davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

DIR. and Mrs James Lee. Of Padu-
cab. Ky. we're guests yesterday Of DR.
and Mrs G.. H. McNemcr. Of Eleventh
rect DR. Lee returned home yester.
day. but Mrs Ice remained for a
longer visit
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

Mrs. Halliday r. Aisthorpe has r.
turned from Anna where she attended
the Anderson-Clark wedding.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

real estate agency in the opera house
block.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

Misses Rose Howley and Mary
Huette have returned from a visit
with friends at Wickliffe.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

Miss Mcfarland of Chicago. is the
the guest Of her brother, Thomas Nc
Farland and family, OF Park Place
West.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

]. S. Hubbard, Of Fort Worth, Tex
who has been visiting his sister, Mrs
G. II. McNemer, has gone to 81
Louis.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

Mayo Farm has resigned the office
of vice president OF the Woodward
Hardware company and will go to Cal.
ifornia with his family 10 reside.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

!. +. Childers. who resides near
Pine Bluff Ark, formerly Of Sandusky
ILL.,. was in the city yesterday en- route
home from visit at Sandusky.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-04

Miss kda Van Cieve, Of the South
ern Illinois Hospital FOR Insane at
Anna. is visiting her sister Mrs Flora
Coleman, Of Lower Commercial ave
me.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

'.Yes Your Honor' would Bill reply.
 Then Judge" King would look the tramp all over.
 What's the charge, Bill2" he would ask.
 Bill.
 "so you're vagrant, hey? Where from?'
 "Wisconsin, me Judge" That from the tramp.
 'Wisconsin, hey?' And you've been tramping all summer, sleeping in the green orchards, and fiding on the freight cars, and basking In the sunshine and bathing in the dew-no, l guess you never bathed-and now that it's come cold, you want me to take you In and send you to the penitentiary, where you will be nice and warm and comfortable until the snow stops flying, hey?'
 "Yes, me judge" Again from the tramp.
 Well, I ain't goin' to do it.'' This lat ter in the voice of young thunder. "Get your good-f -for-nothing carcass out of here and go back to Wisconsin where you come from, and let them keep you. If find you inside the city within three hours, I'll have you tucked in the canal. Get"
 And the tramp generally got.
 Judge Kings usual punishment was 10 order this class of pauper out of town. He appeared adamant, but like all men, there was weak point in his armor. The Judge, 1t seems, had once suffered an unpleasant experience In Toronto, Canada, and from that time on was death on Canadians. One willy hobo more ragged and dirty than the usual run, if this were possible-in some way found this out, and when the Judge asked him where he hailed from, replied, Canada. your worship"
 Well" said the Judge. Great Britain helped us in the Spanish-American War with her sympathy. and I guess l don't feel so badly towards Canadians as I used to. You can go; get out of town. :"
 It was hard to tell which was the most amusing, the expressive wink of the Judge or the downcast countenance of the tramp.
 In five minutes the latter was back "Where did you get that fellow, Cas- sidy?" asked the Judge of the policeman who had brought him in? I just let him go'
 Sure, Judge" said Cassidy, The just fired q stone through a window of the saloon across the street."
 Sixty days" said the Judge. The tramp had won.
 The pauper that gives the authorities the greatest amount of trouble is the professional pauper-the man who Is pauper in order to make livelihood. These fellows are usually the most vici- ous Q{ their class and will seldom hesi-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

cago is said by some members of the fra ternity to be the easiest city in the world In which to live without work.
 It would surprise you to know, per haps, that the average professional beg gar Is a very close reader of the papers. He has to he. Competition is keen and progress rapid in tbe underwalks of life, as well as In the upper realms of bust ness, and the man with the newest yarn and the most plausible tale is the man who brings in the biggest pile at night. The old stories about' losing wife and child by pneumonia are worn threadbare. and will hardly bring the user In enough for bed. To be a good beggar man must not only be well up to date; he must be more up to date than his fellow craftsman. Thus 1t was that after the Chicago beef-packing scandals the coun- try was flooded with men who lost the use of one or two or several limbs as the result of abuses and injuries suffered In the Chicago packing houses. Then 1t was the San Francisco earth quake, and survivors were blowing into Eastern cities asking for help three months after the terrible disaster. Every big railroad wreck gives some enterpris- ing hobo a chance to work the sympa- thetic housewives in the neighboring towns, and a powder mill explosion, In which every man within 100 yards was killed, furnished no less than "A survivors.
 The newest racket Is the automobile gag. A dusty and tattered individual staggers into farmyard and tells heart rending tale about being run down by an automobiist who never even stopped to inquire how badly he had been hurt The farmers well-known antipathy to the city automobilist is relied upon to help in the success of this gag. It usually does, and the bogus victim frequently gets sev- eral good meals, nights lodging. some serviceable cast-off clothes and q chance to work--which latter he usually ducks.
 Closely allied with the great begging profession are the men who may be termed ''purveyors to the fakers.' They make a business of supplying beggars with the articles needed to ply their trade, such as artificial sores to counter felt injury or disease, bandages that will give the appearance of any desired de- formity, crutches, canes, etc., etc. There Is in London at least one individual who makes a good living renting out appli- ances. pair of green goggles, tin cup and sign "I am blind" for instance, will be loaned to enterprsing individuals who desire to enter the trade for a small percentage of the daily receipts. It would seem that the owner of these chat tes had little security for their return, and no assurances that he would get his proper portion of the proceeds. Such is not the case. however. In big cities-and in London especially-the various locali- ties are divided up Into beats, and no
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

tate at crime. About nine months of the year they beg and steal-the other three they recuperate their bodies and their wits in some convenient almshouse, Jail or penitentiary. As opposed to these are the professional beggars, who are differ ent only in that they escape the real pauper class by never going to an aims house, and by being generally honest If getting aims by smeans of trumped-up stories and fake injuries can be called honest.
 While making a study of the pauper and beggar question I had occasion to watch a street man working his gag" at the intersection of two big thorough fares in large city. As each man came along he would slide up to him, and in wheeding tone ask for a quarter for bed One man gave him nickel.
 Well, you're a cheap guy all right" he commented, but kept the coin.
 Anxious to learn whether he belonged to the criminal pauper or only the beg gar class. I approached him. He began to slide up to me, but beat him to it, as the saying goes, and before he had chance to begin his appeal I said In my most insinuating tone:
 "Give us dime for a bed, Gull"
 He sized me up with q sidelong glance, and my makeup must have lacked some characteristic of the beggar masonry.
 ''You think you're pretty smart guy, don't you?' he said. And maybe you think I ain't got the price of a bed to give you. Put your peppers on this."
 Sulting his action to the word, he pulled l. t. Al would have done credit to a street car conductors change bag. I grabbed. got some of the money but his free hand caught my wrist. It was an interesting moment. In one hand he held nearly pint of small silver pieces. With the other he grasped the wrist of my hand that had the rest of the coin
 Drop that dough-" he said, adding few choice epithets by way of emphasis, ''or I'll kick your head off."
 'Let go of me or I'll smash you one good punch with my free hand, if it's the last thing l do, and then turn you over to that cop across the street." was my reply.
 He dropped my wrist as If 1t had been live coal, thus confirming my suspicion that he was of the criminal class, afraid of policeman, and I got safely away before he discovered that there wasn't patrolman in sight I counted up my booty. and found that had made $1.10.
 l had the satisfaction of seeing my friend arraigned in police court two days later charged with picking pockets.
 All large cities are afflicted with the beggar plague, and most of them prove fertile fields for the men who live on the labor of others. New York has been termed the "Beggars' Paradise" and Chi
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

1880 1t was 132 to every 10000 of popu- lation and about 116 to every 100000 in 1890. In 1903 it had been still farther reduced to 101 in every 100000, and in- complete figures at hand indicate that 1t Is even less now.
 Here is an interesting thing: there are far less female than male paupers. That this is 50 is strange. Men are generally regarded as the stronger sex, and many father has said, Well, I'm glad my child is a boy; if anything happens to me he will be better able to take care of himself than if he were girl" The Census Bureau pauper figures seem to disprove this theory, however. Women, it is argued, have more pride than men, and, therefore. hesitate more be- fore taking advantage of the states offer to aid. Women, too. it Is said. are more resourceful than men. more courageous when beset by difficulties Women. too, it should be remembered, frequently have husbands to take care of them. But whatever the cause the fact remains that there are twice as many male paupers as female ones. Although pauperism is more prevalent among the males, the chief distinction between the two sexes seems to be that the females, once hay ing entered the almshouse stay there, while men are, as a rule. only winter boarders. Careful investigation showed that during one year a majority of the paupers were seasoned inmates. This seems to support the theory that alms- house paupers, like street beggars. are often professionals at the game. Of the total number of paupers in the aims houses, however, it was found that 664 per cent were in some measure defective and really unfit for work.
 An occasional glimpse at the under world does one good. study of the pauper question makes it easier for those of us who are able to earn our own liy- ing to bear cheerfully the burdens that have fallen on our shoulders.
 SAMUEL WILLIAMS HIPPLER.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21
Testing Weights and
 Measures.

The work of attempting to protect the general public from thieving tricks by dishonest. traders, hucksters and peddlers in the city of London is of enormous ex- tent and costs the city government near ly hundred thousand dollars every year. The tests cover all measures of retail value from yardsticks to gill cups for measuring out milk. Glass for saloons and measures supposed to be full impe- rial half gallons are tested. This work is done under ordinances adopted by Lon don's county council in 1878 and revised In 1Ss9 Over two and one-half millions of appliances for weighing and measur- ing were tested in 1908, and of these about 20 per cent were found to be trick appliances, which rob the purchasers Of from a quarter to a third of the goods he Is made to pay for.
 Twenty thousand dollars was collected in fines imposed on dishonest dealers last year, and about 100 experts are em- ployed to do the work. Some of the tests are made with sand blasts and some merely by filling utensils with water. All coal dealers are forced to weigh coal with special weights, which must bear the official stamp of the imperial inspec- tor of each district Of course, the vast majority of dealers are honest, and yet such is the damage done by the un- scrupulous vendors that until this expen- sive inspection was put into active prac- tice there were continual fights between street merchants, costermongers and petty dealers and the unfortunate customers who had been victimized.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

the year GOO A. D.
 King John of England, who granted the New Charter to the Barons of England and founded a new era in British liberty. was well acquainted with "Humpty Dumpty Sat on Wall" All about the babes in the wood who were covered with leaves by the tender-hearted birdies is carved on the famous mantelpiece in .an ancient manor house near Wayland Wood. in the County of Norfolk. in England. which was done back some time in 1400 Little Miss Muffet." 'Old Mother Hub bard," Mother Gooee,' and "Goosey,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

S@ HE American pauper is probably the H Queerest combination on earth. He is &sv amixture of thrift and laziness, only equaled by that of the New England farmer who spent three hours looking for the trained family dog in order that the beast might save him the labor of carry ing a small package half mie
 A wel-known student of economic ques- tions and conditions is authority for the assertion that nearly three -fourths of the paupers in America today are such through some fault of their own. Every locality has Its characters that go to the county poorhouse every fall, living a life of ease and luxury during the winter months, only to disappear in spring, when they could partially compensate the common wealth for their winters lodging by work ing in the fields that surround nearly every such an institution.
 Specifically, pauper is destitute per son entitled to receive aid under the law. Generally speaking. however. the term pauper has been stretched to take in all that numerous class who live by their wits and are not criminals. The beggar who spends three or four months of the year in q prison or penitentiary as tramp Is just as much n pauper in the general sense as the deserted wife and child who are left charge upon the commonwealth by some drunken sot of n husband and father. It is in the broader sense of the word, then, that this article Is written, partially because it enables the writer to cover the topic in a more com prehensive way and partly because the real picturesque figures in pauperdom are found among the individuals who do not come under the classification in its strict est sense.
 If the average pauper spent the same amount of time and energy improving himself that he does in inventing means to live without work he would occupy one of those pinnacles of fame toward which ordinary mortas but gaze with un- satisfied longing. In the summer months life without work Is comparatively easy to find, but in the cold of drear winter this life of ease does not exist outside of the walls of the nations penal institu- tions. Police reporters and members of the police force in large cities are thor oughly familiar with the efforts of tramps to get locked up as fall wanes into win ter, and many q big copper has the laugh on some shivering hobo when he re- fuses to take him in.
 Old Tom King, of Buffalo, for 20 years police justice and himself picturesque figure, knew these tramps of old. When the wind from the lakes rattled the win dows of the dingy police courtroom and the red faced men from off the beat would begin to haul in the dirty and ragged specimens of humanity he would remark. addressing the policeman by name, "The snowbirds beginning to flock, hey, Billl'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21
# Ancient Nursery Rhymes.

Goosey Gander" go back to the times In 150O But coming to the famous Little Jack Horner. who sat in the corner" the wise men declare this nursery rhyme originated in the reign of King Henry VIII. and refers to bishopric which certain Horner obtained from the king, and 1t is said that the descendants of the original Jack Horner live at Mells Park, in Somerset County. England. It Is certain that the nursery rhymes are largely made up from common slang and catch-pbrases of long ago. Most of them date back before Shakespeare's lifetime.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

The origin of nursery rhymes Is an in- teresting subject, and one which shows that many of them had nothing whatever to do with children or their amusements. Some nursery rhymes of the most used character are very, very ancient. For in stance, the well-known lines, Mother, may go out to swimT' which is always followed by the mothers advice to hang her clothes on hickory limb and not go near the water, are at least 1900 years old, as an ancient writer named Hier- ocles has this rhyme in book of pop
 ular jokes which be compiled along in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

Mannington Hall is the ancient seat or the Earls of Oxford, who were related to the ancient British kings. The strange custom is still observed of driving the dead body~of each Earl of Oxford three times in it's hearse about the private chapel of the Oxfords, which stands near the pig castle. This custom Is said to have started back In the time of Richard III. the famous Crookback of shak
 speare's drama.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-25
A Shipmatc's Storr,

Editor National Tribune: 1t may be
that anything from the Navy comrades
might not interest the Army boys. l
had the misfortune to ship in the Navy.
l am not proud of my record, and have
always been sorry I did not enlist in
the cavalry, and go to the front as
should. The why is another story. /
was always inclined to see the humor
in events, and the funny things that
happened are better remembered than
some of the more serious ones.
1 think 1 received two heater back
handed compliments than any other
man in the service, and I challenge the
comrades to equal or beat them. l was
raised, more or less, pet, ami the
most difficult service 1 had to perform
was to keep from kicking over the
traces. l was always committing some
slight infraction of the rules, and every
few days / was in the line on the quar-
tcrdeck in the afternoon. The Lieuten-
ant would ask each man his excuse, but
it did not make the slightest difference
what it was-"Four hours extra
watch" / never was alone; there were
generally from 10 to 20 of us on the
"Black List" When it came my turn
q forget what l had done or left un-
Gone), after listening to my excuse, the
Lieutenant, with a sharp voice and the
blacklist scowl, said to me:
Ward, what in did you come
in the Navy for? We don't expect any
thing but blockheads here"
To reply would have meant four
hours extra watch; still / cannot yet
account for it, that l did not, for the
thought instantly came to my mind: If
the Lord will forgive me this time III
promise never to do so any more. /
shipped in the Navy under my own
name, and only knew one other of my
shipmates who did so. The other back
handed compliment was not so good,
and requires considerable explanation
for a landsman who has not served in
the Navy to understand. So for fear
the editor will "cut it OUT 1 will leave
it for some other times. S. Ward.
U. S. S. Mohican, Napa, Cal.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-25
WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY

over the country as if he We're going on
a picnic. and just as we arrived at the
cemetery his mother and three sisters
drove up In &agen. They came run
ming and screa1 inS,up to him. and We
left them alone for some little time.
Then we led him down to where his
grave was dus,i sat him down on his
coffin, when he took out his handker-
chief and wiped his eyes, and looked
around as If nothing out of the way was
going to happen. The Provost Marshal
tied handkerchief over his eyes, and
asked him if he had anything to say.
He spoke up in a. firm voice, and re-
piled that all he had to say was that
he hoped the boys would shoot him
dead. Then the Provost Marshal slept
back 10 where We were standing in line,
and gave the command to fire, and
Denny fell back on his coffin with five
or six bullets thru his body. We had
calculated to bury him there, but his
mother and sisters took the body home
with them. So ended the career of that
young man. There are several people
now living in Seattle, Wash, who well
remember the occurrence, as they lived
in the vicinity of Upton during the war
and knew the Mullen family. If any
of that firing squad are still alive l
would like to hear from them.--F. M.
Simpson, Co. G, 4th Mo. State Cav,
2305k First Ave-, corner Bell, Seattle,
Wash.
The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-25
YOUNGEST ENLISTMENT.
Three Years "a Soldier In the 66th Ill.

Editor National Tribune: Seeing a
great many statements TO youngest
enlistments in our war of 1861 to 1865.
l thot / would give the case of my
brother, Fred Hoifbauer. Fred was
born In Germany in December, 1917.
and came to this country with his pa
rents in 1S4S, when an infant of one
year. In the Spring of 1862 he was an
apprentice in drug store in Rock
Island, ILL.,, and in July went home to
visit his parents. who then lived in Wal
colt, Iowa. He was crazy to enlist, and
asked fathers permission. but the lat
ter said, Your brother Charlie has
gone in the 18th Mo-. and Hugo is going
the first of August, so you must stay at
home, being entirely too young. any
way Fred soon went back TO his
work, and presently father had letter
from his employer saying Fred had left,
taking most of his clothing. Fred soon
after wrote father from st. Louis, say
ing he had enlisted in "Birge's Sharp
Shooters" afterwards called the 6Gth
H.. / believe. Fred was rather small.
but very compact and altogether well
set up. At an inspection of Illinois
troops in honor of Governor Oglesby,
the Governor noticed Fred's small stat
ure and said to him, what are you
doing here, my son; you are too small
If you want to go home / will have you
had wanted to be at home he wouldn't
have run away. Fred took part in
every engagement of his regiment.
When finally mustered out, they were
sent to Springfield for final payment.
I was stationed at Camp Butler at the
time, and when the regiment arrived
looked my brother M. After greetings,
he went on to Springfield, while / hunt
ed up some of his officers to find out
his record. To my great establishment
the Lieutenant in command informed
me that Fred and four of his COM
rades had been mustered out as desert
ers. Upon inquiry, it appeared that
they had left camp to go on lark and
were gone several days, during which
time the regiment was mustered out.
I happened to be member of the court
martial at Springfield, and just at the
end of case. After some persuasion
I prevailed upon the Lieutenant to pre-
fer charges against Fred and his COM
rades. and as I had some influence with
the Judge Advocate, Capt. Smith and
also with Gen. Cook, commanding De-
partment, 1 succeeded in getting the
case up at once. The findings Of the
court was mot guilty of desertion, but
guilty of absence without leave and
the sentence was the less of one montn'Si
pay and allowance. This was approved
the next day, and enabled the boys to-
get their honorable discharge and final
pay. Fred was IA when he enlisted,
and II when mustered out. There were
three brothers and three brothers-in-
law of Us in the service, and all came
back home with only one wounded. All
but one Of us saw three years service,
the total service bieng II years and one
month.-Capt. Hugh Hoffbauer, 14th
Iowa. Buffalo, Iowa.