davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The oasis., 1908-08-15

ton of public sentiment deplored by Mr..
Kruttschnitt the railways and railway
managers have been guilty Of "contribu.
tory negligence" as they describe tres
passing upon the track, and other foolish
things people do antecedent to figuring
in railway accident. Now, then, the
writer could enumerate numerous in.
stances of mistreatment of employees
with regard to the matter of wages or
time or both could instance many cases
OF discrimination OF injustice in the
matter of freights and fares and in.
dulge in several criticisms upon the sub.
ject of railway taxation, bnt will let one
instance suffice. 1t is here in Nogaes.
Right in the heart of the town are nine
teen acres of land embracing the railway
yards and depot grounds. The improve
ments include q stone station building
that cost no less than $4,000, round
house with stalls for number of locomo-
tives and with some machinery for
necessary repairs, section house and
row of tenement houses. All that prop
erty is assessed at about $1,000. The
writer occupies lot l24 feet square in
the town of Nogales, upon which is his
home-an adobe cottage of seven
rooms. The lot is assessed at $ll00, and
the house at sl200-almost one-half as
much as the nineteen acres of railway
ground with all the fine Improvements.
Were the railway assessed in the same
ratio its nineteen acres would appear
upon the assessment roll at $55, $50 and
its improvements would go on the roll at
about s25, 900. Now every taxpayerin the
town of Nogales feels that the railway is
taking an unfair advantage of him. And
it is just such cases all over the country
that have made men edgewise toward
railways, and have brought about the
condition of public sentiment deplored
by Mr.. Kruttschnitt, to foster which the
railways have done much by "con-
tributory negligence F"
The oasis., 1908-08-15
NOGALES, ARIZONA, U. s. A.
.S5O,OOO.OO
.SSO.OOO.OO

cent, or, stated in technical terms, this reduc,
ton in accident was accomplishe in the face
of an increase of traffic equal to 1872 ,523,0S6
passengers carried one mile. Ii may also be
said in passing that the betterment was due to
the higher efficiency of the men as much rs to
greater use of safety appliances, although on
these devices the company has expended in
the past two years SS,0i2,309
Let me return TO the causes of accident in
removing which. as have said the railroads
so earnestly desire the help of the public. In
the analysis of the figures the first thing that
strikes us is the fact that large part OF the &C
cidents included in the Interstate Commerce
Commission report are not directly chargeahle
to rairoading strictly so called. OF the 97,706
cases of injury over $4,000 occurred, as also did
251 fatal injuries, in handling tools, mach
inery supplies in shops, Handling freight at
stations" etc, etc. We might with equal
reason charge to the dangers of ocean conf
MERGE all deaths and injuries in shipbuilding
or repair plants and on docks among dock
lsborers and stevedores. Taking up the casual
ties due to railroading proper-that is, train
movement-we find that Of the total of l0,S69
killed and 6S,iT injured, 9,051 deaths and
IS ass injuries classified as follows) we're
attributed to falling from cars, jumping on
and off cars, struck by cars, and other causes;
The oasis., 1908-08-15
BASE BALL NOTES.

Thursday evening the Nogales
Base Ball Association met and
made preliminary arrangements to
take over the Ball Park.
Manager Bristol is in cores
pondence with II number OF first
class pitchers, and will endeayor
to bring one Of them to Nogales to
play during the winter season,
which will commence the 10th OF
September.
Tomorrow the Nationals and
Reds will mix it again. They go
out to Santa Cruz on the excur-
sion, and will play there. The
Reds will have their full team,
which will be the first time in
many weeks.
The line up will be as follows
The oasis., 1908-08-15
CONTRIBUTOR NEGLIGENCE.

The OASIS is in receipt OF mono
graph, copied from Appleton's magazine
for July, that was written by Mr.. Julius
Kruttschnitt, Director of Maintenance
and Operation of the Union Pacific
System and the Southern Pacific Com
pany, the title OF which is "The Public's
Responsibility for Railway Accidents,
which has been read with much interest,
with many OF the conclusions OF which
the editor is in actual accord, "and
then some."
The article is valuable contribution
to the discussion that is in vogue upon
the appalling dangers that seem to at
tend railway travel and their prevent
ability; and as coming from one whose
position in the operation OF railways is
such that many of the great accidents of
the past ten years with all their fright
full loss of life, have been thrust
upon his attention in the most forcible
manner by the knowledge that through
his very position many think that upon
his own shoulders rests much of the vast
responsibility for disasters of the rail,
and that to him is due in measure
that solution SO greatly desired of the
problem OF their preventability, it is one
OF more than ordinary interest. 1t is of
interest not only on account OF the con-
illusions reached, but on account of the
details given with regard to the number
of accidents and percentages of the loss
of life, but from the description of the
methods employed toward securing their
prevention for which reason THE OASIS
will quote freely, even at the expense of
drawing it to length unusual to its
columns. The very first paragraph pre-
sents the fatalities for single year, and
succeeding paragraphs analyze the
figures in very interesting manner, as
follows:
The latest official fgures-widely published
on authority of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission-are familiar, but none the less aston
ishing. They show that 10,6ls were killed and
97,7O6 persons injured during the last year
officially reported.
4*%
The first step must be clearer understand
ing OF the conditions TO be bettered-a truer
appreciation of the causes OF accident which
are to be removed. Before turning to this,
however, may point to one hopeful fact and
mic anti oil Al.
conditions tend to get worse, and that acct
dents grow more frequent. As q matter of fact.
on the railroad with which am most familiar,
the union Pacific, not only the percentage Of
accidents, but also the absolute number of ac.
cidents has been reduced. In 1906 the number
OF employees passengers, aud others killed in
ala accidents was ia; 1907 ii was 1866 Similarly
The number injured was reduced from 1883 to
1,l04 in 1907 Yet in the same time the rumher
The oasis., 1908-08-15

The striking and outstanding fact here is
that majority OF the killed, number in ex-
cess OF passengers and employees combined
who lost their lives during the year, were tres
passers. This great waste of life was due to no
fault OF the railroads. IL was chargeable
wholly to willful careleSsness-in most cases
aggravated by equally willful breach OF the
law-on the part OF those injured.
The oasis., 1908-08-15

ALLEN T. BIRD, Managing Editor.
DANE ID. BIRD, Business Manager.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
Old Henry Tucker.

"Old Henry" is what sc all call him.
He came to Riverdale in 1896 and he
has grown to be great favorite with
everyone. Kind hearted to fault
always smiling, and a democrat to
the last hair in h;s head, he has
come to be one OF the familiar figures
about town.
Often he has been the victim o.
some harmless joke on the part OF
the boys but he always accepts it
with a smile. He keeps a little gro
Gerry store and has quite line oi Gus
toners. He has been the victim of
his own generosity a number of times
as his account books show. But one
seldom hears him complain
Riyerdale would not seem quite the
same without Hensy There Is hard
ly a travelling man on the road but
knows him. Manvct them knew him
of old when he was knight OF the
grip. But with one and all he is a
great favorite Here is wishing you
a long life, a merry Christmas and a
happy. prosperous Ntw Year, Henry.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

Mrs. Arthur wyeth. who has been on
the sick list. is much improved.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
Ovens The druggist.

Running drug store in small vii
lage requires lots OF perseverance. But
w. ID. Owens must be possessed OF
something like that, for he has sue
cessfully conducted drug store here
for three and one-hait years. Mr.. Ow-
ems came to Riverdaie from Stanton
in 1905, buying out Fred Hudson. He
carries a big stock of drugs and the
customary articles fond in drug store
including school supplies.
He has taken to Riverdale, and Riv-
erdale has taken to him. If you hear
any one making aud noise for Riv-
erdale, and you take the trouble to
peek over the fence TO see who it is,
you generally find it's Owens. This
summer he built handsome new res
idence for himself and wife, and he
was one of the chief factors in getting
the new cement walks put in the en-
tire length of Main street.
Mr.. Owens is wide awake to his OPP
portunities. While he realizes we all
have some shott comings, he be-
Rsegar g. Q y. q, - =. sllf jim AL az US,
and be makes it practice to ferret
out this good and get us to enlarge on
it. He Is just another example of the
progressive spirit that is abroad in
Riverdale.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

staDtial manner that they last a long
time.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
RiverdoIe che Coming Ccwn
II glimpse CkOne OF Che fastest Gropine Gowns
Tn Central h1iebjssn.--fuH OF Live, Energetic men
--<nev Tifns Coming Tn Rspid'y---6ss enjoyed II
Big Building Boom Tn Last Is Monfbs

building fever He, soon after COM
ing to Riverdale, built himself hand
some dwelling. spending about $4,000.
l.. Houck a. Son have expended sew
eral hundred dollars on a new addi-
tion TO their store and in remodelling.
Mr.. Houck also remodeled his house
this summer.
A. Vanalstine and Neil Vanalstine
each spent several hundred dollars
this year in repairs to their dwelling
houses.
T. S. Talland built late last year a
neat store building next to Wyeth' s
store at an approximate investment
of $500
And then this fall the new school
house addition costing about $1,000
has been built.
The new sidewalks built this
summer represent an outlay of $4OO.
Last fall Fred Strong built a bean
elevator near the station costing 81
800. He has not operated it this year
but expects to in the near future
Frank Schnepp's new house was
built this year at cost of $780,
And so in summing up everything
one finds that about $4,000 has been
spent in the village in three years
and most of this within the last fif-
teen months If this does not rep
resent progress we don't know what
does for town of hardly 500 people.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

in no better way is the rapid
growth of the section of country about
Riverdale shown than in the post Of
flee. Postmaster W. A. Bradley was
appointed to the Riverdale office in
1896 and under his administration the
business OF the office has increased
wonderfully. The business of today
done in the local office compared with
even as recent time as four years
ago has increased over 200 per cent
Last years stamp sales increased 80
per cent over those OF .ae year pre-
vious.
In the II months which closed July
l, 'OS, 1855 money orders were issued
for a total of 5000. The Riverdale
rural route is the largest in the coun-
ty In fact it is large enough to
make two rostes. 1t serves 100 pa
tipsa4. o. D. s.sa.ssssSsae ssss..- "a, A.
ed rural carrier when il was estab-
lished in 1903 and has since served
In that capacity acceptably to all.
Last spring the postoffice was NOV
ed to new home in the new cement
building Postmaster Bradley erected
next to the bank. Here 1t is estab-
lished in large comfortable quarters
and is in excellent shape to take care
OF its rapidly increasing business.
Postmaster Bradley is a courteous.
painstaking official, always willing to
accommodate everyone. His popularity
Is well illustrated by his tenure of of
flee.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

One of the veteran business men OF
western Gratiot county is l.. Houck
and one of the hustling. growing firm
of Riverdale is that of L. Houck and
Son. Almost as far back as one can
remember l.. Houck has been in bus
mess. 1t used to be Houck & Blair
at Elmhall before Riverdale was on
the map. Then Mr.. Houck sold out tc
Mr.. Blair
But he could not. keep out of bus
mess If he wanted to and a few
years later he opened store in Riv-
erdale. He put in a general line of
groceries, shoes, dry goods and stoves,
and he has been at it ever since.
In 1903, Earl Houck, his son, was
admitted TO the firm and its name
changed to l.. Houck & Son. They
used to be down the street In the old
Houck building. Last fall they bough
the Talland building and early this
spring moved into it, occupying both
stores.
Houck & Son are one of the three
big firms of Riverdale They sell ev-
erything. If they don't have what 20,
want, they get it. Each year has seen
their business increase in volume. and
the balance on the right side of the
ledger has grown steadily.
Both members of the firm are pleas.
ant, agreeable men, and always strive
to please their customers. They are
two more of the units working for Riv
erdales advancement And they have
the faith of their convictions for they
are contemplating, In fact have de-
cided upon, the erection OF an addition
to their present store. The addition
Will be on the vacant property north
OF their store. 1t will be % feet In
width and extend the length of the
present store building.
The firm of Houck also spends ita
money at home. This summer it built
a new ware house In the rear of its
store Earl Houck, the junior mem
Der, also built himself a $4,000 house
and l.. Houck has made some extensfv
repairs upon his house. It's Just the
same old story. Go where you will in
Riverdale and you find good live bus
mess men with confidence beaming
In their faces and prosperity sticking
out all over them. And the house of
Houck is no exception to the rule.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
Station Agent Reed.

There are always some who aid mater
tally the town in which they live but
who seldom are in position where their
work shows up. This might be wen
said of the busy agent H. II. Reed at the
p. M. depot. Mr.. Reed has held this
position for several months and his
close attention TO details. and his efforts
to accommodate local patrons Of the p.
M. road is winning him deserved re-
cognition.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
The Picking Station.

The pickle station was built here
four years ago at a cost of $1,000. 1t
has proved a good thing for both the
investors, Riverdale. and the farm
ers about here. Cucumbers grow we'll
In the kind of soil about Riyerdale.
And they pay all the way from SIS
to $40 an acre. Each year the COM
pany has put down from 20 to 80
thousand bushels of pickles. Its av-
erage is steadily increasing and will
in time compel the enlargement of
the present station.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

Tom Talland, the manager of the
pickle station, is one of the veterans
of Riverdale. Mr.. Talland came to
Riverdale when the town was lit
tie hole in the woods as he express
es 1t. He has stayed ever since. Some
of the time he has been in the lum-
Der business. some of the time in the
store, and for the past four years,
manager of the pickle station here
Mr.. Talland built several buildings
at one time or another and has ever
been a hustler for bigger Riverdale.
II was largely through his efforts the
pickle station was located here. and
Ii Is much to his credit that Libby,
Mcneil & Libby have seen their bus
mess increase here every year.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
The Cement Man.

One of the new corners is L. Nos
trandt. the cement man, who built the
walks this summer. He has purchased
the McMurphy farm Of 40 acres just
north Of here and is now busy stumping
and cleaning it up. He has the job half
done now. Mr.. Nostrandt comes from
Grand Ledge, and is also an efficient
stone mason. His services are already
in great demand. He has taken quite
an interest in his new home town and
can be depended on to help better il.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
Maynard 8 Elliott.

Maynard & Elliott are recent Corners.
They built their present blacksmith end
woodworking shop early shis spring,
and are already doing big business.
They both come from Elmhall. Mr..
Maynard looks after the woodworking
end Of the business. and Mr.. Elliott
takes the blacksmithing The former
is also an experienced furniture worker
and turns out some handsome work
along that line--particularly in mission
furniture. The firm also manufactures
potato crates made in such solid. SUBJ
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
R. A. HIIslnger's Store.

The name OF Hilsinger Is familiar
one in Gratiot county history. r.
A. Hilsinger of Riverdale is one of
the big family of Hilsingers. who set
tied in Seville township years ago.
He keeps a big dry goods, shoe and
grocery store. Mr.. Hilsinger was un-
til two years ago engaged as a farm
er near Elwell. At that time he
bought the old Houck building which
he now occupies. Mr.. Hilsinger is a
man of method and keeps good close
tab on his business. The latter is
growing every year and under his
able management. is fast becoming
one of the busy stores of busy River
dale.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
New JeweIry Store.

John G. Young of Shepherd has open
cd new jewelry store in Talland's store.
Mr.. Young has put IN big line Of new
up-to-date stock In watches. jewelry
and silver ware and will also make
watch repairing speciality. Take your
work to him. He is hustler and a
good fellow.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03
Another Familiar Face.

It would be hardly complete TO write
any kinds Of a synopsis of Riverdale
without a reference to the town mar
shall. Deputy Sheriff r. M. Belknap,
although he has grown old in the SER
vice, Mr.. Belknap is as alert and re-
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

John Waldron has been a harness
maker and shoe cobbler for over a
half century. He came to Riverdale
six years ago. and his figure has
long been a familiar sight on the
village street AS a orkman, he is
one of the first class and plies his
needle as deftly today as he ever did.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-03

sourceful rs ever. He has little pop
corn stand next to the wyeth store, and
he keeps busy during his idle hours
looking after this.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-08
IMPROVING THE VIOLIN.


"G String Prop Makes New Har-
monies a Possibillty.
An innovation In violin playing that
is attracting considerable attention has
been brought about through the ingenu.
ity Of Lester L. Sargent of, Washington,
D. c.. who has contrlved simple but
distinctly useful &c string prop" to en-
able the yiolInist to play simultaneous.
ly on three strings of his instrument,
whereas heretofore 1t has been posi-
BILE for him to play sustained chords of
two notes onlyFat time. Thus the do
minion of the king of instruments"
will be extended into the realm of har.
mony as well as OF melody.
The new device itself : Is small
wedge shaped piece of bridge wood in
serted on the violin bridge under the
G string. Its dimensions, while de.
pendent to some extent on the height of
the bridge on the particular violin on
which 1t is to be used and the charac-
ter of the music to be played, are ordl-
narily as follows: Thickness, 1854 of
an inch length, X of an inch width,
8-1e Of an Inch, or slightly less. The
hypothenuse of the prop is curved to
at smoothly on the bridge of the VIC
lin, and a notch for the G string is also
made. To erect the device on the violin
is an easy matter, 1t being only neces-
sarys TO turn down the G string about
a tone, to insert the prop underneath
and then to tune up the string with
care. In effect 1t becoir-s a component
part Of the bridge itself, but it can al
ways be easily removed. 81
This method Of eleyat!pg the g Just
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-08
sowins Glover with Rape.

Clover seed with rape Ia very sue
cessful and popular method with many
farmers who are engaged in raising
sheep and goats, says bulletin issued
by the Department Of Agriculture.
With the land prepared as Indicated
for sowing clover alone In the spring,
ten to twelve pounds of clover seed and
two to four pounds of rape seed per
acre are sown broadcast about the first
of May, and covered with harrow.
II the ground is rough and cloddy, 1t
should be finished with roller. If
this mixture is sown on thoroughly
pulverlzed and compact seed bed, the
rape develops rapidly and furnishes ex-
cellent pasture for sheep, goats, calves
or swine, in six to eight weeks The
tramping of the animals while feeding
during the summer, principally on the
rape. forms a dust mulch on the sur
face of the ground. In this way soil
moisture is retained for the use of the
clover during the dry summer.
If hay crop is desired the second
season, the rape is killed by pasturing
1t closely with sheep during the late
fall or winter. Sheep eat on the
crowns of the plants close to the
ground and the rape then dies. II the
rape is not killed twill 60 to seed the
next summer, and the stalks will give
some trouble In the hay. II the clover
is not cropped closely the first summer,
this method gives az excellent stand.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-08

enough to be sounded simultaneously
with the ID and A strings takes away
the mechanical obstacle that Ole Bull
managed to overcome by means of fat
bridge and his remarkable tours de
force, but which no other violinist has
attempted to cope with.
{ Tint this method OF playing is en-
tirely novel Is evidenced by the fact
that all works on orchestratlon have
stated that sustained chords on the VIC
lin are restricted to two notes and that
three and four voiced chords must be
played as arpeggios. But a new and
beautiful effect is now placed at the
command Of the vlolinist. although it is
true that there are few compositions IL
which use has been made. of the possI
bllities of writing beautiful chords on
the three lower strings of the violin.
De Beriot has a notable passage in his
fifth concerto. But it remains Chiefly
for future composers of music for the
violin to enlarge the present excellent
repertory of the violin with compost
lions containing violin harmony.
The inventor has refrained from pat.
enting his device In order to make II
more obtainable by vlolInists.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-08
Blanketing Cows.

During the last couple of years a
good many dairymen in Australia have
adopted the practice Of blanketing
their cows during wet and cold weata.
err, and the results in every case are
spoken of as being highly satisfactory.
When cows are kept warm the food
they consume, instead Of being utilized
to maintain bodily heat, is largely de.
voted to the production of milk, and In
this way the dairyman realizes largo
profit on the very small outlay required
to provide blankets for his cattle in
cold weather.
Men who have studied the subject
closely say that the effect Of covers on
COWS is very remarkable. The quiet
cows become more quiet and contented,
while those that are shy and nervous
have their nerves soothed and submit
to being handled without fear. This is
no fad OF one or two men, but has be.
come 80 common that manufacturers
have placed several kinds of blankets,
as coverings, on the market with view
to supplying the demand that has .arls-
en-. 1t is said, however, that home
made blanket, made from old wheat
bags, serves the purpose MS well as any
thing. After they have been worn for
a short time they become thoroughly
water proof. Northwest Farmer, Win
nipeg.