davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
Charges Corruptness.

Charges of corruptness are permeat-
ing the sacred atmosphere of the Wis
consin legislature, and scarcely a week
passes but that the members are not
stirred by the outbreak of some solon
who has been impressed by certain in
cidents. Always, however, the accusa-
lions are made in guarded language, but
with the evident intention that their
character shall be understood When
the cigarette bill came up for passage in
the senate two leading lights threw
down the gauntlet and charged repre-
sentatives of certain tobacco companies
with misuse of privileges as lobbyists.
Only recently, four assemblymen, LIE
Roy, Smoker, Hansen and Carpenter,
made charges that should members de-
sire, might we'll be made the basis for
investigation. Speaker Lenroot himself,
the other day, broke into a TRADE on the
liberties taken by legislative lobbyists,
and the things the house leader said
about this class made many vince. And
the strangest feature of it all is, that but
little attention is paid to the speeches
by the legislators. One thing is notice.
able, however, and that is that many
solons have made good the opportuni-
ties to polish up their records.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
RAILROAD BRIDGE WRECKED AT KANSAS CITY.
the dryest month of all the twelve, the

the dryest month of all the twelve, the
time of low waters.
New England floods come when the
spring rains melt the winter store OF
ice On the Pacific coast, the great
Columbia river regularly has floods
that last from near the middle of May
on into June. The Sacramento rises
earlier as a rule; last year floods along
the banks of this river worked much
havoc. smashed levees and devastated
to an unusual degree.
Dr. Frankenfield, who has charge
of the river and food service,
speaks of the Mississippi food OF
1904 as the greatest in the history
of the United States, the only inun-
dation ever approaching it being that
of 1874. Third in severity was that
of 1897.
To give some idea of the good Yankee
dollars saved by the work of the new
service, we may mention that in 1897
DR.. Frankenfield's corps saved $l5,-
100000 worth of property, and in the
greater flood of 1903 property of much
greater value. Concerning the warn
ings sent out by the service, DR.. Frank
enfield speaks thus: I'VE always aim 10
frame our forecast at least within a foot
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
.SENATE'S ACT HASTY
SAID THAT BODY ovERREACHED
POWER IN EATON CASE.
OPTION BILL IS RECALLED
Thayer Measure, After Passing As
sembly, Is Jerked Back Into Com
nittee-Bribery Charges Are
Openly Made.
[snecial Correspondence. ]

Madison, Wis, May las an after
nath to the unprecedented action of the
Wisconsin senate in ousting Senator
Barney A. Eaton from the body on
charges of bringing the solons' dignity
into question, the contention has arisen
that the upper house has reached far be-
yond it's power, and doubt is expressed
as to whether proper steps were taken.
Eaton was suspended from participa-
ton in the proceedings of the body until
January 1, 1906, which practically
amounts to a year and a half disbar-
ment. as the legislature holds no ses-
sion next winter. Members in general
are founding their conversation OF the
Eaton affair, and many are inclined to
believe that the senate did wrong in
leaving the district represented by the
solon without a senator. By the SEN
ate's action, the people of the Eaton dis
trict are unable to elect successor to
their ousted senator, while this pro-
cedure would be possible if the body
had impeached or expelled him. But the
action makes the blow harder, and now
the district in question, besides being I'M
represented, can do nothing to alter it's
conditions. This is the first time in the
history of the commonwealth when a
state solon has been ousted from his
seat. On the other hand, the senate or
assembly has the right to punish any
member for contempt or violation of
rules, and the Eaton matter must be con-
sidered closed. Senator Eaton has left
the city, but still gossip continues to
turn in his direction for food and while
many declare that the senate should
have expelled him, there are an equal
number who believe that the upper
house so1onS went too far
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
capitol Bill Reported Ont.

BY unanimous vote the committee
on capitol and grounds has reported out
and recommended for passage it's bill for
solution of the capitol problem. An APP
preparation of $500, 900 becomes immedi-
ately available and will be expended in
the erection of new wing as soon as
proper plans can be provided for the edi-
fee Together with the report is a rec
ommendation carrying an appropriation
of $4,000 to be used for the purpose of
providing entirely new plans. The pres
ent capitol commission is continued and
further provision is made that in case of
any vacancy it shall be filled by the ap-
rcintmsnt of member of the commits
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

Fourth instant, six a. m. Clear wealth
er. Wind south. Precipitation since
last report, 10. River S.S below zero OF
gauge and falling"
The big Mississippi is divided into ten
districts, each has station that gathers
daily reports from it's substations. The
station at Cairo is very important one.
looked upon as the key of the entire
stream. Here empties the waters of the
Ohio, and near by is the Missouri'S
mouth. The forecasts for the river be-
low Cairo are chiefly based on the meas
urements of the Cairo station.
Along the Mississippi are distributed
80 river gauges, huge measuring rods
that reach down to the rivers bottom
and up higher than any probable flood
ever will go. The shortest are Is feet
in length, the longest 200. In normal
times the water surface is read on these
gauges once day; In times of flood
sometimes once an hour The greatest
variation recorded is 50 feet at Cincin-
natl. The variation for slow rivers av-
erages from ten to 15 feet, and up to 30
and 40 feet in rapid streams.
The cost Of the river and flood serv-
ice is very small compared to the
amount of property it saves. Fifty
dollars expended by the flood service of
the bureau for extra telegraph tolls in
seasons of flood frequently saves anil
lion dollars in property and hundreds of
lives more precious than the total wealth
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

head was cut off, and / couldn't help
thinking of how we in America got our
civilization from the descendants of the
English people who cut her head off,
BY ginger, old chum. it made me hot
l didn't care to look at the old armor, or
the crown jewels, which make you think
of cut glass factory, but reveled in the
scenes of the beheading. / never was
stuck much on kings and queens, but it
seems to me if they had to murder them
they ought to have given 'em a show, and
let them fight for their lives, instead of
getting into trap, like you would entice
a rat with cheese, and then cut their
heads of.
1 suppose it is right here that we in
herited the desire to lynch and burn
at the stake the negroes that commit
crime and won't confess at home. When
anything is born in the blood you can't
get rid of it without taking a dose Of
patriotism and purifying the blood, and
I advise you never to visit the Tower of
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
German Army Discipline.

Discipline is severe in the German
army and the treatment of privates is
sometimes unjustifable. At Dessau a
sergeant who had been drinking to ex-
cess insulted two young women who
were escorted by a couple of men in
the ranks. The privates protested to
the minor officer, who drew his sword
and attacked them, in his drunkenness
wounding one of the girls. In the af-
fray which followed the sergeant was
disarmed and felled to the floor. All
three were put on trial. The sergeant
was sentenced to prison for i've
months, while the unfortunate privates
were condemned to five years behind
the bars at hard labor, were dismissed
from the service and were deprived OF
their civil rights. Service.as a private
in an army so regulated cannot be a
cause of pride in time of peace.-N. Y.
Tribune.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
ZADKIEL OF THE ALMANAC.
Richard James Morrison Was Man
of Brilliance in Service Of
England.

The original "Zadkiel," an English
man, was an interesting person. His
name was Richard James Morrison.
whose father is described as "a gen
tleman pensiOner under George Ill,
while his grandfather had been cap
tain in the service of the East India
company. Entering the royal navy the
year after Trafalgar as fist volun-
teer, Morrison saw much boat service
il the Adriatic, and afterwafd shared
in "a brilliant and single-handed VIC
tory gained by his ship over a
Franco-Neapolitan squadron After
having served as lieutenant and mas
ter, he entered the coast-guard in 1927.
and for rescuing life from shipwreck
in 1923 the Society for the Preserva-
ton of Life from Shipwreck-the par
ent of the present Royal National Life
boat neutrality-suspicious. him with
a medal, which he appears to have
amply deserved, since he had 10 retire
from the coastguard in 1929 through
Ill health induced by exposure on the
occasion of this rescue. 1t was he
who, in 1924, presented to the admir-
atty a plan subsequently adopted in
principle for registering merchant
Seamen and engineers, to know that
in 1927 he suggested another Tor pro-
polling ships of war in calm" For
his plan (1835) to provide an ample
supply of seamen for the fleet without
impressment" he received the thanks
of the admiralty. Sir James Graham,
then first lord, adopting his arguments
in the house of commons and partly
giving effect to them by adding 1000
boys to the navy. Meanwhile "Zad-
kiel'' had in 1881 brought out the
Herald of Astrology," which after
ward became the Astrological Alma
nac," and subsequently "Zadkiel's AL
manac," whose enormous circulation
brought him competence.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
Adjournment Talk in Order.

The last lap of the 1905 Wisconsin leg
islature has begun and now leading lights
forecast adjournment at any time be-
tween May Is and June l. The two mat
tiers which are now holding the solons
are the capitol matter and the rate bill
Of course, there are other matters, but
all are of minor Importance and can be
disposed of without much of conflict
Hopeful members look for the end of the
session on May IS. There are small sub
jects, that is, when taken in comparison
with the capitol and rate problems, which
are certain to consume time. There is
anti-liquor legislation, appropriation
bills, civil service bills, and several taxa
ton measures yet to be disposed of and
when these and the two leading questions
are gotten out OF the way, it may be said
the solons are near adjournment AS yet
however, talk of adjournment has found
for itself no better heading than "gos-
SIP" While not coming under legisla-
ton. the Eaton matter, must be satisfac-
torily ended, and this, it is positive, will
cause sharp struggle.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
No Agreement on Rate Bill.

Despite the announcement given out
by those directly engaged in attempting
to solve the rate bill problem that an
agreement had been reached. leaders
now repudiate the story, and the SUBJ
committee on railroads continues to
hold its sessions in vain endeavor to
arrive at a decision. The committee
held an ver-Sunday session in hopes of
some result, but none is expected until
late in the week. Burton Hanson. gem
eral solicitor of the Milwaukee Railroad
company, has framed a reply to Gov. La
Follette's recent special message to the
legislature suggesting the passage of ad-
ditional laws looking to the protection
of the employees and passengers of the
railways of the state. Mr.. Hanson de-
clares that further legislation in this re-
gard is unnecessary, as the statutes al
ready contain laws that amply protect
the patrons and employees Of railways,
and in addition, the railroads enforce
strict rules of their own, which have the
same effect as the laws suggested by the
governor would have.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
Political Jobs Favored.

why is it," asked a leading lower
house member of senator, the other
day, that when attempt to get state
institution appropriation through, that
it requires all the push and influence
which / can bring to bear, and often
times meets with failure, while the man
next to me, who has a bill for increasing
the working force of some department or
establishing another, very rarely fails
to see his efforts attended with sue
cess?" And this solon is but voicing the
opinion which is heard from numerous
legislators. Special legislative commit
tees inquire into all normal school ap-
preparations and others of like charac-
ter, the result as rule being that the
budget has large-sized slice taken off,
In other directions the scrutinizing eye
of the committee is not seen. There are
a number of bills involving political
jobs on hand now. One provides for the
establishment of public accounting de-
partment involving sum in the region
of $4,000 per annum; another providing
for an increase in the inspecting force of
the food department will cost the state
about $4,000 year more Other meas
ures providing for bureaus, etc., many
declare, might be dispensed with by put
ting the work upon some other depart
ment, but this plan does not meet with
popularity.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

would cut your liver out for shilling,
and every woman was drunk on gin.
What there is about gin that makes it
the national beverage for bad people
beats me, for it looks like water,
tastes like medicine and smells like
cold storage eggs. At home when a
person takes drink of beer or whisky
he at least looks happy for a minute,
and maybe he laughs, but here nobody
laughs unless somebody gets hurt, and
that seems to tickle everybody in the
White Chapel district.
The people look mad and savage
when they are not drinking, as though
they were only looking for an oppor-
tunity to commit murder. and then
when they take drink of gin, instead
of smiling and smacking their lips as
though it was good and braced them
up, they look as though they had been
stabbed with dirk and they put on a
look of revenge, as though they would
like to wiring a child's neck or cut holes
in the people they meet
Two drinks OF gin makes a man or
woman look as though they had swal-
lowed buzz saw. l always thought
drinking liquor made people think
they were enjoying themselves, or that
they took it to drive away care and
make them forget their sorrows, but
when these people drink gin they seem
to do it the way an American drinks
carbolic acid, to end the whole bust
ness quick.
At home the drinker drinks to make
him feel like he was at picnic Here
every drinker acts like a suicide, who
only hopes that he may commit MUIR
der before the gin ends his career.
And there are hundreds of thousands
of people in this town who have no
ambition except to get bit of bread
to sustain them till they can get a
drink of gin, and gradually they let up
on bread entirely and feed on gin, and
look like mad dogs and snarl at every
body they see, as much as to say:
What are you going to do about it,"
A good square American meal would
give them a fit, and they would go to
a hospital and die if the meal could
not be got out of them.
Gosh, but l was glad to get out of
the White Chapel discreet, and 1 kept
looking back for fear one of the men
or women would slit me up the back
with a butcher knife, and laugh like
an insane asylum inmate.
Do you know, those people who
drink gin and go hungry are different
from our American murderers. Our
murderers will assault you with a
smile, rob you with joke on their
tongues end, and give you back car
fare when they hold you up, and if
they murder you they viii do it easy
and lay you out with your hands
across on your breast and notify the
coroner, but your Whito Chapel MUIR
derer wants to disembowel you and
cut you up into chunks. and throw
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
Civil Service Bill Passed.

Mr.. Warmers civil service bill has been
passed by the assembly and is now in a
fair way of becoming a state statute.
Several times the measure has been post
poned, and coming up Monday it met the
same fate, but on Wednesday, the date
upon which it was placed, the bill met
with success, its passage being accom-
plished by safe vote. The bill puts
1900 state positions under civil service
and gives the incumbents an opportuni-
ty of retaining their places by passing a
noncompetitive examination within six
months after the act goe into effect.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

interfere ana have the COMPOUNDED
place burned down and grass soWn on
the site and park made OF it.
The tower covers IL acres of ground,
and there are more things brought to
a visitors attention that ought to be
forgotten than you ever thought about.
| remember attending the theater at
home and seeing Richard the Third
played, and l remember how my SYM
pathies were aroused for the two little
boy princes that were murdered by
Richard the Third, but l thought 1t
was q fake play, and that there was
nothing true about it. but, by gosh, it
was right here in the Tower of Lon
don that the old hump-backed cuss
murdered those little princes, and dad
and I stood right on the spot, and the
beef-eater who showed us around told
us all the particulars. Dad was in
dignant, and said to the beef-eater:
''Do you mean to tell me you stood
around and let Richard kill those
princes without uttering a protest or
protecting them or ringing for the po-
lice? BY the great hornspoon, you
must have been accessory to the fact,
and you ought to be arrested and
hung" and dad pounded his cane on
the stone floor and looked savage.
The beef-eater got red in the face
and said: Begging your pardon, don't
you know, out hi was not ere at the
time. This 'istory was made six 'un-
dred years ago."
Dad begged the mans pardon and
told him he supposed the boys were
murdered year or two ago, and he
gave the beef-eater dollar, and he
was so gratified 1 think he would have
had a murder committed for dad right
there and then if dad had insisted on
it.
You feel in going through the tower
like you was in an American slaughter
house, for it was here that kings and
queens were beheaded by the dozen.
They showed us axes that were used
to behead people, and blocks that the
heads of the victims were laid on, and
the places where the heads fell on the
floor. 1t seemed that in olden times
when a king or queen got too gay,
the anti-kings or queens would go to
the palace and catch the king or queen
in the act, and take them by the neck
and hustle them to the tower, and
when a king or queen got in the tower
they went out on the installment plan,
and after being thrown in the gutter
for the mob to recognize, and walk on
the bodies, they would bring them
back in the tower, and seal them up in
a pigeon hole for future generations
to cry over.
All my life have had in our house to
look at a picture of beautiful Anne
Boleyn, and here stood right where her
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

eek Governor of Wisconsin, formerly pub
Usher of "Peck's Sun" author of
"Peck's Bad Boy" etc.
Copyright, 1904, by Joseph 3. Bowles)
London, England.-My Dear Chum:
/ received your letter yesterday, and
it made me homesick. Gee, but IL |
could be home there with you and go
down to the swimming hole and get in
all over, and play tag in Lne sand, and
tie some boys pants and shirt in knots,
and yell that the police are coming,
and all grab our clothes under our
arms and run across lots with no
clothes on, and get in barn and put
on our clothes, and dry our hair by
pounding it with stick, so we would
not get licked when we got home, life
would be worth living, but here all
do is to dodge people on the streets and
see them look cross when they step
on me.
Say, boy, you will never know your
luck in being citizen of good old
America, instead or subject of Great
Britain, because you have got to be
rich or be hungry here, and if you are
too rich you have got no appetite.
You have heard of the roast beef Of
old England, but nobody eats it but
the dukes and bankers. The working
men never even saw a picture of a
roast beef, and yet we look upon all
Englishmen as beef-eaters, but three
fourths of the people in this town look
hungry and discouraged, and they
never seem to know whether they are
going to have any supper
/ went GOWN to market this morn
ing where the middle class and the
very poor people buy their supplies,
and it would make you sick to see
them. They buy small loaves of bread
and penny's worth of tea, and that is
breakfast, and if man is working he
takes some of the bread to work for
lunch, and the wife or mother buys a
carrot or a quarter of a cabbage, and
maybe bone with piece of meat
about as big as fish bait, and that
makes supper, with a growler of beer.
Say, the chunk of meat with bone
that an American butcher would throw
at a dog that he had never been intro
duced to would be a banquet for a
large family over here.
have been down into the White
Chapel district, which is the Five
Points of London, and of the thou
sands of tough people l saw there was
not a man but looked as though he
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

Years ago when floods threatened, all
the people could do was to flee with
what goods they could carry away, and
wait to return to their homes, to plant
crops and carry on their work when the
waters had fallen. Then gradually pri-
vate enterprise began building leVee
here and there; next communities took
it upon themselves to provide this pro-
lection; later the state carried the bur-
den, and now the federal government
looks after repairs and even undertakes
to build up new works. To-day there
are 300 miles of 1evees below the mouth
of the Ohio, contrast to that first levee
built in New Orleans in 1717, one mile
long.
In addition to the river gauges, tEe
service has lately begun to make use OF
the snow gauge. A tube measures
depth of snow deposits, and the snow in
the tube is melted down, this water
measured and compared with the depth
of snow. Estimates are made Of the
quantity of water there will be when
the spring thaws melt the snow crusts.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04
Thayer Option Measure Recalled.

Thayer Option Measure Recalled.
Passed and then unceremoniously
jerked back into committee again. This
was the fate of the Thayer option bill,
providing that residence district may
regulate the liquor trade within it's pre-
cincts, which was carried through the
assembly last week by a majority of one
vote. The oav following its passage, the
brewers made desperate effort to re-
trieve it's defeat, and the measure was
ordered brought back to the state affairs
committee for reconsideration by vote
of 40 to 38. Open intimations that bribery
inspired the recall of the bill created
considerable excitement Immediately
following the assembly's action, and the
indirect charge of bribery made by Mr..
Thayer author of the measure, set the
body in an uproar.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-05-04

sion The plans of the report is to apply
the 100000 now said to be available for
building purposes and to spread the
100000 appropriation over period of
two years. The next legislature is to
provide the means of continuing the
work. The $4,000 appropriation is to
pay the awards of present architects and
to provide new plans. When completed
the building will be practically upon the
same ground plan as the present struc
tufe.