davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
President Would Better Life
Led on Farms of United States
Appoints Commission to Study Subject-Says Future of
Nation Depends Upon Agriculture Class-Crops
Not Only Consideration.

OYSTER BAY, Aug. IO.-Hoping to
bring about better social, sanitary and
/ economic conditions on American farms,
president Roosevelt has requested four
/ experts on country life to make an in
vestigatiOn into the whole matter and to
report TO him with recommendations
for improvements The report and rec
/ concentrations with any additional rec
concentrations which the President him
! self may desire TO make viii be incor-
porated IN a message which he Will send
to Congress probably early next year.
IN a letter 10 one of these experts,
Prof /, II. Bailey, OF the New York
College OF Agriculture. Mr.. Roosevelt
says:
mo nation has ever achieved perma-
nent greatness unless this greatness was
based on the well-being of the great
farmer class. the men who live on the
soil; for II is upon their welfare. materi-
al or moral that the welfare of the rest
OF the nation ultimately rests. In the
United States. disregarding certain sec
tiOns and taking the nation as a whole.
L believe it TO be true that the farmers
IN general are better of today than they
ever were before.
Bad Conditions in South.
while the condition of the farmers
In some OF our best farming regions
leaves little TO be desired, we are far
from having reached Sc high a level
IN all parts OF the country. In portions
OF the South. for example. where the
Department Of Agriculture, through the
Farmers Cooperative demonstration
work of DIT. Knapp is directly instruct
ing more than 10000 farmers in better
methods of farming. there IS neverthe-
less much unnecessary suffering and
needless loss Of efficiency on the farm
"a physician, who is also careful
student Of farm life in the South,
writing 10 me recently about the enOr-
nous percentage OF preveutabie deaths
of children due TO the unsanitary con-
dition Of certain Southern farms. said:
90 Personally, from the health point
OF view, ! would prefer to see my own
daughter, nine years Old at york In
cotton mill than TO have her live
as tenant on the average Southern
tenant One-hOrse farm. This apparently
extreme statement is based upon actual
life among both classes Of people.
Other Things Than Crops.
st doubt If any other nation can bear
comparison with our own In the amount
Of attention given by the government.
both Federal and State, TO agricul-
tural matters. But practically the whole
OF this effort has hitherto been directed
toward increasing the production Of
crops. In the. beginning this was I'M
questionably the right thing g do. But
when this has been secured, the effort
for better farming should cease 10 stand
alone, and should be accompanied by
the effort for better business and better
living on the farm.
1T is at least as important that the
farmer should get the largest possible
return In money. comfort and social
advantages from the crops he grows as
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
The Wright AerOpIane.

1t Is most interesting, and not with
out significance, that the performances
which seem distinctly TO demonstrate
the practicabiIity and the definite
achievement of two distinct systems
Of air navigation should have come
within the same week.
Count Zeppelin, discarding all thought
OF the purely mechanical proposal of
heavier-than-air flight, has devoted a
lifetime to efforts to make the subli-
mated balloon which should navigate
the ocean of the air as surely and as
safely as the ocean liner rides the ocean
of water. He appears to have demon
starated that his end was possible. if.
indeed, he did not really accomplish the
end. To understand the University of
the airship which ne built and which
was so tragically wrecked, and to APP
preeiate the achievement of the great
voyage in which it was engaged when
oveTtaken by its fate, requires more
that casual knowledge of what his pred
ecessors had done.
Un the heels of this demonstration
comes the flight of Wilbur Wright in
France, demonstrating that the Ameri-
can is as distinctly leaCor in the realm
OF heayier-than-air sailing, as is the
German in that of dirigible b. ooning.
There has been more or less misgiving
about these strange, secretive, mysteri-
Gus Wright. brothers, who have wanted
no publicity, but We secured so much ;
who have made few claims, but concern
ing whom so much has teen confident
" claimed.
So nearly as comparison may be
made at this time, it seems certain
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
CAT GIVES IT'S LIFE
IN CHASE AFTER RAT
Ground Under Wheels of Train,
After Having Thrown Ele-
waited PASSENGERS Into Panic.

NEW YORK. aug. IA big gray rat
which appeared on the elevated station
platform at 125th street and Eighth ave
nue. threw a crowd of homeward-bound
women shoppers into a panic. Behind
the rat came a cat, doing its best 70
Overtake the quarry.
Women screamed and, gathering up
their skirts. mounted benches and on 10
the magazine and newspaper stand. Men
struck at the rat with their sticks.
Round and round the platform went
pursued and puTsUer to an accOmpani-
ment Of feminine cries, until at last the
rat leaped out on to the tracks. AS It's
tail ait the third rail it loOped the loop
through the air, and alighting again on
the ties started uptown with renewed
vigOT.
Behind Is went the - its tail almost
as big as its body Y It saw the
Deculiar antics of the . but still in
tent uDon overtaking it. rey Then a
train pulled into the sta on. The cat
didn't see il until il was too late and
disappeared under the wheels. At the
same time the rat alighted full on the
live rail. bounced into the air, and fell
down into the street dead. An instant
later the cat alighted beside II, killed by
the wheels Of the train.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
Workings of the Primaries.


Illinois has just had its first trial of
the Statewide popular primary, and
there viii be forthwith the usual dis
cussion of whether it is a success OF a
failure. That has been the experience
in every State where the system has
been adopted.
Curiously conflicting stories come
Illinois. 1t is said that the "old line
politicians" were just as active and in
fluential as ever; but it is noted that
they are nevertheless unanimously op-
posed to the law. The TACT that Foss
nearly beat Hopkins is the best evil
dence in favor of the law. 1t could
not have been made so close under any
other system.
The old line politicians, the organiza-
ton managers, never have any use for
the primary. 1t puts them out of
business, and they don't want to drop
their hold on the machinery. But ex-
perience with the primary has on the
whole satisfied the people very well.
The South and West are far ahead of
the East in this reform; but sentiment
in favor of the new method is fast
growing in the East.
There is no longer doubt that this
method of nominating is going to be
the accepted one in the future. There
have been found faults with all the
laws thus far devised-reaI weaknesses
in the plans. But the thing to do is
to correct these as experience makes
clear where and whata they are; not to
condemn the whole system. The fact
is that the worst primary law in the
country Is better than none; vastly bet
ter.
The plan Of primary nomination on
the 50 or 40 per cent plurality basis
looks attractive in many ways. The
rule is that if no candidate receives
some arbitrary per cent of the total
vote in his party, then the primary has
made no nomination and the matter
goes up to the convention. Experience
has not justified this plan, ON the whole
It seems decidedly better that the pri-
mary be made the sole method of nom
ination, and that the candidate receiv-
ing the highest vote be nominated, no
matter how small may be his proper
ton of the entire vote. This may at
times result disastrously, it Is true; but
not often; certainly not so often as dis
aster and the defeat of party viii are
accomplished under the convention ma
nipulation system. Moreover, so soon
as it Is recognized that the high man
wins, without any recourse, party lead
ership viii begin arranging to make
sure that embarrassing and useless can
didacies shall be suppressed. and that
the field is fairly occupied, by men who
have rights in it. Party influence can
always bring pressure to accomplish
such ends, and it is better to do it thus
than to take the chance on a conven-
ton.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

tuition. The District pays merely for
patients which are sent to the hospital
by the District physician.
While the hospital has a long and
worthy history. the old building around
which the institution has been built has
an interesting history Of itself. It was
erected away back in the early fSties
by the celebrated marksman and rife
expert. DR. Maynard, then a prominent
dentist, as private residence. In the
style Of the times, it was a magnificent
piece of work. The broad hight of
handsome stone steps which you see
leading from the street 70 the house
are the same today as when first put
there.
'Dr. Maynard relinduished his home
Ia this city and the mansion he erected
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

that he should get the largest possible
| return IN crops from the land he farms.
Asfculture Is not the whole Of coun-
/ Try life. The great rural interests are
| human interests. and good crops are OF
| AItle value 10 the farmer unless they
/ open The door 10 a good kind Of life
| on the farm
Should Attract Women.
! The President quotes from an address
delivered last May, and continues.
It is especially important that what
| ever viii serve to prepare country chill
| dren Tor life on the farm, and what
| ever viii brighten home life in the
country and make il richer and more
attractive for the mothers. wives, and
daughters OF farmers should be done
promptly thoroughly, anG gladly. There
( Is no more important person, measured
| IA lhhuence upon the life of the nation,
| hah the farmers wife, no more i'm
oIIaut nome than the country home.
ana II Is or national Importance 10 do
/ the best We can for both
, Inc farmers have hitherto had less
IMAM their full share Of public atten-
social ifC. There is too much heller
eLnoHB an our people that the prizes
OF lile lie away from the farm l shall
nc very glad indeed il you Will consent
10 serve upon a commission on country
me up6n which I am asking the fol-
| lowing gentlemen to act.
~ roI. J. H. Bailey, New York State
Goliege Of Agriculture. Ithaca, n Y.
Henry Wallace. wallaoe's Farmer.
President Kenyon l.. Buttaraeld.
sai ,i,,sl....! Agricultural College.
clifford Pinehot. United States Forest
Wv, Walter t., II, Page. editor or the worlds
/ Work. New York.
My immediate y,rrrv,g- - .s.
! ING tnis commission is 10 secure from
| IL such information and advice as viii
! eGhaDIe me TO make recommendations to
oiisIess upon this extremely important
tiiet eI; shall be glad II the commits
sion VIII report 10 me upon the present
cohultlon or country life uDon vyhar
means are now available for supplying
me dehciencles which exist. and upon
! TIE best methods Of Organized nerr7a-
rent effort in Investigation and acfuaI
work along the lines I have indicated.
Rural Training Schools.
You viii doubtless also End &, ,eoa.
sary 10 suggest means Of bringing about
| the redirecti0n or better adaptatfo, 20
rural schools 10 the training OF children
for life on the farm. The national and
state agricultural departments must nj
| timately join with the various farmers
ana agricultural organizations in the
effort 10 secure greater efficiency and
htlTacJlyeness IN country life.
IN view or the pressing Importance
or this subject. I should be pad 10
( nave your report before the end Of
/ next December. For that reason the
[ commission VIII doubtless find II i'm
/ practicable 10 undertake extensive in
/ Vestigations. but viii rather confiue if
self 30 a summary Of what is aIreadt
/ known statement OF the problem ana
/ the recOmme Htiation OF measures tend
/ ing toward It's solution.
I snail look forward with the keen
est interest 10 your report. Sincerely
yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
PLAGUE FIGHTERS
CANNOT LEAVE YET
Surgeons Stationed on Pacific
Coast Must Remain q Year
for Sake of Safety.

Fully a year viii elapse before the
surgeons Of the Marine Hospital and
Public Health Service. can be Withdrawn
with safety from their work of fighting
the plague at San Francisco ana other
Pacific coast points. according TO an
opinion expressed today by Surgeon
General Wyman. at the head of the
service. The disease is not now preva-
lent among the human inhabitants, but
is stin found among rats.
The treacherous nature OF the plague
Is cited by the surgeon general in the
experience Of Venezuela. A few weeks
ago an official rport was received here
that the disease was under control To-
day a cablegram from Caracas. esti-
mates that twenty-five cases of plague
have developed there within the last
seventeen days.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
FISH ARE CHARMED
BY A PHONOGRAPH
Denizens of the Deep Bite Readily
When Their Fayorite Melody
Is PLAYED.

Los ANGELES Cal. Aug. 10.-Post-
master A. i. T. Green. Of Playa del
Ray. made the strange discovery that a
photograph VIII attract and charm fish.
He has had a machine grind x out
negro melodies on the pier, and noticed
that anglers invariably made good
catches when he kept 1t going. and had
no bites when he shut it Of.
One day recently he had the music
turned on constantly and everybody
who cast a line caught fish.
Whenever I play the song IN the
Evening b. the Moonlight. scores of
pOmpanO and sea trout are pulled in
and nobody has bad luck" said Green.
Il cannot account for It otherwise ihan
that the music draws the FISH aud that
they have favOrites. like human beings.
ANY one doubling this can see me dem
onstrate any day
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

was let to the representative OF Great
Britain then in Washington. The his
tory Of the British legations occupancy
or the Maynard mansion was one Of
magnificenoe and lavish entertaining
Its brilliant lights Illuminated Twenty
fifth street and the Avenue many a cold
winters night, and the scenes Of gayety
that were once enacted there form a
sad contrast with the sickness and pain
OF today. It was not until 1872 that the
building Outgrew its usefulness as a
residence. and then it was purchased by
the Government and turned over To the
trustees of the Columbia Hospital for
use in caring for afflicted women.
Columbia Hospital has a history
of six years work before it entered
the structure provided for it BY the
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
THE JACKASS AND DEBS.

Eugene Y. Debs, the Socialist lead
er, tells the following story On him
self, says the Success Magazine:
az was TO address a public meeting,
and there was intense prejudice
against me, so the young man who
had to introduce me thought he would
try TO disarm it.
'Debs Is hated by some people he
said, because he has been in strikes
This is not right. II is the law of
nature TO defend yourself. Why, even
a dog VIII grOwl IL you try to deprive
viii butt you If you get in hts way,
and you all know what a jackass will
do If you monkey with him. Ladies'
ard gentlemen. this is Debs, who will
now address YOU"
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
SHE BOUGHT CHILD:
DENIES KIDNAPPING

MANKATO. Mimi. Aug. 1O.-The sher-
II Of Redwood county has been here and
arrested Mrs. ]. DougheTty, a stranger,
on warrant charging her with having
kidnapped a little girl named Gagan
from her home at Redwood Falls. Mrs
Dougherty denied having kidnapped the
child, and said that she paid the girIs
father SIS for her. She was taken back
to Redwood Falls.
The girl is about ten years old, and
her mother died last month. Mrs
DOugheTty is an attractive woman, but
is travelling about, camping with her
children and party, her husband having
died a year ago.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
WOMAN IS KILLED
IN AUTO SMASH-UP
Big Machine Plunges Over Bridge
into Stream When Driver
Gets Confused.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1o.-Mrs.
Anne Klemme is dead here today, her
sfxteen-year-old son. Harry, is probably
fatally injured, and a companion named
Hughes is badly hurt as the result OF
an automobile smash-up on the San
Bruno road.
The three victims were guests OF Clar-
enc,. \. Wolfe a wealthy lumber and
hardware merchant. The party were
bowling along the San Bruno road when
Wolfe who was irving, became con-
fused by shadows and ran his car over
a bridge All were thrown out as the
machine plunged into the stream below.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

anG Massachusetts avenue
Although the Maynard mansion was
not good enough for a private resi-
dence. the Government thought Il
would make a good hospital, and paid
$4,000 for 1t and s. 900 more for repairs.
The following year appropriations were
made for additional repairs and support,
but since that time Congress has been
less liberal with the institution. The
hospital is now handicapped by the lack
Of modern hospital fittings and conven-
fences. and its directors have been urg-
ing Congress to provide a new building.
Major J. Q. Skinner, a retired army
surgeon, is superintendent of the
hospital. = During the past year
1.403 women patients were cared for
there
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

Persons leaving tie city for
short or long period during the sum
mer may nave The Times mailed
to them at the following rates:
Daily, @ cents a week. daily and
Sunday, IL cents a week All mail
subscriptions are payable strictly in
advance.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
CHARWOMAN HEIRESS
MAY GET 100000
Among Claimants to Old Springer
Estate, in the Heart Of Will
nIington, Del

NEW YORK, Aug. 10.-Mrs. Rather
Inc Dehm, janitress in the big apart
ment building at 1912 Amsterdam ave
nue. claims 20 be heiress to 100000.
her interest in 100000 estate left
by Baron Chris opher Springer, a Dutch
nobleman, VINO fought in the Revolution
on General Washington's STAFF. The
estate comprises much OF the city of
Wilmington. Del.
Mrs. Dehm, who Is the wife Of Glenn
ent Dehm ard the mother Of a brood Of
small children, is pleasant-faced yur-
tembuTger. daughter Of Franz Springer.
of Holland. Her fathers grauduncle
was an attache Of the Swedish court in
Revolutionary days and invested his
fortune in the barran lands which are
now Wilmington.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
MISS NOBLE DODGE. is VISITING
MRS. E. F. RIGGS, AT NEW LONDON
Popular in Washington So
ciety Since Debut Two
Years Ago.
Miss Carolyn Louis Smith
Will Be Married
Today.

Miss Nollle Dodge, daughter OF Mr..
and Mrs Harrison II. Dodge, OF Wash
ington. has arrived at New London,
Conn, where she viii be the guest for
the remainder OF the season OF Mrs.
Z. Francis Riggs.
Miss Dodge IS one Of the most popular
girls in the younger set OF Capital City
society, AID has been since her debut,
year before last. She IS the youngest
Of four sisters, the others being Mrs.
r. Heiberg. Mrs. Hugh Mel. Walker.
ana Mrs. Rodman Butler, the marriage
Of the latter having taken place June
"a. at Jolo. Philippine Islands. where
Lieutenant Butler is stationed.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
DIPLOMACY.

It was a wise young man who paused
before he answered the widow who had
asked him TO guess her age. You must
have some idea about il. she said with
what was intended for an arch sidewise
glance
Il have several ideas" he admitted
with smile The only trouble Is that
I hesitate whether TO make you ten
years younger on account OF your looks.
or ten years older on account of your
brains.
Then, while the widow smiled and
bIushed, he took a graceful but speedy
leave.-Cleveland Leader.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
RepeOpling the Farms.

President Roosevelt's commission for
the study of social and economic prob
lens of country life, with the view
to determining how to make the farm
more att active, will do well TO devote
its attention TO a few large, basic as
poets The President wants the com
mission to report in December, which
means that there will be no time for
an elaborate and exhaustive consider
alton of all the aspects of the large
question under consideration.
The commission should bear in mind
that the movement cityward IS not a
unique social manifestation Ia Ameri-
ca. 1t is even more marked in some
other countries, notably Germany and
England. Moreover, it is in large part
accounted for by facts which every
body knows, and which need no apol-
ogy. The new industrial system makes
cities necessary. The factory plan of
production eompels Capitalization Of
population; the railroads alone employ
10 per cent Of the producing popula-
ton, and most of these necessarily
must live in cities and towns.
The fact Is that the farm is in a
better way than the town. There is
good deal of nonsense about doing
something for the farm" What is
needed vastly more is to do something
for the town; to make its living con-
ditions better for the mfortunates
whom an inexorable social and indus
trial system draws to the city.
But nevertheless there is opportun-
ity for the Presidents commission to
do some good work. Two things es-
pecially it should consider. First is
the question of rural schools; the other,
of rural roads.
Perhaps the roads should be named
first, because it Is impossible TO have
good rural schools where there are not
good roads. The subdistrict country
school should be done away with. 1t
is the worst single institution OF coun-
LfN III = NJil5oiludA 4oLA anu SCiiiA an
zation of rural schools so that a larger
number of pupils may be brought to a
single school, and that school may have
better paid teachers and be organized
and graded like a city school-this is
the remedy. 1t means gathering the
pupils from considerable distances,
however; and this involves transpor-
tation at public expense. This in turn
means that good roads viii be neces-
sary.
More people leave the farm because
of the desire to give their children edu-
catiOnaI advantages than for any other
reason. Let these be provided in the
country, Gnd the best class of farmers
viii stay OF tie farms; the very people
whO,nOw leave it most often.
The plan of consolidation of coun-
try schools and transportation of pu-
pills is not new. It is "a great success
wherever it has been tried. 1t has not
even increased the cost of schools, but
rather as a rule has actually reduced
it, while at the same time eiTecting a
great improvement in the -ork hey do,
Let the commission, then, present
practical plans for getting better roads
and better country schools, and it will
have done a real work.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

It is also interesting TO speculate
where Senator Hopkins would have got
or il he hadn't had the Endorsement of
the President and Mr. Taft, involved IN
his designation as chairman of the Chi
cago resolutions committee.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10
Seeing Washington With The Times Guide

G ov eminent. In
1866 the institution
was started by
subscriptions and
donations made by
citizens OF Wash
ingtOn. and was in
corporated tn a I
year as a women's
hospital. DR.. ].
Harry Thompson.
a distin gulshed
physician sand sur
geon OF the Dis
trict, was instru-
mental In organic
ing the institution.
Until it moved into
the Maynard house
the hospital occu-
pied the Hill man
sion. which was at
EOurteenfh street
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

Twenty years ago almost every fam
lily kept a canary or two in gilded cages
to make day hideous and early morning
sleep impossible. Today a canary is
almost never seen. Yet pessimists deny
that the world is improving!
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

While desiring in nowise to give IN
due alarm 10 cur old friend tho horse,
It must not be overlooked that, with
the President now regularly rides 10
church in an auto. and that the man
who started all the trouble for racing
IN New York, is plainly enough going
10 be renoyninated and reelected.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

Mr.. Lawson Is going TO put forth, in
his next. The most astounding propo-
sItion ever made by a sane and re-
spcnsible fnancier." Hard to believe the
superlative is still left in Mr.. Lawson,
but all must cOncede that he's a real
genius.
The Washington times., 1908-08-10

They have a big railroad strike in
Canada. Now watch closely and see
whether it's possible 10 manage It with
out an injunction BY a Federal court.