davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
a Candid Critic


"a criticism that has helped me II
great deal in my work came from Il
man to whom | took a picture TO be
framed" said young woman who
spends much OF her time copying in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art "As the
picture progressed my friends told me
1t was fine. Some of the other copyists
said 1t had value. character. good color
ing and all those things. and even one
of the guards in the gallery got real
friendly one day and remarked that it
was the best copy Of that picture he
had seen. began to think that maybe
after all, my several years of study
were beginning to bear fruit. At the
framer's ! picked out nice frame, and
the framer began TO figure on the cost
"'rll tell you. miss he said. that
frame will come to S39S. If | were
you III get something cheaper for that
picture New York Sun.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
NO VEGETABLE INTELLIGENCE
Bureau Of Plant Industry Pathoiosist
Does Not Believe Plants See.

Bureau Of Plant Industry Pathoiogist
Does Not Believe Plants See.
The bureau of plant industry of the
department of agriculture at Wash
ington has been following closely the
accounts of the recent alleged Disco
cry of vegetable Intelligence" by
Francis Darwin and Professor Harold
Wager.
The bureau, of course, is not con
Quoting Investigations of so abstrCse
a character as those reported of the
Woods, pathologist aud Psychologist
Of the bureau, said the other day tina;
there is undoubtedly a certain amount
Of truth in the theories put forward in
England.
"But the use of the terminology of
animal life in reference to the sensi-
tiveness Of plants will lead, l fear, to
considerable confusion" said Mr.
Woods. "It is a well known fact that
the cells Of certain plants are sensi-
tive to light-far more sensitive, in
fact, than the protoplasms. of animals
any plant forms a visual reproduction
of any object in the way that the ami
NAL eye does.
with plants it is a question of SEN
sitive reaction, and 1t is mistake to
confound this reaction in any way
with the instinct of animals or the
reason Of higher races. Certain plants
move toward the light or away from
1t or tend to grow In the general direc-
ton of water or away ffbm moisture.
But this moving shows only a sensi-
tive reaction to the conditions of
growth around it. The plant has
nothing corresponding to the mind
that in any way directs its groping7
When asked If the logical conclusion
Of the Darwin-Wager theories would
be the organization of a society for
the prevention of cruelty to plants,
Mr.. Woods laughed
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

prlses, puu controuer OF none, WIN
ore exception and that a company
which has not been much of .divi-
dend payer, and I, like all the rest, am
dependent upon the honest and capable
administration Of the Industries.
firmly and sincerely believe that they
will be SO managed"
Under the heading "The Modern Cor
poration" Mr. Rockefeller gives the
views he expressed before the indus
trial commission In 1899, when he sug-
gested federal Incorporation and con-
troll and In lieu of that state legislation
as nearly uniform as possible. "I still
feel" he now says, "as l did in 1890.
II am far from believing that this
Corporation regulation) viii adversely
affect the individual" says Mr.. Rookie
feller, dwelling on THE New Opportu-
mites" The great economic era we
are entering will give splendid oppor-
tunity to the young man OF the future.
| am naturally an optimist,
and when it comes to n statement of
what our people will accomplish in the
future l am unable TO express myself
with sufficient enthusiasm"
After commencing the wealthy men
who do not retire from business either
through pride in seeing the further de
velopment of their plans or through Il
sense of duty to their associates Rookie
Teller concludes the first chapter Of
his autobiography with n paragraph
that hints of his activity as "a beg
gar"
"Some men of business" he says,
are so absorbed In their business af-
fairs that they hardly have time to
think of anything else. If they do not
interest themselves in work outside
of their own office and undertake to
raise money they begin with an apol-
ogy, as if they are ashamed of them
selves. 1 am no beggar, | have heard
many of them say, to which l could
only reply. I am sorry you feel that
way about it I have been this sort Of
beggar all my life, and the expert
ences that have had were so interest
ing and important to me that | will
venture TO speak of them later"
Other subjects to be taken up in the
course of the autobiography viii in
clude the trust idea in philanthropy.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
SUBMARINE WARSHIP.
Holland Says It VIII Be Able to Cross
tho Atlantic.


the Atlantic.
John z. Holland Of East Orange.
n. j., inventor of the submarine boat,
has devised deep sea submarine
which, he says, will be able to cross
the Atlantic and revolutionize modern
warfare. He says the new invention
has been sold to Il foreign government,
whose name he declines to make pub
lie.
"The new boat will have a speed Of
30 knots an hour" said Mr.. Holland
recently. 1T will be manned by u
crew of FIVE and will be SO construct
ed as to lift the submarine from the
plane of coast and harbor defender
to an instrument of aggressive war
fare. / offered the plans to the United
States navy department, but received
no encouragement so had to sell them
abroad, The navy department dis
counts the inventions of Americans
and places a premium upon devices
tried by other powers"
The new boat will be cigar shaped
and can be sunk TO a depth of 200
feet, 1t will be strengthened to re
sist pressure under water and will dis
charge Il torpedo at twice the speed
Of the present torpedo. The vessel.
according to the inventor. can accom-
pany a battleship on any voyage, no
matter what the length.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
THE OPsONlC TEST.
What II Showed the Man Who Smoked
Great Deal.

What It Showed the Man Who Smoked
Great Deal.
His friends knew that he would rath-
er miss half an hour of a play than
cut short his after dinner cigar. and
they were astonished when he an
nounced that he had quit smoking.
whats the trouble?" he was asked.
"Opsonic test" he replied gloomily.
what in the world Is thatY"
"Tve been run down of late and feel
ing pretty blue. As there is consump-
tion In my family, | consulted a spe-
cialist. He said | didn't have the dis
ease yet, but he would tell me what
my chances were of getting it. We
are constantly breathing tuberculosis
germs, he explained, but healthy blood
has the power to destroy them. So he
took a drop of my blood and inocu-
lated 1t with a certain number of
germs. In half an hour he examined
1t under the microscope and found that
only half as many germs had been
killed as should have been the case,
Normal, healthy blood is said to have
an opsonic test of 100, so my test was
only 80. He advised me to build up
my strength by sanitary living-lots of
fresh air day and night, plenty of
sleep, wholesome food and moderation
in work and pleasure"
"Where does smoking come in?"
"He said that tobacco had an ex-
traordinary effect in decreasing the
power Of the blood to destroy germs
Some men who smoke great deal
have an opsonic test of zero-that is,
their blood has no effect whatever on
germs. l am fond of my cigar, but
when specialist levels an opsonic
test all cooked and primed at your
head and says, Tobacco or your life
what are you going to do but throw up
your hands ?"-New York Tribune
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
STAGE SCENERY.
Modern Settings Tax the Ingenuity of
the Builders.

Modern Settings Tax the Ingenuity of
the Builders.
The big scenic artists do little actual
painting beyond making the model,
unless they have a panoramic effect.
That they do themselves, standing on
the paint bridge, many feet from the
floor, while the canvas is raised or
lowered The panoramic effects are
hard to handle. One difficulty is to
avoid futtering when a draft sweeps
across the stage. Mountains that
tremble hazily are not conducive to
illusion.
With the elaborate productions of
late years the Importance of the build
er of scenery has increased, says Ev-
erybody's Magazine. Formerly. when
the scenery consisted merely of can
vas stretched over a wooden frame, 1t
was simple enough. But the struggle
for realism and sensational effects has
developed difficult problems for the
builder of stage scenery to solve.
Every piece of scenery must be made
so that 1t can be folded into strips FIVE
feet nine inches wide, because the
doors of the baggage ears in which it
is transported are only six feet in
breadth. Also every piece must be
light and so constructed that one
scene can be removed and another
put in place within ten minutes. 1t
may take thirty hours of continuous
work to get the scenery "set up" to
uca q taohDinol aypraScioD oftar it 10
brought into the theater. After that
the work of changing n scene is COM
paratively easy.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
a Famous London Tavern.

The Mermaid was the name Of a fa-
nous London tavern frequented By
noted literary men and actors during
the reign of Queen Elizabeth. All the
wit and talent of the time assembled
there for convivial enjoyment Au-
thors have made it the scene of great
mind combats between such men as
Shakespeare, Ben johnson, Beaumont,
Fletcher. Selden, Carew, Dome and
others of reverential memory. 1t was
the gathering place of the celebrated
Mermaid club. the origin of which is
ascribed TO Sir Walter Raleigh. The
Mermaid tavern was located In Bread
street and was handily reached from
three thoroughfares. so that 1t has
been often referred to In various ways.
The Mermaid in Bread street, the Mer-
maid in Friday street and the Mermaid
in Cheap street were, however, all one
and the same. 1t was the nearest to
Bread street. The Mermaid was de
stroyed In the great London fire. There
were other Mermaid taverns. one in
Cheapside and another in Cornhill but
they had no such associations as clung
to that of Bread street.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
BOUGHT OFF THE BURGLAR.
An Old Bankers Bargain With His
UnweIcome Visitor.

An Old Bankers Bargain With His
UnweIcome Visitor.
"William Winslow Sherman, the old
banker, had the coolest nerve of any
man | know" said man who knew
him. Some years ago, when Sher-
man was an old man and partially
crippled by reason of fall from a
horse, he entered his bedroom late at
night to find a masked burglar ran.
sacking 1t.
1.-The thief had a big gun trained on
Sherman in a minute. The banker
just waved 1t aside with tired hand.
Put that away he said lrritably.
Let us discuss this matter like gen.
tlemen.' The burglar was so sur
prised he laughed Now, you could
hurt me If you wanted to and might
get away with some little knick-
knacks said Sherman. But you
might be caught, and there's a slight
probability that you could dispose Of
my toilet articles profltably. What
would you consider a fair cash propo-
sltion to go awayT They talked It
over in all peace.
THE burglar thought he ought to
have $40. but Sherman, after inquiring
into the mans habits, said SIS was
enough. You see,' he said, you're a
known thief. If this were your first
offense Id pay your price, but now
the police have your picture you
ought to be glad to accept any fair
compromise and run no risk
"The burglar finally agreed to take
SS. Sherman pulled out a ten dollar
bill. Give me 50 change said he.
And he got It before he paid. kansas
CITY Star
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
THE DOCTOR"
An Important Functionary on Mer-
chant Vessels is the Cook

~ important funCtionary on mcF-
chant Vessels Is the Cook
There is one functionary on mer-
chant vessels of all kinds who has
very much more to do with the peace
and dignity" of the floating common
wealth than shore folks usually imag-
fne. l refer to the cook, who is some
times called the doctor" Why he is
given this cognomen is not altogether
plain, for his handiwork seldom has
any therapeutic value and in the past,
at least has had much to do with
sending poor sailormen to a doctor, if
not to Davy Jones' locker. In fact,
there was q time In nautical history
when the presiding genius of the gal
ley was in such bad repute that to
call n man Il "son of a sea cook" was
most opprobrious epithet and one
that would be emphatically resented.
In those days (and to some extent to-
day. the cook was covertly despised
by the occupants both of the forecastle
and the cabin. though the men for
rard" outwardly professed affection
for him and apparently were never so
happy as when they could wash his
clothes or do him various other favors,
with the hope of getting sundry 'leav-
ms from the cabin table or being
granted such privileges as changing
OUT in the galley when rough weather
at night made the watch on deck
grateful for such shelter. In other
ways it was found highly salutary to
keep in good graces of his culinary
majesty, who frequently was more
powerful person in some respects than
the "old man" himself 1t is almost
needless to add that the more skilled
as a cook the cook was the more pro
found was his influence both fore and
aft. But he wasn't often much in the
way of skill, all the same.-Shipplng
illustrated.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Very Nearly Trouble.

Horace, you don't love me rs you
used to-"
mot altogether, my dear. When we
were first married l loved you for your
beauty. Now l love you for your real
worth, your many excellencies of mind
and heart and for your
80 Horace Higgsworthy! You think
I've got entirely over my good looks
do you? Let me tell you, sir
"And for your unfailing sweetness Of
disposition, my dear"
Uncertain whether to go ahead and
scold him just the same or TO indulge
in good cry. she compromised by
doing neither and fell to darning his
socks with renewed energy.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

Trotter (who has been abroad)-So
Maud and Charlie finally married Z?
Miss Homer-Yes. Trotter-I suppose
they are happy. Miss Homer-Un-
doubtedly; they each married some
one else.-Chicago News.
The better positions a man boasts
he could have if he wanted them
never seem to materialize when he is
out of work-Atchison Globe.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
SDerapso.

when l first started out hunting
apartments l went through a long. po-
lite dissertation" said the woman with
a haunted look and weary feet. "Now
l go in and say to the elevator man
or janitor; Apartments 'Rnoms?'
Price, Keep EN- l get along just
as WELL and it saves lots OF time. Try
it."-New York Times
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
a Conundrum.

Little Flora - Mamma, you amt a
girl, are you? Mamma-Certainly not,
my dear. I'm woman. Little Flora
But you were little girl, weren't you?
Mamma-Oh, yes, years ago. Little
Flora-Well, where is the little girl
now that you used to be?- Chicago
News.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

Lobster ard champagne for supper
that's high jinis Sawdust and near
coffee for brcakfast-that's hygiere
Between these two eminences. how
ever, there's room for some genuine
livlng.-LLfe.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Describing the Climate.


Hewitt didn't know that you lived
on the first floor. l understood your
wife to say that you lived on the sec
ond floor. Jewett-If you knew my
wife you would know that she always
stretches a story-Exchange.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Steam,

"Can you tell me what steam is:''
asked the examiner.
why, sure, SIR replied Patrick
confidently. "Steam -why-er-it's S
wather thot's gone crazy wild the
heat. t."-Everybody's
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
All In His Head.

Tnstructor-Mr. Smith, kindly name
the bones of the skull. Student smith
We'll, sir, I've got them all in my
head. but can't think Of their names
Just tnow-Bohemian.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
'Mornings-not to be seen.
AfternoonS-not at home.

But perhaps he did not ring the
bell. Gle never plays under 1000
francs-he received this sum here at Il
private musicale.) For secretary he
has Otto Goldschmidt, who sent me i
pass which | returned with the re
mark that for such an important con
cert | could certainly afford to buy my
ticket. Six marks was In no way too
much to pay"
Bulow did make his acquaintance
however, as he refers in a later letter
to Sarasate coming, quite unexpected
ly, to Il conference with Johannes"
Brahms), at which he himself was
present
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
M Matrimony.

Youngly-Did you ever notice that
the matrimonial process Is like that of
making call? You go to adore, you
ring belle and you give your name
to n maid. Cyni'us Yes, and then
you're taken in-Boston Transcript.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

No one loves the man whom he fears,
Aristotle.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

One may dominate moral sufferlngs
only by labor. Study saves from dis
couragement. D'Abrantes.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
The Sailors PRAYER Book.

This is what you call the sailors
prayer book" seaman said bitterly
as he kicked a holystone out of the
way. why is 1t called that? Well.
in the first place, it is called that be-
cause in using it, in holystoning the
deck. the sailor has to kneel down.
and, in the second place, because all
holystoning is done on Sunday. Don't
you know the chantey-
"Six days shalt thou work and do all that
thou art able
And on the seventh holystone the decks
and scrape the cable
THE stone is called holystone be-
cause the first holystones were bits of
tombs stolen from cemeteries. It's
got a pious, religious sound-holy and
prayer book and Sunday and all that
but 1t is when he is using this stone
that the seaman is most profane."-
New Orleans Times Democrat
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Casualties Expected.

During one of Speaker Cannon's bit
ter political fights In his district in Illi-
nois the opposition resorted to desper
ate tactics. Among other things friends
of Uncle Joe were summarily dismiss.
ed from positions they held in the pub
lie service. Some of his friends be
came alarmed at this, and one of them
called on the speaker at his residence
and said. somewhat excitedly:
Joe Smith and Jones have just lost
their positions in the postofiice. What
are we going to do about it?'
Uncle Joe took another puff at his
cigar and then answered, with a benev-
olent smile: Nothing If you go into
battle, you have got to expect to have
soma dead and wounded"
Describing the Climate.
"Is your climate changeable?" asked
the stranger
mot very" answered Farmer Corn.
tossel. ut keeps shiftin' around a
little till 1t strikes a kind of weather
nobody likes; then 1t sticks. Wash
ington Star.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
DESOLATI0N ISLAND.
Kergueen Land Is Region of PEI
petuaI Storms.

NCT9uClen LdTo iS q TlCgioH OF TeT-
petuaI Storms.
OF all places on earth outside the
arctic and antarctic regions Kerguelen
Land, in the Indian ocean, is the most
isolated and inhospitable. Indeed, it
is generally known to mariners not by
its official title, but as Desolation is
land.
Most nations have owned 1t by turns,
but IT has been sooner or later aban-
doned by them all as worthless, and
this although 1t covers an area vari-
ously estimated at from 1500 to 1000
square miles. At present France is in
nominal possession of it, she having
annexed It in 1893.
The soil Is utterly barren. Practi-
cally the whole of the interior is COW
cred with snow fields of unknown
depth, whence glaciers flow down to
the sea. Where there are no snow
fields there are morasses and hidden.
treacherous mudholes
The climate is probably the worst In
the world Terrific tempests follow one
another practically without ceasing
and are accompanied by torrents of ice
cold rain, hail, sleet and snow. The
Challenger expedition spent a month
there. during which time there were
only three fine days. And this was in
December-January, when 1t is mid
summer in those attitudes.
Its discoverer, NJ. Kerguelen Trema-
rec. although at first he professed to be
enraptured with 1t, lived to confess
that it was unfit for human habitation.
Not even Eskimos," he exclaimed
could exist here"-Pearson's.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Worlds cleanest Soldiers,

The Japanese soldier considers it
disgrace to be dirty. Soldiers Of other
nationalities are not always overpar-
ticular but, as Mr.. Kipling has sung:
Oh. east is east. and west is west, and
never the twain shall meet.
However, the Japanese military man
is not provided by a grateful and be-
nefcent government with a portable
bath, so when on active service he has
to set his wits to work in order to OBJ
tain the necessary adjuncts to his alb
buttons.
The Chinese, for reasons of their
own, manufacture long and large jars.
whose diameter is that OF a western
main drain. 1t occurred to bright
Japanese that one might just as well
have n bath standing up as lying
down.
Accordingly he and his comrades In
tered a jar, built a furnace beneath
1t and filed it with water. Soon
boiling hot bath bubbled before them.
Imitators sprang into being and sub
seQuently into similar baths.-Bystand-
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03

big taIker," declared the Indian
who had been listening to local can
didate. Heap scrap"
"And what If he is not elected|
"Scrap heap."-Kansas City Journal.
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Won Bulow and Sarasate.

In one Of his letters Won Bulow re-
fers to Sarasate as follows; "He has
enchanted me beyond measure, par
ticularly in his concert of yesterday,
when he played a splendid work,
Symphonic Espagnole,' by Lalo -
played in SO genuinely artistic a man
ner that today | am still intoxicated
with 1t. His playing also of the Saint
Saens concert piece for violin is as en-.
trancing as interesting. 1t is a shame
that he cannot come to see me. y. +.
1 have purposely avoided his person
al acquaintance. Perhaps he has tried
to see me, fer over my door stands the
notice:
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
Ths Queerest Salad.

A gourmet as he mixed salad OF
chicory said: The worlds queerest
salad, and possibly its most delicious
one, is eaten by the Inoits of northwest
Greenland 1t is salad Of undgested
moss from the stomach of fresh
killed reindeer, a bitter, sharp, stlm-
ulating salad, as good for the diges-
tion as an electrical massage. The
Inoits live almost exclusively on fish;
hence salads are a favorite dish with
them. But no salad in their minds
compares with that which they wrest
from the slaughtered reindeer. They
say this salad is crisper tenderer and
more appetizing than any other, and
they say 1t wards off indigestion. They
fight for 1t, they spend their last penny
on it, quite as the Indians do with
water."-EXchange
Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-12-03
PETTING A HORSE.
If You Want to Please Him Rub Him
Between the Ears.

II You Want to Please Him Rub Him
Between the Ears.
"Not many people know how to pet
a horse, from the horses standpoint,
at any rate" said a trainer. Every
nice looking horse comes in for n good
deal of petting. Hitch Il fine horse
close to the curb and you'll find that
half the men, women and children
who go by will stop for a minute, say
Nice horsy' and give him an affec-
tionate pat or two.
"The trouble is they don't pat him
in the right place. IL you want to
make a horse think he is going
straight to heaven hltched to n New
York cab or delivery wagon, rub his
eyelids. Next to that form of endear-
ment horse likes to be rubbed right
up between the ears In petting
horses most people slight those nerve
centers. They stroke the horses nose.
While a well behaved horse will ac-
cept the nasal caress complacently, he
would much prefer that nice, soothing
touch applied to the eyelids. Once
In awhile person comes along who
really does know how to pet a horse
Nine times out of ten that man was
brought up In the country among
horses and learned when a boy their
peculiar ways."-New York Globe.