davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

left the train just before the president
had begun his description. When he
had spoken, Mr.. Mckinley turned and
looked out of the window. His friends
exchanged smiles and winks. ct
seems to me, Mr. President" one of
them finally ventured, that you have
given a pretty fair description of your
young friend, Judge Taft" Mr.. Nc
Kinley smiled family, and before they
had reached the next station he re-
marked calmly that if Judge Taft
wanted the position he could have it.
Judge Taft accepted the mission. The
novelty of the assignment was a pow
erful incentive, and the presidents gen.
erosity in choosing him in spite of his
avowed hostility to the scheme appeal
ed to him. He went to the Philippines
in the summer of 1900 with very def
mite instructions. His directions were
so specific that a less resourceful man
would have discovered no elasticity in
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

the feet are large. Neither skin nor
hair is as black as that of other ne
groes and both have pronounced red
dish tints. They have also longer
boards than the other African tribes.
Colonel Harrison says that these
pygmies are brave without being es-
peciaIly aggressive. During his stay
with them in the forest Of Ituru a party
of pygmy warriors attacked a Belgian
caravan, killing seventeen carriers and
plundering the goods. They are no.
MAIDS, having neither cultivated fields
nor houses, and live only on game and
wild fruits. Their household equipment
is limited to a few rude earthen sauce
pans, in which they cook game with
out taking the trouble to skin it, They
eat the skin as well as the meat, even
breaking the bones with their teeth.
They do not worry about clothing.
Only in the tribes nearest to those OF
greater stature do the women wear
girdles woven from tall grass. Both
men and women shave the head par
TALLY. Some cut straight paths across
their woolly hair, and others dress It
with birds feathers squirrel tails.
Colonel Harrison is convinced that
the African pygmies have absolutely
no religious instincts and believe in
neither God nor devil. They practice
poIygamy, each man buying for him.
self many wives as ne can anord.
AS with the orientals, the birth of q
girl is looked upon as a real calamity.
Strange as 1t may seem, these small
people are not resigned to their own
Pygmy mothers do not
neglect an opportunity to steal the new
born children belonging to the neigh
boring tribes of normal stature, leav-
ing their own tiny specimens of hu-
.nanity in exchange.
1t seems that these dwarfs have no
original language of their own. They
take the elements of their speech from
the dialects of their neighbors. and Of
these form a sort Of lingo which is un-
derstood in the vast African forests.
Observation has shown also that these
little folk are Enthusiastically intelligent
and have the gift of language in a
marked degree They know how to ex-
tract iron from the orc and to fashion
1t into arrow heads without other tools
than round stones
H. A. BROwER.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20
William Howard Taft. Secretary
of. War. Is q Heavyweight
Both Mentally and Physically.
His Title Is Suggestive Of War.
but His Actual Mission Seems
to Be That of a Promoter Of
Peace--Even Those Who Do
Not Share His Political Be-
liefs Are Attracted by His
Personality.

state safely through the treacherous
shoals that encompassed the friars'
land disputes. He carried his case to
the Roman tribunal, host of hostile
influences at work against him. and by
sheer pertinacity and the eloquence of
conviction obtained a respectful hear
ing. Last year he went again to the
Philippines as a pacific influence He
it was who was chosen to pacify Cuba.
Was there ever another war lord who
has been metamorphosed so frequently
into an angel of peace?
When Secretary Taft was selected by
Mr.. Mckinley to head the second civil
commission to the Philippines his
name was not known in any strictly
popular sense throughout the country.
His career on the bench of the Sixth
United States circuit had made him
known to the legal fraternity and had
given him some reputation in the states
which comprise that circuit. AS a scion
of an old and sturdy American stock,
the son of a former attorney general
of the United States. as a young man
who had made himself rather notable
at Yale and had after his graduation
plunged heart and soul into a cam
paign for municipal reform in his ma
tive city of Cincinnati. he had attract
ed some local attention. A little later
he was pointed out as a man who had
been made United States solicitor gem
eraI and had received the doctorate in
laws from his alma mater at an age
when most men are at the first rung of
the ladder.
But few knew the mettle of the man.
then only forty-two. whom President
Mckinley had called to develop that
then very shadowy thing known
his philippine policy" Those who did
know Taft were amazed at his selec-
ton, for at that time his sentiments
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

them. 1t was evident that the ex-
ecutive was so impressed with the risk
of the experiment that every possible
emergency was provided for.
Although Judge Taft was not as big
physically as he is today. his mental
equipment was even then sufficient to
carry him through one of the most
ticklish ventures into which mortal had
ever set foot. The commissioners were
sent to make a government and pros
porous country out of chaos. There
was nothing visible with which to build
or upon which to rear a structure. No
two so called native leaders could agree
upon a single point. Their followers
were jealous of them and of one an
other. The great mass of the people
were entirely ignorant of the first prin-
ciples of government or of the fact
that it could be anything but a cruel
oppressor. All notion of ambition had
persisted, and there was no desire be-
yond being left alone in easy going
shiftlessness.
That is a faint idea of the problem
the commissioners were called on to
face They were to establish a firm
but kindly government in a country
where such a thing was not under
stood. The land was rich, but unde
veloped. There were no highways, the
planters were bankrupt and the natives
would not work more than enough to
provide the daily rice and tobacco.
That is what Judge Taft found and he
accepted it, He decided quickly on his
line of action and then proceeded to
business.
1t was a trying position, but the
chairman of the new commission was
big enough to fill it. He was alto
gether too large for the petty jealousies
which might easily have arisen. The
army was the only executive power.
and it was only by courtesy of the mill
tary governor that the commission Sc
cured room for its meetings Judge
Taft worked cheerfully with the mill
tary governor for nearly a year. per-
hitting the military end of the con-
Germ to think that it was doing all the
governing, but he did his work so we'll
that when the shift was made there
was not the slightest hitch.
Twice while he was in the Philip
pines came the temptation to Judge
Taft to drop the arduous work in which
he was engaged and find dignified rest
on the supreme beach. Twice there
were vacancies in that august body,
and it was made known to him that he
could have the place if he would ac-
cept it, and twice he refused the hon.
or-the only man who has ever had a
double opportunity.
An inkling of the work Judge Taft
was doing in the Philippines began to
reach America about the time he was
inaugurated governor of that part Of
the archipelago then civilly organized,
July 4, 1901. When Manila came under
civil control. about a month later. it
began to look as if the new governor
was making good" That he was be-
coming popular among the little brown
IF he i
dent by the universal demand that he
should be continued in office under the
new administration which had come in.
In 1901, when he was compelled to
come to America for the sake of his
health, he could only allay the sus- /
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20
Tiny Folk From the Dark Forests of African

% HE recent exhibition at the
New York geological park of
an African pygmy confined in
A the same cage with an orang
feeling anG criticism on the part of
charitably disposed persons, both
white and colored. A prominent negro
pastor declared in his pulpit that It
was an attempt on the part of the di-
rector Of the animal exhibit to show a
close relationship between the negro
and the simian. In the end the opposi-
ton to the display became so strong
that the pygmy was withdrawn from
public view.
The subject of all the discussion, Ota
Benga by name, did not seem to be at
all concerned over the efforts for his
release. ON the contrary, he appeared
10 be supremacy happy putting in most
OF his time while on exhibition In weav-
ing baskets and nets. which he does
most skillfully. He has never shown
companionship of the orang outang
which is an exceedingly prepossessing
simian with no race prejudices.
Ota Benga was brought to America
by Samuel P. Werner a noted American
explorer and collector, who found him
in 1904, in the Kongo The pygnny
was a captive in the hands of a tribe
or CdnnlDalS ana naQ Deen IaICened for
banQueting purposes. Mr.. Werner was
invited by the cannibals to take pot
luck with them. and in order to con-
vince him that 1t was worth while to
accept, the fat and shining pygmy was
shown to him. Mr.. Werner offered to
buy him The cannibals found it most
distasteful to relinquish such a dainty
mors,l. but Mr.. Werner was firm, and
that is how Ota Benga came to be on
exhibition at the park
Pygmy from Africa that he is, Ota
Benga is neither the first of his race
nor the tiniest that has been seen in
the country. He is about fifty inches
in height, well proportioned and fairly
intelligent in view of his restricted op-
portunities. It is not Mr.. Verner's first
experiment in bringing these little
creatures to the United States. He was
instrumental in securing the exhibit
at the st. Louis fair. To test the in
telIectuaI capacity of the dwarfs he
tried the experiment some time ago
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20


will have to be a man of parts
in order to fill that office
,reditably- The present incumbent
has made that necessary. He has es-
sablished presidents so striking and.
withal so popular that all future war
secretaries will be expected to follow
them, and it will not be easy to do
Until his day the duties of the office
were not we'll defined. He has demon
strated that fact in a very practical
way-by doing things that his prede-
cessors never did. 1t is true that these
things were not expected of the others
it is probable that it never occurred
to one of them that If he wished he
might do them The war secretary of
the past was a perfunctory dignitary,
welded to the traditions of his depart
ment and not inclined to expand them.
With the possible exception of the few
who developed taste and ability for the
business under the stimulus of actual
war our secretaries have shown no
especial aptitude. Some of them had
become famous in other capacities, and
some of them had already achieved re-
putation when they were put at the
head of Uncle Sans fighting plant
Secretary Taft has performed his
most telling deeds in time of peace.
In spite of his environment, his career
as a department head has been diplo-
matte. Instead of a warrior he has
been a man of peace. a maker of peace,
an emissary of peace. His public ca
reer has been devoted to the service of
peace. He is entitled justly to the
title of "pacificator of two administra-
tions." More to him than to any other
was due the cessation of civil strife in
the Philippines. 1t was his firm jul
dicial hand that steered the ship of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

inches and for the women four feet
one inch. 1t was found also that the
two traits that specially characterize
the pygmies are the form of the nose
and that of the upper lip. The nasal
bone has a scarcely appreciate pro-
lection, while the base of the nose is
very wide. The upper lip is longer and
more protuberant than il other ne
groes The chin is short and retreat
ing The legs are short and stout, and
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

during the long homeward voyage. in
obtaining a working knowledge of the
weird language spoken by the tiny
Africans.
AS soon as the party landed, the
pygmies fell into the hands of the
anthropologists, who proceeded to
study them in the most approved sci
entific fashion The result of a care
full measurement showed that the mean
height for the men was four feet six
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

spent many years in searching for them
and was eventually rewarded by find
ing the tribe which he believes is the
one seen by Stanley and described in
his book on African travel. They are
more like the pygmies of Du Chaillu
and Stanley than were the specimens
exhibited at the ST. Louis fair in 1904.
Last year Colonel Harrison went in
to the great Ituru forest of the Belgian
Kongo with the express purpose of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

of bringing to America two tiny ex-
cannibals from the Lualaha river coun-
try. These small Africans are being
educated in this country and have al
ready shown considerable progress.
The most considerable band of gem
uine African swamp pygmies ever
brought into civilization was the COL
lection of dwarfs imported into Eng
land last year and exhibited in London
Colonel Harrison. their discoverer, had
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

making a study of the race of dwarfs
that inhabited that region. He sue
ceeded in living four months among the
little people and at his departure per-
suaded six of them, four men and two
women. to accompany him After nu-
merous delays the party arrived in
England-an but Colonel Harrison.
who was detained in the Soudan. The
pygmies were in charge of Harrisons
trusty Arab servant, who succeeded,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

q HE successor of William How
ard Taft as secretary of war
Will have to be a man of parts
n order. GIL that nRno
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-20

| HE recent exhibition at the
New York geological park of
an African pygny confined in
rr-H%H,
The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-25
JUG TRADE IN DANGER.

a severe tussle is going on before
the judiciary committee OF the lower
house OF congress over the original
package decision thar he liquor trade
has turned 10 good account in dry
counties. The Hepburn Deliver bin IL
in the hands of that committee, and
by re en- vote Of eight to seven it
was denied a favorable report through
motion 10 adjourn What the out
come will be is still uncertain. The
issue is holly contested. and il is one
of the most important matters now
pending before congress.
The Hepburn-Dolliyer bin has been
prepared 10 make liquors in interstate
commerce, in original packages. sub
iect to the laws of states into which
they may have been shipped II Is
blow aimed straight at the jug trade
and the dividends Of express com
panies. bur thus far the blow has not
been delivered. II l. still a blow in
embty and If the house committee
OF Judiciary continues 10 adjourn op
portunely it will never reach the in
cubation stage.
II will be remembered that a case
arising in Kansas and another that
was originated in South Carolina
We're carried through the courts. and
the result was that goods in original
packages crossing a state must be
delivered and that the authoritie in
dry counties could not interfere with
such packages. Under this decision
dry" counties became to those who
had money in their pockets wet |
counties, tho local authorities stand |
ing poweriess before an original pack |
age. Congress hesitafes, and a. a |
rule a bill that hesitates is lost
The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-25

fourteen Baptist bodies have 5i,566
churches $500 ministers, 5,l40,770
communicates. The twenty-three
Lutheran bodies have 1919 churches,
7,S42 ministers. 1857 433 communi.
cants. The twelve Presbyterian bod.
les have IS 922 churches. i2.7O5 min.
listers. l.77lS77 communicates. The
Disciples OF Christ have 1l110
churches, 1853 ministers, 1894, 1858
communicates. No other religious
body Tor family group of bodies) re-
ports membership of million,
Protestant Episcopal communicates
s37073, with 7,493 churches and 5l76
ministers; Congregationalist (esti-
mated, G9f,923, with 5943 churches
and $50 ministers; Reformed (three
bodiesl, 422359; LatterDay Saints,
39G 35i; United Brethren. 2SG.23S
Just what DR.. Carroll means by |
communicant Jews is not certain. He |
probably referred. however, to those |
who are punctual and deyout at the /
synagc que all the year round. He /
makes the total (orthOdoX and reform,
I'd tcgether) 10000 An "authorita'
i've source at Boston gives the mum.
,er of Christian scientists in the Uni
ed States at S0,197 tan increase Of
,0S3 from year before last), with G33
hurches. The president of the Ma
ional Spir1ualists' Association thinks
here must be now 100000 of his kind
t folks in the United States and Can
da. His figures are given" says Or
'arroll but with some misgivings."
our religious bodies (al commune
report just one church
piece; the largest of the (Amanal
as 1866 members the smallest C1ar.
lOny1 has eight members.
The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-25
Lltxury Uhat
Ja Jnjurtnaa
BY EMILE DE LAVELEYE.

out all the faculties happiness that should result it,
1t includes tine rcrctng Of his physical and intellectual forces of his
sentiments of his affections in the family and toward his race and the en-
onnt OF the beautiful nature and Modern luxury with the
multitude OF efforts required satisfy its demands opposes double in
convenience against the attainment Of these objects Time has to be con-
unci gaining the money that these utilities require and the leisure
that left after the money employed expanding upon them
hc whole thus cnanged wheVork of material pursuits and
afford nothing for the life of the mind and the heart.
Is every Of needs weakness, subsection temptation
cnsuay? Dignity of bearing pride
in conduct fidelity opinion often depend simplicity in life The
has the he will be do whatever duty commands
the less will he have important crises to listen the suggestions of
cupdil.
opinion that luxurious expen1irro pro'cs tho Pro- y Of
people of the perm the c
montar political economy should show this idea to be false
The progress industry depends the increase Of capital and capital
with saving Luyu does promote the increase of wages but
opposes Wages only when capital increases faster than the
number Of vcn Golden says, when two masters running
after workman.
It claimed luxury stimulates trade j. B. Say shows up this
with the rich uncle of his Who after dining. broke
ga saving the world live. The uncle certainly
glass factory he had saved his glasses might have
the money buying other things and himself had
while the wealth Of the would have been
further pleaded that luxury makes money circulate This also
u-oanl itself brings profit nowhere cir
at- the green cloth of the roulette table Some lose
millions But what the profit the Money
all circulation unless it buried pot The important
matter whether passing from hand hand permanent
eoron satisfies the real wants Of whether it wasted
uron tine uoite that minister to pride and osientaion
third place. ask II is right and ms
tcc tradition the question in the negative The
scriptures abound passages eondenng the egosta unreguaed
employment Of riches
nd Of luxury only in opinion iufstifabe-hat namely
which admits the public its enioymen which masses 70
he pleasures Of public gardens fountains which places beart
within the reach Of those who cannot statu pictures by
hng and which libraries and public eposs
collective luxury we-directed profitable ~ all IL raises the
level and fecundates the genius Of industry.
The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-25
HOW THE cHURcHEs STAND.

DIR. II. X. Carroll, the veteran sta
tii1tician. in a recent issue Of the
Christian Advocate. makes an inter
esting report on the religious bodies
of the United States. He explains
that complete returns for 1906 are not
in; that in some cases estimates
(based on previous retumsl have been
made. and 10 others he has had to fan
hack on the census figures He re-
news his complaint that the Roman
scientifically, and are nothing but
more or less valuable guesses." Re
makes the net gains OF all our relig-
ions bodies last year 3 G35 churches,
1890 ministers and $40 $50 communi-
cants. THE gains are somewhat
larger" he notes. than those reported
a year ago"
Which is the largest single religious
body in the United States? The Ro-
man Catholic by far. saws DR.. Carroll
-I2.231 churches. Is l01 ministers
10.S7s. $50 commitment The Meth
odist Episcopal body comes next
1881 churches. II GA ministers 3
ss4.2 6i communicates The seventeen
Methodist bodies in the cornirv have
altogether. Ga352 churches I iS3 min
listers. and e55l. S91 COMMITMENTS
Their last wars increase was 1-2G9
rhurcbeg. 1fe5 ministers 1875
communicates. that Of the Roman
Catholics was AZ churches. CIT minis
tiers. l25.77s COMMITMENTS The
The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-25

Most people hay thought of spelling
hing capb OF Improvement They think of
nature something uncapab unavoidable irresistible like the rising
setting of the the of stars the armament They
never hay thought Of merely attempt to picture the spoken Ian
suase which Is the real language The picture moi very perfect
why not touch up and make it life-ike?
doubt il approach very perfection in time
yet perfectly ractoab attain reasonab accuracy We hay
enough letters go around in dealing them the sounds
language Hence hay oed combinations of two letters, and
sometimes. naedcssIl. to three four.
The committee of board to which committed the
opening the campaign upon itself would
for lis first step recommend only spengs already Really the most
beneficial results vii follow from changes which still be made. One
Of the peyng points the i e-i in receive" "beeye
n all the il removed these would be loss
ryaon aud gain many who puzzled by these mkt
wonl,
After all c arguments against smpfed spelling just
this 1T does look like what have been accustomed and
don't like it,"
minds constituted dislike what is unaccuomed
other minds constituted dislike what unreaonab If your
mind Of the latter class You will support simpHfe spelling If Of the
former vii finally be rceonc it, for vii be the customary way
In the need re-speng aabet with letters for each
sound print books aud papers in, but solely tel how words ought
0 be pronouns.
In the foregoing parogrof h furnished object lesson for those
who hudcr with The that with the impicaon spelling chaos vii
that book pubst up that date vii be unreadab
These paraeaf, hay puposey written the style of
the rules agreed by the biologists England and America 1t
w be readily that they differ slightly from the current spelling that
the trou would be fell in reading either by those familiar with
c other the biological societies rules which covered
many thousand, of words what danger be apprended from the
modest 200 of The simpliicd spelling board