davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
HENRY G. DAVIS.

born in Maryland, November 16,
1923, and the traditions of that
good old State are still near and dear
to him. He likes his chicken a la
Maryland, and terrapin tickles his
palate more pleasingly than
any other article of gas
tTOnOmic indulgence. Davis was
born of poor parents, and school ad-
yantages were denied him, so he had
10 go to work very early in life. He
worked in a store as a boy, then be-
came an emplOye of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad as a brakeman. He
worked at this for several years, and
then was promoted to a conductor
He later on quit the railroad and
embarked in the mercantile bust
ness with his brother, Thomas B.,
at Piedmont, W Va. 1t was there
that he laid the foundation of his
great fortune, which is believed to
amount to 100000.
Senator Davis had early taken an
interest in politics, and was elected
a member of the House of Delegates
in 1865. In 1867 he became a State
Senator, and in 1871, he was elected
a United States Senator He was
reelected in 1877, which term he
served out, but declined to stand as
Z candidate for a third term. His
last official connection was a dele
gate to the Panama Congress. In
1904 he was nominated for Vice
President on the ticket with Par
6er. He was very DESTROYS of get
ting a good big vote in his State, and
'eaIIy hoped to carry it. But West
Virginia gave the biggest Republican
Majority that year in It's history,
Roosevelt carrying the State by over
;hirty-Onc thousand
Uncle Henry Gassaway" has a
1alatial mansion, "Graceland," at
5lkins. It tops one of the three
stately hills which stand Side by
tide, and on the other two hills are
;wo other multi-millionaire palaces,
one occupied by Senator EIkins and
the other by Richard c. Kerens of
Missouri. The Elkins residence
looks for all the world like a feudal
castle.
He is a powerfully built man,
over feet, walks with a sprightly,
elastic step, and has solved the prob
lem of never getting old, in the sense
that most of SIS do.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Absent-NIinded Beggars.

You see a lot of absent-minded
men around a barber shop" re-
marked the barber with the bristly
hair as he showed one more little
COB of lather into the customers
houth. You'd be surprised at the
number of people who come in here
and make preparations to go to bed, ="
he continued No, they lOn't take
this place for a hotel 1t amt that.
Here's how it happens: A man will
come in and take off his coat and col
lar and necktie, preparatory to get
ting shaved or having his hair cut.
Then when he sees himself in the
glass he looks so much like a man
about to retire for the night, that
about half the time he will go ahead
and wind his watch. A few of the
more absent-minded ones may start
to undo their suspenders before they
remember that they aren'5 going to
bed at all. But scores of them wind
their watches Just as they do at
night That much of it is ! COM
non occurrence"
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
SEN. OWEN OF OKLAHOMA
The New Member from
the Youngest State
A CHEROKEE INDIAN
Although an OkIahoman by AdOp-
ton is a Virginian by Birth-Has
Been in Turn Teacher, Editor,
Lawyer, Banker, and Man of Bus
mess.

When Robert Latham Owen. Sena-
tor from the new State of Oklahoma,
entered the Senate Chamber. he was
regarded as merely an interesting
addition to the greatest deIiberative
body in the world He is a Chero-
kee Indian, or, rather, the blood of
Cherokee ancestors courses in his
veins.
Although an Oklahoman by adop-
ton. Senator Owen is a Virginian by
birth. He was born in Lynchburg,
Feb. 2, 1856. His father was Rob-
ert L. Owen, formerly President Of
the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad.
while his mother was Narcissa CHS
holm Owen, of the Cherokee Nation.
Owen, ST., saw to it that his son
went out into the world equipped
with both good health and the best
Of education. He seems to have
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Rarest of Trades

Mine is the rarest of all trades"
said an Englisman slipping his light
ale, which he called small beer. II
am a maker of instruments of tor
tuTe. suppose that at this moment
in Siam and China, yellow men are
bleeding and bowling in the clutch Of
machines of my make"
He lighted his pipe. Pleasant
thought, Ell? But we must make
our living somehow In Birming-
ham mines made. There, for sew
enteen years 1 have been turning
our racks, hair and nail drawers.
thumbscrews, SINNERS, needle beds,
soaring irons, bone breakers, and
what not.
Siam and China have bought
their instruments of torture from
Birmingham for generations. Some
of these cOntTiYances are very costly
and ingenious. There is a water drop
per which works by clockwoTk that
costs $500. There's "a but that's
too horrible to talk about, The
Chinese instruments by the way. are
a million times cTueler than the ST.
ameSe."
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Gnarding Bank of EErance.

Like the Bank of England. the
Baak of France is now guarded
every night by soldiers. But with
in quite recent time the officials at
the bank resoTted to a quite novel
method of protecting their bullion.
This consisted in engaging masons
to wall up the doors of the vaults
in the cellar with hydraulic mortar
as soon as the money was deposited
each day in these receptacles. The
water was then turned on and kept
running until the whole cellar was
flooded. A burglar would be obliged
tC work in a diving suit and
break down a cement wall before
he could even begin to plumber the
vaults.
When the bank officials arrived
next morning the water was drawn
off, the masonry torn down, and the
vaults opened.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
EIGHTY FIVE YEARS OLD.
Sen. Davis of West Virgin
la has reached that Age
HAS MANY MILLIONS
Called ''The Grand Old Man. of
West Virginia by the People of
the Mountain State-Has Knock
ed DIR. OsleF's ChIOrOform Theory
Galley-West.

Henry Gassaway Davis is proudly
and affectiOnately called The Grand
Old Man of West Virginia by the
folk of the Mountain State. He is
known personally to hundreds of
them, and known of by every one
of them.
In West Virginia they call him
Uncle Henry Gassaway," never
taking the trouble to add the super
fluffy Of his last name. There is
only one Uncle Henry Gassaway,
SO there is no use of going to the
trouble of adding on the Davis. West
Virginians are always interested in
what their Uncle Henry Gassaway"
is saying and doing.
Senator Davis is So years of age,
and has had more to do with knock
ing Dr. Osler's chloroform theory
gaIley-west than any other specimen
Of Tobustuous age extent. He was
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Demand for Old Hats.

oh, yes, l am always in the mar
ket for secondhand derbys and silk
hats. They sell better than any
thing else The old clothes dealer
pointed to a room filled with shock
ing hats. There's not half enough
to meet my demands, - he said. IF
you was TO bring me a carload Of
old hats this morning I'd take EN-
all"
There's such a demand, eh?"
you bet there's a demand. Es-
pecially among old maids and wild
Ows that live alone They buy
these mats and hang couple on the
hall rack. Then, when a beggar or
tramp gets too TambunciOus at the
door they turn and say:
George is home There's his
hat. George! Oh, George! VIII you
come down here and turn this rascal
away?"
Then the tramp sneaks, think
ing there's a man in the house.
Restaurants when they open up
new stands, generally lay in twenty
five or thirty hats They hang
them in the lobby to make people
think business is brisk"
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Easfidinus Smokers.

Did you know" asked one member
of a group who were talking of the
recent Indian uprising in the South
west, that an Indian is much more
fastidious than a white man in the
matter of smoking? I saw, when I
was in Montana, several of their war
dances and the councils afterwards.
You know they sit in a circle on the
ground and pass the pipe of good
fellowship around in silence. Each
man takes two or three puffs then
hands the pipe to his next neighbor.
But, if you notice. you will see that
in the whole circuit which it makes
tn, mouthpiece is never wet. The
red man merely lays the stem against
his lower lip, and, keeping his mouth
partly open, draws a deep breath.
Removing the pipe, he exhales the
smoke, and then perhaps repeats the
process, but he never puts the mouth
piece into his mouth in the common
'paleface' fashion. If he is asked to
smoke a peace-pipe after a white
man, he first wipes off the end the
pipestem, where it has been in the
previous smokers mouth. "
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
SORROWS OF A KING.
The Buoyant and Impresslonable Al
fonso is GrievOusly Henpecked.

The Buoyant and Impresslonable Al
fonso is GrieyOusly Henpecked.
It is an interesting tale that comes
from Madrid, to the effect that the
youthful King, the buoyant and i'm
pressionable Alfonso, is grieyously
henpecked. His wife, Victoria, is
a granddaughter of the late and good
and great Queen Victoria. and doubt
less the younger Queen inherits from
the elder certain of those forceful
personal qualities which did so much
to steady the English ship of state.
It is always sad to see one so young
and care-free and irTidescent as was
Alfonso in his bOyish bachelor days
brought up short, in spite of his
crown.
If reports are true, then no more
for him the primrose path of dalliance
or any other path except the straight
and stony one. No more the free
ana easy fandango danced with
choice spirits, no more the merry
/ bull-fight, for the young Queen, his
dearly loved better half, and more,
has set her generous AnglO-SaxOn
foot down upon these pastimes hard
and fast Alfonso must now be good
and dutifuI, or Victoria must know
the reason why. 1t seems that she
has offended about half his kinsfolk
and two-thirds of his old courtiers.
Not only is she prudent il manage
ment of the King, but cautious in her
outlay of the household expenses.
She has as good as told a score of
regular feelings at the palace to
put on their old hats and go away
TO eat Her patrician nose she has
turned up at the national sport.
therefore offending many of the gay
est patrons of the bull ring. She
calls bull-fghting ''butchering, and
absolutely refuses to lend her royal
presence to the sport. She went once
and almost started a family feud
by holding her hands over her eyes
when the torreador, in all the glory
of his pink sash and knee bTeeches
gave the bull the grand kibosh with
his polished Tapier-
It is a pity to see a jaunty young
man like Alfonso XIII. gradually
shriveI until he is nothing more than
a timid married man with enough re-
sponsibilities upon his shoulders to
sink a ship. But such is life, the
world over. There are crosses even
in the King business.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
The Auto FakcF.

NO I don't own an automo-
bile, and 1 never expect to-" the
man admitted; but then, is that any
reason why l shouldn't own a pair
Of auto goggles and an automobile
buster If you travelled around the
country as much as I do you'd know
that there are hundreds of people
who wear auto FILINGS despite the
fact that they probably never rode
in an auto. I got to using these Cog
giles last summer on the observation
coaches, because I found they were
good to keep cindeTs out of my eyes.
Then I found that the auto rigging
gaze me prestige with other pas
sengers. I got to talking with one
man who wore the goggles trying to
make bluff at being an autOist to
keep him from finding out. and I
learned that he was a ringer. the
same as I was. There is no deny
ing the fact though. that a man with
auto clothes on can get better service
than the moi polloi. Walters and
everybody thinks he's a millionaire
and act accordingly.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
HIS OWN PRIVATE THEATRE.
IAN With Money Who Wants to See
shows Built One for the Purpose.


There is a town In Pennsylvania,
rot far from Harrisburg. but off
tie beaten track, which boasts Of
eatre, which for luxury of accom-
mediation would be hard to equal.
he theatre has all sorts of modern
Conveniences, of a kind which could
hardly be expected in a city under
million of inhabitants. This par
ticuIar city had at the last census
L0out 10000 inhabitants.
The reason for being of this thea
ire, which gets all the road attrac-
tions of high class, is that there is
in the town an exceedingly wealthy
man who wants to see shows with
out leaving home. He is worth
Rbout $10,000.O00
He has lived in and about the
place all his life making money out
Of lumber and manufactures.
When he had enough to retire on he
didn't want to go anywhere else to
see shows, and as the theatre the
place boosted of was a very dingy one
he had one built.
He runs the theatre himself at a
considerable loss every year, but he
gets what he wants. The theatre
people like the place, too, because
1t is so very different from the aver
age show house in the small town.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
The Energetic Collector.

New York thrives with collectors
of worthless accounts" and they
are worse than a pack of hounds
after a sick fox in a stubble field.
Their ways are peculiar. One very
successful fellow writes polite
note to the debtor. Receiving no
response he writes a second time,
in style somewhat formal. Moth
ing doing, as the phrase goes, he
makes a personal call and is in all
proba bility kicked down stairs or
threatened with personal violence.
Corporal punishment only eggs him
on to renewed exertiOns. His next
letter is addressed in scarlet ink,
the handwriting being so big as to
attract attention across the street.
The language is quite as fierce as
the chirography. 1t throws
scare" and a settlement usually fol.
lows.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
A Fiji Rai-.alI.

The astonishing effects sometimes
produced by clOudbuTsts are well
known. but not many trustworthy
records of the depth of the rainfall
during such occurrences exist. The
following instance, therefore, pos
sesses much interest. On Aug. 6,
1906, during a thunderstorm in the
Fiji Islands, the measured depth Of
the rainfall in a guage elevated
twenty-five feet above the ground
was three feet and one inch. The
rain continued thirteen hours, and
owing to unmeasured overflow, the
total amount remains unknown, but
1t is estimated to have been not less
than forty-one tnches.-Youtn'
Companion.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
4 EN TORPEDO BOAT
Hudson Maxim Describes
his latest Invention
BEWILDERING SPEED
TOrpedOes OF Such Explosive Power
as TO Insure Instant Destruction
OF ANY War Vessel StruCk-BOat
Can Make Sixty Miles an Hour
Submerged.
Submerged.

An efficient navy is to-day a wall
of national security, just as in old
times was the great city wall. If
our naval wall were to be preached
by an enemy then our coast cities
would be at its mercy, and could be
pillaged under cover of the guns of
its fleet and In spite Of our insufic-
lent coast defenses, says Hudson
Maxim in the New York World.
While we might doubtless be able TO
repel an invasion of the interior, still
We cannot afford TO take any chances
of such a national disaster, even as
a remote possibility, the cost Of
which would be more than the build
ing Of a dozen fleets as large as that
now in Pacific waters.
I have invented a torpedo which
Will have double the range and
speed of any torpedo now in use,
and have invented a torpedo boat
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
THE WHOLE WORLD KIN.
An Incident Which Seems to Prove
the Truth of This Saving.

the Truth of This Saying.
That New Workers are not in too
much of a hurry all the time to be
thoughtful and kindly was illus
trated the other day in Nassau
street, when the wind was playing
such havoc with umbrellas. that a
man with a taste for statistics count
ed just ten blown into wrecks in the
space of twenty-five minutes. Just
as this diverting spectacle was at
its height in front of the quick
lunch restaurant, a poor woman,
with a basketful of newspapers hung
over one crooked arm and a baby
snugged Up close to her body in the
other, came down the, street trying
to make way against the wind and
still shelter the baby under a shabby
excuse for an umbrella.
Just as she was in front of the
restaurant particularly fierce
blast of wind blew the umbrella
backward, carrying the baby's cap
with it. Instantly che man boltei
from the door of the restaurant to
her aid, two men on the sidewalk
grabbed for the tiny cap and a fourth
started on a jump across the street
to the woman's aid Two of the
men put the cap on the baby's head
and another held the umbrella over
the mothers head while they were
doing it. The fourti man looked as
if he had been injured deeply by
not having a hand in the good work.
He salved his hurt feelings by put
ting a coin in the baby's fingers.
Then every one in sight looked
pleased and the traffic went on its
Wind-blown way
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17

been a man of stern purpose, but
he was a hero to his two boys. He
ruled them with a rod of iron, and
while he welded complete authority
over their affairs, they made him
their hero
Young Owen was taught the rudi-
ments in private schools in Lynch
burg Later he was sent to a pre-
paratory school in Baltimore, an
event that marked the first separa-
ton between mother and son. Leay-
ing there he entered Washington
and Lee University at Lexington,
Va, from which institute ne was
graduated in 1887 with the degree
of Master of Arts.
1t was probably the call of the
West within him that started him to-
ward the setting sun, for he had
much of his mothers spirit. In any
event. for the next few years the
SenatOT-to-be filled a number of
roles. He was in turn, teacher, edi-
tor, lawyer banker, and business
man, engaged in various enterprises.
He made a sterling reputation as
skiIlfuI lawyer, and later added to
his reputation as a banker of fore
sight and unimpeachable integrity.
During his busy life. however.
Owen found time to enter politics.
He plunged into public affairs with
the energy that characterized mis- pri-
vate undertakings. AS a result. he
was a member of the Democratic
Rational Committee from 1892 to
1895. He was a member of the sub
committee that drew the party plat
form in 1895, and ten year LITER was
Vice. Chairman of the Democratic
Campaign Committee in Oklahoma.
Owen was nominated June 8, 1907,
for the United States Senate by
State primary that gave him the
largest vote of any candidate by
about 10000. The remarkable vote
cast for him over the Othe. candi-
dates is an indication of the popular
ity he enjoys in his home State.
When Owen was sworn in as
United States Senator he was accom-
panied by his blind colleague, Thorn
as P. Gore. 1t was necessary that
the two men settle which should be
seated for the short term and which
for the long. 1t was decided to
leave the matter TO chance. TWO
pieces of paper were prepared, one
shorter than the other. The Sena-
tor who drew the longer of the two
was to have the long term.
A blindfolded page was called and
the slips given him. Because Of his
colleagues affection. Owen insisted
upon him drawing first. Gore did.
It was discovered he had drawn the
short sin. As a result Cores term
expires in March of 1909. owen will
serve until 1913
But as he turned away from the
drawing that to him had been so
successful it was difficult to judge
whether Owen was glad or sorry.
His gaze rested compassionately on
his colleague, who held out CROP
ing hand in congratulation. Grasp
ing it, the two went arm in arm back
to their seats, the Stalwart young
Indian guiding the hesitating steps
of the other to his desk.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Long Distance Balloon Record.

Many notable trips have been
made in balloons. In 1849 Mr..
Wise started from st. Louis and
came down in Henderson county,
New York, having made about eight
hundred miles.
This stood as the orld's long dis
lance record until the Paris EXPOSE
ton of 1900, when the Count de la
Vaulx sailed over into Russia. His
distance was about twelve hundred
miles and he was N the air over
thirty-siX hours.
The present record for time was
nauts They succeeded in remaining
in the air over ffty-one hours.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17
Treatment of Deaf Mntes-

In the experience of Dr. Mirage,
as reported to the Paris Academy Of
Medicine, very few deaf mutes
have proven absolutely incuTable,
but Of the others there are two
classes who eventually un-
derstand and speak almost as well
as anybody, and those who get no
further than hearing and under
standing music. A recent class of.
pupils from II TO Il years of age,
had been given a six weeks course
of acoustic exercise with the voice
siren. BY this system the teacher
avoids fatigue and the children had
not only acquired the ability to hear
and understand French, but their
voices had lost the harshness char
actsristic Of deaf mutes.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17


which will have a speed greater than
that of any battIeship or cruiser,
and which will be able to defy the
shot and shell of quick-fring guns
In making a run of attack
TorpedOes will be carried in the
torpedo boat with half a ton of high
explosive in the warhead, so that to
be struck by one of them, viii in
sure the instant destruction of any
war vessel-and there is no war yes
sci in existence that could avoid be-
ing struck by one of these tOrpe-
does.
A torpedo boat built according to
my invention will be about sixty-four
feet long. and will be driven by gas
oline engines upon the surface of the
water. under normal conditions; but
when going into action the boat will
be submerged until only the top of
the coming tower and the top of the
dorsal fin will be seen above the sur
face of the water.
In the PROV of the boat will be
carried two large tori edOes, each
containing half a ton of high eXplO-
sive,
Motorite is the fuel. consisting of
70 per cent. nitTOglycerine and 80
per cent, guncotton. Tor use it is
made in long solid bars. forced and
sealed into long steel tubes. This
fuel is self-combustive, and does
ri Divs N hTTT
It: consequently, il may be burned
in a confined space. The heat of
the burning motOrite is used to eyap-
crate water. and the steam and prod
ucts of combustion are mingled to
drive turbines for the boats propul-
sion.
1t will, of course, require an enOr-
nous amount of power to Iropel this
torpedO-bOat at an express train
speed when submerged, but with mo-
torite re have all the power that
may be needed even to attain speed
as great as sixty miles an hour.
AS only the top of the coming
tower will appear above the surface
of the water, this will be a very diff
cult object to hit, even with the
quick firing guns of the battleship,
and the exposed part of the coming
tower will be protected by armor
plate of a thickness great enough to
resist the projeetiles of quick-fring
guns. and any projectile striking the
superstructure can do no real dam
age to the boat itself.
When the torpedo boat is launch
ed, the reaction or Tecoil will serve
to retard the torpedo-bOat and to aid
in stopping it. After launching the
torpedo the engines will reverse and
tie boat will withdraw stern-fore-
most. At this juuctuTe there will
be no fear of the enemys guns, for
the survivors will be busy with their
prayers.
Let me repeat, it will be absolutely
impossible to prevent this torpedo
boat from reaching and torpedOing
any battleship in the world, and with
but small danger on its part of be-
ing destroyed.
At least a hundred of these torpe-
do boats could be built at the cost
of single battle ship, and a hun
dred of them would be more than a
match for an equal number of battle
ships.
The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1908-10-17

When the German Emperor at
tends a musical comedy he often
composes two or three original
jokes, which are handed from the
royal box to the leading comedian
for Interpolation.