davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-12-27
SOUTH DAKOTA

Lalande, the French astronomer, was
better known for his Objectionable
--abit of eating dried spiders than for
his discoveries In astronomy. The CEN
,tenary of his death was recently cele-
ibrated by the publication of the truth
about the spiders. Lalande used to
carry about with him a little silver box
hull of dried spiders, which he ate In
public and amused himself by offering
to the ladies. One day he told the
Comtesse de Perthuis, who did not re-
veal the fact till long after the astrono.
mer's death, that he had never eaten a
spider in his life and hat what he car
lried in his box were only limitations
made OF chocolate by a friend who was
a confectloner. He lie It merely TO ad-
vertise himself. for he was a vain man
and considered that sufficient attention
was not paid him as an astronomer.
Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-12-27

a Alg rian vineyards produce more
Craps to the acre thun any others.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

letters come from prominent peo-
pie.
, Governors of states have told
him that his act had aroused their
admiration. Humble janitors, to
whom in the days of his power
he had tossed position as he would
toss a crumb to a sparrow, have
sent him flowers and words of
friendship. And now, short
time after he had performed his
sacrifice, he consented to talk of
himself and the life that he had
given up. OF himself Ruef has lit
tie to say.
But he told how he had built UP
his machine, and then how it had
upon him, like the mythical Frank
enstein, and overpowered its Gre
ator.
IF you go into politics for power
the end is certain" he said. Soon
err or later you have to connive at
some wrong doing or give up your
leadership. When you do cross the
line you are lost.
"A political machine is made up
of many persons. Some are very
good and others are very bad. Both
are essential when it comes to
winning elections. To hold the bad
you must consent to bad things.
Then you can be sure your sin
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
TUNNELSCHEME
STILL BURIED
IT APPEARS AGAIN AS AN
ANONYMOUS UNION DEPOT
PROJECT, BUT THE COUNCIL
WANTS ITS CHARACTER GER.
TlEiCATE.

A union depot and tunnel COM
pany, unidentified. nameless and I'M
known, is backing the application of
]. A. Lynch for a tunnel around
through the hills south of town, &C.
cording to information" furnished
the city council last night by Attor-
new <. II. Belden. Notwithstanding
this startling revelation, the coun-
Gil will not give give the proposition
any further consideration until the
company is regularly organized and
shows a certificate of good charac-
ter.
Councilman Phillips proposed
that Promoter Lynch furnish a Sl0,-
600 bond to carry out the provisions
of the proposed franchise and At
torney peiden said he supposed his
client could do it," 1t is still be-
lieved that the tunnel is railroad
project.
Mr.. Belden stated after his ses-
sion with the council that this inn
preston had gotten out before and
he was quite willing to allow it to
be thought. hut now that he was
compelled to give away the facts,
he was sorry because it might eff
feet certain dealings. The council
decided to let the franchise remain
in committee of the whole until
the mystery of it is cleared up.
]. A. Lynch the promoter, owns
most of the property at each end of
the proposed tunnel. 1t is general
ly believed the scheme is to boost
the price of this real estate. 1t is
argued that if the scheme was bona
fide Lynch would accept the propo-
sition made by the council that he
give a $4,000 guarantee to com.
plete the work.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
Bits O News

Mem orial services of the Pythian
Sisters will be held in the Knights
of Pythias aall Thursday evening
June 10.
The LADIES' Aid society Of the
Lidgerwood Congregational church
will meet at the church Thursday
afternoon at o'clock.
Judge Poindexter has promoted
B. G. Peters, truant officer, to chief
probation officer. The office pays
1925 per month.
The 10000 club has endorsed the
public playground movement. The
first one will be started at the Lin
coin school and other school
grounds vii. be gradually included.
The chamber of commerce will
offer a silver cup for the best
craftsmanship in naval gunnery if
the department at Washington IA
vors the proposition.
For writing their autographs in a
new cement sidewalk Percy and
Paul Gregg, age IL and 10, received
lecture in the juvenile court yes
terday. Fred Harrington was the
complainant.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
S GAS PROJECT
BEES TIME

The dollar gas proposition is be-
fore the people again. Last night
w. F. Kyle applied for an extension
of the time in which he had to car
ry out the provisions of the fran
chise to Sepr. 2S An ordinance to
this effect was read. The franchise
was granted to Kyle and associates
more than years ago 1t has been
explained that owing to a misunder-
standing, the Great Northern rail
road, on whose property the plant
is to be built, refused to carry out
its agreement and wanted the lots
for its own use.
Councilman Baldwin scored the
proposition early in the meeting
when the Tunnel franchise was I'M
der consideration. He said the
council had given dollar gas much
of its time and had reaped no bene-
fit.
1t has generally been considered
that the franchise was a speculative
proposition, as II. Y. Saint. secre-
tary of the concern, has tried re-
peatedly to negotiate a sale of it.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
RUEF'S OPINION OF MACHINE POLITICS

will find you out.
They say that my machine was
the best that the west has ever
seen. 1t wasn't. 1t was built up
on the wrong principal. l made
myself the head and source Of
everything. Tammany does better
than than. Their system of districts
and district captains is superior.
That relieves the boss But l
couldn't find the right men for the
positions. l was worked to death.
rarely got to bed until Q or 3 in
the morning. 1t was too much and
much of it was foolish"
There is fine light of scorn in
the one time boss eyes when he
talks of the business man in poll
tics. He has but slight respect for
that genius as factor in the politi-
cal game. Yet he acknowledges that
his assistance is vital in order to
accomplish anything like a real re-
formation in American politics.
ITO bring about real reform"
he declared. you must bring the
business man into active party
work. That is the great weakness
Of the American system at present.
The average business man talks a
lot about the corruption among the
public officials. He bowls about
mismanagement. But. when his
chance comes to bring about a re-
form, he balks. He hates to do
the drudgery of party work. He
fails to learn the details. Then
when he is, if he ever is, placed in
position of control he is as help
less as child. You might as well
put him in a runaway locomotive
and tell him tot save the engine and
himself. He can't do it. He does
not know how to run the machin
cry"
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
WILL CLOSE DIRTY
MAIN BLOCK DIVE

The notorious Main block will be
closed in tho near future. Frank
Bruno says that since Chief Rice
enforced LIQUOR sale restrictions he
is losing $500 a month on his traf-
fic in vice. The lease expires in
February. Fifty fallen women who
were paying Bruno not less than
$3.50 a month rent and giving him
at least s1,0G0 a month for liquors
they sold, have left the city.
The rent Of the block is $1,750 a
month and this profit is derived by
a supposedly respectable person
who owns the block-R. T. Daniel
philanthropist, so-called. and
churchman who lectured to re-
ligious bodies in the south and
posed as an example of honest
effort in business in the west" He
was's lecturing young men on this
topic about 3 years ago when the
business he had in Spokane was
given publicity.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
To GUARD
PUBLIC CASH

c. B. Fec'ey. master of the
Washington State grange, is calling
especial attention to a movement
started at the last session of the
grange to secure uniform and ac-
curate accounting of the collection
and expenditure of all public
money.
The campaign is designed to be
general and It is expected that the
question will become a leading is
sue all over the United States in
the next 2 years. Its object is to
reduce public business to the same
basis of careful conduct as private
enterprise An amendment to the
state constitution will be necessary.
The res )lution follows:
Whereas, All monev collected
from the people by the local. state
and national governments by taxa
ton and other means should be eX-
pended and accounted for with as
much care and thrift as all good
citizens eXpend and account for
their private incomes,
BE it Resolved, That the follow
ing provision on the subject of uni
form pun!ic accounting be made
part of the constitution of the state
of Washington, and that the men,
bers OF all local oranges and all
good citizens generally throughout
the state be and are hereby re-
quested and urged to interest them
selves in securing this result:
The legislature shall require all
money collected by taxation or by
fees, fines and public charges of ev-
cry kind to be accounted for by
system of accounting that shall be
uniform for each class of accounts,
state Or local. which shall be pre-
scribed and audited by authority of
the state.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
BY KARL RICkEL

SAN FRANCISCO, June 12--
you cannot be successful boss, OF
a political party in America with
out becoming corrupt" q
This is the dictum of Abraham
Ruef, the repentent. Ruef said 1t
slowly and rather YEARLY. He
spoke like man who had travelled
far on a dreary road and having
gained the rocky summit looked
back over his pathway and found
that he had gained nothing.
Heleaned back in his easy chair
in his room in his private jail, once
the home Of his colleague in
politics, Mayor Schmitz, and a
slight sigh escaped him.
The largest elephant grows
weary of the zoo, they say" he
said smiling, 80 you can't blame
me If this place rather wears on me
at times"
To know Ruef is to like him. His
personality is pleasing. He has
that quality of lovableness that is
essential with every great political
leader.
Since that gray day when the
little political boss confessed, his
secretary has been busy replying
to hundreds of letters of sympathy
and congratulation that have
poured in upon him. Many of these
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

One hundred thousand dollars
earned in 1 second by a poverty
stricken orphane babe too young to
talk!
Rather startling, yet none the
less true. The babe was only l
of many score in the Founding
Home at Chicago. The babe was
only l of many that could claim
no mother, save the nurse who fed
it, no home aside from the house
of charity in which it dwelt. The
babe did not even possess a name.
"Smiler," it was called because
OF Its chief attributable ability to
grin at anything, at any time.
One day an elderly gentleman
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
SCHOOL CONTRACTS

The board of education last night
let the contract for the Bancroft
school addition to ]. B. Sweat, who
bid $15,47S. The Emerson school
work went to F. E. Peterson for
$31,939 E. Hughes had bid s23,S75
on this contract, but the offer was
withdrawn by Hughes last night on
the plea that he had made a mis-
take in his calculations.
The Emerson heating contract
was awarded to w. ]. Griffith at
$4,675, who also got the Bancroft
plumbing contract at $1,556. The
Isbister Co. got the Bancroft heat
ing work at $317.
An increase in the pay Of janitors
was granted. A night janitor will
be maintained hereafter at the high
school.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
IN CROOKED
KING COUNTY

In opening an expose of machine
graft in King county politics, the
Seattle Star has this toy say:
Honest John Riplinger was
merely an Office boy in an organiza-
ton which existed for the purpose
of loot an! pillage and which main
tanned is existence only by wide
distribution Of it's spoils.
Lacking the trait of inherent
personal honesty, surrounded by
bigger men who were bigger
thieves, and confronted by the ex-
travagaut exactions of a trouble
some domestic life. he permitted
himself to he dragged along the
crimson trail of machine politics to-
ward the yawning doors of the state
penitentiary.
His defa'cation was not by any
means his first betrayal of public
or private trust. He came to Seat
tie under cloud, he was a shallow
thinker AMI high liver. a poker
player and race track gambler.
And yet, despite these disqualified
tons for the office, an effort was
made by discredited republican
leaders who thought they could use
him. to make him mayor, even to
fraudulent'y counting him into the
Office after he had been defeated.
"These and many other facts and
circumstances in the life and public
services of John Riplinger will be
related in detail-an expose, not so
much of John Riplinger himself
as of machine politics in King
county-a trai! which has been
blazed with thefts, shortages, en-
bezlements, forgeries, treasury
lootings, grating, boodling and
other betrayals of the public trust"
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
WHISTLES WITH A CATFISH

ALTON, H., June 12.-Chester
Marcum had a sensational Is min
utes' wrestling match with a so
pound catfish in Missouri, near AL
ton. He had hooked the fish and
drawn it almost ashore when the
fish got loose and was foundering
in shallow water Marcum leaped
in, seized the fish by the gills with
both hands and struggled to pre-
vent it plunging back into deep
water He was carried out himself
but managed to get ashore with the
fish after being ducked under sew.
eral times.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

stop Crowdef was knocked sense
less, but continued In the game
and 2 innings later hit out . home
run. lie did not recover his full
senses for "a hours and does not
remember putting the ball out OF
the lot. A similar occurrence was
reported from ST. Louis in 1904 in
prize fight. Mike Schreck hit
Jack O'Brien on the jaw in the
eighth round and O'Brien fought
the remainder of the Is rounds I'M
conscious of what he was doing.
He won the decision, but did not
remember what occurred after be-
ing hit in the eighth round.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

and an elderly gentlewoman passed
through the founding asylum on a
sightseeing tour. They looked at
many babies until they came to
Smiler's crib. Then Smiler looked
at them. Smiler's whole little men,
tality was concentrated in the am
bilious effort of crowding toes
into little mouth Smiler sue
ceeded. Then Smiler looked at the
man and the woman and said:
+ "Gluggle!"
That made Smiler rich. The man
was P. l.. Bishop, merchant and
capitalist. The woman was his
wife. They formally adopted Smiler
into the Bishop family and settled
$780, 900 upon the babe outright.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
new ORDINANCES

The council last night gave a
reading to ordinances providing for
the sale of 100000 bridge bonds;
prohibiting railroad companies from
making flying switches; requiring
saloonmen to pay a license of $50
for any music up to 8 pieces, and
SIS for more than 3 pieces.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
AMERICAN CARDINALS

ROME, June 1.-THE bishop of
South Dakota has been informed by
the pope of one or perhaps two
American cardinals to be appointed
at the September consistory.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

SEATTLE, Wash, June 12.-Five
fishermen lost their lives in a sud-
den squall yesterday afternoon just
off Point Possession. The body of
ThOs. Nelson has been recovered.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
MADE HOME RUN; DIDN'T
KNOW 1T

EVANSVILLE, Ind. June 12.-In
a collision with Center Fielder
Knoll In the Evansville Terre
Haute Central League game. Short
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
ROBERT A. RRUcEDEA AT 1o7

RICHMOND. Va, June 12.-Robt.
Amber Bruce, 107 years old, who
is said 10 have been the oldest Ma
son in he world, died in the city
almshonse here.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

WASHINGTON, d. c., June 49,
Roosevelt and wife left for Oyster
Bay at $3.50 this morning. They
will return in October.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
FRENCH WITH ROOSEVELT

PARIS, June 12.-Roosevelt's
stand in the trouble between the
United States and Japan is heartily
endorsed by the Temps.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

NEW YORK, June 12.--Thos. F.
Ryan, the great Wall st. financier,
has 100 millions of good hard dol
lars at last. So. II is now stated
automatically. having In 40 years
gained the ambition of his youth.
he has therefore retired from
money making activities
II is not stated whether he has.
during his business career, enjoyed
loo per cent OF all the real good
there IL IN ufG
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12

He began making money in 1867,
and has been at it ever since. Dur
ing most OF that time Wall St has
had to reckon with him every min.
ute. He is now 81.
Ryan has gone to Europe. When
he returns he will retire to his mag.
nificent Virginia estate, where 1t is
said he will devote his time to Sc
curing the United States senator.
ship from that state
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-06-12
Children'S Suits

A few children's suits, sizes
3 to 6, in all wool, mostly win
ter weight, will be closed out
at l-3 Of regular prices. A few
winter OverC0ats will be closed
out at IL Of regular prices.
Ladies golfsweaters at IL Of
regular prices. l.3 off on all
boys shoes.
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-08-30
A COAL FAMINE
SEEMS PROBABLE
PRODUCERS OF ANTHRACITE
TURN AWAY FOREIGN ORDERS.
LABOR is REPORTED SCARCE
Shortage Of All Grades of Coal Is Said
to be Increasing Daily and tho
Outlook for the Winter
Is Alarming.

Philadelphia, Pa.-Because of It's
inability to fill the order, the Phil
adelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co.
was compelled to decline contract
for 100000 tons of anthracite, the or
der for which was rendered by rep
resentative of the Hungarian
chamber of commerce. The proposed
purchaser was willing to pay the regu-
lar price for placing the coal on board
vessels either here or in New York
Another order for 100000 tons of
bituminous coal wanted by the Italian
government is also being offered to
the largest soft coal operators of the
United States, with little prospect Of
its being taken because of the great
expense in delivering it to the Italian
destination designated. Other foreign
orders have been offered to American
operators with lack of success.
The great demand for coal by for
eign governments is attributed to the
increased amount of coal consumed by
their naval vessels, the number of
which has grown rapidly within the
last two years. All native coal is be.
ing used for this purpose and the sup
ply is not equal to the demand. Added
to this is the coal required for other
government institutions as we'll as for
industrial consumption.
An officer of the Reading company
explained that his company was COM
PEELED to decline all such orders be-
cause of the great demand for coal
among customers in this country and
because of the scarcity of labor at
the collieries. The same conditions
confront every other anthracite COM
pany as well as all bituminous opera
tors, he said. 1t was further explain
ed that the shortage of all grades of
coal is increasing daily and many
western railroads are now much dis
turbed concerning their supplies for
the coming winter.
Men who formerly worked in the
mines are seeking employment in less
dangerous lines of business. Many
have abandoned mining as a means of
livelihood have turned to farming
in western states. Foreigners who
formerly came to the United States to
take up mining now seek employment
in other fields of labor.
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1907-08-30
WHEN DEC MBER COMES
! FLEET OF YANKEE WARsHlPs
WILL BEGIN LONG VOYAGE.
Preparations for Sending Admiral
Evans Armada to the Pacific
Ocean Go Forward Steadily.

Washington, d. C.-Acting Secre-
tary of the Navy Newberry returned
to Washington Monday, bringing off,
cial word of the conclusions reached
at the Oyster Bay conference last
week relative TO the projected cruise
of the great battleship fleet from the
eastern to the western coasts of the
United States by way OF the Straits Of
Magellan. It was found expedient to
leave to Admiral Evans and his staff
the arrangement of the details of the
itinerary of the voyage and to the
heads of the naval bureaus the prepar-
ations which will make 1t possible for
the feet to leave the Atlantic coast in
perfect condition for this voyage of
| 1912 knots.
1t has been impossible to precisely
fix the date of departure of the Allan
tic fleet. Naval regulations require
that each vessel should carry out the
established order as to target practice
every quarter, and no naval officer is
willing that this practice should be
dispensed with even for this cruise.
The target practice Is invariably fol-
lowed by more or less damage to the
ships.
Then 1t Is expected that the turret
board will recommend number of
changes In the turret mechanism of
the ships TO protect the lives of the
gunners and ammunition handlers.
Some time, too, must be allowed tho
Golfers to arrive at designated points
and 1t is expected several months will
be needed to place the yards on the
Pacific coast in readiness for the re-
ception of the battleship fleet, which
will certainly be in need OF repair by
the time 1t arrives on the Pacific sta
tion.
Everything will be In readiness for
the fleet to sail on December / and
the date of departure will be between
December l and Is. The itinerary
provides for ten knots an hour, which
Is regarded as the most economic
speed for the fleet This will permit
the colliers to accompany the feet for
part of the voyage on the Atlantic
side. Starting with full bunkers OF
coal the ships will require in addition
100,504 tons, not counting the coal
that will be burned by the torpedo
boats. which will be provided by mer-
chants en- route. This great supply of
coal must be provided by golfers.
Four small colliers, carrying 1900
tons each, will accompany the fleet to
Trinidad, and five larger colliers, car.
rying 1000 tons each, will go as far as
Rio Janeiro 1t will be necessary to
charter II additional colliers, and four
of these will meet the fleet at Sandy
Point, Magellan Straits, four at Cal
lao, Peru, and four at Magdalena Bay.
The Panther, carrying full ma
chine shop, and the Culgoa and the
Glacier, supply ships, will accompany
the fleet the entire voyage.