davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Why Uncle Joe Cannon Clinqs to His Job

That's what happened. Uncle Joe's
ambition for congressional honors re.
vived and he returned to the house.
After he had served few terms and
was just about ready to throw the
pesky job over, some one out his way
announced that as congressman
Uncle Joe" had been failure and
that some one else ought to be nomi.
mated. That quickened his pulses
once more and again he sought the
nomination and election which but for
interference he might have spurned.
Thus it went, until his influence in the
house began to wax until important
chairmanships came his way, until the
speakership was in sight.
And now" concluded the speaker.
my highest ambition is to be a men,
Der of the house as long as l live, to
die during session of congress. and
to be buried at the public expense with
all you fellows at the funeral discus
sing, with bated breath, the question
of my successor"
Not a word, not a single word, dur
ing the entire dinner, about that other
high ambition which is ascribed to
MIN as favorite son of Illinois.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
When One Spends Money!.

One would think that money would
be saved In prosperous times when
there is plenty of it about. But no,
that Is not the time when it is saved
1t is then that it is spent, says Apple
tons. Everybody spends it-govern-
ments, railroads, corporations, capital
lists, housekeepers, house builders, COL
lectors. People expand their wants in
such times, and satisfy some of them,
and then is when it is most Of all i'm
possible to live on anything a year
But after oil the money has been spent
. few times over and has begun to be
scarce, and borrowing has come to be
q serious matter, and folks have much
less to spend and no expectations;
then everybody groans and begins to
save, not only trying desperately to
squeeze back inside of the bounds Of
income, but to pay back what was
spent In expectation of time when
saving would have become convenient
To most Of us that time never comes.
And yet there are things for which we
spend more than we can afford. that
really do justify our expenditures, 80
that after the money has been spent
and we are pinched for the lack of it.
we would still rather have what it
bought than have the money back.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

COMPTROLLER METZ is after the
u Ambulance chaser" an ancient ad.
junct to police headquarters, and his
occupation is Threatened: "Amou-
lance chaser" is term used to iden-
tify petty lawyers, or their clerks, who
make it their chief business to watch
the police slips for accidents, fires
and the like in the chance of striking
fee.
The comptroller has announced that
he had established a bureau of claims,
which will investigate and adjust
claims against the city. This bureau
will keep a man at police headquar-
tiers, who will copy the slips and notify
the comptroller's Office in time to have
a city inspector beat the "chasor In
calling on some one who has q pos
sible case against the city.
Nearly every slip is interesting to
the ambulance chaser. He likes fire,
for then he may get the job. of ad-
justing the insurance. He enjoys bet
ter, though, report of an accident
especially of a street car accident.
Then he makes a bee line for the
hospital whsre the injured person is,
and imparts vivid details of hastily
formed plan for suing somebody, es-
peciall7 the city.
Some new fields of enterprise have
been brought under cultivation BY
claim lawyers. but Mr.. Metz believes
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

EW oRK.;-:Fhe sailing of yachts
~ willnot be SO much Ola millionaire's
sport this year as in the past. For
various reasons large number of
owners have decided to give up their
magnificent floating palaces. and 50
of the most famous sailing craft in
local waters have been placed upon
the market. The aggregate value of
the fleet, among which are three Van
derbilt, two Gould and one Astor boat,
is placed at close to 100000. Many
of them, If not sold, will not be put
into commission. The money panic,
desire to buy larger craft and q
diminishing interest in the sailing fad
are given as the reasons.
Among the most famous of the float.
ing dream palaces for sale is John
Jacob Astor's Nourmahal, upon which
the owner spent several kinds Of for
tunes. The rugs on this craft cost
enough alone to make the ordinary
rich man feel slight dizziness in the
exchequer. Then there are old racers
transatlantic competitors, steam yachts
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
The Postmaster General and His Name

master General Won Meyer ora par.
ticular detestation-"Gen. Won Meyer"
which has :fleld.marshally sound,
suggesting clanking sabers and a
charge to the death. Letters SO ad.
dressed come from persons who
should know better-ofiicials and 9th.
ers close to the public affairs of the
nation.
1t is by no means infrequent for
callers at the postoff1ce department to
ask with flourish: rs Mr.. Won Mey-
er in?''
A magazine which pretends to ma.
tional Importance and is always filled
with accounts of Washington affairs
recently printed full-page picture of
the postmaster general and labeled it
In large type POSTMASTER General Won
Meyer" And the magazine is pub.
lished in Boston, whence Mr.. Meyer
halls. A card in one of the elevators
of the postofiice department was
brought up to date by one of the EN-.
ployes, who, when the cabinet change
came, crossed out the name of Mr..
nCortelyou: and substituted won :Mey-
er." The card hung undisturbed for
months and may be there yet. It is
interesting to wonder how this error
arose and why it persists. There is
apparently no good reason for it ex.
cept carelessness in observation or a
habit of grandiloquence. But the
postmaster general is evidently
doomed to remain won Meyer" to q
large number Of Americans, since a
remedy seems to be lacking.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

r He postmaster generals name is
i George Won Lengerke Meyer. It
would be supposed that most Amer
leans. especially those having business
with this particular cabinet officer,
would be able to get the name right.
But they aren't. Any number Of
Americans can't pronounce the presi-
dents name, but it is not a matter of
precision of pronunciation in connec-
ton with that of Mr.. Meyer. The
won" fascinates the throng. They
can't get away from it.
They know that a German with a
won" before his last name is noble,
and this proposition looms large in
their conceptions of the postmaster
general. George y. L. Meyer &C. v.
l.. Meyer and George Won L.. Meyer"
are the various ways the officials
name appears on departmental papers,
and that should be sufficient to secure
accuracy in address and speech. But
it isn't. The H." or "Lengerke" are
half the time ignored, and the magic
proposition won" prefixed directly to
the family name, so that the postmas.
ter general often receives letters ad.
dressed to George Won Meyer" post.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Ideal Bachelor Married for Seven Years

his wife at the Hotel Marseille In New
Yory city.
Not that there was anything under
handed in Mr.. Lewis marriage. Not
at all. The ceremony was regularly
performed in church, and the widow,
who was formerly Miss Emily C. Bent
zon. housekeeper at the Hotel NAL
vern, Bar Harbor, Me-, has the we'd
ding certificate properly made out and
regularly signed by the clergyman. It
was only that Mr.. Lewis took too much
pride in his reputation, which had
been exploited in the magazines and
the Sunday papers, to disillusionize
his friends
The Ideal Bachelor" died at the
Hotel Marseille in this city several
days ago. Up to that time the friends
in Philadelphia had no suspicion of his
marriage. Then Mrs. Lewis made her
appearance at the city hall in Philadel-
phia and proved herself to be his
widow. In his will the late clubman
acknowledges her and names her the
executrix of his estate A brother had
in the meanwhile called on the widow
at her apartments in this city and
been convinced the marriage was en-
c.rely regular.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Detectives Now Watch Bank Officials

1t has been learned that this same
sort of thing is going on in many d.
rectfons and that depositors in the
banks of the metropolis are more than
ever interested in the personnel Of
the banks with which they are
transacting business.
Another detective told of group of
seven depositors who had joined and
retained him to report on the directors
OF the bank where they did business.
About a week before he had reported
that there was one questionable man
In the directory, who was engaged in
doubtful transactions, the man re-
signed, and the bank took particular
pains to give the matter the broadcast
publicity.
In another case a depositor, who
carries an average balance of 100000,
said: why shouldn't we be particular
about this matter? The fact is that
the general business public has been
entirely too lax in this direction. We
have been governed entirely too much
by bank statements, capital, surplus,
dividends and all that sort of stuff,
when. we didn't know what the men
inside were really doing or what, from
their characters, they were likely to
do. We have found out what some;of
the rough, transactions under 4
smooth surface have been, and it be-
hooves us to know a lot more about
the men who are behind the fine ap-
pearance that a bank may make on>the
face that is presented to the public"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

Zurich is struggling with the church
bell problem. During the last decade
a number of new Catholic churches
have been built, and every morning at
4, 4:30, 5, $50, 6 and Z unbelievers as
well as believers are aroused from
their slumbers by the din from no
fewer than II belfries, scattered so
that no part of the city remains quiet.
In response to appeals from hospitals
and from many persons who are
obliged to work at night, and Sleep
of they can-in the morning, the Stad.
trait has proposed an ordinance forbid.
ding any sort of bell ringing between
p. m. and a. m, and forbidding it
also in the daytime as an accompani-
ment to weddings and funerals, in thu
old village style. Against this pro-
POSED reform the clerical organs have
protested violently, and a regular
Kulturkampf is threatened.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

WILLIAM FISHER LEWIS, famed
W throughout :; the. length and
breadth Of the land as 1.-The Ideal
Bachelor" was not, it develops, so ada
mantine in the face of Cupid's blan-
dishments as supposed
The arrival in Philadelphia of the
woman hater's" New York widow re-
vealed the astonishing fact that fer
seven years, while the club man and
bon vivant was posing as the man
with a heart no descendant of Eve
could touch, he was enjoying the
quiet life of a benedict in this city
with a wife who was formerly his
housekeeper.
Nothing in years has so amazed the
best families in the Quaker City or
caused such shock to those who
knew the world famous Ideal Bach
elor''' as the revelation of the gentle
man as simple contractor living with
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Talk Of New York
- - .as~.i Z,
Gossip or People and Event. Told r. :
..-..-.s.. in Interesting Manner. 80: ~,
MilGonaires Parting with. Their. Yachts

and sailing ships, ,barks, sleeps and
,squareriggers. All must go. and most
of them at a sacrifice. .',sr. --..., =
Among the yachts on which prices
have been named are George Gould's
S79-ton ATLANTA, formerly AMI l. Bar
bour's British built .Lorena, and Frank
]. Gould's Helenita, which he named
after his sister. Three Vanderbilt
yachts are in the market. They are
Frederick w. Vanderbilt's 174-ton Con-
eueror, Cornelius Vanderbilt's. 70-foot
sloop Rainbow and w. K. Wander
bilt's 70-footer Virginia. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, as commodore of the
New York Yacht club, will keep his
white steamer North Star for his flag
ship.
Another yacht of more than 200 feet
that is for sale is the big American.
The Watt estate has named $4,000
as price for her. William B. Leeds,
the tin plate king" has put his
Mona on the market, as has Col. John
Jacob Astor his Nourmahal. The last
named is known all over the world,
Col. Astor having entertained aboard
her in nearly every civilized port.
Morton F. Plant has offered his
black Venetia for $4,000 and his ia
nous schooner Ingomar, which Capt.
Barr races here and abroad, for $685.
600. Mr.. Plant, however, ordered a
steam yacht larger than the Venetia
built abroad last fall.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

III Observation-Disclosures is not
w unadulterated Joy even for q
man. But for woman-we1l, a whole
calendar of saints would not be toe
many for the special protection: and
consolation of the woman who goes to
Washington with an ak to grind.
There are really three lobbies at the
house end of the capitol. One has fol
Its habitat luxurious suite of rooms
with soft carpets, beautiful paintings
big leather chairs, fine tables.
In spite of the sunshine which the
high windows let in there are discreet
corners where man can present his
case in comfort and confidence. "A
man, yes; but not woman. Not all
men either, for that matter.
A good share of the men who are
seeing congressman have to do their
lobbying, such as it is, in the corridor
near the main entrance to the house
It's mixed lot of humanity that gath.
ers there, eagerly or sadly waiting for
response to the cards that have been
sent in.
The lame, the halt and the blind are
there; the out-at-elbows, the dis.
couraged, an occasional crank, an oc.
casional shifty-eyed individual whose
ak, If he gets it ground, will not be
swung in any particularly pious pro.
ject. In the corners and the window
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

A Tennessee negro editor processes
to have discovered that his race ante
dates the whites. Adams first wife,
he says, was a dark.skinned woman
named Delinnah, and from this union
the negroes descended. Where he gets
this interesting information, remarks
the Indianapolis Star, is not stated. It
differs from the ordinary traditions as
to Adams matrimonial career. Ac-
cording to the Talmud Lilith, a blonde
lady OF very bad disposition, was tho
first wife. At least she came on the
scene before Eve arrived. She was the
original woman's rights woman, for
she refused to submit to her hus-
bands authority and left Paradise for
an uncharted region of the air, which
she Is still supposed to haunt. Her
children were demons. or course, it
is possible that Eve was number
three, or even four, but this thought
verges so closely on a reflection upon
Adams moral character that it is per-
haps not wise to pursue it. II the ne
groes can read their title clear" back
to Adam they they have certainly a
first family" record that will make q
large and lourishing genealogical
tree.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Women LOBBYISTS. Are Most Un,,o,,,lla,

embrasures loW-toned,Z conversations
are, going on between members and
outsiders.
Some of the latter get 4 date tor a
visit to the members Office. Others
get;a shake of the head. ~.
The women are still further away.
Their lobby is a. corner Of statuary
hall.
The marble columns partly shut 1t
away from the main hall, and there
are chairs and a table where the WON
en- write their pathetic, apologetic
notes. Many of them are in mourn
ing; their eyes are frightened and ap-
pealing. Others are plainly pests; the
kind that are always getting some
thing and always wanting something
more.
It's not always clear to a congress
man which he hates worse to see, the
penniless woman who is absolutely in.
competent to do anything much ex.
cept starve, or the woman who is al.
ways nagging him for another job.
The first one makes him sorry for
her. The second makes him sorry for
himself. Both sensations are uncom.
Portable, and the consequence is that
he very often tries to shirk the whole
experience by not going out at all in
response to these cards and notes.
! AS capitol employee said: "Say,
that corner over there makes me have
the blues to beat the band. Them wom-
en- in their black dresses, waitin' an
:waitin' for congressman that's prob
ably hidin' in cloakroom for the spe.
:cial purpose of dodgin' an interview
with 'em, would drive q married man
to drink or to the life insurance COM
pany."
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
Pete, Whitehouse
Is "a g. 81

r HERE was great excitement in
l Washington when it was reported
the other day that Pete, the bulldog,
had returned.
Pete was the pet who almost started
war between the United States and
the rest of the world by tearing the
trousers of diplomats. At one time he
had the United States army on the
run in the person of the secretary of
war.
Pete disappeared some time ago,
and diplomats, cabinet members and
senators, knowing how much the
president thought of him, called at
the White House to offer condolences,
coming out all smiles.
Then came the report that Pete had
reappeared. Only strangers entered
the White House grounds after this re-
port became current. The president
himself was one of the most inter
ested. He said If Pete had returned
it was twentieth century miracle.
So he Investigated.
The Investigation developed that
Thomas r. Stone, veteran usher at the
White House, had q brindle bulldog,
which he has named Pete In honor OF
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

A CCORDING to Uncle Joe Cannon,
"a his one great consuming ambi-
ton is not to be president of the
United States, but to have a grand
funeral at public expense-not yet a
while, of course. He confided his am
bition to few congressional friends
on the occasion of a recent dinner.
He took it up sectionally. He went
back to the first term he served in
congress and how he felt particularly
glum one day. Hale of Maine, then in
the house, read his thought.
Cannon" said Hale, you're think
ing about resigning right now or re-
firing as soon as your term expires.
But you won't. Pretty soon you'll get
word that some fellow out your way is
a candidate for your job and then you'll
get mad and insist on keeping it for
yourself"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03

due to the crushed vertebrae, and the
two arteries which run up each side
of the spine, the walls of which were
torn and crushed, filling the spinal
cavity with blood and spicula OF
splintered bone. All during the opera
ton DR.. Menstrina was working with
his instrument under the flow of blood
and entirely by the sense of touch.
The skin was lifted back from the
seat of the injury and then the heavy
muscles that guard the spine were
divided and lifted away, being held
out of the way by retractors so that
the operator could get at fractured
bones.
The periosteum, cartilaginous or
fibrous substance which covers the
bones, was Clipped away and the
spinous process, or the bone which
projects from the spine outward, was
chiseled and broken away by forceps
After the spinous process had been
removed the operator was able to get
into the spinal canal through which
the spinal cord runs to the brain.
For the length of the three verte
brae, the spinal cord was lifted from
the canal with delicate instruments
and the canal cleared of fluid and
spicula, or splinters of bone, which
were pressing against it. Then with
forceps-like instruments the trans
verse processes were crushed and
taken out until all the bony structure
of the three vertebrae nearest the
outside of the back had been removed
The body of the bony structure Of
the spine, that which lies back of OF
behind the canal, was left and forms
the bed or support Of the remaining
portions of the spine.
When the spinous and transverse
processes had been removed, the an
terror portion of the canal, a f1brous
substance, was cleaned and sewed a.
protection to the spinal cord, anC
the heavy muscles brought over anl
Joined as an artificial wall for thu
! canal.
DR.. Menstrina said that his patient
was doing as we'll as he had expect
ed, and he had strong hopes for his
recovery.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
.1|O|CI|0|Rs Rl|.E||||V|0V|:
/. !: :.PQRTN)|FOF SPINE
REMARKABLE. OPERATION. ON
: MINERS BACKBONE PER: *
|. FORMED At ST.. LOUIS. .. $3.50
PATIENT. LIKELY. TO RECOVER
Victim Buried Under Tons Of Rock
|: and Coal Which Crushed Bones
: .sso Of vertebrae Which, Are
+ Taken Out.

st. Louis.-Joseph Pittoria, a miner
from Bush, ILL.,, will be walking about
and doing his regular work minus a
portion of his backbone If he RECEIVERS
from an operation performed on hina
at the Evangelical Deaconess' hospital
few mornings since.
Pittoria, who had recently come
from Italy; was working in mine at
Bush when a cave-in: occurred. He
was buried under tons of rocks and
coal, which broke his back in the lum.
bar region. The mass of rock fell ON
his head, doubling him up and crush.
Ing the transverse and spinous proc
esses of the first, second and third
vertebrae.
The crushing of these bones imme
dfately affected the network of nerves
which branch of from the spinal cord
at the point of injury
The motor tract of the spinal cord
or those nerves which control loco
motion of the lower limbs, were dead
ened so that he was paralyzed in the
A~'' ~ AAssAA VI LID UOuys AC 6OA6AtV
ry tract, or those nerves which gov.
erned the senses, were rendered acute
so that the man suffered intense ag
ony constantly, making it necessary
to keep him under the influence OF
opfates. So great was the agony that
he would have succumbed soon unless
relieved by an operation.
According to Information obtained
at the hospital the subject was on the
operating table three hours.
1t was believed to be necessary to
remove the arches of the three verte
bra, take out the crushed bone and
reach the spinal canal, through which
the spinal cord runs to the brain, in
order to remove the mass of clotted
blood and splintered bone which was
pressing on the sensitory nerves and
causing the man such intense agony.
Another difficult factor in the opera
ton was the excessive hemorrhage
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-03
THE VOWEL ljMERlCKS.

A.
An Irishman boosted: with. aaaA
kin carry a hod where I plaza"
But one day he dropped
Twenty stories and stopped =:
The moral is: Boosting ne'er paaaa.
She made Welsh rarebit with eeee
And consumed a supply of old cheesoa
The young man she fed =.
Tumbled out of his bed e.. r,
Your in'ards it's best not to teeee.
A maid who had wonderful iii
And a brain of minimum sill, ~1r -,
Led all men a dance
BY the lure of her glance
Be pretty II you can't be wifi.
A crafty young fellow who 5000
A lot more than any one knoooo,
Progressed for SPELL,
But he's now in q cell : -
The prudent man pays as he goooo.
U
A man said: It'll never more uuuu -
Any. liquor because I don't chuuuu." -
But, grievous to see,
He went out on a spree
It's hard to live up to your vuuuu.
!. William Ganson Rose. In Judge,