davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
TRICK THE FOOLISH
SCHEMES OF PREMIUM MAIL
ORDER HOUSES.
STUFF IS OF LITTLE VALUE
Cheapest Kind Of Goods Handled by
These Concerns, and They Are
Sold at the Highest Mar
ket Prices.

There are dozens of premium-giving
mail order houses operating in differ
ent cities of the country. These
houses reach out for trade in all parts
Of the country, and do not overlook
The largest cities. They gain for their
aides and their agents men, women
and children, wives of lawyers, mer-
chants, church workers and any class
that they can. Some of them make
business catering to the Epworth
leagues, the Sunday schools, the
churches, and have plans by which
the people are humbugged and loaded
down with inferior goods, and the
league, the Sunday school or the
church gets a little cheap furniture,
some dinky-dinky thing almost worth
less for all the trouble gone to.
These premium concerns that put
out baking powder, cheap coffees, gro-
ceries of every kind and description,
generally put out the cheapest kinds
Of stuff. Recently samples of the
goods that have been received from
Them have been sent to the chemists
of the pure food departments in a
number of cites, and universally the
goods were found to be of the rankest
kind. The coffee the cheapest Santos,
and doctored up with roasted cereals
and chickory; the baking powders
were an abomination of cheap acids
and other materials; the extracts
were wholly synthetic, produced from
coal-tar products, and so adulteration
was carried to the extreme. These
goods were sold at the highest prices
and were of such class that no re-
spectacle grocer in any city or ham,
let would have them in his stock.
These are the classes that the good
women, perhaps well-meaning, but
not up to snuff, palm off upon their
neighbors when they become the Sec
retary Of *'the club" and the kind Of
dope they innocently give to their
husbands and children, and when the
little ones become sickened by par
taking of the stuff, the dear little
woman gladly pays some doctor four
times the amount the abominable
goods cost.
There will be something dropping
pretty quick among a certain class of
these big companies" Their busi-
ness is of the fraudulent kind and
there is a likelihood that at no distant
period the government officers will Sc
cure such evidence as will put many
Of the concerns out of business.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
BAT RUINS GIRLS HAIR.
She Gets the Worst Of a Fight will,
"Winged Rodents" in Attic.

San Rafael, Cal.-This city is suf.
fering from an invasion of bats, and.
despite the strenuous efforts of the
citizens, the winged pests have gained
a strong fOothold in various parts of
the town. Because of their activity
Miss Lillian Steadman, pretty young
housemaid employed at the Hotel
Rafael, is mourning the loss of her
golden tresses, and incidentally suf-
fering from a shock to her nervous
system.
Miss Steadman climbed to the attic
in the hotel determined to drive out
some of the bats. She was surrounded
soon by drove of the winged rodents,
and proceeded gamely to give battle
to them.
One of the bats lodged in the young
woman's hair and refused to bulge.
Miss Steadman, thoroughly frightened,
ran screaming from the attic, and the
bat still clung to her, keeping busy
with his saw-like wings till he had
succeeded in cutting her beautiful
tresses so badly that it was necessary
to shear them off, much to the sorrow
of the girl and her admirers.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
MUST BUILD UP BUSINESS.
Country Merchant Can Use the Local
Press to Advantage.

The sentiment exhibited in tho nu-
merous articles now printed in coun"
try newspapers for the purpose OF in
ducing people to trade at home in
stead of sending their money to mail
order houses is good and noble, but
we doubt if it appeals to the multitude
who patronize these mail order
houses
The best way in which the mer-
chants in the towns and smaller cities
can fight the mail order houses is to
advertise. They know most of their
patrons personally, can show them the
goods before they buy them, have
many other advantages over the mail
order houses and in almost every in
stance can sell just as cheap, If not
cheaper.
If the home merchant lacks fore
sight and is too penurious to proper
ly advertise his goods, why should the
publisher exert himself to keep the
trade at home for him? If solicita-
tions on the part of the publisher fail
to educate the merchant to the fact
that he must advertise if he wants to
keep up with the procession, then
nothing is left to the merchant but
to learn in the school of experience,
and if the teachings of that renowned
school are of no effect on him, then
there is no place for him and eventu-
ally his place in the commercial
world will be taken up by some
more enterprising competitor.-Buck-
eye Informer.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Catalogue Houses Busy,

Thousands Of dollars are being spent
with the big catalogue houses of the
east by the residents of the small
towns in southern Utah, according to
reports brought to Salt Lake by Or
son Hewlett. president Of the Manu-
facturers' and Merchants association,
and Lorenzo Jenkins, secretary and
manager of the Retail Merchants' as
sociation of the state.
Messrs. Hewlett and Jenkins spent
nearly a week in Sanpete county and
vicinity, calling merchants and farm
ers together to urge greater patronage
of home industries. Ephraim, Moroni,
Fairview, Spring City, Mount Pleas
ant, Fountain Green, Manti and Ches-
ter were visited and in each place the
greatest enthusiasm was manifested
by merchants over the campaign re-
Gently inaugurated by commercial
bodies of the state for more exten-
sive patronage of home Industries.
Meetings were called and ways and
means discussed by which the prac-
tice of, patronizing the mail order
houses can be done away with. This
practice has reached alarming proper
tions in the southern part of the state,
according to Messrs. Hewlett and
Jenkins. One small town alone last
month received goods to the value Of
$1,000 from big eastern mail order
concern.-Salt Lake (Utah) Herald.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
OLD EGGS FOR DOG CATCHER.
Storm Of Decayed Hen Fruit Makes
Man Quit the Job.

Bay City, Mich.-Robbed, beaten,
thrown from his wagon, rotten
egged," mobbed by men and women,
upset into bitches, forced into COL
lisions with street cars, choked, held
up with shotguns, gagged, sued, ar
rested and fined, Lemoine B. Trues-
dale, grizzled old veteran of stage
coach days, has thrown down his three
months job as city dog catcher.
In that short experience he has un-
dergone more punishment than most
men can stand Truesdale took the
job at so cents per unlicensed dog
caught by him. While dog owners
were loud in their demands for pro-
lection for their dogs through enforce
ment of the dog ordinance, the mo.
ment Truesdale began work he was
mobbed by about 200 men, women and
youngsters. The police rescued him,
somewhat dilapidated. That was the
first of four mobbings, one time about
500 people in the Polish end of the
city taking part.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Cot the Wrong Meaning.

Magistrate Corrigan of New York
recently advised detective to use
short words in his testimony-"say
yes" instead of "assented," went" in
stead of proceeded" and so forth.
Long, unusual words, except in
scientific writings, are unnecessary,
said the well-known magistrate to a
reporter the other day. They are as
unnecessary, and they spoil the ef-
feet, as-as-but I'll tell you story.
"A lecturer was describing the sea-
He told of the seas size, it's power, it's
inhabitants. Then he said in impress
sive tones: 0
There are depths in the sea where
in the loftiest mountain ranges could
be easily hidden from view ~
"A solemn man in black rose at this
point. ..--..-
IT desire to ask one question he
said pompously. -.. !. 1>.ssS
Very we'll said the lecturer, with
gracious nod. .s$ ~ :.z@ s.
5 wish to, know said the solemn
ma man how you viii move the ranges. Z 4 .
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Nuisance in Pittsburq.

Pittsburg is troubled with the iron
ore dust nuisance as we'll as with
smoke, and the former is proving the
harder to eradicate. Members of GER
tain residential districts brought &C.
tion against one company owning
furnaces valued at S5,000,000 In 1904.
Since that time the company has
spent 100000 in the effort to prevent
the emission of the dust and has been
unsuccessful. The Pennsylvania su-
preme court has decided that the own
ers of the mills must cease to operate
If they cannot abate the nuisance.
Capital amounting to nearly 500, O,000,-
900 is affected by the decree.-Spring-
field Republican.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

nese Is so low as to respect There
are few visitors to the temple except
tourists. At every doorway-and one
must pass through at least dozen in
visiting the temple-one or two priests
stand with 'outstretched palm, de-.
manding fee. Others try to sell bits
of bronze or chinaware. This is Bud
dhism at its highest and worst.
One Of china's Great Sights:
The old Confucian temple at Pc
king, although very shabby, and
manned at every gate by begging at
tendants, commands respect for its
fine old trees, its ancient royal tablets
on the backs of great stone turtles, its
meteorite drums, of immemorial an
tiQuity, and its tablet to the great
teacher and his IL disciples. 1t was
at the Confucian temple that I first
heard the sweetest sound in the east,
the pigions with soft whistles fastened
to their backs. making, as they cir
cled and Hew above one, mu4ics out
rivalins an Aeolian harp. AZ .
The greatesr native religious spec
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Fake SPICES Sold to Public.

It has been found that more than
80 per cent. of the groceries sold by
travelling agents who sell direct to
consumers are of the adulterated
classes. Examinations made of cof-
fees sold by such concerns proved
that there was so per cent. adultera-
ton. The cheapest kind of Santos
is used for a base, and with this
ground cocoanut shells, burnt corn
and chicory are combined. Such con-
coctions are dangerous, and a rank
imposition upon the people. The
spices that are sold by many of the
alleged pure food concerns that have
agents working among the people in
small towns are dangerous to health.
Many classes consist Of ground
bark, nut shells and other materials
and favored with artificial flavors
that are coal tar products. It is un-
safe to buy from the concerns that
gain their business through can
vassers, or who do an exclusive mail
order business.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

the bed. Then he lay down to await
certain death.
It is said the man had told a num-
ber of companions earlier in the day
that he would kill himself, but owing
to his nervous condition nothing was
thought of his threat until the explo-
sion was heard. Neighbors hurried to
the scene and found bits of human
flesh scattered a hundred feet away
with broken furniture, pieces of
weather boarding and torn bedding.
Lectak was familiar with the use of
dynamite, having been employed at
various times where it was used, be-
fore going to work at the brick yard.
1t is believed he secured the explosive
from coal miners, and had fully made
up his mind to die when he secured
1t. Not wanting to injure anyone but
himself he waited until every one
had left the house before lighting the
fuse
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

ancestors is the New Year; elaborate
offerings are made before the ances-
trail tablets, and afterwards there Is
feasting and music.
So inwrought is ancestral worship
with the social, civil and political life
OF the Chinese that it is very difficult
for Christian convert to separate
himself from it all, especially on the
occasion of funerals and the New
Year. Certain veteran missionaries
assume the position that the venera-
ton of ancestors should not be regard
ed as idolatry; they prefer to look
upon it merely as filial respect, just
as the northern states of America keep
Memorial day. Were all missionaries
to take this ground serious obstacles
would be removed from the paths of
many natives who want to enter the
church.
Among the Chinese it IS com1nenly
reported that Europeans have no ra.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Lava Put to Good Use.

Residents of the district round We
suvius have put to practical use the
lava which has flowed from the VOL
cano in the past and recent eruptions.
Naples and it's vicinity appear to be
q world of lava. The streets are paved
with it. There are lava staircases and
statues, drinking troughs, bric-a-brac
and even jewelry. The guides make
profit out of it by pressing coins or
other objects on partially cooled frag-
ments and selling these to visitors.
On the ashy sides of the mountain
there is enough lava to build large
city. In appearance it resembles a
shoreless frozen sea of dull black that
shimmers strangely purple in some
lights,
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Catch-Penny Schemes.

Those who make a habit of answer
ing advertisements in the cheap
mail order papers are sure to bite at
the "bait" held out to them sooner or
later. One of the common gratis is
advertising for men to distribute cir
culars" and offering from three dol
lars to five dollars day for the serv-
ices. These concerns generally charge
a fee of from two dollars to five dol
lars for registering" and in return
send number of printed blanks and
names of companies who want adver-
tising matter circulated. After some
dollars worth of postage stamps is
wasted in writing to the names sup
piled, the person anxious for job
concludes that he is out of pocket.
A common form of fraud is the ad-
vertising for men to become detec-
tives. There are few of these rank
humbugs doing business, and in a way
so shrewdly devised that the authori'
ties cannot deny them the use of the
mails In a few cases fraud orders
have been issued against them, but a
change was quickly made to another
city, and the same old graft put in
operation. In these cases fee is
charged for commission and badge
and instructions. The bit of nickeled
brass sent out as badge is familiar
in nearly every police court as a
source of trouble for green young men
who think that it's possession gives
them official authority.
Business men should be on the look
out for a new game which has been
played in number of parts Of the
country Of late. A stranger enters q
store, buys a small bill of goods, not
exceeding ten or fifteen dollars, says
that he will call for them later, and
gives a check for $50 or more on a
bank, receiving no change in return.
He remains away for few days, then
calls for the goods. He is told that
the check is no good. After roundly
"cussing" the bank he pays for the
goods, takes the check and goes. In a
few days more the check comes to the
merchant, paid at the bank, because it
had the merchants endorsement on It.
This was the end to be obtained. Be
on the lookout for this game.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

spect for their ancestors An interest
ing concession to this feeling is to be
noted in the practice OF many mission
aries. who prominently display family
and ancestral portraits where native
guests will see them.
A Motley Crew Of Dirty Priests.
One needs strong stomach to
travel in the east, but the famous
Llama temple in Peking is enough to
turn the strongest. This is supposed
to be Buddhism at it's best. Buddhism
straight from Llhassa, the home of the
grand Llama. In it's prime the build.
ing was no doubt splendid, and it has
many interesting carvings and
bronzes; but as whole it is in q
state of miserable decay. It's dirt and
griminess and squalor, however. are
nothing as compared with the filth
and odlousness of the priests. They
are the most repulsive lot Of mortals
it has ever been my bad fortune to
meet. Their unwashed, unkempt ex.
ternal appearance is less hideous than
their manifest moral rottenness. One
does not need to hear the tales with
which the community abounds to learn
that here is depravity remarkable
even for China.
There are some 800 of these yellow.
robed priests, men and boys. They
are famous for the deep tones in
which they chant their ritual daily, re-
cording, it is said, a lower register
than the human voice has been known
to attain elsewhere. Nothing manly
is to be associated with these deep
voices, however. They are a lot of
degenerate mendicants, whom no Chi
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Broke Statue in Spite.

Mr.. Kitamura Naojira, sculptor OF
the marble statue of a female, priced
at $4,000 yen, which is exhibited In
the Fine Arts building of the Toxic
exposition, proceeded to the exposi-
ton on June II, at z a. M, and de-
i1iberately knocked down the statue
and destroyed the, head and arms
with an iron hammer, which he had
originally used in carving the figure.
The reason for this violent proceed
ing was that he considered that the
prize commissioners Of the Toxic .ex-
position had shown bias In their
awards. and were prone to conf1ne
hieh testim ais to artists Of their
own e,lQue Japan AdyertlseE
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
pakinp China-WilV Chinese have

Peking, China.-Wily Chinese have
said, in English speech and print, that.
all in all, Confucianism is quite as
good as Christianity, if not better, and
they have more than implied that 1t is
an impertinence for Christian nations
to send missionaries to their country.
This matter is fundamentally impor-
tant; any investigation of missions
must deal with the native religions OF
TIE mission field. Moreover, as l am
studying mission work at first hand,
and not from the books written about
it by proragandists, am bound to
form my conclusions of China's reli-
gion by observation of the life of the
people, especially with respect to their
religious practices.
Broadly speaking, and apart from
the Christian aGherents, the Chinese
are less religious than the Japanese,
and more so than the Koreans. One
looks in vain for the multitude of
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
SUICIDE BLOWS SELF"T0 F.:
PIECES WITH DYNAMITE
PLACES EXPLOSIVE UNDER BED
THEN LIES DOWN AND
LIGHTS THE FUSE.

Plttsburg, Pa.-Calmly lying down
on a bed at his home, John Lectak,
aged 81, of Emo station, near Imperial,
the other evening drew a comfort over
him after lighting a fuse to stick of
dynamite, which he placed under the
bed. Fifteen minutes later neighbors
gathered up the fragments of Lectak
and the furniture The building was
completely wrecked.
Lectak was employed at brick yard
at Imperial, but it is said he had been
despondent recently after recovering
from a lengthy spree. The man wait
ed until other occupants of the house
left and placed the dynamite under
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Reliably Informed.

1T must be lovely to be success.
full playwright" she said, looking ad-
miringly at him, isn't it,"
1T u.s." said he, trying not to seem
proud.
Il understand" she went on softly,
"that you had play last winter that
ran for one consecutive night. Was
that true?"
"Yes," said he, frowning slightly.
And I have been tcld," she con.
tinued, that seven of your plays will
be produced this winter"
"Who told you that?" he asked, his
face all smiles again.
"You did," she said.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Scheme for Health Restoring.

In the large German towns, and also
those of German Switzerland, visitors
will be struck with the frequent re-
currence of the words 'Licht-Luftbad
Anstalt," advertised on buildings. In
yestigation will show that the build
ing on which this sign 1s placed is
surrounded by a high fence, inside of
which numbers of men and women
will be found disporting themselves In
the open air. These people are clothed
sufficiently, but the clothing they
wear is light to degree, and It ad.
mits all of the air and sun possible.
These air baths are new scheme to
restore health by returning to nature.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
Calls for Energetic Action.

There is but one way for the coun-
try merchant to combat mail order
evil and that is to organize and syste-
matically fight and the battle must be
carried on energetically If it is to win.
This has been done in some sections
of the country and can be done in 9TH
ers. Where a few years since the
larger portion of the people have
spent the major portion of their earn.
ings with the mail order houses, to-
day they do their purchasing at home,
but this has only been accomplished
by hard work by a thoroughly organ-
lied body.-New iberia Enterprise
Leader.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

propaganda in China Lack of this has
been the cause of great waste of
work and money, and of no little dupli.
cation of effort and of mission rivalry.
All this being true, it yet remains un-
deniable-and this is the most sweep,
ing criticism l have to make upon
Chinese mfssions-that the enterprise
is conducted on too small a scale for
the results sought. If missions are to!
be operated at all, they should be
maintained in manner commensur-
ate with the object. There has been a
deal of burying of gospel leaven in
China during hundred years past.
and by no means without result. But
1t strikes an observer forcibly that II
this generation or the next is to see
China as whole reckoning seriously
with Christianity, there must be some
bigger, broader, more aggressive and
more comprehensive campaigning
done.
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.) y
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

Nathan Straus, an eastern philan-
thropist, has established in New York
City a series of milk booths where
pure sterilized milk is sold to the poor
for one cent a bottle. Absolute anti.
septic cleanliness is required by him
in all branches of the enterprise. In
cleansing the milk bottles he uses two
things-hot water and BORAX. The
glistening bottles testify to the eheo-
tiveness of this method.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

VjgOr and cheerful.
ness soon disappear
when the kidneys are
out of order or dis
eased.
Kidney trouble has
become SO preva1eE.
that it is not u1lcO1n-
mon for a child to be
born afflicted with
f-:l- re tho
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

A soft answer turneth many young
mans thoughts toward the furniture
1nstallment houses.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

Let us try to make hopefulness ana
patience contagious so that everybody
may impart an influence of cheer
Bishop Fitzgerald.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

child urinates too often, if the urine scalds
the flesh, or if, when the child reaches an
age when it should be able to control the
passage, it is yet afflicted with bed-wet-
ting, depend upon it, the cause of the diff
Guilty is kidney trouble, and the first
step should be towards the treatment of
these important organs. This unpleasant
trouble is due to diseased condition of
the kidneys and bladder and not to
habit as most people suppose.
Women as we'll as men are made miser-
able with kidney and bladder trouble,
and both need the same great re:1edy.
The mild and the immediate effect of
Swamp.Root is soon realized. 1t is sold
by druggists, in fifty fE
cent and one-dollar H:gs{!l 4$4 1s::::: :::::
size bottles. You may - y! rs +: =
have a sample bottle =E.:ez:==7 G@z7
by mail free, also Home Of swamp1oot.
pamphlet telling all about Swamp-Root,
including many of the thousands of testi-
monial letters received from sufferers
cured. In writing DR.. Kilmer & Co.,
Binghamton, N. Y, be sure and mention
this paper. Don't make any mistake,
but remember the name, Swamp-Root,
DR.. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, and the adj
dress, Binghamton, N. Y, on every
bottle.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

MeMurray's Vanilla
Worth dollar drop, sold by all Gro
:ers at low price.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

Little things are little things, but to
be faithful in little things Is to be
great.-St. Augustine.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

The man who seeks Office for the
public good is apt to consider him.
self the entire public after he lands.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13
domen as Well as Men Are nidb
Miserable BY Kidney and
Bladder Trouble.

Kidney trouble preys upon the mind,
discourapes and lessons ambition; beauty,
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

Hides, Pelts and Wool.
To get full value, ship to the old reliable
N. w. Hide T. Fur Co., Minneapolis, MINI.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13

Hides Tanned for Robes, Coats
!tc. Oldest tanners in N. w. Send forprice.
Foster Robe Il Tanning Co., Minneapolis.