davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
MAN ENGAGED: To
-FOUR INA. week
EACH WAS TO BE INSTALLED As
THE MISTRESS OF A. $4,000
SUBURBAN MANSION.
ADVERTlSES FOR H0USEKEEPER
Women Respond and He Shows Them
Supposed Future Home, Then
Proposes-Would-Be Brides
Now Looking for Him.

Cincinnati.-Within one week four
young women of this city became en-
gagged to man from parts unknown
who had promised to install each of
them as mistress of the unoccupied
Seasongood mansion on Walnut Hills;
which he said he had bought.
The stranger, who gave the name
of Frank Bissinger, became acquaint-
ed with the women through their an
swering his advertisement for house.
keeper He lost no time in engaging
their services, and showed them in
relays the interior of the mansion. Bis
singer, In order to win their conf
dence, permitted them to suggest the
manner in which the house was to be
furnished.
In this way he leaped into their good
graces and at the psychological moment
he proposed to them. He told each
of the four that he did not want to in
stall her as his housekeeper and
then marry her as his employe.
They saw the position in the same
light and made arrangements for their
rousseau.
Bissinger told the women that he
had purchased the mansion for $1,000.
The same story was told at John Ahl-
brandt's saloon on Elm street, where
he had ropm. While. he was engaged
in winning the women Bissinger was
busy with excuses to Charles E.
Nourse, of the real estate firm of Glen
cay & Nourse, agents for the Walnut
Hills property. 1nnumerable times he
made arrangements with the broker
to close the deal by the cash pay
ment of $1,000, but he failed to keep
his engagement, usually telephoning
Mr.. Nourse and stating that the mon
ey had not been forwarded by his
bank in San Francisco.
Then day was set for the con-
summation of the transaction, and the
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
Rebuke HumorousIy Couched

When E. l.. Godkin was, editor of
the New York Evening Post he was
supposed by many to lack a sense Of
humor But those in his employ who
stood close to him knew better. One
morning he sent for his young city
editor.
Last night" said Mr.. Godkin. II
read in the Post an account of the
suicide of a boy. Your news paragraph
reported the motive that the boy was
being resisted at home in a premature
inclination to marry. Mr.. Blank, can
you imagine how that father felt when
you accused him, for what was no
doubt done in a sense of loving duty,
of being the cause of the death of his
child?"
The young city editor stammered
an apology.
Thank you for your explanation" said
Godkin. But" he went on in a more
decided tone, If anything like that
ever happens again, will give you fair
warning, sir, that I will leave this
paper! will not work for a paper
that says things so cruel!"
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
Is Doing Good Work.

BY means of an energetic field
force" and capable corps of experts
in the home Office at Washington this
branch of the government is continu-
ally investigating in all parts of the
country such subjects as the relations
of capital and labor, the hours of Ia
Dor, the earnings of laboring men and
women, and other similarly fruitful
topics. What is more, this public in
stitution is continually striving to pro:
mote the material, social, intellectual
and moral prosperity of the workers.
OF course these government scouts in
the labor field cannot work in a rut.
Indeed the: force is so mobile and the
individual workers so versatile that
when serious dispute arises between
employers and employees or there is a
controversy such as that some time
ago regarding conditions in the meat
packing industry all other work at the
bureau can be dropped and all hands
concentrate their attention upon the
causes and facts of the crisis of the
moment.
The late Senator Hoar of Massachu-
setts is perhaps entitled to be con-
sidered the father of the movement to
have Uncle Sam Systematically aid
the cause of labor. 1t was in 1871 that
Mr.. Hoar, then member of the Unit
ed States house of representatives, in
troduced bill providing for the ap-
pointment of commission to study
the subject of wages and hours of
labor and the division of profits be-
tween labor and capital in the United
States. The bill did not pass but the
ball had been started rolling and final
ly after much agitation congress in
1884 made provision for a bureau of
labor as part of the interior depart
ment. When the department of COM
merce and labor was organized in 1909
the bureau of labor was taken under
its wing as one of it's principal
branches.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04

dered in. bearing in her hand a we'd
ding invitation which Herman had for
warded to her from Plainfield.
Elsie read the invitation. "Mr. and
Mrs. Rudolph Ganderkurds request der
honor of your presence at der mar
riage Of deir daughter, Verbena, to
Galahad Schmalzenberger, at der
home of der pridc's parents, Plainfield,
N. j., May first. r. S. V. p"
derkurds und I know deir daughter
Verbena, und know Galahad Schmal-
Zenberger; he's a floorwalker in
Bauerhaupt's grocery store, but
doan'd know vot is dot r. S. v. P.
yeti"
l gently kicked Peaches on the in
step under the table, and said to
Elsie: well. that's new one on me,
also. Are you sure it isn't B. {; O.
or the c. R. r. of N. j.? Those are
a couple Of railroads in New Jersey,
but I never heard of the r. S. " P.."
For the first time in her life since
she's been able to grab sentence be-
nouns out Of it Elsie was amazed
She kept looking at the invitation
and saying to herself: "R. S. V. p!
Vot is it? I know der honor of your
presence; l know der pride's parents,
but don't know R. S. " p"
All that day Elsie wandered through
the house muttering to herself "R. S.
V. P! Vot is it? Is it some secret
between der pride und groom? r. S.
V. p! 1t ain'd my initials. because dey
begin NIT f. S. Vot is dot R. S. V. p?
Vot is it? Vot is it,"
That evening we were all at dinner
when Elsie rushed in with a cry of
joy. Il got it," she said. Il have
united der meaning of dot r. S. V. P.
1t means Real Silver Wedding Pres
ents!"
l was just about to drink a glass Of
water, so changed my mind and near
ly choked to death.
Peaches tried to say something,
which resulted in a gurgle in her
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
FRIENDLY TIP
Restored Hope and Confidence.

After several years of Indigestion
and it's attendant evil influence on the
mind, it is not very surprising that
one finally loses faith in things gen.
orally.
IN. Y. woman writes an interesting
letter. She says:
Three years ago suffered from
an attack Of peritonitis which left mo
in most miserable condition. For
over two years I suffered from nerv-
BUSINESS, weak heart, shortness OF
breath, could not sleep, etc.
my appetite was ravenous, but I
felt starved all the time. had plenty
Of food but It did not nourish mo
because Of intestinal indigestion: Med
tcal treatment did not seem to help.
got discouraged, stopped medicine
and did not care much whether lived
or died.
zone day a friend asked me why 1
didn't try Grape-Nuts, stop drinking
coffee, and use Postum. I had lost
faith in everything, but to please my
friends began to use both and soon
became very fond Of them.
1T wasn't long before I got some
strength, felt decided change in my
system, hope sprang up in my heart
and slowly but surely got better. I
could sleep very well, the constant
craving for food ceased and I have
better health now than before the at
tack Of peritonitis.
my husband and I are still usiug
Grape-Nuts and Postum" "There's q
Reason"
Name given by Postum Co., Battle
Creek, Mich. Read. "The Road to
Wellvii'e," in pkgs.
Ever read the above letter? A new
one appears from time to time. They
are genuine, true. and full Of hunaD
l interest ~;:-
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
Deaths Of Presidents.

Washington's death was due to
acute laryngitis; Adams, Madison and
Monroe, practically to old age; Jeffer-
son, chronic diarrhea; John Quincy
Adams, paralysis: Jackson, dropsy;
VaVn Buren, catarrhal affections of
the throat and lungs; William Henry
Harrison, pleurisy: Tyler, cause OF
death not given by biographers; Polk.
cholera; Taylor, cholera morbus, CON-
bined with severe cold; Fillmore,
paralysis. Pierce, dropsy; Buchanan.
rheumatic gout; Lincoln, Garfield and
Mckinley, assassinated; Johnson, pa
ralysis; Grant, cancer at the root of
the tongue; Hayes, neuralgia Of the
heart; Arthur, heart trouble, and Ben.
jamin Harrison, pneumonia.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04

the working classes of the coun-
try has not by any means been
confined to those conspicuous services
with which the public is familiar, such
as the settlement of the anthracite
coal strike, the enforcement of the
efght-hour day on government work
and the establishment of labor's own
branch of public service-the depart
ment OF commerce and labor
Uncle Sam stands ready, of course,
to step into the breach wherever oc-
casion demands in an effort to secure
square deal" and living wages for
the toiling masses but even when there
are no clouds on the horizon of the
relations between capital and labor
this paternal government is busily en-
gagged with the problem of promoting
the welfare of those who labor with
hands or brain. A number of differ
ent branches of the government are
contributing to this policy but in the
main the work devolves upon the bu-
reau of labor at Washington, which is,
in effect, the labor division of the de-
partment Of commerce and labor.
Newspaper readers hear of the bu-
reau of labor when it's head, the com.
missioner Of labor, steps in and at
tempts to arbitrate some strike or
threatened strike, as for instance the
recent difficulties of the telegraphers
of the country, but there is not one
citizen In thousand who has any
idea of the scope of the everyday work
of the bureau in acquiring and diffus-
ing useful information on subjects con-
nected with labor in the most general
and most comprehensive sense of that
word.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
ON TIE
HORSE
TRADER.

for home he never stopped, but went
like the wind-when it isn't blowing
very hard. '-, -"
Well, off goes Will Hodge to Her.
man Shulz to inquire about a horse,
and Herman bitches up the old, sorrel.
While hitching Herman starts in to
explain what a clever old beast the
sorrel is, and by the time they get
started out of the barn in the buggy
Hodge has an. idea that he is riding
behind Sysonby's stepbrother.
When they got out about half mile
back went the sorrels right ear, and
Herman said quickly: whoa, whoa,
boy! Whoa!"
OF course, the old sorrel intended
to whoa anyway, but Hodge didn't
know that.
Then Herman would point at the
scenery with the whip and describe
it, all the time watching the old sor-
rel's left ear for the starting signal.
Presently back went the left ear,
and then Herman would stop describ-
ing the scenery, and with loud "Ged-
dap" the old sorrel would start of
| once more.
At the end of another half mile
back would go the sorrel's right ear,
and Herman would yell Whoa" and
then say: Here on the right
would like to point out to you the
Methodist orphan asylum, and over
there is Chase & Pendleton's cele-
brated sash factory. Over there on
the left" But just then the sorrel's
left ear would fly back, and Herman
would have to say 'Ged-dap" right in
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04

real estate firm privately made up it's
mind that it would have nothing fur
ther to do with Bissinger if he failed
to make good on that date The ex-
pected happened, and all negotiations
were declared off.
The Seasongood home was recently
purchased at auction by B. F.
Thomas, of the United States en-
gineer's office, in the government
building. He intended to convert it
into fat building but changed his
mind, and placed it on the market
through the agents. Bissinger secured
the key to the mansion as a prospec-
tive purchaser, and had it in his pos
session almost week, during which
time he was busy courting the four
women.
Bissinger said he was one of the vic
Tins of the San Francisco earthquake.
claiming to have been in Europe on a
business mission when the disaster
took place, which wiped out all the
members of his family except the
baby, now girl of ten years. He said
both of her legs had been burned off
and told it in such a pathetic man
ner that the story gained the SYM
pathies of his hearers Bissinger said
he was purchasing the mansion as a
home for his little girl. He claimed
to have opened an account here with
the German National bank.
He told practically the same story
to Mr.. Ahlbrandt, at whose place he
roomed. His baggage consisted of a
suit case. Mr.. Ahlbrandt's son said
that Bissinger had shown a telegram.
purporting to have come from an in
surance company, which read that
there was $4,000 to his credit at the
German National bank.
Bissinger hurriedly packed his suit
case last week and since then nothing
has been seen or heard from him at
No. 1888 Elm street.
Bissinger is described as being q
polished German, of about so years of
age, weighing 160 pounds, about S feet
8 inches in height, and usually wear
Ing dark clothes. He has a mustache.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04

the midst of his description of the
scenery.
This was kept up about four times,
and then all of a sudden Hodge let
out roar.
For the love of a kind Heaven"
yelled Will, don't you know that I
came out here to see this horse go
and not to listen to your lectures on
this bum scenery? Why, man, 1 have
lived in Rochester all my life and I
know all about the sash factories and
the orphan asylums, and l am on ia
miliar terms with every bit of scenery
you can shake whip at, so now l
will thank you kindly to point the
reins of this horse and make him
commence"
ZACH! OXcOos, oxcoOs;" said Her.
man. You wish to see him trafel, is
it? So! show you!"
Then Herman turned the old sor-
rel around, pointing his nose at the
oats in the barn, and the wise old
bonerack never stopped running until
they were back home.
Hodge bought the horse on the
strength of that return trip.
That afternoon Hodge took the sor-
rel out for little exercise. Pretty
soon it began to rain, the glue melted,
and when Will saw his horses tail
drop off he nearly fell out of the
wagon.
An hour later Herman was sitting
in his barn door, when he saw a man
running towards him who looked
something like Hodge and something
like vigilance committee.
The man had a buggy whip in one
hand and horses tail in the other,
and he was travelling hell bent for
election.
Herman took one peep at him, then
he fell sideways out of the barn win.
dow and hid for three days in his
cellar.
l don't think Will and Herman ever
meet, because both of them are still
alive and uninjured.
Yours for the Germans,
JOHN.
Copyright 1905, by G. W. Dillingham; Co. }
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
ECZEMA FOR IS YEARS.
Suffered Torments from eirtt-ln
Fr'9ntful condition-cot No Help
Until cuticura Cured Him.

II had an itching, tormenting ecze-
ma ever since came into the world,
and am now q man IS years DID,
I tried all kinds Of medicines heard
of. but found no relief. was truly
in a frightful condition. At last I
broke out all over with red and white
boils, which kept growing until they;
were as big as walnuts, causing great
pain and misery, but I kept from
scratching as well as I could. I was
30 run down that I could hardly do
my work. used Cuticura Soap, Oint-
ment, Resolvent and Pills for about
eight months, and can truthfully say,
am cured Hale Bordwell, Upton,
Ia, Aug. II, 1907"
II cheerfully endorse the above tes-
timonial. It is the truth. I know Mr..
Bordwell and know the condition h0
was in. Nelson r. Burnett, Upton, Ia"
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
"Herman Would Yell Whoa!"

throat; the Swede servant girl rushed
out in the kitchen and broke a couple
OF dishes, while Uncle Peter, who was
dining with us, fell off his chair on
the cat which had never done him any
harm.
Elsie's Interpretation of that we'd
ding present is going to set Herman
Shulz back several dollars, or I'm not
a foot high.
This same Herman is a character,
by the way, Bunch.
He's horse trader by profession
and con thrower by nature.
l must tell you, Bunch, about Her.
man when he lived and fourished in
Rochester, N. Y.
A friend of ours named Will Hodge
also lived in Rochester at that time,
and Will went to Herman .buy a
horse.
Herman had at this time an old sor.
rel horse which would never travel
over half mile without baking.
At some remote period of it's life
the sorrel had been docked, but Her.
man decided he could sell the horse
quicker if it had long tail, so he
glued on tail which he kept in the
barn for this purpose.
One of the peculiar features about
this old sorre1 was the fact that just
before he would begin to balk and stop
dead in his tracks the right ear would
fly back and stay there.
And just before he intended to start
again the left ear would fly back and
join the right ear.
Then as the old sorrel went joyously
on his way once more both ears would
stand out straight, and all would be
Well
The old sorrel always made these
signals, rain or shine.
Another peculiar fact was this, that
once the Old sorrel's nose was pointed
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
JOHN r1rNQ1
sY GEO. v. HOBART, ("HUeh M,HucH.")

Dear Bunch: Your letter from Ber-
lin is here, and after picking all the
''Hochs!" and "Gesundheits!" out of it
we're hep to the fact that you're both
having swell time among the Ger
mans.
Tell Alice to bring me home a stein
empty. I can get the beer and the
"Prosits" over here.
Your German letter having created
an atmosphere, it's up to me to tell
you about old Elsie Shulz, who is
spending few days at Uncle Peters
home across the road.
Elsie is a sort of privileged char.
acter in our family, having lived with
Aunt Martha for over 20 years as a
sort Of housekeeper
Yesterday morning, while Peaches
and were at breakfast. Elsie mean
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
HIS OPINION OF FIELDING.
AZ Least, Only Kind Young Broker
Knew Anything About.

A young broker in Boston. while WIS.,
iting a certain household in the Hub
not long ago, encountered number
Of young women graduates whose con-
versation suddenly turned to a dis
cussion Of the development of the
English novel.
The dealer in stocks and, bonds
speedily found himself "out of it."
Presently, during a lull, one young
woman asked him:
What do you think of Fielding, Mr..
Brown"
'Oh, fielding is important, Of course"
quickly responded the broker. but
it isn't worth much unless you've got
good pitchers and men who can hit
the all."-Harper's Weekly.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
ALMOST HUGGED TO DEATH.
Terrible Experience Of Woman
Kissed by Crazy Laundress.

Indianapolis, Ind - Kissed and
hugged almost to death was the har-
rowing experience of Mrs. Clarence
Stanley, a wealthy young woman of
this city, when Lillian Low, her col
ored laundress, weighing about 300
pounds, suddenly became insane.
With whoop Of Joy she made
straight for Mrs. Stanley. Grabbing
her, she proceeded to hug and kiss
her in spite of her frantic efforts to
get away. She was fairly crushing
her employer to death when help ar
rived and tore her away.
The police were summoned, but Lii
lian became rational before they ar
rived. She was fired" however, and
short time after she returned to her
own home hurry-up calls were sent to
the police from that neighborhood.
Lillian was on another rampage, and
she had to be locked up.
1t is said that her mind turned on
the question Of religion. She will be
examined as to her sanity.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
sHE WAS NO nAsBEEN,
Ognekln1 Car Just the One Old Woman
Was Looking For.

- - /
MADAM" said the brakeman ~ the
train stopped at Village station and
. little old woman. started to enter
!; the smoking car. the car back 10 tho
one you want" .<-y.
How do you knour she tartly
asked.
''Because this is the smoking car"
She pushed past him and climbed
up tho steps: and after taking q seat
she pulled out and filed q pipe, struck
amatch on the sole Of her shoe. and
after drawing q few puffs she said to
man smoking q cigar across the
aisle:
"That young feller out there don't
know half as much as he thinks ho
does"
Flow so?" was asked.
HE took me for al old woman that
had never rode on the cars before, and
told me this. was the smoking car"
"And you wanted this carr"
"Why, I never ride in any other
not unless my pipe is broke, my to-
bacco all out and none O. you men
'n>ks will lend me q cigar
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
Grecian Women Advance a Step.

The chamber of deputies of Greece
has passed a law by which, for the
first time in modern Greece, women
are admitted in the public service. In
accordance with this law, the director
of posts and telegraphs is authorized
to employ so women, to be used main
ly in the telephone service They are
to be between 21 and So years old, and
are to receive 20 drachmas {about
$13.50) a month, for six hours work =
day.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
WILD WOMAN seen
. 0N.clTALINA ISLAND
DOES NOT APPEAR UNTIL JUST
BEFORE sUNSET-EASlLY -
ELUoEs PURSUIT. J

Avalon, Cal.-Catalina island has a
wild woman. Many have seen her,
but none know whence she comes or
whittier she goes.
According to boatmen and others
who frequently make trips into vari.
GUS inlets and retreats Of the magic
isle, the woman is never seen before
sunset, and no one has ever been able
to get close enough to her to form
any we'll defined conception Of her ap-
pearanoe, except to note that she is
almost nude and carries rifle.
The wild woman" has been seen by
a numser of the islanders, ii their
stories are to be believed. and all who
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
An Artful Qodner.

Yes" said the candidate, 81 must
admit that when those hoodlums down
at Podunk tried to argue with me l
lodged the ISSUE"
"Why did you do that?" queried the
campaign manager.
Because" explained the candidate,
they tried to argue with eggs" Chi
cago Daily News.
The Virginia enterprise., 1908-09-04
Employment Bureau.

Uncle Sam has also inaugurated an.
other aid to labor in the form of the
largest employment bureau in the
world. This is an adjunct of the bu-
reau of immigration, and is in charge
of Terence v. Powderly, at one time
a recognized leader of union labor
throughout the country. 1t is the func-
tion of this new bureau to inquire as
to the facts about the reported demand
for labor in all parts of the country
Mr. Powderly has opened correspond
ence with responsible officers in every
state in the union concerning the need
for labor and the opportunities for en-
ployment in each state and when any
workingman desires to make a change
of location all he has to do is to in
quire of Uncle Sam as to the prospects
in any section in which he would like
to find employment.