davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

"hard times are coming;" business has
been too good to last;" such a boom
of prosperity cannot possibly hold out.
If the entire press of the country
had refused to pass along the pessi-
mistic note, and had assured the peo-
pie that there was no cause for alarm,
that the panic was mainly a men
tai one, the public confidence would
not have been shaken to any great
extent.
As matter of fact the actual
condition of our great nation was
never better than it is today. There
are no real hard times among us,
and there are not going to be any.
just as quickly as public confidence
is restored everything will go on as
before
How little we realize how much
the general mental attitude of bust
ness men has to do with good times
and hard times. Prosperity is in the
air when everybody has confidence
When there is no doubt or uncertain
ty in the public faith, times are good
But let the least doubt creep into the
minds of few prominent business
men; let a few noted fnanciers pro-
phesy that hard times are upon u.s.,
let but the mists of doubt cloud the
public confidence, and everything be-
gins to tighten up.
Business rests so largely upon con-
fidence that anything, which disturbs
it effects the market and business
generally very quickly. Every little
while there is a run on a bank,
which proves to be perfectly solid,
just because rumor was set afloat
that it was shaky. Business houses
have sometimes come to grief in a
similar way. A rumor without a
particle of foundation might cause
a run on the Bank of England.
Unfavorable rumors spread much
more rapidly than favorable news,
and they keep increasing in volume
like snowball-adding little to and
embellishing what it has received.
1t is a strange property of human
nature which likes to exaggerate i'll
news, a persons or a firms misfor-
tune
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

said, Don't stop me, 1 am going to
shoot myself As he put the revolver
to his head l shut my eyes and was
nearly deafened by the report that
followed My husband jumped up,
wide awake at once, with cry of
who fired?' and l opened my eyes,
expecting to see a CHASTITY heap on the
floor.
''To my amazement, the room was
empty-there was no stain on the mat
ting and no sign of the tragedy that
had just taken place in front of me.
My husband said that he had been
Weakened out of sound sleep by the
noise of the shot, and when | told him
what l had seen we searched the house,
together Neither the punkah coolie.
who was sleeping in the veranda, nor
the servants, whose houses were close
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
ADVERTISED LETTERS.

Advertised list for week ending Dec.
20, 1907:
Mrs. Cora Anderson.
Ferd L. Bulkeley.
Mr. and Mrs. j. G.. F. Collins.
ID. j. Dean.
Rose Gugan.
w. Z. Hall (agent), Mrs. Tilla
Hanson, Mrs. Margaret Hill, Miss
Louise Holub.
A. S. Jacobson, Mr.. Vet Johnson.
Mr.. Girven Kelly.
Lettie Lundy.
Mr.. Mike Mallory, Myrtle McInnin,
Mrs. Clarence G. Mcdonald, G. l.. Mil
ton.
Mary Nelson.
John O.. Olson, Miss Olson (trimmer).
G. G. Payne.
Louise Smith, Jessie NJ Smith (Care
of Z. G.. SMITH.
F. War;
In calling for the above letters please
say advertised" and name the day OF
this list. One cent extra will be chargs
ed for each advertised letter. Letters re-
naming unclaimed at the expiration of
Is days from date will be sent to the
dead letter office.
A, j. VEIGEL, Postmaster.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
AGAIN THE PARCELS POST.

Professor Gasink of the high school
faculty read paper before the Mems
club of the Baptist church last Tues
day evening on the operation of the
parcels post in foreign countries. He
took the ground that the system is
one of the conveniences of advanced
industrial progress which it is hard
to see why we of all nations should be
denied. In most advances of this sort our
nation has been in the front rank.
There should be some very good rea-
son why we should be behind in this
one.
Mr.. Gasink went on to show that
so far as experience of other nations
goes the effort has been attended with
success; that conditions in this coun-
try are such that the nation can es-
tablish such a system with the fair
assurance, that it will be self-support-
ing; and that any objections to it must
be found in its relation to the retail
trade and express companies.
Japan though much younger nation
than the United States, is considerably
in advance of us in matters of public
control of great natural monopolies.
The same conditions holds with regard
to the parcels post. Articles to q
maximum weight of little over twelve
pounds may be sent by post. The
charge for such a package, the maxi
mum size is twenty-five cents. Pack
ages weighing up to one and ne-half
pounds may be sent for five cents.
When we realize that the charge with
us is siXty-four cents for four pounds
we can appreciate the difference with
them, the charge is five cents for one
and one-half pounds. With us the
same package would be sent for TWEEN
ty-four cents nearly five times as
much.
When John Wanamaker tried to get
the system established in the United
States he found that the express com.
panies were the strongest obstacles to
contend against. These corporations
are doing their level best to block the
way now. Mr.. Gasink produced a lot
of statistics showing the relative
cost of sending articles through the
mails in foreign countries and the Uni
ted States, and they clearly demon
strate that the foreigners have al
advantage over the people in thi:
country in this particular feature.
An interesting fact brought out il
the rapidity of the parcels post service
in England. An experiment clearl!
showed that the people could be bette
served by the postal service. One hund
red parcels were sent by post to diff
ferent addresses and the same mum
Der of parcels sent by express. Seven
ty-one of those sent by post reached
their destinations first. That such
system is not impossible in the Uni
ted States is proved by the contract
which has been made between tn,
American Express company and TIT
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
500 REWARD, 500.

The readers of this paper will be pleas
ed to learn that there is at least one
dreaded disease that science has been
able to cure in all its stages, and that is
Cztarrh. Halls Catarrh Cure is the only
positive cure now known to the medical
fraternity. Catarrh being constitution
al disease requires constitutional treat
ment Halls Catarrh Cure is taken in
ternally, acting directly upon the blood
and mucous surfaces of the system,
thereby destroying the foundation of the
disease. and giving the patient strength
by building up the constitution and as
sisting nature in doing it's work. The
proprietors have so much faith in it's
curative powers that they offer One Hun
dred Dollars for any case that it fails to
cure. Send for list of testimonials.
Address F. J. CHENEY Sc CO., Toledo,
Ohio
Sold by all druggists 75c.
Take Halls Family Pills for constipa-
ton.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
TAKE THE OPTIMISTIC VIEW

Good times depend not only upon
the great laws of supply and de-
mand, but also upon the maintain
ance of public confidence, says Sue
cess Magazine. The moment business
men get scared and people begin to
talk hard times distrust spreads like
wildfire. Level headed men say they
see no real cause for alarm, but at
the same time the perpetual sugges-
ton which is being passed along in
fuences them, and they grow more
/ cautious. Bankers see no break
ers ahead, yet they think that they
should be conservative, and they
begin to call in their loans, which
are not quite so gilt edge as before.
They are also more careful about
accommodating their borrowing Gus
toners, so that they may be
little better prepared in case any
thing adverse should happen.
These precautions spread. Dis
trust, fear, anxiety, and a feeling
of uncertainty, like the rising tide
of gossip, sweep like wildfre all
over the country. Soon everybody
is talking hard times; all are in
fluenced by the contagion of the
perpetual fear of suggestion. eau
tious men think, perhaps, they have
been spreading out little too
much, and they begin to retrench,
discharge help, and to cut down
salary and expenses generally.
Mercantile houses, manufacturers, rail
roads, and other concerns stop extern
sions and improvements and take in
sail until all danger is past
AS consequence public confidence
is shaken, and there is a general stran-
gulation of business all over the coun-
try. Important contracts, the cree
ton of large buildings, and other i'm
provements are called off. There is
a marked decline in business transac-
tions of all kinds. Nobody has conf
dence to branch out, everybody is hedg-
ing
Such condition of things began with
the recent investigation and prosecu-
tion of certain great combinations of
capital. After the investigations these
great concerns began to retrench and
when the whole country caught the
spirit of caution stocks began to drop,
and the first we knew there was a sort
of mental business panic condition
wholly uncalled for, unwarranted. Crop
prospects were most promising and the
Tcountry at large was in superb con-
dition. The panic was mainly mental
: caused by fear and anxiety resulting
from lack of confidence, and general
distrust of the future.
There is no real condition in this
country today to produce hard times
! no warrant for them but the peoples
: talk. When people are scared money
is always tight. 1t was right in the
midst of the most prosperous times we
! ever had that men began to whisper
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

Senator Nelson has reintroduced his
bill, which he had in the last congress,
authorizing national banks to loan
money upon farm mortgage security.
This bill was considered by the COM
mittee on finance in the last congress,
but an adverse report was made upon
it by Secretary Shaw, which action
induced the finance committee to re-
fuse further consideration of the meas
ure. Senator Nelson will introduce the
bill this year in modified form,
extending the authorization to all ma
tional banks instead of limiting such
authority to the smaller banks of the
interior. His measure will leave the
question as to the amount of loans
to be made upon farm mortgage Sc
curity to the discretion of the con-
troller of the currency.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
A, j. VEIGEL, Postmaster,

The right of the commissioner of
Indian affairs to contract with sec
Indians was affirmed by the district
of Columbia court of appeals on
test case brought by the Indian rights
association to restrain the govern
ment from having the Sioux of the
Rosebud Agency reservation of South
Dakota educated by the Catholic mis-
sion boarding school maintained on
the reservation.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
MINNESOTA FOR ROOSEVELT.

Theodore Roosevelt is the choice of
the Minnesota republicans for the
presidential nomination in 1908. The
Minneapolis Journal took a poll of
republicans in every county in the
state with the following result:
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

Mr. Mcconnell made reouisition
for $50 for laboratory supplies, and it
was referred to the committee on
schools and text books with power
to act.
The board voted to take a member
ship in the associated school boards,
which entities it to send delegates to
the convention of the associated school
boards, which it has already voted to
do, to be held at the time of the
meeting of the Minnesota Educational
association.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
Exhibit of Sewing.

Mrs. Koke presented exhibits of sew
ing done by the seventh grade girls in
all of the schools, and explained the
work The exhibit is most interest
ing, and shows the wonderful inter
est taken in sewing by the girls and
the remarkable progress that they
have made. Pretty aprons, shop
ping bags, and what not that
is familiar to the feminine eve
were shown, and later the public will
have a chance to see and Judge for
itself of the work done, for a public
exhibit is planned.
The usual grist of bills was allowed.
Superintendent McConnell's statisti-
cal report for November was as fol-
lows:
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

Vice President Fairbanks is invited
to speak before the Lincoln Republican
club, st. Paul, on Lincoln's birthday,
Feb. r.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

Given the dogs chained in the We
randa had not been disturbed. 1t all
so suddenly that 1 had no
feeling of fright or terror. The man
seemed to come from the direction of
my husbands office, where there was a
door connecting with the bedroom, in
front of which we had placed a heavy
wardrobe. He was a shortish unpleas-
nt-looking man, and he held the re-
volver in his left hand. Neither my
husband nor I were at all nervous peo-
pie, and when we could find nothing
to explain what had occurred we de-
cided that it must have been imagin-
alton and that our being in strong
sympathy with each other had caused
us to share the same hallucination. We
refreshed ourselves with iced drinks
and then went to bed and slept sound
ly, after having decided to keep our
own counsel about the affair.""
Now for the sequel to it. Shortly
afterward the writer accompanied her
husband on a tour to the district.
Among the hills they met a Nine. de
Beverly, who had been widow for
several years. In course of can
versation with her Mrs. S. discovered
that at one time she had lived in the
bungalow at Tirzapur, where the spec
trail suicide had manifested himself.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
BOYS D6N0T PLAY 'HOONE" NOW;
BUT LITTLE TRUANCY IN MANMT0
CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED MUCH WITHIN THE
YEAR; LAW ENFORCED
Williams Labor Department Praises Work of Round
ing Up Youths in This City; Financial Condition Of
District Is Not of the Best
From THURSDAYS Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
There is practically no truancy from
the schools in the city at present.
This was the good word passed around
at the meeting of the school board last
night.
Superintendent Mcconnell said that
the money paid the truant officer
was well earned by the latter, who
was doing his work well. Judge Com
stock had informed him that the
truancy situation was in good condi-
ton, there being practically none. The
people are cooperating with the eff
forts of the school authorities and are
good natTed. There is perfect sat
isfaction in regard to the child labor
situation.
Conditions Are Changed.
Mr.. Mcconnell also referred to the
remark made by Labor Commissioner
Williams a year or so ago to the
effect that Mankato was the worst
place in the state in respect to the
employment of child labor He met
Mr. Williams at the Duluth conven-
ton recently, and Mr.. Williams then
made the statement that Mankato is
now one of the best cities in the state
in regard to child labor, and wanted
this statement conveyed to the school
board.
Treasurer Holbrook presented a
financial report, showing that the
school funds were overdrawn more than
81 600, and would be overdrawn $4,000
before the March settlement money
comes in. He did not think that the
banks ought to be asked to carry this
overdraft without interest in view of
the prevailing conditions.
Mr.. Davies moved that the treasurer
be authorized to borrow what money
is needed, and this was carried.
The committee ON property and ex-
pense reported that the storm windows
have come for the manual training
room.
Superintendent Mcconnell presented
his statistical report for November,
which showed that the attendance was
exceptionally good, the general aver
age being 97K, andsin the high school
.99.4. q 3r.f.t
Ready for the Debate.
Mr.. Mcconnell reported that the
team had been selected to represent
the high school in the interscholastic
debate, and it was composed of Miss
Margaret Marsh, Earl King and Wal
ter Koeppen. The first debate would
be held at Worthington with the
Worthington high school team Dec.
20. The Mankato team would have
the negative side of the question: ere
solved, That the federal government
should subsidize the southern states
for the education of the negro, grant
ed that it is constitutional and not
objected to by the southern whites"
A debating society has been organ
lied in the high school, by twenty
eight boys, and two weeks ago twenty
five girls organized a similar society.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13

The following table shows that John
A. johnson is the first choice of the
democrats:
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
Dogs Not Awakened.

by in the compound had heard any
thing.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-13
1t Really Happened.

Con hearing that she knew our bung-
allow and had actually lived in it." the
writer adds, 81 was impelled to relate
our strange experience there, which
hitherto my husband and had kept to
ourselves. She listened without COM
ment, but when I ended by narrative
by saying that we had come to the con-
clusion it must have been either indi-
gestion or Imagination, she turned very
pale and said: You have related some
thing that really happened; my hus-
band shot himself there before my eyes
exactly as you have described
Il was terribly distressed at having,
all unwittingly reminded her of such a
painful episode but she treasured me
by saying TT was many years ago, and
/ can talk about it now, though l was
ill for months afterward from the
shock
''She then told me that her husband
had gone into the bedroom through
the door which we kept closed and had
used the very words l quoted, and the
whole affair conceded exactly with
what I had seen. down to the smallest
detail. Nine. de Beverly spoke very
calmly about her husband, and said
that he had been i'll and mentally I'M
sound for some time. / heard long
afterward that he was confirmed
drunkard, and had ill-treated her in
every way, so that her married life
must have been perfect torture, but
she never limited at anything of the
sort to me-"
The bungalow, it seems, had stood
empty for some years after the tragedy
and had then been occupied only at
odd intervals during the cold weather.
Mr.. and Mrs. S. were the first people
who had been in it on July 20, the an
niversary of the fatal event.
Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-04
II Royalty Had to work.

Nearly all the royalties of Europe
could, if driven to it, earn their own
living.
The Queen of Roumania. Carmen
sylvia, makes an income from her
books that many authors cannot
equal.
The Emperor of Russia has sweet
and well-trained tenor voice. Had
he not been of royal blood he would
undoubtedly have succeeded in grand
opera.
The Queen of Italy is linguist of
unusual talent. Conversing fiuently
and correctly in eight languages, she
could get at any time good Job in
a high school.
The King of England is one of the
best judges of wines and cigars in
the world. AS a wine or tobacco
expert or as dealer in these lux
uries he would soon have grown
rich.
The Queen of Portugal has medi-
cal degree and could easily earn her
living as a doctor.
The German Emperor, as every
body knows, could make a good liv-
ing as a poet, musician, an artist, q
shipbuilder, a pottery manufacturer
a horse dealer, an actor, book
binder, a clergyman, tailor, a sculp-
tor, a barber. farmer or dentist.
Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-04

Said Not to be Due to Frost, but 70
Oxidation.


The common idea regarding au-
tumn coloring is that frost causes the
brilliant color Of the leaves. This
popular fallacy is without any foun-
dalton in fact, says Country Life In
America; for frost has absolutely
nothing whatever to do with tinting
of the leaves except that 1t hastens
their fall.
Let those who do not believe this
statement so out in the swamps
two weeks or even month before
frost and they viii find occasional
naples as scarlet as they ever are
seen in September or October.
II Is a curious fact that quite
young trees are usually the first to
turn red. Autumn coloring is actu-
ally due to oxidation. which IS
caused by the action of light and
heat, somewhat similar TO the rust
on iron. With leaves 1t is due to the
fact that In fulfilling their mission
they become choked by their own ex-
cretions. and the acids thus formed
are acted on by the oxygen.
In extremely moist atmospheres
the colors are not usually very
bright, as in England, for example.
And In very dry climates the leaves
dry up suddenly. and their skin,
which is very thick to prevent the
escape of moisture, is not sufficiently
transparent to allow of the color be-
ing seen beneath In the regions
where the autumn foliage Is most
vivid we find that an average season
produces the finest colors. Neither
very dry nor very wet summer and
early autumn will result in much
brilliancy.
The extraordinary range of colors
in trees OF single species is very
noticeable, particularly so with the
sugar naples; and it is remarkable
that an individual tree viii continue
the same colors year after year; not
only that, but the same branch will
show the first tinge of color year af-
ter year. have in mind two naples
that have watched for four years.
Each of them has a particular
branch that proclaims the advent of
any of the other leaves show any
sign of changing; presumably these
branches are not quite equal in vigor
to the rest of the tree, but why one
brilliant cadmium yellow while the
other becomes rich orange tinged
with crimson in parts, is difficult to
understand, because the conditions
under which both trees grow are APP
parently identical.
Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-02-04
SHOTS

Even boxing may be regulated by
the box Office.
Many a man is a Teformer be.
cause reform has offered him better
job.
"A man is never-quite as awkward
as woman getting off trolley car
backward.
Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup is
absolutely free from any opiate or mar
cotic. Contains Honey and Tar. Sold
bv Feldmeyer Bros, Druggists
"A man never realizes what he is up
against until he has made reputation
for himself. sSs3 - fst-g7 ~
The impecunious sutton should re-.
member that faint heart ne'er won fair
lady's money.
When the cold winds dry and crack
the skin get DeWitt's Witch Hazel
Salye. Sold by Feldmeyer Bros, Drug
gists.
The man who makes the Ioudest
responses in church isn't always the
most responsible man. .--s.~
The comforting qualities of religion
sometimes depend upon how soft the
cushions In the pew are.
DeWitt's Little Early Risers, relia
bic little pills. Recommended 10y
Feldmeyer Bros, Druggists.
Some actresses are so conceited
that they actually believe what their
press agents write about them.
Labor always believes in Capital
punishment
Eat what you please and take a lit
tie Kodol For Indigestion after your
meals. 1t dlgests what you eat. Sold
by Feldmeyer Bros, Druggists.
The popular songs contain many
notes that go to protest. -
.cE- For sale-Large Miller's Combi-
nation Safe. For particulars enquire
at Capital Office.
"A fool and his money keeps lots OF
people from being honest. $50
Better late than never certainly
shouldn't apply to our mistakes.
"A public Office is a public trust,
and this an age of trust investigation.