davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
OvercroWded Fields.

The growing seriousness of the mail
order houses cutting into the trade of
the country merchants no doubt will
bring about change in their methods
Of doing business. The keepers of
stores in small cities and towns must
change from obsolete ways and adopt
modern mercantile methods, or seek
some other vocation.
In the small towns the expenses of
conducting business are less than
In the large city, and while it may be
true that goods cannot be bought for
the prices paid by the big city dealers,
and freight rates in some cases may
be higher, conditions could be bet
tered If the merchants would only set
about to meet competition az they
should.
A district containing an average
population can support only a limited
number Of stores. Too often it is
the case that there are more stores
than Is needed to supply the wants
OF the community. Such a condition
Is caused chiefly by those who desire
to enter mercantile life, exercising
poor Judgment in selecting a location.
They enter an over-crowded town and
fail to follow sound good business
principles. The result is failure, or
mere struggle and TN injury to the
interests of the town in which thev
are located.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
TO FRESHEN FROCK
Little Attentions That Will Do Awav
with Need Of New Garment
TIE Arrange Bands.

II you have checked or striped
cotton suit that distinctly needs some
solid color to give it character when
1t may not be enough faded to throw
1t away, then get cotton or linen in a
plain color, cut it into bias bands
three or four inches wide and use
three OF these on the skirt or even
hve II you are slender. Do not stitch
them as in the old way, except at the
extreme edges with self-colored
thread. The bands covered with
stitching are not in fashion.
Do not begin placing these bands
on the lower edge of the hem in cot
ton frocks as in handsome ones.
There is always a difference made
here. On the cotton frock the bands
begin about four inches from the foot
line, sometimes six inches, and are
continued at wide spaces apart. In
dressy frocks of fine fabric the new
method is to put a six-inch band at
the exact edge of the foot line. and
then three small bands close together
around the knees. Paris has gone
quite wild over placing the wide band
OF black satin on almost every frock
where the colOrs will combine.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
A Word to the Wise,

The neck of waist is often ex.
tremely uncomfortable, not because
OF a bad cut, but because of the man
ner in which the band has been ap.
piled. Two precautions are necessary
first, to see that the back is not too
tight; next, to see that the front is
not too loose. If you see on another
woman a blouse with crosswise plait
up at the neck, you may know that
the band is too tight from shoulder to
shoulder. Many home dressmakers
think that this defect arises from the
neck being too high and they trim it
down little. This, instead of curing
the trouble, rather accentuates it.
The rule is simple. In applying a
neckband hold the band toward you
from shoulder to shoulder in the back
and the waist toward you from shoul-
der to shoulder in the front. A bit of
stretching in the back and an imper-
ceptible pulling of the front cause no
trouble, while the reverse has been
known to spoil gown.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
Give Charm to Town,


attractive streets, we'll paved. good
sidewalks, clean appearing buildings,
signs arranged we'll, all go to add a
charm to town. One of the things
that often gives strangers to a town
a bad impression is the loose manner
In which storekeepers and others take
care or the exterior Of their places.
Often not sign about the place is
to be found to designate the character
OF the business carried on. and this
can only be known by a peep through
the open door. The windows are
often arranged in such a way as to
give little knowledge of the goods
handled. During the summer time
awnings hanging low over the walks
80 the passer-by must stoop to avoid
them, are found in many places. Just
a little care is needed to improve
along these lines. An attractive sign
does not cost much and is a good in
vestment for the storekeeper. Clean
hness In front of business places
makes good impression. In fact
strangers will seldom enter a store If
the outside appearance indicates SLOW.
enllness and carelessness. The up-
to'date merchant will always be found
with well.cared-for establishment
1t Is quite often you can tell the busi-
ness Importance of man in the CON-
munity by the appearance of his store
Make business places attractive az
possible. 1t may cost you a little
money, little extra labor, but it will
pay in the long run.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
HOME NEWSPAPERS,
Are Factors in the Enlightenment Of
the People.

This is an era when the bualness
man who would succeed must place
the right value upon publicity. This
is the most enlightened era the world
has ever known. Only a small per-
centage of the people, particularly
among the English speaking, cannot
read and write, and in fact it is rare
thing to find an illiterate person in
any American community.
In every farmers house can be
found from one to a dozen newspa-
pers and periodicals.
The old-style farmer is fast passing,
and there is general admission that
intelligence, in fact scientific training
is needed on the farm as we'll as in
the business house and factory. With
telephones, daily rural delivery serv.
Ice and every innovation of civiliza-
ton, the American farmer is fast be-
coming noted among the educated and
advanced classes. They are readers,
thinkers and logicians. Growing gen.
eratiOns in agricultural communities
have all the advantages that the youth
of cities have, and few of the disad-
vantages. They surely breathe a
healthier moral atmosphere. The
farmers are the main support of the
country press. They feel interested
In all local affairs, and the home ga
per is the means of keeping them in
formed Of things going on immediate.
ly about them. If the average mer.
chant would give as substantial SUD.
port to the home paper as does the
farmer, the editor would not only be
enabled to give the farmer a better
paper, represent his interests better,
but the merchant would receive a ben
eft in seeing his town improve and
it's business increased, and all his
environments improved.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
FOR GREATER ECONOMY.
Manufacturing Drifting Closer to
Fields Where Raw Material Is
Produced.

Economy in every Industry is be
coming more pronounced year after
year. Manufacturing centers are drift
ing toward locations where the raw
materials can be secured at lower
cost. During the past ten years cot
ton manufacturing in the south has
increased more than a hundred per
cent, and there has been a decrease
in the production of textile manufac-
turing centers in the New England
states in proportion to the increase in
consumption. A score of years ago
the great flour manufacturing centers
were in New York and other eastern
states. To-day the west controls man.
ufactures of -four and cereal foods.
When mills are located in centers of
wheat and corn producing sections in
number sufficient to utilize the crops
OF local territory, it will work a bene-
hit to the farmers of the land in the
saving OF what is now paid in freight
rates or raw products to manufactur-
ing centers, and the distribution cost
to consumers Of the land. Every farm
or can help better conditions and help
himself by giving his support to local
manufacturing enterprises.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
SMALL THINGS COUNT
No Matter How Rich and Well
Trimmed the Gown, the Accessories
Are of Great Importance.

After all is said and done, the sue
cess OF a gown is very largely depend
ent upon the accessories that accom-
pany it, says Dress. Gloves, shoes,
hosiery, parasol, veil, belt and the
numberless other small details-each
of them has the power to make or mar
a costume. This the really we'll
dressed woman knows, and it is here
that she scores over her shorter-sight-
ed sisters. She recognizes the i'm
portance of these sadly misunderstood
minor details, and gives particular at
tention to them. She knows intimate
ly what sort of footwear may appro-
priately accompany each separate
gown, what veil, and how to arrange
it, and so on through the whole cate
cory of small belongings; and she in
sists upon having these things and
wearing them precisely as they should
be worn. To know how to put on the
graceful finishing touches is an art
In itself. Even the woman to whom
artistic gowning is a heaven-born in
stinct, and who has been, further than
that, blessed with a well-f1lled purse,
finds it necessary to study carefully
the little novelties that are continu-
ally being brought forth to tempt her.
The introduction of the tailor-made
shirt waist, or, to speak more exactly,
the return to the simple style of sep
arate bodice, has temporarily brought
with it great deal that is novel in
the way of collars, ties, jabots and
belts. A fine lingerie bodice is in
itself sufficiently effective to make
any added trimming superfluous, but
a plain lawn or linen bodice can af-
ford some little adornment if it does
not actually require to be relieved by
a smart collar and tie of fascinat-
Ing jabot formed Of lace embroidery.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
PUTTING UP FRUITS.
September THE BEST MONTH
FOR THE WORK.
Some Old-Fashioned Recipes That
Are Decidedly Worth Trying
Delicious Preserves Of
Grapes and Peaches.

September preserving is by all odds
the most pleasant of the fruit season.
The days are much cooler, fruits are
abundant and cheap and the preserv-
Ing and picking is of the pungent,
spicy nature that is distinct relief
after the earlier preserves of a cloying
nature. Such fruits and vegetables as
are now in the market should be
bought early in the morning and
cooked Immediately. Here are some
old-fashioned recipes which it will pay
to try. If the ingredients are bought
at the proper figure the results will be
much cheaper than factory-made
articles.
The grape season is now at its
height nearly all over the country.
Here are the three suggestions for
tasty grape condiments:
Grape Butter-Separate the pulp
and the skin of the grapes. After
boiling the pulp, strain it through a
coarse sieve. Mix this with the skins
and then measure Boil half an hour,
then add to it a pint of sugar to each
quart of grapes and cook them until
thick and jellied. ,
Grape Catsup-Take nine pounds of
strained grapes, five pounds of sugar,
two tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, all.
spice, cloves and one-fourth spoon of
red pepper. Boil this together until
thick and when cool thin with vine
gar.
Spiced Grapes-Pour over five
pounds of sugar as little vinegar as
will dissolve it, six cloves, a stick of
cinnamon and boil to a thick syrup.
Pour this hot over seven pounds OF
grapes, picked from the stems, and let
it stand over night; drain of the
syrup, let this boil, and pour over the
fruit again. Repeat this process three
times.
The large late peaches are particu
larly well suited to both picking and
bradying.
Branded Peaches - Take fou,
pounds of peaches, the same weight Of
sugar, and one pint of brandy. Pee
the fruit, place the sugar over it and
let it stand over night. Drain care
fully, boil and skim. When the syrup
thickens add the peaches, and cook
slowly until the peaches are clear
Lift the fruit carefully into jars. Boi
the syrup until quite thick, add the
Brandy and fill the jars, sealing very
tight.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27

the hog because you moved over!
After the lady had climbed over you
she would have kept on to the other
end of the bench where now there il
nothing but sullen space"
l began to insult myself.
Peter" I exclaimed inwardly,
what do you know about the etiquette
of the street car? According to the
newspapers it is only a man who can
be a hog on the street cars, and since
you are the original cause of blockad-
ing the port when you moved over.
you must be the hog!"
Then I got SO mad at myself that
l refused to talk to myself any further.
The next day was riding downtown
on the end seat with my mind made
up to stay there and keep the harbor
open for commerce.
Never" l said to myself, never
will any one become human Merri-
mac to bottle up the seating capacity
of this particular bench while the
blood flows through these veins and
the flag of freedom waves above me-"
At the next corner very thin little
gentleman squeezed by me with a look
of reproach on his face the like of
which I hope never to see again, but
l was Charles j. Glue and firm in the
end seat
Then couple of Italy's sunny sons
by the names of Microbeini and Germi-
eide crawled over me and kicked their
initials on my knee-cap and then sat
down to enjoy a smoke of domestic
rope which fell across my nostrils and
remained there in bitterness.
After had been stepped on, sat on,
clawed at and scowled at for twenty
minutes, began to discuss myself to
myself.
Peter" whispered, "do you really
think that the general public apprec-
iates your efforts to keep the harbor
open?"
And then myself replied to myself
with a sigh of exhaustion: II don't
Think"
"Peter," said to myself, mo mat
ter what your motives may be, the
other fellow will always believe you
are trying to get the best of it. If
you move over and give the end seat
to another gentleman he will consider
it only what is his right. If you don't
move over he will think you are a hog
for keeping that which is as much
yours as his"
1 began to grow confidential with
myself
"Civilization is a fine idea, but
human nature can give it cards and
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
ODD JOBS OF GRAVITY.
Arranged by Nature for the Perpetual
Good Of the Universe.

Arranged by Nature tor the Perpetual
Good Of the Universe.
'The effects of, gravitation are so
familiar as to demand only the brief
est mention: yet most Of US, perhaps,
seldom stop to consider how far-reach-
ing these effects are" says DR.. Henry
Smith Williams. But for gravitation
the winds would not blow, the waters
would not descend, and the mountain
tops would not crumble into the val.
leys. Each particle of pulverized rock
would remain where it was formed,
and there would be no such thing as
mixed soil.
"But as matters are actually ar.
ranged, gravitation is perpetually act-
I've, and every particle of matter is be-
ing eternally tugged at and urged to
get nearer to the earth's center. So
no sooner does a fragment Of rock at
mountain crest become loosened
than grayitation hurls it crashing down
into the valley, shattering it into frag.
ments, perhaps. or at the least grind
off some portions of its surface. AZ
well AS of the surface of the rocks
| against which it is dashed. IN :. =. i
by such Hskks, and with the fur
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
M&kik1 CHEAP GOODS.
Low Prices Too Often Mean inferior
Articles.

Efforts to cheaper cost of produc.
ton of numerous classes of goods and
to place them on the market in CON-
petition with we'll advertised lines,
and at much lower price, has influ-
enced not too honest manufacturers
to turn out very inferior articles. So
long as they can be made attractive
In exterior appearance so as to please
those whose tastes are for the
Snowy" seems to be the only consid-
Grafton. In the manufacture of stoves
and ranges particularly is there great
opportunity for fraud. In different
cities of the middle west are large
concerns that make a specially of
manufacturing stoves to supply DEAL
ers who depend on cheapness to se-
cure sales. These manufacturers buy
from junk dealers all classes of old
over enters largely into their manu-
factured articles. The result is that
stove is produced that while it ap-
pears to be all right, few months
use will prove it to be almost worth
less. The tensile strength is not
there, the metal is rotten and brittle,
and the expansion caused by the heat
makes it warp and crack. The Innings
are Of the poorest material.
One of the tricks employed is the
use of old sheet iron for lining.
Throughout the south and in many of
the large northern cities the manu-
facture of artificial ice is extensively
carried on. Galvanized iron cans OF
the capacity of a 300-pound ice-cake
are used, and in every large plant
thousands Of cans are in use. The
ammonia that is used in the process
of freezing soon causes the cans to
corrode, and then they are rendered
useless for the purpose required. The
stove manufacturing concerns buy up
these discarded cans, and use them
for lining stoves. It can be judged
that the life of the stove in this way
is shortened, but as the stoves are
never intended to last long, the lining
Is as good as the other material
which enters into their composition.
In appearance these stoves are all
that can be desired, but their wearing
and durable qualities are not half that
of a properly made stove should be.
They are often sold at as high prices
as the best article, but more frequent
ly are disposed of as "big bargains, -
and are dealt in extensively by con-
Germs that advertise themselves as
manufacturers" and do business "di-
rect with the consumers" through the
mails. Makers of stoves who put out
brands Of goods known to be standard
never resort to such methods, as one
inferior stove might result in the loss
of dozen sales, and no reputable
stove dealer or hardware merchant
would handle the goods.
D. M. CARR.
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27

Ribbons
ady Fashion these
put OFTEN constitute whole from
Spghy tafea
ends IN black for and light evening sometimes
on young
0neG PAM and pinned across the head osee either side
Some OF the loops note Many finished
Grdles and sashes
quaint gsdle Is made Of ribbon with edge
the ribbon sewed the left This thing
for a little muslin ' ~ 1:o
The gd of printed dresy white
OF with
grde OF figured ribbons ribbon
cascade instead of wide ends
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27

NAV, We Don't Take No Transfers. -
lad who made profound study of that
street car proposition known as the
End-Seat Hog.
I'm going to pass you out talk he
handed me few evenings ago on that
subject.
Pipe!
Suffering crumpets, John! I don't
know anything about this end-seat
business. and the more I try to find
out the more complex becomes the
problem.
I've been up and down and over and
across in the surface cars, John, and
my experience is ornamented by rip
ped trousers and discolored shins, but
my intellect blows out a fuse every
time try to dope out the real way not
to be an End-Seat Hog.
One day in summer jumped on an
open-face car and it seemed that all
the world was filed with joy and good
wishes.
l was smoking one of those Bad
Boy cigars. I call it a Bad Boy cigar
because as soon as it goes out it gets
awful noisy.
The car was empty with the ex'
ception of couple of benches.
Two blocks further on the car
stopped and a stout lady looked over
the situation.
l think she must have been color
blind, because she didn't see the
empty seats ahead and decided to cast
her lot with me.
1t was terrific moment.
peter" I said to myself, don't be
a hOg-mOVe Overt"
And virtue was triumphant.
l moved over, and the stout lady
settled squashfully into the end seat
Her displacement was about fifteen
cents worth of bench.
After we had gone about ten blocks
more every seat in the car in front
and behind us was crowded, but no
body could get into our section be-
cause the fat lady held them at bay
like Horatius held the bridge in the
brave days of old.
People would rush up to the cal
when it stopped, glance carelessly fore
and aft until their eyes rested on the
vacant seats in our direction, and then
they would see the stout lady sitting
there, as graceful as the sunken ships
which used to block the harbor at Port
Arthur
The people would look at the stout
lady with no hope in their eyes, and
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27

spades and then beat it out!" told
myself. 'The human hog was in
vented long before the open-face street
car began to stop for him, and there
isn't anybody living who should stop
to throw stones at him, because self
ishness is like measles; it breaks out
in unexpected places. All of us may
not be hogs, but there is moment in
the life of every man when he gets
near enough to it to be called ham
sandwich
Just then the Disinfecti brothers,
Microbeini and Germicide, walked
over me backward and l had a short
but exciting visit to the slums.
Since that eventful day I have
moved over thirty-six times, and out
of the thirty-six people gave the end
seat to all but three of them belonged
to the Mucilage family and stayed
there.
Thereafter I made myself a severe
promise not to worry any more about
my hog qualifications when movable
or immovable on an open-face car.
Then I went back to the hotel and
crawled into the far side of the bed
while my wife sent for a near side
doctor who lived on the far side of
the block.
That will be about all for Uncle
Peter. =
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
FOOL THE PEOPLE.
MOTTO OF "GET-RlCH-QUlCk"
MEN AND FAklRS.
HOW SCHEMES ARE WORKED
Desire to Get "somethlns for Moth
Ing" Is Played Opon-Exereise
Of Common Sense Would
End Graft.

"You can fool some of the people
part of the time, but you can fool 9TH
ers all the time," seems to be motto
of the get-rich.Quick men and "gold
brick" operators. Pages of the daily
and weekly press may be filled with
warnings to readers to be on the look
out for sWindlers, yet many who are
credited with intelligence will keep
right on biting at bats thrown out to
them by various concerns who sell
"cats in bags"
Psychologists say that every person
has weak spot somewhere in the
brain. 1t seems that this softness is
commonly manifested in false reason
ing that frequently one can get some
thing for nothing. Understanding this
desire on part Of the majority, the
fakirs bait their hooks accordingly.
There are large concerns which have
built up great enterprises by repre-
senting to the people that with each
bill of goods purchased the buyer
gets something for nothing"
Just think of graft" like this
that will draw $1,000 worth of soap Or
ders in a single month from town
of 10000 people! But this Is just
what has been done within the past
few months. Just think Of wives of
grocers and dry goods merchants in
large cities joining 'soap clubs" and
paying dollar each month to q for
eign concern just to secure q pre-
MUM, while their husbands could
supply them at half the cost all the
soap and the premium too! Yet
such Is the drawing power Of "the
something for nothing" argument. If
the Creator gave these women COM
mon sense, they little know how to
utilize it.
Some means should be devised to
tax directly or indirectly the con-
Germs in foreign cities that seek to
do business directly with consumers
through the mails. At present they
are protected by the interstate COM
merce law. These concerns make
their money by dealing with the peo-
pie of some community, where they
pay no taxes direct or license fees.
The merchants of the town are
taxed upon the business they do. Is
this proposition a fair one? The for
eign insurance companies doing busi-
ness in state must pay a license fee
for SO doing. Why not compel the
foreign mercantile concern to do the
same? Our national laws should be
so constructed as to provide that
there be tax on the amount of busi-
ness transacted in state by any
mercantile concern in another state,
unless the business be transacted by
concerns which pay taxes within the
Ctate for the doing of such business.
D. M. CARR,
The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
Peach fritters.

Beat together the yolks Of two
eggs and half cupful of cold water.
Add one cupful of sifted -four mixed
with pinch of salt and olive oil and
beat we'll again. Then stir in light
ly the whites whipped to a stiff froth
and set aside I'M cool place for sew
eral hours. Have ready kettle part
ly filled with smoking hot fat. Dip
pared and halved pieces, of peaches
into the batter. Hold on the fork for
a moment that any extra amount may
drain off, then drop into the hot fat
and cook golden brown. Skim out ind
drain for moment on unglazed pa
per, then roll in powdered sugar and
send at once to the table.