davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
THE ENGLISH OF NEWSPAPERS

President Wilson of Princeton uni
versity says that newspaper English Is
remarkably good, generally terse and
clear and right to the point" Presi-
dent James of Illinois university, the
man who declares that college ath-
letes don't live long and are not
bright" says of newspaper English:
"The newspapers and common
schools are influences which keep our
speech crude, untidy and careless"
Here, then, are the opinions of two
able men on question of considerable
Importance, and it may be difficult for
some people to decide which one to
adopt. While on such subject a
newspaper writer may be considered
partial,it is not unfair to conclude that
President Wilson's opinion is the one
most generally accepted and therefore
the more correct. When he says that
newspaper English is remarkably
good" he undoubtedly takes into con-
sideration the fact that 1t is written
under pressure of time and in the
midst Of circumstances that would not
naturally be expected to aid sober and
correct thought and composition. The
scholar has every advantage. He can
finish his lecture either this week or
next. He can write as he pleases and
when he pleases. he has quiet den.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

filled with reference books and every
thing to aid him. The newspaper man
on the contrary has a typewriter in a
musty, hot Office, close by several 9th.
ers which are being pounded at top
speed. The reporter writes a story a
column in length. while the scholar is
racking his brain for single word.
The reporters city editor is calling to
him to hurry despite the fact that he
is exerting every energy, but the
scholar is unnerved if, when writing, a
book drops from the table to the floor.
The reporter is writing what the
masses are to read and his vocabulary
must Of necessity be limited to the
more common words. The scholar
has no restriction of this kind and can
embellish his composition with all the
words to be found in the volume com.
piled by Noah Webster and his co.
workers. But this is an advantage
for, as compared with the long, often
disjointed sentences of the essayist
the ''terseness" spoken of by DR.. VIII.
son as he finds it in the newspapers
| is a splendid relief
Newspaper men would be the first
no doubt. to acknowledge such Crude
untidy and careless language in news.
papers, but the question, after all, Is
not how much, but how little, there is
to be found in the newspapers. when
the difficulties and annoyances under
which most newspaper men are
Obliged to write is considered. Mr.
James must not overlook one import
ant item and that is newspaper Eng
fish is vastly superior to the average
spoken English, and were it not for
the public press the English that men
use would not be as nure as ii lie
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
jim eLupsoE.

Wall, no! / can't tell where he lives,
Because he don't live, you see;
Leastways, he's got out Of the habit
OF Twin like you and me,
Whar have you been for the last three
years,
That you haven't heard folks tell
How Jimmy Bludsoe passed in hisl
checks,
The night Of the Prairie BELIEF"
He warn't no saint-them engineers
Is all pretty much alike
One wife in Natchez-under-t the Hill.
And another here in Pike.
careless man in his talk was Jim,
And an awkward man in a row
But he never pinked, and he never
I reckon he never knowed how.
And this was all the religion he had
To treat his engine WE'LL
Never he passed on the river;
To mind the pilots bell;
And II ever the Prairie Belle" took
fire,
A thousand times he swore
He'd hold her nozzle agin the bank
Till the last soul got ashore.
All boats has their day on the Missis-
sip,
AND her day came at last
The Novaster was better boat,
But the Belle, she wouldn't be passed
And SO came a tearin along that night,
The oldest craft on the line,
With a niger squat on her safety
valve,
And her furnaces, crammed. rosin
and pine.
The fire bust out as she cleared the bar
And burst hole in the night;
And quick as flash she turned and
made
For that willer-bank on the right.
Their was runnin' and cursin', but Jim
yelled out
Over all the internal roar,
I'll hold her nozzle agin the bank
TIL the last galoot's ashore"
Through the hot black breath of the
burnin' boat
Jim Budsoe's voice was heard,
And they all had trust In his cussed-
ness,
And know'd he would keep his word.
And sure's you're born, they all got OF
Afore the sn1okestank fell
And Bludsoe's ghost went up alone
In the smoke Of Prairie Belle"
He warn't no saint-but at judgment
I'd run my chances with Jim
Longside OF some pious gentlemen
That wouldn't shook hands with him.
He'd seen his duty dead sure thing,
And went fer 1t thar and then;
And Christ amt a-going to be too hard
On man that died for men.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

conduct transportation company, but
that, since the government came into
possession Of this road as an incident
OF It's purchase OF the canal property
from the French it may be well to
the present facilities, but that the gov
eminent should not in any way enlarge
them.
The third proposition, that, since
the government lie required to operate
this road as commercial line, 1t ought
to improve its facilities SO as to make
1t Of the greatest possible benefit to
comm cree, Is the one most generally
approved by the shipping public.
''The relation that the Panama rail
road sustains to commerce is different
from that of any other transportation
company. The United States govern
ment is constructing canal across the
Isthmas of Panama at very heavy ex-
pense, and the benefit that will accrue
to commerce Is one of the principal
reasons for undertaking this great, en-
terprise. If the United States is JUS
titled in expanding large amount of
money for the construction of a canal
for the benefit OIL commerce. then 1t is
justified, pending the construction of
the canal, in operating this railroad for
the same purpose. And since 1t is
necessary to operate the road, it's ia
cilities should be improved so as to
enable 1t to handle commerce in the
most efficient manner.
'It is estimated by the engineers
that it will be from ten to fifteen years
before the canal can be opened for use,
and, in the meantime, the railroad
must perform, in so far as a railroad
can, the commercial functions of the
canal. The operation of this railroad
is no more In competition with private
enterprise than the construction and
operation of the canal are in competi
ton with private enterprise; and, If
products can be transported between
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts at less
cost by this line than by any other
then commerce should receive the
benefit Of this route"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
ONE MORE PROBLEM SOLVED.

Chicago Inter Ocean.-The invention
Of the word "chuff" as convenient
and easy abbreMation Of, or substitute
for, the word Chauffeur" will be al
plain people
There are those, Of course, who have
never had the slightest dificulty with
chauffeur" There are the people who
never hesitate at chef doover. or at
toot assembly; who speak with con-
fdence Of the Tooleries. who talk like
native Parisians about the .Loover, the
Place delay Concordy, and the Stamps
Eliza, but 1t must be confessed that to
the majority Of US who have not en-
1oyed the advantages of Continental
travel, and therefore, have never quite
succeeded In getting exactly the riglt
grasp on the Gallo tongue, chauffeur
has been something Of stumbling
block.
With true American spirit, however
we have never admitted that we could
be stumped by the French name for an
automobile driver We have not even
paused at chauffeur but, on the con-
trary, have taken it as the hunter takes
the hurdle. and pronounced it chatter
cheffer. choffer, shaffoor, shawfeer, or
chiffonier, as the case might be, with
the knowledge strong upon us that the
person We happened to be talking to
could do little; II any better.
The great trouble with this sort OF
lied and regretted was the want OF
uniformity In pronunciation. Any
one of them would do, II we could only
agree upon 1t and reduce 1t to common
usage. This would be, however, work
OF time, and there would always be the
danger that st. Louis would cling to
chiffer or Cincinnati would hang to
chatter, or that If we should favor
chaffoor New York, out of pure preju-
dice, might insist upon chiffonier.
We have thus far escaped, save in a
moderate degree. anything like A local
or sectional dialect in this country We
may be trifle awry on some words
but, as a rule, we have nationalized
| our errors Of speech, and, in many in
stances, competed their recognition by
the standard dictionaries. But
chauffeur presented some serious diff
culties; 1t involved too much variation
and 1t is well that somebody has hi
upon the word chuff as substitute.
We will not differ as to chuff. 1t is q
word that may be pronounced as easily
in Arkansas as In Illinois. It presents
no serious problem in the way Of spell
| Ing. It may be used not only as the
title Of the automobile driver, but ir
many other senses, as, for instance, In
l SeAoSs lily duVotAOI VI
| should come before an Evanston jus
| Justice.
Officer. were you pres
ent when this chuff was chuffing?"
| Policeman-"Yes, your honor, l
seen him chuffing around the cor
ner and timed him"
Justice-"Did he exceed the
maximum speed allowed by the or
dinance?"
Polfceman-"yea VOW haao..
he chuffed at the rate Of twenty
miles an hour
Justice-"That will do. Ten dol
lars. Call the next chuff."
1t has taken us a little time to mas
ter this rather annoying little matter
but we have mastered 1t at last, and
| with our usual intelligence and skill.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
BRlsTow ON THE lsTHMus.

Joseph L. Bristow, former assistant
postmaster general and now special
Panama railroad commissioner. has
been on trip of investigation to
Panama, New York, San Francisco and
other points, in order to determine the
exact status of the Panama railroad
and it's rights to transport commerce
across the isthmus between now and
the time of the completion of the canal
Mr.. Bristow's report Is large one
but the most interesting portion is that
given to discussion of the policy to
be pursued with regard to the railroad
This part of the report made by Mr.
Bristow follows:
"The question as to what policy
should be pursued by the government
in the management of the railroad
should be considered from three points
Of view:
First. Should the railroad be closed
to commerce, and be used as a con
struction road for canal work?
Second. Should it be used as q
construction and commercial road
making comm cree incidental and sec
ondary to canal work?
Third. Should it be used not only
as a construction road, but as com
mercial line to its fullest capacity?
Referring to the first proposition
this railroad has been operated as 8
commercial line for fifty years. It has
served as a link connecting the com
merce of the two oceans, and during
that time hundreds of tons of mer
chandise have been annually trans
ported across the isthmus, and 1t would
be Of great injury to commerce, moi
only OF our country, but Of Central an6
South America and of Europe, to close
this route, and do not think that suct
policy should be given consideration
"The second proposition-namely
that it's commercial status be main
tanned, and that comm cree be handled
only incidentally has many adherents
They state that it is not the business
of the United States government to en-
gage in a commercial enterprise or tt
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
to round out his life with another

to round out his life with another
term in the senate
Senator Alger's career as head of
the war department during the war
with Spain Is part CT contemporaries
Gus American history. The embalmed
beef investigation is still fresh in the
minds of the people, but If ever man
was sacrificed to make an american
holiday, history will undoubtedly show
that Senator Alger was that IAN. AS
head Of the war department during
the most trying times of recent years
he worked zealously. early and late.
Trusting. as any secretary must, to
the heads OF departments under him,
General Alger devoted his time to
solving the many problems that pre-
sented themselves. chickering's be-
tween chiefs of divisions. and lack of
harmony between officers of the vari-
GUS arms of the service did much to
bring discredit upon the department,
but hardly anyone believes that Gen.
eral Alger was other than loyal and
Jealous American citizen laboring with
an eye single to the general Good OF
the men in the military service. But
the exigencies of the times demanded
that the fault be ,laced somewhere
and public opinion was adroitly mould
ed against the secretary of war. He
resigned and returned to his home
city. Then came General Alger's
election to the senate. If the general
sought this Office to prove that his
own people believed in him he sec
ceeded we'll. He wcs warmly re
ceivo in the senate by men who knew
his worth and during his service In
that body has proved a useful and
valuable member His experience as
secretary of war fitted and qualified
him for membership on the important
committees on military affairs, com
-erce and coast defenses. Senator
Alce- will be missed.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
FOR MEN

can cure you of any chronic IFS
ease that you may have Perhaps you
do not realize how much your happi-
ness depends upon the state Of your
health. II you are suffering from any
OF the diseases which ruin the lives of
so many men. uniting them for bust
ness and marriage, call to see me.
can cure you.
My reputation has been built upon
my success an. the truth Of the state
ments / have made.
If, after investigation. (Which costs
you nothing) find that cannot cure
you will tell you frankly, thus avoid
ing any expense to you, but
IF UNDERTAKE YOUR CASE
WILL CURE YOU.
If you are suffering from nervous
debility I want to talk to you. can
cure this trouble and. by so doing, ~
store you to health and vigor.
Remember that the longer case is
let run the harder it is for me to cure
and the more 1t will cost you.
See me on my next visit and let me
start you on the road to health.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
JOHN HAY IN LITER AZURE

John Hay though the
writing
his ability to handle affairs of moment
tie Breaches will perpetuae his
o
semohlcia is made in New
novel an attack organized labor which
of
letters ever M publication few
work both serial and book form
the author Remarks M
magazine and Of
question the authorship
The Winners
- -
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
LrrrLE BREEcHEs.


don't go much on religion.
/ never amt had no show,
But I've got middlin' tight grip, sir,
On the handful o. things know.
don't pan out on the prophets,
And free will and that sort Of thing,
But b'lieve in God ard the angels
Ever since one night last spring.
/ come into town with some turnips,
And my little Gabe come along
No 4-year-old in the county
Could beat him for pretty and trong.
peart and chippy, and sassy,
Always ready to swear and fght-~
And I'd larnt hi INTO chaw terbacker.
Just to keep his milk teeth white.
The snow came down like a blanket
AS ! passed by Taggarts store;
went In for a jug of molasses
And left the team at the door.
they scared at something and started
|. / heard one little suuall,
And hell-to-split over the prairie
Went team, Little Brooches and all.
Hell-to split over the prairie!
was almost froze with skeer,
But we rousted up some torches,
And searched for em far and near.
AT last we struck horses and wagon
showed under a soft, white mound.
Upset dead beat-but of little Gabe
NO hide nor hair was found
VI
And here all hope soured on mo,
OF my fellow critters aid
jest Hoped down on my sparrows
bones,
croteh-deep in the snow and prayed
BY this the torches was played out,
AND me and Isrul Parr
Went off for some wood to a sheepfoN
That he said was somewhar thar.
We found 1t at last and a little shed
Where they shut up the lambs a,
night.
We looked in and seen them huddlel
thar.
So warm, and sleepy, and white.
And thar sot Little Brooches and
chirped,
AS peart as ever you see,
i want chaw of terbacker.
And that's what the matter OF me,A
How did he git thar? Angels
He could never have walked in thai
storm,
They just stopped down and toted hin
To whar 1t was safe and warm
And think that saving a little child,
And fetching him to his own
Is burned sight better business
Than loafing around the ThroDR
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

Teller after they had rendered him OBJ
sequious thanks for his donation to the
university in the interest Of higher
education.
The Des Moines News is convinced
that the men involved in the Equitable
crimes which. are just out Of the reach
of law. Every community has men
Of the same type" says the News
land every community has set before
1t moral standards OF the same rank
1t Is common fault and the price
must be paid by common sacrifice
The penalty can be escaped only by the
morality. both individual and civic
The Boone Republican is panied to
note that as yet no foreigners have
been sent over to study American
methods of insurance.
Noting that some Wisconsin hens
| unearthed a fortune while hunting for
food, the Des Moines Register and
Leader says, II more men would irni-
tate these hens and scratch for liv-
ing they would be much better off,
% s'i'rs.y'i
The Sioux City Tribune remarks
that Mr.. Lawson seems to agree with
some Chicago pessimists, that the
under municipal control about the
| time the Panama canal Is completed"
"The home is the best summer re.
sort of them all, says the lea Grove
Pioneer
The Waterloo Reporter says that
Tom Johnson's manly pulchritude
makes him "a thing of beauty and a
joy forever" but it suggests that Tom
cannot win the presidency solely on
his shape.
\ THE crew of the Kniaz Potemkine
may plead that they had been drinking
vodka mint Juleps il pushed for an ex-
PLANTATION Of their conduct" suggests
the Sioux City Tribune.
Japan seems to be able to borrow
all the money she wants. remarks the
Cedar Rapids Republican. Her credit
has become better and better as the
war has progressed
Secretary Wilson has purged his
department of the man who gave on;
confidential reports on cotton statis-
Centerville Iowegian Another black
eye for dishonest practices. The gov
eminent Is hitting lot of such ticks
letting them fall where they will"
Mayor Dunno has been long time
discovering the fact that Immediate
municipal ownership Is impractical
remarks the Des Moines News.
The Keosauqua Republican. says
! We have no acquaintance with the
! editor of the Marshalltown Times Re-
publican, in fact we have no recollec-
/ ton Of ever meeting him, but we read
his paper once in while, and VIC
would like to ask some reliable news
paper man. who knows the Times Re-
publican editor, whether that gentle
man was raised on republican or demo.
4 cratic milk"
The latest definition Of an optimist
a definition for which the Keokuk Gate
City stands sponsor, is "a man who is
happy when he is miserable"
u That Tom Lawson Is not as smooth
as he might be is evident to the Coun.
Gil Bluffs Nonpareil, by the fact thai
he wore a silk shirt In Kansas.
o.
"Of course. if we didn't have fift,
saloons there might be some sense ii
joints" says the Cedar Rapids Repub.
lican. bewailing the situation in tha
city. But did we not all want tn.
mulct law to get rid of the Joints anc
didn't we promise we would get rid o
the Joints If the legislature would onl,
give us back our saloons "
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

1.-THE man who has come forward
with a Christian defense Of John D.
Rockefeller will not be widely believ-
ed" says the Cedar Rapids Republi-
can. People prefer to believe that the
rich are scoundrels Of some kind or
other. In that way a man who has
failed can often console himself"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

"of course. if we didn't have fifty
saloons there might be some sense in
joints" says the Cedar Rapids Repub-
lican, bewailing the situation in that
city But did we not all want the
mulct law to get rid of the Joints and
didn't we promise we would get rid of
the joints If the legislature would only
give us back our saloons?'
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

The Des Moines Capital makes a
popular move when 1t demands that
the next legislature pass a law making
1t misdemeanor to leave the stones
in "a cherry pie.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

The party that is large enough t.
maintain dominance in the countr,
must have the unity of confidence,
declares the Sioux City Journal.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

The, Rockford Register hopes that
the Yale authorities were able to
devote ;aauiet hour to reading Ida
T2rbelIs biography of John D. Rookie
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

That Tom Lawson Is not as smooth
as he might be, is evident to the Coun-
Gil Bluffs Nonpareil, by the fact that
he wore a silk shirt in Kansas.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

Mayor Dunno has been long time
discovering the fact that Immediate
municipal ownership Is impractical,
remarks the Des Moines News.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
IOWA PRESS COMMENT.

A Chicago youth is accused Of steal
ing a copy of Ella Wheeler Wilcox's
poems, and the Keokuk Gate City ex-
claims: IF that isn't the limit it is
mighty close to it."
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

The latest definition Of an optimist,
a definition for which the Keokuk Gate
City stands sponsor, is "a man who is
happy when he is miserable"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

Secretary Wilson has purged his
department of the man who gave out
confidential reports on cotton statis-
tics of value to SPECTATORS" says the
Centerville Iowegian. Another black
eye for dishonest practices. The gov
eminent Is hitting lot of such ticks.
letting them fall where they WILL"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

The Keosauqua Republican says.
we have no acquaintance with the
editor of the Marshalltown Times Re-
publican, in fact we have no recollec-
ton OF ever meeting him. but we read
his paper once in while, and we
would like to ask some reliable news
paper man. who knows the Times Re-
publican editor, whether that gentle
man was raised on republican or demo-
cratic milk"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15
PEOPLE OF IOWA
Praise the Treatment as given by DR.. j. C. Bonham

Mr.. Zeb Smith, Of Ottumwa. says.
| was cured Of a very bad case Of
Piles after suffering twenty years"
Mr.. D. o. Ross, Abba, says: 81
had suspicious cancerous growth
on my lip. DIR. Bonham removed
It by use Of X-Ray."
Mr.. VIM. Gibson, Abba, Iowa.
says: II was cured Of a double
rupture and am well pleased"
We are constantly curing peo]
tism, Kidney and Bladder Disease
Lung Troubles, Diseases Of Wome
Diseases, Sexual Diseases, Blood al
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-15

Japan seems to be able to borrow
all the money she wants." remarks the
Cedar Rapids Republican. Her credit
has become better and better as the
war has progressed"