davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

part of the Rockefeller forces consists
in buying up a whole town in order TO
take away the patronage of the offend
ing saloon.
In the meantime the war is on and
Melin's flag is still flying. But in the
interim, every time that the reputed
richest man in the world is driven to
the Tarrytown railway station to catch
train for New York he is obliged to
pass this one-story frame shanty with
the glaring legend informing the
thirsty wayfarer that all kinds of wet
goods, from brown pop and Herkimer
County applejack TO yellow peril beer
and whisky warranted to kill while you
wait may be had within Some men
struggling with total abstinence prin-
ciples might avoid the impudent little
gin mill by riding cross country on the
back of a thoroughbred hurdle jumper,
or chartering an airship; others might
circumvent the willy dealer in red
liquor by constructing a subway from
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

cantico Hills are looking on with bated
breath.
Now, with two such foemen-each
worthy of the others steel-it becomes
interesting to- know what kind Of men
they are. Mr. Rockefeller is, perhaps,
the better known of the two. When he
is driven along the old Sleepy Hollow
road that intersects the Bedford road
right at John Melin's groggery every
one has good chance to study his
external appearance: If the man were
walking along the road and wore
knickerbockers and broad, low shoes
with steel buckles to them, instead of
the conventional clothes of modern
business man, you would swear that
the story about Ichabod Crane, who
as supposed to have passed the best
days of his life in this very locality.
was not so much of a fiction as it
might be. In the face that one sees
there is world of determination.
Some men give up when they have had
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

their mansion to the railway tracks.
But Mr.. Rockefeller has other ways
ways that have resulted in the ex-
penditure of much money and that
have, incidentally. brought much
trouble to the door of John Mein
But during all this battle royal which
has extended over a period Of three
years, and which has not yet reached
its elimination, Melin has never weak
ened, but, on the contrary. has thus
far beaten his multi millionaire an
tagonist at every point In vain Mr.
Rockefeller has attempted to buy out
the saloon-keeper His agents have
offered big prices, begged and coaxed,
but this squat-legged. broad shculdered
Swede has shaken his head and said he
knew his business. Now Rockefeller
has adopted new tactics He is buying
up the whole town OF Briggsville, in
which Melin does business, on the logi-
cal deduction that if there are no peo-
pie to drink whisky and beer there will
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

De no whisky and beer sold, and with
out the sale of whisky and beer there
will be no saloon.
MIR. Rockefeller is said to have been
in some big fights in his life. He has
achieved the reputation of having sue
cessfully led battles in which millions
of dollars were Involved. Wall street
has eyed him with suspicion and ad
miration. He has conquered all OBJ
stacles in a gigantic enterprise that
has. in its magnitude, astounded the
financiers of two hemispheres. But in
all his fights. in all his financial calcu
lations, it is doubtful if he has ever en-
tered into a battle with more vim and
more grim determination to come out
the victor than he has in this warfare
with the other John. who has planted
himself down on his stocky legs like
bulldog with the resolve to stick it out
as long as there is bark and a bite
LETT in him. And Wall street and Po-
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

clusion of all things else. Money
then becomes God and supplants
Deity even in the sanctuary. The
church is called the house of God.
yet what poor man feels at home in
his Fathers house? Fashion-money
is here in all it's luxurious vociferous-
ness, and the rich sit near to and the
poor far from the altar of God. And
the modestly clad sister shudders at
beholding the lavish costume of the
sister in select pew. and her mind
wanders from devotion to contem-
plation not devout at all. And the
other one-well maybe if she grievcs
she really seeks God, but mostly THE
eyes of all are not turned to him, but
gazing upon others"
Money has its penalties. too, for
those who possess it must take proper
social rank, must entertain; and Mrs.
Empty Head invites her lady friends
for an afternoon and evades the ne
cessity of performing her duty as
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

billions move US now as they did
when man first began to think, only
now the veneer is put on thicker and
the varnish is more artistically laid
on. Hence the degree of assurance
we feel that we may dare toy with
the pastimes that ruined empires and
indulge in excesses that annihilated
the races of old. Nothing new under
the sun. No. Not even oppression.
which sprang into life twin sister of
cupidity For of old has oppression
been the instrument by which ambition
without ability has forced its hold
upon the world, and even Caesar, like
the Prophets, wept when the poor
cried.
Money? Yes, that is 1.-THE root of
all evil and the universal provider.
Money is and was the standard by
which mems worth was judged in all
ages when materialism absorbed
mems ideas and energies, to the ex-
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08
X COURTSF1IP AND THE SIMPLE LIFE -
wodsof saon for the Youngn Men the Nad

should he say "How-do" first? If he
should say .How-do" first, is he to ap-
pear conscious or unconscious of the
bokay in his hand? Should the girl ap-
pear to see it? Or should each avoid
looking the other in the eye until he
says "Oh. I've brought a few flowers
for you? Should he, by any possibil-
ity, hide them behind his back until the
first greetings are over?
or a grave complexity is this, the at
tempted solution Of which will cause
the Queen of Reason to totter on her
throne, while grinning Bedlam whis-
pers words of horrid revolution to the
fagged-out little workers of the mind.
Beware, young men, beware!
And what are cabs? Complexities
pure and simple. Should the gentleman
haggle with the driver OF the cab either
before or after riding? II he once
takes her In aecab, should he always
take her in cab? Otherwise, will she
think his love is growing cold? Should
he lean back In the cab? Should he
act as though he always rode In cabs?
Should he assume that she is accus-
toned to cabs? Or should he accentu-
ate the fact that he il giving her q
treat. saying. Isn't It nice to ride in
cabs?" or How much nicer 1t is to
ride in a cab and think how much
nicer it is to ride in q cab than it is
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

of love and she playfully accuses him
of having gone out to get a drink,
should he deny it?
And thus complexities gather and
problems multiply. Young men, cut
out the theater! If she wishes that
sort of spectacular amusement, you
would do we'll to learn a simple parlor
trick or two that can be performed
with few matches, a glass of water,
a cork, coin, wine glass and a pack
of cards. A pleasant and instructive
evening may be spent in this manner.
In the next place, restaurants must
be avoided. All restaurants are COM
plex. Shall the gentleman precede the
lady when following the head waiter?
How shall he refer to his escort when
mentioning her to the waiter? Shall
he say "Give the lady another cup of
tea," or Give madame another cup Of
tea. or Give my girl another cup Of
tea," or "Give the missis another cup
of tea," or Give Mrs. Smith another
cup of tea," or Give her another cup
of tea," or shall he basely dodge the
question and order another cup of tea
over there?
And, further, how may he attract the
walters attention when the waiter
studiously looks the other way? Shall
he hit his fork against his glass or
snap his fingers, or say "S-s-s!" or
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

lightly a few seeds from our storehouse
some idea of the tremendous bulk of
grain reposing in our mental bins.
In our travels and peregrinations we
have lately noticed a small army of
gentlemen standing on street corners
and handing out (for q consideration
copies of book entitled the Simple
Life We bought copy, we read 1t;
irresistibly we brought the tremendous
weight of our intellect to bear upon
the subject until we now are ready to
use it for a text, to construe 1t, to ella
borate it. to restrict it, to criticize it.,
to approve it: to frown upon it, to
swear by it, to swear at 1t, to treat 1t
seriously, to treat it lightly, to praise
1t, to damn it, to hold it up as g. model,
to throw it down as horrible example.
or to preserve a weighty silence over
1t, meanwhile breathing heavily, look
ing wise and smiling inscrutably.
But no.
Young men Of the nation 1--WE repeat).
give heed. And ho, ye widows and
spinisters, hide your headsl For we are
about to lay down few elementary
rules Of the simple life as applicable
to the subject of courting, of wooing,
of loving, Of keeping company. Of going
with a girl, Of sparkling seriously, of
paying attentions, of looking for wife.
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

hostess by making them entertain
themselves. Card tables are spread
around and all are 10 play for prizes;
after play refreshments, hand shakes.
"Oh, what delightful time, Mrs.
Empty-Head; so glad you invited
u.s." Another afternoon is wasted.
Pastime is no more recreation; it
is the only business of life. But this
is not all. 1t would not do never to
win a prize-that would be rehec-
ton upon some other vacuous era
mum. SO they cheat. But no one
cares-the hostess provides the prizes
and no one is really hurt, except
morally-but then it is fashionable
In time, however, it comes hard on
Mrs. Empty-Head to continue pro-
viding prizes, so the callers at cards
play for a little stake just to make it
interesting. And then they lose and
their husbands have need of spoil
more spoil" for already "they have
taken the wings of a stork to fit to
and fro to build temple to folly"
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

"And the foolish woman thus tear
eth down her house with her own
hands
All of which is not new; it hap
pened when the Proverbs of Solomon
were written. Even corner in wheat
was heard of then, for there was "a
curse on him who withheld his corn,
but blessing upon him who sold it
at all times"
Do not alarm yourself, however.
No, the race is not lost. Frivolity has
its season, only it unfortunately abid-
eth too long-too long if we esti-
mate the loss to mankind at large
and to society in particular. Israel,
Judah and Rome before they fell SUI
fered from the thoughtlessness of
their women, the frenzied rush for
maddening pleasure, the day of waste
full recreation, the night of wild rev.
elry. We, however, have benefited
by their example, and when the fad
has lasted little too long and the
swift-moving life of to-day shall alter
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

once again the environments these
gayeties will pail upon their present
votaries and soberer occupation will
be their quest. Those who have suf-
fcient of the ruin left to make it
possible will repair the house they
have nigh wrecked and the neglected
husband and children will be made
happy in the warm stream of a
mother love.
We have even doubted the exist
ence of God before science became
fashionable, and faddists of all sorts
and conditions have formed fan
dangled sects long before the modern
craze. Even the merit of goodness
has had it doubters and uprightness
has been deemed folly. Corruption
in high places has held sway before,
and even human love has been de-
rided. But we always come back to
the old again, the old that is true and
undying; to truth, to honor, to God
and home, in time to squeeze back
through the gates of salvation.
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

," HIS is the story of the Two
Johns. One is John D. Rock
efeller, worth $780, 900, 600, and
the other is John J. Melin,
worth $4,000. Herein may be
read how John d. Rockefeller
master of men and of millions, has up
to the present time met his match in
the tactics of John j. Melin, the
jawed, phlegmatic Swedish sa-
loon-keeper, whose rum shop stands
impudently at the head of the. cross
roads on the way to the country home
Of the Standard Oil King at North
Tarrytown, says the Brooklyn Eagle.
But new deal has just been shuffied
from the Rockefeller deck, and all the
good people in the Pocantico Hills.
from the millionaire dwellers in the
highlands to the astute philosophers
sitting around the red hot stoves in
the stores at Tarrytown and White
Plains, are wondering what is going to
happen next This latest move on the
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

LLHHE thing that hath
been, it is that which
shall be, and that which
is done shall be done
again, and there is moth
ing new under the sun"
Now sneer! 1t is the custom to de-
ride any suggestion which appears to
discount the marvelousness of the
present. In fact, life is with some
made UP of sneers and regrets, sneers
at the ignorance of the past and re-
grets for the good old times. And
even this is not new. Of old men
spoke in that very strain, bemoaning
the discomfort that ort-sightedness
or overconfdence had wrought for
them. But this complaint is not true,
therefore "it ariseth not out of wis
dom" Yet, "that which is done
has been done before" for we are at
heart the same as our forbears. The
same emotions, impulses and am
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

II have discovered he says, that
man is simply plant turned upside
down. Hair is to man what the roots
are to plant. Air and light are the
soil from which mankind draws its
energy.
THE hair supplies the ether which is
the nutriment and energizer of the en-
tire brain and nervous system. Under
standing this. it is easy to eradicate
consumption
Beckham is a negro, born in South
Carolina and educated at Claff1in and
Howard universities Leaving Howard
to enter Cornell, he fell ill of consump-
ton.
In Philadelphia hospital he noticed
that the hair of consumptives stopped
growing and turned gray at the tips;
so he concluded that this had some con-
nection with the origin of the disease.
He let his hair and beard grow, lived
outdoors without a hat, recovered and
to-day is a giant.
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

to walk, than it is to walk and to
think how much nicer it is to ride in
a cab than it is to walk?"
All, but cabs are complex! There are
few simplicities so easy or attainment
and so desirable in their elimination of
vulgar display as the pristine sim
plicity of hooffne it.
And of what complexity is the mat
ter of taking girl to a theater? Should
her wishes be consulted or should he
buy tickets to show which he wants
to see himself? When the tickets are
bought, should he bring it to her at
tention that they are costing him
pretty penny, or should he casually re-
mark that he has got couple Of tick
cts and will she come? Should she
have the option of the aisle seat or
should he hog that desirable point of
vantage? Should he openly admire any
of the actresses or should he curl his
lip instead of joining in the applause,
meanwhile looking at his girl and ex-
changing disdainful glances with her?
When the ballet trips forth, should he
elevate himself in his seat and look
cheerful, or should he virtuously sigh
and keep his gaze discreetly lowered.
If she begins to look hungry. should he
dodge out between the acts and pawn
his ring to buy the coming dinner? And
when he comes back from this labor
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

got mixed up in the Boston Water
Power Company and dropped the mod
est sum of $59,S41 in jig time. But that
left him with hundred and fifty odd
dollars, which he spent in giving his
friends a dinner, handing his last So
note to the head waiter
That left Mr.. Lawson with clean
decks, but it did not take him long to
get into the game again. For the last
thirty years no man has made and lost
the fortunes like him; no man has
spent the millions that he has in SO
many different ways. His motto is:
IF you spend money. spend it like a
gentleman" and he has lived up to
this. If he wants a thing he buys it,
just as he did when he paid $4,000 for
the famous Lawson pink.
In the last historic crash of Amalga-
mated Copper Lawson is said to have
lost $1,000, ,000-a mere bagatelle. Since
that time he has made that much over
and over again at times, according to
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

common report, says a writer in the
Baltimore Sun.
So far as skyrocket speculation goes
he excels even the 'Betcher- million"
John w. Gates. When he loses fight
he likes to write a book about his
troubles and show up the inside work
ings of the financial world from his
point of view to illustrate what little
chance the general public has to make
money unless by blind luck.
AS one of the most versatile and pic
turesque American millionaires Mr..
Lawson is always doing something new
When he bought the famous pink there
were other bidders for the flowers. A
New York concern offered $4,000 for the
slip, Harlow w. Calvin made it $4,000.
another florist made the bid of $4,000
and Lawson jumped it to 100000.
No reverses in life ever stung him so
deeply as the wound inflicted by the
New York Yacht Club. He built the
sloop independence and it looked for a
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

so with Mr.. Lawson. More than once
he has lost that amount with a smile,
and more than a dozen times he has
made that amount while the day labor
er in front of his office was earning So.
Among other things Mr. Lawson is
noted for is his beautiful homes. His
house in the exclusive Beacon street, in
Boston is a palace. He has half
dozen beautiful farms, where his crack
trotters Craze. When he tires of one
place he buys another. for in this, as
well as every other phase of his ca
reer. Mr.. Lawson believes that variety
is the spice of life.
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

cough in an aggravated sort of way, or
shuttle his feet, or hiss "Waiterl' or
quietly go over to the waiter and ask
him why the divvle he doesn't wait on
this table over here properly? Which
part of the steak should be served to
the lady-the first or second cut?
Should all the vegetables be dished out
at the first whack or should a little
be left in the vegetable dishes to look
polite? How much should the waiter
get? And if the waiter puts it in his
pocket without giving thanks should
the money be demanded back?
Horrible doubts and. perturbations,
'Tis thus that life is soured and death
embraced with happy smiles And
simple is the remedy and easy is the
cure-to wit, few sandwiches and
cruIlers in your pocket and a draught
of limpid e-giving water at the near
est public fountain.
We have spoken. We have spoken.
Young men of the nation, ponder these.
our words of wisdom; ponder them
earnestly; ponder them well. And we
do hereby swear to you that if you
will but follow out the ideas so clearly
here laid down your courtship shall
come to a right happy end and you
shall be an example for the young and
the envy of the old-a happy. contented
and prosperous citizen-and most
magnificently single withali
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

=" HAT Thomas w. Lawson is a
unique American product is
acknowledged by his worst
enemy,
He is tall, well built, with a
ruddy complexion, mass of
black hair, sharp, piercing eyes that
look you through and through and a
square jaw. His hands are remarkably
small for such big man.
Mr.. Lawson began his business career
in 1872, when at the age of 10 he made
a fortune by specializing in shares of
Cincinnati, Sandusky and Cleveland
Railroad stock, which dropped from $50
share to SO. He had been a spender,
even at the age of IL years. AT that
time he received a present of $100. He
spent $S7 on present for his sister and
the rest went toward making his broth
er happy.
When he made the fortune in Cincin-
natl, Sandusky and Cleveland stock he
made the money fly while it lasted. He
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

of calling on Wednesday nights and
Sundays, of taking her home, of walk
ing out with her. of saying Snip" to
her Snap" of visiting Miss Right, or
any other of the multitudinous and
euphemistic methods of expression en-
ployed by the interested parties when
they wish to refer to that interesting
era of their lives that begins when
sanity ceases and ends when marriage
begins.
In the days before wisdom descended
upon us frequently have we enriched
a sneering florist, a naughty cabdriver,
a supercilious ticket speculator, a domi-
neering hat boy and a blase waiter, all
in order that the girl with US might
be gratified and amused. Complex
ties! And now let the whole tribe from
the florist to the waiter tremble in their
boots, for their sun is fast declining
in the west and will soon be blotted
out completely by these. our rules and
regulations for the proper courtship Of
misses and other marriageable female
persons.
In the first place, flowers must be
dispensed with. Few things are as
complex as gift OF flowers. Should
the donor tote them around himself or
send them in advance? If he takes
theE4 himself. should he hurl them at
the girl the moment he sees her. or
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

time as if she might be chosen to de-
fend the Americas cup, but the New
York Yacht Club declared the boat to
be barred because Mr.. Lawson was
not member of the club
After writing a book about the dis
appointment. entitled The Lawson
History sof the Americas Cup; A Rec
ord of Fifty Years." he smashed the
Independence to bits and made souve-
Mrs of her plates.
Mr. Lawson says that only one per-
son can help a man in this world and
that person is himself. Certainly few
have helped him, for he has many enc
mics.
They are all thoroughbreds," he
says of his enemies. Every one of
them would rise from a sound sleep to
do me an injury. Long may they live.
They put spice into life
To most men the loss of couple of
million dollars would be blow from
which they would never recover. Not
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08
Jim Bucks Formula.

James w. Buck of Portland, Maine,
who says he is rs years old and will
live to be a hundred, called on the
President the other day. Buck knew
Tom Reed when Reed was a boy. He
was well and hearty. He says he has a
medicine that will keep him alive for
twenty-five years. This is the form
ula:
Il buy one pound of EPSON salts
and add to this five tablespoonfuls of
sulphur and the juice of four large
lemons, dissolving the sulphur and
salts in the juice. Then l pour in about
quart of distilled water or any other
kind of water. / put this away in a
bottle and when 1 feel a little poorly
l take some for a few days"
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08
Man an Inverted Plant

When the theory of Edward Beck
ham of Brooklyn, university graduate
and longshoreman, is accepted there
will be no more consumption and every
man will wear long hair and Russian
admirals beard.
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

enough Of thing-pleasant or other
wise. One would never read quit in
the lines that go to- make up the Rock
efeller face. These are the outside
characteristics. AS for the inside. John
Melin himself says: John ID. Rookie
feller is too deep for me-"
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

assumes these light and play
full forms in her various
manifestations and phenomena, says
the New York Sun. Witness the
ecstatic look of a pig when its back is
scratched. Hear it's rhapsodic grunts
of joy. And yet, mind you. the pig is
all seriousness, merely fulfilling one of
natures most absolute laws in its
happy looks and grunts. If you would
prove this assertion, stop scratching
the pig for a moment, and it will look
up at you so pathetically, so sorrow
fully, and step closer to you and hunch
its back so wistfully that you cannot
Withstand its mute appeals, but will
resume your operations until perforce
you stop from very WEAKNESS.
All, and life is full of these obscure
things that need the illumination of
wisdom to make them patent to the
casual Groper after Light. Why do
little dogs run? Why do little fish
laugh and wag their tails when the
fisherman falls out of the boat and
into the water? Why do they have
roosters on weather vanes instead OF
hens? We know; we know although
we will not tell--merely scattering thus
The San Francisco call., 1905-01-08

DUNG men OF the nation, give
heed! Important revelations
have we on our mind, and
waggish. too. Nature often
assumes these light and play