davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

home until some one comes and asks
her hand. Then she Is to accept 1t, to
feel herself duly honored and to give
her husband some fine healthy chill
dren, preferably sons. She Is pro-
nounced eccentric, odd, even unfemi-
nine, If she resents this dull existence.
Strannik endeavors in this novel 20
tell the simple tale of one such girls
life She is allowed a few more lib
critics than the young girls of her cir
Gle because she is an orphan. and the
aunts and grandparents with whom
she lives do not take the same inter-
est in her as in their own children.
She has grown up with romantic no.
tions gathered from her reading, and
when a neighbor's son asks her hantl
she refuses, because she does not love
him. That is a bomb in the family
OF course she could not love him; that
would be bold and forward. One aft
ernoon skating in the park she meets
an ecceptric young poseur. who is at
tracted at once by her beauty: she Is
battered. of course, and shortly it IS
arranged between the families that
they may marry.
A dreary existence begins for her;
her husband has been dissipate6
rake and cannot long keep away from
his dissolute companions. The in
evitable happens; she meets one whom
she could love. struggles against the
inevitable a while and finally goes to
her grandfather for advice. She wants
q divorce to marry the man she loves,
but her grandfather, most sympathetic
or all the family. cannot understand it
and tells her that her husband Will
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

fore this story opens a beautiful daugh-
ter of the house of coleshill was be-
trayed by the heir of TreyisicK and
drowned herself because he failed to
keep his troth. Her father was unable
to secure revenge "and very nearly los
ing his own life in attempting to force
IN entrance into the castle, he built the
tower so that he could watch therefrom
for the murderer OF his daughter and
there. with arQuebuise in hand, he sat
from day to day and week to week.
bombarding the windows of the castle
with his bolts until that side of the
castle was barricaded TO him: then he
spent his time in shooting at whomso-
ever went to and from the castle. max
ing life unendurabie to them until the
cessation OF hostilities revealed the fact
that he had died.
Each generation OF the parties at
{eud grew more civilized. In that they
did not shoot at each other. The old
tower grew to be known IS haunted.
Then the SON of Squire John and the
daughter of Sir Joseph pass on the road
and fall in love and the old haunted owl
tower becomes their trysting place.
&C. NJ. Clark & Co.. Boston.)
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

Is able to hold interest long enough 20
get the reader all the way through
the novel, and after the first few be-
wildering moments Il dawns upon the
reader that here is another purpose
novel-the purpose being to improve
the condition of women in Russia. II
will take hundreds of novels better
than this to do much toward making
a change there. The position OF the
Russian woman IN regard to property
and family rights is not the only
thing; IL she would seek to improve
her mind she Is scorned; she is abso-
luteiy a dependent and commands no
respect from men-even the men OF
her own family. Seemingly woman's
destiny under the Czar is to sit quietly,
we'll guarded and most virtuous, at
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

froRSany so far indicated. 1t was buy
ing but two of the novels that were so
popular elsewhere. The. others on its
list were: Princess Martha. Ann
Boyd" and The Loves or the Lady Ara.
bella" The taste Of Memphis was dif-
ferent. 1t wanted "The American GirI''.
and In Pastures New" though these
are at present on no other list.
Portland Ore. was still reading The
Jungle" and showing an interest in
Whispering Smith," "Sir Nigel. and
Mcdonald of Oregon" With New York
It shared "Coniston" and The Tides OF
Barnegat'
e And what OF Boston? All. Boston. as
always, was peculiar. It did not con-
nne itself to fiction. Three OF its bess
sellers were "serioust-the "HoheTl-
lohe Memoirs the, Life and Letters.
OF Lafcadio Hearn''. and From COL
lege Window" In fiction the first on
It's list was Fogazzaros The Saint
San Francisco was also reading Fogaz-
zaro with avidity. but no other. city
was. No list includes more than. ono
OF Boston's serious books, and many
include none of them.
Here is interesting material for liter
ary psychologists and philosophers.
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
Wanton Waste of Material In
"Owl Tower"

The reckless waste of good material
in owl Tower" by Charles s. COON, is,
to say the least, surprising. With ideas
and TO spare he has turned out book
which can only find friends among un-
educated Americans OF a romantic dis
position. The explanation that the
story Is "of family feud in old Eng
land" IL hardly borne out, for 1t is
frankly modern. being all In 1880 and
q few years following.
The history OF the feud is the only
antique thing about the book. Sir Jo-
seph Trevisick and Squire John Coles
hill are the heads OF their respective
families, living on adjoining estates.
Away back q hundred years or so be-
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

weeks. And at last saw It. Do you
know, ! can taste that lemon even when
] am asleep.
Now why did you make the people
believe that poor old Big Bill Devery
is the Mr.. Devery who talks in my
book, when I told you very plainly in
the Introduction that 1t wasn't any
thing of the kind? There ought TO be
some sense of Christian charity In a
literary editor. If you were angry at
poor old Big Bill that doesn't excuse
your taking it out on me, and IL you
were angry at me you shouldn't have
taken il out on him
CThe Asti Press, New York;
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
The Constitution and the Fed
eral Regulators

PARMALEE PRENTICE OF the
New York bar offers what may
and probably will be called
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

take her child IL she leaves him, mas
much as the law gives the daughter
to the husband. So the woman re-
sumes her colorless existence, unloved
and unloving.
The tale is hopelessly dreary; thers
is no sunshine, no happiness, in the
book. The bringing up OF the girls
is all wrong. the life OF the women
is all wrong. the customs OF the coun-
try are all wrong. The women are
given no latitude at all; they are ex-
pected to be not thinking. intelligent
beings, but domestic machines, quits
necessary In the scheme OF things and
for the preservation OF the family and
the race, but otherwise OF no import
ance.
Mcclure. Phillips & Co., New York;
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03

II sold poorly. Mr.. Burgess has re-.
Gently said in an interview with Otis
Notman that nobody wanted il, any
way" He further implied that 10 was
above the intelligence Of the casual
reader. -.
Andrew Lang has Just finished his
fourth and final volume will be brought
from the press in the spring
In an article entitled Another Lost
Art" in the Book News Monthly, Ed
win p. Nash has this to say about
reading aloud: only by reading
aloud-alone. If preferabIe-can one get
down to the real enjoyment OF q book.
Then the inner shades of meaning ars
discernible,. the subtle character de-
lneations arc apparent. The greater
the writer the more is this true. K
the book be but volume to sell"
nothing shows its shaflovness 50
quickly as an attempt to read It aloud.
IL Is an unfailing acid test for shoddy.
Reading aloud makes the book not only
more interesting, but more Instructive.
Dates, IL any. unconsciously fasten
themselves in the mind. Discrepancies
or anachronisms are instantly discern
tble. Situations that are hurried over
as commonplace in silent reading,
either become impossible or gain added
strength in reading aloud
Professor Brander Matthews OF Co:
iumbia University has received the
decoration of the Legion OF Honor from
the French Government in recognition
OF his services in literature in connec-
tion with the study OF the French
drama
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
Russian Womanhood's Dreari-
ness In a Drearv Novel

The first impression of Ivan Stran-
nik's new book, The Shadow on tho
House." is of unrelfeved dullness. but
somehow one continues to read. hop-
ing for the unexpected on the next
page. 1t counts for 6trannik that he
The San Francisco call., 1907-03-03
Gossip of Books and. People
Who Make Them

The late Lafcadlo Hearn is common
ly spoken OF as an American. but Eng
land or Ireland might with. greate>
right claim him. He. was born in the
Ionian Islands, OF Irish and Greek par
entage, lived for years IN Wales, and
died a subject OF the Emperor OF Japan
His American residence was merely an
episode in hfs strange life, but 1T oc-
CURED when he was gaining fame a.
writer, and so America simply adopt
ed him.
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
Mr. knapp on the Railroad situation

In marked contrast with the pessimistic
outgivings Of James J. Hill are the OBJ
servations Of Chairman Knapp. Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. on the
railroad situation. Mr. Knapp's views
may be regarded as not only indicative
Of the policy Of the commission but also
as representing the attitude Of the admin
istration respecting the relations of the
government and the railroads That re-
latiop is, or should be. one Of harmoni-
GUS cooperation in the service OF the
public and the common welfare. Mr..
Knapp notes that there has been OF late
years a great improvement in the atti-
tude of railway managers toward the OBJ
legations Of the roads to the public 1t
is now admitted by thoughtful and in
fluential railroad men that the business
Of common carrier is something higher
than a private enterprise: that it is, in
fact. a public service if not Indeed, a
function of the state. as Mr. Knapp
says. This new conception Of the relations
Of the public and the common carriers
has been brought about partly by legisla-
tion growing out Of a clamOrous popular
demand. and partly by the development
among railroad men themselves of larger
ideals Of their societary obligations. The
country owes much 10 those broad-minded
masters Of transportation who have ac-
cepted In good faith the public obIiga-
tions of their business, and so have will
ingly acquiesced in the Federal govern
ments programme of regulation.
This cleafer point OF view. as Nj
Knapp we'll remarks, is a powerful aid
to regulatiye laws. with the happy re-
suit that for the first time in the his
tory of American railroads, secret prefer
ences and advantages have practically
disappeared 1t is worth observing that
the result here noted has been accom-
plished. not so much by government
prosecutions. or by putting railroad mag
mates in Jail, as some people demand, as
by the voluntary abandonment of wrong
ful practices now under the ban Of the
law as well as under the condemnation
Of public opinion. While the accomplish
ment of results by this method may not
W ~ Spectacular as tile tfldt ana con-
viction of a railroad president would be-
it is equally satisfactory SO far as the
reformation of railroad methods goes
The same method has obviously been pur-
sued by the government in the case Of
Hartman, for whose criminal prosecu-
ton, on some charge or other. there has
been no little outcry. The fabric of
railway combination which Hartman
constructed is. however, falling 10 pieces
bit by bit under pressure from Washing
ton. and whatever is found to be illegal
about il is being rectifed. Some time ago
a dubious contract between the Southern
Pacific and the San Pedro road was an
nulled. and now comes the announcement
that the Rock Island-Union Pacific agree
ment for the joint control Of the Chicago
and Alton, which was one of the Harri-
man arrangements considered Of doubtful
legality. has been abrogated. Hartman is
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY.
Important Measure signed by the
Governor of Pennsylvania.

From the New York Sun.
Gov Stuart Of Pennsylvania. has just
signed the Casey employers liability BILL
which az the committee hearing in Har-
risburg was characterized as the most
drastic law of the kind ever proposed In
the United States Nevertheless, it may
be assumed that II would not meet with
President Roosevelt's approval. for it
recognizes eontrbutory negligence as a
legal principle.
The Casey law provides that in suit
for damages by an employe who has been
injured ia an accident, OF by his widow
or next of kin IN the event Of his death,
the negligence Of fellow-employe shall
not be pleaded by the employer when the
injury was caused by
Any defect IN the works plant or machinery Of
which The employer could hsvc had knowledge by
the exercise n ordinary care the neglect Il suy per
son engaged as superintendent, manager. foreman.
Cr any other person in charge or control Of the
works. plant. or machinery. The negligence Il any
person m charge II Cr directing the particular work
in which the cmplovs was engaged az the time Of
the injury Or death the uegiiTncr q ans pfTs0n %
whose orders the empiwe was bound 70 conform
and did conform. end hy reason q his having c0n-
formed thereto tho injury ~ death resulted. the
act 4 any fellow-scrrant done in obedience % the
rules. instructions or orders given bv the employer
or any other person who has authority % direct the
doing = said act
II Is further provided that in such suit
the manager. superintendent, foreman. OF
other person In charge Of or control Of
the works shall be regarded as the agent
of the employer. In this clause is the
Justification of the law. for il is based on
the principle that the act Of the servant
is the act Of the master, whether the
servant be inanimate machinery. a fellow
workman, or a superior whose orders Il
was the duty Of the plaintiff 10 obey,
falling which he might be discharged
The law sweeps away bubbles and sub
terfuEes which an INSCRIPTIONS and
heartless employer formerly availed him
self Of 20 escape the consequences Of un-
safe equipment or the acts Of incompe-
tent workmcn. and puts the plaintiff IN
a suit IN tort on the same plane with
his employer. Drastic the new liability
law may be in the sense Of a great ad-
vance IN industrial legislation in Penn
sylvania. but only IN that sense Whas
IL does Is 90 define the employers respon-
sihility, formerly vague and elusive, for
accidents which would not occur If he
conducted his business with as much
concern for the safety Of his employees
as (0r his balance sheet The principle
upon which the law Is built cannot be
attacked as unjust. although In some
cases it may work a hardship 20 employ
ers If their workmen combine against
them. But the defects Of the law can be
amended out Of g.
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
A. TO Promotion by selection

President Roosevelt clings with char
acteristic tenacityito his theory of promo.
ton 10y selection. or its less alarming
form. promotion by elimination for the
naval and military personnel He so ex-
pressed himself in a tribute he paid the
army and navy in one OF his Georgia Day
speeches at the jamestown Exposition.
Il VIII be interesting 10 remember that
this theory has gained some advocates in
the military and naval establishments.
and that there are officers who really be-
Eeve that the service personnel would be
benefited il promotions were governed by
selection instead Of seni0rity-that the
officer who is to be advanced need not
necessarily stand a. the head of the next
lower grade. but is chosen for promo
tion by senior associates who are expected
to know the relative merits Of the eligi-
bles
As for the navy, it will have an oppor-
Ulity 10 see whether this theory may or
win be applied in a practical way. This
will be possible on June 81, when a board
of rear admirals Will meet at the Navy
Department 20 recommend retirements of
more than q score Of officers under the
provisions Of the naval personnel law
These retirements will be in the grades Of
captain and commander. and will afford
an opportunity for an equal number Of
promotions all down the line. The theory
SIS that the board viii select for retire
meIt those officers who can best be
spared. Previous boards which have met
yearly for the same purpose have failed
OF any such benefcent purpose. They
have always selected out the officers who
wanted TO be so selected. and last year.
when forty officers were retired, fully
one-half of them could not be spared.
They were men in the prime Of their pro-
fessi0naI careers and fun of the vigor Of
comparative youth. This year Il is prob
able the board of admirals viii recon-
mend for retirement officers who apply
for transfer from the active list. and that
no other officers viii be eliminated, no
matter how obvious may be their unfit
ness, or how apparent it is that they be-
long to the mediocre" class which Mr.
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
a JUNE DAY, ROCK CREEK PARK.
ritt.n for the Washington Herald !

Written for the Washington Herald)
Go forth at morn. the recent storm
Hath left its drops upon the leaves. 70 shine
Like diamonds In the sun.
Whose frightening face with glowing grace
Looks DER the hills. with majesty almost divine,
Its onward course TO run.
All nature sings. created things:
Their morning songs ascending 90 the skies,
Reach heir Creators car
From thousand throats. with stirring notes,
The feathered s0ngster warbles as he flies
Swift through the balmy air.
Look on the earth. il giveth birth
To beauteOus forms and flowers that glad the eye
And make the heart rejoice;
That cluster round upon the ground.
Breathing forth incense rising up on high
With soul-compclling voice.
Whsr'er you stand, Gods mighty hand
Is seen in all its glorious majesty
And all its power and might
His wisdom speaks, the silence breaks,
And nature shouts with neveT-ending CITY,
His praise as infinite.
cog G ST. northwest, JOSEPH BURDEN.
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
English FamiIy's Faces

Most of the photographs that were tax
en- for publication during the Presidents
visit TO Indianapolis on Decoration Day
showed the Presidential party on the cir
Gle where stands the soldiers monument,
really one Of the handsomest memorials
of its kind in the country. All of the
photos showed. also, the facade of the
English Hotel This Is owned by Will
lam +. English, colonel by grace of the
Spanish war. He Is son of the William
H. English who was candidate for Vice
President on the ticket with Hancock. in
1850. There are few hotel facades like
that Of the English. Above every win
dow there is a sculptured face. which is
part Of the decorative scheme. The curl
Gus feature is that these faces are all
lkenesses of members Of the English
family. William II English is there.
right over the entrance. and the present
proprietor. William E.. is on one side.
His pretty young wife as soon as she be
came Mrs. English, gave the sculptors
another job for her face had TO be added
This seems 10 be a curious sort of crotchet
for the English family. There is a town
in Indiana called English. after William
H. English, and the old gentleman, In
recognition Of the honor, presented the
town with full-length statue Of him-
self in Indiana limestone. He had two
made at the same time, and the other
one was set up in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Indianapolis, where 1t stood many years.
grim and gaunt waiting for the bones
Of its living counterpart to be laid be-
meath the sod
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
4 Governor with Backbone.

From the New York World.
Gov. Hughes is sticking 10 his straight
line Of policy when he vetoes the law
providing FOR three instead Of two brake
men on all freight trains. II three brake
men are needed on some trains the pub
lie utilities commission will have power
% order such an increase in the working
force. To make this increase general
without regard % CiTcUmstany-s is 70
subject the railroads to what the GOV
ernor properly terms arbitrary exac-
tion. A governor with a backbone and
"a sense Of justice is a most valuable as
set not only to the public, but to the cor
rnratinn.
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
RECREATIONS OF THE GREAT.
Nr. Roosevelt Rancherj Prof. de
Martens a Fighter.

IF.I iHe iu4el'iilalf.
The English edition Of Who's Whoa.
which contains the biographies Of the
famous living men Of England, and Of
many other lands. has one unique feature.
In the blank which is sent 20 each person
mentioned. the favorite recreation is
asked for, and the vote included in the
biography. To read over the selections
OF these famous men IS full Of interest.
Tho wide field over which the votes are
cast is startling In addition 10 some
fifty recognized sports, at least 100 other
occupations receive one or more votes
FOR "a favorite amusement. The selection
range from such pastmes as pianola
playing. juggling, and tattOOing 20 taxi
darmy and donkey shows. One we'll
known clergyman voted FOR collecting
strange oaths on the golf links. where
with % address sc0rching cyclists in
suitable manner Another gave his Ia
vorite recreation as smoking q sweet
hriar pipe after lunch, a mild cigar after
dinner, and ruminaung on the before and
after"
A few of the individual answers are in
tcrestiug to note. Prof Schiller. of Cam
bridge. gives his fayorite avocation as
editing Mind, a task which would be any
thing but a recreation To most men. The
Hon. James Bryce votes for mountain
climbing and fishing. Rudyard KiFNng
Tor cycling and fishing. Alfred Austin.
who might easily be supposed 70 find his
greatest recreation in poetic compost
ton, for riding and gardening. Justin Nc
Carthy for travel and sailing. and Lord
Roberts for shooting and cycling. Among
the Amef,ta~7 accorded a place a place
of honor President Roosevelt votes for
ianChing. President Hadley Of Yale.
for tennis and golf, and Dr. William
Hayes Ward, editor Of the Independent.
for Assyuology II. 6. Wells votes for
detailed description Of his various il-
nesses." It is startling 20 see that Prof.
de Martens the Russian representative
I'm The Hague court. gives fighting" as
his favorite amusement
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18
VIRGINIA'S FEE SYSTEM.
Large Compensation Of Inferior Of
ficers Under ENlxting Inv.

From the Norfolk NirInisn-PH0t.
There are offices in Virginia to-day. i'm
posing no great responsibility upon their
incumbents and the proper discharge Of
whose duties requires no special train
ing or ability. which carry salaries. un-
der the fee system. two or even three
times as large as that paid the governor,
the chief justice Of the Supreme Court Of
Appeals. or the chairman Of the corpora
tion commission. This condition Of af-
fairs is surely an interesting commentary
on Virginia's sense OF the fitness Of
things.
The next legislature, could perform no
better service for the State than TO abol-
ish the fee system altogether. placing
every Office. from the highest 70 the low
est, upon a reasonable salary basis and
requiring all fees 10 be covered into the
public treasury. Apart from other con-
siderations. think of what the money so
saved would accomplish for Virginia. if
expended on the public schools or in road
building,
The Washington herald., 1907-06-18

Roosevelt, in his Georgia Day address,
said should not be allowed ITO come to
the top"
Promotion by selection or by elimination
is good Observation-Disclosures it can
not be applied practically. and We shall
be much surprised If, in the demonstra-
ton which is to be made in the next few
DAYS, the advocates of the system are
able to point to an instance where the
policy has prevailed with any benefit to
The naval personnel