davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

~ frederick n. GRAY OF ST Louis
r. sat down upon a piece of chewing
gum on a seat in a church In Sc
dalia nine years ago, and by so doing
he won as his bride Miss Estelle Gran
ger, who chewed the gum. They were
married in ST Louis last week.
At the wedding feast that followed
the ceremony Mr.. Gray insisted that
each guest chew a large wad of gum
in honor OF the sticky mass that first
attached him to the chair and through
1t to Miss Granger.
Gray is a native of st. Louis, while
his bride was born and raised in Sc
dalia and was worshiper at the First
Methodist Episcopal Church of that city
when she chewed the gum that won her
husband. Only in those days she
never thought of such things as hus-
bands or love affairs except when she
read her fairy books.
1t so happened that nine years ago
last May Gray, then a young man OF
%, went to Sedalia on business, and,
following his regular plan, he attended
services at the First Methodist Church
in the morning. He admits himself that
he was a serious young man, and his
bride declares that he was the worst
stuck-up young man she ever saw In
her life.
At any rate. Mr.. Gray was ushered
into the pew in which little "Essie'
Granger was sitting with her mother
and father. Essie was then about II
years old, and when she saw the stuck
up" young man from st. Louis In the
pew she decided suddenly that he
should be more stuck up than ever
If she could accomplish 1t.
1t SO happened that Essie was chew
ing gum. surreptitiously and under the
cover of the hymnal, which she held
before her face while masticating ac-
lively SO that old Miss Harris in the
next pew could not see her and reach
over to tap her on the head with a
fan, as was her custom when Essie did
not comport herself properly in church.
This time Essie chewed with q ven-
geance and with a well defined plan
in her active little mind. She was pre-
pairing for the prayer which she knew
would precede the sermon-when very
body had to stand UP.
And, while she masticated champing-
ly, she kept her bright blue eyes hxed
with sort of fascinated stare upon the
light gray trousers that incased the
neither extremities OF Mr.. Gray.
During all this time Mr.. Gray re-
NAMED in serene inconsistencies or
the pretty little girl next to him. OF the
great liquid blue eyes and the mass or
rebellious blond curls. held partly with
in bounds by blue ribbons. Neither did
he notice that she was chewing en-
ergetically. but as If her jaws were
tired.
Then came the prayer-Vand every
body arose. Little Miss Granger was
late In arising and, as she stood up,
she carefully placed one hand on the
wooden seat of the pew. and when she
lifted the hand she left a huge and
enormously sticky bunch of chewing
gum on the seat.
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

among the exempts after I had ex-
plored Miss Libertys crown.
Imagine pitch-black hole measuring
1S5 steps from top to bottom, narrow
and without ventilation, and you get
more or less of an adequate idea Of
the ascent and descent to and from
Miss Libertys crown. The little iron
stairway by which one makes the trip
is not more than a foot and a half wide,
and takes a spiral upward turn at
every step in a way that Is decidedly
disconcerting to those who know the
meaning of seasickness. Some time
ago 1 found out after making the as
cent, the interior of the statue had been
dimly lighted by a few electric bulbs
placed at long intervals. But at pres
ent there are no lights, and the as
pirant to Libertys crown tolls upward
through a murky atmosphere eloquent
ly typical of the dark ages.
This total lack Of light, however
brings out conspicuously whatever
holes there are in the statue, made
from the rust that the utilftarians are
claiming Just now is attacking the out
er planes of bronze with deadly intent.
From what I saw estimated that
there are all the way from 500 to 1000
such holes In these bronze plates. They
do not appear to be more than mere
pinholes, but tho light shines through
them and they must undoubtedly mark
defects IN the construction. whether
from rust or other causes tho expert
metal worker can best determine.
There was rust also, unquestionably,
on the stairway and some of the In
terror structural work. rust that even a
tyro in metal lore could not fail to
discern, and whose presence added very
little to the feeling of>security of the
visitor mounting this bewildering
spiral.
It was odd to stumble into a solemn
visaged Chinaman at tho top OF the
stairs when the little room forming
the head of the statue>was reached. He
seemed to be a sort of guardian OF the
place, this Chinaman, ana inspected
every one who appeared above the dark
hole forming Miss Liberty's neck with
an unwinking scrutiny peculiar to the
Celestial alone. There were scarcely
any Americans present, however, In the
crowded room. and so the command
ing position Of the Chinaman seemed
not altogether Inappropriate for so
cosmopolitan a gathering. There we
ali swayed in the wind-for Miss Lib
erty appears to have column of loose
jointed vertebrae that admits of an
alarming degree of oscillation when the
weather is in termagant mood-repre-
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

sentatives of most OF the known races
of the earth, peering through the
bronze locks of the American goddess
above the smoke of the passing steam
ers to the group o. giant skyscrapers
marking the presence of the metropolis
in the distance.
In Miss Liberty's cerebral apartment
there was nothing to be seen of the
delicate green and yellow tracery that,
covers her robe and face as the latter
are viewed from the harbor. The hands
of the multitude who have visited tho
crownroom of this youthful royal per-
son during the twenty years of her
reign have worn smooth the brows that
project below the windows opening out
Of her diadem-and the only rust to
be seen here is that human rust, II one
might call 1T that, formed by the
myriad carvings Of the names and
Initials of the "illustrious obscure" Of
every tongue and nation to be found
in every square inch of available space
in Miss Liberty's skull and the curls
clustering upon her forehead. 1t is
not often one Is able thus TO see the
contents of the head OF fair maiden
who is still in her teens, and it is doubt
full IL the average run OF the sex at
any age preserves such a roster OF
many nationalities as are engraved In
the unfortunate tablets Of memory of
the f,rst lady OF the land.
The descent from this intellectual
eyrie through the black. sitting in
terror is, in way. more hair-lffting
than the ascent. One gains rather
sickening momentum going down the
narrow spiral steps that suggest the
possibilities of g sudden, desperate
plunge into the dark abyss below. And
such distractions as one finds upon
which to bark an unwary shin, to say
nothing Of the sudden collisions one Is
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

bound to have with various ascending
visitors!
Captain George c. Burnell, who Is at
the head of the army post on Bedloes
Island and has charge of the statue,
assured me that such baleful encoun-
ters as I thus experienced would not
occur after Miss Liberty's toilet. upon
which the men at his post are at pres
ent enga ged, is completed.
I'VE will put a sufficient number of
incandescent bulbs in the statue to
light every Granny of the interior" he
said, "and we will paint 1t throughout
light color. Then there will be an
elevator to the top Of the pedestal
not to the torch, as the newspapers an
nounced-and the whole place Will be
made more convenient and safer for
visitors than it has ever been. When
partment from the American statue
committee two years ago the statue
was badly in need OF repair, and 1T is
only now that sufficient amount of
money has been appropriated to put it
in fairly good order.
CAS- to painting the exterior of the
statue, 1 wish the newspapers had
never mentioned that. I am in receipt
of bushels of. letters on the subject. and
most Of them protest vigorously against
tho proposed plan. I can't say now
Just what we will do, but we will have
to do something"
Miss Liberty painted-or else Miss
Liberty a wrecked and shriveled old
womani
z Vandalism! Outrageous vandalism?
are the words Of one Of the best-known
authorities on bronze and copper in
New York.
And it is vandalism for which there
is no excuse from either utilitariar
or an artistic point OF Vew," he went on
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

do consider that the Statue of
Liberty is in danger? Not in the slight
est. The interior structural parts may
be in need of repair, but the statue
itself, the part seen from the harbor,
is in a good, or, rather, better condi-
ton than on the day when it was put
up. Rust? It can't rust! Copper
never rusts-and this is a copper
statue, not bronze. as is commonly sup
posed. BY actual experiment we are
certain that copper, or bronze, which
is 80 per cent copper. is the most dur
able OF metals known. History will
corroborate my statement, as you will
find If you examine the copper and
bronze objects thousands OF years old
on exhibition at the Metropolitan Mu-
scum of Art. These copper objects have
been coated by the same methods with
green tarnish that are in operation
on the Statue of Liberty, and IN all
meath this tarnish.
This green coating, with yellow and
whitish streaks, is simply an oxidation
peculiar to copper, bronze, or brass.
1t does not eat away the metal, as
happens in the case Of rust on iron.
Can it be taken off? Certainly, by pol
ishing or chemical treatment.
Now for the artistic side of the
question. You may be surprised to
know that for years we have been try
ing to initiate the color effect OF the
Statue of Liberty by artificial means in
our copper work. BY architects and
artists generally this color effect is
considered the type OF perfection for
this kind OF metal. I remember once
asking the late Stanford White how he
wished us to finish the decorative metal
work on a noted building that he was
putting up. Go down to Bedloes ISL
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

not appear at ease. Then. with the ex-
preston of an early Christian martyr.
Mr.. Gray settled back in the pew, closed
his lips, folded his arms and looked
straight at the pulpit. AS he did so he
heard a snicker and. turning his eyes.
hc observed Miss Granger, whose facial
expression was as beatific as that Of
small boy who has just inserted a pin
! into the person of another small boy
when the teacher wasn't looking.
Mr. Gray did not turn his head in that
direction again during the sermon-but
that one glimpse of her face so i'm
pressed IL upon his mind that the image
remained for nine years.
The scene at the close OF the sermon
was heartrending. and almost trousers
rending. Mr.. Gray finally got loose
the skirts Of his coat hid the square
| inch OF chewing gum-and he walked
out of the edihce with seeming dignity.
Miss Granger followed with a seraphic
/ grin upon her face-and a feeling OF
satisfaction IN her heart. She had
| taken down the stuck-up young man.
That seemingly was the end OF tho
story. Nobody thought of a sequel.
| Indeed the chewing gum incident was
erased almost from the memory OF all
concerned until one morning when Mr.
Gray, now q partner in the house he
represented on the road. climbed on
II
town, and after settling himself in his
seat looked up to see a beautiful young
woman IN the opposite seat grinning at
i him idiotically.
! He vows that before he realized who
i she was he reached under himself to
i make sure there was no chewing gum
on the seat. The girl b1ushed suddenly
and looked out of the window. Gray
blushed too and looked out OF his win
dow. A second later each looked side
ways at the other. their eyes met. and
both turned away blushing and smiling
Gray then moved over beside her,
! raised his hat and said:
II am glad to meet you again.
l have some of your property at home
mother has given them away.
He was seeking revenge.
For an instant Miss Granger tried TO
look indignant and. falling. laughed and
said. II knew you the moment I saw
4 you
"And you" he said-and they both
i laughed
You're not half as stuck up A. you
"I hope not say-was that why you
did itY'
"Yes-I was only a little girl-and
Il never have chewed gum since"
II Before they got downtown they were
great friends. Gray had learned that
Miss Granger was living with her
mother and sister IN the Forest Park
III district and had received permission TO
call. A month later their engagement
was announced and they were married
quietly at home.
Yet. strange to say, the bride declares
that If ever any child Of hers chews
gum she'll spank 1t. and the groom
agrees with her.
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

and he said. and study the Statue or
Liberty You will find IL the most
beautiful example OF metal colortng in
existence In the world today 1t is
needless to add that II there were any
danger to the metal IN obtaining this
color effect (Which we do by initiating
the process employed by nature through
chemical means), we would hardly
venture upon 1t. nor would architects
ask for IT. I can also say that II we
could reproduce exactly the exquisite
oxidation that is found only on the
Statue of Liberty It would be worth un-
told sums to US. But hitherto our best
efforts have fallen short OF the great
original
CAS- to the many small holes that you
find in the plates OF which the status
is composed. they are not formed by
rust. but were made in the original
casting. I remember noticing them
shortly after the statute was put up.
These holes do no harm. If the COP
per plates were fairly ridd1ed with
them the statue would not be in dan
ger Of falling, since It n entirely de-
pendent on the interior framework.
which IS OF iron. The latter may have
rusted somewhat. and IN that case
coat OF paint should undoubtedly be
given to it. The copper plates. you
see, are not more than about an eighth
of an inch thick. and so were never ex-
pected to support themselves. Hence
L.
IN danger OF falling because these cop-
per plates have become oxidized IN In
every respect ridiculous.
'Tt IS as disgracefuI an was the
doubling OF Lotta's fountain IN San
Francisco with cheap paint"-and
somehow agreed with him.
But Miss Liberty will be painted Just
the same.
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

10 DC EOOO
deal OF what might be called
unwritten history in this brief an
nouncement published in the papers
about a week ago. Who IS going to
paint Miss Liberty, and why? The
stately maiden Will not reach the age
OF twenty until this october-and the
gsyest OF her sex seldom resort to this
radical method for restoring a faded
cheek or a clouded brow until they fall
under the shadows OF something like
sixty, at least. But a girl Of twenty,
who psints-surely it must be the
pace that kills that this -buxom maiden
from France has been treading during
her brief career in the harbor Of New
York!
Despite the suggestion OF premature
decrepitude contained in the pigment
ary announcement, however, Miss Lib
erty still finds sufficient strength and
energy TO hold her daily public recep-
tlons, and resolved to seize the op-
portunity thus offered TO join the band
OF patriotic pilgrims and interview the
lady OF Uncle Sans choice on her de-
parted charms and the somewhat
shocking means that the said Uncle
sam threatens TO employ for her re-
5uvenation. In some respects the er-
rand might seem a bold one, but the
TACT that the lady in the case was un-
able to answer back, owing to a con-
genital weakness OF the vocal chords,
I found TO be entirely reassuring.
To the benchers who line the walks
of the Battery, Liberty looms up large
d. above the distant shores Of Jersey and
Staten Island, and the oft-repeated in
vitation OF the starter 10 take trip
TO the head of the Statue of Liberty
and back for % cents" never fails to
awaken an active curiosity and the
requisite number OF recruits. Thus 1T
is distinctively Battery crowd" that
one usually finds on the little steamer
IA gathering from many nations, b
which the uptown New Yorker Is cons
spicuous by his absence.
On this particular trip, strange to
state, discovered that two San Fran
ciscsns besides myself. together with a
number OF gaunt-looling tourists from
New England. a SCORE OF Italians.
Frenchmen. few Spaniards and one
stout naxen-haired swede, made thu
trip an exception 70 the general rule.
There is no doubt, as one OF the
Frenchmen said, that Miss Liberty,
when she left the hands of Bartholdi,
had quite different appearance from
what she has taken on now. I can
The San Francisco call., 1906-08-12

New York, Aug. 6, 1906.
HE Statue OF Liberty on Bed
loe's Island is TO be painted.
There seemed to be a good
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20

| This order includes every trainman
that goes out on Colorado road.
They have intimated that they must
have an eight-hour day and an increase
IN pay of Is per cent after the first of
the year.
The granting of the eight-hour day
by the railroads is looked upon as
the most revolutionary demand made
upon western railroads for years.
They are paid, usually. by the mile,
although passenger train brakemen
are paid by the day. The adoption of
the eight-horir rule would practically
revolutionize the present system of
railroading in the West.
So far as the increase in wages is
concerned, the railroads declare that
any such amount as that asked for by
the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen
is out of the question and that such
general increase would drive them in
to the hands of the receivers. They
declare that their operating expenses
are many times as great as those rail
roads operating on the prairie lines,
and yet the trainmen demand more
wages. For instance. the total ex-
pense of hauling on one of the mount
ain roads includes an item of 40 per
cent for "helper" engines in hauling
trains over the heavy grades. They
say it will be impossible to grant the
demands of the employees and run
their roads consistently.
At present most of the executive of
ficials of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen are in Texas, where they
are conducting strike on the Texas
roads, which is being waged for much
the same principles as those involved
in the Colorado difficulties. 1t is be-
lieved that these officials will come
to Colorado as soon as they complete
their work in the South.
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20
NEW SUGAR BEET RECORD
MADE IN LA PLATA COUNTY


The following is from the Denver
News and shows that our fame is
being heralded on the outside:
La Plata county comes to the front
with the record breaking bunch of
sugar beets. The largest weighs 2512
pounds, which exceeds by nearly sew
en- pounds any beet heretofore raised
in Colorado or any other state, so far
as recorded.
Wv. r. Armstrong, secretary of the
chamber of commerce of Durango
brought this and four other monster
beets to Denver yesterday and placed
them on exhibition at the headquar-
ters of the State Commercial associa-
ton. The five beets make total of
lis pounds weight, an average Of 20
pounds each. They are the product
OF Edward Fosters ranch, just south
Of Durango. Mr., Foster reports the
remarkable yield on one section OF
his property of ninety-two and one
halg tons of sugar beets to the acre.
~. d. Mitchell of Las Animas up to
this season held the record for the
largest beet grown. The weight OF
his beet was eighteen and three
quarters pounds"
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20
AFTER HIS SCALP.

Montrose Enterprise.
The Delta Commercial association
IL after L. VI. Gets, county commits
sioner. and has ordered an investi-
cation of the alleged mlscomings and
shortages of Gets. He is accused of
going to the state fair with state
exhibit, pocketing money from the
sale of fruit. drawing S. a day for
his services, appropriated premiums,
and even having his own feet fitted
with pair of shoes won by farm
er for display of fruit. Many more
evil deeds are laid at the door of this
chairman of the board of county com
missioners of Delta county, and he Is
asked to stand up and answer to rolI
call At last accounts he was still sit
ting on his easy chair.
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20
A SUGAR FACTORY.
Pennington Times-Hustler.

Pennington Times-Hustler.
1t is now definitely stated that n
sugar factory will be built at Durango
and will be in operation to use beets
raised next year. We believe this to
be a good thing for the whole coun-
try, for we feel satisfied it will lead
TO factory at Pennington as soon as
our railroad facilities will warrant
such an investment.
In order to help the matter to a
successful ending. some of the Farm
ington boosters pledged 500 acres for
this vicinity. This acreage had near
ly all been subscribed, but these men
pledged themselves to see that the
whole amount of 500 acres was COM
pleted. This put the pledges demand
ed by the company well over the line
and the factory construction will com
mence as soon as weather conditions
permit. This will be a great benefit
to Durango. and what helps her helps
us.
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20
MINES AND MILLS.

Silyerton Miner
Regular shipments from the Sunny
side are three carloads of concen-
trates per week
Animas Power juice resumed trans
mission over the lines of the com
pany Tuesday. Mining and milling
men are now happy.
The Ross Mining & Milling com
pany are working 65 men on their
Champion property on Sultan noun
tain. the daily output being from 25
TO 80 tons of smelling ore of an ex-
cellent grade.
Otto Johnson and G. X. Barton. who
are doing assessment on their Orion
group up Cement creek, have encoun-
tered a streak of quartz on one of the
claims three to four inches wide, well
mineralized in yellow copper.
Ludwig Vota, who is leasing on the
North Star, King Solomon mountain.
and has several sacks of high grade
ore ready for market, is contemplate
ing opening up the pack trail over the
"hogback' for future packing, this
trail being far less dangerous than
that leading from Cunningham gulch.
Weather conditions permitting, clear
ing the snow from the trail will begin
at once.
Fillmore Hand, having completed
the assessments on the Atlantic
Wave, on Brown mountain, and the
pstraight Away, on Anvil mountain,
departed for his ranch near Trimble
Springs Thursday. The former men
toned claim. as the result of 400
foot development tunnel, is showing
a streak of mineral carrying gold. sill
yer and copper, and the latter being a
crosscut being driven for blind lead,
Is said TO present excellent indications
for an early junction with the lead
The news that zinc smelter is to
be erected at Rico means not only
new life for that little city but for
the entire San Juan. One of the
greatest problems that the San Juan
miner has to solve has been the pres
ence of zinc in the ores, especially
those of low or medium grade. When
this problem is successfully solved,
as it doubtless will be by the capital
lists who are planning the immense
ismelting plant at Rico. it will mean
a happy day for scores of mine own
ers and prospectors,
Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-12-20
GAME wARpEn's REPORT.

Game Commissioner Woodard has
filed his annual report with the gov
ernor, from which we extract two par
agraphs, as follows, which will be of
interest to our readers:
THE total amount appropriated and
availible for the various branches of
the work for the years 1905 and 1906.
including the building and stocking
of new hatcheries in Grand county and
Garfield county was $57.7O0. of which
we have used s5O,7O9.09, leaving bal
ance of s6,99O.91. Total receipts of
the office for this period, S35,l15.67, of
which we have used s2O.S71.60, leav-
ing balance of s14.244.07. OF this
balance $11,27S.40 has been turned in
to the general fund of the state, and
we now have $2,965.67 on hand as re-
serve for paying game wardens, etc.
There are now six state fish hatch
cry buildings and equipments, valued
at $4,000 each, with a total an
nual output of six million young trout.
This work is carried on at an annual
cost of s12.500, which shows better
results than obtain in any state in the
Union for trout culture. The advanc-
es made in this branch of the states
| enterprise are so marked that they
| should be an incentive for the general
assembly to accord to fish culture as
liberal an appropriation as the bene
fits to be derived would warrant. as II
is not an established branch of the
states service"