davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Cecil Rhode, Tomb.

We drove the automobile right into the
hills and wound our way among boulders
to the foot OF the rocky mass which the
great African hero chose as his last resting
place. 1t is more than a mile in length and
1t rises above the valley for hundreds OF
feet. Like all the hills, It is composed OF
red granite and is ground as smooth as a
floor. With staff in hand I climbed up,
bending half double in places and setting
my feet flat for fear I might slip. The view
broadened at every step, until at last on
the top l was far above the Matopos hills,
which extended up and down the country
as far as my eyes could reach.
On the summit the rock is smooth, form
ing a level space, which covers perhaps a
quarter Of an acre. About this space lie a
score of the mighty boulders rave de-
scribed, 80 placed by nature that they seem
TO guard IT. Right In the center OF this
space, on the very summit is the tomb OF
Rhodes. 1t is the rock itself. The grave
was gouged out by mallet and chisel and
the granite was so hard that It required
the masons ten days to do the work. There
was no blasting for fear tina is might crack
the rock. but the square hole was dug out
bit by bit until 1t was deep enough to hold
the coffin. This was then covered with
cement and a granite slab placed over It,
the whole being hermetically sealed. Upon
the top Of the slab there is now a bronze
plate three feet wide and five feet long. and
upon It are engraved the simple words
which Mr.. Rhodes ordered for the monu-
ment. They are:
Here Lie the Remains Of Cecil John
Rhodes"
There is no date Of birth or death, nor
any Inscription mentioning the wonderful
work that Rhodes did for South Africa ana
Great Britain. The very simplicity OF the
monument adds TO fits grandeur. and the
fact that II lies out here in the open, in the
wilds Of the vast country which he has
given to the English crown, seemed to mo
monument enough. It was impressive and
as l looked at It ! Involuntary took off
my hat, for I seemed 10 be upon holy
ground.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26

but one day about the middle OF June as
l was g~lancing casually over things under
the old apple tree suddenly from the main
opening of the hollow and various other
exits which 1 then for the first time saw
ants began hurrying out in the utmost
excttement-in what seemed a panic in
fact-and ran wildly about, most Of them
scrambling toward the ground. At first
thought the dreaded toad had worked his
way into the depths OF the hollow and was
cleaning out things there, but g~lancing
down l saw that he was sitting stolidly
IN his hole. That glance down, though,
discovered to me had set all the ants
crazy. On the ground in myriads ants of
another kin were swarming.
'-rhese ants were not one-tenth the size
OF the wood ants and they were pink and
almost transparent In the midst Of the
swarm was a group Of their kind, but with
wings and around these the others seemed
to me to be maintaining a strict guard.
II was the presence Of these ants. and they
must have come up out OF the ground,
their appearance had been 30 sudden, that
had created the panic in that wood ant
colony. The big black ants would rush in
and seize upon the little red ones, only in
nine cases out of ten to be instantly seized
by a host Of red ones and torn to pieces.
Tor the red ants, small as they We're, were
fierce as tigers. The big black ants were
no match at all for the little red ones. II
seemed TO me as IL the object of the black
ants was to get at and capture the group
OF winged red ants that were kept In the
center OF the swarm, ana that it was to
prevent this that the guarding red ants
NnnuhN 90 naaIN
savage fight OF ten minutes or more. In
which the field was strewn with dead and
wounded on both sides, the blacks retired
ana made their way back up the tree,
scores Of them burdened with red ants
which had fastened on their legs and ( slers
and other parts OF their bodies, where they
hung like leeches, the pain making the big
ants frantic.
A red ant that had seized hold OF a big
black soldier ants fore leg, out of reach
OF the big ants jaw, had in turn been
seized BY another black soldier ant, and
this one had succeeded in Juggling both
OF the field. All Of It's Juggling, however,
and tearing at the red ant would rot induce
The tenacious little ant TO release the black
soldier ant, and so the other big ant. hold
ing TO the red ant and the red ant holding
10 the leg Of the soldier ant, dragged them
both to the tree and labOred with the bur.
den up the tree trunk three freet or more.
When he disappeared in the hollow, the
big soldier ant hanging from the jaws Of
the red ant limp and dead. but the red
ant sui alive and resisting the effort to
make II release its hold.
AFTER the battle and the retreat OF the
black ant army the surviving host Of red
ants ana their winged charge disappeared
under the ground as suddenly as they
had appeared. What puzzled me. ard
me yet is by what mysterious
telegraphy the black ants in the depths
OF that old apple tree knew Of the coming
OF that army Of red ants on the ground
At the foot OF the tree almost on the instant
that It has appeared. The incidents oc-
CURED 4 second time during last week,
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Intelligence of Ants
Continued from Page one.)

Jaws. W smaller ants that were with
them were undoubtedly the two that had
carried home the terrible news, for they
led the way down the tree and over to q
point from which the army behind then
could view the great beast. This following
OF big ants must have been the military
OF the colony. for after looking the field
over they debouched and came to the
o in a strategic position in the rear OF
the toad, who sat there all bumped up.
There must have been fifty OF more OF
those big ants, and they marched in a mass
against the DAD. Before he was aware OF
their presence they had climbed all over
him. and from the way he began to hop ]
knew those great jaws Of theirs were getting
their work in on him well. The first hop
took him into the thick of the nasturtium
bed. but IL he had awakened to what had
struck him and expected to wipe those ants
off OF him by contact with the thick grow
Ing plants he was sadly mistaken. The ants
hung on and nipped, and not until they had
nagged him clear over to the ID OF the
yard, where he tumbled among some thick
growths OF young lilac bushes, did the ants
consider that they had sufficiently tri-
umphed. Then one by one they dropped off
and by and by came struggling back
through the grass, or those OF them that
had not fallen in the fight. and sought their
barracks in the old trees depths.
'of course, after that emphatic and COM
plete bounce the ants had given him, /
didn't expect ever to see that toad around
there again, 50 I was not q little surprised
when l went out next day to see what was
going on around the tree to come face to
face with Mr.. Toad the very first thing.
when ! saw how he had fixed himself
1 couldn't help but say right out:
well" said /. you've got some brains
in that old warty noodle OF yours after all"
TT was evident that the toad had great
expectations at and about that spot, and
didn't intend to he taken by surprise, and
hustled away from there again, not II he
knew It. He had scooped out for himself
q little hollow in the ground and the spongy
wood OF the tree and had backs into ii
with Just the front OF HE head out so that
he could see What was going on outside
and could act accordingly, with his
rear entirely protected. He was discovered
during the day by scouting ants, fortu-
nately for them, at a safe distance, and
they must have carried the news home,
for some OF the big ants came down After
a while and ~reconnoitered him. They
doubtless reported that the toad's position
was a little too strong for the ant army 70
attempt TO carry, and the toad remains IN
his retreat to this day when not out forag-
ing elsewhere about the yard And no ant
Of that colony has passed within six inches
OF that little hollow at the foot OF the tree
since the toad made Il and located there.
The toad has done a good business, how
ever. In strange or stray ants that have
happened TO pasA
Ordinarily there was nothing besides
the working of the ants and the passing
up and down Of other ants OF the colony
engaged apparently on merely routine bust
mesa 70 attract attention 70 them any day,
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26

pressed air on a little press for copyinp
letters, transpllnting the ~"workhouse" plan
OF turning a large wheel by hand. slim
jim Learned was then running a switch
engine around the yards and because Of
he had difficulty In reversing
ms engine. A compressed air arrangement
was put on the locomotive whereby he
could move the big lever by simply turning
an air valve. Air was then used to operate
a drill instead OF a water motor. BY its
own force the compressed air worked its
way TO the fore until for years It was gem
orally In use on all sorts Of devices to save
labor. 1t has now, however, been trans
planted by electricity.
The use OF air spread all over the country
and no longer is trouble experienced in
making the air work. but it is rather an
exact science. Air was used on the trans
fer turn table in the machine shop TO
transfer an engine from one stall to
another. 1t did the work which formerly
required twenty men. whereas one could
operate the air machine. Air has given
way at the Union Pacific shops to cleo
triclty' which is supplied from the central
power station and now instead Of opening
the air valve a button is turned and the
chained lightning will do the work. Air
Is not entirely discarded. for many devices
are still In use in which compressed air
is the means OF transmitting the power.
The Union Pacific was the pioneer in
the use OF a sandpapering machine, the
nrst machine OF that kind having been
made IN the Omaha shops. 1t was Invented
by George c.. Brown, the present general
foreman OF the machine shops. II is stil IN
use and besides saving an immense amount
OF labor It does a better job than could
be done by hand. The air spray for paint
ing cars and buildings and for whitewash-
ing buildings was also an invention turned
out at the Union Pacific shops and still in
general use there, II Is especially useful
Tor painting steel cars and for ssndblasting
freight cars.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Guarded by the Mntnhsrs..

As ] climbed up the rocks and walked
here and there about the grave / was fol-
lowed by two Matahele boys. They made
no noise as they slipped in their bare feet
around the mighty boulders which guard
the tomb, and It was only when / changed
my course that l was able 20 see them.
They were, ! am told, two Of the guards
which Dom Jaahn, the chief OF whom ]
have written, keeps always here to guars
Rhodes tomb. They are replaced by others
from day to day, so that some are ever
present.
These guards say nothing to visitors, but
any man who would dare to cut his name
upon the rocks or mutilate the place would
al once be reported 70 the authorities at
Bulawayo and punished. Al first Dom
Jaahn furnished the boys free % charge as
a tribute 20 the memory OF Rhodes after a
custom thai the Matabeles have OF guard
ing their noted dead After a while, how
ever, the Rhodes estate recognized their
value as a protection against iconoclasts
and since then a certain amount has been
regularly paid 10 the ebony watchers.
FRANK q. CARPENTER
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
some Wonders Achieved.

The entire plant OF the Union Pacific
shops is one labyrinth Of devices for ac-
celebrating work and for saving men and
time. A visitor will see work done In a way
he never before dreamed OF and which II
told about would not believe was possible.
Of the greatest helps In the machine
shops was the discovery that by more
highly tempering the cutting tools they
could be made into what Is known as high
speed steel which permits these tools to
work over five times as fast as twenty-five
years ago. An Instance Ia point IS that Il
formerly took ten hours TO turn off he
rough surface on a pair Of driving wheels
while now the same wheels with practically,
the same machine have been cut down at
the rate Of eleven pair in ten hours. and
fifteen minutes. thus working just eleven
times as fast.
+. Fl. Hartman has taken a personal IN
terest IN the shops at Omaha and on several
occasions has stopped his special train I'm
its n. ght across the continent long enough
10 pay a visit 10 the shops He takes a
personal interest in the work there and es-
pecially in having up-tO-date shops second
TO none in the country. On his last visit ne
was particularly pleased with the grass
plots and trees and chlded a man who
backed bis automobile upon one OF the grass
plotL
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Labor saving Devices.

The Union Pacific FOR years has been the
pioneer IN the invention and trial OF new
labor-saving devices and special privileges
are afforded to a man with an inventive
turn Of mind who might possibly invent
some contrivance which will save time and
labor. Mr.. Hartman looks kindly upon
anything which will save money and per-
mits OF any expenditure which will I'm tine
end bring returns by saving labor. Just
as the Union Pacific railroad was the pio-
neer west Of the Missouri In the use Of
dining cars, vesubuled cars. steam heat.
Pintsch lights, buffet smoking and library
cars and tourists cars, so the Union Pa
cifc shops has been the pioneer in the use
OF hundreds Of labor-saving devices.
Compressed air was first extensively used
at the Union Pacific shops, which at one
time were recognized all over the country
as the leading pneumatic" shops Of the
entire world. ]. II. Mcconnell ana J. II.
Manning were the leaders Of this form OF
work Mr.. Mcconnell first used com
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Across MatabeIsIand.

The great African statesman lies buried
IN low mountains far Off from amy human
settlement. He selected as his tomb a
formation fitted for the grave Of a god.
a7' tho way to It takes one for thirty
90. g through a fertile valley. the most OF
" 1l is comprised in a great estate which
81. Rhodes owned and which Is sull held
il his name.
e was up this valley We went on our
wHy TO the tomb. The country Is but
JIG De- different from what II was when
David Livingstone, the great African ex-
plorcr. first announced its existence to
white men. It consists OF a veldt which
stretches on and on as far as the eve can
reach. The most OF It is covered with
grass. as green as that which borders
Victoria Nyanza, spotted here and there
With a scanty growth of thorny brush.
There are many native villages along the
road to the tomb. and all the way out on
tho veldt are patches Of cultivated lands.
These ere the farms Of the natives. Some
are not as big az a bed quilt, and the
largest contains only four or five acres.
They are planted TO millet and indian
corn. They have no fences around them
and they stand right out In the wilds.
Cecil Rhodes gave directions that the
natives should have free. any Of his un-
used lands, and they are charged no more
now than when the whole country be-
longed to them.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Great GLACIAL Garden.

Indeed, the whole range Is one mighty
glacial garden. The hills. where 1 WIS.,
tied them, are about eleven miles wide,
and all are SCARED and worn. with these
mighty boulders lying here and there
upon them. In some places the rocks are
piled up like a fertilization. being as evenly
laid as though the gods had been the
masons and had here worked at their
trade. Some of the rocks are beautifully
colored, and their hues change as the sun
moves over them. Some contain caves,
and in these caves the natives of gem
e~rations ago have painted pictures which
are now the wonder of the psychologists.
The hills contain beautiful valleys. Cas-
cades flow down them and springs here and
there gush forth, reminding one Of tho
living water which spouted when Moses
smote the rock.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Union Pacific Shops
CContlnued from Fac Two.l

material as locomotives, cars, rails, bridge
material, etc, the chemist and engineer OF
tests is assisted by a chief Inspector, who
has general supervision over the work OF
the individual inspectors, under the direc-
ton Of the chemist and engineer OF tests.
In addition to the chief inspector the COM
pany has at present twenty-seven inspec-
tors continually travelling In different parts
Of the country engaged in the work Of in
spectlon.
The department Of tests at the Omaha
shops Of the Union Pacific Is one OF the
largest Of its kind IN the United States
and is responsible for the quality and cor
rectness OF all materials purchased under
contract by the Hartman lines. Last year
when considerable work was being done
all over the west this department Inspected
material to the value OF SIS, 1900
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Surgeon Gets Big Fee.

After receiving what he. considered a
prohibitive fee of 5000, DR.. George w.
Endicott, chief Of staff of Muhlenberg
hospital, Plainfield, N. j., and recognized
as the foremos surgeon in New Jersey,
consented to sail for Europe for a consulta-
ton with DR.. August Bier OF Berlin, re-
puted to be the greatest surgeon in that
country.
A young American woman studying art
IN Germany recently entered DR.. Bier's
private hospital in Berlin for treatment for
poison in the left foot. The surgeon, after
an examination, informed his patient that
It would be necessary to amputate the foot,
but she woul not consent to the opera
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
A Writer OF Insurnnoe.

The greatest life insurance peddIsr New
YORK ever had was Archie Haines OF this
Equitable. Haines, as general agent made
the fortunes Of thousands OF men In ali
parts Of the country. and was himself in
receipt OF an income Of 10000 a year,
The other day he was declared a bank
rupt He did not care for run-downs or
has-oeens; he selected reduced gentlemen. &"
by which mean men who had been promI-
nent In social life but had lost everything
save honor" He would pick up a relic.
or a d~ereict, with coolies OF acquaintance
but no money. and offer enormous com
missions, rebates. etc. for SOO,o 900 policies.
One OF these curiosities Of the past. who
had gone down to HIS last dollar and was
virtually a beggar, was taken up by Haines
at the age Of 70. and in three days had
solo as many policies OF 10000 each. His
commissions amounted to Sl6.OOO.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
CHANGED His Mind

President Roosevelt's remark that he's
mad "a perfectly corking time" In the
White House, relates the New York Tri-
bune, recalls an equally characteristic state
ment made by him years ago. One morn
ing while he was governor, he occupied a
chair next to a member of the Tribune
staff on a train going from New York to
Albany. The next republican convention
was the subject of discussion and the Tri-
bune mar said: well, governor, you will
probably be the candidate for vice presl-
dent" mo If can help IT," said Mr.
Roosevelt; II like my Job and I'm getting
a good run for my money" The newspaper
man suggested that he would change his
mind, and when they met again the gov
ernor knew what was meant when his rail-
road companion said. II told you So"
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Dead Wagon at Wedding.

To step from Hymen's altar and find
two undertakers awaiting them with ambu-
lances was the serio-comic experience Of
Mr.. and Mrs. R d. Stitt Of Butler. Pa.
While the Rev. ]. w. Pontius was per-
forming the marriage at the
home OF Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas P. Klingen-
smith, parents Of the bride, Miss Emma E..
Klingensmith, some joker called the NJ.
A. Berkimer and the George w. Amy un-
d~ertaking rooms and ordered ambulances
to the residence double quick.
The ambulance men drove at b~reakneck
speed to the home, arriving about the same
time. and awaited the word to remove the
dead and dying. Instead. they were intro
duced to a blushing bride and a nervous
groom
An effort to force the couple to take a
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Among the AIatabeIes.

I shall write more OF the Matabeles in
the future. I had a good chance to see
them during this ride. Their kraals are
scattered over tho country and In nearly
every corn patch the women were work
ing. The hard labor OF these people is
done by the women. We saw many girls
who were hoeing corn. They were naked
to the waist and the white sweat drops
stood out like pearls on their brown skins
as they bent low and chopped out the
weeds. In some Of the fields there were
men. but they were mostly smoking and
watching the women to keep them up 10
their work. A few Of these lords Of orea-
ton were clad In cast off European clo-
thing. but some were absolutely nude, save
for a little skin apron tied around the waist.
The aprons are not much bigger than a
ladies' handkerchief. They are made of
deer or calfskin with the hair on and
are quite namen My chauffeur told
me that the women were the wives Of the
watchers, and the latter were out In the
fields to see that there ladies di6 not loaf
on the job. Many OF the Matabeles have
two or three wives. and there are some
trust magnates' who have twenty or so.
Women here are q sign Of wealth, and the
more a man owns the richer he Ia
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
N~Intopos Hill.

.
MRtopos Hill.
I wish I could describe for you these
mighty hills which Cecil Rhodes chose
as his last resting place. They are moth
ing like any range I have seen else
where. They rise up out Of the African
veldt IN the shape OF great masses OF
granite, ground smooth by the glaciers OF
a million odd years ago. They are sixty
miles long and from ten to twenty miles
wide, and they wind their way IN and out
over the plain, looking as though they
might have been thrown up by volcanoes.
In some places they remind me OF the
Saxon Switzerland. and In others Of the
Garden Of the Gods on the edge of the
Rockies in Colorado. Upon many Of them
arc boulders piled one upon another. And
such boulders. You will find nothing like
them In any other part Of the world. You
have seen pebbles so worn by the waters
that they are as round as marbles and as
smooth. On these Matopos hills there are
boulders as big as a ~haystack lying on
these granite rocks which are as smooth
as the pebbles. The rocks upon which
they lie are smooth. In places they made
me think that they might be great wens
on the bald head OF old Mother Earth,
which is here pushing itself toward the
sky.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26

off.
well, then, set II you want to set" said
~stackpole, placing nine tiny eggs under the
rooster. Only ono a day, when he sought
food and water, did the rooster leave the
eggs, and then only for a brief period.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
How Rhodes Lived.

triohes on the property, but. by Rhodes
DEGREES, no shooting can be done upon It.
d
How Rhodes Lived.
This farm was one of the favorite
homes of the great white African king.
and during my trip 1 had a chance to
see the palace which formed his home
ape It. The word palace is ~ironical.
Cecil J. Rhodes, although he was worth
millions, was more fond of the simple
life than Wagner himself. One Of his
residence was the government house at
Bulawayo, which had every comfort that
money could buy, but his favorite home
was a native hut. He had such q hut
outside the government house, and often
left the latter to sleep under the thatch.
Out here on the farm he had three huts.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
Ono Bid ETecuted ST.

fashionable Buena park. Chicago, is sx-
cited over the execution OF a little English
sparrow The highest point Of a tall tree
IN front Of the home Of Willard II. stearns.
president OF the Buena Park citizens asso-
citation, was chosen as the place Of execu-
tion. Six sPsrrows escorted a seventh TO
the top OF the tree and there hanged the
bird The victim was suspended by its
feet.
IT was the most remarkable thing I
ever saw" declared Mr. stearns. the
little sparrows wound something about the
legs OF their condemned fellow. Ths VIC
Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26

ton until Or. Endicott gave his consent.
The Plainfield physicists has never heard
Of the woman, and was reluctant to make
the trip to Europe when urged to do so by
her New York attorney. He asked for A
fee, with expenses. which he considered
would not be met. but got his certified
check and sailed on La Lorraine.