davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
THE GROWTH OF KANSAS.

Conditions have certainly changed in
Kansas from what they were a com
paratively few years ago Although we
are preparing to celebrate the semi
centennial of our state, it is really
the semi-centennial of eastern Kansas.
That is, it is only the eastern part of
the state that has been fifty years in
reaching its present stage of develop
ment. Central and western Kansas
have been developed within a compare
lively recent period.
These observations are brought forth
by a recent letter in the Alton Empire
from Mrs. H. c. Bull, describing certain
early conditions in that region. Mrs.
Bull is the widow of General H. c. Bull.
who founded what is now the town of
Alton under the name of Bulls CITY.
General Bull had a large ranch in that
locality and was killed there by an elk
he was trying to domesticate in 1879
His widow now lives in GAINESVILLE. WIS.
Osborne county is only half way from
the Missouri river to the western bound
airy of the state. It is just about as
near Atchison as it is Colorado, vet
less than thirty-fve years ago it was
almost an unbIoken prairie with scarce
/ ly a settler.
A picture of General Bull has recent
/ ly been hung IN the postonices at Alton,
which was established by the general.
and in referring to it Mrs Bull writes a.
/ friend:
Il never SHAH forget the ride I took in
a lumber wagon 80 or 80 miles TO Cav
/ ker City to be sworn in as assistant
! postmaster. I served in that capacity
! for seven long years. Ny husband be
+ ing absent much of the time. I had the
! business of the office to attend to. I
I took the first mail sack. which contain
/ ed only four letters Thinking that the
/ government would think the business of
/ the office quite too small for a post
/ office. q sat down and wrote eleven let
+ ters to send back in the sack the fol-
/ lowing morning"
Today after a lapse of less than thlr-
/ ty-hve years Uncle Sans postoffice de-
partment does tremendous business
/ in that region. Rural mail carriers
travel in all directions to distribute the
/ peoples mail to them.
Mrs. Bull says that when she and her
/ husband arrived in that locality seven
buffalo ran by their home on the second
day, and in speaking Of founding the
town she says.
I'VE established the townsite in 1870.
but did not arrive there till 1871 The
/ toWnsite was established on the 29th of
November, 1870. Mr. Bull engaged some
men to get the log house in readiness
for US but furious storm prevented its
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17

ton. It sets q standard Of personal con-
duet which, II observed approximately,
VIII improve social conditions decidedly.
Il proves, toe that the day Is past when
q man can conceal his vicious conduct.
Men live in the open nowadays. In pro-
portion TO their business prominence,
their standing as professionals, as mer-
chants, as financiers, as manufacturers,
they are exposed to sharp observation
and severe criticism when they fail
from grace. The white light beats upon
them and it is reassuring when such
case as this occurs to prove that the
world strongly disapproves the moral
la1<ity which is brought to view by this
means.
With more wisely framed divorce laws,
uniform IN their character and applica-
ton, there would be less disposition TO
seek relief in the courts from marital
strains or discomfopts or the conse-
Quences of infidelity The public senti-
nent in favor Of such a reform Is stead
lily growing, as the absurdities of the
present lack of system are disclosed by
repeated instances. If coupled with this
desire for more harmonious and eff
fectiVe regulation of marriage and d
yoree there appears a strong sentiment
OF dlsapproval of all such conduct as
that OF the steel president, there will
indeed be reason to hope for the rehab-
ilitation of the institution of marriage.
which IN some quarters has plainly
fallen into bad ways.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
The Edited Comedv.

Clyde Fitch was greatly enjoying a
musical comedy.
ut is superb" he said to one of the
authors But that gentleman, with a
sour smile, replied;
You are not complimenting me-
You are complimenting the manager
confess I don't recognize my own
book at all"
Mr.. Fitch laughed.
Take that in good part he said.
'You are coming money. Then take
it as a friend of mine in London did.
"At a musical comedy in London,
from my seat in the stalls. I noticed a
young man in one of the boxes laugh
ing uproariously. My companion was
a critic. I said to him:
% That chap in the box seems to be
enjoying himself
!" He is the author said my friend
" Well, then, said I, I think he
ought to have better taste than to
laugh SO loud
sF'Oh,' said the critic, he is the au-
thor, but he never heard these jokes
before They were put in by the
comedian Los Angeles Times.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
PoINTED PARAaRAPHs.

LFrom the Chicago News.1
AS a rule the man who lives slowly
lives long.
The world deals good naturedly with
good natured people.
Every time history repeats itself the
book agent gets busy.
No, Alonzo, 1t is not unlawful for a
woman to hold up a train.
An Office is the glue that makes a
politician stick to his party
Most men say they intend to do lot
of things they never intend to do.
The scarcity OF good cooks may be
due to the overproduction of lady
noyelists.
A man may owe something to him
self, but the chances are he owes more
to other people.
Even the man who denounces capital
as a curse never objects If the curse
comes home to roost.
A man is never quite sure whether a
woman is worried by her own troubles
or by those OF her neignborss
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17

completion until our arrival hence we
occupied the tent for a time, Mr. Bull
fearing the storm had delayed the work
he had engaged. walked on from Tilden
and left me to follow with the tent and
two wagon loads of goods for supplying
the hunters. The team gave out about
half way between Tilden and Bull City
when / had to be left alone on the
broad prairie until the man could go
for oxen. which took until after dark.
I listened to the bowling Of the wolves
and feared they might ind me alone.
Every weed saw moving by the hgne
of the moon fancied the wolves or the
Indians were coming, but through the
care Of God was not molested.
Mrs. Bull further says that during
her first six months there she saw only
three other women. and she saw them
only once. Today the entire region is
covered with hundreds Of happy. pros
porous homes-comfortab houses with
many modern conveniences-and the
county annually produces two or three
million dollars worth of wealth.
The same story can be told Of every
county Of central Kansas. Men are
still pIowing the fields there who first
broke them thirty years ago. And to-
day, after so short a time, this region
is part of one of the greatest states in
the Union, in advance of several Of the
original thirteen. What will it be in
another thirty years?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
20 IEsus THE NAaAREs-r

Closest to men, thou plying Son OF Man,
And thrilled from crown to foot with feI-
Yet most apart ana strange. lonely as
Dwell in my heart. remote and intimate
Brother Of all the world. come to thee.
Gentle as she who nursed thee at her
CEet what a lash Of ightnings once thy
To scourge the hypocrite and PhariseeD-
Nerve thou mine arm, o meek o mighty
Champion of all who fail. ny to thee.
Q man Of sorrows. with the wounded
For ehaplet. thOrns; for throne. a pagan
Bowed with the woe and agony Of time
Yet loved by children and the feasting
bring my suffering. joyful heart to thee.
chaste as the virginia. lily on her stem,
Yet IN each hot, full pulse, each tropic
vein,
More filled with feeling than the now.r
No anchorite-haIe. sinewy. warm with
come in youths high tide of bliss to
o Christ of contrasts. infinite paradox.
Yet Lfe's explainer, solvent harmony,
frail strength. pure passion, meek aus
And The white splendor of these darken.d
years
I, lean my wondering wayward heart on
Frederic Lawrence Knowles in the De-
cember Century.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
QUAKER REFLECTIONS.

LFrom the Philadelphia Record. !
Every spin of the roulette wheel Is
a turn for the bettor
It is possible to win an uphill fight
and still be on the level.
Some peoples idea Of a fair division
is to get the lions share.
A drinking song should always be
rendered in liquid tones.
The admiral who succeeds in bottliug
up hostile fleet Is a corker.
Look before you leap, especially
when you jump at conclusions.
When some men begin to get bald
they feel that they ought to get reduced
rates on hair cuts.
When we hear a woman praise a
man as being "a perfect gentleman
We have our suspicious.
We sometimes read in books of a.
woman being speeches. with rage. but
we never see her in real life.
Wigg-''L ongbow says he ALWAYS
keeps his promises" Waeg-'sT sun
pose because nobody will take them .
Women are not the only things that
are fair but false. There are the Weatf7-
er mans predictions, for example.
Family pride is all right" saws the
Manayunk Philosopher, but a pedi-
gree won't keep a dog from having III,
cans tied to his tail.''
Blessings often come disguised,
While we here below are tarrying.
Poverty, though never priced,
Often keeps man from marrying.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
AIaI.ing the 1heater vvorlh vic.

II rom the chicago 8IlDuu6.l
Mr.. James S. Metcalfe discusses in
the current Atlantic Monthly the time
" question, rs the Theater Worth
While ?" He is sure it could be made
worth while. lie strongly doubts If it
is worth while now. There are over
$500, 900, 600 invested in theaters in this
country. The. public spends at them
$50 100000 a year. Mr.. Metcalfe
thinks it gets in real amusement and
benefit a poor return upon its money
theater to be worth while, he
thinks, must be an influence for Gull
ture. It win be, and ought to be,
source of amusement. Otherwise at
tendance upon it would have to be
made compulsory. But it viii also IN
a broad way, be q means OF education.
The amusecent it furnishes will be
refined and, therefore, refining. Its
stage will know cultivated men and
women, and their example Will cure
defects in modes of speech and pro-
nunciation and increase the ease and
grace Of manners. 1t will be seeking
constantly for plays of high merit, and
will strive to present no other kind on
the one hand, seeing and hearing good
plays can not fail to improve the minds
and exalt the sentiments of playgOers.
On the other hand, aademand viii be
created for good plays which will tend
to cause the production of a high or
der of dramatic literature.
The American theater at the present
time, says Mr.. Metcalfe. considered as
a whole, is not worth while, because 1t
does not tend to produce these results.
The amusements it furnishes are not
generally refined, and, therefore, are
not refining. Instead of catering to the
good taste of the cultured few the the
alter, for the most part, panders to the
bad taste Of the uncultured many. IN
stead of fostering high class literature
it practically forces playwrights, who
might write good plays. to write the
kind of plays it is thought the public
wants, The results are usually not
classics.
For the present state of the Ameri-
can theater Mr.. Metealfe blames both
managers and public. Managers are in
the theatrical business solely for the
money there Is in it and don't care what
kind of productions they put on so
they pay. The public is indiscriminat-
ings. If a play is a "hit' in New York
and the crowds that make a play a
s'hit'' there seldom comprise the most
cultivated part of the popuiation-its
reputation usually, although not al
ways, enables 1t to draw we'll elsewhere.
Since inferior productions are as profit
able as superior ones, managers nat
urally conclude their patrons like them
as well.
ment of national theater would dc
much to raise the level of the entire
stage. A more Immediately practical
suggestion is that people shall be more
discriminating in selecting the plays
they go to. If the public demanded
high class plays and high class acting
and would not patronize other kinds
the commercial instinct of the man
ayers which now gives the stage over
so largely to melodrama, musical jim
giles. and buffoOnery would then devote
eas-4r1 hi nj
uses. The managers mean to give the
public what 1t wants. If the public
does not get what it wants it is because
It does not make its wants felt.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
KANSAS COMAGENT
CLAY CENTDR'S DREAM.


It is noted that the Ellinwood Jack
Rabbit Cannery Is expecting to kill
and can 1000 900 animals this season.
hllinwood is way out in Barton county
where things are done on smaller
scale naturally than they are here
abouts. The Clay Center cannery
has been IN active operation for more
than seven years and is still as active
as ever. However. the by-produets
have grown to be the larger part Of
the business. Sealskin furs are now
turned out any color by the thousands.
Also rabbit tail soup. Graveyard rab-
bit feet are furnished in quantities.; to
the south by the car loads. Hairlips
are good sellers, likewise Boned Rab-
bit Tongues. Rabbit hash finds ready
market as does also Fricasseed Spring
bucks. A nerve tonic from the re-
Jected spinal columns of yearling
does will soon be put on sale. Clay
Center as a packing center is before
the world in an effort to force the re-
frfgerator companies to accept the
product for transport across the
oceans. The beef trust is struggling
to the last ditch. But merit will win.
There are q few more shares of stock
to be sold, not many, and in thirty
days the price will be raised to the
picture rail. First come, first served.
A little more room on the ground
foor.-Clay Center Times.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
GLOBE SIGHTS.

TFrom the Atchison Globe.l
When abusing a man in fun, oon
go too far.
Did they have Christmas in the
days of Job2
The good things Of life grow slow.
but it is different with bills and
scandal.
AS a town grows older, it becomes
more and more expensive for man
to be a satisfactory father.
Every time the owner of a safety
razor sees a nice bunch of alfalfas
how he longs to get at them
You haven't much to complain of
in 1905 If nothing of your wages went
to an undertaken, a doctor, or a
lawyer.
Judging from the looks of the
mothers, trying to please the children
is harder work than trying to please
mean husbands
Spend money on potatoes and coal
at this season, when there are woolly
lambs and jumping jacks marked
down, and you are an Old Scr0oge.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17

George W. Whitehead, appraiser OF
merchandise at the port of New York,
was talking about smuggling.
Not long ago" he said, "a certain
skipper hailed fisherman of the coast
and asked him if he would smuggle
ashore for him a cask of brandy.
The fisherman agreed, and two casks
Of brandy were lowered into his boat.
One said the skipper is for your
trouble and risk. my man.
"Well, a week or so later the skipper
called with a team at the Jersey fisher
mans house for his cask of brandy It
was night. He got the cask and started
on the dark and lonely way back home
But the custom house people have
sharp eyes and ears. They lay in wait
for the skipper. They caught him a mile
outside the fisherman's village, and
there was the cask of brandy in the
wagon,
He said nothing. There was nothing
to say. The cask was opened.
Wen sample this fine liquor said
a customs officer.
And he put his mouth to the bung
and then drew back. amazed. The skip
per was amazed. too The cask con
tanned nothing but water. New York
Tribune.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
The Corey Case


LFrom the washington Etar1
Most surprising and gratifying is the
emphatic rebuke which is being admin
istered to the president Of the steel trust
for his conduct in his domestic rela-
tons. There was ample ground for ex-
pecting that his alleged faithlessness to
MS marriage VOWS, the close identfdea-
ton OF his name with that of a popular
comic opera actress and the prepara-
tons Tor divorce would cause merely
a brief sensation and a little personal
embarrassment and then would be fol-
lowed by fOrgetfuiness. Divorces Of a
pecuiiafIy obnoxious character have
been topics for public discussion many
scores of times, and society has con-
doned the faults Of the guilty and ac-
cepted the prompt renarriage of the sdf-
Vorced person with scarcity a uualrn
Indeed, the outburst Of indignati~, in
the circles close to the Corey family has
can nigh life, note that may mean
much to our social safeguards.
In this case the mans social associates
nave formally notified him that if he
divorces his wife he will be ostra cfsed
That is good. That is the way the guilty
matrimonial failures should be treated.
Further, the mans own father has re-
whom he gained his start in business
has followed suit. That is we'll It add
an unusual emphasis to the protest
against such conduct. Finally, the mans
business associates, the magnates OF the
steel trust, have begun proceedings look
ing to his custer, as one unfit to serve
at the head Of so important a CORPORA
ton That is perhaps best Of ali. 1t
proves that even corpora lions. which are.
alleged to have no hearts have at least
a sense OF moral propriety.
Much good must flow from this aRlta-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
JAYHAWKER J0TS

Some sort of a disease is killing the
four-legged hogs around Smith Center.
Instead of an anonymous communi-
cation, the editor of the Bushton News
recently received a box Of anonymous
Veritas, Taxpayer and VoX Populi
formed a syndicate and sent it.
Editor Duvall Of the Cantons Pilot,
refuses to run for a. county Office be-
cause he is too busy with his newspa-
editors had to have an Office in order
to help their papers pay expenses, but
that day is past.
Frank farrell has become a sure
enough plutocrat. In the last issue OF
the Hoiton Signal he announces
that it was necessary to print
an eight-page paper this week
but before he could get It into
the poStoffice it was necessary to add
two more pages to accommodate all his
advertising
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
JOURNAL ENTRIES

Mr.. Hartman would have it under
stood that with $4,000 miles of rail-
road to work on and keep running, and
with fifty or sixty steamships to chase
around over the globe, he can give
only few minutes OF his attention to
a few million-doilar life insurance
company.
1t Is alleged that tobacco smoking
produces cancer. Whether the can
bage leaves that a lot Of Topeka men
smoke VIII do the same thing is not
yet known.
Very likely Mr.. John L. Sullivan
finds his present occupation much
more agreeable even If not quite so
profitable than his little exchange of
courtesies with Mr.. Corbett some years
ago.
Have all the Mccurdy family Sc
cured their one-way tickets to obliv-
ion?
A great many men who believe
themselves born leaders are march,
ing at the wrong end Of the process
sion.
Have you picked out your New
Years resolutions? Better do it while
the stock is fresh and complete.
Only be a little over a week now till
we know what expurgated football is
like.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
TRED DUNTONT SMITH.

The reason for the thrift of the brill
liant senator from Edwards and seven
teen other counties appears to be com
ing to light in view of the indictments
returned by the federal grand jury
last night 1t has been more or less
a source of wonder to the people Of
Edwards county how the editor of the
Kinsley Mercury could come to To-
peka. and live at the Copeland hotel
during a session of the legislature, and
then return home and pay off a large
amount of Indebtedness besides max
ing heavy investments on a salary Of
$3.50 for the entire session. They have
also wondered at the power of a lit
tie country paper which largely ''ran
ITSELF to make enough profits to send
its editor and his family to Europe on
an extensive tour.
The mystery may be more or less
cleared up when all the facts are
brought to light which led the fed
e4aI grand jury to return an indict-
ment against the brilliant senator
from Edwards for conspiring to de-
fraud the government for a considera-
ton.
incidentally it might be remarked
that the senator from Edwards has
been one of the chief hackers of
Thomas T. Kelly in the state senate.
It is unnecessary to add that "birds of
feather etc.
It is a great pity that a man of the
ability of Fred Dumont Smith should
lay himself open to the accusation of
corruption. He is without doubt one
of the brainiest, shrewdest thinkers in
the state of Kansas. He is a leader
among men as was evidenced by his
assuming command. to a great extent.
of the fight against Standard Oil last
winter, when it became evident that
the fight was popular with the people.
He is genial and good mixer in
fact, like so many of his kind, he is
a good fellow" Were Fred Smith s
character one that would inspire con-
hdence among the people he would
have risen high in the ranks Of men
and been capable Of good service to
his fellows.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-17
mE JOy or GIVING.

"It is more blessed to give than to
receive" once said the Great Teacher,
and the custom of giving Christmas
gifts has resulted. Yet a great many
people miss the joy of giving even at
Christmas time.
It is not because they do not give
for they Debut it is the spirit in
which they give that makes the diff
ference. The individual that makes
gifts to others merely because of
some obligation or in the hope of get
ting some more valuable gift in re-
turn doesn't get much of the real fun
out of giving. It's the person who
cause of a desire to make other peo-
pie happy, who scores.
The Lord loveth a cheerful giver,
and so does everybody else. The
present that is given grudgingly does
not carry with it much OF good will
to the recipient, nor does the donor
have that feeling of satisfaction that
comes from a deed we'll done.
If you want to enjoy your Christ
mas, hunt up some poverty-stricken
family, some widow struggling to keep
want from her little ones, some chill
dren who know little of Santa Claus
from a personal acquaintance-ff you
want to get the most fun possible
out of your Christmas, hunt up some
of these people and play Santa Claus
to them yourself with some of the
necessaries of life and few toys
thrown in for the little ones. Try to
make them happy, and then you will
find out the real joy of giving.