davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

hurry and hustle of the metropolis, she
is apt at any time to get panic stricken
and dash in front of streetcar or
automobile She is ore of the worst
trials of the much tried boys lives
In common with all the world, the
messenger boy loves lover He is an
enthusiastic match maker, with as keen
delight in any budding romance as a
school girl. Tie course of true love
often carries out the proverb, however.
and incidentally the messenger gets
jolt or two.
Twentyfour was all remerse the 9TH
er day over the failure of his part in a
proposed elopement.
He never told me it was an elope-
ment. though" he walled. How could
/ tell? Give it TO Miss Dorothy her
self he says.
Sure says l. I'm on
When | rung the bell at the house
a tall, thin woman with spectacles
came to the door. II he'd of told me
it was an elopement I'd known she
was the wrong one.
says.
I'm Miss Dorothy Stewart says
she.
And she grabbed at the note like it
was a million dollar bill. She read it
over two or three times. grindin' her
l6Sln anu 4eT eyes udSfl0 HTe 10eH
she turned on me and L thought she
was goin' to eat me up.
Just tell .the young man what give
you this she snorted, that Dorothy
amt a goin' to elope tonight If her
aunt knows anything about 1t, an you
can tell him she does
Say, / amt dast to go back to that
feller to tell him the answer and what
am l goin' to do?"
~ q ~ q
report. He came in with torn coat
and swollen pink nose, to which he
tenderly held his handkerchief. A big
blue bruise showed over one eye. His
delivery slip was unsigned
"The girl the note was to never had
no time to sign" he explained. II
found her all right, and give her the
note, but her father was there and took
it away from her. And then he got
UP and kicked me downstairs and said
I'd better not come back with any
more notes from that guy. And, say,
you betcher neck 1 don't"
Long calls please the boys. Not that
the messenger likes the car rides, but
because part of his income Is the car
fare given him by the company when
he is sent on long calls. No messenger
ever willingly pays for car ride, and,
considering car fare saved a car fare
each month. In devising ways to
reach his destination without paying
for the ride he is fertile in. resource.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

tneir wornout condition. plunged into
the dark waters never to rise again.
Excelling in loss OF life was the H.
rated cara Nevada, which, II IL estf-
mated, carried to the bottom not less
than 15O persons and with them went
at least a quarter OF a million doI-
lars In grains OF gold and yellow coins.
Ireater In treasure but more nercff1l
In spreading death was the British
vessel Islander, which had IN her huIl
at least half a million dollars In treas
ure- Other boats have carried dovvn
various sums so that the total reaehs.
an enormous amount. enough to give
fortune TO many man were ft once
more above the water. The ISLANDER
carried to their doom three score re-
turning klondikers. while not a soul
was saved from the Clara Nevada.
The history of the Nevada was typi-
cal or the craft that in early days was
pressed into service on the northern
runs The hull was OF iron. built IN
1872 and 1873 for the United States
government In Atlantic waters to be
used as a coast and geodetio survey
vessel, along lines similar to the rev
enue cutter Grant, which was tha drst
of that type OF iron vessel built. The
Hassler. as she was called. was brought
to the Pacific. and in 1897 was CON
demned and sold by the government
because the cost Of repairs and ira
provementS was beyond the limit see
She was painted over given a nev-
name. and then she set forth for the
north
The mystery of her loss on the re-
turn trip may never be cleared up
In the minds of seafaring men. She
left Skagway for Juneau with every
nook and Granny filled with men and
women coming out for the winter. MANY
OF the miners had rich .pokes' OF
gold. and were redoient with expect
ancy at the thought OF reaching the
states again. The Indians on shore
told story of seeing vessel suddenlv
burst into flame. as IL a great ex-
plosion had rent the hull In twain.
Yet many discredft this theory OF the
Clara Nevada's loss. insisting that the
engines and boilers were in good condf-
tlon, but that the hull of iron had cor
roded almost through when she WIS
dispatched from Seattle, and thar =
storm. In all probability. wrenched the
huIl and tore the plates asunder Re-
Gently came down the word from Ju-
neau that the keeper OF Eldridge light
nad discovered the wreckage at low
tide, and that human bones were to be
round In many places on the sands
so II Is that the dead men OF Davv
Jones locker may gamble with the
sunken Alaska gold. for IL nevsrmore
VIII rest IN human hands
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

TAR down deep in Alaska waters
+ dead men by the hundreds play
with the sunken gold Of the lost
treasure ships. Over and over the
long ebony fingers of the deepsea
wraiths handle the thousands of pounds
of yellow metals that, never to be re-
covered. sank in the stormy seas, say
the stories of superstitious sailors
that pass that way. and the Indians
and fishermen that make their homes
near these haunts of the dead tell weird
tales Of the games the lost Klondilxers
play with the wealth they never
brought back to civilization after
wrenching it from the earth in the far
northland. Between s1.O0o.OoO and ST.
100000 of dust and coin have been car
ried down in the ships that never
reached the port they sought. and
with them went many a man and many
a woman whose fate was never known.
Through all eternity. 1t is more than
likely, these sou1less beings In the
oceans depths may gamble with their
treasure, for it Is not within the bounds
OF probability that a dollar of all
those rich cargoes will ever be brought
up from the watery abiding places
wherein they hide, though companies
have been organized, almost without
number. to seek the salvage so tragic
ally lost. Back and forth the for
tunes of the game may go; to this
grinning corpse or that, the piles of
gold may move. while the devilfsh
wraps his tentacles about the dead
mems bones, and the wreck may crum-
BILE to ruins. yet there are mysteries
Of the lost northern ships that will
never be solved.
Just at dusk and during the long
twilight the people that live along
the inland passages that lead to Alaska,
and the keepers of the few lights that
beacon here and there treacherous
rock or shoal. feel the spell of the lost
ships, and hear the cries of souls car
ried to destruction in the night. Many
a vessel has gone down with all hands,
SO that none ever knew in what man
ner the end came, while helpless be-
ings Imprisoned in the hull could send
no word to those whom they left be-
hind.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
Y}@rms Of We'll KNOWN Men

cognominal recognition.
Here are some happy instances for
which Mayor Johnson vouches: A boy
and girl arriving when only one was
expected were named Kate and Dupli-
cate. Two boys, the second of which
also was a surprise, were called Peter
and Repeater. The mayor thinks, how
ever. that the surprise was most artis-
tically expressed when a very small
boy and his still smaller sister were
started on life's journey bearing the
names of Max and Climax.
If any one can add to Mayor Toms"
collection they will confer a favor by
addressing him at city hall, Cleveland,
Ohio.
General Clarence Edwards, chief of
the insular bureau of the war depart
ment, tells how an Irish corporal got
even with an unpopular post COM
mander in Cuba This post commander,
though an excellent soldier, was some
thing of crank. He had two hobbies.
One was that the liberal use of white
wash was the best possible preventive
of disease, and the other was a pet fam
lingo, an i'll natured bird that was
heartily disliked by the enlisted men
because 1t never overlooked an oppor-
tunity TO nip one of them.
One day the post commander had to
go TO Havana, but he could not en-
dure the thought that any one should
be idle in his absence. It had been
fully a week since any whitewashing &
had been done, so he issued an order
that all articles pertaining to the
camp not sheltered from the weather
should be whitewashed. The Irish
corporal was instructed with the eke-
cution of the order.
The post commander returned next
day and pretty soon the air was fairly
blue with his cursing. The soldiers
heard the noise, but they were not
curious. They knew what IL was all
about. The post commanders brilliant
a, - I 4.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
BLACK
By Laura Grocer

NF all the Californians who have
Travelled through Mexico-and they
know only Texas. California and
the Mississippi states down there-how
many ever heard of the Black Christ?
They know the great cathedral of
Guadalupe. with its sacred image and
priceless silver altar rail; they have
visited the cathedral of the city ITSELF
the old. old city, that was hoary with
age with the conquistadors came. They
reveled In the thieves market, with it's
stolen treasures, and they dined at San
Angel inn, that was once a monastery,
then great hacienda and Is still an
antiquarian's dream.
But the Black Christ knows no tour
ist homage. His tragic face looks down
as 1t has for centuries upon rows of
imploring, adoring poems
1t stands almost directly across from
one of the entrances to the thieves
market, an ordinary enough little chap
ell, built flush with the rows of houses
that line the narrow cobbled street.
There Is no hint of the picturesque
moorish architecture that makes the
outside OF Mexican churches so attrac-
tive and adds to the disappointment of
almost invariably tawdry interiors.
But In way the church Is typical of
the attitude of Mexico toward her con-
querors. She has taken what they had
TO give and changed 1t to her own pur-
poses. The language, with it's hard sibi-
lants, Is no longer the soft Castilian of
Cortez, and the religion of Mexico is no
longer the religion that he brought her
The Indian, the peon, despised in a So
ciety still feudal, has mingled 1t with
his own-stamped 1t with his own like
ness. Nowhere is the change better
shown than in the little church with its
strange image.
A padre sits in the door during Lent
returning little cards for the centavos
and dos centavos that are dropped upon
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

it is not so bad for Seventy-two can
lick any boy on the bench and is never
called ''nursie"
Messengers abhor calls from women.
Even though they be not baby stunts, -
they are almost certain to be something
equally distasteful from the boys point
of view. There is the woman who
sends the messenger to return her Ii
brary book, forgetting to give him
money to pay the fine on it and blam-
ing him bitterly when he reports the
new book she wanted was not in. And
there is the woman who sends him to
match her embroidery silks or TO brave
for her the bargain rush" in the de-
partment stores. Even silk petticoats
and stockings are sometimes on the
messenger boys shopping lists.
Other women call or the messenger
service for escorts to the theater. The
out of town woman, a stranger in the
city, seeks the aid of a messenger boy
in finding her friends. New to the
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
M@XRc0M Straw R@2mc@ats
orizaba. Mex. Sept. /. 1908.

l.,
IN the tropics of Mexico, where tor
] rental rains fall during a part of
each year, raincoats are very neces-
sary part of mans apparel Owing to
the intense heat which prevails during
the summer season the ordinary rubber
raincoat cannot be worn. The rubber
would soon become soft and disappear
from the cloth texture. A rainproof
coat is made from native grasses and
is worn by the men of the middle and
upper classes. This coet is OF light
weight, Notwithstanding its heavy and
cumbersome appearance. The grass is
possible for the rain to beat through
1t. no matter how great the storm
may be. Some of these coats are made
with a hood attached which protects
the head as we'll as the body. The
wearer of raincoat made of this ma
terial presents grotesque appearance.
but they are such a serviceable piece
of wearing apparel that Americans in
the tropics readily adopt them for use
These straw raincoats are made with
sleeves and are usually worn in long
lengths. the bottom almost sweeping
the ground.
In making the coats the natives Sc
lect only the finest and highest grade
Of kind of wire grass which grows
abundantly all through the tropical
region of Mexico. The blades and
straws of the grass form q thatch
which protects the body from the rain.
At the same time the coats are not
excessively warm. They are peculiarly
q NJ f1 n hnf c1i t.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
By Rose Wilder

Q o little noticed by the principals in
the real life dramas in which he
- plays the small walking on" part
that he might be wearing the invisible
cloak Of fairy lore, the messenger boy
scurrying through the shifting currents
Of metropolitan life, sees as do few
human nature in the raw in all its
moods and lenses of pain and pleasure.
Whirring by on his bicycle, skillfully
lodging automobiles and streetcars as
he darts across the busy streets, or
slipping quietly up dark stairways, he
helps weave the threads of many an
exciting or amusing story.
There are few monotonous days in
the messenger boys life One on "spe-
cial" duty may be required to per-
form every conceivable variety of serv-
fee, from entertaining the baby while
Its mother shops TO evading papas boot
as he slips a note to the dainty daugh-
ter from her ardent but forbidden
lover
I can't leave the little dear at
home" says a fond mother, smoothing
a cooing baby's starched ruffles as
she places it on the counter. The
little pet is so fretful and cries so
often. Now, would like q nice boy
10 carry the darling-that pretty boy
there with the yellow hair will please
baby nicely, I know" she gushes.
ne pretty boy EetS red IN the race
over the insult and stifiy accepts the
infant. glaring fercely at his grim
ming comrades. Is this what he's get
ting paid for? he asks himself bitterly.
IT means no more hope for tips today,
he knows, for women never give tips.
and Il presages a long, tiresome aft
ernoon following the fond mother from
counter TO counter carrying-even his
ears grow red at the thought-that
baby. He scowls as he goes out through
the door, the baby in his awkward
arms.
"Aw. that's nothing" says the boy
next him on the bench, when, released
At last he returns to the office, his
heart heavy with impotent wrath. You
oughta cheer up" his comforter re-
minds him; why. think Of seventy
two's job. He's got a nursemaid stunt
he has TO do regular"
It is Seventy-two's regular call on
Thursday nights TO take care of two
children while their parents are at the
theater. He amuses them-plays blocks,
tells them fairy stories, shares their
bread and milk supper and finally puts
them TO bed. tucking them in carefully
after they have said their prayers. He
then stays with them, cooling lullaby
until their father and mother return
from the play. Despite the commsser
ating tone in which his case has been
cited 10 the downhearted pretty boy.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

a. ENRY S. BOUTELL of Chi
RI cago is a collector of odd cpl
taphs, says the Globe Democrat
Here is one from the Egypt" of
southern Illinois, which he regards as
the gem OF his collection:
Beneath these monumental stones
Lies Sarah Maria Young.
Who on the 21st Of May
Began to hold her tongue.
Much has been written about how
the New England states have been
deserted by their young men. but Con-
gresham Littleheld of Maine insists
that youth is relative term. and that
IL IS only the kids who have deserted
To illustrate, he tells of a New York
lawyer who came TO Maine to take
dispositions in an important case. There
were a dozen men whose dispositions he
and gave their ages under oath. Not
one was under so. The ninth man was
sworn.
How old are your" asked ths Goths M
lawyers.
Sixty FIVE" the witness answered.
You're quite a young man. aren't
your" asked the lawyer humorously.
Wall" drawled the witness, II
guess you wouldn't call me q man If
] was much younger, would your"
Mayor Tom johnson OF Cleveland is
m->h interested in. the subject OF suit
able names for twins. Not that he has
ever had occasion 10 name a pair him
self. but he is firmly convinced that
when proud parents are doubly blessed
the blessings should receive adequate
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

his plate, but at other times his place
is taken by a woman, who sits in a
stall at the back. facing the altar, SELL
ing pictures of the miraculous Virgin
of Guadalupe and of the Black Christ
The figure confronts you at the left
of the door, swinging sidewise from
torturing nails in hands and feet, long
armed. horrible The face wears an
expression of concentrated agony and
the bleeding wounds are portrayed
with merciless realism.
But the feeling of repulsion vanishes,
for the features and expression are not
ignoble-they are aquiline and Castil-
ian in spite of the blackness of the
skin. pitiful tribute to the superior
race.
The figure is nude except for a
fringed red velvet apron reaching to
the thighs, covered with cheap jewelry
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

For countless centuries this vast
bulk of lava has remained dormant and
cold. Accumulations of ice and snow
all these years have covered the noun
tain to an enormous depth. Several
mountain climbing parties in the last
few years have scaled the 1000 feet
to its well nigh insurmountable sum-
nit. But until this summer no par
ties haxe brought down reports and
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

Some members OF the club were sua-
cessful IN reaching the top, but many
fell by the wayside and were com
pelled to go back to tho camp on the
5000 foot level. This year the nrst
party to reach the summit was headed
by Ashel Curtis Of Seattle. He brought
down reports Of the growing activity
Of the volcano. The next party TO gain
the highest peak was that led By Dod-
son. His party was the only ons that
made a thorough examination OF the
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

pictures of the activity of the vol
cano.
A few days ago an exploring party
headed by Harley Dodeon of Belling-
ham returned with the news of the
discovery of two new craters. Dod-
son makes the ascent of the mountain
every summer and has been to the
summit several times. He says in
addition to the old dormant crater
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

For this reason 1t is favorite with
the hardened mountain climber. Many
parties have tried to reach the sum-
nit and failed. Last year the Mazama
club of Portland, which organization
numbers among its members men and
women from all parts of the country.
even as far east as Boston, attempted
the climb. Almost every other diff
cult peak In the west had been scaled
by this club before 1T tried Mount Ba-
ker.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

there have formed since last year two
new vents that are now decidedly ac-
tive.
The two new craters are only about
500 feet apart 1t is the theory of
geologists that these two sturdy young
craters are likely to unite at any time
and cause a gigantic eruption. If this
should happen the whole top of the
mountain might be blown off.
Mount Baker is one Of the most
difficult peaks in the west to ascend.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20

ola crater and the twD 1Sw @nsG
Another mounem4n af4mbkn1 efx3
called the Moun3Afnesss also wm maks
an attempt 20 ret ee tas esD ~ thA
same route used ny ths MnsannAA zha
Dodson party made fts Asssn& ey 90
entirely new path.
Il II sald fha& tfzzs ysAA gw<A9 -
the heat gsnseAksd tn tAe bswSks e
tina earth, the snow st1dse - sup~
ceedingiy. frequent and safzD&n9 ~
made danweroua.
The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
By F. G.. Doig

~ the far northwestern corner OF
the United States is the only real
active volcano in the country. II
is Mount Baker. in Whatcom county,
Washington, that is this summer pour
ing out sulphurous gases and vast
clouds Of vapor and melting its mantle
OF perpetual snow.
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-12-04

One of the greatest sales that the
greatest piano selling house in the
west has ever conducted is fast draw
ing to a close. Out of the 800 fine
new, high grade pianos secured just
before the election from overstocked
Eastern makers. 236 have been pur-
chased by careful and discriminating
people of Portland. Nvalla Walla and
vicinity. Only ga remain to be disposed
of before the great sale closes Satur-
day night.
If the rate at which pianos We're
taken yesterday can be kept up, this
big ianO-selling undertaking will have
been concluded in a very few days
There is no reason why we should not
sell more pianos today and tomorrow
than we did yesterday.
All day yesterday groups of inter
ested buyers anxious to secure a fav
rite instrument filled the store. Our
sales force had been nearly doubled
for this last great effort and unlike
last week, when many callers could
not be waited upon, everyone yester-
day was shown most careful and
painstaking attention.
If you have no piano you cannot
afford to overlook this emergency
sale. You should not delay coming at
once. AS stated before, we secured
these pianos at a most extraordinary
concession and if we can sell them off
quickly we are perfectly willing to
pass our advantage on to you at the
low prices we now quote.
The terms of payment really should
be cash. but to sell this surplus stock
quickly we are not going to refuse any
reasonable offer. If you cannot bring
$4,000 OF $4,000 for a part payment
bring $4,000 or $500 for first pay
ment down. Arrange to make small
rayments as best suits your conven-
fence each week or each month, and
YOU will own piano before you
know it.
All Are New and High Grade.
I Think of being able to secure the
choicest of strictly brand new, high
est grade and bestknOWn makes at
bona fide savings of $110, s145-yes,
1858 at this time.
In this emergency sale you can now
secure pianos that always bring 1915
and s425 each at 1904 and 1868.
Reliable. strictly brand new, we'll
known New York makes are offered in
this emergency sale at t192. The
nlainer styles go now at S1S1.
Or YOU can select from a vast as
sOrtment Of the very finest and fan
ciest exhibition styles-in Hungarian
ash, mottled mahogany and genuine
ouarter-sawed oak-take your choice
this emergency sale at 1892, The
emergency sale prices are 1887 and
s346.
Many other fine new pianos-nevef
sold for less than 1925 and $3.50, even
in thu east are offered in this emer-
gency sale at 1926 and 1914.
All Cash Not Necessary
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-12-04
Y. n. {. a. League
For Basketball

Final entries for the basketball league
at the Y. M. G. A. will close Monday
night, December Z, when the final ar
rangements for the league will be per
fected. All members of the assoc at on
are eligible and all are to receive the
same chance for the teams.
The teams will be composed Of six
men each, and will be captained by
one of the first team. So far about 20
men have been entered and in all prob
ability four teams will be formed, as
was the case last year. The season will
probably last about nine weeks, the
teams playing on Tuesday nights
This will give each team three
chances at the others.
After the season is ended, the VIC
torious team will get medals and a
big banquet viii wind up the season.
Much interest is being shown and
the season promises to be a lively one
Those who have entered up to this
time are: Kramer, Martin, Gross, FL
lis, Hatcher l.. Walker, f. Walker,
Marry, Whitman, McFadden, Levine,
Hackett, Struthers, Allen, Thoms,
Glafke, Kinney, Unser, Crecelius Red
field, Hawman, SauZe, McInturf and
Hershey.