davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

fered, from our cousins across the
sea.
Five or six hundred years ago, the
boys in the, old town of Grimsby,
Lincolnshire, Eng, looked forward to
Plow-Monday as eagerly as those Of
today anticipate Christmas. This
feast was never overlooked. 1t meant
wild excitement, procession, the
atrical entertainment, usually out of
service with sermon, and a grand
barbecue and feast extending far into
the night. 1t was known as "Plough-
Monday" or the giving of thanks for
the harvest of crops. 1t came at the
close of the Christmas holidays, was
officially recognized, the Mayor Of the
town leading the procession, and his
brethren" following proudly. The
day opened early and active. Crowds
focked into town. Shop-keepers opened
wide and dispensed generous hospi-
tality; Good cheer, good food, good
a common farm implementNwas
decked with brilliant fabrics, The
young people lined up along gaily
colored ropes attached to the clevis,
His Honor, the Mayor, at the handles
like steamboat pilot, for it was often
a chase like the wind, up street and
down, pell nell. His official subor-
dlnates followed; then the people Of
the town, young and old; and the far
mers from the neighboring country.
Like the Circus Parade.
They dragged the plough and the
Mayor and all the old folks through
the streets, singing, shouting, and beg
glng from door to door for clothes,
FOOD, or whatever else was to be
given away. Aims and presents were
given for distribution among the poor.
The company was led by a fool, or
clown, witch, several dancers, a fid-
dler, or several, called minstrels, and
strong man with cart to carry the,
presents gathered on the way. When
the procession had covered eyery
street the plough was dragged into the
church and placed before an altar
All hands then withdrew to q broad.
open space, near the docks. when q
play was held on an improyfsed stage.
This play was called Creation" and
the company of performers consisted
OF priests, clerks, and others, who
took the parts of God the Father. God
the Son, the first woman, the first
man, the serpent, the devil. Noah
Adam, and other historical and scrip
turai characters. This play was re-
garded as most sacred, and the great
crowds witnessing it were duIy i'm
pressed by it's solemnity.
The details of the play are not given
but the idea of Gods blessing in fhe
shape of light air, sun, water. earth
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
THE MCKINLEY PORTRAIT.
PAINTING OF MARTYRED PRESL.
DENT HANGS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE..
Artist Murphy. Hitherto Unknown.
Paints This Portrait Without a
Sitting and from Photographs Only.
By Francis B, Gessner.

1t is somewhat remarkable that the
portrait of President Mckinley that
now hangs in the White House was
painted by an humble and hitherto un-
known artist in New York to whom
the President never accorded a sitting.
The lamented Mckinley did pose for
famous artists of Europe and the best
portrait painters of our own country,
yet it remained for Mr.. William D.
Murphy, of New York, to produce with
the aid only of photographs the one
portrait of Mckinley most acceptable
to the family and friends. More than
that, it was considered the most de-
sirable one to be hung on the historic
walls of the White House.
Mr.. Murphy has modest little stu
dio at II East Sixteenth street, New
York, just off Union Square. He had
achieved some local fame as a palms.
taking portrait painter, but had never
dreamed of having a picture hung in
the White House along with portraits
done by the most famous artists of sew
eral generations. After the terrible
tragedy at Buffalo, Mr.. Murphy made a
collection of the Presidents photo
graphs, together with information as
to coloring and aided by Mrs. Murphy,
who is also an artist, produced a pic
ture in pastel. When the picture was
finished Mr.. Murphy made efforts to
have Abner Mckinley, the brother of
the President, see and criticise the
work. Finally the artist had an in
terview with Colonel Wilbur G. Brown,
Abner's business partner and who had
been very close to the beloved Chief
Executive. 1t was after much plead
ing that Colonel Brown consented to
bring Abner to the studio. Neither had
ever heard of Murphy. They had seen
a hundred portraits of Mckinley, good,
bad and Indifferent, and were them
selves Indifferent, the more so because
they knew that this unknown artist
had never been given a sitting. How
ever, his pleadings were so earnest
that they finally went to the studio.
The picture was unveiled and the
brother stood amazed and startled, as
if the dead had suddenly come to life.
Tears came to the eyes of Abner and
the eyes of Colonel Brown. They gazed
in silence for time, and then the
brother said, 'That is the best portrait
of dear Will that l have ever SEEN"
Colonel Brown said the same, and
both advised the artist to put the con-
ception in oil and compete for the hon
or of having it hung in the White
House. Mr.. Murphy did so, aided by
his wife, and it was chosen in prefer
ence to the hundred or more paintings
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

is believed that he hardly ever
had a case worthy the name. When
the war broke out he entered the vol
unteer army and rose rapidly to high
position. In August, 1898, when Ma
Mia fell, Mr.. Smith was made Deputy
Provost Of the city. Then he became a
member Of the commission which met
the agents of Agu4naldo at the begin
ming Of the following year. Later he
commanded the Island of Negros with
much success, and ultimately the De
partment of the Visayas. This was but
stepping stone for him to place on
the bench, and later promotion to a
commissionership.
Mr.. Smith has been successful as a
member Of the Philippine Commission,
being in charge of the educational sys-
TEN now being established in the
islands. He is close to Secretary Taft,
understanding all of the Taft methods
of dealing with Philippine problems.
A rumor is current that were Secretary
Taft to become President of the United
States Smith would more than likely
become Secretary of War.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
Agricultural Education Needed,
Their OgvA
CrOp.

munities where men own the land they
live upon and obtain their sustenance
from the soil.
Yet there is an undercurrent of quiet
force at work, year by year becoming
better organized and with broader pow
er, whose tendency is to overcome this
hurtful condition and stem the tide
OF immigration away from the land and
into the already overcrowded centers.
Industrial and agricultural schemes of
education are finding footholds here
and there, and nature study courses
and school gardens, where children
are taught to know something of the
soil and plants and the real wonders OF
nature, are no longer scoffed at OF
looked upon as fads.
To Fit for Real Life.
This movement embraces the de-
mand for the teaching of domestic
science and both agriculture and man.
ual training in all the public schools,
SO that children shall be taught to
work with their hands and to force
from the soil the greatest possible
production, as they to-day learn in the
public schools of France, Denmark and
other of the older countries. The new
movement maintains that every school
should have school garden, where ev-
cry child should be intelligently taught
to be a lover of nature and of the
country and trained toward the land as
Q source of honorable livelihood, rath-
or than away from it.
Some of the work of the Department
OF Agriculture shows the tremendous
Eeed which exists for farm training.
Need for Farm Teaching.
To be a successful farmer to-day
means that a man must not be satisfied
to plant and reap as his father did be-
fore him, but that he must study the
conditions of his soil and climate, and
II necessary discard as improbable
the crops which have been raised in
his locality from time immemorial and
substitute those which scientific ex-
periments have demonstrated are the
greatest money makers; he must study
the breeding Of plants as he would the
breeding of animals; he must learn
how to fight and overcome the many
insects and other enemies of his crops
and live stock; in a word, he must de-
vote as much hard study and thought
to farming as he would to any other
chosen trade or profession which he
might elect to engage in, if he moved
anto city community. No young man
would expect to pass from the farm
Into the city and make even bare liv-
ing unless he felt himself specially
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
REFORM INLAW-MAKING.
Ex-Attorney General Griggs ar
Advocate of Deliberate Legis-
latiOn.

John W. Griggs, at one time Attorney
General during the Mckinley admins
tration, where he achieved fame for his
ability as an exponent of the law, and
later one of the strongest members of
The Hague tribunal, has lately been
expounding to the people of New Jer-
Sey doctrine Of real reform. 1t is
believed that he knows whereof he
speaks, for hardly any man in that
States political life should know either
the need for reform or the difficulties
of achieving it better than he. Before
President Mckinley induced him to
become member of his Cabinet Mr..
Griggs had earned his way to the head
OF the New Jersey bar, served as mem
ber of the General Assembly and State
Senator, been elected president of the
latter body, and met the Responsible
ties of the governorship. He recently
spoke at celebration on Forefathers'
Day in Orange, and laid this law down
mildly but clearly to the State politi-
clans in the name of the decent men of
the Commonwealth:
Publicity, no backstair legislation;
no passage of bills because some one
has o KID them beforehand; discus
sion of measures on the floor of the
House; real reasons to the public Civ
en- why measures are favored or pro-
posed, and return of the days when
legislative bodies were debating socie-
ties and the public favored as much
with reason for voting as with elo-
quence."
Mr.. Griggs advocates reform in the
enactment of State legislation when he
says:
Rarely is a bill read each of the
three constitutional times, except by IT,
tie. 1t passes in accordance with a de.
c1slon made previously somewhere else.
l do not say the influence is an improp-
er one, but that influence was felt in
the side rooms or On the back stairs
before the fate of measure was de-
cided. This method is repression Of
individuality, sinking rights into a
mere expression of some one else's
views or wishes"
Reports from New Jersey seem to
show that legislation at Trenton is
practically in the same condition as
that which existed at Jefferson City
before Governor Folk washed the Mis-
souri, capital clean. The policy advo-
Gated by Mr.. Griggs has a tendency to
break up the State Organization" for
actual debate. The return of the legis-
latures to their old standing as delib-
erative bodies puts premium on in
dependent and personal individual
strength-and these qualities are the
death of Organization"
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
West Point RELIGIOUS,

The American Messenger, the organ
of the Annual Tract Society, says, in
an account of the annual presentation
of Bibles to the graduating class at
the United States Military Academy at
West Point, that there is strong re-
ligious atmosphere there, that nearly
all the cadets are members of the
Young Mems Christian Association,
and that about half of them attend
some twenty Bibles classes, conducted
by leaders chosen from among them
selves, who are in turn enrolled in a
normal Bible class, taught by the
chaplain.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
New Philippine Governor.

1t is reported that James F. Smith,
a member of the Philippine Commits
sion, is slated by the Administration to
become Governor-General of the Phil
ippines.
Mr. Smiths career during the past
four or five years has been remarkable
in his extraordinary rise to occupy an
important position under the Govern
ment. Before the Spanish-American
War he was a young lawyer of
no standing in San Francisco. 1t
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

strates that men will go out from the
cities and live on the land and make
good citizens, when they are taught
about the land after they get on it.
Agricultural Education Needed,
Viewed from both standpoints, it is
a demonstrated and unquestionabIe
fact that American public schools need
far more of practical agriculture, in
their courses, than they now teach. In
fact the majority of them do not teach
agriculture, IN any of its branches, at
all. The teachers themselves, as they
are graduated to-day, know nothing
OF the subject. Their educational sys-
tenn is in a rut from which it cannot
be moved except by a strong popular
demand, which in itself must come
from an intelligent comprehension of
the weak points of the system.
The problem is one for the serious
consideration of our most far-seeing
statesmen-the stemming of this CEN
tripetal movement which is overcrowd-
ing our centers of industry where men
work for day-wages, and which is
steadily drawing from our rural COM
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
OLD BRITISH FESTIVAL.
PLOWMONDAY, AS DESERTED IN
FOURTEENTH CENTURY AT
GRLMSBY, ENGLAND.
Farmers and Townsmen Gathered
to Celebrate Bountiful Crops-Town
Treasurer Paid Bills

All old-time country people remem-
Der evenings at corn-husking, apple
pairing and sugar-boiling. Not so long
ago husking bee was a great event,
and boys and girls, old and young,
gathered from far and near to sit on
the floor of the barn, husk big ears of
ripened corn for several hours, end
ing with a grand feast of pie, cake,
hot coffee, cider, and all the other
goodies of the farm cupboard. But in
this country there are no definite and
fixed festivals held in the fall Of the
year at harvest time. Thanksgiving
is only formal remembrance. In this
we differ, and we have always diff
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

submitted in the competition. 1t hangs
side by side with portraits painted by
Stuart and others of international
fame. Mrs. Mckinley has never seen
the original painting, but admires the
Photographic copies. The engraving
herewith presented lacks, of course, the
fine coloring of the painting, but the
pose, the expression is strikingly i'm
pressive to anyone who knew the be-
loved Mckinley in life. AZ before
mentioned, the remarkable thing is
that the artist created the picture from
photographs and the result seems to
those who have seen the portrait to be
something little short OF an inspiration
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
FORKS al Over His house.

Joel Chandler Harris only works
when inspiration seizes him. He has
no settled library, no study, no desk,
no workroom of his own, but in every
room of his house is to be found a
table with pen, ink and paper, so that
If the happy idea comes to him it can
be caught and fixed without delay.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
TaInabIe Small Library.

DR.. Frederick Rowland Marvin has
one of the rarest libraries in the coun-
try. 1t contains only about 1000
volumes, but many of them are first
editions and the manuscripts are me-
mentoes of gifted men and women no
longer living.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

The Yellowstone trout has been
caught in the very act Of going over
Two Ocean Pass from the Pacific into
the Atlantic drainage.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
LINGUISTIC Parrot.

A parrot which can talk in two
languages, and which has seventeen
phrases. has been added to the London
Geological Gardens. 1t Is a native Of
Northern India.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
Ny Pipe.

when love grows cold, thy IRE still
warns me,
When friends have fed, thy presence
charms me.
If thou art full, though purse be bare,
I smoke and cast away all care"
German Smoking Song.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26
THE NEW GRnMsBY" wIrn rTs BIG L1aHTHousE

trained and educated to meet his city
competitors. No more can the farmer
of to-day expect to keep abreast of the
procession unless he equips himself
with knowledge which will enable
him to reap full harvest Of the farm.
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

grain and fruit appears dominant.
The nearest approach to the festival in
this country is our Thanksgiving Day,
1t is evident from a statement of
the expenses incident to the festival
(all Of which were borne by the town
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

and charged up to the municipal ac-
COUNT that prices OF labor and food
are many times higher now than in
that time when trusts and combines
were unknown. Actors were rated
exceedingly low, as appears by the
following anfriaS.-
Amador ledger., 1906-01-26

following entries:-
To the Minstrels. s.............. 6
To Noah and his wife. ... o 6
10 Robt. Brown, playing God. o o 8
70 Jenkin Smith, playing Noah. 1 o
To Noah's wife. e............... O 8
Mechanics came a little higher:
To the carver, mending the Trinity,
making his crown and painting
MIN ...................... o 8 o
To the carpenter for making Noah's
snip ...................... o
An address from the rector was not
costly:
To Mr.. Lewis, for a sermon. ..... o 10 O
And this miscellany of services, re-
lgious, mechanical and mortuary,
came dirt cheap:
To five priests. fx-penny bell by
bell-man, and making grave. o 10
Miscellaneous supplies were not
costly:
To straw for Noah and his child.
ren OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. o
A pound Of wax to set before the
Trinity ...................... o o 10
A peck Of barley Observation-Disclosures. o o 3
10 sugar, cakes, wine, ale, etc.,
with the Mayor and his breth-
rem ...................... o 4 o
To six stone (S4 pounds) Of cheese. o
70 kegs Of sturgeon. ............ 4 6
IL 1Oui CdpOaS. U o d
10 four geese. e...................... O 2 8
To four pigs. s................... o 3 4
To three doz. and eight chickens. o 9 10
To pound and half of pepper. O
To lambs with their appurtenan-
ceS ......... ................... 10 q
To twenty-six stone 1854 lbs.) Of
beef Observation-Disclosures. ia g
To three quarters of mutton. o 4 g
They were not backward with the
cup that cheers. as this will show:
To six dozen Of ale. 2 2 O
To one kilderkin of beer. 0 3 4
To one gallon of finewine for the
priests ....................... D 6
To seven gallons and a bottle Of
claret ....................... IT 8
To 16 gallons of wine. o 1S 8
And for one who would not waste
his time on such fiat mixtures:
To one gallon Of old rum.......... O6 4
On the docks, where once the theat-
ricals and the barbecue were held.
now rises the great Tower of Grims-
by, 200 feet high, serving as a land
mark, and as lighthouse to guide the
storm-swept ships of Grimsby's great
nsh1ng fleets, into her safe harbor.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
Some Glance. at Congress.

Former Senator Mason, OF Illinois
is reported as declaring that the United
States senate is a confidence game.
A present member OF the senate is
quoted in a former congressman S
speech as having said: ut is so rotten
in Washington that when the roll is
called in congress | don't know wheth-
er 10 say present or not guilty"
A lieutenant governor OF Illinois re
marked a year ago thar "a congress-
man in Washington is like a boy in a
torn shirt and half a pair of suspend
ers looking through knothole at p
ball game"
According to the Hon. big Tim
Sullivan, a member OF the house at
Washington is something that they
hitch horses to-
In his autobiography, and referring
to his experience in the session of
1884, Thomas Jefferson wrste OF the
remissness of the national lawmakers
and said: IF the present congress errs
in too much talking, how can it be 9TH
erwise in a body to which the people
send $50 lawyers, whose trade it is to
question everything, yield nothing and
talk by the hour?"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
France Has Powers Support.

In her trouble with Venezuela
Franc has sufficient ground to justify
her conviction that there will be ne
opposition from the other nations hav-
ing claims against that country, in
fact, Great Britain, Italy and Germany
have already so assured her. When
you select a medicine for any stomach,
liver, bowel or kidney disorder you
want the one that offers the best as
surance of being able to cure. Then
you want Hostetter's Stomach Bitters
and as proof of its merit we refer with
pride to the thousands of persons it has
already cured during it's SO years ex-
perience. Try bottle this spring and
see for yourself that it prevents and
cures spring fever, grip, colds, dyspep-
STA, Indigestion, costiveness, kidney
troubles. female ills and malaria.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
Asstze TrumReterH.

AssiZe trumpeters. like men of other
callings, have their records, of which
they have good reason to be proud.
The most famous of them, SAYS the
Liverpool Post. has probably been Har-
~ Rowe OF Nottingham. Rowe was
born in 112S and was for time trum.
peter in the Duke OF KLngston's light
horse, in which capacity he took part
in the fight ar Culloden. After his
military service was over Rowe set
tied in York and had the good fortune
TO be chosen rs trumpeter to the high
sheriff of that county, in which office
he served fer forty years. When he
died, in 1900, the following was his
epitaph: Here lies the body OF Harry
Rowe. who for the space of forty years
held the office OF chief trumpeter to
the high sheriffs OF Yorkshire. During
his whole lifetime he was never known
TO give Il blast that tended to the dis
honor of his king and his country, his
favorite airs being God Save the King
and Rule, Britannia"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
IN THE SUBURBS.
HAM LET.

Hamlet, April THE farmers are
improving the roads in this neighbor
hood by the use of the split log drag
Miss Ella De Borde was Rock Is
land visitor Wednesday. Miss Edith
Reaber acted as telephone operator
for the day.
Miss Barbara Hartman returned
home Saturday after spending a week
with relatives in Aledo.
Rev. and Mrs. Tidball entertained q
number of friends Thursday night OF
last week in honor of Misses Florence
and Alice Solor of Davenport.
At the election Tuesday Frank Viek-
ers was elected town clerk; j. L. Lem
on. assessor; Frank Farrar, collector;
John Brennan, commissioner of high
ways, and W. s. Butcher for school
trustee.
Misses Florence and Alice Solor re
surned to their home in Davenport Sat
-:rday after visiting several days AZ the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
The Chinese Awakening.

Mr.. Bryan's story of the awakening
of China is confirmed in one detail, at
least. by a bulletin just issued from
the department of commerce:
According to Consul Haynes OF
Marking" says the bulletin, that an
cient capital of China is waking up
The viceroy is charging the native
hospital. for which he has engaged an
English medical director native
mint with costly buildings will soon be-
gin operations.
''The 700 city policemen have been
recognized and equipped on the JAP
anese basis.
Bridges are being renewed, more
macadamized roads built, the govern
ment's normal school is to be greatly
enlarged, and water works are in pros
pect.'
Other consular reports have told OF
similar STRINGS in other parts of the
flowery l-'-~tlom. though they have not
spoken of the political and social re-
forms which Mr.. Bryan so interesting
~ narTates.
China seems to be learning at last
that the world has progressed while
she lay dormant in the lethargy Of the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-07
To Whom it May Concern:

Know We that the Tri-City Transfer
d Fuel company, a corporation organ
lied and existing under and by virtue
OF the laws of the state of Illinois, and
having its principal Office in the city
of Rock Island, Rock Island county,
Illinois, has, pursuant to the provisions
of the statute of said state of Illinois
governing the same, by the vote of
its stockholders, increased its capital
stock from fifteen thousand dollars to
fifty thousand dollars, and the number
of members of its board of directors
from three to five in number; that it
has caused the certificate required by
said statute to be filed in the office OF
the secretary of said state of Illinois,
and in the office of the recorder OF
deeds of said county of Rock Island,
TO be duly filed in each of said offices,
so that said changes have been duly
perfected.
Dated at Rock Island, Illinois, this
31st day of March A. D., 1906.
TRI-CITY TRANSFER & FUEL
COMPANY,
By Fl. d. MACK, its president
Attest: ROBERT ]. FULLERTON,
Secretary.