davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

sible only by the most intense exer-
ton, would find it hard to maintain
that balance which enables a man to
support his misfortunes and not be
led into extremes by his success.
Actors frankly break down under the
great white light that ever beats on
them, and stock operators walk daily
in peril of sanitariums. The suicide
route is ever open to these, and is all
too frequently traversed.
But when "Chick" Stahl passed out
by his own hand he made himself only
the fourth prominent baseball suicide
in recent years.
Marty Bergen, crazed by drink, MUIR
dered his wife, child and himself. Win
Mercer, famous pitcher of the Wash
ington and Detroit teams, did the bust
ness for himself in San Francisco four
years ago, when two teams were tour
ing the west. 1t is also as good as GER
tain that poor Ed Delehanty was re-
sponsible for the act that made his
body buffet for the Niagara river.
This is small total in profession
which certainly numbers not fewer
than $4,000 members. 1t should prove
that, despite the racking strain of the
great national sport, there are COM
pensations in it that help to keep a
man in the normal path.
Admitting that the wear and tear on
player is terrific, the rarity of sui
cides shows that for all the mental
overburdening there is ever physical
relief and upbuilding that preserves
the balance. The splendid exercise of
all the muscles, the upbuilding of the
lungs, the cleansing value of the daily
shower bath and the careful attention
of trained masseurs enable the body to
do its share in helping out the brain.
Actors and financial men, to stick
to the original comparison, find nc
such compensations. They get little
exercise. The member of the dramatic
profession works at night in a closed
room, whose atmosphere is generally
laden with impurities.
The broker may after his days work
is over take a spin in his automobile
or carriage, but he does not get out in
the fields and do the actual exercising
himself.
Suicides infrequency in baseball
forms the best possible argument fol-
the value of strenuous outdoor sport.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

that the missionary is sort of pious
bunco-man; that he is not wanted
where he works, that he is an unmiti-
gated nuisance, and that he Is keenly
alert to the welfare of number one.
Contrariwise, vastly larger num-
Der of persons, in every part of the
land. firmly believe. and support their
conviction by their coin, that the mis-
sionary is a saint and a hero, and the
selfless servant of a thankless worlds
welfare. All criticism of him they
sweepingly resent; and are loath to
hear aught to his dispraise. The
apotheosis of the missionary is char
acteristic of modern religious life.
On a Still Hunt for Facts.
Curiously enough, the public hears
only these two opinions Of the mis-
sionary one of which represents him
as a scoundrel or a fool, the other of
which exalts him as a demi-god. So
far as 1 am aware, nobody has ever
set out, independently, and represent
ing no board, society or cause, to find
out, impartially, the exact facts in the
case. This Is the mission have un-
dertaken. My journalistic integrity is
pledged to the duty of ascertaining,
without favor or fear. exactly what
sort of person the missionary is. how
he works and amid what conditions,
and whether the task he has imposed
upon himself is worth doing at all, and
if SO, whether he is doing it well.
To that end I shall personally ex-
anime, on the ground, representative
enterprises of all UNCONVENTIONAL and
undenominational missions. | shall at.
tempt to study the workers them
selves, and hear their own side Of the
story. With equal diligence / shall
tonsult qualified native opinion and
4earch out the foremost foreign critics
and ascertain their views. In a word
with no other purpose than to give the
American public a fair. frank, full
story of this controverted subject,
have started on this journey around
the world. Whatever the conclusions
/ may report, they will at least be
honest.
The Largest American Business
Abroad.
The biggest single foreign enter
prise in which America is engaged i.
this one of foreign missions. The res
of the world, and especially the Orient
knows the Western Continent chief.
by its missionaries. Figured in dol
lars, the business last year cost tn
: American public $5,S07 ,165, paid in b.
an organization with Approximately
100000 900 shareholders of all religion
denominations, Protestant, Roman
Catholic and Mormon. (The foreig
mission work of all countries cost
S15, 1000, 900 yearly) For all this enol
nous output the tangible returns t
America were practically nothing
True, the missionary helped to Great
market for the American packer.
products, and for American locomt
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

sionaries, and | hope you will rip them
up the back" she began, breezily.
I'VE who travel and live out here
know that they are bad lot" Yet
she could not, when urged, become
more definite, and, although long a
resident of Manila, and an Episco-
palian, she confessed that she had
never heard or met Bishop Brent, the
brilliant head of the Philippine mis-
sions of her church.
Good Morals But Bad Manners.
Already l have a dim suspicion that
one reason for the antipathy which
many travellers have to missionaries
is to be found in the latter's attitude
toward life aboard ship and in port
cities. The missionary is, infer, often
narrow and intolerant, and DESTROYS of
imposing his standards upon every
body. He is prone to make unman-
nerly remarks about the amount of
drinking that goes on, seven days a
week, aboard ship. The incessant
gambling, also, of the smoking room
and ship saloons gets on his puritan
ical nerves. He cannot see-and he is
entirely too blunt and inconsiderate, /
believe. in expressing this opinion
why practices should be counted good
form aboard ship that are contrary to
the law of the land when ashore. That
is the way he justifies his tactlessly-
aired opinions.
Tourists do not like to have the
narrow standards of the missionaries
thus flung at their heads consciously
| and they are not likely to form an en-
| tirely favorable estimate of their crit
| les TOO many young missionaries, >
| said famous veteran missionary tc
me a few minutes ago, think that
they must start out by trying to con
vert the whole ship. They do not try
to mingle socially and congenially
with their fellow passengers. They
acquire an identity as missionaries
! rather than as men and women
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26
AMERICAN LEAGUE NOTES

For the benefit Of any persons who
are not FANS" but who may read
these lines, it may be stated here that
Jake Staml and Chick Stahl are not
brothers. They are not related at all.
This fact is we'll known to the init
ated, but by those not so well posted
in the dope of the national game, the
question has often been asked, since
the death of Chick Stahl, whether he
and the Washington manager were
relatives.
Jennings has made but one change
since he took charge of the Detroit
team. and that was to place Rossman
at first instead Of Lindsay.
st. Louis American management has
issued a season ticket, making grand
stand price of about 60 cents per to
fans who wish to attend all of the u
home games.
Buck Freeman, Fred Lake and Bill
Dineen all played together in 1895 on
the Toronto team. While Dineen is
still a star, Freeman is about ready to
go back to the minor organization,
while Lake has gone back so far that
even New England league ball is too
fast for him.
Connie Mack seems to have known
something" when he predicted that
Coombs would be we'll worthy OF his
hire this year. Coombs has been
twirling good ball with cheering con-
sistency.
Pat Powers is there with a big
boost for Jimmy Collins of the Bos-
tons. Powers saw Collins work in
the south, and he says that he never
saw the great third baseman in better
form.
Big Ed Walsh, the star of the
worlds champions pitching staff, has
a brother who is showing some good
speed as a twirler. His name is Mar
tin. He was tried out by Newark last
spring and has now signed a contract
with Binghamton.
1t is said that Joe Cantillon is Civ
ing the Senators series of daily leG-
lures on how to bat. 1t may work
wonders with the stick work of the
Nationals, but most all great batsmen
say That all they can tell about how
to hit is to step up and hit it out
An exchange unkindly remarks that
Lajoie is making "his old excuse O!
hoodoo, and Cleveland ought to get
tired of that baby talk" Never
heard of Lajoie making any excuse
tor anything, but If ever two man
ayers have had a right to cry 'hard
luck" many times in their baseball
career, they are Napoleon Lajoie and
Clark Griffith.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26
Suicide Is Rare Among
Ball Players of Present
"Chick' Stahi Fourth Prominent Dia-
mond Star to Die by His
Own Hand.

Chick" Stahls pitiable death at
West Baden, Ind, recently created no
less surprise than regret.
Suicide is rare among ball tossers.
Considering the number of men who
are now engaged in the national game
the proportion of such deaths is much
less than in any other calling whose
votaries are subjected to an intense
daily strain.
Actors and brokers furnish far more
additions to the suicide list
1t might be expected that athletes
who compete day after day under the
most trying conditions, with hot sun
beating on their heads, with hostile
crowds batting them. with success pos
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26
GOSSIP OF THE NATIONALS

Speedy" Miller, a youngster whom
the Pirates drew in the minor league
grab-bag last winter, is slated to go
back whence he came. Manager Clarke
says that he will carry the youngster
a while longer though.
Manager McCloskey, of the Cardi-
nails, has made little Carl Druhot
change his style of delivery with great
hot had a pernicious habit of tying
himself into knots before pitching,
which was especially bad with men
on the bases. McCloskey says that
Druhot's work has improved all
around since the change.
Manager Billy Murray, Of the Phil
lies, says that one of the best minor
league pitchers in the country got
away from the National league when
Griffith got Keefe from Montreal. Muir
ray says Keefe is a wonder.
A brother of Vic Willis, of the
Pirates is pitching for the Charleston
s. c., team. He has been doing good
work in the spring games.
The Columbus team in the Ameri-
can association is pulling hard for all
of the Cleveland team to get well, be-
cause they think that Lajoie will then
turn over either Hinchman or Congal-
ton to them.
Catcher Orendorf, of the Boston
club, who was badly bitten by dog
at brownsville, Ga, few weeks ago,
is back in the harness. Tenney thinks
that Orendorf will make great catch
er in a year or two with the big league
teams
"Stony" McGlynn, the pitcher that
McClOskey sprung on us in the Cardi.
nails last run around the circuit last
season, is justifying the managers
high opinion of his ability, though he
was badly beaten by the Browns. 6 to
2, in the first game of the st. Louis
series. Errors helped to give Nc
Glynn one bad inning in which the
Browns got three hits of him. That
was the first, and in the next eight
they got only four hits off him.
From the dope on the Dodgers In
| the south the rest Of the teams must
have done something to Lewis. The
| lazy shortstop has bucked up and is
| playing a rafting game.
The Enquirer says: There is not
much doubt that Jake Weimer will be
showing up here before so very long.
Jake's Chicago proposition is not SO
glittering as he thought it was, and he
will soon see the big difference be-
| tween what he can make there and
| what the Cincinnati club will be glad
to pay him, A rainy Sunday or two
will send the Tornado down here fly
ing. Look for him early in May.
Hans Wagner is as fast to-day as he
ever was in his life, which is saying
something. The effects of the rheuma-
tism with which he was afflicted last
fall have entirely disappeared.
After reading Jack O'Connor's weird
tale about the Pittsburg players doing
their washing on trains, Hans Wag
ner remarked contemptuOusly
''Humph, I spend more money in a
season for gun shells than O'Connol
makes"
Duggleby has shown the best form
of any of Billy Murray's Philadelphia
twirlers this spring. Murray will de
| pend on him for the spring work to 9
large extent and expects "Dugg" to dc
great stunts this summer.
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26
Giants Will Not Have
Donlin This Season
Star Player Quits New York Team
and Accepts Position at
Chicago.

Mike Donlin has quit the New
York giants and signed a contract as
assistant manager of the Whitney
Opera house of Chicago.
The news came as a great surprise
to those of Mikes friends who heard
of it. because it was generally sup
posed that the winters differences be-
tween Donlin and the management of
the New York National League team
had been amicably patched up and
that the famous center fielder and
hard hitter again would be seen with
the old forces of the former cham
pions Of the world.
'McGraw and I parted company in
Louisville and | will not return to
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

the Armstrong committee such luck
in it's investigation of insurance mat
ters. The boards open wide up, and
then deluge one with information upon
his approach. In fact, the considera-
ton which, more than any other, tends
to predispose me, as an investigator
toward the missionary people is the
heartiness and frankness with which
they seem to welcome an investiga-
ton Without hesitation they have
afforded me every facility for looking
into their work at home and in for
eign lands They say: Find out the
worst and tell the public. including us.
We want to see the thing with the
eyes of disinterested observer.
A New Side of College Life.
Picked up in the forest of facts amid
which found myself, is the news that
Yale university has established mis-
sionary lectureship, with Prof. Harlan
P. Beach, an ex-missionary, as incum,
bent; and that Yale, Harvard, Prince
ton and the University of Pennsyl-
vania all now have foreign mission en-
terprises of their own, manned by
graduates and supported by alumni
and students.
On the foreign field-to make big
jump-there are now 400 translations
of the Bible. OF native converts the
American missionaries claim half
million, while the total native Chris
tan population of so-called heather"
lands is million and half.
Hard Knocks for the Missionaries,
Quite different are the stories l
hear in other quarters. One of the
higher officers of the Pacific Mail
Steamship company assured me. as
one who knows. that 1.-The mission
aries are lot of grafters. But he
added, with the characteristic COM
mercial spirit of the day, Il do not
want to see their graft stopped, for it
pays, us to carry them"
A Hong-kong merchant aboard ship
declared that the missionaries are a
pack of scoundrels. They are over
bearing, lazy. pestiferOus fellows, re-
cruited only from the very lowest
ranks of society in America and Great
Britain" That last was a little more
than l could swallow, for il went con-
trary to my personal knowledge in
numerous instances. The missionary
may prove to be bad egg when he
reaches foreign shores; but every col
lege man in the land knows the stock
from which he springs. | recalled
while leaning over the rail conversing
| with Mr.. Hong-Kong merchant,
that few weeks before l had read an
enthusiastic autograph letter from
! President Roosevelt to Rev. DR.. Ar
| thur H. Smith Gather of the project
of bringing Chinese students to Amer
lean universities) concerning the lat
ter's books on China. A few days
previously Dr. Smith had been the
presidents guest at luncheon.
| AS matter of candOr l may say
that thus far l am having some diff
Guilty in running down to particulars
the countless charges against the mis-
| sionaries. 1 hope to have better for
tune in foreign lands. AS an illustra-
ton of my troubles, there is the in.
stance of a fellow passenger on the
Trans-Pacific steamer, the wife of a
Philippine official. She had learned
the nature of my quest. 4 am glad
you are going to get after the mis-
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

about $500 year; it may be a hun
dred dollars more, or, more likely,
hundred dollars less, according to his
denomination. A married man gen.
orally from 81 900 to $1,000, with 500
extra for each child, if he belongs to
one of four or five denominations. An
unmarried woman gets $500, $500 or
even $500 year. with no prospect of
increase. The missionary's stipend is
based not on the idea of compensation
but of simple support. A mere living
is all that it is designed to afford the
missionary. All who choose this call
ing, say the boards, must renounce
hope of earthly gains.
Every missionary contracts to stay
seven years before receiving a fur
Tough; then his expenses home will be
paid, and he will receive one-half sal
airy while off duty. He is forbidden
to engage in outside money-making
pursuits. AS rule, if he writes a
book. it's royalties must be turned
back into the treasury of his board.
So 1t strikes one that, even consider
ing the lower cost of living in the
Orient, the financial inducements to
a cultivated young person to become a
missionary are rather meager. Wheth
er this fact shuts out all but second
class men and women remains to be
| found out.
Sending That Penny to the Heathen.
| Everybody has heard the charge
that for every penny which gets to the
mission field, 80 cents is required to
send it. Business men, who believe in
business methods even in religious af-
fairs are the most frequent critics of
the eXpensiveness of the conduct of
the missionary propaganda. 1 deter
mined to look this matter up. with
quite surprising results. Here are the
official figures, in all their dryness, of
the cost of collection and administra.
ton of foreign mission funds last year
by leading denominations:
The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1907-04-26

On the way TO these interesting fig
ures learned that last year the aver
age American church member gave "a
cents to foreign missions, the record
being held by the United Presby-
terians. with $1.77 per member. 1t
seems that there has been a general
increase in giving, the Southern Bap-
lists having doubled their foreign mis-
sion gifts within decade, and the
Southern Presbyterians nearly so.
Smoothing the Investigators Path.
found these missionary board Of
ficials civil lot. ] could have wished
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14

time it is expected to finish the bust
ness of the April term. Judge Byron
w. Preston is on the bench and Fer
rell Bray is doing the shorthand
work.
The county board of supervisors
met in regular monthly session at the
court house last Monday morning.
Attorney Charles c.. Heninger was
called to Hedrick on Monday morning
on legal business.
Attorney j. c. BEEN OF What Cheer
was attending to business in court
here Monday.
Marshal McFarlan of What Cheer
is in the city on business this week,
attending to court matters and look
ing after county business.
Mats Biewen of Clear Creek town
ship is in the city. acting in his ca
pacity as member of the board Of SUI
peryisors.
Thomas Ruby Of the southern part
of the county was transacting business
here Monday.
Mats Jacobs of Delta was a bust
ness caller here last Monday morning.
r. M. Tresslar of the western part
OF Sigourney township was in the city
on business relating to his assessing
work
John T. Fletcher of What Cheer
was looking after business matters in
the county seat Monday.
| o. B. Jones Of Keota was business
caller in the city Monday.
John Needham of Centerville return-
ed to his home on Monday, after hav-
ing made short visit with relatices
| Attorney T. c. Legoe of What Cheer
was attending to business in the dis
1 trict court Monday
George Gilbert Of Harper was trans
acting business In the city on Mon
day.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14
Christian Endeavor Convention Closes.
Sipn1lrnex THE Christian Endeay-

Sigourney-The Christian Endeav-
or convention closed very successful
session here last Sunday evening. The
last meeting was union meeting and
was held in the Methodist Episcopal
church. The address of the evening
was given by Rev. Philip Palmer Of
the Presbyterian church on Christian
Citizenship, though the program had
been arranged for another speaker to
take this part. Rev. Palmer had but
a few hours notice but delivered a
good address and one that was pleas
ing to the large audience. There were
about seventy-fve out Of town visitors
here during the session. And by those
in attendance it was pronounced one
of the mast successful district cons
ventions ever held in the district.
Irwin Ogden of What Cheer was a
visitor and business caller in the city
Monday.
Denis stapleton of What Cheer was
business caller in the city Monday,
and an attendant at the district court
Guy G. Woodin of Oskaloosa was a
visitor at the home Of his mother last
Monday.
Mrs. John Hackert Of the northwest
part Of the county was visitor at the
county seat on Monday.
Court convened LIST Monday morning
and Is expected to be in session
throughout the week, during which
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14

Davidson Was united in marriage to
Miss May Louise DeSollar at Akron,
O., December 81, 1865, by Rev. Will
liam H. Jordan. Mrs Davidson is the
daughter of Henry B. and Christiana
peSCllar. She was sGrn at Akron, o
March 10. 1885,
The following year after their mar
riage Mr.. and Mrs. Davidson moved
to Iowa and in 1870 they settled In
{Wapello county on farm four miles
northeast of Bladensburg. Here the
nine sons were born and grew to man
hood.
After the youngest boy had become
Of age and decided to 'cave the home.
stead to follow the footsteps of his
brothers, the parents left the old home
place and moved to Batavia where
they have since resided, living quiet,
retired life.
A Remarkable Family.
Frank Eugene Davidson, the eldest
son, aged SO years. was born June
Z. 1867. He is an architect, located
at Chicago, where he is superintendent
of constructiAn for the Western Elec-
trio company.
Charles Wesley Davidson of Denver,
Colo, aged 81 years, was born June
20. 1869 He IS minister of the Cos
pei.
John Robert Davidson, aged 35, Is
engaged in newspaper work in New
York City. He was born October s,
1871.
George Elmer Davidson, a hardware
merchant located at Batavia, Is SO
years of age. He was born August
8, 1873.
Thomas William Davidson, aged
81 years, was born December 80, 1875.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-14
Attend Field Meet.

Seymour CougHl accompanied
the High School Athletic club to Fair
field Thursday. where Kenneth john
son, Alex Richardson and Edgar Dy-
ball participated in the field meet on
Friday.
Clarence Styner of Corydon was In
this city yesterday on business.
Mrs. William Goranf1o went down
to Centerville Thursday, returning on
Friday. .,
church went to Clio Thursday to
preach a funeral.
Mrs. Ben Talbert visited in Numa
this week.
John Miller discovered and captured
den of wolves few miles south af
hera one day LAST weak