davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

T OLLOWING upon the heels
of the Indian and the bison,
the alligator, one of Amer
cas- most valuable native
sons, is fast disappearing
from the face Of the earth,
means soon may be taken by the Gov
eminent TO preserve him in reserva-
tions. Unless some care is taken OF
him meanwhile through State laws.
such as the one recently passed by the
Florida Legislature. he is doomed.
From sport 20 eommerciaIism the
slaughter or the alligator has grown,
and only vigorous measures can stop
1t.
To most persons 1t would seem that
the alligator might as well go. He is
ugly and possesses no attractive feat
ure save an extremely tough hide.
There are people like that, and their
determination would be received with
general rejoicing BY mankind. There
feres the average man would argue. It
were well 70 begin with the alligator.
But beyond his tough hide, which
makes excellent leather, the alligator
has other good points. useful. if not
ornamental.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
Government in sympathy.

The United States Government Is la
hearty sympathy with this movement
and is doing all it can 10 encourage
the lessening Of the destruction. So
Tar, however. the Florida authorities
have proved themselves competent 10
deal with the situation. and, unless the
unforeseen happens, the Florida ali-
gator is i'm fair way 20 hold on for
little while. The day may come. how
ever. when he VIII be as scarce as the
bison. cnly a few OF which are now liv-
ing IN America
There are many wild stories of The
found in Florida by early settlers. One
explorer wrote that once in Florida
where the ST. John river is hah a
mile wide, he saw alligators swimming
up stream. packed 50 tigatly that, had
they kept still he could have walked
across the river on their backs. They
did not stay put" however, so he
stayed on the river bank and watched
them move along.
At first tie alligator was killed for
amusement. A good sportsman can
hardly imagine any thrilling sensation
20 be gained from wandering along
river bank taking pot shots at alli-
gators. unless IL was for the purpose
Of testing the force with which his
rife carried but il was considered
sport, nevertheless, and the anlgators
were sho' and left TO rot in the stream.
no attempt being made 10 take their
hides.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
@AIllgatOr joe"

AIligators are not supposed 10 be
particularly intellectual, but they have
been trained to do some interesting
things For years. at ST. Augustine,
Fla. there was a great character
known as Alligator joe He had a
collection OF alligators which he kept
on exhibition for the benefit OF North
ern tourists. One of them. a particu-
larry large saurian. was J0es star
performer.
At certain hours every day Joe
would climb on this big anigators back
and ride him all around the tank. for
the benefit of those who paid % cents
TO see the performance. II was
apropos of Alligator Joe" that the
late Joseph Jefferson made one OF his
chaTacteTisticaily witty speeches.
During the later years Of his life,
after he had retired from the stage,
except for an occasional brief tour,
the great actor spent most Of his time
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

dlty and INSTRUMENTATION. II it is so
with the boy, what must il be with
the brute2
there IS no possession so hideOus as
that Of the triumph, even momentary.
or cruelty. Touch a child a horse.
dog with a whip, and there is hide
Gus sense of satisfaction, even when
The cause is righteous. The joy of in
hicting pain is possible to the best of
US, ana grows by what il feeds on.
Imagine the situation between a
coarse vulgarian and a helpless brute.
and you get the process Of animal
training
i have hever known a disinterested
member Of the circus community pre-
tcnt that the education Of any animal
was pleasant 20 the animal: and l have
known them speak with horror of the
methods Of some trainers.
II is not very long since an athlete
snatched the whip from a wen-known
dog trainer. on the stage Of London
variety Jheater, and soundIy thrashed
him amid the nlaUdiJs OF the company.
Another distinguished professor is
hlJcklisted by one of our largest syn
dicd-cs FOR und;sEuiSed cruelty (On the
st1gci 10 his large and various family.
No OF our DesJ-H.-uWn managers an
sOlutelN refuse 10 Ceal with animal
turns. ana make no COnCcalmenJ OF
their reasons And the editor lately
deceased Of an important professional
paper for years, refused 10 attend any
place of entertainment where dogs or
birds, or indeed any dumb creature,
save conventional circus horses, ap-
peared.
All these men knew what they were
about MOst of the other performers
an music hall fight say OF the ami
nal trainers. The stage hands speak
with horror of what they see.
Ih- mortality among performing
animals is perfectly awful Ever so
many are hJpeiesSN injured in the
process of educdtiO and ever so many
succumb to the dreadful life of nigh,-
ly performance.
Whenever case or cruelty by a per
former comes before the courts, one is
amazed by the ineptitUde and futiity
of the evidence.
The public is, Of course. the main
cuiLrlt- II wants the shows, and man
ayers provide them, though they must
be conscious of the truth of all / have
written Ihey even assist in the un-
kindness for the stabling and mena-
gerle accommodation of some of our
largest establishments IS insanitary
and Inadequate in the extreme
1 finish aS pegin. The cruelty Of
animal training is almost impossible
OF proof aluCn OF h suouid be ObNi-
Gus. and so much of my Indictment as
is not TO be proved bN Fht obvious is
sire 10 be senSa uonal, or on idle s.
sip. but on the dependable assurances
of men and women who dare not sub
nit 10 public citation.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
UsefnI in Many Ways.

As matter OF fact however, the
alligator is useful in many ways. In
tse Atchafalaya basin there are many
game FISH. trout particularly Also
there are numberless catfish, perch,
ana other varieties that are aarket-
cable Canning factories do profit
able business in theme
But In addition 10 the marketable
nsh the basin abourds in sar and
sharks These devour the smaller esh
and cut down the profits of the fisher
men. The alligator eats all kinds OF
fish. but Il Is easier for nim To catch
the larger varieties. lie 'rives them
into shallow water md catches them
with ease. In the At1aasalaya basin,
the alligators fed almost entirety upon
gar and sharks and ,hus protected
the smaller fish.
But he had an even greater use
That was IN the protection of he
ievee banks. When the ievees arc cut
IL louisiana. il means a loss of thous-
snds OF dollars to the rice and sugar
planters. awfish and muskrat5 are
great levee destr5yers. for. by their
constant burrOWing in the banks they
start leaks that are very difficult 20
repair As long as the alligators are
around crawhsh and muskrats form
star feature OF his menu, for he is
very fond OF both OF them. The Louis
lara planters did not appreei1ts fis
value in this respect un-ii he became
scarce. but now many Il ihem wish
they had protected the alligator sooner.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
PARIS ADMIRING
R0STAND'S PALACE
ARIs has just awakened UP /,

~ ARIS has just awakened up TO
- the beauties OF the retreat
which Edmond Rostand, the
author OF "Cyrano de Berge-
rae and "L'AiElon' has constructed
for himself at the foot OF the Pyrenees.
1t is talked about, written about, and
pictured as a fairy palace standing
amid scenes Of Incompatible natural
loveliness.
The place is at Cambo, between Bay
onne and Santa Jean Port.
and the poet has been living there for
the past five years. What he bought
originally was a little old Basque
house.
UDholsterers and decorators were set
al work on it at once to modernize its
interior. and there he and his wife
took up their residence with their
children. The new house was begun
two years ago. Rostand superintended
the driving of every nail and every
stroke OF the decorators brush
The house is situated beyond Cambo
on a picture sque hill which forms a
sort OF pTOmOntOTy overlooking two
valleys. those of the N.ve and Of Its
tiny affluent, the brook OF Arnaga, al
ter which the estate is called While
modelled on the old Basque chalets,
the house has touch of the Byzan-
tine about It..
The combination of styles gives it at
once quaintness and distinction The
surrounding ground is laid out in ter
races rich in flowers from March TO
November each year.
On the ground floor of the house
three rooms open on a great entrance
hall. They are the dining room. the
library. and the salon. These We're all
decorated by artists OF national repuIe.
Caro- Delvaile. Mile. Dufau, and Henri
Martin.
On the floor above are the dramatists
work room and the boudoir of Nine.
Rostand. This latter is the gem Of the
house. The walls are covered with
frescoes painted by Jean Weber, repre-
seating scenes from fairy lore. They
tell the story of Cinderella. Puss in
Boots. the ASS Skin, and the Sleep
ing Beauty in the Wood.
With the Rostands two friends are
domiciled, Pascaud. a painter, and
Louis Labat. a writer. Besides these
various literary and artistic friends
visit the house, but it is always with
the stipulation that they shall not
talk about Paris. its flurries or its
vanities. The poet considers it essen
tial To his genius TO isolate himself
from the turmoil OF every day life.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
Free Pass Affair
Food for La Toilette

LITTLE modest, lrsophisti-
y Gated French town, vailed Yer
~ wins. Is threatened with a fear
fuI scandal which is not with
out its moral for our own interstate
Railway Commission. The deputy OF
tlse constituency has accused the local
procUrator Of the republic of travelling
on the railway with free passes, and
all the little clubs. cafes, and salons
or the place are breaJhless with indig-
nation.
The deputy has demonstrated that
the procurator saved at one time 15f..
at another 81, and once actually 30f. IN
fares which he ought TO have paid.
Another charge IS that he Obtained as
much as 1.30Gf. from the railway com
paEy Tor alleged damage TO his furni-
ture during removal Moreover, he
constantly received compensation for
loss of parcels. For instance, a basket
Of fresh eggs sent TO him arrived con
tanning a stale omeIeJIe. He actually
claimed and obtained 81, damages from
the railway company. The list Of his
crimes is almost endless. He took ad-
vantage of the failures Of a grocer
70 buy up boxes OF sardines cheap and
casks of wine. One of these he ex-
changed with an examining magistrate
for 10 bottles Of yichy. and the magis-
tTate found that the barrel contained
not 10 Iitres of wine. as the procuratOr
had sOlemnly affirmed. but only So
All these scandaIous transactions were
published in fun by the deputy in a
paper which he owns, ana the procura-
tor is now suing him for libel,
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
IOWA POPCORN BELT
PRODUCES BIG SUPPLY

n EARLY half Of the popcorn
M consumed in the United States
| is raised IN the small county
OF Sac. IN the northwestern
portion of Iowa. There it mas been
found that tie soil is particularly
adapted to its cultivation.
Before the shows ana the street
corner merchants TOOK il up, the not
buttered popcorn wasn't very much
in demand. It's cultivation was re-
stricted 20 a few stalks on the farm
that met the home demand A small
quantity might be bough- at the store.
but II was high in price and the sales
were few.
The breakfast food manufacturers
are now the larges: consumers Of pop
corn in the market. Nearly half
OF the ready 40 serve foods have
a considerable percentage Of popcorn.
one brand Is practically all popcorn.
The popcorn belt Is invaded each
spring by the agents of Chicago and
New ork firms which contract with
the raiser 10 take over has entire crop
This method OF handling the harvest
makes the grower an assured market
at a remuuerativC price, and for sew
erai years the average price paid has
been so cents a hundred pounds.
The average yield is about 5000
pounds 10 the acre, the corn requires
less care and WatChfulneSs than the
Indian variety, and even on hundred
dollar land there Is good profit in it
more than in wheat corn, or oats
Popcorn has the advantage of other
members of the corn family IN thaJ it
always ripens bcfVte the early frost
can get d chance at II, and the
drought doesn't hurt it much The job
of picking and huslung is not a pleas
ant one. owing 10 the sharpness of the
grain ends, but expert pickers can
make 8 a day, 81 the usual rate OF 10
cents a hundred pounds
The discovery of the Iowa popcorn
belt came about by accident About
twenty-five years ago an eccentric
Yankee who had located in Sac COun-
~, near OdebOlt decided to break
away from the old traditions, and in
them to one thing only. He tried
wheat one year and failed to make any
money. For two years thereafter he
planted all of his 2J0 acres TO potatoes,
and everybody laughed. When q few
years later he planted il all to popcorn
a big shout of meTument went up,
but when in the fall the Yankee mar
keted his entire crop at a dig profit
nobody even Sf-lsied The next year
ton, the first popcorn man, bought his
crop in the ground and that year had
more popcorn than any ten men in
the United States. He had the market
cOruered. and he got the price he
named Then ne tried to beat the
Chicago Board of Trade and dropped
out of sight. His neIghb0rs gradually
took up the idea, and now they get
rich returns for their trouble.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
CrueltieS Of Animal Training

z HAVE an Old-fashioned belief that
one should never make a dam
Il ming statement unless he is pre-
pared 70 prove il up TO the hilt-
And so / am confronted at the outset
with an almost insurmOUntable diff
culty-tO the layman who would ec-
curately inform himself of the methods
of animal training there is opposed a
bulwarS of conceaiment grim and
silent as the great wall of China.
writes W. Raiuton Clarke in the Man
chester Chronicle.
The glib assurance that ut is all
done by kindness" has become by
word. No true lover of an animal be-
heves IL nor could any reasoning
creature. lacking that particular If
fection, il he VIII carefully examine
such facts as are obvious.
Granted there are animals of ex-
treme intelligence and ductability.
Granted there are men and women of
extraordinary influence over birds and
beasts. The best these twain can
achieve i'm combination does not pro
duce an effective stage shOw-nor can
one hundredth part of the entertain
ment' provided by the trainer be
ascribed 70 his abnormal ability, or TO
the especially acute intelligence of his
pupil II is more probably the triumph
OF brute over brute, by patient ana
persistent cruelty.
The public judges by what il sees on
the stage; and remarks I'M admiration
and approval that there was "no slga
OF a whip" An animal exhibitor who
was aVowedly cruel would be pretty
low down in the ranks of-showmen.
l own a particularly ferocious-loOkIng
bull dog, who goes crazy with delight
at the sight OF whip IJ has been
his pet toy for years. and means the
beginning OF a romp on the other
hand. a movement of the trainers
finger, almost impercepuble 10 the
audience, may suggest 20 the powerful
Imagination of the animal fiendish tor
ture-it may recall the hot irons, the
agonizing Utilization of a nerve.
Such appeals TO the memory are, In
truth, the stock-in-trade Of the animal
trainer. What the wretched creature
has gone through. during months of
daily preparation. can never be
known. for the work is carried out in
secrecy and seclusion- There is rarely
a second person present, and the brute
cannot speak. That is the most hide
Gus factor OF the case.
There is no concealment of the fact
that the training is apt 10 be hard and
painful and a blow is not uncommon
from the most humane and patient
trainer. angered, IL may be by stuni-
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

from the water. As long as they can
ma enough water to drink they can
live for an indefinite period on LAM.
Several years ago the Atchafalaya
basin in southern Louisiana, was full
of alligators This is an extremely
large basin al the end Of the Atcha-
falaya river. held in by levees. or
dykes. The alligator hunters discov-
cred it. however. and set 10 work. The
result was that in less than a year
they shipped nearly 100000 hides and
practically eXtermlnated the alligatGFs.
This aroused Representative Brous-
sard, now a member of Congress from
Louisiana. and he attempted TO Lave
the Louisiana Legislature pass a law
tu protect them. IL was late in the
session when he took il up and he
was unable 10 do anything, because,
until he began talking on the subject.
every member of the Legislature eX-
cent the man who introduced the hill
looked on the matter as huge ioHc.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

IN st. Augustine. He was an en-
thusiastic fisherman. and every day
would go out ia his boat 10 hsh on
such occasions he dressed for bust
ness purposes entirely, in overalls and
old cotton shirt His costume WAS
topped OF By a battered straw hat,
Upon one occasion he was walking
home 10 his cottage with r string OF
hsh in his hand when he was ac-
costed by a pretty young New York
woman, who was paying her first visit
to St Augustine.
Say. are you Alligator Joe2'' she
asked the creator Of Rip Van Winkle
Madam" replied Jefferson, without
moving a muscle of his face. II deny
the allegation and defy the alligator. "
It was several days before the New
York woman found out who il was
she had spoken 20. and then she nearly
tainted.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
QUEER SHAPED APPLES

A tree bearing apples shaped like
pears is 10 be seen in an orchard at
Yorktown. y. Y. Some marks OF in
sects work near the stems of the
strange fruit are taken as indicating
that the upper portion of it was
checked in early development, while
the lower part developed naturally,
giving the matured apple the form of
a pear. Pear shaped apples and apple
formed pears are not unknown. The
Japan russet variety of Oriental pear
is as fat as. and almost indistinguish-
able in appearance from, Fusset ap-
pie when matured. but it is in every
sense a pear.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
WHEEL BATH TUBS
FAMILIAR TO FRENCH

- LOBE trOtters have long COM
planned of tie lack OF bathing
y facilities ia foreign countries
10 which they nave always
been accustomed to ia America. II is
only the most expensive hotels that
have rooms with private baths. Other
hotels have only one bathroom, which
is expected 10 supply the needs of all
guests and some none at al. Foreign
hotel keepers are continually standing
aghast al the demand of American
guests for bath every day.
The travelling bath. which is carried
from door 10 door. IS a French institu-
tion. Consul Miller, of Rheims, tells
about it,
Several bath establishments in
Rheims-and this is true of other
French cities-have portable bath
tubs he says. which are placed on
two-wheel vehicles provided with a
large iron boiler nlled with hot water.
As orders for baths 10 be delivered at
the doors of the residences are received
the boilers with hot water and the
bath-laden vehicles. each pulled by two
men, start out for the delivery The
bathtub is filed wiJn the hot water
and carried into the residence, and
while the family bath is going on the
vehicle may MI another order, return
ing again for the tub. which is in regu-
lar commission as a visitor 70 the resi-
denees throughout the city The price
OF a t-your-residence bath
in Rheims is 80 cents. while at the es-
Enlistment 1t costs 20 cents"
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
No Duplicate Chandeliers

kLN I'D you ever notice" said
the observing man, that
every public building has
chandeliers unlike those
of any other public building? There
are no duplicates. You go into one
church and you see "a handsome
chandelier that il would seem worth
while to duplicate Tor another church,
but you never find it in another
church You go into a big han and
youH observe some stunning globes
and chandelier fixtures and look for
EN- in some other big hall, but they're
not there.
I don't know what principle the
makers Of chandeliers go on, whether
it is a matter of pride with them not
10 nt out two such buildings alike. or
whether contractors for such buildings
insist on exclusive designs; but the
chandelier people must employ some
remaf kably versatile artists TO think
up so many different designs. It seems
ike a waste OF money 10 make only
one of a kind, but it is a pleasure 70
know that hsl or home may be eN-
elusive in its chandeliers
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

BOOK collector. who does not
~ wish to see his name in print
~ because he has no locks on
his bookcases. and would.
therefore. be an easy prey to fellow
collectors should he become known as
one of the fraternity. makes a special
ty OF broad editions"
Broad edition! What is broad
edition?" asked a surprised listener.
who knew little of the ms and outs
OF the collecting fad
"A broad edition? Never heard of
it2 Wen that shows how little you
know of book collecting. Now listen
and I'll shed a little light. Nearly
every publisher Of really good books.
that is. books that are made To read
as wen as 20 sell, prints a few copies
on sheets a little broader than those
used for the rest. and when bound,
these copies are from half an inch
to an inch and a half wider than the
others. There are also a few copies
printed on such a size Of paper that
when bound these copies are perhaps
an inch longer than the majority OF
the edition. They are known as broad
copies and long copies, and when
the publisher is himself a collector
he sometimes gives these to his col
Iector friends as euriOs, sometimes
sells them at a slightly higher price
than other copies. OF course, they
are only curiosities, have no value
apart from their size. for in every
other respect they are just ike the
other books. but what's the use of
living unless you have a fad to en-
tertain yourself with wheE you're not
busy earning your salary?"
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
BACTERTA IN TOBACCO.

According to recent Investigations
the peculiar flavor that pleases
smokers is largely due TO the activity
of certain bacteria while the tobacco
is undergoing the fermentation stage
of curing. DR.. suchsland, a German
scientist. has cultivated germs taken
from fine Cuban tobacco while teF-
menting and introduced them into IN
ferior varieties of German tobacco.
When the latter was cured connois-
seurs could not distinguish 1t from
the best Cuban brands.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

louisiana fifteen years ago. they are
10 be found in great numbers today
only in Louisiana and Florida. Those in
Louisiana are going very rapidly ana
disappeared if the Florida Legislature
had not stepped in year ago with
the passage of law restricting the
slaughter of the amphibians Ia certain
localities.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
Inland Depredations.

inland in search of food. and have been
found as far as fifteen miles aWav
The Washington times., 1906-12-23

Extinction Threatens
tn Q Alligator an d
Uncle Sam Is Pre-
pairing to Preserve
Him Like the Buff
felO-Sl aug hter of
SaurianS AIread
Being ReStric ed.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
HUNTING'S ZENITH.

FoXhunting was never so popular:
never before did so many people ride 10
hOunds.-COunty Gentleman London.
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
zow tLe Gator Is Useful

Preserves small fish by eating
sharks and garfish.
Protects levees by killing muskrats
and c-awfish
Hide makes trunks. bags. satchels.
pCCketbOOks, card cases, and other
leather articles
The Washington times., 1906-12-23
Broad and Long"
Editions of Books

BOOK collector. who does not
wish to see his name in print
because he has no locks on