davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
EMPRESS OF CHINA A CHRISTIAN

EMPRESS OF CHINA A CHRISTIAN
William e. Curtis: / am receiving
many inquiries about the alleged con-
version Of the empress dowager OF
China through the influence of Chris
tian Science, and can only repeat
what has already been published in
these letters, that it is the common
understanding among the members of
the foreign colony at Picking thatMrs.
Conger, wife of the American minis
ter, has been praying with her two or
three times a week for two or three
years, and that the amazing change
in the disposition of that terrible
old woman is p~opulariy attributed to
that cause.
For obvious reasons Mrs. Conger
| and the members of her family de-
| cline to discuss the subject, and their
neighbors a only speculate upon
| circumstantial evidence. There is
not the slightest doubt that an extra
| ordinary change has come about in
the habits, manners, disposition and
official policy of the empress. She is
as far from being the woman she was
four years ago as anyone could pos.
sibly be. During that time Mrs. Con,
ger has been her most intimate friend
and her most frequent companion and
adviser outside the palace, and is
credited by popular opinion with hav'
ing accomplished the transformation
However, she may not be under the
influence of Mrs. Conger entirely re
sponsible. Nobody could be without
being the better for it, but it should
also be said that the empress is now
surrounded by a more enlightened
humane and progressive group O.
ministers and secretaries than were
ever before employed by the govern
ment Of China. Nearly all of the for
Originating conservatives and reac
tionaries among the officials of thu
court are dead, and the remainde,
have been deprived of Office.
1t is natural that the new and lib
eralizing influence by which the EN-
press Is surrounded should also hav,
made an impression upon her charac
ter and policy. These who know he
best and are most familiar with TIL
inside history Of the Forbidden Cit.
contend that the empress is not tn
wickedest woman in the world by an.
means, but that her cruel and dies
potic acts have been largely due t
her former ministers.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

50 wv AAoNS oi1Sou1 GCCA Ia tO1hG VI
u public improvements.
When the Fifth ward school house
was built, in order to save thirty-fve
hundred dollars, the building was To-
Gated on half the ground that should
have been bought for it, and the
building spoiled by being set in a
hole in the ground. Since then the
additional ground has been purchased
but the building can never be placed
up in the center where it should be,
and where the cheap policy kept it
from being placed. Our high school
building was handled in the same way
and in addition to being placed down
in a hollow because the ground was
cheap, it was not sufficient for the
purpose for which it was intended
at the time it vas first occupied. The
result will be that before many years
it will have to be converted into a
ward school, for which it is not suited
either by location or plans, and a
new high school building erected,
which will supply what this one
would for many years to come il it
had not been built with the idea Of
getting something cheap. Far-sight-
ed and j~udicious economy is all right,
but cheapness is not necessarily
economy.
A few are objecting to building the
city hall on account of the additional
taxes which they will be- required to
pay. This objection will always be
made by some to taxes for any public
Improvement, but suppose no taxes
suppose no taxes had been voted for
a Jail; suppose no taxes had been vot-
ed for public school buildings; sup
pose no taxes had been voted for
county bridges, or for city lights, or
sewers, and no special assessment or
taxes had been paid for paving and
sidewalks, what would the property
of these chronic DIRECTORS be worth
today? 1t is these taxes for public
improvements which they pay that
make their property worth owning
and paying taxes ON. Suppose we
mad none OF these Things, n they
have all been paid for in this same
way, what would property be worth
in Oskaloosa and who would buy it at
all? 1t is keeping up with the pro-
cession that makes cur property de-
sirable either to buy or to rent, and
there is nothing which will do more
right now to move Oskaloosa up into
the front ranks than to build a COM
modious and substantial city hall.
Let us broaden out and move forward
with the proper spirit and bear in
mind that fifty thousand dollars will
be required with present prices to
build what t~hirty-five thousand would
have done a few years ago. If we
build, let us build right and with
our eyes on the future.
Greater Oskaloosa.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

"A report on school consolidation
in Indiana has been received by SUI
pe%rintendent Riggs. OF the entire
state during the past year there were
1888 schools abandoned and 378s ag.
ons were required to transport the s..
396 pupils to school at a cost Of $500
per wagon for the year. The report
on Lagrange county shows that IS
schools e abandoned, thirty-one
teachers discharged and seven addi
tional hired in the other schools. The
saving in teachers salaries is $40,
651.60 and the saving in fuel and re
pairs at the other schools $4,000. The
cost of transporting 428 pupils in rs
hacks was $6,178.86, making the tota
net saving $6,734.74.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

There is not a cement factory in
the state Of Iowa, though there is an
abundance of good material in the
way Of rock from which to manufac'
ture cement according to the informa'
ton obtained by the state geological
survey. The rock is not confined to
any particular district, but is widely
scattered and is found in abundance.
1t is believed there is big money in
it for the first factory of the kind in
the field, because Of the wide use to
which cement is put nowadays in the
making of concrete which is used for
purposes until recently not thought
~
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
ONE oskALoosA BOY.

James Depew Edmundson, whose
generous offer to erect a statue Of
Chief Mahaska in the public square
was accepted Monday night by the
city council, was educated in Oska'
loosa and remained a resident of this
city until 1860, when he moved to
Glenwood and there he laid the foun.
dations of his large fortune in the
practice of law.
Mr.. Edmundson is the son of viii
liam Edmundson, the first sheriff Of
Mahaska county, and the first justice
ever appointed in this county. He
was m Of the pupils in the first
school in Oskaloosa, and many inter
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
SCOTT.

David Barlow is reported in a
critical condition at this writing.
Rochester school will close with a
program on the evening of Feb. IL.
Everybody invited.
Twenty wagon loads of hogs left
here for the Oskaloosa market DUR
ing the past week.
Thos. Jones and wife of Beacon
were out to visit Mr.. and Mrs.
Chas. Johnson Sunday.
Miss Sadie Morgan, Of Oskalocsa,
is visiting this week with her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. J.. G.. Morgan.
Little Hilda Van Brogen, who has
been quite i'll with lung trouble,
is gaining under the care Of Doctor
Fred Barnes of Oskaloosa.
The saith birthday anniversary Of
Grandma Boyer of this place was Gel
ebrated on Friday, Jan. 27, 1905, by a
house full Of her neighbors and
friends who came in with we'll filed
baskets and spent the day with her
and her much valued housekeeper,
Mrs. Emanuel. The event had been
planned for some time by some Of her
friends, but when we came to list her
friends for invitations we found that
everybody was her friend and that
she was likewise a friend to all. So
a cordial invitation was extended 70
every n that felt like helping to
celebrate this most esteemed lady's
birthday, and the unhesitating vel.
come she gave to each one spoke OF
her generous heart and unselish, no
bic nature. II was known that Grand
ma mad a great desire to hear a
g~raphophone, and through the kind
ness Of Mrs. Eckroat, who brought
her talking machine, this wish was
fulfilled and the company as we'll as
Grandma were well entertained and
much pleased, and, as Grandma after
wards expressed it. we laughed like
little children. This day will be long
remembered by those present and all
join in wishing Grandma many happy
returns OF the day.
Feb. 8. oncemore.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Director j. r. Sage of tie Iowa
weather and crop service makes the
statement in the current number OF
his monthly Review that IN the pro.
duction of a ton of apples the soil
loses less tnan thirty cents worth
of nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric
acid. The bulk Of the crop is the
product of sunshine, air and water,
A ton of butter, worth about $4,000,
robs the sol. of less than one dol,
lars worth of crop growing materi.
al, while a ton of wheat takes away
$3.50 worth of fertility.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Newton News: A new town is 60
ing to be established in Mahaska
county, near the southern line of the
county. 1t will be a mining camp
erected to accommodate miners who
will open up new coal fields. The
contract has been let for the erection
of forty houses and work will be com
menced as soon as weather conditions
will permit. 1t has been reported at
different times that the coal supply
had been worked out in Mahaska
county, but it would appear from this
that another lead had been struck.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Hardin county complains of the
large and ever growing cost Of caring
for it's insane in sta;e institutions,
The charges %ere as follows: 1902,
$~6,374.46; 1908, $7,427; 1865, $S.2n741
$6,37446; 1903, $7,427; 1904, $8,3O7.44,
Hardin county now has sixty inmates
in the asyluma, an average OF leu:
from each township. Evidently the
remedy will suggest Itself. it must
lie in the direction of county care OF
the incurables, which can be done at
a considerable saving and it has
been again and again demonstrated
that the physical and mental health
of the incurables is not impaired in
the county asylums.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
A. D. 1000.

Give me a spoon of oleo, ma.
And the sodium alkali,
For I'm going to make a pie, mamma
I'm going to make a pie. y
For John will be hungry and tired;ma.
And his tissues will decompose;
So give me a gram Of phosphate,
And the carbon and cellulose.
Now give me a chunk of casino, ma,
. To shorten the thermic fat.
Now give me a chunk of caseine, ma.
And look at the thermostat.
And If the electric oven is cold,
Just turn it on half an ohm,
For I want to have. the supper ready
AS soon as John comes home.
Cleveland Leader.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Washington dispatches announce
that President Roosevelt began
Thursday with a breakfast at eight
to which he had invited some news
paper men. During the morning
he met and conferred with a delega,
ton on the railroad bill, besides re-
ceiving the visits of senators and
representatives who called. He en-.
tertained a distinguished musician
at luncheon. He returned to his Of
fee where he remained until five
o'clock when he took a long horse
back ride with Senator Lodge. He
had a large party of dinner guess,
including Whitelaw Reid, and in the
evening he shook hands with be,
tween fifteen and seventeen hundred
persons at the diplomatic reception
After the reception he took supper
with the receiving party. All this goes
to prove that President Roosevelt
has missed his calling. He should
have stuck to the newspaper bug1,
ness,
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

According TO an almanac stats.
tician, the length of either day or
night can be accurately reckoned by
the following simple rule: Multiply
the hour of the suns rising by two
and it will give the length of the
night; multiply the hour of setting by
two and it will give the length of the
day. 3D.. ..sa.. ".
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
what cheer Patriot: The

What Cheer Patriot: The o.
kaloosa Herald is out this week with
a magnificent 32-page edition, illus.
trated with pictures of all the best
buildings and prominent people OF
the city in a way to interest even a
Missourian, while we'll written de,
scriptive, historical and laudatory
articles intersperse the illustrations.
1t is a worthy exponent Of our thriv-
ing neighbor city and a credit to the
enterprise and talent of the Hoff-
mann Bros. and their corps of news.
paper experts who control the Her,
aid.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
-tThe fellow who does the leas.

THE fellow Who does the least
to help build UP the town is the fell
low who always kicks" correctly OBJ
the Grinnell Gazette. TT is he
who always thinks the other fellow
ought to do all the work and make all
the sacrifices, but he rs always ready
to take advantage or what the other
fellow does and grumble because he
can't get more"
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

That Oskaloosa is a growing city
is evidenced by the amount of mai
received in the city daily.-Oskaloo
sa Herald.
Perhaps the fact that of late years
many Oskaloosans have acquired the
arts Of reading and writing may also
nave something to do with the re
n.arkable increase. Marshalltowl
Times-Republican.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
Union: The Oskaloosa He

Abba Union: The Oskaloosa Her
aid put out a thirty-two-page paper
last Saturday which set forth the ad
vantages of that town as a manufac
turing and business center. 1t was
we'll illustrated with portraits of its
business and professional men as
we'll as cuts Of public buildings and
handsome residences.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

After having shut up shop one
day to attend church, Burlington is
now negotiating for Billy Sunday to
come there and complete the re-
demption. If Burlington keeps on
1t may reform its base ball club,
which, in the face of the returns,
was awfully bad last season.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
Bring on the garden hose! S.

Bring on the garden hose! Such
awful things as this from the Keota
Eagle ought to be drowned out:
"R. Elliott Turnipseed dropped up
from Rock Island Friday for a
breathing spell at home from his ar
duous duties as knight of the Grip.
And since then the valiant Knight
Of the Grip has had several nights
of the grippe and has been laid up
for repairs"
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

1t, occurs to the Marsaalltown
Times Republican that the state nent
of a noted lecturer that meat eating
induces immortality vas poo, .bly
based on the language used 10 the bill
collector.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

"A movement is on foot to organ
ize a stock company with $10o,00
capital to rebuild the famous Bona
parte dam and make 1t higher and
tighter than ever. If such a thing Is
done the dam would undoubtedly ex'
tend all the way up the Des Moines
river
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The Abba Union opines that II
the tariff rippers will sit the balance
of the winter out in the zero weather
they may cool enough by the time
spring comes to rest until the next
presidential campaign.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
There are 1872 banks Of various

There are 1872 banks of various
kinds in Iowa. The forthcoming Iowa
Official Register viii contain a com,
plete list of these institutions. II
might be added that as a rule these
banks are the peers of tho best upon
earth. and that they are as sound and
as safe and stable as the United
States government.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

One reason why girls prefer the
factory to the kitchen is said by Miss
Harnish of Des Moines to be because
a man has more of a sense of justice
than a woman and is quicker to see
when a girl is really working. He ap.
preciates good labor more than a
woman does.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The Herald is of the opiuion still
that the city hall, the hospital anG
the interurban can be built this sum-
mer, and that one need not interfere
with the others.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Senator G.. M. Titus, author Of the
biennial election amendment, will de-
fend the new lay in the action COM
menced at Nevada to test the consti-
tutionality Of the law.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

-"Muscatines BARRIERS have decided
that they will have in their shops nc
literature that does not bear the I'm
ion label" says the Cedar Rapids Ga
zette, and adds: cit is possible that
some publisher may e his opportun
ity and get out a new edition of the
Bible for this very particular trade
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

-"How a Wichita hotel could turn
down a negro like Washington and
at the same time entertain a Kan
sas legislature is one of the myster,
les Of the universe" to the Sioux
City Tribune.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Speaking of the shooting scrape
at Storm Lake the Manson Journal
says: "A mans home is sacred and
he has a right to defend it at any
cost. There are few juries that
would convict a man for doing what
Smith did to Shulz."
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Since one Of the liable minis
tiers" declared that "Ottumwa is at
the gates of hell" Miss Nye, county
superintendent, has started out to
Wapello county by reviving the
"old fashioned spelling school," The
analogy may not be patent but the
fact remains that a good speller is
less likely 10 say and do bad things.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

farm to the Chicago packing houses
at four and a half cents a pound and
back to the farmer and townspeople
in the shape of bacon at Is cents
shows that he is not the only hog in
the transaction.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

No wonder the wise men have de-
layed Easter Sunday. It will take
things around here until the middle
of May to get real nice and warm af-
ter such a freeze as this has been.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

-Hicks-Hell never succeed in
life-never make a living, in fact.
Wicks-Why do you think that?
Hicks-Oh, every time he opens his
mouth he puts his footein 1t.
Wicks-Well, that's n way at
least Of making both ends meet
Catholic Standard and Times.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Advertising continues to pay.
Down in Bexico, Mo-, a minister adj
vertises his meetings, gets a bigger
crowd each time, and the Increase in
the collection not only pays for the
ad., but leaves a balance for the
church treasury.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The illustrated Edition" of The
Herald has been exhausted. Even
the two hundred copies which had
been contracted for by the CONNER.
cial Club were bought back and sold
to private parties. The people took
to the paper like a hungry man to
buckwheat cakes on a frosty morn.
ing.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The Burlington Hawk-Eye prophe-
sizes that the Iowa Agricultural col
lege will, as it ought to, develop in
to the greatest educational institution
in the state.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Houston Post: If a hen and a half
lay an egg and a half in a day and a
half, how much do you suppose you
will be called upon 10 pay for your
wife's Easter bonnet?
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

governor. IL the Gate-City wound be
up to date it should dig up tie nam
of the man who has moi been men
toned for governor.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The coinage of the longes@ word
in our language is credited to Mr..
Gladstone. 1t is Observation-Disclosures.
arianism."
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

The Keokuk Gate-City pubiishes
as news the fact that E. A.Dawson.o OF
Waverly, state railroad commission
er, has been mentioned in connection
with the republican nomination for
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Knoxville Express: Chicago's
new daily, the Review, ought to
have a good deal of fizz to it, being
published in the Coca Cola building.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

Ut should not be forgotten that
it takes two to make a tramp"s( life
possible-one to tramp and the other
to feed him." observes the Mapleton
Press.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

ALL accounts agree that the relig.
ious revival in Denver fills a loag-felt
want and that the material 20 work
on is limitless.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

"A Missouri paper mas found a
word to ryme with Neidrinsnats,It IS
"Nixcumraus." =
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

State Geologist wilder believes
that Iowa peat boys will one day be
a source of wealth.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

eff you steal--I don't care what
you'll repent it some day."
Bah! Didn't you ever steal a
kiss? 2"
Eyes, and I married the girl, by
gum."-Cleveland Leader.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

These are the times that try
mems pipes.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

An exchange says that the fact
that a hog finds his way from the
The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09

DO not forget about Oskaloosa
goods just because there are a num-
Der of other things to think about.
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-08
The ribbon In the DO.

leaving the house on that Tuesday
morning he had an interview with his
wife which ought in some way to &C.
count for this tragedy. Perhaps he
will tell us about it, and perhaps be
will explain how he came to wander
through the Moore house while his
wife lay dying below. At all events
we will give him the opportunity to
do so and if possible to clear up mys-
teries which provoke the worst kind of
conjecture. 1t is time. The ideas ad-
vanced by the papers foster supersti-
ton, and superstition is the devil. Go
and tell my man out there that am
going to X street. You may say we
If you like" he added, with a humor
more welcome to me than any serious
concession.
Did feel set up by this? Rather.
Mr.. Jeffrey was expecting us. This
was evident from his first look, though
the attempt he made at surprise was
instantaneous and very well feigned.
Indeed, / think he was in constant
state of apprehension during these
days and that no inroad of the police
would have astonished him. But ex-
pectation does not preclude dread-in-
deed, it tends to foster it-and dread
was in his heart. This he had no pow
er to conceal.
ITO what am l indebted for this sec
The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-03-08
CHAPTER <.

YINNY had not been gone an hour
from the coroner's Office when
Al an opportunity was afforded for
me to approach that gentleman
myself.
With few apologies and no preamble
Immediately entered upon my story,
which made as concise and as much
to the point as possible. I did not ex-
pect praise from him, but I did look
for some slight show of astonishment
at the nature Of my news. l was
therefore greatly disappointed when
after q moments quiet consideration
he carelessly remarked:
Every good, very good! The one
point you make is excellent and may
prove Of use to us. We had reached
the same conclusion, but by another
road. You ask, who blew out the can
die? We, 'Who tied the pistol to Mrs.
Jeffrey's armT 1t could not have been
tied by herself. Who was her aces
sorry, then? All, you didn't think of
that"
I flushed as If a pail of hot water
had been dashed suddenly over me-
He was right. The conclusion he spoke
Of had failed to strike me. Why? 1t