davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
SAVINGS BANKS.
First One Was Established by ParIia-
noent In 1907

In March, 1907, an act was passed
In the British parliament which cre-
ated the first savings bank and estab-
lished a system which has extended
over large part Of the civilized globe.
says Leslies Weekly. The United
States, which was both young and
poor at the time, was a little slower
than some other countries in follow
ing England's lead, but we did this
early enough to get honorable men,
ton" by the historians and statisti-
clans who wrote about the system
around the middle Of the nineteenth
century. The Philadelphia Savings
fund association opened for business
in November, 1916, and the Provident
Institution for Savings started in Bos-
ton in December Of that year. That
was the beginning Of the savings bank
as an institution in the United States.
In recent times we have far surpassed
England in this field, and have taken
the first place among the nations.
New York, with deposits of approxi-
mately $1,400, 100000, heads the list
Of states in the extent Of use Of saw
ings banks, with Massachusetts,. $780,
0O0,00 second. New York city, Of
course, is far ahead Of other towns in
the country, and the Bowery Savings
bank, with deposits of over 100000
600. leads all the institutions of that
cnrt In tha world
The deposits in the savings banks Of
the United States in 1907 are three
and two-thirds times as great as the
entire interest bearing debt Of the ma
tional government. They exceed the
aggregate tangible, marketable prop
erty, real and personal Of the whole
United States in 1910. And all Of this
vast accumulation of $3,400,000,000
represents the savings. and only part
of the savings Of the laborers, me-
chanics, clerks and the rest of the
humber wage earners Of the coun-
try.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
InoersolI's Arraignment.

Robert G. Ingersolrs arraignment
of alcohol will still bear reprinting
1t is as follows:
do not wonder that every thought
full man is prejudiced against this
damned stuff called alcohol. Intem-
perance cuts down youth in its vigor
manhood in it's strength, old age In
its weakness. 1t breaks the fathers
heart, bereaves the doting mother
extinguishes natural affection, erases
coniugal love, blots out filial attach
ment, blights parental hope, brings
down mourning age in sorrow to the
grave.
1t produces weakness, not strength;
sickness not health; death, not life
1t makes wives widows, children or
phans, fathers fiends, and all of them
paupers and beggars.
1t feeds rheumatism. invites chol-
era. imports pestilence and embraces
consumption. 1t covers the land with
idleness, misery and crime. It fills
your jails, supplies your almshouses,
and demands your asylums. 1t en-
genders controversies, fosters quar-
rels and cherishes riot. 1t crowds
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
Professional Snake Killers.

Last year the number Of men,
women and children who met a terri
BILE death in India from the bite of
poisonous snakes amounted to 25,3S7.
Besides this there were about $500
killed by wild enthusiastically tigers;
to say nothing about $4,000 cattle.
Every conceivable measure has been
taken to mitigate this appalling. annual
destruction, but with little avail" So
writes w. G. Fitzgerald, in the Tech
nical World Magazine.
The venomous snakes Of India most
destructive of life may be placed in
the following order. First of all comes
the deadly cobra, responsible for near
ly nine-tenths Of the fatalities; and
then the kraft kuppur, Russell's viper,
the hamadryas and rajsamp. The
water snakes kill u good many, as we
shall see, but they are comparatively
rare. regular organized warfare is
waged upon Indias myriads of rep
tiles, and in each district a regular
head tax is paid upon each cobra and
other snakes killed.
Last year the number of snakes
destroyed was 762,221, for which re-
wards amounting to nearly $1,000 ru-
pees were paid. The greatest destruc-
tion to life appears to have been in
Bengal, where 11.131 people were kill
ed and nearly 1000 cattle. In this
province alone 55.O54 poisonous snakes
were destroyed.
The officials charged with this curl
Gus work were scattered over the
whole vast area, from the Himalayas
to southern Madras, including Bonn
bay Provinces, the Northwest Prov
inces and Oudh; the Punjab, Central
Provinces, Burma, Assam, Hyderabad
and others"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
Saved Him From Disgrace.

In one Of the old families Of Charles
ton, s. c., writes Mrs. Ravenel in the
Youths Companion, there was an i'm
portant parsonage, Jack, the butler.
Jack disputed with another old man,
Harry, the butler of Mrs. Henry lizard,
the reputation of being the best and
most thoroughly trained servant in the
town.
From the Judging Of the wines to
the arrangement Of a salt spoon there
was nothing which these withered
brown potentates did not decide and
maintain. Nothing would have aston
ished either more than that master or
mistress should dissent from his ver-
dict.
Jack was intolerant Of anything
which he considered a breach Of the
etiquette of the table. Nothing, could
have induced him to serve gentleman
before lady, or younger before an
elder brother. To place fruit and wine
on table cloth instead Of upon the
mahogany was to him falling from
grace.
On one occasion he was much an
noyed when senator from the up
country twice asked for rice with his
fish. To the first request he simply
remained deaf; at the second he bent
down and whispered into the senate
rial ear.
The genial gentleman nodded and
suppressed laugh; but when the SER
wants had left the room he burst into
a roar and cried: Judge, you have a
treasure! Jack has saved me from dis
grace. from exposing my ignorance.
He whispered, That wouldn't do, sir;
we never eats rice with fish,"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
your penitentiaries and furnishes VIC
tins for your scaffolds.

your penitentiaries and furnishes VIC
tins for your scaffolds.
1t is the life blood of the gambler,
the element Of the burglar, the prop
of the highwayman and support Of
the midnight incendlary. 1t counte-
nances the liar, respects the thief,
esteems the blasphemer. It violates
obligation, reverences fraud and hon
ors infamy. 1t defames benevolence,
hates love, scorns virtue and ISLANDERS
innocence. It incites the father to
butcher his helpless offspring, helps
the husband to massacre the wife,
and the child to grind the parricidal
! axe. It burns up men, consumes wom-
en-, detests life, curses God, despises
heaven. 1t suborns witnesses,
nurser perjury, defiles the jury box
and stains judicial ermine. 1t de-
grades the citizen, debases, legislature,
dishonors statement and disarms the
patriot. 1t brings shame, not honor;
terror, not safety; despair, not hope;
misery, not happiness, and with the
malevolence Of fiend 1t calmly sur
veys its frightfui desolation and un-
satisfied havoc. 1t poisons felicity,
kills peace, ruins morals, blights con-
fidence, slays regulations and wipes
out national honor, then curses the
world and laughs at its ruin. 1t does
all that and more. 1t murders the
soul. It is the sum Of all villainies,
the father of all crimes, the mother
OF all denominations, the DEVILS best
friend and Gods worst enemy.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28

JUST THAT-There Is a certain old
gentleman who partakes of the quail
ties of the diamond as it is mined, but
whose lack of polish" is a sad trial
to his oldest daughter. The old gen.
tleman, as he expressed it, "go thar
with both feet when some dude inves-
ters come pirntin' round the range
Not long ago the family were gathered
in the library, one of the windows of
which was open.
THAT air" the father began, but
was quickly interrupted.
Father. dear, don't say that air.
say that there the daughter admOn-
ished.
We'll, this ear" he again attempt
ed. but was as quickly brought to a
halt.
Nor this ere; this here is cor
rect" he was told.
The old gentleman rose with an
angry snort. Look here, Mary" he
said. with asperity. "Of course.
know you have been to school and all
that, but reckon l know what want
to say, an l am going to say 1t.
believe feel a cold in this ear from
that air. and I'm going to shut the
indow!"-Harper's Weekly
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
AFRICANS NOT ALL BRUTAL.
Moundans Bear Farming Tools Instead
of Warlke Weapons.

That the native African Is not al
ways and invariably a poor, half nak-
ed brute has been proved by the re-
ports and photographs brought back to
France by the Moss mission" an ex-
pedition sent to the French Congo
about eighteen months ago for the
purpose Of determining some unset
tied boundary questions, says the Chi
cago Chronicle. South of Lake Chad
Commandant Moll discovered a peace
full race Of agriculturists and shep-
erds, intelligent and hospitable, ripe for
civilization, living in pastoral simple
ity.
Everything about the Moundans is
picturesque and interesting. They are
a vigorous and handsome race and
very brave, but, contrary to the al
most universal practice Of the Africans
in regions where white rule has not
been established, they never carry
arms. On the contrary, the implement
oftenest seen in their hands Is a hoe.
Nevertheless they appear to have de-
scended from warlike ancestors, and
were probably driven southwark from
their original mountain home by some
conquering chief. "reminiscences of
this past may be seen in their semi
military architecture, which does not
resemble that Of any Of the neighborr
ing peoples. At little distance one
Of their villages looks like a fortified
city.
The Moundan village, Of which Lere
is an excellent type, is inclosed by a
series Of round towers connected by
walls from two to three meters In
height. Inside, parallel to the inclos7
ing walls, Is a circle Of cupolas, each
one pierced with a single hole. These
are the granaries, the most important
buildings of the town.
They are erected on piles supported
on great stohes, which places them
beyond the reach Of termites and ro-
dents as we'll as Of dampness, and the
only entrance is through the hole In
the vaulted roof. Between the outer
wall and the granaries are the homes
Of the people. while the residence OF
the chief faces the entrance.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
INSTANTANEOUS CITY.
Grew From Nothing in 1889 to $4,000
In 1906.

Oklahoma City Is possibly the fin
est example of speedy and magnificent
metropolis building in the world" says
Appleton's Magazine. Seventeen years
ago it was a piece Of open prairie,
with a sluggish creek, which has no
right to be dignifled as river, mean
dering and elbowing through the fer
tile SOIL Why the site was selected
no one knows. 1t sort Of looked good
to them," is the explanation of an orgi-
inal boomer Guthrie, the temporary
capital, thirty miles to the north, had
a much better start and was better
situated as regards general physiogra-
phic conditions.
oklahoma City grew from the moth
ing Of 1889 to $4,000 people in 1906. Last
year there were twenty-five miles OF
fine asphalt streets, seventy-five miles
Of brick and cement sidewalks, twelve
miles gas mains and natural gas
being piped in, twenty-five miles Of
electric street railway Of the most
modern types Of cars, fifty-two miles
Of sewers and sixty-five miles Of water
mains. There were four national
banks, three state banks and one trust
company, with deposits aggregating
over $6,000,000. The bonded indebted
ness of the city was only s743,000, In
the face Of the erection of several pub
lie buildings and all the city better
ments.
THAT which has made Oklahoma
City the star town Of the state has
been public spirited cooperation and a
square jawed determination to win on
the part of a large portion Of her cit
izens. In 1894 she seemed doomed to
extinction. They built railroads when
they had no money left for food. The
town revived and doomed until 1898,
when the mud holes and unthinkable
sinks in the main streets became by
word in the state, and seemingly again
jeopardized the city's future. The cit
izens then built twenty odd miles Of
the finest asphalt streets and three
times that amount Of sidewalks.
1.-THE most fascinating side Of Okla
homa City to the tenderfoot Is the
number Of men who arrived In 1889 or
shortly after with about 37a cents in
their pockets and since then have made
fortunes. One man." as the article In
Appleton's Magazine informs us, "who
bought his first town lot from a dis
satisfied stalker for $1.S5 two days af-
ter the opening, sold his hotel for $14O,-
900, and this represents but small
part Of his holdings. A second became
a street railway magnate, another
a big banker, and still another a large
railroad contractor"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
"sIMPLE LIFE" WISDOM.
When Should an Active Man Retire
From His Work?

When Herman Woldmann for many
years supervisor Of German in the
public schools, resigned his position,
the other day, that he might spend the
rest Of his life in the country, making
his peace with nature he had snubbed
so long and getting acquainted with
strange hooks and crahnies Of his own
nature, the average hustling American
suspected the sanity Of the man II ne
didn't put his opinion on record. There
were many years Of service in Mr..
Woldmann; years, too, in which he
could keep On earning money. With
two such cogent reasons-service and
salary-why should any man be so
foolish as to leave his post?
A foreigner would get the Woldmann
point of view in jiffy, says the Cleve-
land Leader, and, were he not swerved
from his own poise by the mad rush
about him, might even envy him. 1t
wouldn't be necessary to bring a Ger
man into the problem for confirmation,
because almost any foreigner would do.
This sanity Is not the endowment or
the requirement of the German mind
alone. The stolid Britons have 1t, and
the volatile French, who are, In their
final solution, not so peacocky as the
children of Uncle Sam.
In many ways the Englishman leads
a self-centred, II not a selfish life. He
considers himself great deal and the
other fellow only a little. He makes
his home his castle and, like the snail
which carries his house around with
him, John Bulls aloofness goes with him
when he takes his walks abroad. Yet,
under this crust Of personal worship,
lies a strong feeling Of national res
possibility. Having paid his duty to
himself. he proceeds to pay his duty to
the state. He doesn't work all his life
and he doesn't play away the years
that he takes away from business. He
gives them to his city or his country.
1t Is his ambition to be a town coun-
cilor or a member Of parliament. And
when he gets into one or the other
place he works faithfully, according to
his lights, for the good Of his constit-
uency and the Strengthening Of the
nation.
France Is the home Of thrift. Never
a land where the money is so widely
and so wisely distributed. There are
few colossal fortunes there; no one
moneyed man ranks with the greatest
capitalists Of this country or England.
Four-fifths of the nations wealth Is
held by people ranging from moderate
circumstances down to what we would
call poverty here. Eight and one-half
million people live on their own farms.
Every one works and saves, up to a
certain period. Middle age is the time
when the Frenchman ceases to labor
and begins to loaf. By that time ne
has accumulated enough to keep him
quietly till his death; to give his
daughter her dot his son his start In
life. He, too has civic obligations and
civic ambitions. But he has romance,
too; the love Of natures sentiment and
sentimentality. Daudet's Mayor who
lost himself in the woods and was nib
bling voilets and writing poetry, when
found, was symbolical. He stood for
national idea.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
THEY SIMPLY DROP OUT.
An Explanation Of tho Mysterious Dis.
appearances of MANY Persons,


A criminal cannot mysteriously dis
appear, for many of them try and
fail, says the New York Tribune, but
an honest man can step out Of his
never be seen again. Death is always
the explanation Of the mystery pre-
ferred by the friends and the family
Of the disappeared, for any other the
ory Is less kind, and a broad charity
treats the disappeared and the dead
alike, and OF them says only good.
But there are other explanations,
one Of the strangest being in the case
Of the Middletown (Conn.) man, who
disappeared 36 years ago and then re-
turned home. He went away a strip
ling, impelled by an "odd notion" He
had no quarrel with his family. He
was mourned by them as dead, and
funeral service was held by them be-
cause they conjectured that he had
been drowned in a shipwreck. All
the while he was working on a farm
only IL short miles away. Thirty
six years Slipped by" without his re-
visiting his nearby home, and when he
returned he was shocked" to learn
that his parents were dead. Here is a
disappearance in its acutest form, for
there was no known reason-in fact,
no conceivable motive-and all the
while a return home was easy, but
family ties and all the sentiments
which attract men homeward from
all the quarters Of the earth were un-
equal to drawing this man IL miles.
What again. after the passage Of 36
years, impelled him thither? What
was the "odd notion" which drove
man to do what this Connecticut man
did?
The normal man has roots just as
much as q tree has. He lives by his
sentimental attachment to persons and
places. Hawthorne tells Of a disap-
pearance which he opines will never
be repeated" Wakefield left his wife
mysteriously, took up his domicile
within sight Of hers in a great city,
and 20 years later returned. It is
nearly Of piece with this Connecti-
cut case. Hawthorne analyses the dis
appearer's motives. 1t was an "odd
notion" in the first place which
prompted Wakefield, and there was no
definite purpose Of a prolonged stay.
Habit and the unmatched slipping
away of time and a certain absurd
vanity and wrong-headedness account.
ed for all the rest. The Connecticut
man gave the same explanation Of his
vagary, except, Of course, there was
no acknowledgment Of vanity and
wrong-headedness. If wilful disap-
pearance is not disease, 1t is a mar
vel Of human oddity. 1t is grievous
experiment at best. Hawthorne OBJ
serves: Amid the seeming confusion
Of our mysterious world, individuals
are so nicely adjusted to system, and
systems to one another and to whole
that by stepping aside for moment
a man exposes himself to a fearful
risk Of losing his place forever. Like
Wakefield, he may become, as it were,
the outcast of the universe.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
AN AsTUTE ADVERTISER.
The English Merchant Who Believed
In Lettino the Public Know.

| The tragic death of Mr.. Whitley o
London, who was the head Of the larg
est store in the world, has recalled t.
| old friends various incidents in hi!
life.
| Mr.. Whitley advertised his store as 6
Universal Provider" He claimed he
could furnish anything that was ask.
ed, from a paper Of pins or needles tc
All elephant, for he actually had zoo.
logical garden, where were many AMI
mails for sale.
One day, says the Worlds Events
Magazine an old friend called at the
store one whom MIR. Whitley had moi
seen for long time.
After the usual greetings, the friend
slapping Mr. Whitley on the shoulder
said, you claim, do you not, that youl
store Is a universal provider?"
"Yes, sir, I do, and I am pc 'ti''
cannot provide"
81 will prove you," said the friend
II want a wife,"
That's all right" was the quick re-
sponse. You are in earnest"
Surely l am" said the caller.
Immediately Mr.. Whitley called ar
errand boy and said, You go to the
millinery floor" naming the floor, land
tell Miss c. that wish her to report
to my office at once"
Miss c. came and the merchant in
troduced her to his friend. and said tc
the young lady: "This man has come
here for a wife, and I recommend you
To my knowledge he is a good man
and rich. Will you marry him?"
Miss c. was greatly surprised, and
after a little talk asked for a few days
to consider and make more acquaint-
ance with the gentleman.
The couple were married within q
week, and so far as the world knows
they live happily in London.
If they are not happy, they keep II
to themselves.
Before the store was ready, there was
much speculation as to its success.
Upon the opening day Mr.. Whitley
was on the alert to see who would be
his first customer.
A lady, past middle age. was the first
She bought some choice goods, taking
them with her, as she wished hei
mantua- maker to have them quickly.
She had paid for her goods and was
ready to leave the store when Mr.
Whitley stepped to her side and said:
"You are my first customer. I would
like to have your name and address, fol
I wish to send you a present"
She thanked him, told her name and
address and asked: Am I, then, the
first buyer in this great undertaking
Let US pray!" She knelt just where
she had stood, as did the astonished
clerks that were nearby and Mr.
Whitley. In a few earnest words she
asked Gods blessing upon them all.
Each year, as long as the woman
lived, when Mr.. Whitley celebrated the
anniversary Of the opening Of his
store he remembered his first Gus
toner with a suitable gift.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-28
PERILS OF THE SEA.
There Is Now a Smaller Number Of
Fatalities Than Ever.


1t is an old story-the tragedy OF
the ocean. This winter and spring the
story is being told over and over
many times, says the st. Louis Repub-
lie. The season will go down in the
history Of catastrophe as one Of mo-
ment Fogs and speed and passion fol
travel, to say nothing Of unaccounta-
BILE inefficiency Of the individual, have
been responsible for much Of the cur
rent disaster.
Naturally there arises the question
of whether ocean tragedies cannot be
lessened. The answer comes in the
cheering knowledge that Of the num-
Der Of men and women who tempt the
sea there Is now a smaller proportion
Of fatalities than ever. Thousands now
cross the Atlantic where in the old
days only scores undertook the passage
offered by vessels that merely sailed
AS long as the elements Of wind and
water in their might remain uncon-
trolled, as long as a million miles OF
rock bound coast remain unpatrolled
as long as the wandering race pursues
it's wanderings, so long will We have
these tragic happenings Of the deep.
There can be even now a long step
in the direction Of improving the
standards of human efficiency. Carry
ing companies. not only on the sea,
but on the land, must not expect too
much Of their human machines. They
must not expect good results If low
type men are employed at a reduced
wage for the purpose Of making div
idends, and when they employ the
high wages they must not make the
burden too heavy for the same reason
Of economy. The cheapest man Is the
man who costs the most II he gives
his best service within his capacity
as human cog in the great machine
Of present day endeavor.