davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

for about So a month somewhere else.
I trailed one fellow that had 1T in for
to seven different locations and finally
cornered him out in the woods by
Ingleside. When / sent a deputy
sheriff with attachment papers on his
house he touched a spring and the
darGed thing snapped up into rusticl
bench. He sat there grinning at the
deputy, for, of course, an attachment
for house couldn't be levied on q,
piece of al fresco furniture"
The portable house is thing OF
beauty, but it comes so suddenly some
times that il brings the same feeling
as green lizards and frog-headedl
humming- birds. or. If you know noth-I
ing about them. as a ghost story in a
lonely wood. You gaze on vacant
spot from your window at breakfast
time and when you come home for din
ner there is a Notwithstanding
house smiling at YOU through it's sum-
mer colors and white columns.
The portable house is proving quite
valuable TO people who wish to spend
their summers at different places and
cannot own dozen houses. Such Al
year and in the mountains the next.
South America is Cne OF the best;
customers for the portable house com
panIes. In the~tropics light cool housesi
are desired and besides there is little,
skilled labor or any other kind that Isl
any good TO build houses.
great many ready-made structures
have been sent to the canal zone for,
the United States Government. Pre-
tentious dwellings are not wanted there,
and it is cheaper TO ship the ready
made house than to send lumber ands
build.
Hunters and campers sometimes pur-
chase q house 7X9. built expressly for
them 1t weighs but 500 pounds, can
be erected by two men in thirty min
utes and will accommodate four per-
sons. People who buy lots in summer
resorts are becoming good customers
for the portable houses.
One ambitious firm has contracted to
supply a pretty portable church TO al
congre cation that has only lease on
land. the price to be $4,000
Count Won WalderSee. the German
commander. carried dozen small port
able houses with him when he marched
with the relief column TO Peking
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

a mistake it were not to have made
up a game, or else put up more re-
liable player n Waters ag'in him, but
there want no boat leavin' that night.
an Joe Bassett fggered 1t out t more
n likely there'd be a game on the next
night.
There amt no yahoo like him 60
in to leave town 'th moren 5000 o
good Arkansas City money in his jeans,
he says, not while I'm Sheriff an
there's due process O. law to be took.
I'VE all knowed we'll enough t Bas-
sett cd be relied on, an word was sent
to Blaisdell to be on hand the next
night. Hankins was easy, an when he
showed up there was a game goin' on.
Winterbottom an Russell an Waters
an Biaisdell was playin' an when Bas-
sett an Hankins come in, this made 1t
six handed.
What they did to Hankins that night
was plenty He didn't play mines this
time. Feared like he were partial to
queens, an he sure held EN-. The
boys give him credit, later on. when it
was talked over, f'r bein' nigh about
as slick a dealer as had ever showed
up from outen town. Stood to reason
he knowed where them queens was,
holdin 'em IS often s he did, an as
many on 'em. but there want nobody
cd catch him doin' anythin crooked
"'Peared like his theory o the game
was t four queens was better'n three
kings and three aces, even when there
was pair with 'em, an there want
nobody at the table was likely to put
up much of argument agin that fr
good gen'ral rule. but Blaisdell was
called. them days the smoothest player
In Southern Arkansas, an when he seen
Hankins was playin' queens f'r favor
ties. 'peared like he took a sudden
fancy. like, fr kings.
Anyway, he left town tolable nigh
bankrupt. / loaned him his boat fare
sooner'n to have him stay here broke,
havin', o. course. no thought o. gettin
it. back. but inside of a month he sent
me the money There amt nothin'
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

nor a big harmful o. bran mash If
some d devote as much effort to culti-
vatin' inteIeek as they does to tobacco
they'd prosper better
As l was sayir'. afore there was Zip
Interruptions made,'s he went on, this
here Sile Hankins amt nothin' unusual
10 look at Mebbe you mought size him
up fr awk'ard, which he sure be, g
furss walkin' goes, but he Amt none
awk'ard when it comes to handlin'
things. l seen him handle a rousta bout
onct on the gangplank o. tn Robert E.
Lee, some like Bassett mought ha' did
it.
This here niger bumped into Sile
Hankins carelesslike an, didn't make
no start for TO 'pologize. Hankins just
looked at him one little minute an
then. when the Niger was walkin'
along. he just reached out one hand
'peared like he reached nigh about ten
foot-an' caught the nigger by the
back o. the neck. Then he drawed him
back'ards. not slow, but deliberate
like, till he got him nigh enough to bite
IL he'd "a been bitin' niggers Then
he grabbed him by the slack o. the
breeches with the. other hand an
heaved him up in the air like he'd been
baby an throwed him somepin' like
fifteen feet. sprawlin' in the river.
He en- handle cards. too, more'n re-
spectacle There's them has seen him
set in with some o. the slickest players
on the river an they say he don't lose
none TO speak OF. an gets his full share
O. the pots. special when 1t comes his
deal
Pears like a man like that had
ought for to be rich an respected.
Stands to reason he want borned 18th
no such gifts as them. They was cul-
tivated. An the fact o. him cultivatin'
of 'em showed he had moral character
II ever a man was marked out by a
overrulin' providence for to be success
full Sile Hankins was that man.
"On'y there was one thing 'peared to
stand in the way. If Siie Hankins had
been any ways determinations he
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

wrong about Hankins, on'y his bad
judgment t I'm tellin about.
You can't make him see it, though,
an that's some like providential. FIR
he blows in here torable regular about
oncet a year with his accumulated capi-
tai in tight wad. an oncet a year l
have to loan him his boat fare. /
reckon, if anybody was to figger 1t
out careful, Sile Hankins just about
supports three families o. native born
Arkansas City population, year in an
year out.
There were times when old man
Greenhut's talk seemed almost prophe-
tic No no else in the room had re-
membered that 1t was about time for
Hankins' annual appearance, but being
reminded of 1t the gentlemen assem-
bled In the little saloon on the levee
were only mildly surprised when as the
old man ceased speaking the door
opened and Hankins and Joe BasSett
walked in.
Well" said the Ozark man, after he
had observed the customary formality
and Greenhut was putting away the
bottles and glasses-'Well, I've come
back to have another try at you fellers.
You sure has done me good an proper
afore now, but there's al'ays things to
be learned, in draw poker. an 1 m alays
a-learnin' of 'em the best | can. Mebbe
I might swat you once some o these
times"
1t was a straightforward, manly
speech, of the sort to be appreciated
by the men who heard it, and 1t was
therefore with friendly understand
ing and the utmost good will that four
citizens sat down with the stranger to
separate him from his money If pos
sible He sat between Bassett and
winterbottom, with Blaisdell on Win
terbottom's left and Pearsall in the
seat beyond
For the first part of the game it
seemed likely that the house contin-
gent would have no greater difficulty
than usual. Hankins appeared to cher
ish his somewhat childish confidence
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08
WHEN THE OTHER MAN HOLDS FOUR KINGS

''One O the most amazing things in
this world o. merracIes." said old man
Greenhut, lis the way some men is mis-
guided. Catch a full house, they will,
on the draw, when the dealer, as is
knowed to be sldllful. has took one card,
an they'll raise an raise like they
thought there want nothin' in the
deck TO beat a full. O. course. a full
house is a good thing to have at the
proper time. but 'taint no manner O.
use when 'tother man has fours
There's yap I'm tn Ozarks I blows
in here about oncet a year. as is a
bright an shinin' specimen o. this
p'tic'lar sort O. chump Pears like he's
nigh about due TO show up again.
First of there amt nothin' p'cooliar
about Sile Hankins, which is this yap
I'm talkin' about Just a big, spraw-
liz. rawboned gazabo. such as they
grows up in tn Ozarks. long o. the
trees n rocks bein' so big t small
man wouldn't stand no show gettin'
after the game. They tell me they use
tn old six foot rifles up there yet, beIn'
as they reckon a short one won't carry.
Similar they breed six foot men an
sorae over, f fear smaller ones d come
Ahort."
That same bein' common sense" said
Jake Winterbottom. solemnly. 'If a
man was 10 be less'n six foot he'd
nachully come short"
old man Greenhut glowered at the
man who had ventured to interrupt
him. After an impressive pause he said
severely: There Is them as comes short
IN more n statue. AS the Good Book
says. Better small spoonful O. brains
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

wouldn't "a had no trouble about that
but he was one o. them I / was talkin
about, t don't pear to reco'nize t q
flush is almighty proposition one
time. an another time 'tain't no good
on earth.
since he blowed in here to Arkansas
City first Off He were some awk' arder
an more ongainly-fike them days nor
he is now, which is sayin' considerable
"Howbe, that's what Sile Hankins
just was. There hadn't nobody heer'd
O. him then more'n to know t he were
a settin hisself up to know some about
draw poker. 'Peared like most any
one o. the boys cd trim him easy
enough, an there didn't pear to be nc
call for to git up a full game. Sc
Bill Waters he said he reckoned he
mought commodate the stranger with
a freeze If he was reely blue
mouldin' f'r play.
Well Hankins, he spoke easy an
pleasant, an he says a freeze-out'n do
to Kill time. so him an Waters set in.
Waters were a good average player
them days. He want no such expert
as he come to be later on, but there
want nobody here I thought FIR a
minute but what he cd get away with
any such proposition s. Hankins looked
to be.
They played TT meDDe half hour,
an then they come out O. the back
room together, an il were Hankins I
called FIR the drinks. Waters stood by
an said nothin', an when Hankins had
set 'em up a couple o. times an went
out he KEEP on sayin' nothin' an look
in sort o. 'shamed.
When / seen he want goin' to
speak l asst him what the matter was.
an he cussed a little, sort O. discour-
aged like, an he says. That yap amt
no such greenhorn as he looks He
win over three hundred. an / reckon
he'd "a win more II I'd had It with me.
He en- hold more nine spots an more
frequent n any player l ever see'
I'VE all see plain enough then what
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

! funbled it. They had never seen him
do such a thing before. but they all saw
distinctly that tine bottom card was the
seven of spades, and this. coupled with
the fact that he had been playing
sevens left no doubt in their minds that
he would have four sevens after the
draw. More than that it gave them the
opportunity of convicting him of crook
ed dealing in case il should seem to be
worth while to do so.
1t was BlaisdelPs first CALL and he
took two cards. If anybody had been
watching all that occurred under the
table just then he would have seen
that Winterbottom was proffering a
king and Pearsall an ace to the man
who presumably wanted "a fourth of
some high denomination. When Win
terbottom showed down his hand to-
prove that he had openers there was
no king among the five cards.
Bassett stood pat and Henkins took
two cards, but, looking as closely asl
they did. no one at the table could seeI
that he took one from the bottom.
II was Blaisdelrs bet and he threw
in a white chip. Bassett raised II a
hundred. and Hankins, with confident
smile. raised it $500.
That put il up to BlaisdelI and asl
he had four kings he laid his wad in
the pot. Bassett covered 1t after count
ing and finding that Blaisdell had
raised it 5000. so Hankins had still an
other chance.
How much have you got?' he de-
manded. and Bassett. counting his re-
naming money, announced that he
still had $500.
"I'H tap you." said Hankins. and he
put up the money. As BaSsett had four
tens he felt that he could do no less
than call. but Hankins showed down
the trey TO the seven in diamonds.
After the game had broken up. old
man Greenhut said: This here yap FIN
tn Ozarks don't pear to be tn only
inspired idjit round here Z fails TO
understand how worthless good things
is when there's better"
The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08

What would have resulted had San
Francisco been built OF portable houses
at the time of the big fire?
Perhaps the only change in the city
in that event would have been the
. shifting Of the site a little farther
west and the bafied fire would have
been hunting around the lower district
4 for something to set its red fangs into
The citizens of the portable town that
might have been would simply have
thrown their domiciles over their backs
and hiked for the park and the beach
like. so many tortoises and resembling
in the aggregate the army that
marched from Birnam Wood.
The question Of what might have
(sppened in San Francisco when the
IRE came had the city been one of port
able houses is aroused by the fact that
the collapsible building is making its
appearance here now. Right on the
heels Of the conhagration it has made
its way across States and rivers and a
continent and settled down comfortably
10 be a part OF the great upbuilding g
scheme. Besides this it is becoming
such a general factor in building all
over the country that the time has ar
rived when ii must be recognized. The
flippant can no longer look with dis
dsin on one OF these magnified umbrel-
las that can cover whole families and
house emporiums OF trade and say
''chicken-coop." The portable house
has won its spurs. Longfellow might
say today. Fold their portable houses
like the refugees and hike for the
dunes" II only the meter were right.
OF the number Of these buildings that
have come to this city since the fire
some have been sent all the way from
Canads-one OF the finest samples can
be seen at the corner OF Van Ness ave
nue. and EDDY street. Graceful in out
line. cleaning white with the new coat
OF paint that sadly enough will soon
lose its CLINT under tae dust that is
flying. il throws back its answer of
airy elegance to those who would sneer
at it's kind as a .fiimsy shack" 1t has
q roomy interior. ornamental roof and.
IN front. comfortable porch with
Eraceful white pillars. after the South
Srh style. 1t is one of those that
crossed the continent from Canada. and
while hammers were ringing out their
deafening din and the saws were rip
ping lumber to pieces IN a staccato
tnat set the nerves buzzing. ii quietly
and gracefully took its place on the
corner assigned much after the fashion
in which the lswn-clad summer girl
sinks into rustic seat TO enjoy love
story. When a burly brick or stone
structure comes along 10 occupy the
site this refined Canadian visitor will
draw itself together, like the others of
its kind. and float over to some other
spot where il may be useful and orna-
mental It is a most accommodating
sort Of a building-always ready to
undertake journey. IT is the rover of
the domicile family.
The portable house helped San Fran
cisco to grow in 1S4s. II is helping ii
% grow now, but there is evolution Of
al things. and the building that is de-
lVered in sections TO be put together
just as dresses are mailed in pieces to
women who have time to do their own
sewing has kept pace with the devel-
opment Of other American institutions
AS the old road engine has grown into
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20
NEW BOOKS RECEIVED

The Wheel Of Life. BY Ellen Glasgow, author
of ..Tbe Deliverance,' etc. New York: Double
day. Page & Co. $3.50.
The United States In the Twentieth Century.
nv pierre Leroy-Beau1ieu. Authorized transla-
tion by H. Addington Bruce. New York: Funk
& Wagnalls Co. So net.
Minna, Wife Of the Young Rabbi. By Wflhel-
nina Wfttigschlager. Drawings by W. Herbert
Dunton. New York: Consolidated Booksellers.
william T. Sherman. BY Edward Robins. In
the American Crisis Biographies Philadelphia:
George W. Jacobs & Co.
David G. Farragut. By John Randolph Spears.
In the American Crisis Biographies. Philadel-
phia George w. Jacobs & Co.
Letters and Addresses Of Thomas Jefferson.
Edited by William B. Parker and Jonas Yfles,
Columbia university, University of Missouri.
New York: Unit Book Publishing Co. Sc cents
net.
Illustrated BY John Rae. New York: Dodd
Mead & Co. $50.
A Maker Of History. BY e. Phillips Open
helm. Illustrated by Fred Pegram. Boston;
little Brown Co. $50.
The Menace Of Privilege, study of the dam
gers to the republic from the existence OF
favored class By Henry George. Jr New
York: The Macmillan Co. $50 net.
The Heart of Lady Anne. BY Agnes ana
Egerton Castle. illustrations in color by Ethel
Franklin Belts Decorations by Frederick Gar
rison Hall. New York: Frederick A. Stokes
Co. $50.
The Prairie and the Sea. By VIM. A. Qusyis.
Cincinnati: Jennings & Graham.
Poems of Orion 7. Dozier. including "A Gal
axy of Southern Heroes" and other poems OF Tor.
mer publications. The Neale Publishing o.
New York.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20
DepeW's Vindicatiol1.

The failure Of the New York senate
to ask Senator Depew to resign is
counted as vindication Of the senator
and his friends are said to be greatly
elated. The New York Evening Post
however, puts some vinegar in the
sugar by calling attention to the kind
of speeches which were made in the
course of the Hvindication. Senator
Cassiday wound up an appeal for
mercy with the words, Deal gently
with the erring as God hath dealt with
thee.'' Senator Malby described De-
pew as g already wounded and under
the laws Of war entitled to the hospital
and the nurse rather than the knife Of
the assassin - Senator John Raines
exclaimed fervidly, II am sorry for
Depew''
When the vote was taken all the re-
pubEcans, except Brackett, the author
Of the resolution, voted against it.
Whether the senators voted "noO be
cause Of grief, or sympathy or because
they believed Depew innocent cannot
be told, except that 1t is significant
that not one senator who spoke as well
as voted said Depew was innocent. No.
body declared he had been maligned OF
misrepresented. Nobody denied the
charges against him. The verdict
was proven but not guilty. = This il
the New York version Of the Scotch
verdict of guilty, but not proven. De
pew is said to be troubled with apha
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20
Giving Tillman Rope.

Some significance has been attributed
to the fact that no republican senator
arose to defend the president from the
assault of Mllman Of South. Carolina.
"Spooner and Hale. who had been ex-
peeted to reply, kept silent, and even
Senator Lodge, the reputed special
friend Of the president, was not heard
from.' 9,ss
It would be stretch of imagination
to believe that these men were silent
because they enjoyed Tillman's OUT
break. The more probable explanation
is that the senators have tired Of an
swering Tillman. knowing that he is
person without reason, who never
knows when he has been sat down
upon. Nothing would have given him
greater pleasure than controversy and
it is to the credit of the senate that
his purpose was defeated. Senator Hale
challenged him to the proof Of his
charges and invited him to ask for a
committee, and when Tillman had been
cornered so that he must ask for a
committee, the senate by an almost
unanimous vote refused it, thus show
ing it's appreciation Of Tillman.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20
LITERARY NOTES

Francis Wilson. the well-known actor,
knew Joseph Jefferson for many years,
and was a member OF the famous all-star
cast that played 1.-THE Rivals" He kept
a careful record Of Jefferson's table talk
on all sorts of subjects, particularly art
and literature. Mr.. Wilson has written
these "reminiscences in a most charming
way and they will appear in Scribners
Magazine, with an Illustration Of great
interest, from the personal collection Of
Mr.. Wilson and other friends of Jefferson.
The first article will be in the February
number.
An important volume In the realm Of
economies and sociology by Sidney A.
Reeve, under the title Of 1.-THE Cost Of
Competition" will be issued by Mcclure
Phillips at once. Mr.. Reeve makes
searching inquiry into the evils which re-
suit from the predominance In our life
of commercial ideals. His argument
tends towards an advocacy Of social
istic state. Mr.. Reeve ranges with Ed
ward Bellamy and his school, but differs
from them in many important and vital
points.
Alphonse Daudets 'L'Arlesienne" CThe
| Girl Of Arles) has been issued In handy
| volume form, bound in limp red leather,
by the II. NJ. Caldwell Co. OF New YORK
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20

extremist. AS remedy for the dangers
of great fortunes, Mr.. London suggests
"the application of the law of emf
nent domain to the land, and the max
ing and applying Of a, similar lay y to
the machinery sThe result he
adds, 'twould be the collective own
ership Of all land and all machinery;
and then there would be no disparity. of
wealth. ~ Mr.. London elsewhere has
expressed himself with a certain com.
placency toward extreme measures.
This and his view that a billion-dollar
fortune in the hands of one man con-
stitutes ga menace as colossal as the
sum Of dollars makes particularly pat
Frank Wings caricature of sEJack Lon
don, Socialist in His Great Leveling
Down Act.
The February Cosmopolitan contains
an unusual amount of "timely' read
ing as well as fiction and verse.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-20
Minneapolis in the Clearings
Column, !.

The figures for the past year, show
ing the total volume of business as ex-f
pressed by bank clearings, are now at
hand. Few changes of Importance are
found in the relative rank Of the larger
cities Minneapolis holds her position
as twelfth on the list. but is giving
New Orleans close run for eleventh
place, and, if the ratio Of increase be
maintained, will probably move up an
other notch in the next annual re-
port. In 1904, with clearings of $843,-
100000, Minneapolis stood $127,000,000
under New Orleans. For 1905, with
1913 1000, 900, she stands only $4,000
900 under.
There is NO probability that any city
ranking under Minneapolis will climb
up to overtake her. The nearest COM
petitor is Cleveland. In 1904 Cleveland
was $149, 100000 under Minneapolis,
and for 1905 stands $139, 100000 under.
Louisville comes next, with clearings
for 1904 Of $685., 100000 less than Min
neapolis and for 1905, $31s,0oO,000 less.
Thus, with reference to cities below her,
Minneapolis is holding her own, or pull
ing away and widening the distance,
while with reference to cities in a high
er place, she is creeping up steadily.
| It is interesting to note the passing
from time to time Of cities formerly
high UP on the list, into positions lower
/ down. Thus, Cincinnati is again on
l 4 y ~ J. -. n . I. f.a
the decline, Baltimore passing her to
4 eighth place. Milwaukee goes down
from sixteenth to eighteenth place, and
Los Angeles moves up from nineteenth
4 to sixteenth. Denver, Seattle, Tacoma
. and Spokane move up. Portland, Ore,
shows good gain in figures, altho re-
tanning her old position of twenty-sec.
ond. The same western growth i
shown above the boundary line, where
] Winnipeg, in third place, shows a splen,