davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
DO THEY REFORNI.

Are our reformatory institutions
really places of reformation, or are
they mere machines for revenge2 Do
they take the morally weak and erring
and attempt in a sane and sensible
manner to reform their characters, to
bring out and strengthen the good and
repress the evil in their natures, to
make real men of them2 or do they
mechanically punish offenders without
regard to the psychological effect on
them and on their characters
In the April number of MeClure's
Magazine there is a powerful-though
somewhat revolting-story. which shows
the evil of the latter method. It is en-
titled, The Snitcher." The Snitcher
was boy, weak mentally and morally.
who had grown up in a city atmosphere
of crime, a stranger to the meaning of
friendship, or love. or law. He had
tried to steal a pocketbook and. lacking
the cunning Of an adept thief he had
landed in a reformatory.
The Master Of the reformatory was
evidently ignorant of the use OF any
influence except pain and brute force.
The Snitcher was subjected to frequent
hoggings with a strap with holes in it
"a strap that raised half a dozen Bills
tCtS Win every DtOWs anu dAOuHQ Ills
ankle festered a fetter fastened to a
heavy ball. worn for months at a time.
Little by little the small spark of
humanity was crushed out of The
snitcher. Only hatred such as his weak
intelligence was capable Of remained.
There was no thought OF making a man
of him. One day The Snitcher. his fee
bic mind embittered by the weight of
his wrongs. was falsely accused of some
breach of discipline by The Master.
"Yeh lies" suddenly responded The
snitcher. The narrative continues:
THE squad stopped giggling. The
Master had been called & liar And it
was The Snitcher, the coward. who had
called him the name The Master
stared with jaw dropped in amazement:
/ then the stick fell from his hand and
with clenehed fist he struck The Snitch-
er squarely in the mouth Then his
duty done, he turned away, lighting his
pipe.
1.-THE snitcher got to his feet slowly,
He was dazed ana his mouth was
{ bleeding. stupidity he regarded The
Masters broad back, and then-the
transition was complete.
His hand went out and held the nick
His twisted mouth stretched in a grin
that was not vapid, for. the lips were
I tightly drawn and yellow teeth showed
through. Nor was there rnirth in The
Snitcher's grin. The kinks In the Esenf
back Strengthened and, as The Snff-
cher drew near The Master the sham
bic left his gait. With cat-lilxe motion
he drew near
/ Now that his pipe was drawing well.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
PoINTED PARAGRAPHs.

From the Chicago News.l
The devil loves a grouchy giver.
A wasted opportunity always comes
home to roost-
Air castles are built on a foundation
of impossibilities.
Trouble is the only reliable scale for
Weighing friendship.
Any man who plays only favorites
never wins by a long shot
Some people manage to get up in the
world by wearing high heels
Don't attempt to build new reputa-
ton on the ruins of an old one
However, the less man talks the
more he doesn't have to apologize
Too much of the charity that should
begin at home doesn't begin at all.
A mans gratitude is always at its
best Just before you do him a favor.
After a man rnarries he soon gets rid
of the idea that he is the whole show.
Red hair has an awfully persistent
way of getting tangled up in ones tenn
permanent.
Lots of people imagine that they are
not talked about simply because they
don't hear it.
Men who try TO keep up appearances
often find it necessary to keep up dis
appearances later on.
only those who travel in the straight
and narrow path can be depended upon
to give US straight goods.
When small boy refuses a second
piece OF pie there is something wrong
either with the boy or the pie
Usually about six months after
girl marries a man to reform him she
gets disguised and throws up the job
When men hate each other there is
usually a cause but when women hate
each other there is often only a be-
cause.
Sensible wives devote their spare
time to inending their husbands garm-
ents rather than to nagging at them
to mend their ways.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

The Master pufed eontentedly. The
squad looked on In wonder; something
was about to happen, they knew not
what. The Snitcher cr0uched behind
The Master; then stood erect-gaunt,
mad a tragedy In brogans, shoddy
trousers, and denim shirt. A shaven-
headed tragedy, there he stood. And
from his brain, a hundred memories
crowded in. The shanty and TIL OF
man, The Flats. railroad yards, the
factories and the noisy tugs in the riv-
ers; these memories lent him strength
The Master smoked on.
The pick rose, fell, and the steel
point sank deep into The Masters
skull
Ught Makes one shudder. doesn't it.
OF course such a thing could not hap
pen In Kansas-at least we fondly
think It couldn't. But are our four re-
formatory and penal institutions doing
all they ought to do to really reform
the erring2 Every legislature that
meets sets aside several hundred thou
sand dollars for the maintenance of
these institutions. Is this money wisely
expended unless the very best talent
possible is secured to conduct these in
stitutions in a way that will bring out
the best that is in the inmates, instead
of developing the evil and british in
stincts in them2
Kansas penal Institutions have fair
ly good reputation, but occasionally
one hears rumors that make one won
der if they may not 4be developing oc-
casional Snitchers.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
RICHES.

The man across the street from me
Is rich in silver gold and lands
And in his stately mansion he
Has servants who await commands.
And yet, though a1luenee is there,
He's poorer far than I. ween--
No childish laughter fills the air
and echoes sweet across the green.
The man across the street from me
owns spacious stores and business
blocks;
He hurries cityward to see
The rise or fall of bonds and stocks.
But as he leaves his door each day.
No baby face lies 'gainst his cheek;
NO wee sweet lips are raised to say
The nsping words that they would speak.
The man across the street from me
Comes home perplexed with business
cares.
From worry he is never free
Arranging his immense affairs.
And as he sits him down at night,
NO paDy ringers smooth his face,
he does not know the fond delight
OF wee little ones embrace.
The man across the street from me
Came over where stood one day,
And paused awhile where he could see
MY laughing little one at play.
ana once thought saw tear
steal down his cheek; / heard him sigh,
And then he whispered in my ear:
An, but you're richer far than I"
Oh, busy man across the way,
Harassed by doubts and cares and fears,
You re plling wealth up day by day,
TO last you through the coming years.
But when 1 look across the street
envy not your gold nor lands;
My wealth lies in the tender. sweet,
-E.-A. Brininstool in the Los Angeles Ex-
press.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
ouAKEIt REFuEcTToNs.

From the Philadelphia Record
An affinity is generally a person
with money.
Peppery remarks should be taken
with a grain of salt
What a man loses on the races he
often charges to running expenses.
The boy who wants to grow up and
marry his school teacher doesn't exist
in real life.
A woman is never a pessimist until
she begins to feel that she is too old to
be handsome.
Ne man can hope to shine in society
unless he can say nothing and make it
sound interesting.
In spite of the fact that man is made
Of dust he isn't satisfied. He is al
ways after more.
Magnetism is largely the secret of a
clergyman's success, and it's much the
same with a bunco steerer.
The political orator either points
with pride" or views with alarm 1T
depends on which side OF the fence
he is.
Wigg-"She sang There's ONLY One
Girl in the World for Me- Isn't that
awful old7" Wagg="Old? Whv. that
song dates back to Adam"
Oldba YounRpop. 7 hear
you have baby at your house. I con-
graduate you" CONSEQUENTLY T
thought you didn't care for babies
Oldbac1-'' N Nevertheless, I conerafu-
late you that it isn't twins"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
LAYHAWKER. JOTS

A short grass paper announces tnat
tom Coats, the famous coyote hant-
err" will preach shortly
Jason Little. OF Eskridge, raises
home grown maple sugar He has the
trees and makes the sugar himself
The biggest auditorium in Jewell
county is the loft of John Morris, barn
near Jewell City, which has just peeh
noored with hard maple
Down at Olathe a colored man has
been appointed city marshal It Is
very evident that Rev Thomas Dixon
will never move to Olathe.
The men who cleaned up the straw
which served as floor in the temporary
tabernacle used for the recent revival
services at Mcpherson, found several
dollars IN small change that had
escaped the collection basket
Signs of spring in the Emporia Ga
zette. The first girl to come down
town with her sleeves rolled up ap-
peared this afternoon. jeff Eastin ap-
peared in a straw hat today John
Craig was also wearing a Panama yes
terdav. Spring has came, and it Is
time for Tom Fleming to take off his
coat.
Speaking of rushing the season, the
Enaporia Gazette prints this: Charles
KNITTED, of Cottonwood street, has new
home grown potatoes. He wrapped
potatoes in paper last fall and set
them out IN a basket III the mouse
Early this spring he planted them in
the yard. and the new potatoes are al
ready large enough to eat These are
probably the first home grown new po-
tatoes in Lyon county this year.
A firm of poultry buyers at Council
Grove shipped 5000 pounds of Morris
county hens to New York recently.
Six thousand pounds were bought In
a single day. Among the hen stories
that the Guard tells in connection
with the shipment are these: John
Schmidt brought Is hens Saturday
that averaged s Il pounds. He topped
the average for so large a lot. Otto
Hebrank brought a fine bunch and
with his sale goes a story When he
unIoaded his wagon one hen was dead.
Fleming called his attention to it and
Otto was profuse in his apologies. He
was as much surprised as anybody.
He threw the hen into the wagon to
toss out on the way home. Late in the
evening he came back and sold the
hen TO Fleming for II cents She had
regained her breath and layed a fine
egg under the wagon seat. It is hard
to keep a smothered hen dead when
live ones are selling at nine and a half
cents a squawlzing pound
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
GLOBE SIGHTS.


From the Atch1s0n Globe
A man knows when he does wrong.
Why throw It up to him2
Parents will say their children are
bad. but won't stand It from others.
Let a man make a good resolution.
and his wife will make fun OF him for
doing it.
We never saw a baby that could be
put to sleep half as quick as mans
conscience.
We hope that when we die no one
viii look around for some connection
with the figures 13.4
When a man says of a relative who
Is dead. He is better Off" it is a sign
he is glad ne is dead.
Ever notice that a man with a barn
yard voice has a lot to say when he
gets into an Officer
You are either too pleasant to be
sincere, or too gruff to be polite: in
any event you are not just right
Badness is so common that when a
man has a good head Of hair these
days. It results in q story that he wears
a wig.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
KANSAS COMMENT
Sole soIINn srNsE.

No man can give a rational excuse
for voting for bad man for ONCE,
when there is good one asking for
the same position. To say that it is
best for the party is unmanly, and It
IS also untrue. When your party puts
UP bad man for Office the best thing
that can happen to the party is to
beat the man. It makes the party
better and next time it will probably
put UP good man And on general
principles, It does not pay to support
bad men for Office. When you hear a
man saying that he always supports
the ticket. it is safe to say that nine
times out of ten the man expects to
run for an Office some time. Who are
YOU Simply the snaaiI IL n9Sorthpiece Of
somebody else? Do you do your own
thinking? Do you do your own
voting? Do you try TO do the best
thing for your country Or do you
trot around after somebody else P
Wellington News.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

An editor at Mcpherson eertifies
that he has had evidence that the re-
cent big revival in his town did some
practical good. Several persons who
were extremely delinquent in their
subscriptions have come forward and
voluntarily liquidated. The multitude
OF newspaper brethren who viii nov,
want the Mcpherson evangelist tn
come to their respective towns must
be patient. Their applications viii he
received and placed on file. but the
evangeiist's time is spoken for several
months in advance.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Bin White says, Whats the Mat
ter With Kansas?'' was pretty bad. ana
John R. Connolly, of the Colby Free
Press, apparently agrees with him.
Iae Free Press. you will understand. is
a Populist paper. Just listen to this.
Charles Curtis. of Topeka. comes out
and makes the fearful charge that
William Allen White did not write The
pamphlet entitled, What's the Matter
with Kansas?' that was circulated sev-
eral years ago. He paid White an un-
Intentional compliment. Even the aver
age country Republican editor. who
broke the buttons on his vest Laughing
at mat witty selection, has absorbed
enough sense from the porter while rid
ing on his pass to and from. conventions
to make him ashamed Of it now" Now
viii Mr.. White stand hitchedg
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

is the chief grievance which the OBJ
jectors in Washington have against
Mr.. Barnes. But the president has de-
cided that Mr.. Barnes is the man who
shall hand their mail out to them when
they gather in the lobby OF the wash
inston postofce after the afternoon
train comes in, and there Is no help for
It. And II Washington doesn't want to
meet Mr. Barnes It viii have to send
somebody else to the postohlce after its
natl
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR
IFrom the New York Press7

from the New YORK Prese.7
No girl would ever want to he
man, because he has to wear his hair
short. -
The fun about going to the races ;s
you might win in spite Of your judy
ment.
When you find a man Who has ra-
spect for people in public life Ne IS in
it.
A ricn man can't buy the respect OF
imitation of it.
Al voman's idea of nice ho155ax e.
a man is to go to church in the r,1o, ~
ing, wheel the baby carriage. in the -.
ternoon and call on her mother ii The
evening.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Some Of the good people Of Washing
ton are very much incensed because
President Roosevelt has appointed as
postmaster at their town Mr.. Benjamin
r. Barnes, who had been assistant sec
rotary to the president for some years.
1Ir. Barnes was the tail, distinguished
looking gentleman who stood of people
who wished to talk to the president
when the latter visited Topeka and
kansas three years ago. as Secretary
Loeb was detained in st. Louis at the
time. Mr. Barnes was also leading
man In the comedy in which Mrs. Minor
Morris played the star role some time
ago the occasion on which she was
efsetsd from the White House. That
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
How PineappIes Grow.

Most people,, said the fruiterer,
think pineapples grow on lofty palm
trees. They really grow. like pump
lxins. on the ground. A pineapple crop
looks rather like thick field of cac-
tus. The fruit lies on the earth and
above it rises a tuft OF short, stiff
leaves. Also from its bare base sword
like leaves shoot forth in every dfrec-
ton. Some of these leaves are six feet
long. The pineapple. after the date, is
said to be the most profitable fruit to
raise. "@Ex.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

You'll have to take that red stuff of.
he suggested.
Kitty smiled up at him. Don't YOU
want to turn the laugh on Tom meek
er she suggested 'It will serve to
announced our re-engageme nt. -
Put it on thick he urged Copy
right. 1906, by Ruby Douglas.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
THE FAST MAIL GRAFT.

Nothing more of protest is heard
against the fast mail graft, presum-
ably for the reason that it is doing no
good to object to it. Nevertheless,
the fast mail subsidy is one of the
most ridiculous extravagances toler-
ated by congress. The Santa Fe gets
$25, 600 a year from the government
for running its fast mail from Kansas
City to Newton each morning Prac-
tically all the mail it carries are the
half baked editions of Kansas City and
Topeka newspapers. The Santa Fe
train which leaves Kansas City at 9
o'clock in the evening hauls all the
letter mail from the east and that dis
tributed at Kansas City. The fast
mail hasn't pouch full of letters q
week. In return for its graft the Santa
Fe does not give the state a particle
of benefit. The same thing Is true of
the Morgan trains which are run from
the east to Louisiana and other south
ern states. If congress Is in earnest
about cutting out the little steals and
wastes. 1t couldn't make better be-
ginning than to lop off the fast mail
ubsidies.-Leavenw Times.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

OF course it is none Of our business.
but we can not help wondering why
Dowie doesn't take some of that So
100000 that he said he was bringing
home from Mexico. pay off lions debts
with it. and take possession. That
would settle the squabble.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

That Dickinson county Democratic
convention seems to have not been in
accord with the popular harmony.
The Democrats generally are .'Roose-
welt Democrats" but the Dickinson
county, tribe refuses to be that way.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
HIs PROPER FUTURE POST.

All this talk about having Mr..
Roosevelt take the presidency of his
alma mater after he "retires' from
the White House is absurd The
proper post for hirn--we may say the
only posts chairman of the Panama
canal commission. He should camp
on the isthmus and dig that ditch
Columbia State.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Since the Atchison Globe is also
saying some unpleasant things about
hfr. Curtis, the Kansas City Star is ex-
peeting the First district congressman
TO write a letter intimating that THE
Story of a Country Town was not
written by z. W. Howe but by j. g.
EIonecker.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
a PROPHECY.

William Allen White doesn't seem
to be heartbroken over the charge that
he was not the author of Whats the
Matter With Kansas" White wrote
some Of the prettiest poetry in his
younger days, and has been lying
awake nights ever since trying to have
it forgotten. May sound foolish now,
but the Chronicle predicts that "A
Rhyme of the Dream Maker Man"
will live after Whats the Matter
with Kansas has been forgotten
Usage County Chronicle.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

There is on. good thing about that
Connecticut law that prohibits fisher
men from catching more than thirty
brook trout in a day: Fish liars can
not exceed that limit without con-
Tossing to a violation Of law
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

J. Z. Brady appealed to the people
Of his legislative district to re-eIect
him to the legislature in order to re-
buke Standard Oil. Because Mr.
Brady was defeated it must not be
supposed. however, that the people of
Lawrence endorsed the Standard.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

The ability he displayed in handling
Mrs. Minor Morris seems to have
earned for Mr.. Barnes the chance to
show what he can do when it comes
to hustling out the Misunderstanding
ton Post
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

are trotting out their annual jokes
about the Kansas tornado, but you
will notice that Kansas has no noun
tains that sprinkle hot ashes over her
now and then And even the tornado
- at its best in other localities.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

The Kansas City Star says Stubs
is on Hoch's trail because the gov
ernor refuses to do his bidding Why
should Hoch do his bidding Was it
Hoch or Stubs the people elected
governor o-Kingman Leader.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Perhaps it was because he was run
ming in the Thirteenth legislative dis
trict that made J. Leeford Brady IN
lucky.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

II Senator Bailey of Texas isn't care
ful he will tempt the Democratic nomi-
nation for the presidency to take after
him
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

]. Leeford Brady can also take COM
fort in Del Valentines statement that
no good newspaper editor can be
elected to Office.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Russia is to spend $I00,000,0OO fof
her new navy-that is, the navy will
the official grafters get theirs.-Colo-
RADIO Springs Gazette.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
EROA7 OTHER PENS
BLACK DIAMONDS.

IT think says John Oliver Hobbies
(Mrs. Craigie), American women
spend more money for clothes and
gems than any other women in the
world" The coal operators intend,
however. to correct this evil, at least
in a measure, as soon as they can
Chicago Record Herald.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
A REvOLUTER.

A new circus attraction, a champion
whirler. makes 2, 450 revolutions with
out stopping. This is claimed to ex-
ceeds the records hitherto held by the
South American republics.-Baltimor
American.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Judge Parker thinks the Democratic
nominee should come from the south.
At last the Judge and Tom Watson are
in agreement on something Chicago
News.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17

Mr.. Curtis says it isn't true. 81
there now.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
JOURNAL ENTRIES

A good many men are congratulating
themselves because they got past Fri
day, the thirteenth of April without
any bad luck. But just wait till lie
millinery bills come in. and then note
the date on them!
A reporter for this paper wrote yester-
day regarding the new institution pro-
posed for Topeka by Sam Radges:
"Osculatoriuns are not numerous in this
age and it is likely that the one Mr..
Radges has in mind will be the first
institution of its kind to be started In
this country This statement is in
correct and this department hastens to
correct it. It is somewhat surprising
that the reporter who wrote It should
have been so ignorant. Within the next
two weeks you will and oscula forums
well established and doing a rushing
business in the majority of the ham,
nnocks of Topeka. They are not new
here The first osculatorium is reported
to have been established in the Garden
of Eden, and 1t has been popular in
stitution ever since.
According to the Washington Post,
man named William Elando Nichol-
son Ferguson Smith Commodore Perry
was knocked down by street car IN
this city on Tuesday and badly injured;
one foot and three of his names being
run over. This ought to be q sober
warning to Adjutant General John
White Frierson Falls Neil Hughes not
to take more than three sections of his
name out on the street at a time. =
An eastern poet makes "stork' rhyme
with talk" That may go in the effete
east where no attention is paid to the
letter .sr'' EXCEPT to fill in with. but out
in this country we insist on giving ev-
erv letter its due.