davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

the Observation-Disclosures system has
been forced to overcome some very
difficult points that have been raised
TO confound them One of these is
the effort being made by the Nor
folk and Western to deny the Tide
water the almost essential privilege
Of grade crossings near Norfolk. The
fact that the land is so level in this
section of the country makes the
idea OF overhead crossings almost
out of the question for a road such
as the one now under construction
for the reason that Ii will bring
about one of those heavy rgades
which are being so assiduously
avoided whenever possible. It is
stated that should the Norfolk and
Western persists in its antagonism it
will cause a needless expenditure of
a million dollars on the part of the
new road.
The Deepwater-Tidewater people
mold tndt IN constructing tnelf road
they will bestow incalculable bene-
fits on the section they open Up and
On the entire country as well, by de-
yeloping fields now purposely idle.
and by reaching markets in which
West Virginia Goals are now never
seen.
Starting on the Kanawha at Deep
water. so selected because from this
place up the Loup creek is the only
pass through the hills to the south
that has not been acquired by the
Chesapeake and Ohio. the route lies
for eighty-fve miles through the
richest coal fields of West Virginia.
with the kanawha coal on the one
side and the New River Pocahontas
deposits on the other. This route gives
to the new line greater mileage
through the New River-Pocahonta
smokeless coal fields than the main
lines of the Norfolk & Western and
the Chesapeake & Ohio combined.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25
How Men in Public Eye Avoid the Snapshot Fiend

Continued from First Page)
so well down on his chest as 10
present to the camera a most ex-
cellent view of the top of his hat.
The presence of a photographer
never seemed TO disturb his equa-
nimity, he passed along without
seeming in any other way TO have
recognized his presence. His better
known namesake of New York
sdOesnt seem to know that trick. and
what ever plan he had in mind to
dodge, he was not quite quick enough
TO avoid capture in the accompany
ing illustration
Even the Roosevelt children. be-
ing by virtue of their fathers posi-
ton and of an energetic press to
some extent public characters, are
learning 10 dodge the camera quite
as cleyeSly as some of the grown
ups. Thus, when a snapshotter
caught sight of Archie Roosevelt
swinging along gaily In front of the
State, War, and Navy building,
whistling at the top of his whistle
like any free born American school
boy, and arrayed in a rough rider
costume that would have filed the
heart of any free-born American
school boy with envy, and tried to
catch him on the fly, Archie would
have none of it. He caught sight
OF the snapshot man leveling his
camera and turning bout facet"
scattered like : flock of sheep. The
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

OF all the work, says that it has been
deemed unwise for a road to hamper
its management by endeavoring to
control all the coal lands. He says
that the idea Of his company is TO
AFFORD a cheap rate from the fields
TO the coast. and that he has no
misgiyingS as 10 the amount of
freight that Will be offered his road.
While it is the avowed purpose
of the company TO extend their line
TO some point on the lakes, it is
denied that a terminus has as yet
been selected, and ii is certain that
at present all the energies of the
management are being concentrated
on pushing the work from DeepWater
to Norfolk.
The tidewater terminals of the
road are said to be exceptionally
good 1t is claimed that Sewall's
Point, where the road secures egress
to the sea. is the best harbor in
Hampton Roads, and Hampton
Roads is the best in the world
There is depth of thirty-six feet of
water, and the roadstead is the hold
ing point for the United States war
ships. The Tidewater road owns
over five hundred acres of land a.
SewalIs Point, and has a water
frontage of three thousand two hun
dred feet. No channel dredging will
be necessary in order to gain min
imum depth of thirty feet at low
water. The improvements here will
be in accordance with the designs of
the best engineering skill that I'M
limited financial backing can secure,
while in completeness. in convent
ence. in the use of the latest de-
vices and the most mocern machin-
cry no terminals in the world will
surpass them.
The Deepwater company is CAPT.
talized at the paltry sum of one
hundred and seventy-fve thousand
dollars, while the Tidewater compa-
ny has the even more ridiculously
low capitalization of one hundred
thousand. The fact that the work
now under construction amounts to
thirty-six million, and that the line
10 the lakes will aud fourteen mil
lions 10 this figure demonstrates
eonclusively the preposterousness of
the assumption that the road is be-
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

increased by the purchase of about
twenty-five thousand acres of land
adjacent thereto Among those in
terested in the deal we're Mr. Rog-
ers. Abram S. Hewitt's heirs. Levi
T. Morton, the banking house of
Morton, Bliss & Co. and the Bliss
estate All the names which are
connected with the present nominal
management seem 10 indicate that
the system is being financed and di-
rected by the Rockefeller-Gould in
teTests, and it is alleged that the
construction of this line is another
gigantic effort on the part of the
Goulds to carry out their pet project
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

Even former Minister WI, good
natured as he was about most things,
drew the line at snapshot 1t was
the one thing that ruff1ed his COM
posture. Generally he managed TO
dodge behind a fan OF some of the
vOluminousBe ss of his Oriental garb.
The one time the writer remembers
TO have seen him really angry was
during visit to Atlantic City as
the guest and principal speaker for
the Hebrew Chautauqua. He had
been unfailingly courteous to the
thousand and one sightseers who
came 10 the hotel and attached them
selves to the group which surrounded
him and sheer nerve edged in
until they had had a few words with
the fine old Chinaman He had writ
ten probably a thousand and one
autographs TO oblige a horde of
straagers-in English; TO the disap-
pointment of many, he could not be
induced TO write his autograph in
Chinese characters. But one day,
when he thought to refresh himself
by dip in the surf in good Ameri-
can fashion. and to that end be-
took himself to the beach and found
when ready for the plunge all the
button pushers in Atlantic City-and
it was the end of July-waiting to
get snapshots, he lost his temper. He
splashed water on them and their
cameras and got just good plain
American mad.
If any of them succeeded in get
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

camera caught him in the act of
scattering. 1t was whispered, how
ever, that Archie had been warned
that if he allowed himself To be
snapped in that outfit il would be
taken away from him. Possibly his
august papa realized that for pur-
poses of publication one rough rider
was about all the Roosevelt family
could stand
Admiral Lemley, who was made
famous by the Sehley-Sampson Court
of Inquiry, is a graceful and artful
dodger-in fact, he does it so art
fully that it is difficult TO determine
just when the dodge takes place, or
whether it is IN fact a dodge at all.
He has been known TO turn delibeP-
ately, politely lift his hat, and make
a profound bow TO something or
some one half a block away-for the
sole purpose of giving the camera
man the cold shoulder, or at least
very broad one.
OF the Diplomatic Corps, naturally,
though they all of them have their
troubles. il is the Chinese and Japa-
nese ambassadors who are most
pursued by the army of snapshotters
Particularly the Chinese ambassador
and all his household are greatly to
be desired as subjects. In the first
place they are celebrities; in the
second place, they ere, to Western
eyes, picturesque. And with all the
strenuousness of their Oriental con-
servatism, they object.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

ting an exposure the writer never
heard of it. One could NOT hut
sympathize with his exceIlency WI
Ting-fang. Nor could one help but
sympathize with the expectant
camera f1ends. For a photograph of
the Chinese ambassador in his bath
ing suit would have been, in vulgar
phrase, worth good money" And
apart from any low commercial
motive. such a photograph would
certainly be a treasured souvenir to
anyone fortunate enough to get it.
Naturally the happiest and most
productive hunting grounds are in
the vicinity of the Capitol and the
White House There, at all hours OF
the day men of national and inter-
national reputation come and go.
There. then. is a reasonable chance
of shooting a parsonage, while in
other places one may, of course.
meet one, but IL is merely a chance.
There, too, there is plenty of light
and space, and the chances are favor
able that an exposure, if accomplish
ed, will produce a good negative. So
il is there that the old Washington
ian most frequently smiles to see a
group Of camera fiends watching for
game-smiles, that is. if by chance
he be not official and likely him.
self to be game which case his
eye roves madly for a corner to hide
in and his mind jumps for some plan
for successful dodge"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25
Other Roads ShoUina Fiaht.

OtheF ROddS 0h0Wing fight
The official spokesman for the
mysterious owners of this line state
that the Deepwater-Tidew sys-
lem will not take any business away,
from either the Norfolk and West
eTn or the Chesapeake and Ohio, but
that there will be a new market for
the coal which it transports, and that
the field is large enough for all
competitors. New York is cIamoring
for more smokeless coal from the
New RiveT-Pocahontas fields. and
yet today it is practically impossi-
Bile for this coal to get into New
York in any considerable quantities
ON account of the high cost of haul
ing The principal markets which
the present roads supply are TO be
found in the New England States,
which annually consume about
5000, 600 tons OF smokeless bitumi-
nous coal. New York yearly re-
quires for consumption and distribu-
ton $4,000, 600 tons of steam coal.
The Deepwater-Tidew line pro-
poses TO supply this demand and
will not enter into competition in
the New England field.
In spite of the protestations VIII ch
are being made by the new road. it
is quite natural that the older cor
porations are viewing with some I'M
easiness the new enterprise, and are
looking upon II as a piratical scheme
TO poach upon their territory. As
consequence of this inimical feeling
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

There is always hope for a man
who, when sober. will not concede
or acknowledge that he was ever
drunk But when p man will say
Tin the apt words of the phrase
distiller). Il had a beautiful skate
on last night" you will have to put
stuff in his coffee as well Is pray
for him.
One evening on his way home
Babbitt dropped in at the Broadway
bar that he liked best. Always there
were three or four fellows there
from the downtown Offices whom he
knew And then there would be
highballs and stories. and be would
hurry home to dinner a little late.
but feeling good, and a little sorry
for the poor Standard OIL Company
On this evening as he entered he
heard some one say: Rabbit was
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

in last night as full as q Rolled
owl
BaJbitt walked to the bar, and
saw in the mirror that his face was
as white as chalk. For the first time
he had looked truth in TIE eyes. 9th
ers had lied TO him; he had dissem-
bled with himself He was a drunk
ard, and had not known it. What
he had fOndly imagined was a pleas
ant exhilaration had been maudlin
intoxication. His fancied wit had
been drivsl; his gay humOrs nothing
but the noisy 5agaFies of a sot. But.
never again
a glass of settler, he said 10
the bartender.
A little silence fell upon the group
OF his cTonies, who had been expect
ing him 70 join them.
Going off the stuff. Bob" one of
them asked politely and with more
formality than the highballs ever
called forth.
Yes said Rabbit
Some one of the group took up
the unwashed thread of story he
had been telling; the bartender
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

OF securing a network of railroads
in West Virginia
President W N page, who is in
charge Of the work, talks very flu
emily on all subjects pertaining to
the road and its construction with
the single exception Of the momen-
tous point as TO the real ownership
of the property. When asked about
this matter he refuses to crafty the
curiosity of the general public and
the great interest manifested by
those corporations which are direct
ly affected by the creation of the
col .peting line
When the road is completed from
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

"~ HIS document is intended
to strike somewhere be-
tween a temperance lee
ture and the "BartendeFs'
Guide" Relative. to the
latter, drink shall swell the theme
and be set forth in abundance.
Agreeably 10 the former. not an
elbow shall be crooked.
Bob Babbitt was off the stun. j"
Which means-as you will discover
by referring to the unabridged die
tionary of Bohemia-that he had
cut out the booze; that he was
"on the water wagon" The rea-
son for Bob's sudden attitude of hos
tility toward the demon rum7-as
the white ribboners miscall whis-
ky (see the "Bartenders' Guide")
should be of interest to reformers
and saloon keepers.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

cocktail in order TO get the cherry.
At home she smoked a cigarette af-
ter dinner. She learned TO pronounce
Chianti. and leave her olive stones
for the waiter TO pick up. Once she
essayed TO say la, la, Ia in crowd,
but got only as far as the second
one. They met one or two couples
while dining out anu became friend
y with them. The sideboard was
stocked with Scotch and rye and a
liqueur. They had their new friends
in to dinner. and all were laughing
at nothing by a. N. Some plaster
ing fell in the room below them,
for which Bob had TO pay $3.50.
Thus they footed it merrily on the
ragged frontiers OF the country that
has no boundary lines or govern
ment
And soon Bob fell in with his
cronies and learned 10 keep his foot
on little rail six inches above the
floor for an hour or so every after
noon before he went home Drink
always rubbed him the right way,
and he would reach his rooms as
jolly as sandboy Jessie would
meet him at the door and generally
they would dance some insane kind
OF a rigadoon about the floor by
way Of greeting. Once when BOb's
feet became confused and he tum-
blod headlong over footstooI. Jes-
sic laughed so heartily and long that
he had TO throw all the pillows at
her TO make her hush
In such wise life was speeding for
them on the Jay when Bob Rabbit
first felt the power that the giftie
gi'ed him.
But let Us set bach to our lamb
and mint sauce.
When Bob got home that evening,
he found Jessie in long apron cut
ting up a lobster for the Newburg.
Usually when Bob came in mellow
from his hour at the bar, his vel
come was hilarious, though some
what tinctured with Scotch smoke.
By screams and snatches of song
and certain audible testimonials 10
domestic felicity was his advent pro-
claimed When she heard his foot on
the stairs the old maid in the hall
room always stuffed cotton into her
ears. At first Jessie had shrunk
from the rudeness and flavor of
these spiritual greetings. but as the
fog OF the false Bohemia gradually
encompassed her she came to accept
them as loves true and proper greet
inc
Bob came in without a word,
smiled, kissed her neatly and noise
lessly, took up a paper and sat
down In the hall room the old
maid held her two plugs of cotton
poised. filed with anxiety.
Jessie dropped her lobster and
knife and ran TO him with fright
ened eyes.
What's the matter, Bob? Are you
ine"
Not at all, dear
Then what's the matter with
you?"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

the Great Lakes to the sea the sys-
tenn will not be more than a thou
sand miles in length, and il Will
serve TO establish an entirely new
tariff schedule for the sections
through which it passes.
The rapidity which has marked
every movement and the desire to
avoid all publicity and exploitation
of values of the stock have all served
to pique the curiosity of the people
Of the contiguous territory, and this
interest Is spreading all over the
country. Those of an aIIiterative turn
of mind may well call il the s'mam-
moth railroad of marvellous mys-
terry"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

It, But | thought there was with me;
and that's why [ quit Have yours,
and then let's get out the banjo
and try over that new quickstep.
I've heard, said Jessie, in the
tones of the oracle. that drinking
alone is a peTBicious habit. No.
don't think | feel like playing this
evening. If we're going to reform,
we may as well abandon the evil
habit of banjo-playing, too"
She took up book and sat in her
little willow rocker on the other side
of the table Neither of them spoke
for half an hour.
And then Bob laid down his pa
per and got up with a strange, alb
sent look in his face and went be
hind her chair and reached over her
shoulders. taxing her hands in his,
and laid his face close to hers.
In a moment TO Jessie the walls OF
the seine-hung room vanished, and
she saw the Sullivan county hills and
rills. Bob felt her hands culver in
his as he began the verse from old
Omar:
Come. fill the Cup, and in the Fire
of Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance
fling;
The Bird of Time has but a little
way
To ffy-and Lo, the Bird is on the
Wing"
And then be walked 70 the table
and poured stiff drink of Scotch
into a glass
But in that moment mountain
breeze mad somehow found its way
in and blown away the mist OF the
false Bohemia.
Jessie lesped and with one fierce
sweep OF her hand sent the bottle
and glasses crashing 10 the floor.
The same motion of her arm carried
il around BOb's neck, where it met
its mate and fastened tight.
''Oh, my God, Bobbie-not that
One-I see now. wasn't always such
a fool. was /? That other verse,
boy-the one that says: 'Remold
it to the Hearts Desire Say that
one-'to the Hearts Desire
II know that one" said Bob. 1t
goes:
All, Love. could you and ! with
Him cOnspiTe
To grasp his sorry Scheme OF
Things entire
Would not we"
Let me finish it," said Jessie.
Would not We shatter il TO bits
and then
Remold It nearer 10 the Hearts De-
sire"
Its shattered all right said
Bob, crunchinS some glass under his
heel
In some dungeon below the ac-
curate ear of Mrs. Pickens, the land
lady, located the smash.
Its that wild Mr.. Babbitt coming
home soused again, she said. And
he's got such a nice little wife, too"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

Continued from Page Three.1
entire length. II is stated by those
in authority that such a grade will
enable one locomotive to pull a train
of eighty loaded cars. To those
who are not familiar with railroad
construction, perhaps this statement
will mean very little until it is COM
pared with the grades to be found
on other roads. What Is considered a
ruling gradient, to be found on the
Norfolk and Western road. is from
fifty to eighty feet; whereas the
maximum ruling gradient on the
eepwater-Tidewater line is twenty-
five feet. For the greater part of its
run there is a grade OF less than
ten feet to the mile.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25
BugiPq No Lana.

Unlike most railroads operating in
the coal fields of the country, the
Deepwater- owners are
making no effort to buy up all the
contiguous sections. President W.
n. Page. who IS nominally the head
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25
5SYs1SzkfTi1E RuBAlYAT Of SCOTCH ftl0nBAu

showed over a dime and nickel
change from the quarter, ungarn-
ished with his customary smile, and
Babbitt walked out.
Now, Babbitt had a home and a
wife-but that is another story. And
| will tell you that story, which
will show you a better habit and
worse story than you could find il
the man who invented the phrase.
1t began away up in Sullivan coun-
t., where so many rivers and so
much trouble begins--or begin; how
would you say that? II was July,
and Jessie was a summer boarder at
the Mountain Squint Hotel, and Bob,
VINO was just out of college, saw
her one day, and they were married
in September That's the tabloid nov
clone swallow or water. and it's
gone
But those July days,
Let the exclamation point expound
for 1t, for | shall not. For particu-
lars YOU might read up on Romeo
and Juliet" and Abraham Lincoln's
thrilling sonnet about You can fool
some Of the people. etc, >" and Oar
wins works.
But one thing | must tell you
about. Both Of them were mad over
Omar Rubaiyat They knew every
verse of the old buffer by heart
not consecutively, but picking 'em
out here and there as you fork the
mushrooms in a fifty-cent stake a
ia Bordelaise Sullivan county is
fun of rocks and trees: and Jessie
used to sit on them. and-please be
good-used To sit on the rocks; and
Bob had a way of standing behind
her with his hands over her shout
ders holding her hands, and his face
close 20 hers, and they would re-
peat over and over their favorite
verses OF the old tent-mak er. They
saw only the poetry and philosophy
of the wonderful lines then-indeed.
they agreed that the wine oIas only
an image. and that what was meant
10 be celebrated was some divinity
or maybe Love OF Life. However,
al that time neither of them had
tasted the stuff that goes with a six
ty-cent table d'hote.
Where was l? Oh. they were mar
Tied and came TO New York. Bob
showed his college diploma. and ac-
cepted position filling inkstands in
a lawyers office at SIS a week. At
the end of TWO years he had worked
up to 500, ami gotten his first taste
of Bohemia-the kind that won t
stand the bor-- and formaldehyde
tests.
They had two rooms ard a little
kitchen. To Jess, accustomed to the
mild but beautiful SAVIOR of coun-
try town, the dreggy Bohemia was
sugar and spice. She hung fish seines
on the walls Of her rooms. and
bought a rakish-looking sideboard.
and learned to play the barjo. Twice
or thrice a week they dined at
French OF Italian tables d'hote in
a cloud Of smoke and brag and IN
shorn hair Jess learned to drink a