davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-01-12
Local Governments.

Saes the next tax laws, the prop,
erty Of the people has been safeguard.
ed asnever before against the extraya.
gance dishonesty or incompetency Of
local levying bodies refer to the
limitations on the amount Of money
that can be raised by local levylng
bodies contained in the Acts Of 1906
Unfortunately the law did not go far
enough as to boards of education
Something must be done 10 hold down
these fiscal bodies. which spend SO
much public money, to better business
methods; to stop graft, the buying OF
appliances and books at ridiculously
high prices, the awarding Of contracts
by fayoritlsm, and the carrying over
from one year TO another Of large sur
pluses. which lead to waste, graft and
extravaganza.
Much has been said in the discus.
sion OF the new tax laws Of the past
two years, OF the restriction Of these
local governing bodies.
Before they were enacted IN 1905. It
was said. that with the great increase
in value on which TO lay the levy, and
the probability OF no material reds
ton in the levy, taxes would be in
creased to an alarming amount. Aftel
these laws were passed II was said
that IL woe -, ,,rVra ,va,t,d su4--Ka
ence with the right of local self-gov.
eminent" It will be seen that these
theoretic hypercritics are hard to
please But we have always had these
restrictive laws-the germ in the con.
itself The decision Of the
supreme court OF appeals in the Brax.
ton county case brings our the law
and the common sense OF It.
We want the maximum amount OF
freedom of local government with the
maximum amount Of public good but
we need supervision and control. 20
see that the public good IS promoted
for the public good Is the end-the emo
& not the means of obtaining IT, 10.
cal government, however Is 50 deBlr.
eb'e IN itself that II should be presarv.
ed, even at the sacrifice Gf that be
Of a small measure Of pub
Tic good
recommend as a result of long con
eideration of the problem thar al
acse levying bodies county, mlni
cipal and district meet oa the same
day IN the year. say some dar in june
and that each OF them after ascertain
iug the balances in the treasury ap-
plicable to the year. make up an item
lied list Of all appropriations 70 be
made for the year proper blanks and
instructions therefor 70 be furnished
by the state tax commissioner or the
auditor who is to have authority to 81.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-01-12
Democrats Caucus.

The five democratic senators held.
as matter of form, a caucus, One of
their number is Jacob Fisher, of SUIT
ton, only he doesn't sign his name thai
way. It's Jake with him. The sen
ators said: Let's run Jake Fisher for
president of the senate, and it was so
ordered and the party win not lose its
identity A similar formality was
gone through with by the 26 demo
Gratis in the house
The democrats Of the house held a
caucus and named as their candidates:
John A. Preston, of Greenbrier for
speaker; John Capello. Of Summer. for
clerk and H. w. starcher for sergeant
atarms.
The democrats say they win not al
low themselves to be used by the re-
publican factions in any obstruction
games.
Insurgents Bitter,
The insurgent forces are in a bitter
mood over their defeat, but will not
admit that they are routed Their
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-01-12

r +. Evans. Of Mingo, and a candl-
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-01-12

direct tax on other property to pre-
vent a deficit piling up.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02
Pioneer WAY.

Ezra Meeker wants the government
to build Il great national highway, fol-
lowing the old trail from the Missouri
river to the Oregon country, to be
named Pioneer way.
ut will be a way" says this piO-
neer, that shall make traffic practi-
cable by the trackless car, a road of
cement that shall be thrOnged by the
coming generations"
Mr.. Meeker left his home in Pu-
GALLUP, Wash, Jan. %, 1906, accompa-
MED by Miss Bertha TempietOn, his
granddaughter. Two stout, sturdy oxen
pulled an ancient prairie schooner of
the type of the Oregon pioneer time.
The wagon bed was of boat shape;
hence the name schooner. Pioneers
used 10 find the boat shaped bed handy
in crossing streams. Mr.. Mecker him
self crossed several streams by using
his wagon bed for Il boat on his way
out to Washington. \ considerable
part of the wagon in which he made
the eastward trek belonged to the
identical schooner which lie used in
1872. His camp and cook outfit was
made up pretty much like that of the
early pioneer. There was even Il dog
trotting alongside the tar bucket hang
ing at the rear Ezra Meeker is moth
ing if not realistic in his doubling back
over the old trail.
The oxen were about the only mod
ern part of the outfit, and yet they
looked strangely out of date as they
drew the covered. wagon along the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02
Travelled by Men of Note.

The old Oregon trail led out from the
town of Independence, Mo-, overland q
matter of 5000 miles to Vancouver
and Astoria. Lewis and Clark, the
first official explorers of the region.
traversed parts of the trail. DIR. Mar
Gus Whitman traversed it time and
again between his home, near Fort
Vancouver. Wash, and the national
capital in his efforts to induce con-
gress to Americanize the vast region
and secure a permanent hold. Joaquin
Miller. the lyric poet of the pioneers,
traversed the old trait as boy with
his fathers family.
Whatever may be the outcome of
Ezra Meeker's mission, no person who
is acquainted with the story of the
pioneers and the history of the strug-
gle for the Oregon country and its
splendid development can withhold re-
spect and reverence from this man
who in his declining years has written
with the wheels of an OK team an epic
couplet in lines 5000 miles long. The
trek of Ezra Meeker belongs to Ameri
can history. ROBERTUS LOVE.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

I'm 1852 Ezra Meeker pioneer, aged
twenty-five. drove an OK team to
IN the far northwest over the Ore
gon trail In 1S06-07 Ezra Meeker,
pioneer, aged seventy-six, has driven
an OK team from the far northwest to
the east over the Oregon trail and far
beyond. Between these two dates
what marvels have happened!
Ezra Meeker, pioneer. is poet
though he does not write verse. No
man save one whose soul is possessed
by healthful sentiment could have I'M
dertaken such a trek as Ezra Meeker
Is just completing For an old man
Of his years. it is almost an epic
achievement Yct Mr. Meeker insists
fiat he is "Ouly seventy-six years
young" and we must apologize right
at the outset for calling him old. The
pioneer declares shat he hasn't known
a sick day for more than half CEN
fury. He was twenty-five when he
took his young wife to the Oregon
country from the old home in Indiana
fifty-four years ago. Mrs. Meeker-
the same young wife-still lives to
share her husbands fame. for he is
going to be famous as the preserver
and restorer of the old Oregon trail,
one of our most historic highways.
So that has been the mission of Ezra
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

Meeker on this eastward OK team trek,
this prairie schooner excursion from
the west coast to the east coast, which
has occupied nineteen months. Mr..
Meeker might have travelled it in five
days by transcontinental train, but be-
ing poet soul and pioneer still aft
er half a century of pioneering he
would have nothing but drive iden-
teal with that of 1852. only in reverse
direction and continuing right on to his
birthplace in Butler county, Ind; then
to New York city, which he has just
reached; then TO Oyster Bay to pre-
sent his plea to the president and then
on to Washington for further pushing
of his pet project. What that project
is may be told in IA few words.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02
THE DREAM OF THE STAR.

Ia Song of the Oregon Trail. Dedicated
to Ezra Meeker. Pioneer.l
|.
A song for the men who blazed the
way!
They made brave quest of the wild
Northwest,
They cut the Oregon trail.
Back of them beckoned their kith and
kin
And all that they held their own;
Front of them spread the wilderness
dreac,
And ever the vast Unknown.
But ever trsy kept their forward course,
And never hey thought to lag,
For over shar flew the Red, White and
Blu
And the cream of star for the fiasl
A cheer TO ts- uren who cut the traili
With SOU rs ti-m as steel
And fiery rs with, they hewed the
path
For the com Nc Co-1monweaI.
And close on the heels of the pioneers
The eager throng closed in
And followed the road % a far abode,
An Empire new to win.
And so they wrought at the end of the
trail,
AS ever must brave men do,
Till out of the dark there CLEANED a
spark,
And the dream of the star came truel
A toast to the men who made the road!
And a health to the men who dwell
In the great new land by the heroes
planned,
Who have builded it wide and WE'LL
The temple stands where the pine tree
stood,
And dim is the ancient trail,
But many and wide are the roads that
guide
And staneh are the ships that sail!
For the land is grand and soodIy
land,
And its fruitful fields are titled
BY the sons who see on the flag of the
free
The dream of the star fulfilled!
ROBERTUS LOVE.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02
ersons witnessed this interesting Ger.

ersons witnessed this interesting Ger.
fnony.
Ezra Meeker's memory is perfect
de recognized many spots which he
mad seen as a young man. But he
found vast changes. The country
through which he passed in 1852 was
largely barren plains. prairies. DESC
late stretches of waste wilderness. He
found the scraggly buffalo grass sup
planted by the cultivated grasses OF
agriculture. He found orchards and
forests developed on what had been
! treeless territory. He found splendid
cities and thriving towns all along. He
found highly developed farmhouses.
the wide fields cultivated by motor
plows and the grain gathered by great
| reapers which move by traction power
over the fields. heading the wheat,
thrashing it and filling sacks with the
| golden store. For a considerable part
of the journey he found great trans
continental railway line following
practically the Oregon trail.
WhiZZing automobiles passed the an
cient schooner outfit from time to time.
| Occupants of these modern machines
no doubt wondered who it was in the
prairie schooner and why he was do
ing it. Perhaps some of them smiled
at the quaint spectacle, as at 1.-The last
/ leaf on the tree But the well pre-
served pioneer. enthusiastic in his mis-
sion for preservation of the old trail,
! for building Pioneer way so that flu
ture generations may travel it and
recall the glorious achievements of the
! early pioneers, the men who settled
! the Pacific northwest and made it
American territory - this young old
pioneer cared not a whit what others
! thought of him. He did care, though,
! for what they thought of his project,
and at every opportunity he told the
people about it and urged their CO
! operation.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

"Say. l don't like to roast your Es-
Enlistment, but you have got the
bummest lot of Eirds / ever listened
to-" said the Finanrier. "Their Roper
tory Is too limited. And that Cow has
Manner that is soothing for Day
or two and then begins to suggest
an ting lack of Versatility, as it
were l discovered. also. certain
Monotony in the Antics of the SPUR
rels. AS for the Weekly, / have read
1t all through four times, including the
Sarsaparilla Ads, and along towards
the last the only thing that Interested
me was the Timetable. l needed a
good Rest. and I've had enough to
last me fully 3 years. When 1 strike
that Club tonight, I'll simply sign my
Name to the Card and have them
bring In the whole Works from Caviar
to Cafe Noir."
I'm afraid there isn't any such In
stitutien as Paradise on Earth" re-
marked the RUDE.
"Oh, yes, there is" said the Million
aire, ''but we never find it twice In
the same Spot"
MORAL: A Complete Change will
always do one Good and sometimes do
him to q Finish.
All the news all the time-THH
ARGUS.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

all the news all the time-THE
ARGUS.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

lieSEoS add Il CGuOpy. You can lie
there on the Husks cd look at $i0.-
OUJ worth OF Paintings by the Old
Masters. In the Morning q British
Gentleman of AriStocratic Appearance
viii come AID lead you to the Royal
Porcelain, after which he will dress
you, without your lifting a Finger.
You shall have Silk Underwear and a
Monogram worked on each Sock. At
breakfast you shall have dollhouse
Grapes and everything else out of Sea
son, and Flowers on the Table. After
breakfast you may step into Car
riaSe with Gold Trimmings, drawn by
two Prize Bays, and ride to an Office
where the Chairs are padded eight
inches deep and all the Hirelings
jump at your slightest Command. For
Luncheon you shall so to Il Club where
YOU may meet those who have Money
10 burn; and if your Check is under
81. it shows that you are Il Piker.
You can stop Work at 3 Pm. and go
for a Spin in your French Touring
Car. with Il Chauffeur to work the
Wheel. In the Evening You can put on
your Glads and drink SIT worth of
Vintage Wines and take in two or
three Theatres. and after that start
in again and have something TO Eat"
You are stringing me-" said the
Rube. such Heavenly Joys as these
never come to the poor Yap."
Il will let you use my Bank Ac-
count. and then you won't be Yap,'
explained the Millionaire. eco and
revel in the Life that you read about In
the Weekly Papers. All that l ask in
return is the Use for one blisSful
Month of this seQuestered Snuggery,
here among the MorningGlOries and
the Biithesome Chickadees.''
The Financier gave the Rube all the
Credentials needed and shipped him
to the roaring Metropolis. Then he
sat down under the whispering Trees
: with nothing to superintend except the
rising and setting of the Sun.
| Two weeks later. as the Financicr
was emerging from the Deep Woods
he met the Rube coming in with a
Pullman-Car Towel around his Head
"What, so soOn?" asked the City
| NadH. We DPcll iSdilSI IL ipT -
I Years. Why should you pass 1T NJ
after two brief Weeks?'
"For the first three or four Days il
was Great Stuff" responded the Suf
ferer. ''Then l began to tumble to the
Fact that the Shows We're all about
the Same and that 81 Lunch was {
Delusion unless | had an Appetite
The Automobile was Hit until some
Of the New Machines began to pass
me, and then | lost Interest. As soOr
as it was -noised around that ! hat
Stuff, I became a Mark for every
known Con Game. so I frightened III
land refused to see Visitors, and every
one said I was Il Snob, and the Onl!
Friends / had were the Walters
Tipped. So far as l can discover. the
lBust-Head resulting from the Bubble:
that cost Sc per Quart is the same OLE
Feeling that we used to get out o
Apple-Jack. In short, l begin to SET
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

lOE Wlldt liley lHOuSul VI his I'IoJeCt,
and at every opportunity he told the
people about it and urged their CO.
operation.
Picturesque Abode.
At the Lewis and Clark exposition
in Portland two years ago l talked
with Ezra Meeker from time to time.
He was a feature" of that eXPosi-
ton. He lived on the grounds in a
coy house made of section of gil
gantic Washington tree followed out
and rooted over with canvas. 1t was
q strikingly picturesque abode, delight
fully appropriate to the occupant and
the occasion. There sat Ezra Meeker
selling his books to those who would
buy, talking with his visitors about
the old days and the new days and
discussing his pet scheme for person
ally retracing the trail and having it
restored. In his tree house. the room
being at least fifteen feet in diameter,
Mr. Meeker had relics of the old days.
l never met n saner man than Ezra
Meeker. He is widely travelled man.
He has known both wealth and pow
| erty. Early in the Washington terri
| tory days he discovered that hops
| grow with remarkable fecundity in
that region. He planted great hop
! yards and waXed wealthy from the
| product. In those days he was called
the hop king.
Daniel Webster and other fasteners
| strongly opposed the acquisition of the
| Oregon country. Webster held that all
the country beyond the Rockies was
| barren desert worthless wilderness
and made some comments on the
worthlessness of that region which
look like hilarious humor today. But
Webster was serious. He knew little
or nothing Of the great west beyond
| the backbone of the mountains. The
fight for Oregon, which meant a great
deal more than the present state OF
| that name. was carried on by the pio
| neers. 1t was waged by Ezra Meekel
and men of his stamp. who drove OF
less" wilderness. 1t was waged also
by men like Benton and DR.. Lewis
F. Linn in the United States senate
both of them from Missouri and boil
able to "show" what Webster couldn'
see. Linn really began the battle il
the senate, and after he died BentoI
took up the struggle. The state OF
| Oregon has named counties for Linz
and Benton.
The United States did not get al
of the original Oregon country. w,
got the territory now comprised in tn,
three states of Oregon. Washington
and Idaho and a small portion of TIVE
other states, but the greed of Grea
| Britain and the dilatoriness of som,
of our own statesmen robbed us of tn,
rest of 1t. The slogan of ''fifty-fou
forty or fight is well remembered.
meant that by right of discovery ant
exploration the land was ours up +
the parallel of "a degrees 40 minutes
marking the southern boundary o
what was then Russian America. B,
final compromise we got the southern
part. and England took the northern
section. Had America held out 70
the whole of the Oregon country tn
. United States now would extend in al
unbroken line from the tip end o
: Florida to the icy cap Of northernmos
} Alaska. Wouldn't 1t have been wort
. | while?
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

Ia Song of the Oregon Trail. Dedicated
to Ezra Meeker. Pioneerl
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

ut time" 10 A-'' NJ
why. you concatenated Chump. you
have two-acre Paradise here and you
don't know it, said the City Man.
"Pd like to trade Places with YOU
"Tll trade with anybody said the
tube. I'm tired of this Dogs Life"
you're onr' exclaimed the Finan-
cier. This is what I'll stake you To-
You'll have a. Spring Bed with Mat
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

dim old trail-dim in places and In
roads and much travelled for short dis
tances by the local inhabitants. One
of the oxen made the entire transcon.
tinental trip. The other died at Lin.
coin. Neb., where Mr.. Meeker was de-
layed for several weeks looking for a
successor to that OK. This incident
serves to emphasize the wonderful
progress made by that part of the
country since the fifties. In those days
long caravans of OK teams were trudg.
ing westward through Nebraska. Now
man must wait weeks to find one
lone OK who knows his business.
interesting Ceremony.
At many points along the way Mr..
Meeker stopped to erect markers or
monuments. He was not out for a
speed record. Usually be would adj
dress the people gathered at a point
which it was desirable to mark. At
several places the school children, hun
dreds of them, contributed their mites
for the making of the monument. Hero
rude bowlder was placed. there q
cairn of stone and yonder handsome
granite SHAFT. AT the famous pass
through the Rocky mountains Mr.. Nee.
ker Travelled eighty-four miles from q
postoffice 20 reach the summit and
place monument Only twenty-four
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

. II c e
there was
a S toe K
Exchange
Midas who
had great
gobS Of the
W h e + e.
with.
Day and
y ig h t he
was hound
ed by those
w no were
looking for
Hot Tips,
o + w Ii O
wanted TO
touch him
up for De-
II o IN i II -
tiOnal Col
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

that the
Rich can
afford all
the Lux
uries. but
the minute
they be-
gin to dip
into them,
the trou-
bic begins.
| I II i II Ii
L III due
for about
one week
of AbSo
lutte Calm.
But what
are you
doing on
Your way
to the Sta
TOM
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02

when you
+ o | k S
have Au-
toS cost
ing $1,000?
1 n @ yer
get to see
a 9 o o d
Show, and
L haven't
N a II m "
p t u re
taken for
6 Years,
and some
tt IN e S l
don't have
a nybody
c o IN G in
to see me
for Weeks
or n Tina ~
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-02
GEORGE AIDE FABLES
The Unhappy Financier and the DISCONTINUED
Rube

copyright. 1902. 1903. by Robert Howard
Russell.
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1907-10-10
Monday, October IA, 1907
Commencing at 10 a. m.

Commencing at 10 a. m.
l4O head OF live stock. Z head of hors-
es consisting of gray mare 81 year old
weighs 400, colt at side, in foal; brown
horse II years old weighs l40O / bay
mare in foal 8 years old weighs 1850,
bay mare in foal Is years old weighs
100, brown colt IL years old, bay
colt y years old.
" head OF cattle consisting of Is head
of fine mich COWS, good graded bull
+ helters in calf, 3 steers, 8 spring calves.
los head of hogs consisting of 81 spring
shoats, Is fall pigs, sows, l Duroc Jer-
sey boar.
Poultry, hay, grain, ETC., consisting of
about 300 head of and year old pull
lets, about 100 head springs, 80 head of
ducks, 20 head of geese, Is tons timothy
and little clover hay in barn. very fine
quality; some hay in stack, 25 acres of
corn in field runs from so to so bushels
to acre, 80 acres corn stalks, 80 acres
pasture and straw pile.
Farm machinery consisting of Cham
pion binder, l Champion mower, hay
rake, hay rack, lumber wagon, /
spring buggy, l seeder, cultivator, l
harrow, disc, l corn planter and so rods
wire, 2 sets harness, l grinder, 1 saddle,
! heater, cook stove, 3 bedsteads, l ia
BILE. set chairs, cupboard, bureau,
soft and hard coal, seed potatoes, l One
Minute Washer, l stand of bees, organ
and other articles. Everything is in the
best of condition.
Free luncn and usual terms.
@. Tugel.
G. G. Nelson, Auct.
S. G, Petersen, Clerk.
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1907-10-10
JOHN REED
A Progressive Young Farmer Of Au-
duhon County Steadily Working
His Way to Wealth

One OF the Industrious farmers OF
Audubon county is Mr.. Johu Reed
of Hamlin township. He is one OF
those young farmers with the
word thrifty" sandwiched into his
every act. His fine farm situated
on the divide between the waters
of the classic Blue Grass and the
pretty Davis creek, shines forth az
from masters hand. Agricul-
ture, as practiced by Mr.. Reed, is
indeed pleasure to pursue.
Every act or piece of work is
weighed in the balance before it's
attempted. If it will pay" the
work is performed but if not, it ie
passed bv.
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1907-10-10

John Crane and daughter, Kath-
ryn, started for Rome, New York,
today where the former goes for
treatment of cancer. cir. Crane
wishes to express his sincere
thanks to those who so literally
contributed toward the fund for
his benefit more especially the
X. P's OF Audubon, the solicitors
who gave their time and services
working in his behalf and to the
musicians who rendered their
services at the ball without money
and without price.
Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1907-10-10

Henry E. Jones of Tampa, Florida,
writes: 81 can thank God for my
present health due to Foley's Kidney
Cure. l tried doctors and all kinds Of
kidney cures. but nothing did me
much good till took Foley's Kidney
Cure. Four bottles cured mo and 1
have no more pain in my back and
shoulders. L am 81 years old and suf-
fered long but thanks to Foley's Kid
ney Cure / am we'll and can walk and
enjoy myself. 1t is a pleasure to
recommend it to those needing q kid
ney medicine" Nick Doffing.