davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

True, I had refused very positively
to pay the confederates $12 q Dozen
for their eggs. / was doing business
for the government the same as
would for myself, accounting faithful
ly for every cent and not helping GU,
enemies. Arriving at our hOspita.
boat, ordered the firemen to fire up
and we started up the river. Wher
we came to Cairo I got on an Illinois
Central train and went to Blooming
ton, Ill. There found a man who had
Is barrels of fresh eggs packed in oats
for 371z cents per dozen, and when
said I would pay him the cash and
take all of them he looked at me fair
ly wild. as he supposed l only wanted
a barrel or two. / ordered them SEM
to Mound City, Ill. and when they
came 1 had a small basketful SEN
over to Admiral Porter with my com
pliments and price. On this same triI
up on Sunday, May 90, 1864, we came
to Island No. 35, which belonged tt
10 and Jefferson Davis. about 800
acres. 1t was overlooked by the rivei
when high. We stopped here and le
all go on shore that could be spared
from the sick. We always had eigh
of the Sisters of Charity with us al
nurses. They had not been on shore
for some time. At Jeff's residence
Aunt Betty, as they called her, Jeff':
old housemaid, was making greaI
fuss about two rebs, as SHE
called them, who had just been there
and took Massa Jeff's silverware
Questioning her which direction they
had gone, she pointed to the upper
end of the island. Taking four mef
with me who were armed, we ran tt
our boat, and could see them starting
across the river in a skiff- We go
down our cutter, and started after
them. AS we came near them they
dropped their oars and took up theiI
guns. AS we could show five to theil
two they went at their oars again
We pulled by the side of them ant
they surrendered. Taking their arms
and oars from them, we lowed then
to the hospital boat, and turned the
prisoners over to the captain.
asked him what should be done will
the silverware. He said it was toe
small matter to turn over to the
government; to divide it among our
selves. 1t consisted of one dozer
knives and forks, one dozen table
spoons, one dozen dessert spoons ane
one and half dozen teaspoons
They were white metal, or German
silver, triple-plated. 1 divided then
into five piles as near as 1 could,
taking one part and bought the shares
of three others, so I got four-fifths o.
them, but the fourth man said his wife
would rather have them than a quar-
ter-section of land. Aunt Betty saiC
she was with Massa jeff when he
bought them in Paris, France; thai
she had made three trips with him
across the ocean, and that he hae
been working up this war for Il
years, and that some of the great mer
would come and talk all night with
him in his room at the hotel in Paris
Aunt Betty we brought away with US
to cook for the feet surgeon. This
silverware 1 have yet in fair condition
but in order to keep them from the
thieves have to keep it locked in
safety vault in the city. So you car
see Ben Butler did not get all the
spoons, if he did report me to Ad
mira1 Porter.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
FL Caney's Hero.

The heart of the soldier will warm
to the proposal that comes from Ha-
vana to erect monument to the mem.
DRY of the Spanish commander at Ell
Caney in the Spanish-American war.
Presumably the memorial will be
placed on the field of that sanguinary
fight, though, perhaps, plaza in
Santiago or Havana may be thought
more impressive show spot Ell
Caney was the Saragossa of the cam
paign that resulted in the conquest of
Cuba There Gen. Vera del Rey, with
less than 1000 under his command, IL
Illustrated the soldierly stuff that CEN
turtles ago made the Spanish infantry
the finest in the world. Against the
stone fort and b1ockhouses 5000
American troops Numbered for nine
hours By that time Del Rey, his
brother, two of his sons and more
than half his force were killed or
wounded 1t was bloody days work
and none appreciated the bravery and
sacrifice of the Spaniards so well as
Lawton, Chaffee, Ludlow and their
men, who pounded them into sub
Observation-Disclosures Journal
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
Misdirected Enterprise.

Even in the country of hustle the
hustler occasionally turns up a little
late in the game.
Recently, says the New York Sun.
Prof Edmund Burke, of the college Of
the city of New York, received a let
ter from a press-clipping bureau.
The letter informed the professor
that his patronage was desired, and
that as a sample of the bureaus work
he would find enclosed a clipping
from a speech by President Roosevelt
in which he had quoted the professors
words
Prof Burke read the clipping near
ly through before he realized that the
president was quoting from Edmund
Burke's Speech on Cancellation with
the American Colonies" in 1775-
Youths Companion.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
JOSBPH B.RA-NSDELL.

est outlay for artificial improvement
of the Mississippi would be neces-
sary. The distance bekween those two
cheering feats will have to be &C
complished within that territory. If
a stable channel of IA feet can be
maintained in that stretch engineers
declare that the seaboard will no
longer terminate at the Mississippi
delta, but will actually stretch 1000
miles inland to the shore of Lake
Michigan.
Unreasonable good, it is confident
1y asserted by champions of the Mis-
sissippi valley ocean highway, will
come from the establishment of a
14-foot channel between Chicago and
the Gulf of Mexico. The annual value
of the internal commerce of the United
States is s22, 100000 This is the
amount fixed by statisticians of the
yearly value of the International COM
merce of the world. 1t is confidently
asserted that with the 14-foot water
highway through the length of the
Mississippi valley the internal COM
merce of the United States would be
immensely increased. Hundreds of
millions of dollars worth of materials,
it is declared, now go to waste in the
great middle west because of the ina
bility of the railway systems of the
country to transport them. The con-
gestion, it is pointed out, on the au-
thority of such experts as James ].
Hill and E. H Hartman is becoming
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
Maintaining Discipline.

1t is evident, by an anecdote taken
from the London Mirror, that there
are some persons who regard dis
cipline as an end and not as means
Not even the seed of characterization
had a chance under the eye of Sergt
Day
."Tention." he cried to his squad.
Quick march. Left WHEEL Haiti
Take Murphy's name for talking in
the ranks"
But he wasn't talking" protested q
corporal. who was standing near.
Wasn't he?" roared Sergt Day.
Then cross 1t out and put him in the
guardroom for deceivjne me-"
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

size of a half dollar, and will be
worn suspended from the neck be-
meath the clothing On the tag will
appear the name, rank, company, regi-
ment or corps of the wearer, and it is
ordered that when not worn as direct
ed, it shall be regarded as part of the
uniform, and be habitually in the pos
session of the owner
While this Identification tag would
OF course be more especially valuable
in time of war, 1t is thought that it
win also serve good purposes in time
of peace, in the event Of accidents.
etc
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

On the plea
of self-defence
merchants and
of the Middle
West have CIV
en- impetus to
a movement
for a great in
land waterway
system that
promises to re-
main in the
forefront of
national af-
fairs for years
to come. Prac-
tically every
section of the
country not &C
tually within
the seabOard
zone has TAX
en- up the agi-
tation for a
great inland
waterway and
is likely to
continue the
oomnai0n until
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

earth and rock excavation to the Des-
PLANES river. 1t continues along the
waterway for eight miles. In order to
make the drainage canal a CONNER
cial waterway capable of floating YES
sells of large tonnage the engineers
of the project expended $1S,0OO,000
more than would have been necessary
for sanitary purposes only. The canal
would have met all of the drainage
and natural watershed necessities at
considerably less depth than the %
feet at which it was carried out. The
objective of the creators of the canal
was not only to dispose of Chicago's
sewage by diverting it from Lake
Michigan, where it threatened con-
tamination of the city water supply,
but the establishment of a navigab1e
waterway from the lake to the Mis-
sissippi via the Illinois river.
1t is from Lake Joliet that the next
step in the great lake to Gulf high
way is expected to be taken. The ter
ritory between Joliet and Grafton,
above ST. Louis, has been closely sur
veyed and series of pools or artificial
lakes has been mapped out to mark
the levels along what is projected as
the beginning of the great Fourteen
feet through the valley" water course.
The first level will be the section be-
tween Joliet and Utica, distance of
81 miles, with fall of Sc feet. In this
defiance it is estimated that three
pools, dams or locks will be necessary
and that a 14-foot waterway easily
can be maintained with a width of
800 feet.
Between Utica and the mouth of the
Illinois river, where it empties into the
Mississippi river, at Grafton, is 227
miles. The bed of the Illinois
river along this distance is
between six hundred and nine hundred
feet wide. Along the route the federal
government has already completed
several locks and dams. To secure
14-foot depth here hydraulic dredging
averaging seven feet will be neces-
sary. This will necessitate the exca>
walton of 1OO,000,00O cubic yards of
soft earth, the estimated cost of which
has been fixed by engineers at ST.
100000.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
To Identify the Dead.

An army general order has recent
1y been issued, stating that in the
future all officers and enlisted men
will wear whenever in field uniform
an Identification tag, which will be is
sued by the quartermaster's depart
ment, at cost price to officers, and
without charge to men.
This tag is aluminium, about the
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

of grain could not be moved last year
because of the railway congestion, and
the west suffered a coal famine be-
cause cars were not available and the
limit of transportation had been
reached in other ways.
James ]. Hill has pointed out that
not only has the limit been reached in
the movement of freight, but even
be supplied, there is now and is bound
to be for years to come a dearth of
terminal facilities Mr.. Hill has esti-
mated that the cost of constructing
sufficient railway lines to meet the i'm
mediate demands for moving the com
merce of the country would require an
outlay of $4,000, 100000 This esti-
mate, he declares, gives little or no
consideration to the future. Mr.. Har-
riman a short time since announced
that in order to meet transportation
requirements the gauge of the railways
of the country and the rolling stock
would have to be doubled.
Some time ago." Mr.. Hill said, Il
asked a real estate man what it would
cost to get tier of blocks, one of the
narrowest, from the Harlem river to
Thirty-third street, New York. He
$3.50, 100000 would not buy it. That
means that for terminals alone it
would cost s165, 700 a mile for every
mile from Chicago to New York be-
fore the line was built. The railroads
can't pay rent on such high-priced
terminal property.
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

Railroads Reach Limit.
During the last decade the internal
commerce of the United States has in
creased more than 100 per cent, while
the railroad transportation facilities
have increased only 25 per cent, and
are now practically at standstill-
All of the railroad transportation ex-
perts admit that the big transconti-
mental lines are being worked to their
fullest capacity Millions of bushels
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

SO deep produces a waterway of i'm
mense breadth with uncertain depth
at low water
The low water season, when the riv-
er depth is frequently less than II
feet, averages 40 days yearly in the
district between ST. Louis and Cairo.
The alluyia1 deposits incident to the
flood overf1ows must, of course, be
taken into consideration in any scheme
for the curbing of the Mississippi's
width that has the maintenance of an
all the year round deep channel as
it's objective Saving banks and extern
sive levee construction must be under
taken, it is conceded, in such a way
as not to deprive the bottom of the
enormous wealth of alluvial deposits
following floods.
To Keep the Course.
1t is the working out of a system of
retaining banks that will not affect the
wealth of the Mississippi valley coun-
try and at the same time regulate to
a certainty the all the year round
channel depth of the river that pre-
sents the greatest problem in the
working out of the 14-foot channel
proposition. Of course, a maintained
depth of IA feet will demand less
width in the river in the vicinity of
the bottom and will probably produce
changes in slopes requiring great
corrective work
Mr.. Cooley estimates that a rs per
cent. increment to the Mississippi
flow is possible by using the entire
volume of water that can come
through the Chicago canal. He esti-
mates a like Increment by the es-
tablishment of comprehensive reser-
voirs on the upper Mississippi. This
would make a 12-foot minimum chan
mel during the period of low water
and give the waterway a depth of
from Is to 10 feet under normal con-
ditions. From the Red river to the
mouth of the Mississippi. a distance
of 800 miles, the Gulf level is main
tanned. 1t is between the Red river
and the Ohio, at Cairo, that the great
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23
Matter Is Urgent.

Matter Is Urgent.
"This matter of TRANSPORTATION is a
most urgent one. People think there
is no limit to what the railroads can
do. There is a very present limit to
many railroads in the volume of bust
ness we have to do. 1t takes money to
run railroads There is a want Of
money in every center. Where the
business has grown the fastest there
the want is greatest Traffic is grow
ing five times as fast as railroad mile
age. We might as well put railroad
improvement out of the question"
Hundreds of millions of dollars, it is
admitted, would be saved annually by
the substitution of water transporta-
ton for the present railroad transpor-
tation between the central west and
the seashore. Statistics gathered
from all quarters of the United States
demonstrate that water carriage OF
freight costs less than one-s1xth that
for railroad transportation. The latest
schedules place the freight charge
bushel of wheat from Chicago to New
York at 1920 cents, as against 5.51
cents by lake and canal. The cost
from ST. Louis to New Orleans by
river is 4.25 cents, as against 11-6
cents by rail between ST. Louis and
New York
Despite this very great difference in
cost the tonnage of the Mississippi
from ST. Louis to it's mouth has stead
lily decreased since 1880. In that year
the number of vessels arriving there
was 1892 The total tonnage, receipts
and shipments amounted to $3.50, 525.
In 1890 the number of vessels arriving
was 3,201, and the tonnage was 1,2S1,-
It's. In 1900 the number of vessels
fell to 2,217 and the tonnage to S12,-
1S5. At the present time St Louis
Mississippi tonnage is only 100000.
While the argument is made by the
champions of the inland waterway
project that river regulation is rate
regulation and that the improvement
of the great waterways of the coun-
try will do more to regulate freight
charges than all the interstate COM
merce laws that can be enacted, prac-
ltical railroad men declare that fur
Their lowering of railroad freight rates
is really impracticable. They point
out that with the great rail systems OF
the country operating to their fullest
capacity they are earning only fair
return on the capital invested. Fur
Their reduction in railroad charges they
maintain, cannot be made while the
outlay for maintenance and operation
remains at the present figure
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-23

greater every year without prospect
of increasing railroad facilities to any
considerable extent
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
FRESH CLEWS
AID DETECTIVES
Police Confident They Soon Can Ar
rest Thieves Who Stole silver
Service at Christ
Church

With several fresh clews. the detec-
tives detailed on the robbery Of Christ
church are hard on the trail of the
thieves and are confident Of soon maxi
ing an arrest.
The burglary is said by the police
to be one of the most daring committed
In months. 1t was evidently committed
by cool old hands at the business, as
the work shows great daring combined
with cautiousness, with few clews left
behind
Rev. Baker p Lee thinks some one
acquainted with the interior of the
church committed the robbery, but this
theory is not agreed in by the police,
as they think 1t was committed by men
who expected to make a large haul of
silver plate and money and were prob
ably disappointed with the compara-
lively small proceeds of their daring
work.
The silver fasques belonging to the
communion service are the most valu-
able things missing, both from senti-
mental and pecuniary reasons.
DR.. Lee is very glad the gold cross
worn by him during services was over
looked the thieves. "It was, Of
course, hidden in a secret place." said
he last night, but they evidently came
near finding it. despite this fact, and
1t seems very strange they did not"
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
SON WEDS A WIDOW,
FATHER HFR DAUGHTER
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SONOMA, S. D., ApIl 2J.-A wedding
at which a man aged 90 married a girl
of 20, and his son, aged 98, married her
mother, aged "A, has been celebrated at
the Barrett ranch.
Richard Ellsworth and his son, Keene
Ellsworth, lived on ranch adjoining
that on which Mrs. Emma e. Barrett
and her daughter, Jennie, made their
home.
The elder Ellsworth drove frequently
to the Barrett ranch to spend an even
ing and so did his son.
1t was supposed by most of their
neighbors that the father was going to
pay court TO Mrs. Barrett and that the
son was going to pay court to the
daughter.
The father and son and the mother
and daughter did not have any such de-
lusion, however.
Richard Ellsworth was courting Miss
Barrett and Keene Ellsworth was
courting Mrs. Barrett. and after the en-
gagement of the two couples was an
nounced to their friends and the ar
rangements for the celebration Of the
nuptials came up for discussion they de-
cided to have a double wedding and
take a wedding journey together
Immediately after the wedding the
father and son started for the south
with their brides for months stay.
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
PROMINENT ELK WILL
OPEN BIG CARNIVAL
Special to The Herald.

LONG BEACH, April 25.-Official in-
formation was received here today that
Judge Henry z. Melvin, grand exalted
ruler of the Elks and one of the best
known Elks in the United States, will
open the Elks' carnival here next Mon
day night. The local Elks are con-
sequently jubilant. Judge Melvin will
deliver an address and remain for the
grand opening ball.
AS a result of the work of the dec
Grating committee of the local lodge
and the assistance of the society wo-
men of the town the main floor of
the Auditorium has already been
transformed into a bower of beauty.
Booths have been built under the gal
lery around the big hall and these
have been draped in purple and white.
Extensive decorating has been done on
the buildings of the First National
bank and the National bank of Long
Beach, and Pine avenue is expected
to be decked with the royal colors for
several blocks back from the ocean
front.
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
BROKEN RAILS
ARE NUMEROUS
New York state Railroad Commission
to Make investigation, Bellev-
ing Wrecks Are Caused
by Poor steel
By Associated Press.

by Associated tTeSS
ALBANY. N. Y, April 25-Broker
rails removed from railroad tracks in
this state during January, February
and March Of this year were much
more numerous than in the correspond.
ing three months of either of the past
two years. according to a bulletin is
sued today by the state railroad COM
mission.
The unusual number of broken rails
reported during the past winter. the
bulletin says, caused the investigation
at this time, and the board finds dur
ing the three months ending March
81, 1907. there was a total of 3014 break
ages on principal steam lines of the
state; during the corresponding three
months of 1906 there was a total of
S26 and during the corresponding three
months of 1905 a total of 1881.
THE matter in detail has been pre-
sented to the American Railway as
sociation, which is now holding its
convention in Chicago, and it has re-
quested that the matter be taken up
for discussion and action by the rail-
road managers.
1T is probable that the convention
will go into the cause of the greatly
increased number of breakages and
that the matter will be discussed as
to cause and a conference arranged
with rail manufacturers with a view
to discovering If the alarming number
of breakages Is due to method of man
ufacture or metal composition"
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
STUDENT IN 2 MONTHS VIGIL
TO LEARN SCIENCES SECRET
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
BALTIMORE, Md, April 25.-Over
two months of constant vigil, with his
only rest being taken in half-hour
maps, is the task which William w.
Strong has set himself in the interest
of science.
Strong, who is a graduate student
In physics at Johns Hopkins university,
is engaged in the study of the ioniza-
ton of air, a study that promises
to throw much light on existing prob
lens of physical chemistry as well as
those of pure physics.
He is working with large and intri-
cate apparatus, and is obliged to take
readings every thirty minutes. For
some two months or more now Mr..
Strong has been sitting by the appara-
tus, leaving only long cough to eat.
Even at night the apparatus must be
read and watched, and accordingly
Strong has been taking cat maps be-
side the apparatus, accompanied by
an energetic alarm clock that tolls the
unwelcome half hours.
The long vigils are now nearing their
end, however, and the watcher by night
will be amply repaid by valuable re-
suits that have been obtained. The
results of the work, it is said, will be
of much value in bringing about the
solution of present problems of ioniza-
ton.
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-26
IOWA WELL 1E11 FEET DEEP
Took More Than Year to Dig and
viii Supply Water for
TnAMn
Special to The Herald.

EOpSCldl " LuC A1SA oAN'
DES MONIES, April 25.-This week
sees the completion Of the big deep well
which is to be the source of supply for
the new waterworks Of Belle Plaine.
More than year has been consumed
in drilling and casing 1t, and an abun-
dance of pure water has been found
at a depth of 1911 feet.
Analysis by the chemist of the state
university has shown a minimum of
mineral solids, and, coming from such
depths, the water is free from i'm
purities.
The chief source Of difficulty which
the engineers encountered in sinking
the well was the natural artesian vein
which underlies the town. 1t will be
remembered by many on account Of
the big Jumbo well which attracted
so much attention some fifteen years
ago.
Progress through this vein was ex-
tremely slow, for every precaution had
to be used in order to prevent recur-
renee of the disaster which caused the
Jumbo" to break forth.
The mains and hydrants for the new
system were installed last season, and
in a short time the citizens expect to
avail themselves of this important
utility.