothing else.
AS It developed, no new examination
was even considered, and the assign
ment was made IN direct disregard of
that which had just been held.
learned of 1t from the Secret ery.
The findings of the examining board
were about week old, when q nessen-
ger brought me a summons to the Sec
retary's office. L caught up my street
coat, brushed my trousers, and started
down the hall in great perplexity. The
private secretary ushered me IN at once.
The department executive was writ
ing. but he put down his pen as /
walked toward his desk, smiled cor
daily, and said Good morning" heart
ifv
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
THE WASHINGTON TIMES. SUNDAY. JUNE 4. 1905

The next morning the air was heavy
With rumors. It was said Mr.. Jennings
had passed with the highest average.
that Mr.. Hutteriy was next, and that
Mr.. Macpherson and I were last. Natur-
ally we dismissed the whole story with
a wave of the hand But we were great
~ disturbed, nevertheless. and as we
parted Mr.. Macpherson said, with forced
cheerfulness:
"You would do well not to build up on
this scheme OF examinations, Philip. II
Is not likely to better conditions much.
have been in the departments a long
time and / have seen other schemes
just as good as this cfrcumvented by
they let us pass
Our suspense ended the next day. 4
messenger came into the room bearing
an armful Of letters and sorted out one
eareIessly for each desk. BY the time
he reached my window, had discovered
from the action of the other clerks that
these long envelopes contained our rat
ings. Mr. Macpherson opened ais-and
his face blanched. My turn came quick
ly. My general average was 81 3!
I ran over the specifications feverish-
1y: Department law, 81: department
practice. 30; general examination, So:
letter writing and penraanship, 90. For
a moment I could hardly believe that I
saw the figures Alright. Then a sharp
sense of nausea under my waistcoat and
a glance at Mr.. Macpherson drove the
truth home.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04

Philip" I raised my eyes with a ting
ling OF shame. For months I had been
afrat4 to do that sum. and now it was
done, I had been too much of coward
to shoT- it to my brave wife.
THAT isn't so bad, dearie." she said.
I'VE can pay it easily. The increase
in yout salary alone would pay it"-here
the voice waYered slightly-"in TWO
years.
The fixed payments amounted. to $50
a month. That covered the clothes,
books, and furniture. The grocer and
druggist expected to be paid in full the
next first OF the month. The coal man
had been so kind we wanted to give
him something. small though it might
be. The doctor would wait.
I finally suggested a plan which An
ME approved and our creditors ac
cepted-an excepting the tailor and the
Furniture man, who was to be "only too
kind to sell us on our own terms
As the tailor was almost disposed of by
one payment we did not worry over
him. The furniture bill continued to
grow less at the rate Of $40 a month.
Ny plan was to pay IS a month on
each OF our accounts. That.meant prog
ress at the rate OF s55 a month and An
ME was sure she could keep our ex-
penses within the sSl.07 which remained.
The plan was eased a little by TWO
concessions; the bookman told me he
would wait until I was able to paw
more at q time without "diggin' dirt"
and MIR. Chamberlain would not take
a cent until I had all the other ac-
counts out OF the way Even allowing
SO each for clothes and furniture, there
fore, we still had but s25 a month
to pay, and the burden growing Fighter
every day.
The Washington times., 1905-06-04
Question Of Salary Later.

had learned however. not TO expect
too much from the department under
any circumstances. and that phrase tho
Secretary had used, I'VE can talk Of
the salary question later" buzzed in nv
mind as a continual warning that fhts
promotion might not be all IL seemed IF,
be- This was the attitude took when
talked the matter over with NV faI
low-elerks. Much emphasized. 1t was
also my attitude when told the news
at home
There is nothing sure about this" I
said to Annie The only thing certain
about 1t is that I shall have more and
harder work 10 do. The Secretary ex-
pressly said We would talk OF the salary
question later. We must get what UIeas-
ure we can. now. out OF the distinction
OF my being made chief"
But Annie would not listen. Holding
her little daughter far out on her kneg
and pretending TO talk TO her. she ex-
claimed: 1T has come at last. lsttIa
baby. / knew It would I knew the old
daddy would earn his way ahead just
as soon as fairness began to decide
things in the Department We knew al,
bout that, didn't we? And we are glad
aren't we, thar we didn't give IN and
go back 10 Indiana?f And then sf1a
played with the little one and laughed
over her until she could hardly get her
TO go TO sleep, Her happiness was so
deep that that night. before we went
TO our beds. agreed that she should
take the baby into the city the next
day and learn at first hand what tha
promotion really meant for US.
We were standing together at my vim
dow when Annie entered the ofnce-the
bureau chief. Mr.. HutterIy, Mr. Donneliy
and / AS I sprang 10 the door to take
the little baby from her. she read tha
news In my face.
1T is not what you all expected.
then?" she asked, smiling brightly.
Colonel Powell, 1t was. who answered
her: I'm afraid not. Mrs. Schuyler We
have only added to your husbands re-
sponsibilities. I'm afraid. We have had
to give all the substantial recognition 10
other clerks who could not carry ths
responsibilities
But Annie only kept on smiling and
held our little daughter Up for them
ali TO see.
Ito Be Continued Next Sunday.s