davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

Cd animates the quiet but determined
business man at the head Of the interior
department. He Is a great.grandson Of
Colonel Ethan Allen Of Revolutionary
fame, the hero who commanded the
Green Mountain boys. and who cap
tureu Fort TfconderOga lin the name
Of the great Jehovah and Of the Con-
tlnental congress-" Lucy Allen. daugh-
ter OF the Vermont hero, married Judge
Samuel Hitchcock, one Of the foremost
men OF New England in his day, and
their son Henry moved from New Eng
land to Alabama, where he practiced
law and rose to the position Of chief
justice of the supreme bench Of the
state. lie was the father Of the pres
cnt secretary Of the interior, who was
born in Mobile in 1885. He has been
described rs IAN Anglo-Saxon Of Yer
mont parentage and Alabama birth, a
Yankee and n southerner, born Of a
northern father and a southern mother,
u business man Of Missouri who be-
lieved In Lincoln, Grant and Sher-
man."
During his boyhood Secretary Hitch
cock lived In Alabama, Louisiana,
Tennessee and Missouri and in 1860
vent to China to engage in business,
remaining there twelve years. On his
return to Missouri he became identi-
hed with large manufacturing enter
prises and amassed Il considerable for
tune. President Mckinley appointed
Tim minister to Russia, and, as the L.
CATION ut st. Petersburg was raised to
the status of an embassy shortly after
he arrived ut his post. he became the
first American ambassador to the court
OF the czar. Mr.. Mckinley invited him
IN SW to take II seat In his cabinet
as head of the interior department, and
President Roosevelt has continued him
IN office and gives him hearty support
IN the war against the land grabbers.
When Secretary Hitchcock assumed
his present post he found at the head
of the land Office. IN important branch
OF his department. Binger Hermann Of
Oregon. Mr.. Hermann was born in
Maryland in lS43 and removed to Ore
gon as a young man and took up the
practice Of law. He served in the Ore
gon legislature and was elected to con-
gress aud was serving his sixth term
when Mr.. Mckinley, in 1897. appointed
him commissioner general Of the land
office. His policy and acts were not
satisfactory to Secretary Hitchcock.
who In 1909 requested his resignation.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
A QUEEN IN EXILE,

Pathetic story Of Ranavolo Of Alada.
gascar-Her French Pension.
There is a pathetic side to the story
Of Ranavolo-M anjaka ILL.,, the deposed
queen of Madagascar, who is now on
a visit to Paris. She was once ruler
owe 100000 people and a territory
measuring 100000 square miles. She
came to the throne Of Madagascar in
1882, when a war was in progress, and
it was her duty on several occasions
to appear before the assembled thou
sands of her warriors and stimulate
them by a few stirring words to en-.
thusiasm for a brave defense of their
fatherland. On one such occasion she
said: II am a woman, but l have the
heart of a man, and l myself will
stand up and lead you to fight with
those who would take away our land.
God forbid that we should become
of the foreigner"
But the tide Of war and Of fortune
was with the foreigner. In 1885 the
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

war was terminated by 4 treaty in
which the French acquired %protectorate
rights over Madagascar. and Ranavolo
became Il vassai queen instead Of an
independent sovereign. Ten years lat
er hostility toward the French again
led to a with the result that Rama
volo was deposel. while Madagascar
became a French colony. She was en-
lied first to the island Of Reunion and
thence. in 1899. to Algiers, where she
has to live except when she obtains
special permission from the French
government to pay a visit to some 9TH
er place. She has received a regular
pension for years, and in Difference to
public sympathy for the exiled queen
1t was recently raised from 10000 to
$4,000 francs.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
Mr.. B0WSer as
Politician
He Would Try to Run For
Alderman Despite Mrs. B.'s
Vehement Protests.
COMMITTEE VISITS HIM
He Trots Out Wine and Cigars. but
Weakens When $500 Is De-
manded For Campaign.

Copyright. 1875, by Mcclure. Phillips & Co..
w HEN Mr.. Bowser reached
W. home the other evening q
strange man who had been
lOating up aud down the
block for the last half hour was at
the gate to meet him, and they had q
talk Of fifteen minutes before he en-.
tered the house.
II am glad you've come" said Mrs.
Bowser as she appeared to welcome
him. THAT man has been loafng
around here until l was minded to
telephone for the police. Iii wager
anything that he's a rascal. What on
earth were you talking with him
about!'
you are entirely mistaken in the
man." replied Mr.. Bowser. 1--WE known
him for several months, and l know
he's all right"
"Oh. then he was hanging around
here to see you. was he! How much
did he strike yea for:"
I'm the FIRST place. he is not that
sort. and in the next l object to your
using slang. The mans name, if you
must know. is Thompson, and he has
Il go2l deal to Go with the politics of
this ward"
HES what YOU call a ward heller,
is he:"
madam, we will close this
ton right here and now" stitiy re-
piled Mr.. Rowser as he led the way to
dinner.
"There were three other fellows Of
the same kidney hanging around some
time ago. Are the four a committee to
call on you?"
Mr.. Bowser began using his knife
n fork and refused to say another
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
SIR FREDERICK e

Famous Surgeon Who Says Disease
Ia Not q Bad Thing.
Americans heard a good deal about the
famous English surgeon, Sir Frederick
Treves. when he operated so success
fully upon King Edward and brought
that monarch through an illness which
threatened to put a premature end to
his reign. He stands at the head of
his profession in England and holds
the title Of sergeant surgeon in ordina-
~ to the king and surgeon in ordinary
to the Prince of Wales. He Is a fore
most authority on the subject Of ap-
pend1citis and p%eritonitis and was the
first surgeon to introduce removal Of
the vermiform appendix as a cure for
appendicitis, which, by the way, he
calls 'perityphlitis." 1t is said that he
has operated upon more than a thou
sand cases Of this nature and that only
two persons of all this number died.
Recently Sir Frederick has been at
tracing attention by his u~tterances to
the effect that disease is not altogeth-
er a bad thing. Disease. he says, may
be be%nefcent. and lie declares that If it
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

CXpeuSe OF Uncle
Sam the leader Of the combat from first
to last has been the aggressive and
fearless secretary of the interior, Ethan
Allen Hitchcock Of Missouri. A battle
Of this kind Is very hard to fight be-
cause those under suspicion always
have influential friends who seek to ex.
ert political pressure against a full and
free examination into the subject. It
Is charged that the people Of the Unit.
Ell States have been cheated out of
thousands of acres of land, valued ut
millions Of dollars. by the crooked
schemes cOncOcted 10y men organized
to perpetrate wholesale frauds.
These frauds have been going on for
years. but they ut last reached a pass
where herculean efforts were plainly
necessary to stop them. and Secretary
Hitchcock proved the man for the task.
Stealing government land had become
such a common and apparently respect
able offense that there was danger lest
the public become entirely oblivious
OF the immortality Of the act. AS a re-
suit OF the campaign against land
frauds a United States senator, John
II. Mitchell, and a congressman, John
n. Williamson. have been tried and
convicted in Oregon. and another Ore
gon congressman. Binger Hermann, is
Under Indictment. Indictments against
other leading politicians in Oregon have
been found. Twenty-seven men have
been indicted for land frauds in Idaho.
n several indictments for similar Of
fenses have been found in California.
In Nebraska. South Dakota and Kan
sas the secretary Of the interior Is m
gagged in prosecuting politicians and
others for violating the fencing laws.
Something Of the spirit that dominat.
the ancestor for whom he was nam.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

literary work lured him to try his hand
at authorship. He compromised some.
what by developing into one Of the
most systematic. Woodworking and
b~usinesslike literary men in America
He does everything by the watch
works so many hours Il day, whethe,
he feels inspired or not, and in this re-
spect somewhat resembles the late An
hony Trollope, who enjoyed telling Il
story about 4 shoemaker he knew.
This man when he went to work in.
variably placed Il bit of shoemaker's
wax on his bench and sat down on it.
Every time he felt inclined to cease
pegging away and started to get M the
held him down, thus reminding
him that industry was what was need
ed In this world. "And genius" said
Trollope, us only another name for
wax"
Mr.. Mason resides in Glen Ridge,
n. j.. is a member of the board Of etlu-
'ation, has a wife and three children
has run an automobile for a year
n two without breaking his neck. In
"A Corner In Women" n great trust
nagnate named Morgfeller kidnaps all
the women in New York, and the re-
complications are very anus
ny.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

HERMAN MEMS rATuE OF THE DEVIL.
people OF Detroit agreed that Menu and
Ills devil would prove but Il nine days'
wonder and that the Incident was not
worth treating seriously. The small
boys of the vicinity, however, soon dis.
covered that Satan made an excellent
target for stones and other missiles.
and to protect it from injury or de-
rruction the police had to guard it.
Menu Is an intidel and comes of Il
tamlly of infdels. He was born in Ger
many. has lived in this country for
over a score OF years AMI is Il Stone
mason. He built with his own hands, IL,
house IN which he and his family Is,
and adorned it with queer heads. H..:r
which has created such Il
sensation is fourteen feet high. and the
evll II is represented standing behind
4 SORT OF pulpit with his tail co!led
'rchiy over his shoulder. Menu charges
visitors an admission fee of 10 cents
ler capita.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
The Work Ahead
Coming Congress

"HE opening of congress gives the
country a new topic of discus
sion, and signs are not lacking
that the coming session will be
n many respects a lively one. Although
ehe Republicans have a large majority
IN both branches Of congress, there is a
prospect that matters will come up for
consideration upon which the members
Of the majority party are not wholly
agreed, 80 that there will be a chance
for the development Of new fractional
alignments and unprecedented political
situations. New issues have recently
come to the front in respect to which
party lines have not been strictly
drawn. Among the topics which will
be uppermost in debate will be railroad
rate legislation. the work Of construct
ing the Panama canal, federal supervi-
sion of insurance companies, tariff re-
vision, limitation Of representation
from southern states on account of al
legged suppression of the colored vote.
admission Of new states and matters
connected with the insular possessions
Of the United States. The leading place
will he taken by the subject of railroad
rate legislation. The house of repre-
sentatives passed a bill on this subject
last winter. but the senate adjourned
without taking action on It. This being
q new congress. the matter must be
taken up again from the beginning. and
It is the plan Of the advocates Of rail-
road rate legislation in the house to
pass a new bill on the same lines as
that Of the last session. but somewhat
more explicit. They hope to get this
bill through early in the season and
thus give the mate no excuse for in
action on the ground Of insufficient
time to consider the matter.
The Fifty-ninth congress is composed
largely of old members-old, that is to
say. in the sense of having already seen
congressional service. There are 3SG
mel in the house Of representatives,
and 300 Of these, or IS per cent. have
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

We're not for disease the human race
would soon be extinct. In illustration
OF his idea he Instances the malady
known as Il cold, and says that sneez-
ing drives bacteria from the nasal pas
sages. while coughing removes them
from the windpipe.
Sir Frederick was born in 1853, edu-
Gated In London and won his reputa-
ton in London hospitals. At the out
break Of the South African war he
threw up his London practice and vol
unteered for service. He was appointed
consulting surgeon. was present at ev-
cry engagement from Colenso to Lady
smith and ON his return was knight
I'd. 1t is related that when he got
back In London he met one day an ofH-
Ger who had been wounded and the
greater part Of whose brain the sur
geon had removed. On the surgeon ask
Ing him how he was getting along
with half a brain the officer answered:
"Oh. it's all right. YOU know. They
nave given me a good berth in the war
Office"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
FiPst Of HE Kind.

TIPoV Oh He Kind.
"Iell me. darling" said the earnest
lover. lam l the first fiance you ever
hadY"
"Well." replied the giddy girl. you're
The first red headed dance."-
Catholic Standard and Times.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
MENU AND HIS v
Detroit Man and Image He Set I'm In
His Yard.

Oetroit Man and Image He Set In In
His Yard.
A few centuries ago Herman Menu.
who has erected a statue Of Satan in
MS front yard in Detroit, would have
been burned Mt the stake. BY making
a martyr OF the old gentleman who can
ind nothing better to worship than his
satanic majesty the authorities would
have raised him to an Importance he
Is not now likely to receive. His statue
Of the devil has been treated for the
most part as a harmless sculptural
freak, though when it was first un-
yelled M was seen to be draped in
American flags the Indignation aroused
by such Il use of the emblem Of civic
liberty was such that the old man de-.
cided to remove the flags and leave
only a ribbon Of rcd. white and blue
around Old Nick's neck. The church
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
POET AND

Career Of Tom Mason, Author OR "a
Corner In Women"
Tom Mason. whose new book, "A
Corner In Women, and Other Follies,' -
is n Of the entertaining books Of the
year, is the managing editor of Life.
He is a native Of Connecticut, is nearly
forty years Of age and has been writ
ing humorous, satirical and %philosoph-
ical verse and prose for at least two
decades. His father was a sea captain,
and the first ten years of his life were
spent at sea-. Then he undertook to be
a business man and displayed much
aptitude for such a T. but love of
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

II hope to see the airship in practical
use," said the optilnist.
Il don't" answered the pessimist.
Its hard enough to persuade a motor
man to let You on and off Il car as it
Is. l don't know what would happen
II he had a chance to drop you out of
the clouds. W Star.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27

Hitchcock and
81. Land Frauds
~ ~

THERE has sci.
dom arisen in
the history of
the United States a
scandal that has In.
volved SO many poll
ticians as that of the
western land frauds.
In the battle against
thieves and grafters
who sought to enrich
themselves ut the
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
Answers For Nap.cr,

Sir Charles Napier hated Il nan who
had not an answer ready TO- him. lie
once asked Richard Burton, the explor-
er, how many bricks there were in II
newly built bridge. Richard, knowing
his foible. answered without hrsita-
ton, 1.-Two hundred and twenty mine
thousand and ten, Sir Charles" He
turned away and smiled. Another time
he ordered Il review on grand scale
to impress certain chiefs. Lieutenant
Burton, be pleased to inform these
gentlemen that propose to form these
men into a.ic, then to break into
echelon by the right and to form square
on the center battalion" and so on, for
about five minutes, i'll military tech
nical terms for which there were no
equivalents in these mems dialects.
"Yes, sir" said Richard, saluhng.
Turning to the chiefs, Richard said,
"Oh, chiefs, our great man is going to
show you the way we fight, and you
must be attentive to the rules" He
then touched his cap to Sir Charles.
"Have you explained all?p he asked.
Everything, SIR" answered Richard
"a most concentrated language that
must be-" said Sir Charles, riding off
with his nose in the air.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
The Duck and tn. orator.

Same day, my child, will take you
out into the wide, green country and
show you a young Pekin duck. He Is
an active little tyke, Is the Pekin
duckling, even when lie doesn't date
back farther than day before yester-
day. When 1t comes to swimming he
is sight render, and he is more de-
structive to tender grass than n young
Nebuchndnezzar. Hut unfortunately
he Is so constructed and fat Of back
that II by any chance he gets turned
wrong side mp he cannot turn over
again unaldel, and unless help comes
he lies there and paddles the air with
his little feet until lie fans himself to
death. He ls cheerful about 1t, though,
and makes no outcry, apparently think
ing that because his legs are working
he is swimming along according to
Hoyle.
My child, little duck on his back
and the average nftcr dinner orator on
his feet are both deserving Of the sym.
pathy which we should be ever ready
to bestow on the unfortunate, and
therefore we should sign all petitions
that are presented to US looking to the
establishment Of commission to turn
little ducks over an.l loquacious gen
ticmen down in the hope that il they
are prevented from padding and CAB
bling themselves to death they may
be Of some use hercaftcr.-Tom Wat
sons Magazine.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
The Strongest King.

The strongest king ON record, SO the
story goes, appears to have been Caius
julius Vcrus Maximus, the son of a
Thracian peasant and emperor Of
Rome. 1t is related tip with one of
his fingers he stopped chariot DASH
ing by at full speed, that he could
draw loaded wagon, by blow of
his fist could break the hardest stones
between his fingers and split trees with
his hand. This redoubtable sovereign
was eight feet high, and his wifes
bracelets served him for finger rings.
We have passed Syer og, the king Of
Bashan, who, as the rabbis, say, was
nearly six miles high, drank water
from the clouds and toasted fish by
holding them up to the sun and who,
when Noah refused him shelter In the
ark, survived those troublous times by
wading through the flood. which only
reached to his knees, and of Atlas, king
of Mauritania, who is said to have sup
ported the world upon his shoulders.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09

Il. Lsveson-Gower, long prominent in
England, published volume Of rem
iniscences. in which he tells the story
Of Princess Llevcn: What the prIn-
cess chiefly suffered from was intense
boredom, which amounted almost to u
disease. If nobody called during the
afternoon, she would roll on the floor
from ennui. On one occasion, when on
her way from England, she got so
much alarmed ut the prospect Of trav-
cling from Calais to Paris alone that
she offered seat in her carriage to a
respectable looking clergyman on board
the steamer, which he joyfully accept
ed. When seated beside her, he talked
SO incessantly as to drive her wild. She
could only relieve her feelings by put
ting her head out of the window and
screaming out to the winu, IL m'ennuie
Ill m'ennuIe! Gle fatigues meD"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
A Street seene, bombay,

a man clad oal;' IN yellow scarf
and turban opens Il mouth stained
with the vivid vermilion OF betel juice
to show that the mango seed just
swallowed has already become small
tree with green leaves pushing toward
the light. A woman appears next
upon the scene, bringing n crying baby
in closed hamper of bamboo. A
dozen swords are instantly thrust
through the intersticcs amid the ear
piercing ye!ls of the supposed victim,
but as soon as the formidable blades
are withdrawn the nine lived infant
tumhles out of the basket and salaams
to the assembled audience. holding out
her tiny brown hand fot the well de-
served backsheesh.
AS the fun wakes fast and furious
snndry quarrels and rccriminations be-
tween the rival lnagicians attract the
Intervention of the native police, who,
dressed In little brief authority"
symbolized by red turban and blue
tunic, soon disperse the performers,
bag and baggage Fastening the en-
forced departure with unlimited kicks
and thumps, submissively received.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
IIcrcslIty Mxstcrica.

IF there is much virtue in the doc.
trlne of inherited qualities, why is
there such Il vast difference. as we sec
In multitude OF Instances, between
brothers or between sis:ei.;:" said an
observer OF men and things. Years
ago l began to make II study of this
matter, and l have II book ut home
filled with case; bearing OH fiatcrnal
disparit!es. Know of learned jurst,
and most excellent mla from every
point of view, who has Il brother In the
penitentiary. knew OF fn,nily of six
brothers, three of whom wee E,cn Of
the highest social and hus.:.cs; stand
Ing while the other three ysere i.naves
ana vagabonds, outcasts fvo.a society.
they had the same father and llotl,cr.
the same moral ana intcl!cc.u.. train.
ing. Whence the difference! | know of
two sisters, one of whon! Il; an angel
and the other Il totally dc.:ravctl crea-
turc. Inherited qualitic.; often exist
and are influential in the formation of
character, but the law U; thea. trans
mission is wholly uncertain. n."-Wash-
ington Post.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
The sur,,eon.s Nightmare.

Two patients who called IN company
upon u noted surgeon found him be-
moaning twinge of pain in his right
foretinger. The callers smiled.
Great Scott, DOCTOR" exclaimed one,
you don't mean to say that n pain In
the finger bothers man so used to
scenes Of suffering as yourself!"
ut certainly does" the surgeon an
swered, with worried look. How
do know that it isn't the first symp-
tom Of blood poisoning? That is the
nightmare of the surgeon. No matter
how careful he may be, he is liable to
contract poisoning in operating, and
that kind Of poisoning is Of the most
virulent type. Any time surgeon is
complaining about pain in the hand
sympathize with him, for he is doing
some hard guessing Philadelphia
Record,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09

land. Mr.. Ness says ii works better
than a big rig, runs steadily and
threshes clean, and does especially
fine work with flax. He is convinced
it is the best machine for one or
more farmers to buy. An Iowa
farmer, w. l.. Orr, purchased 81
inch cylinder thresher and says he
was much surprised at it's efficiency.
The first year he threshed $50 bush
els Of different kinds of small grain,
and did the work as well as with a
big outfit. Tho advantage of the
small thresher is that it is easily and
quickly moved. Zone day we
threshed ten acres Of oats. thirty-fve
acres of wheat, moved and set twice.
The machine has not cost us one
cent for repairs. At the end of the
first season it was in perfect condi-
ton There is no question as to
the popularity of these small thresh-
ers. Their usefulness has been
demonstrated again and again. They
make farmers independent of the
threshing combines. The farmer
saves money on his own Jobs, and
besides gets his grain out just when
he wants it.-Farmers' Tribune.