davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15
The Daily Short Story

Then they talked. Somehow
he had an ingratiating way with
him (probably Irish, she reflect
ed, and before she knew it she
was telling him how stupid her
uncle had been and how she loath,
ed clergymen.
"All clergymen?" he smiled.
Every one of EN-" declared
Polly, rebelliously. '1f you were
clergyman, now" she went on
you'd be telling me how wicked
was"
But I'm not" he said.
"Of course not" said Polly.
Suppose l were a clergyman p
he suggested.
For goodness sake, DON'T
cried Polly. That would be
awful"
would you think any less OF
me?' he whispered, taking her
hand. (Polly afterwards said she
tried to get it away from him, but
one has doubts).
NO" she admitted, obviously
81 guess"
"For you see," he said, 81 am
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15
DAUGHTERS OF RICH CHINESE WHO
MARRIED INTO AMERICAN SOCIETY
ARE FIGHTING FOR VAST FORTUNE

HONOLULU, Dec. 15.-The
skeleton of the Along family is
once more abroad, rafting its
bones.
Five of the beautiful daughters
Of Chun Along, the millionaire Chi.
nese opium king, have just brought
suit against their Hawaiian mother
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15

waiian blood. He wanted her al q
wife, and his money won out.
The couple lived very happily to-
gether, and Is children were born
to them. Then Chun wanted to be
a coolie again. and to be back with
the dozen and one Chinese wives
whom he had left behind when he
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15
Two OF The VERY
LATEST HATS

For evening receptions and for
concerts an exquisite hat is built
on a tiny frame and is formed of
softest folds of golden brown
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15
Cyril Wayne, and"
HVoi,iu crind DnIlv

Which shows, with what hap
pened afterwards, that a woman
still clings to her ancient privilege
of changing her mind.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15

panne velvet. A single orchid is
set at the right side The coloring
of this is a delicate shaded pink
and from this lovely flower curls a
long heavy plume in deep and light
browns.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15

The Spokane Press delivered 25
cents per month.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15
"SHOSHONE FLYER" LEAVES
at a NJ

The Occur d'Alene Electric train,
connecting with steamer Idaho for
Wallace and surrounding points.
now leaves Spokane Terminal,
Main and Lincoln, at O'Clock.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-12-15

Among one of the latest importa-
tions from Paris in the millinery
line is a hat for dress afternoon
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
rat bear KEEP goin' till it got 80 fur away
nat Cousin Marcellus couldn't see 1t no

that bear kep'a goin' till it got so fur ava,
that Cousin Marcellus couldn't see 1t NJ
more.
81 guess I'll pike fer home, now!' say,
Cousin Marcellus, Rittin' up an rubbin
his eyes This is gittin' a little too spooky
so he picked himself up an started fol
home. but he hadn't gone a great way
when a bear jumped up on a log an went tc
standin' on its head. Cousin Marcellus
didn't welt to see Whit more that bear
could do, but made tracks on a short cut
to nit outen them woods.
The strain O. keepin' this to myself,
says he as he logged along, lis goin' to be
more than l can stand as 1t is says he. I
wisht the bears hadn't done It'll says he.
Cousin Marcellus had soooted along
mebbe a mile when he come out into a
little openin' an fer a minute he was sorry
he had come that way. But only fer a
Minute, so he writ Uncle David. Then
he was u~ncompromisin' glad he had come
that way, fer there right afore his eyes the
made plain. A tremendous big bear, about
the color of a saddle an with a collar round
his neck, stood in the middle o. the oPenin'.
Around him wal half a dozen other bears,
all young fellers. Cousin Maroellus had
forgot all about that big saddle colored
it to wuns as the bearthat had come through
there the year afore, with a couple O. tramp
Eye-talians. The bear was trained, an
could do all sorts O. summersets an hand
springs an other smart things.
THE bear liked the fun O. setch circussin',
was travellin' with, fer one night he give
'em the slip an run away, Nobody never
seen the bear nor heerd of him ag'in till the
day Cousin Marcellus run .ag'in him, the
way he writ to Uncle David.
what do you s'pose that bear was
dOip ~ 60 vi Cnrotn Mo rcallua in thia lattar
he writ Uncle David. 'Teachin' them
young bears all his tricks, jest as he had
teached their older brothers an sisters,
Jest as had see 'em practisin' Of 'em that
AN SO Cousin Marcellus thought he'd
better write to Uncle David an tell him
about 1t, not KNOWN whether Uncle David d
care to gather in bears like them bears,
any more than he'd go an bag a clown In a
circus; 30 l guess Uncle David amt goin'
he don't believe he ever could have the heart
to gather setch bears in.
But Aunt Sally seems tremendous dis
app'inted. an holds 1t up ag'in Cousin
Marcellus. jest as il he could help them
%astoundin' things he writ Unole David about
open that bet ag'in Of a leetle somethin',
an hold part O. the stakes now. loser to
settle furder on, that Aunt SallyM have 1t
N In, fer Cousin Maroellus first time she sees
Sporting blood seemed more sluggish
than ever, and the Pochuck, citizen went
out, plainly disguised with It. A moment
later he poked his head In the door and
said:
I'm jest huggin' myself cause nobody
took that betl Joe Van Ripper was over this
got that stimulater here, I'll bet q henI'
Then, the wanderer headed toward
Poohuck. -
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
AN almost hear 'em buzz!' said he.

can almost hear 'em buzz!' said he.
Not this mornin', you can't!' said the
Pochuck persister, nodding. at Farmer
milton. There ain't none buzzin' in it this
mornin'., But If it was yistiddy mornin'
now! Thumpip' clockworksl how they
was buzzin' in it yistiddy mornin'!
Il had 'cepted an invite to 60 over an
afore yistiddy, in only hope no Cover
ment investigatin' folks II git to nosin'
round to see what the ingrejents is that's
mixed in that .barn-raisin' stimulater O.
Joe's an go make a report on to 1t! l hate
to have it laid up ag'in Pochuck, but when a
Teller don't remember when he went home,
an comes to an finds out that he went to
bed on the sawbuck out in the back yard.
an can't git over the idea that he was woke
up by an alarm clock in his head, with the
ding thing keepin' right on a-goin,' I'm
afeard there's somethin' in the jug goods
that Joe sot out that needs a muck rake
drug. through it! But l hope they won't
@No, not this mornin' you can't hear none
in it,, Farmer Bill! But II 1t was yistiddy
they was goin' round in it yistiddy mnrnin'.
an l hope there's somebody here that
wants to bet me a leetle somethin' that they
wasn't, an have it now. loser to settle
Sporting blood continued sluggish; and
"so oihSO 'hAoio WIN ~ VIZ va
OF his narrative.
$50" said he, Cousin Maroelus, gittin'
over his surprise by en- by, went on with
his skirmishin', an he hadn't gone more
than a quarter OF n mile when ne come to
a sight 30 amazin' that he jest had to set
down, 30 he writ Uncle David. an wonder
how he would ever dare tell it even in Penn
sylvany, where everybody knows how
smart their bears Is, an expect to have
his neighbors ever reco'nize him ag'in as q
teller citizen they had always Dragged
on fer havin' truth an veraoity as his best
what he seen was 30 amszin'
AOn the limb OF a tree, more than forty
foot from the ground, a bear was hangin'
by Its toes, head down. Suddenly the
bear pulled itself up. grabbed the limb
twisdn' itself back'ards an forards be-
twixt It's legs jest as easy as II 1t had BEN
Cousin Marcellus, 30 no writ to Uncle David,
sgt fer a spell jest al flabbergasted, an
then, he says to himself:
wisht hadn't seen It, fer ri have to keep
Il all to myself. says he, a n I'll jest about
But II Cousin Marcellus wished he hadn't
seen that much, what do you s'pose his
feehn's was when he seen the rest o. what
the cat baok'ards an for'ards up there on
that high limb, half a dozen times or moro,
1t pulled itself up an hung by its toes ag'in
an begun to swing. When it got {
swinginr 30 that II stuck out straight first
one way an then the other, all Of e suddent
over to another limb, which it ketched on
to with Its paws. It swung there till It
got o goin' HE all possessed, an then let
20 any went saiinT to another limb an
betohed. on With is toeG an 90 on an on
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22

Newspaper man Of the town TO tsiephons
the game ~ II progressed, and thts was
chalked up by one Of the college boys de-
tailed for the purpose. The progress Of
the White Sox and the Tigers was watched
as forkful after forkful Of wheat went
Into the roaring mouth Of the separator.
and not O minute was lost-nor q point OF
the game. The farmer 10 going TO make
1t q feature Of his harvest time.
Out in western Kansas last year an enter
prising photographer induced q dozen
young women to put Of the overalls and
hats and equip themselves with forke>
as II they were real harvesters. Then
they had their pictures taken, their faces
being turned enough to avoid the camera
h picture wen the rounds OF the Eastern
press-though the young mi were town
girls, who " worked In harvest.
The fact lie that women do little In the
field. Occasionally one drives. the team
on q harvester or self-binder, but most Of
their part Is In helping to feed the hungry
workers. When threshing time m
this Is especially essential and the mistress
Of the cook shack Is much in evidence.
She takes pride In having her movable
home In the best Of order and her face IL
seldom other than cheerful. From the
frst Of July to the first Of October she makes
the house on wheels her headquarters and
every meal Is served on the table hat ex-
tends down lie centre. '.
The modern cook shack 10 O worry attrao-
tive institution. 1t 10 set high on broad
wheels and frame; II has screened windows,
screen door. plenty Of c~upboards and many
OF the oonveniences, In a snaller and cheaper
arrangement, that the dining car has.
Life with the threshing machine 10 not
entirely devoid Of pleasure. The grouping
OF a dozen men for a season OF two months
Is certain to bring about unexpected OPP
~portunities for amusement. 1t may be
nothing more than a Saturday night journey
In a farm wagon to a stream where exists
a good swimming hole. That in itself is a
sort of outing hat has fesenerative benefits.
Sunday Is a time for rest, Of course. but it
Is also opportunity for q visit to the other
crews working on n%eighboring farms.
Social opportunity is small. The farmers
families do not know much Of the life Of
the itinerant tbreshermen, The young
folks of the neighborhood do not take them
in unless, as has happened this season,
there are known to be among the workers
some bright young men who have taken this
means OF earning extra money and are not
regular farm hands. These may have the
best girl there is on the dance foor-and
they usually secure her, too.
A great deal Of threshing Is being done
this year directly from the shock-that Is,
the farmer hauls the grain from the shocks
in the field directly to the machine and
does not stack it first. 1t saves time, and
time Is money when the wheat isto be saved.
Though threshing begins down in Oklahoma
In June it does not end until snow flies, for
much grain is in stock until late autumn.
Then at last it is all run through the machine
and the separators and engines are stored
some Of them beside a fence out OF doors
until next summer
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
THE SUN. SUNDAY. july q. 1909.

season, owing to the class OF workers who
have come to the plains for tho experience
and to earn extra money, One young man,
who said his home was In Pennsylvania, went
to central Kansas and after a few days In
the folds was taken sick. His trunk was
at the hotel and when 1t was opened II was
found to contain five suits Of clothing, one
being a suit Of evening clothes.< He seems
to have thought the harvest a social func-
ton.
Then there was a bunch Of young men
who sought work In southern Kansas and
went to a farm ten miles from town, They
helped cut the wheat and took places as
workers on a threshing crew. They had
been working only a few days when a ball
game between two OF the State league
teams was announced for the county seat
ten miles away.
I'VE want a day off, was their state
ment to the farmer. rr..
What is the matter2'
we want to see the ball game. sir, and
are going to do it."
The farmer argued and pleaded, but to
no purpose. Finally he made this PROPOSE
ton: "Now, boys, / can't spare you to 60 to
town that day, for every minute Of good
weather means money for me. But I'll
do this: III arrange to have the game
bulletined by innings and all the points
reported, SO that you can work and watch
the game, too -
They agreed TO this and the farmer put
mis- telephone line into special service.
He rugged up a large blackboard in the
field near the machine, and on 1t had a score
outline arranged. Then he hired a young
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22

with hands only, 0 cents; without hands,
4 oents, farmers TO haul the coal In all in
stances. The coal haul In being obviated
In many instances through the use Of oil
burning engines. Fuel oil Ia 80 cheap
that the expense Is greatly lessened.
The threshers point to the extra cost
Of an "outft" as warra,iting the high prices.
For instance. the sei7-feeder costs $500;
the weigher, SIS; the water tank, 500; the
cook ahanty, 500. Then there Is with
the modern machine O wind stacker"-a
long tube through which a blast OF air ia
forced carrying the wa ,te straw to aay
part Of the stack desired and doing away
with two or three men on the straw stack
10 dispose Of tho waste. This costs $3.50,
and the thresher must pay the bill.
Then tho expense Of the management 10
not to be considered lightly by the mai
who has his ell tied up in a machine and
engine. This Is his schedule Of dlily outgo:
Interest, 50; depreciation, sl0.5 so; board and
cook, 81; engineer, 50; separator man, 81, So;
water hauler and team, 1850; coal, "a; six
pitchers at 81. so each, so; oil, breakage and
incldentals, 81; owner, $2-total, $7.50.
This means that he must average AIS bushels
OF wheat every day before he is even with
the game, andthat is a steady hustle. Little
wonder that the business is not such a
bonanza as it looks to the outsider, who
sees only the outside Of the management.
The Nebraska threehers have a very salts
factory agreement, but the Kansas and
Oklahoma owners are working on the indie
pendent plan.
The Western wheat raisers lave Deer
treated to some novel experiences his
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
AS TO INITIAL LETTERS.
The Thoughtful Man Undertakes to Learn
which Are Most Common.

MY first name" said a man who has
just treated himself to a new hat, begins
with the letter j, and there's nothing very
extraordinary about that, but / wal re-
minded Of it to-day when went to buy
this hat.
Il always like to have my initials pasted
in my hat; but when we came to that part Of
1t to-day and the salesman had dragged out
the box Of initial letters, we found the J
compartment empty.
my middle name and my last name
begin with the same letter; and the sales-
man said he would paste in the initial Of my
middle name at the point where it would
come with all three letters in place, and
where 1t would, for the time, serve for the
initial OF my last name, and they'd have
more Us in tomorrow, 30 II I'd como in
then he would paste a ] In front of that
letter and the appropriate letter on the other
side.
AS a matter of fact I was a little bit sur
prised to find the Us all gone, but l suppose
it must be true that there are more men
with first names beginning with that let or
than with any other. John, for instance,
must be the most common of all given
names, and are there not, besides, innumer-
able Jameses and Josephs and 80 onf
IL fell to wondering what could be the
letter most used at the beginning OF mems
proper names, and concerning that / found
! had no idea whatever.
II might have looked II up In the city
directory but that ia a big book. and life Is
short, 30 was content to take the telephone
directory and count the pages OF names
under the several letters, in Manhattan
and The Bronx section. l didn't measure
up the parts Of pages accurately, but the
results as l give them to you are approx
imatAlv correof.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
THE SOUTH PROSPEROUS.
Organs. Sewing Machines and Buggies
Furnish the Proof.

WASHINGTON, July 1s.-Prosperity in the
rural districts Of the Southern States was
the subject OF conversation some days
ago as a result Of Representative G. B.
Landis's remarks on the piano prosperity"
In that section. A Washington correspond
ent whose home is in the South, and who
last fall spent some weeks there, said:
Lands might have substituted the
parlor organ for the piano. for all among
the rural population nowadays In the South
you can hear the roar Of that instrument.
In the negro cabins the sound OF the organ
can he heard at any hour, night or day, With
a dusky damsel sitting at the instrument
pumping and handling the machine.
There Is another @ evidence, either Of
advancing civilization or prosperity, among
the rural population Of the South. both
white and colored. and that is the use oil
the sewing machine. Tho young oolored
girls have long since learned how to run
a sewing machine.
But" continued the soutbernar, the
following Ia n Of the most striking In
stances OF prosperity In the South caused
by ten cent cotton. On ono occasion while
I was down there I counted twenty-seven
buggies, all in a row, passing the home I
visited. each drawn by q fat, sleek horse
or mule. In most Of the buggies sat a
young oolored man with his best girl, I
made inquiry about the caravan Of busries
passing, and was informed that there was n
protracted meeting going on at q church
called Mars Hill near by where I was
visiting. The suggestion was made that
ride down 10 the church.
1T wa OF Of those general protracted
meetings or religious REVEALS that are
common In sections Of the South between
tho time the crops are laid by and the
cotton picking begins, when the coIored
population gathers from all sections Of a
The church was located In a
beautiful level country, and as far a I
see there was nothing but busries.
q third Of which were new, many OF them
never before used. Ioounted moro than sv, |
hundred and quit. A local merchant told
mo that he had already sold several car
loads Of Columbus and Cinoinnati buas;ee
ser the trade. especially Il The negroes Of
that section
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22

his mind. 'Tain't Cousin Marcellus's fault
that he had to write back to Uncle David
them astoundin' things about the Penn
sylvany bears-setch astoundin' things
about EN- that Uncle David up an said to
wunst, the minute he resd Cousin Marcellus's
letter, that he didn't believe he could over
have the heart to go an gether none Of 'em
in.
i couldn't have the heart to gether In
none of them bears says Uncle David, no
more than l could bag the clown in q ~oirous!'
says he. ..
-But Aunt Sally she snaps Uncle David
UP an says:
"'Fiddlesticks an firkinsI' says she.
Them bears your gran'mother! Jest you
wait till l clap eyes onto Cousin Maroellus
ag'inl That's ALT a y she.
An that's why I sort o. think that Aunt
Sallv's disappointed some, an why I'd be
willin' to bet that leetle somethin' on the
next droppin' in O. Cousin Marcellus. I'll
hold the bet open a while yit II anybody
wants To-"
Nobody wanted to, and after a pause
long enough to give any one a reasonable
chance to change his mind, the Pochuok
narrator returned to his tale.
THE things that Cousin Marcellus writ
Uncle David about tn am Pennsylvany bears
was real astoundin' an nc mistake, said he.
Cousin Marcellus writ that jest the week
before he got Uncle David's letter he was
skirmishin' round in the woods lookin' over
what the signs was for bear his season,
an as he was passin' along suddenly q
tol'able good sized bear jumped outen q
boiler stump. o. course there wasn't
nothin' astoundin' about that, but instid O.
that bear trottin' on his way an gittin' out
o. sight he rz on his hind feet, give a few
lively jig steps. Topped over on to his fore
feet as slick as anythin', so Cousin Maroellus
writ Uncle David, an stood there as stiddy
as a painted bear on a show tent! Maturity
that surprised Cousin Marcellus some. an
he says to himself:
"'Great Natur'r says he. II this bear
was anything but Pennsylvany bear I
wouldn't never a. believed the likes says
he.
The bear stood on it's hands a minute,
an then Topped back ag'in to its feet, an
before Cousin Marcellus could hardly ketch
his breath. that bear turneda back summer
set clean over the holler stump, an cockin'
it's head to n side, grinned at Cousin
Marcellus as much as to say, Well, how does
that strike you? An then went Oh into the
bushes, turnin' handsprings one after an
other as 1t went, faster than Cousin Mar
cellus, so he writ, could count EN-.
Couldn't a ben q real live bearp ays
Cousin Maroellus, soon as he could GIT over
his surprise enough to say anythin': Must
"a ben a wound-up bear with wheels inside
Of TT says he, an IT,,
6had dy, the landlord, winked at Farmer
BIZ Leonard, who lives down opposite
with his knuoklee, and jerked his thumb
toward the man from Pochuck. Z
Sure asa 2:20 hoss In q $50 race, clippfns.
Ii for first money!. said Farmer BILL. II
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22

machine shop; a bridge gives way; rains
make the. roads bad; wheat Is all straw,
and the yield is light compared with your
work-a thousand things may happen, and
some of them always do happen. The
implement man takes back the machine
with his pull back note. and there you
are. II I could do what ! always thought
i could do I would get rich threshing. No
one ever does get rich at it,
Every year there is a contest betw en-
farmers and threshermen regarding prices
and privileges. The latter hold a con-
vention and agree on some schedule of
prices to which they say they will adhere;
then they go back to the fields and cut
under in order to get work, until the union"
is broken and all must be done over again.
his is the List that the Kansas threshers
arranged for the present season: Wheat,
with hands and teams, 10 cents q bushel;
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22

goggles with knife in hand and out the
bands as no fed the grain head foremost
into the cylinder a few inches in front and
below him. Once In a while a careless slip
would land the feeder In the whirring
machine to meet death; sometimes there
would be q rieoe Of iron or q stone in the
bundle-a crash. a Iiecc OF flying casting
and perhaps death for some Of the workers.
Now o self-feeder is placed onthe front Of
the machine, and the grain is pitched into
it by ordinary laborers on the stacks and
is broken into bits by tho machinery before
being fed steadily into the cylinder that
Is 10 take, out the kernels Of wheat.
There's nothing that promises such a
good speculation and turns out 30 poor as
thresbing, said an old time worker in the
fields. "I've tried II three times, and every
time went broke. On the face 1t looks like
a snap, An outfit may be got for, say,
50 600, and It Is easy to figure out how 1t
can be raid for In one seaeon; but some
thing always happens. You lose time; a
casting freaks; the engine blows out a
valve and you must take 1t ten miles to a