davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Florida agriculturist., 1906-07-04

sledge he says. I'll show you milk
sOps that it can be done. and then I'll
fire every man of you He used to
be Il blacksmith himself.
"Well. instead of ten minutes he had
fired four men, not for being milksOps,
but because they laughed. I've got
naturally straight face, and that was
all that saved me. | was laughing
away inside fit to burst He was a
terrible hitter, and he was mad enough
to have STAYED in the side of a battle
ship, but he didn't come any nearer
cracking any of those shells than We
he could stand. Then he threw down
the sledge and marched off to the office
without word.
''He didn't get over it for a month.
Then a big, husky chap came out here
looking for ii job. McNichOl put him
at this. and when he gave it up, Nc
NichOl grinned and felt better. It's
been his joke ever since. He never
seems TO TIRE OF IT,
The smith might have gone on at
greater length. 1t was the noon hour:
he had just regaled himself on two
beefsteak sandwiches, an equilateral
triangle of pie, three doughnuts and a
cup of coffee. 1t amused him to dis
course about McNichOl.
But at this moment his eye fell on
the meager, shivering figure before
him, and he stopped his narrative alb
ruptly.
Come inside" he said Its much
too cool to be swapping lies here out
side'
He led the way to the door of the
shop. Beside the door, projecting from
the wall, was water-tap: beneath it
Il wooden bucket to catch the drip. 1t
was half-full of ice
The smith kicked it. ITS cold i'm
earnest when things freeze up like
that" he said.
Mr.. White drew his breath i'm Il
quick little gasp. Looking at him. the
smith saw his eyes alight with Xcite-
mente
Il know how to do it, he cried 81
know how to do it,
He ran back for the shell he had
hammered so vainly, held it under the
tap, and filled it full of water Then
carefully he balanced it beside the
bucket. so that the water could not
run out. 1T won't take long to freeze
on day like this he said.
The smith looked at him. for an in
stant. speechless. Then he caught him
by the arm and dragged him into the
smithy.
I'm blowed,' he murmured.
''BlOwedr' and then his naturally
straight face"' began to crack up i'm a
SMILE the smile widened to a grin. a
deep. subterranean chuckle welled up
louder and louder. until he shook and
beloved with laughter 1.-The old
man'H never get over this.'' he man
aged to gasp, between spasms. Hell
be madder'n when he bought EN-
Mr.. White holding his thin hands
over the dull red Goals in the forge.
The Florida agriculturist., 1906-07-04

lne olHeT dpplodtH- Ills eyes anu IL
good half of his attention seemed en-
gagged with some letters OH his desk
ANY sort of work; anything!'
"Anything means nothing" the pro
prietOr commented, trenchantly.
Haven't you found that out yet?
What's your name?"
''White. Alexander H. White
There's nothing for You in the
office. Are you big, strong man who
could be worth Il dollar a day as
Iaborer?''
'T'm stronger than l look
McNichOrs mouth twitched sidewise
in his beard ''Well, We'll see about
that he replied. He shot a glance at
the occupant of the next desk, who
smiled broadly. Then he turned quick
ly back to Mr.. White
did you notice a big pile of shells.
iron shells. under the shed in the yord?
want 'em broken up. If you're man
enough for the job it'll keep you busy
for two or three days. Go to the
blacksmith shop and get sledge.
They'll show you where the shells
are
As he finished. McNichOl lookd up
smiling openly. 1t was not exactly
the sort of a smile you might have
expected in the circumstances. 1t
I,n
of the other mans gratitude You
have seen such smile. perhaps over
a rather cruel practical joke. and you
might almost have supposed it was
some such thing he offered, instead of
a benevolent chance to earn a dollar
a day.
In the blacksmith shop the request
for Il sledge seemed to be familiar
one. a quick look of intelligence
passed between the smith and his
helper. The latter grinned a little,
but the older man looked grave.
Not that sledge, Jim!' he command
ed, sharply. 1.-The light one yonder.
It'll serve as well''-he smiled family
himself-"and | guess it's as heavy
rs our friend here is used to swinging.
Look alive now, and show him where
the shells are
As they went out he turned back to
his work. 1.-The black-hearted old ras-
calr' he muttered.
We'll" said the helper. when he had
returned to the anvil 'tMcNichOl may
see the joke to that, but / can't say i
do. 1t was different with the chap
we put at it yesterday, a big, two
fsted beggar like him! He banged
away like Il good one. and the things
he said were rich to. hear But this
little old gentleman-he's all scored
over. tapping away as if he was trying
to chop kindling with hatchet He
won't last more than ten minutes
The shell that Mr. White had begun
upon waS. except in point of size, like
all the others, hollow, cast-iron
sphere about eight inches in diameter.
with one small hole in it; the sort of
shell that in the old days was filled
with gunpOwder and fired out of a
smoOth-bOred cannon. 1T was empty
now of cOIIrSp and haa r.inU itS boIlovy
The Florida agriculturist., 1906-07-04

His first gentle taps merely glanced
off the rounded surface. When he
struck harder the shell lazily rolled
away He tried to hold it with his
foot. and narrowly escaped crushing
that member without damaging the
shell i'm the least. At last he settled it
into Il hole in the pavement that held
| it firmly, and struck with all his might
he tried one or two others from the
heap. Evidently they were all alike
He might reasonably have quit then,
well within the ten minutes the black
smiths helper had allowed him. He
had eXerted his utmost force, and ap-
parently if he had had twice as much
it would still be less than enough. But
he kept on striking labOriOusly, with
the blind patience of despair.
The noon whistle blew, and from
shop and foundry the men struggled
out toward the gate. Some stopped to
look and laugh. some flung out a jOcose
comment i'm passing, many did not
look at all. The spectacle was a IA
miliar one to them. Still the elderly
man swung the heavy sledge. when
he stopped there would be nothing to
do but take up again the dreary. hope
less search for work.
He turned about presently at a touch
on the elbow, and saw the smith stand
ing beside him.
ITS no use," he said. You may as
myself, and my big helper. can't either
We've tried again and again. for fun
1t looks easy. but it can't be done. If
you could get a crack at them from the
inside you might do something. but not
this way. Not in Il thousand years.
Mr.. White dropped the sledge. His
tired, hopeless eyes looked bewildered
''Then why did he set me TO work at
it?'' he asked
Just for a joke" said the smith.
He didn't really mean to give you a
job at all
Mr.. White said nothing. The smith
glanced at him, then looked away
hastily. you'll have to hear the
story" he said, leaning back against
the wall
You see. up to three years ago Nc
NichOl had never been done | guess.
so far as he knew. anyway. he'd got
the better of every man and every
trade he ever tackled. But at that
time he bought this lot of empty shells
at a condemnation sale at the arsenal.
He thought he had Il bargain. all right
1t was the kind of iron he wanted to
melt UP in his cupOla and pour for
castings, and he got it cheap, / sup
pose. So when they were dumped i'm
the yard here he ordered five or six
men to turn to and break them uD.
They have to be broken. you see, be
fore they can be put into the cupola
Well. not single shell did those six
men break in whole mornings work.
They didn't like to say so to the old
man, so they came to me- / abused
them little for lot of weaklings.
and went and tackled it myself. Itl
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04

he CAN VOTE-Subscriber. Mana.
Cal A boy born IN California OF either
japanese or Chinese parents can. on
reaching HIS majority. register and
vote lust the same as the son OF any
other alien parents
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
ONE BRIBE DESERVES ANOTHER.

THE advanced by Mr. Nye private secretary to
OF Senate constitutional amendment
10 80 do appear convincing rather it should be
that Mr.. Nye but side OF the
amendments which up Tuesday, pro-
for deposit of public funds banks giving security
paving The purpose to the
in circulation I'VE the average withdrawn from
up city and county treasures at
s2OOOOOO0
The necessary result Of this adopted will be to bring
the banks politics It forgotten that before the present
constitution the banks of California deep politics
they deposits of public But the strk
OF political banking given Pennsyvan under
Cay when the politicians looted the banks OF and
the got BY obbng treasury The disclosures
made national scandal.
very easy how the proposed amendment would work
Bankers holding public deposits would be called
contributions ANY officer OF bank who out OF its funds makes
guilty OF criminal The fact that 1t has
been made public ns under the law does affect this
Characterization The time viii shortly when such will
become criminal n the OF the law.
Such contributions the rule California before the
constitution adopted They the rule Pennsy
Quay and quite probably they the rule today with
national banks that United States deposares The objections
that urge against the apply with equal force
Federal system of loans o banks.
are persuaded that the banks holding United States deposits
makers o large contributions, and is
practice stopped Is essentially vicious and wholly
ng The OF the political banker One brbe
other"
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04

may consider public duties prefers
employ who identified with politics Considered wholly
of business it is admirable policy
Not all will submit this OF snbsidizing inmida
Occasionally goaded by conscience good cit
do attempt control delegate conventions through the
Their capture OF the may be easily effected
have been considered quite rival ticket supported
by three times that administration hencmen corpora
agents Federal strikers possibly the
other hand the machine find it nexpedent fight the
former the In that event the said citizen permitted
to his caucus according his will He elects his
neghbor equally good and equally enthusiastic reform
convention And incidentally instructs him
possibly candidates This done he wes with the pride
public duty we'll done and the the boss the
hands of his neghbor reform delegate.
The delegate manages pass committee
credentials which him the door OF the he
face face with the mysteries OF practical politics He finds
force whose only manifestation itself the ethng bewderng
He bound hand and foot by resolutions gagged
rule hepessy ad the raft marooned
him helpless unmouned political fate Of
the inside He surrounded by delegates
given worrying about the They
take orders and obey them. Finally this limb
graduated the interest he and the people he
taking party warmly thanked
nominating splendid winning ticket
stupid enough believe he has participated
his party but the great majority OF knows
entirely satisfied politics for him. He the organza-
ton numerically in the minority but he has acquired
touching nnorle which, not respect has the practical
He has lost his appetite the glorious struggle
boss He people responsible him subside
The nomination OF partisan candidates by direct primary
wolves committee credentials rule
trading delegation boss every qualified equal
chance express his will party gives expression
the unframed political trieke the weight given
expressed the patriot hire opens
unagged with the label special interests 1t
public responsible the public and to the
bosses. 1t is democratic. 1t is honest II is American.
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
NOVEMBER A, 1906
Development of East India by
a Great System of Railways.

Hnss both state and company. are en-
deayoring to increase the facility Tor
communication between passengers.
guards and drivers. which meets with
popular approval
The gross earnings OF all Indian
railways during the calendar year
1905 amounted in round figures TO
6 $4,000 an increase over the
previous year OF 1904 OF 5 6,699,O0O.
The net earnings for the year amounted
to s 71742. 900. which was nearly per
cent on the capital outlay.
The passenger traffic was greatly IN
creased by the visit 10 India OF ths
Prince and Princess OF Wales. which
drew thousands OF natives 10 railroad
points There was a noticeable In
crease in the number OF pilgrims. na-
tive marriage parties, visitors TO fairs.
etc. carried by railways. The total
number carried was 24S,O0O,0OO. the
s 42.OO9. .0OO.27. The number OF third
class passengers carried was 100000
and the earnings therefrOm 2,6OI,OO0-
The average rate charged TO passen'-
gers OF all classes was a triie more
than one fifth OF an English penny, or
s47 pies. or 0.42 Of a cent. and the
average distance travelled was forty
miles
The Northwestern (state) Railway
earned 20 per cent and the remainder
was earned principally BY the Great
Indian Peninsula. Rajputana-MalWa,
BengaI-NagpUr. and Bombay, Baroda
and Central Indian railways.
The goods carried during the year
were about 55.0O0.OOO tons. the receipts
for which were S8.11O.O02- This was
an increase gilmore than 100000 tons
1904 and an increase in receipts OF
S 3,333.O
The total weight OF the trafnc IN
grain and pulse. cotton, raw and manu-
featured. coal. oil seeds. sugar sals lS
and iute amounted to nearly 29.0O0,000
tons and the earnings therefrom 70
1OOO. 900 tons. The commodities enun-
was 3.333. 1000 and in freight over
1000. 900 tons hTe commodities enun-
Grated above comprised about 81 per
cent of the entire traff1c-
sAmOunts IN articles are stated IN rupees.
rupee being worth 32.4 cents 1he nrst sum.
for example. equals S396. 2o2. 752.
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
THE GRIP OF THE MACHINE.

1E practical politician patriot increasingly laors in the
party old because OF what ordinarily
quite easily distinguished by his arrogance by party
His impudence would be humorous did with
the ragdy OF public and party betrayal Attack the
the surface in OF its aggravatng
With insulting pausibli the leader will advise the
decent citizen that the ocaed better elements of society
ponbe for the corruption OF what he pleased the ounda-
representative govenmen-th
lie contends with that if decent satisfied with the
character and work OF those who willing their time and
work they have but the
their might send their kind party
Under the delegate system the has
permitted himself be driven position unlike the
foolish virgin But he ool enough believe
delegate conventions through the cacses he NAV be able 70 can
Confronted with the wholly undemocraic delegate
ion the good citizen surrend He politics. politicians
his mpoency then with all the grace possible takes his
He forced whom he would the
his spaniel much less his select his public servants
The subjugaton of the delegate convention
through entirely natural Inevitably selfish interests
tah themselves to the dominant Then further obedience
natures first law they srenuouy every to destroy
weaken that power The coalition OF the boss who
and the special eeis
tempered logical if
unho federation the rights OF the despod taxpayer
special interests b contributions to immense campaign funds
colonization Of employees and pollution
Of public information, put the boss the saddle Mounted
has the machinery OF government the peoples weapon
against them in the defense of the special patronage
on his freeboong stronghold.
The independent business the attempts
take the advance OF the professional politician purify politics
through control OF the startling revelations at
the Of his adventure In the parance paid patriot
ISM "a scare Is thrown into him In mysterious way
business informed that to be made
His stock may be subject figure more in pro
portion should properly bear Or f
susceptible warning conveyed To hin,
that policemen enthusiastic guarding the friends of the
administrations that the building inspector naugurate
reforms the OF sanitary employees He
discovers that laws affecting display signs awnings uurpaon
OF public property exist and might be enforced Petty ptiabc
but ineffective The private pockefbook sensitive
plant empoye employer that while it IS not
The desire Of the firm interfere with the fullest
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
Worlds Cereal Harvest of 1906
Will Break All Records.

year than last. From Russia reports
vary greatly. The winter wheat crop
has been officially reported TO be a good
one, while the more important. spring
wheat crop is a poor one in all but
few provinces. Owing to the wet
weather ard other causes. one of the
smallest crops OF recent years was ex-
pected Roumania is now expected to
produce a record wheat crop. and Ser
via and Bulgaria have good crops Of
wheat. The Canadian wheat harvest
on the whole will not prove a very
abundant one Even allowing for in
crease of area in the comparatively new
Canadian provinces il is doubtful
whether the production Will make up
for Ontario's deficiency as compared
with last years good crop. and possibly
the total will be less than that of 1905
In Australasia the crops. sovn under
favorable conditions generally. have
Yet to undergo taef hazards OF the
spring and summer seasons midas
wheat crop harvested last spring was
the greatest but one ever known.
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04

oNSUL GENERAL W. H. MI
CHAEL of Calcutta sends a re-
Y port on India's railroads 1t
indicates movement that
TO be alone in the great work of build
ing up the East. The report deals with
many important features of the Indian
railroad world.
At the end OF April 1906. the number
of miles of railroad in operation in In
dia was 2S,617. and the number under
construction and sanctioned was 3z9s-
The number of miles of standard gauge.
5 feet 6 inches, is 1899; miles of meter
gauge. feet "a inches, 12,OSS; miles
of feet 6 inches gauge, lO9t, ana
miles of feet gauge. 32S.
The outlay on construction, inciud-
ing miscellaneous items, is l.222.-
S4SOOO1O- The amount authorized TO
be expended for 19O6-7 is S $4,000, 900.
applied as follows: For open lines. in
Guiding 6 I2OOO.OOO for rolling stock,
S 2s.4ss,00e for lines under con-
struction begun prior 10 1866, H.
O4O. 900: begun during 1866. s 5.214.-
900; for lines to be begun in 1867,
100000. making grand total
of S $4,000, 900. This amounts TO an
increase of 20 per cent over the pre-
vious year.
In 1895 25s engines. $40 coaches and
1851 box cars or. as they are called in
India, wagons" were added TO the
rolling stock, and orders have been
made for the construction Of 511 en-
gines. 1928 coaches and 500 box cars
In addition TO this Al engines, IS
coaches and 224S cars have been
authorized since January 1, 1906
The number of engines that have
been supplied with automatic brakes
is 301s: coaches supplied. 11.201 (;
cars supplier. 37ss. elaving 27s9 en-
gines. 9O61 coaches and 107,226 cars
unsupplied. The number of coaches
and other cars fitted with gas is 97S2
and with electricity 64S-
There are 70 stations provided with
instruments for signaling trains au-
tomatically between stations and $50
stations are fitted with apparatus for
interlocking points and signals The
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
In the Joke World

We'll. just made six people happy"
declared the preacher
Quite coincidence" said the Judge.
80 did L"-courier Journal
Now. Johnny, use sinister in a
sentence.
yes. mum. Ter sin is ter do
wrong. Courier-Journal.
Lady Clerk (to managerl-f yoU
please, sir. I am in mourning, I have
no heart TO sell ball dresses.
Manager-Very well; just go over tG
the black Observation-Disclosures
Teacher Ito pupi)-The correct total
is 275 Now, I will prove it TO you
Lazy Pupil-Oh. please don't trouble
I haven't the slightest doubt you are
right--Ia Caricaturista.
Lady Ito station masterl-will you
have the kindness TO tell me when the
o'clock train goes?
Station Master-It goes at $3.50.
Lady-Oh. thanks so much. How
can l thank you'll RisO.
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
~ ONSUL WILLIAM H. HUNT OF
Tamatave advises that Perrier de
Ia Ratbfa has recently discovered

~ ONSUL WILLIAM H. HUNT OF
Tamatave advises that Perrier de
la Bathie has recently discovered
product which. by its chemical and
physical properties. might be classed
between wax and gum. and bids fair
to become a valuable commercial com
modify of Madagascar. Mr.. Hunt sends
the following description of the new
article from a Tamatave newspaper:
The process of extracting the wax is
simple. The natives. who gather the
rafa fiber, generally pitch their camp
in the neighborhood of a rafia grove. to
which they bring the leaves. The fiber
is taken of and the leaves are thrown
aside in large quantities. The wax is
collected as follows:
First. by beating the dry leaves on a
dry mat or cloth and gathering the
pellicIes and white powder which fall
from them. Then. after boiling these
pellicles and powder. the wax thus
formed is kneaded into cakes of any
form This wax. which is very pure.
will probably be more highly valued
than beeswax. although yet an entirely
new product. 1t first made its appear
ance in the market place at MarOvosy
In October last The curiosity of the
merchants of Majunga being reused.
they bought the whole lot at 90 cents
per pound and shipped it TO France in
order to ascertain its industrial and
commercial value. When the Governor
General OF Madagascar heard OF the
discovery he ordered a sample of twen-
ty-five pounds to be forwarded TO Dr.
Heckel director OF the Colonial Insti-
tute at MarseiI1es. who will make an
analysis.
"Dr. L.acaze. Mayor OF Majunga. fur
nishes the following Information in re-
gard to the substance:
"It is well to know what a rafa
leaf will produce in fiber and wax. the
chief products of this palm The fol-
lowing are the quantities obtained by
experimenting on ten rafia stalks of
three and half to four and half
yards long. ordinary dimensions. for
some leaves attain seven and eight
The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04
Wax Obtained From Palm Trees
on Island of Madagascar.

yards (the weight kilo being %
pounds):
Total weight Of ten leaves - 1o4. 500
Weight Of green dber skinned from 10 900
Weight Of same when dry and ready for =.
weight OF refuse Cean ribs excepted .. 40
weight OF SAM dried ..............-. 11-o00
WeISht 81 powder nnDrepsred .......-.. so
substance from ten leaves --.----- -I>H
Hence it appears that raha can yield
in wax theoretically some 16 per cent
OF the prepared hber. but the expert
ence OF a laboratory would not be the
criterion OF production in actual prac-
tice- The natives allow the leaves 70
remain on the ground TO dry. entailing
a loss according TO the inclemency OF
the weather or want Of care. Then. at
the moment when the leaves are
shaken or rubbed in order TO remove
the wax. this excessively fine. light
powder remains suspended in the at
mOsphere. and it is impossible TO col
lect il all with only a cotton sheet 70
can be said that the average produc-
tion OF wax would be about 100 grams
for every kilOgram OF fiber obtained
The labor OF gathering the leaves
can be reckoned a negligible quantity.
the wax Is not the primary product
taken from the tree. but a refuse prod
uct obtained from the leaves already
cut down for the prepa ration OF ra7a
hber- SuppOsing that rada wax turns
out TO have value about equal to
beeSwax; this means a yield OF wax
equal 70 three-hfth OF the value OF the
ra4a exported. Certainly a very VAL
liable new resource or produce which
the natives are likely 20 take 70. In
fact. the process implies no great din
cult innovation. being merely the utif-
izatiOn OF the refuse of an already
weli-established and remuRerative in
dustry.
Nothing Is vet decided as TO what
may be the possible use 10 which this
wax can be put IL might possibly be
utilized in the manufacture OF bottliuR
wax Its consistency has led some TO
think IL might be used for gramophonA
cylinders IN anN case. several com
mercial houses have sent home sam
pies TO their firms. and probably in a
short time we shall have reliable in
formation on its market value.