davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26

were more, and then on to Cali
fornia, the land of sunshine and
big, fat pies. Here | again put
my foot into it. / went to see the
ocean and lost my pie-I was
shanghaied. When I arrived in
England I called for pie. They
called me a blooming Yankee
heather, and said they had nothing
but tarts. / thought there might
be pie in the American navy, and
I enlisted. But, alas! there was
no pie. They had lob-scouce,
dandy-funk, dogs body, and plum
duff but nothing thatlooked like pie.
In' my quest for pie | came to
this quiet village where the natives
have pie on holiday. They be-
come 80 merry over it that they
rub the pie in their hair, smear it
on their face, and spill it on their
clothes. /, a stranger, stood be-
hind tree and wept for the pies
that were destroyed. Great har-
poons! but [ was sore. SINBAD.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26

ing call, and it will make the skin
on your back run up and down in
wrinkles, and the hair on your
head will sit right up and take
notice. But if a pack of six or
eight run into you, you won't know
q thing about it until they have
stalked you far enough to find out
whether or not you are alone.
'This pack must have been
watching our camp and seen me
when l left. So while I stalked
the panther, the wolves had stalked
me. | knew that if l let yell out
of me to attract Bub, they would
tackle me. So I acted as tho I
had not seen them. There was a
tree about fifty feet from me, and
| started for it. I got about half
way when the wolves started to
snarl and chase me. fred into
the bunch twice and then made a
run for it. I caught a limb and
swung myself up, just out:.of reach.
It'seemed rs if every time I shot
one that two more would take it's
place; and every time I shot one
the rest would pile on it like flies
around molasses can, and in a
moment there wouldn't be enough
left of him to grease skillet with.
well, I sat up there and won
dered how long it wouldJb be before
Bub would arrive. Insthe mean
time the wolves were hopping
around the tree like bunch of
savages at a barbecue. The limb
l was sitting on was small and I
started to climb up to larger one.
| got up about four feet when I
got swat along side the head that
made me see stars, (and they were
not in the sky either) and that
paw struck so hard that it stuck.
When it came loose it took my
hat. a piece of my scalp, and a
hunk of my face with it. Well,
sir, there [ was up tree with
pack of wolves below and an angry
bobcat up above. I was out of
and was studying
whether I would rather serve for
,ut meat or wolf bait, when I heard
Bub coming.
'Bub." | yelled. shave you got
your gun?"
NAV" said he, 81 forgot it."
Great grab! but I was sore. /
old him to go get his gun, also to
'ring 6rebrand along. In about
lalf an hour he came back, swing
ng firebrand in each hand. He
walked up to the tree and wanted
0 know what was roosting up
here for. told him to look to the
eft. He did SO, saw them eyes.
red both brands at them, and
hen swung up alongside of me.
"Of all the fool moves / ever
aw, that surely took the cake.
here We were both up tree, with
hungry pack of wolves below and
p angry bobcat up above. Ne
ut of ammunition and Bub had
gain forgotten his gum
Hank stopped talking, lit his
ipe and smoked for about Eve
minutes, whom Bill (who believed
alp asked: aAnd how was YOU
aved Hank ?"
"Hu, said Hank, Eve wasn't
ayed; wewere both killed 7 1905
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26
f.aper Read Before the Chantauqna Circle.

the piod6uT0 vi ll6to1luR 10 al
excellent paper read befor
this circle entitled Chicago
Chinatown" and if this pape
should prove one half as interest
ing as the above mentioned pape
on a similar subject, the writer viii
feel very we'll paid indeed for thu
time given to the writing Of thi'
paper.
New York's Chinatown is per
haps the second largest IN the
United States, and differs in many
ways from Frisco's and Chicago's
Chinatown. Frisco's Chinese pop
uIation { l am referring to the time
prior to the late fire and earth
quake) is twice that of New York,
and New York's Chinese popula-
ton is about three times as great
as that of Chicago. New York's
Chinatown is located in what is
known as the down town district.
The principal Chinese merchants
and restaurants, as we'll as the
swell opium dens, are located on
Mott and Pell streets, they being
about equally divided in the two
above mentioned streets.
The Chinese restaurants OF New
York are the SWEETEST in the United
States, possibly excepting Boston,
which city has one or two very
fine Chinese restaurants. The
"Pekin," located on 35th street,
just off Broadway in New York,
managed by Americans who en-
ploy nothing but Chinese help, is
perhaps one of the SWEETEST affairs
in this country in regard to Orien-
tai furnishings. The city of New
York is noted for it's Summing
parties. The writer has on more
than one occasion counted more
than twenty-five separate SUM
ming parties in one night, seeing
the sights Of Chinatown. The
majority of these parties are con-
Quoted thru Chinatown by men,
Der of the metropolitan police
force in plain clothes. OF course
there are any number of parties
who go Summing in New York
City and are guided by some native
New Yorker, but almost invariably
such parties, or rather members of
parties, not conducted thru China
town by men from police head
quarters, turn up next day claim
ing they have been robbed Of some
thing. Hence, the protection of
the police department is given any
party who wish to go Summing.
The expense attached to such
Summing parties is $500 for the |
officer who conducts the party thru
Chinatown. Of course nothing is |
said about paying for the officers
services, still it is understood that
Que will see a great deal more of
Chinatown by a liberal saving of
the officers palm.
The way in which these slum-
ming parties are arranged SO as to
receive police protection, is very
simple. Say that party stopping
at one of the large hotels wish to
go Summing. One member of the
party makes the fact known to the
hotel management, and the hotel
management makes the arrange
ment with police headquarters for
the officer who will guide as we'll
as protect the party thru China
town. The same holds good with
native New Workers who wish to
90 stunning. The gentlemen of
The party generally so to the
of one of the large hotels
,r restaurants which they frequent
and giving the date and time they
riah "a Start and tho Mo In nlothacl
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26
Ny Quest for Pie.

l was trying to think of some
thing to write about when | re-
membered ON Labor Day one of
the inquisitive natives of our
quiet village asked me how it
happened that I could talk the
Sioux language, Notwithstanding
the fact that l was sailor. Well,
I will explain. There were eleven
persons in our family, eight boys
and girl. | was the youngest.
1t makes me laugh to think that
way back in the fifties I was some-
body's darling. Idon't look it, do
I2 But I was. My people were
a pie family. Mother would bake
five pies at baking, four to be di-
vided in half for the boys, the
fifth was cut In three pieces for
father, mother, and the girl. And
such pies! The pumpkin pies
were two inches thick. custard
ditto, and the cream pies were
dream.
However, the war of 81 broke
up the pie family; seven of my
brothers went to the war and me
to the woods. The Sioux Indians
caught me. General Sibley, about
this time, drove the Sioux west of
the Missouri River. I was with
the Indians and was compelled to
stay with them for about fourteen
months, and during all this time
| didn't get even taste Of bread
or pie. In the fall of IS the Sioux
came back to the river to capture
some woodchoppers who were
camped at the, mouth of the Can
non Ball. While they were wait
ing for a chance to make the cap
ture, two young bucks and myself
sneaked away to kill rabbits with
clubs, and we hiked to the soldier.
Say, that soldier was the best man
[ ever saw. He took mo to the
woodchopper's shack. TWAS 1890
by the clock. There was kettle
of pea soup. with pork and onions
in it, and, ye gods! loaf of bread.
Remember, l hadn't had bite of
bread for fourteen months. l ate
it all, but there was no pie.
Well. one good turn deserves
another, so I put them 'snext" to
the bucks, who were figuring on
capturing the choppers carly the
next morning. The sergeant in
charge sent the scout for reinforce
nents, few miles up the river to
Fort Rice, which was then being
Quilt. The reinforcements arrived
It midnight and when the bucks
,ame, we didn't do thing to them.
[ borrowed Sharp's rife from
,ne of the woodchoppers and paid
ny respects to my late friends or
enemies. When the fight was
,ver I went to the fort to look for
Die. The baker had them, twenty
i've cents each, dried apples, worms
brown in. However, it was called
pie, and l bought one. That was
enough! 1t was awful! Here I !
vas two hundred miles from civil
,ation and no pie In sight. Shiver
ny tlmbers if / didn't actually
weep.
I joined the scouts to put in the
winter. and stayed with them until
he spring of '66, then I liked to {
3od's country and pie. Sioux
Jity had few pies when I struck 4
here, but none when I left. II
hen went to Omaha whore therel !!
81 q 49, s.. II s 3
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-26
New York S Chinatown.

toned. Ah Syd's opium joint o
i New York, located in Pell street
is thing of beauty as far as fur
nishings are concerned. The frs
thing that meets the eye of the
visitor on entering All Syd'f
famous palace of vice is the artistic
arrangement Of beautiful, rich
| Oriental,curtains that drape grace.
fully over and around his little box
like Office. Instead of the bench
like shelves covered with mating,
like those described to you by Mr..
S. in his paper, the smoker lies on
a couch upholstered with leather.
something after the fashion of the
leather covered lounge, only much
wider. For head rests there are
also leather-covered stands about
Eve or six inches high, and leather
pillow to lay ones head upon. The
smoking lay-outs are of very su-
perior kind, in fact, the whole
place is, as [ said before, a thing
of beauty. None but the best
class of smokers frequent this
place, as Sgd is very particular in.
regard to his regular customers.
The Summing parties guided
thru Chinatown by an officer. are
not permitted to experiment with
the dope; in other words, the men,
bers of the party agree that they
will not ask to try pill, for the
police department doesn't care to
be accused Of being the cause of
making a dope 6end of a member
of any party conducted thru these
places by one of it's officers. II
have only mentioned the best joints
in this paper, as Mr.. S. covered
the usual opium joint very thor
oughly in his excellent paper.
But [ will state that the majority
of opium dens found in the city of
New York, as far as appearance
go, are just the same as those he
described to you in his paper on
Chicago's Chinatown.
Many wonder why the opium
dens in the city of New York are
allowed to exist. I don't suppose
the facts are advertised broadcast. |
but nevertheless it is well-known
fact that the police department of
New York City permit these dens
of vice to exist, simply because
the very large majority of first class
crooks thruout the United States,
and especially those living in the
city of New York, are habitual
users of opium in one form or
another. When the police of
Greater New York want to pick
up any high class crooks operat-
ing in any of the many branches
of crookedness, all they have to do
is to put out what has become
commonly known as the dragnet
among the opium or hop joints,
and if they don't find the person
they are looking for, they will
surely find some one who will give
them the information desired as
regards the whereabouts of the
one wanted. / don't know that the |
following facts are generally known,
but I can truthfully state that there
is a sort of free masonry existing
among all dope fends. To illus.
rate, I will say that Bill Jones is,
n the vernacular of. the under
world, a gun fiend (meaning one
who habitually uses the hypoder-
mic syringe.l Freddy Smith who
8 a coke fiend (meaning ihabitual |
user of cocaine) is we'll aware of
What particular lineSofsgraft Bill
Jones follows. as welll as being
'amiliar with the kind of narcotic
10 usaa Ruehin Smoke who 10 .
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

els, and when they're ripe they're just like
little balls of honey"
How came you to know so much about
pears? They look to me Just like old Penny
bags himself -undersized, close-fsted and
stingy"
''There's where you fool yourself. Grand
pas choicest trees in the country are Seckels.
My! how delicious they .are-pulpy and
sweet"
'You gave me handful of them last year,
didn't you--those tiny little fellows? They
were good, | remember. You think these are
the same. do youw
Think? l know it''
ut would be Jolly to swing, down there on
a rope and fill ones pockets"
YES" said Harold. Gas mean a man as
old, Peennybags deserves to have his pears
stolen"
Come over some night and we'll try it."
While this talk was going on at the window
old man Flint was pottering about his garden,
pulling weed here and there, tying up stray
vine and overlooking things generally.
All of a sudden he seemed to notice the
boys and came to the back of the garden. =
Woodworking, young gentlemen" he said.
"You see, an old man, if he is poor, has to
keep hard at work"
"But hard work makes a pretty nice gar
den Of it." replied Harold. "Those are fine
pears"
"Pears?" looking up into the, tree. mo;
'fThey're Seckels, aren't they?"
"No-they re no good. II they were,
though" chuckling, '1 guess this fence would
keep you out. had it fixed for boys Then,
you know, 1 keep dog, too. 1 unchain him
at night"-with malicious grin, as if he would
enjoy nothing better than to see his Tiger
graphing both lads.
"We boys know all about that" answered
Fred. "Why don't you invite your friends
some time to help you eat pears? There's
more than :, a } bushel on that tree. You can't
ooh, they're not nice enough for company.
only give my best to company"
"Your best% muttered Harold-"old miser
Hop O. my Thumb!"
"You see they're small-they're blighted
Something's the matter with them. They never
get soft"
"He thinks he'll throw us off the SCENT"
said Fred. in low tone, as the old man
moved away. 'Ill have some of those pears
yet, or my name isn't Fred Blackstone!"
Fred's attention once directed to this tree,
he took to watching it. The changing growth
of its fruit was of daily interest to him.
He knew how sweet they must be as they
ripened, and he longed for some more than
for anyttlne in old Pennybags garden. He
spoke to his mother about them.
"To think that old curmudgeon has such
fruit. and we, who are SO fond of pears have
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

life"
Don't talk that way, my son, even in fun.
neighbor, when they are ripe: He has already
sent me several dishes of berries. He has
taken great liking to you"
TO me? Well, l don't thank him for his
admiration, Who said SOP"
He is always saying, That is a fine, stu
dious lad of yours; We shall hear from him
some day. Good head-great foreheadn"
Great fddlesticks!" said Fred, laughing.
"He's the worst old humbug in seventeen
counties"
''Who told you so, Fred? I have heard
that he is rather narrow in his ideas and
eccentric, but also that he is kind-hearted in
his way"
"oh, mother, you'd find white feathers in
a crows wing! I'll tell you what-if he
sends basket of pears, I'll go down on my
knees. to him and apologize for my poor opin-
ion of him."
Day by day the limbs of the pear tree grew
more heavily weighted.
There's a thousand on that tree" unused
Fred, looking down upon the laden branches
every boy in the neighborhood could have
a pocketful. But old Pennybags would see
them, rot before he'd divide wish Harold
He measured the distance with his eye
The tree was very, near the fence, but be-
tween the house and the high board wall there
was space for quite a wide path.
Il don't see now could swing far enough
out to get a footing" thought Fred. '1t's no
use. / couldn't. But l could get ladder
and climb up"
Notwithstanding all the temptations. Fred
did not really try to carry out any of the
suggestions that came to him whenever he
looked out upon the alluring tree But he
talked so much about it his mother felt un-
easy.
"Don't allow yourself to feel so about those
pears" she pleaded. II don't like to hear
you speak with so much disrespect of any one,
nor with desire for something that does not
in any way belong to you"
"Well, mother, ! do hate to see man so
stingy as old Pennybags is"
Call him Mr. Flint-he is our neighbor"
"The boys wouldn't know who | meant.
The only name they know is Pennybags."
The next morning was rather misty and
cold. ,Fred's window was closed, and he had
scarcely looked out all forenoon. Harold was
back, and they had begun with new zest their
time whiting.
When at last the sun did burst through the
clouds it shone with such welcome warmth
that Fred jumped up to open the sash
At the first glance out he saw something
that astonished him.
Harold" he eried-"Harold! The pears
have been pieked"
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

Harold went eagerly to the window.
Sure enough. Old Pennybags is living on
honey now"
81 hope they'll choke him. He hasn't left
even the tiniest one for manners"
While they were talking they saw the old
man come out of the back door, go to a side
gate and then come slowly along the walk
towards the Blackstone house.
What is he carrying? As sure as the
world, Harold, it is a basket of pears" said
Fred. "And he's coming here, / believe"
1t was true. Mr.. Flint was on his way, in
neighborly fashion, with present from his
garden.
When he came>up the front steps, Harold
and Fred were peering through an easterly
blind down upon his little, shriveled figure,
and upon the good-sized basket which he
carried
"It's pears, for sure" said Fred, with some
thing like tremor in his voice.
Mrs. Blackstone happened to be going out
just then and met Mr.. Flint at the door
II brought you few pears" he said, in
shrill, cracked voice. I'm sorry they're
admire them SO. They're for him"
"You are very kind, indeed" Mrs. Black
you for them himself"
mo matter about that" he quavered.
"They're not as good as some. I have only
one tree; He knows they look pretty a
"They look very, nice. I'm afraid you've
been too generous.
"Oh, no. l never eat 'em. Master Fred
is fine lad-,good head, great forehead.@.
And he hobbled away
Fred felt the blood rush to his face. He
had heard every word. He looked at Harold,
who had crammed his handkerchief into mis-
mouth to prevent the laughter from running
out.
GLOW ashamed ami" said Fred, in whis-
per-"ashamed enough to die"
Good head-great forehead" gasped Har-
old, doubling up with merriment
"0h, hush up!' chagrined and indignant.
Seckels."
"You can have all of them-I don't want
any"
Mrs. Blackstone was calling at the bottom
of the stairs.
FIRED. here is, a present for you. Come
down and get it."
Fred ran down. He met his mothers sig
nihcant smile with a renewed blush.
Il give in, mother" he said in a low tone.
as, he took the basket. 81 am awfully
ashamed"
He carried the pears up stairs.
Help yourself, Harold" he said, setting the
basket on the table. "Pve said so many mean
CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

they had been using picked up and
put away.
They had been working together at mini
ature ship, and had spent the entire morning
over it, until both were nervous and irrita-
Bile. ~"
We're fools, anyway, Fred" he said. "to
stay IN the house such day as this! It's
birds singl"
I'm minute" said Fred, setting things
to rights.
.'By-the-way, Fred" cried Harold, "you
might about as well own old Pennybags' gar
den; You can see everything in it, can't YOU
And you don't have to hoe it, nor pull weeds,
neither. There he is now, counting his rasn.
berries, to see if the robins haven't stolen
one"
The Blackstone house was on side street
and adloined the Flint lot at the rear They
had moved there in the spring, and Fred had
spent good many odd moments in watching
old Isaac Flint--or "Pennybags" as he was
called-work in his garden.
He had lived long time in the village. and
although business had crept up to his very
doors, he still kept his oldfashioned row Of
currant bushes, his little square of sweet
this area of quarter block
He's too stingy to sell it," the villagers
said. Hes waiting until somebody comes
along to cover it with gold pieces for him.
i, fred's, window looked directly down into
this garden. Even the high. board fence that
surrounded it could not shut out his attic
view.
He Joined Harold at the window.
81 beleye that old fellow begrudges me
even look at his bushes. Whenever he sees
me here. he sort of scowls at me as ii he'd
like to shoot me, as he does birds and stray
cats"
I'D take some pains TO make him miser-
able, answered Harold. N''If lived here,
I'd fire, at him on the sly, with pop-gun."
Well, lets be off," said Fred. "He isn't
"Say, Fred. have you noticed this tree?
Look at the pears on it! There's chance
for you when they are ripe. You could let
yourself down from this window on To the
fence, and help yourself"
fBut, if you'll notice, the fence is particu-
larly spiked at this very point. l wouldn't
care to let myself down on to that row of
sharp nails"
"But those pears are awfully tempting!"
"Those little things? NonsenseIS
Little things" repeated Harold. "'You
don't know much about pears. They're Seek
Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28
Copyright by James Elverson.)

Copyright by James Elverson)
TY AROLD stood at the open window,
It'll hands in pockets, whistling softly.
kts,1ys He was waiting for Fred Black
gSstSAf3l stone to get the tools and material
>A''AA they had been using picked up and
Dut aWay
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-09-18
Garden Profits.

We have frequently published items
showing the great profit which can be
made from a little garden we'll titled.
There are two objects in doing this,
in many cases some Of Our readers
live near a city or town where mar
ket could be easily found for much
larger quantity of garden produce
than is offered. Another is that we
may show some of Our readers, who
specialize, grow only one crop, how
little space and work is really needed
to provide a good supply Of vegetables
for their own table. The following,
from the Journal of Agriculture, is
lust in line for both ideas:
A minister at Washington, Iowa,
last year made $54 from a back lot
garden 60 feet square The following
is an itemized statement Of the sales
made: Six hundred punches of celery,
$40; II bushels of potatoes. Sc; 3 bush
els of carrots, So; A bushels of beans,
So; 2 bushels of peas, So; 4 bushels Of
tomatoes, So; pecks of satisfy, 50
cents; bushels of beets, $3.50; 80
dozen. ears of corn, So; 4 bushels of
turnips. ST. Total, $54.
Speaking of his successes, the min
lister says: 81 kept no account of let
tuce and radishes, and we had them all