davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
Fooled by CleyeIand,s Double.

A large man with an impassive face
and bearing striking resemblance to
an ex-president of the United States
walked into the Great Northern Hotel,
Chicago, Tuesday evening and regis
tered as follows on the hotel book:
Grover Cleveland, Princeton, N. j.
Two or three bell boys fell over
one another in an endeavor to pick up
the guests baggage and the clerk
smiled Hospitality and searched for his
best room. This was luxurious apart
ment with double bath. The guest
accepted it, took his key, and then,
turning to the register scratched of
his signature and wrote:
IF. L. MaeElroy, Lafayette, Ind"
Just bet" he explained to the
astonished clerk. Il manage to double
my salary this way. have tried it
successfully on every hotel from New
York to San Francisco. I'm travel
ling man."
Mr.. MacElroy occurred more modest
apartment, after which he went out to
collect bis bet.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

well sweep were used and the water
taken from the surface, no disagree
able features were noted. 1t was found
upon examination that the sink drain
which had been in use for generations
passed close to the well and a large
part of the drainage emptied into it.
This organic matter settled to the bot
tom of the well and became putrid.
|. Whenever the pump was used the
v alter containing this foul matter was
drawn from the lower part of the well,
while that obtained from the top by
means of the we'll sweep was above the
contamination and did not give evil
dence of disagreeable odor or taste,
although it contained in solution a
large amount of filthy matter The de-
plorable feature of this situation is
that it requires in the majority of
cases only the exercise Of common
sense in the selection of point at
which a safe well may be sunk.
The accompanying illustrations
show safe and unsafe we'll locations.
That showing the improper location is
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
Strong Light Injurious to Plants.

Strong light has been found in some
instances to hinder the growth of pol
len tubes of plants. This is thought
to be the reason why tomatoes and
cucumbers do not bear fruit in mid
summer in Arizona. Strong direct sun
light in summer also prevents the
plant leaves from assuming the usual
green color. Thus, strawberry plants
in Arizona are yellow for about three
months in summer even when grown
under shade of cheese cloth. When
grown on the north side Of dense
shade of sorghum or cotton the plants
remain green and dense all summer
and are probably the most vigorous
in the garden.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
FORCED AND uNfoRcEp RHuBARB

When thus grown in darkness the
leaf blade IS greatly reduced, the
green color is wholly absent, the tex.
ture is more crisp and delicate. due
to a lessened development of woody
fiber, the skin is much thinner than
when grown in light, the water con-
tent is increased to 10 per cent,
and the flavor is generally improved.
Rhubarb thus grown commands a
fancy price.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
Forcing Rhubarb.

Experiments have shown that the
most satisfactory results in .cultivating
rhubarb, are attained by growing the
roots from seed and forcing when the
plants are one year old Drying the
roots has been found to have the same
effect as freezing. Either drying or
freezing serves the same purpose as a
long rest, which is otherwise required,
and the product is more vigorous.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

cooperative efforts for the extermina.
ton of gophers over considerable area
are attempted, careful attention must
be given to waste lands along fences,
streams, public highways, and rail
roads. Such places are favorite haunts
of the animals, because in them are
found loose, sandy soil. moisture, and
succulent roots for food. 1t is from
such resorts that adjoining farms are
often restocked with pocket gophers.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Great herds of elephants range tn
Abyssinian country drained by tn
Upper Nile. Menelik, the King o.
Abyssinia, recently sent President
Roosevelt one of the longest elephant
tusks in existence.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

thoroughly typical of conditions which
may be found repeatedly in rural dis
tricts. II is probable that typhoid
fever will prevail in the country as
long as the habit is common of sinking
well in a convenient, rather than in
safe place.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

James Lick. founder of the great
Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton,
not far from San Jose, California, was
in early life poor Pennsylvania Dutch
piano-maker.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Because Of the growing scarcity Of
good match timber, matches are being
made In vast numbers Of paper rolled
spirally and dipped In wax or steaFine
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Blind horses never err in choosing
their diet when grazing. Their sense
Of smell guides them infallibly In the
selection OF food.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Making rag dolls is an industry in
which many women are employed. The
doll is popular with children and sells
well in department stores.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
TYPHOID FEVER on THE FARM
c. j. Blanchard, U. S. Geological
i Surua

c. j. Blanchard, U. S. Geological
Survey.
more than 40 per cent. Of the farm
wells so far examined in this State
have been found to be polluted" This
is significant statement made by the
director of a State Board of Health
laboratory, in which several thousand
well waters have been examined 1t
helps to explain why the death rate
from typhoid fever is greater in the
country than in the city.
1t is a popular notion of city folk
that a vacation in the country is a
safeguard against all the diseases to
which the flesh is heir; physicians
recognize this when they send their
patients away from the city. The
country life is unquestionably the ideal
one; the popular cry black to nature"
has large measure of justification,
yet there are thousands of people who
return from such an outing consumed
with typhoid fever Why should this
be true?
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

There are $1,000 colored school
teachers In the United States-7, 700
men and 1890 women.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

The caaba. or sacred stone Of Mecca,
is recovered every year with damash
sent by the Sultan or Khedive. A
single covering has, on occasion, cost
$4,000.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
HENS of Interest.

A man, to be perfectly proportional.
should weigh, stripped, 30 lbs. for
every foot of his height.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
DESTROYING GopHEpS.
Recommended by the Department Of Agriculture.
GUY ELLIOTT MITCHELL.

are active, all the animals should be
destroyed by the first application of
the poison.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
Typhoid an Index to Water Purity.

A century of experience has shown
that the typhoid rate in any place is
a good index of the purity of the water
supply at that place. Therefore. when
we find that the typhoid rate in the
country is higher in the aggregate than
in the city, it can be fairly assumed
that country water supplies are not as
safe as city supplies, and this in spite
of the fact that many of our city
waters are VIGOROUSLY bad The state
from which the above mentioned testi-
mony comes is typical one so far as
its proportion of rural pollution is con
cerned and that there is no reason to
believe that If the matter were investi-
gated in other states, the conditions
of farm wells would be in any degree
superior.
In connection with it's Investigations
Of the character of water supplies, the
United States Geological Survey has
noted repeatedly that typhoid fever is
continuously prevalent in many rural
sections. In some cases this condition
has been maintained for so many years
that it is accepted by the communities
as one of the ordinary incidents of life
and becomes a matter of general COM
ment only during periods Of especial
virulence. The facts are, that there
are comparatively few farm wells To-
Gated at points not subject to local
contamination.
Farmers Swear by Their Wells.
1t is commonly, observed that nearly
every farmer believes in the purity
OF his well water, especially if the
well has been in use for generations.
The fact that his grandfather believed
the water to be pure is sufficient evil
dence for him to defend the well, even
though his family be devastated by
typhoid fever 1t is sometimes the
case that a well is used even after its
taste and odor ought to be sufficient to
demonstrate that it is polluted. A
notable instance occurred not long
since, in which a certain farmer could
not use the water from his well if it
were drawn up by pump, but if
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23

Trapping is successful method
when followed intelligently and persist
emily. Tt is especially adapted to small
fields, orchards, and gardens, where
only few of the animals are present;
but in the case of large areas that are
badly infested, the method involves
too much labor.
For trapping, an ordinary No. o steel
trap may be employed but there are a
number of special gopher traps on the
market that are better adapted for
general use.
In using the ordinary steel trap, the
first step is to make an opening into
the main tunnel. The trap should then
be sunken so that the jaws are level
with the bottom of the runway and
lightly covered with green clover or
alfalfa or grass, or even loose soil, care
being taken that these do not clog
under the pan, or trigger. No bait is
required. The holes should be just
large enough to receive the trap and
should be covered so as almost to ex'
clude the light.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
Carbon Bisulphid.

Carbon bisulphid has been employed
for killing pocket gophers, and under
favorable conditions its use is recon-
mended. If the burrows are extensive
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-03-23
OPPORTUNITY THREE MONTHS FREE

how OPPORTUNITY for three months at Fill in
mail and will the next issue within
afw days you don't want after three months trial. just and it
will stopped without word
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
KEEP THE BEACHES CLEAN.
Or the National Government May See
That It is Done.

From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
According to an official statement just
made public. Secretary Taft holds the
opinion that the Jurisdiction of the gov
eminent can be extended at sea beyond
the three-mile limit In order to prevent
the dumping of the refuse of a great city
in waters so close to the shore land that
the tides will bring 1t to land again.
This is issue of Importance to numer
GUS summer resorts along the New Jersey
coast. and Mr. Taft's Interpretation of fed
eral power is said to have been in response
to a request by Senator Kean of that state.
AS a result of laziness Indifference on
the part of the men who handle the barges
which pass out to carrying the garbage
of New York the stuff for years has been
dumped only short distance outside the
harbor, where the winds and waves have
often distributed it along the bathing
beaches OF New Jersey. seriously Interior
ing with the enjoyment of multitudes of
bathers during the summer, and at times
even constituting a menace to health.
1t Is true that the national authorities
are invested with the right to compel the
loads of these barges to be taken SO far out
before they are dropped that there will be
no danger OF their returning, that preroga-
tive should be exercised whenever neces-
York Sofficials TO see that the garbage is
disposed of in such manner that 1t can
not become a nuisance. Failure on their
part to discourage this function ought to
be followed by prompt and efficient federal
action.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
The American Tourist.
Now Work. Even,nO Post

From the New York Evening Post.
Il might seem impossible to say too un-
kind things of certain type of Americans
who travel in Europe. They are the terror
and the shame of their rational compa-
tr.ots Thus an American artist sketching
at Heidelberg Castle was observed to
gather up his things hastily and flee. The
reason was the advent of a party of his
fellow-cltizens. the chief man of whom
was explaining to the guide that he had
money enough to buy up the whole
Schloss' IL he wanted to, and that If he
did he would certainly have 1t extensively
remodeled. We all must admit that the
name of this order of American tourist is
legion; and that he would have to be de-
scribed as were the African natives of
whose manners and customs q returning
traveller asked to give an account. His
reply was: They have no manners and
their customs are disgusting" These are
they who are just now finging about their
ostentatious money in such fashion that
Swiss hotelkeepers are organizing to resist
the invasion of the excessive and democrat
tzing American tip. 1t may freely be con-
ceded that too many of our countrymen
abroad give fresh point to the sweeping
assertion In Voltaires play
"L'Americain est un monstre savage"
STILL in these days of upholdng the dig
nifty of our nation in the ends of the earth
1t Is duty to rescue even the American
tourist from injustice. And there are signs
that he is exposed to 1t. His reputation
has been so bad that the attempt is often
made to render It worse by foisting all
kinds of imaginary absurdities upon him.
II any traveller in any land makes gross
blunder. or is guilty of vulgarity and out
rage, the offense Is incontinently laid upon
the broad back OF the American.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
Paupers' Beer.
From the London Chronicle.


The paupers' beer now In question at
Poplar would have raised no inquiry in
1870, when, in the hospital records of st.
Thomas, we read that lin consideration
OF the hote TYNE of the yere" the poor be
allowed every one a daye three pyntts OF
Bere for two months"-a quart at dinner
and a pint at supper-and at the end OF
two months return to there olde ORDINARY
allowance, wyche is one quartz" 1t must
be remembered that the hospital was
founded by Edward VI ten days before his
death. not only for the sick, but
also for the poor, fatherless, de-
crepit aged, infirm and fmpotent per-
sons" and therefore took the place OF the
modern workhouse, with sundry high aims
embodied In the words OF the royal letters
patent that children shall not lack good
education and instruction. nor after be des-
titute OF honest calings, nor the idle and
lazy vagabonds be without honest and
wholesome labor. which they shall be COM
PEELED to do.
The food at this ancient workhouse was
to be dealt with as literally as the drink
The almoner and steward were to bye no
byte but of the best, without bones and in
other to be bowght." Wages, however, were
strictly regulated, though 1t was agreed
that the hospitaler's salary should be aug
mented by twenty marks year. upon hys
good behaviour and according to the look
ing diligently to hys charge" The hos
pitaler, also. upon pain OF fine of ten
shillings, was to. take no more than three
shillings and threepence for any one burial.
This might have produced an inquiry, how
only 32d with a coffin. and god. without
one.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
The Dime and the IS Bill.
ew York Evening Post

From the New York Evening Post.
The Treasury Departments effort to meet
the unusual demand for IS bills, followed
as 1t Is by the announcement that there are
not enough dimes in circulation invites at
tention to these monetary denominations as
social Institutions THE merchant, the
manufacturer or the farmer spends now s.
where few years ago he would have spent
81 suggests the Chicago Tribune, to ex-
plain the So notes popularity. But that
reasoning. even IL partly correct. does not
explain the shortage of dimes.
The explanation is to be sought In more
subtle social forces. The dime problem and
the IS bill problem will be found, we think,
to have practically no factors In common.
For what, then, we spending our dimes.
for what our SIS bills? AS regards the first
question, one Immediately thinks of the
slow and impressive progress which the
smaller coins have made across the CONT
nent. The dime, of course. was once as
limited in its currency as the fishball, the
gypsy moth or the tamale. When Mark
Twain made his western trip, described in
"Roughing It," he found that each of the
smaller coins had 1t own territorial limits:
In the east in those days the smallest
moneyed denomination was penny, and 1t
represented the smallest purchasabe guam
tity of any commodity. West of Cincinnati
the smallest coin in use was the silver D.
cent piece, and no smaller quantity of an
article coulu be bought than IS cents
worth" In Overland City the lowest coin
appeared to be the 10-cent piece; but In
Salt Lake there did not seem to be any
money in circulation smaller than a quar-
ter, or any smaller quantity purchasable of
any commodity than % cents worth. We
had always been used to half dimes and 20
cents worth as the minimum of financial
negotiations; but in Salt Lake IL one wanted
cigar, it was a quarter; If he wanted
chalk pipe, It was a quarter; II he wanted
a peach, or candle, or newspaper, or a
shave or a little Gentle whisky, % cents
was the price every time.
Since that day, when the shoeblaek called
a nickel a "shfiveled quarter" the dime or
short Bit has made its way to the Pacific
coast become the minimum coin of general
circulation in the nineties, and has since
been cut under by and 1-cent pieces in fair
abundance. One-quarter of the country's
supply of dimes according to the Treasury
Departments statement are even now
locked up in the San Francisco SUBJ
treasury.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
DEARLY LOVE A LORD.
Why British Taxpayers Willingly Sup
port the Royal Family.
From the Reader.

From the Reader.
The presence of personal sovereign Is
the outward and visible sign that caste is
still supreme in the British empire. The
external abuses of the feudal system have
been abolished in Great Britain, ono by one
until those that still linger are almost
harmless; but the inner spirit survives to
this late day, and even now its manifesto
lions are abundant in almost every part of
the social structure of the British Isles.
There Is still alive the fiction that the king
rules, and that the army of the empire Is
his majesty's army. There Is still willing
acceptance of titled aristocracy, and also
of an upper house the vast majority of
whose members sit there by the right OF
birth only, without regard to their indiyid-
ual merits.
No doubt the British people could change
these things speedily and without violence
II they really desired to get rid OF this in
heritance from feudaiism But they have
not got rid of It. and this Is evidence
enough that they do not wish to do so.
The British see no reason to abolish state
of affairs which the American people look
at with amazed wonder as survival of the
dark ages. A native American finds II
wholly impossible to understand the mental
attitude of certain man of letters in Lon
don, who Justified his ingrained toryism by
the assertion that he simply would not be
ruled by his equals
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
SCOPE OF 8-HOUR LAW
DECISION RENDERED BY THE AT.
ToRNEY GENERAL.
Does Not Apply to Com
tracts on Naval Vessels and Quar-
termasters' Supplies for Army.

In an opinion addressed to the Secretary
decision to the Secretary of the Navy and
to the Secretary of War that the eight
hour law does not apply to the construction
of naval vessels by contract, nor to other
work that is done by private contract.
The so-called eight-hour law provides
that the service and employment of all la
borers and mechanics who are now or may
hereafter be employed by the government
of the United States of the District of Co
lumba, by any contractor or subcon-
tractor. upon any of the public works OF
the United States. or of the said District
of Columbia, is hereby limited and re-
stricted to eight hours of any one calen-
dar cay ."
1 nan opinion addressed to the Secretary
of the Navy. in response to an inquiry from
him. the Attorney General calls attention
to the case OF Carlson agt Stevens 16
U. s., sos wherein the Supreme Court
held that the title of a naval vessel under
construction does not vest in the govern
ment until all the conditions and covenants
or the contractor have been fulfilled. The
Attorney General then holds that the act
before mentioned, limiting the hours OF
labor upon public works of the United
States. does not apply to vessels under con-
structlon for the navy by contract with
builders at private establishments.
Aht opiHlou wa prepared ana signed Dy
Solicitor General Hoyt, and has been ap-
proved by Attorney General Moody and
has been delivered to the Secretary of the
Navy. a similar opinion has just been
given the Secretary of War to the effect
that the eight-hour law does not apply to
contractors furnishing the quartermaster' s
department with supplies
The Attorney General says: without
however, attempting authoritatiyely to de-
limit this subject. and say what things
are embraced in the term public works.
am very certain that vessels under con-
struction for the navy establishment are
not. either in common acceptation or within
legal intendments. The contracts affected
by the present inquiry all show that COM
plete title does not rest in the government
until conditions and covenants specified are
fulfilled
The uniform construction of the Navy
Department has been that neither the act
of 1872, nor the act of 1894. applies to con-
tracts for the construction of vessels Of
the navy. And finally, 1t seems that various
bills have been introduced in Congress
since 1892 to extend the eight-hour limita-
ton of work of laborers and mechanics to
the performance of all contracts entered
into by the government. but no such meas
ure has been enacted into law If that is
the proper policy of the government and
ought to be the law, 1t Is for Congress in
the exercise of its judgment and discretion
to so provide.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
Pledge.
4ondon Chronicle.

rom the London Chronicle.
Pledge" is the word that DR. Murray is
now engaged in tracking down for the pur-
poses of his monumental electromagnetic
pledge" in the pawnbroker's sense or the
teetotaller's either. but in its old-time con-
yivial signification-"Let me pledge you in
s. glass Of wine" Quotations of the word
In this sense are to be found in Shakes
peare and other old authors, and they go as
far back as 1o51. Most photographers are
content to accept the anti-poison or anti
assassination theory or tradition-that the
drlnker is safe for the time being-but DIR.
than this He viii not be satisfied until he
has historical evidence as TO the nature Of
the pledge and what the drinkers pledged
themselves TO.