davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-04-07
Fatal Accident in South AmhOy
When Child Is Burned to Death
In Her HOma.
WITH MATCHES
Brave Attempt TO ResuG Her Was
Toe Late Tore Clothing From
Her Body.
LIKGERED BUT A FEW HOURS

Child's Mother Was Ill In Bed from
Child Birth and While Hearing the
Cries of Agony Of the Little One
Was PowerIess to Render Any
Assistance-Other Women in the
House But Could Not Explain.
Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-04-07
OWNER OF DOG GIVES
CONSENT TO KILLING

The owners OF the dog which BIT
Frank Green Sunday, In Penn street.
when seen By Patrolman L. g. Jen-
sen. said that they we're willing to
have the dog killed.
chell Chapple in the National Maga-
zine for March.
Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-04-07

Re al adVertlaalle 4 WORD.
Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-04-07
PAVING GETS
ATTENTION IN
The COUNCIL
Material to Be Used In Prospect
Street Is the Cause Of Much
Contention.
PETITIONS ARE PRESENTED

A Public Hearing Will be Given the
Prospect Street Property Owners
Next Monday Night--some Favor
Brick, While Others Want Btu
llthic-New Method Does Not Re-
quire Petitions for Pavements.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
men whose sole and controlling motive
is the preservation of their homes. -
Chicago News.
L0ND0N'S SAFETY VALVE.
Trafalgar Square, Where Asitators
"Biow Off Steam"

There is perhaps no other great city
where the measure of free speech
which is accorded 10 agitators of all
kinds is larger than it is in London. 1t
is the practice there to give anybody
and everybody n chance to spout away
to his hearts content in certain we'll
recognized places of rendezvous, such
as the spacious Trafalgar square, and
especially the far more spacious ex-
panse of field or common in that por-
ton of Hyde park where the re
formers tree" stands and where there
is room not only for thousands and
tens Of thousands, but even hundreds
of thousands.
Ordinarily in favorable weather on
almost any fine afternoon or In the
early part of the evening little meet
ings are going on there. each having u
piece of ground allotted to it by the
police, but on Sunday. from early In
the morning until we'll into the night,
these assemblages are very numerous
and in full blast. Twenty. thirty. forty.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
A WAR TIME STORY
IN Which Grandma Becomes So Interested That She
Almost Gives Away the Family Secret

until 1t was hot enough to burn. but,
not blister. Then the scamp would
steal up behind my chair and touch
it to my cheek. And | always had
to pretend | was so badly burned
that he must kiss the place to make
1T well.
And have to laugh at something,
even now, when l think of it; al
though it was no laughing matter
then. For 1t happened in the early
part of the war.
1.-THE soldiers who had enlisted
from our and surrounding towns
were eneamped just outside what was
then the town limits, awaiting orders
to go to the front. Many of the fair
sex of our community had sweet
heart or relatives among the troops,
and at first we were allowed to enter
camp with comforting presents and
delicacies But that privilege was
shortly denied us, and then we could
only go as far as the picket lines.
Early one eyening-it was COM
ing on dusk--a party OF us girls
Girls. did you say. Grandma" in
ouired Elizabeth. Why. ! thought
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
- 70
4RsNc5;~

the back door of my fathers store.
He must have been posted in an UP
stairs window and have seen me; be-
cause | had scarcely reached the
shadow of the deep doorway and
scrooched into the corner as close
as L could, when the door opened
softly, and my father drew me in
side. In the darkness he didn't
know who it was, whether II was
me or anybody else. He just knew
it was some lady in distress. Nor
did | know him in the dense dark
ness.
Keep perfectly quiet, young
lady, and come with me- he whis-
pered. | recognized even his low
whisper and made myself known to
him. Father knew the way and
piloted me up the rear stairs into
the cotton storeroom and over be-
hind huge pile of bales, where he
bade me stay.
But was not SO easily to be dis
posed Of. II was the first time cny-
thing in the nature of an attack had
been made on our town. And while
was thoroughly glad to have safely
escaped from the hall, | was. almost
eaten up with curiosity to know
what was going On and how it would
terminate.
There was low place l. the row
of bales which were stacked two
high, where bale hau been taken
out. probably for sampling purposes
Into this place : crawled. and by
| peeping over the other bales I could
catch through my fathers windows
just the faintest CLEAN Of light from
the lower part OF the windows of the
hall l had just quilted. 1 could see,
too, a small portion of my fathers
! figure; indtstinct, but with gun in
| hand, standing before window.
Soon the faint CLEAN of light
from the hall disappeared, and I
knew the dance was over. What then?
What would be the outcome? The
| thought of 1t sickened me. crept
| back into my hiding place, and lis
tened. Light as the footsteps were,
| could hear somebody coming back
/: from the front end of the long store
| room; and / heard voice, which I
| recognized as my husbands, whis-
per: Wed better go up in 'front.'
| Perhaps Ii was on account Of re-
| ceiving the hero-worship which had
been accorded him, that Morrison re-
| Trained from footing. I'd bet a pref
| ty, though, it was because he was
| afraid some of his own or relatives
| property would suffer. Anyway, he
only allowed his men to break open
a few provision stores. My father
carried no provisions.
But, Morrison never got out OF
town. As he ode5prcudly down
Main street at the head of his troops.
he was shot from window And
there are some folks mean enough to
pretend to know, and say that
What wasythat yop were saying
About caps. dearse?"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
Relief from Rheumatic Pains.

Il suffered with rheumatism for over
two years. says Mr.. ROLAND Curry,
a patrolman, of Key West. Fla.
Sometimes it settled in my knees
and famed me so | could hardly walk.
az other times it would be in my feet
and hands so | was incapacitated for
duty. One night when | was in Sc
we're pain and lame from it my wife
went to the drug store here and came
hack with bottle of Chamberlain's
Pain Balm. | was rubbed with it and
found the pain had nearly gone during
the night. | kept on using il for a
little more than two weeks and found
that il drove the rheumatism away.
have not had any trouble from that
disease for over three months. For
sale by all druggists.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
Voltsire's Church.

Voltaire at no time claimed to be an
atheist in the generally accepted sense
of that term. So far as can be learned
from his own utterances and those of
his contemporaries he was a deist. a
believer in God but not in revelation"
save rs the revelation comes through
Gods visible creation. Noltaire built
church in Ferney Switzerland. above
the door of which he had Inscribed the
words. Erected to God by Voltaire."--
New York American
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

well, If you don't think we had
time getting her up and out. Poor
girl. she wasn't much hurt, but she
was almost scared to death. And
when we had all safely reached town
its wrong to say 1.-THE ridicu-
lousness of 1t all flashed upon us and
we had good hearty laugh-ha!
ha.-at Charlotte's expense i al
ways will believe though that those
hoops saved her life; or. at least, pre-
vented her from sustaining any seri
Gus injuries"
How did YOU manage to keep
from tripping, Grandma? l should
think 1t would be awfully hard to
run in hoops. =
Don't ask foolish questions, Eliza
beth. Don't you suppose had sense
enough to raise mine-slightly?
Did you ever find out why the
pickets told you to rum" inquired
the inquisitive granddaughter.
THE Raiders were coming.' Here
Grandma started to put her hands to
her eyes, as II to shut something out !:
but straightaway stiffened up, and
with an almost youthful, and certain
ly defiant look in her eyes, scornfuI-
ly cried:
1.-The Raiders. Who fears them"
In another moment she resumed in
a tone which was even and smooth
as she had been using. 1T was only
a false alarm. Day after day passed
with no sign OF Raiders, until the
camp outside town marched off to
the front, and the younger men of
the Home Guard were so Jailed into
a sense of security that they got up
a dance.
AS | remarked before, the girl
with the biggest hoopskirts consider
ed herself the best dressed: and il
size and dimensions counted for any
thing, pretty near all the young
ladies who attended were very well
| dressed, thank you. But, the best
| dressed young lady there only got
as far as the door, and couldn't get
in; her hoops were too large to admit
! of her passing through the door. OF
| course, she was dreadfully mortified :
and, of course. we ali had to laugh
which made matters worse-though
/ to our way of thinking then, bless
your heart, she was magnificentiy
costumed.
| ION account of the ladies' hoops
and the comparative smallness OF the
hall, only small number of couples
could get on the floor at one time:
and then 1t took the most skilful
manouverings to prevent accidents
OF course, 1t all seems silly now. bc.
1t was really beautiful sight to see
| them dancing. 20. no, Beth. they
/ didn't dance as you young people dc
now. l can't explain to you wherein
the difference lies. There was a.
much light-heartedness and gaget,
/ In those days as now But IT seemed
to be expressed in daintier and
more graceful manner.
IS Few, IL any, OF the older eleTent
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

the door to keep FROM being swayed
over
AS The iiodr waved and the walk;
rocked the dishes and ornaments and
pictures with which the stare was
filled were throws to the floor dashing
all around ne, II ceftainly kent Inc
pretty ~hiISy for awhile dudGing the
pieces and keeping OH my feet Thai
WAS the quake. Which did sd much dam
age TO Ia!ala II threw down one
house which WAS being built in Puebla
and Killed three men. who We're buriec
under the falling walls
~ little while. after the earthquake
ut Puehla WIS riding near TuXtepec
one night when heard noise niatie
by IN animal LITTLE behind me- but j
trihe 10 the right. | pulled ont my
knife. and my guide and ! halted and
faced he beast. Ii WAS black dark
ness. and we couldn't See six feet in
any direction The guide said it was Il
tiger and that we had better look out
but when We stopped The tiger did like
wise. The "happaral WAS SD dense that
we couldn't chase the tiger and ii
wouldn't Il" amy good to stay in our
tracks I'LL night SO we went on Then
we could hear the tiger stalking after
us
During the next hour we halted
dozen times when the beast got too
close Ia us. aud every time we stopped
the tiger SUNK back. II wasn't until we
got right MP to the village that the tiger
cenSed his pursuit
The nut of the dioon pronounced
dye-o-0n. with the accent on the first
syllablei which Professor hamberlain
brought back is covered with II green
ish gray shell. possessing IL fuzzy eyte-
rior. Inside every nut are sixty or sew
enty seeds. which are about as big as
plum. hard and look like old ivory
'fhe only place where, the dioon is
known 10 have survived the destructive
Influences of the centuries is n print
tive section OF old Mexico where tho
natives gather the nuts for the seeds
which they carve into whistles and
toys.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
PRIZE OF BOTANIST
Prehistoric Plant Found in Mexico by Chicago Man.
Adventures in His Quest.

Thrilling stories were told by Pre-
University of Chicago who returned
the other day To Chicago from u bota-
niZing expedition in Mexico with re-
nir.nbranceS of three earthquakes he
passed through unframed and an es-
cape from Il tiger" which pursued him
for an hour along desolate mountain
trail. The Chicago botanist has also re-
turned with The prize he went to seek
on behalf Of the Botanical Society of
America. the dioon. Il species of the
SIT 20 palm. which VIII furnish the little
sprays Of green that are worn in honor
of Palm Sunday.
Professor Chamberlain reiuiceS far
more aver his triumph III bringing back
the dinon than on his success IN Surviv-
Ing the earthquake and the tiger. says
Chicago correspondents of the Kansas
CITY Star. The dioun is descended from
the geological period and not until re-
Gently has ii been known that amy
specimens of that rare ana ancient
plant We're still in existence But the
university las been eagerly diScussin.
stories which have leaked out about the
Professors adventures.
Three earthquakes are about enough
for one trip" declared Professor ChaEi-
berlln. with laugh as he turned.
from showing Il specimen nf the dioor
Il nut us b;s as II mans head. 10 his col
league, Professor Lind Il ran ufou
Of one at Fuehl;i. another on the rail-
road between l'uehla and Jalapa and
the third ut Militia
The quake which | passed over
while riding on the train was scarcely
noticeable 10 the passengers. although
il did much damage To- the surrounding
country. The shock 1T Militia WAS much
more disqueting 1t came in the night
and WOKE me out OF IL sound sleep The
first thing | felt when woke uiI was
the bed rocking and twisting under me
That didn't feel very pleasant and it
WAS not at all helpful III the comfort
ing line In hear the brass candlestick
on the table at the head of the bed
dancin. and gathering around as If it
We're hewitched
But the worst experience Of all was
ut l'ueba. The first | knew WAS that
the floor began 10 tilt ana unGulate
guess ! WIS too green to realize that
the proper thing To do when you get
caught in an earthquake is to get ont of
doors and AWAY from the danger of
toppling walls. because | stayed right
where | was and grabbed the edge of
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

of the Home Guard were present.
Life was too serious for such men to
even risk indulging in amusement in
those days.
Dear mel | never will forget--it
was during quaGrille-when | saw
my father appear at the door, When
the Quardille had finished he beckon-
ed young man to him and whispered
a few hurried words, and disappear
ed. The young man whispered TO an
other young man. and he whispered
to another. Ii was all done SO quiet
ly that every one of the younger ele-
ment, who were giving the dance, had
disappeared almost before anyone
knew it. Then somebody mounted
the platform and announced that the
dance was at an end, and that the
lights were to be turned out and all
mist hurry home.
Some of the young ladies refused
to obey, and insisted on knowing
,, why until at last, in desperation
| the announcer cried: For Gods sake,
Ladies. don't delay. The Raiders are
coming
Some of the dancers hurriedly
left, but most of them refused TO be-
lieye it. They had heard the same
report before. So, the dance went
on.
But, the Raiders did come. And
right smack up in jiffy, too Almost
4! before dead sheep could wag it's
i TAIL And they came in such a large
force that the Home Guard saw it
/ would be useless and foolish to re-
| sist them in body. So they scat
tQr {rfn Ia hr,il N
i hiding places.
| Encountering no resistance the
Raiders. with Morrison. man from
! our very town, at their head, made
/ for the lighted dance hall.
Leaving his troops outside, with
!; two lieutenants he entered the hall.
20. the fool giris,-and women.
too, for that matter--in this world !,
Some of them whose families SYM
pathized with Morrison's side
which is impossible, for the reason
that Morrison belonged TO neither
| side and was no better than a cut
! throat guerrila-actually threw their
arms around his neck and Rugged
/ and kissed him. Bah, Disgusting,
/ Still, you'll have to admit that every
| BODY said Morrison was handsome
man. Just about as handsome as
I, they make them. But that doesn [
excuse him for being the devil he
was Still, / suppose one shouidnt
say anything against the dead, for
those were war times; and war is
/, just about what that Northern gem
eral said 1t was.
Your Grandpa was the young
Imam my father had called to the
4 drrr fharQ T.. I didn 4
know what to do, and was too proud
to show that / was in anyway fright
ened. Finally i managed to slip out
and down back stairs into little
senced-up back yard which led te
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

what she would say. Plain black and
white was all she ever INDUCED in
Yes, but 1t looks so old-faslfioned
and dowdy," persisted Elizabeth.
''Ah, my DEAR said Grandma.
sweetly, you forget that fashions
change much more rapidly for the
young than for the old. And when
an old lady once settles upon her
style of cap she rarely varies it.
And speaking of fashions" she
went on, "how fashions have chang
ed Why, dearie, when / was your
age. the girls all wore hoopskirts;
and the girl with the biggest and
widest considered herself the best
dressed.
why, 1 wore them myself until
long after your father was born. And
l remember as well as If it were but
yesterday how he used TO come to
me and beg the brass lacks from my
old hoops. And what do you sup
pose the little rascal used to do with
them? Why, he would drive them
into short stick and rub the tack
head on the first cal Brussels carpet
ever ownsd-04- yes 1t was real
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

even more. ! have seen in operation at
the same time. the speakers. men and
women. haranguing to groups or TO
big crowds on every theme Imaginable
religion. spiritualism. politics. the
tariff. wOman's rights. astrology, pc
nOlogy. the faith cure, bad literature,
theosophy, socialism. anarchy, govern
mental abuses, the abolition of the
house of lords, home rule. local re-
forms and the vices of the ariStocracy.
while the red flag was as likely 10 be
as conspicuous as any other emblem
on the poles that are stuck in the
ground or on the folding platforms
which are rolled IN on wheels. The
whole practice has long been regarded
by many Englishmen as an excellent
means of letting the people ''blow Off
their steam. "-Philadelphia Bulletin.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
A CHINESE DROUGHT.
Tragic Scenes That Come With .
Long Spell of Dry Weather.

In many districts of China water be-
comes very scarce during the summer
months. Some of the fearful results
of the drought are described thus by
the Rev. John MACEDONIAN: The great
sun blaZes down from an unclouded
sky and drinks up the water that Is
clinging to the roots of the rice. The
soil now cracks with the fery ent heat.
and every blade of rice seems To be
making an appeal TO the heartbroken
farmer for the water that alone will
enable it to live He is now at his
wits end to save his crop. for that per-
haps is the only thing now that lies
between him and poverty and despair.
failure of a crop means very likely
that he will have to sell his daughter
or a son perhaps or even barter away
his wife if he would keep the home
stead from slipping from his grasp
Some Of the most piteous scenes in the
many tragic ones that east their sbad
ows over the home in the experience of
the Chinese husbandmen can be wit
messed during the summer months
when there has been a shortage iii the
fall of rain.
"The wells have become dry. and the
little ponds have been drained OF every
drop of water they contained. The
rice in the field has lost the dark green
color that with its rich sheen tells of
health and vitality and is turning into
/ a sickly yellow that means decay and
death. Water must be got now and at
any price for two or three days more
of this will see the grain blasted in the
fields. They accordingly dig the ponds
deeper TO catch the tiniest rillS that
may flow into them. and as the work
in the blazing sun might at once drink
these up the work is carried on during
the midnight hours, so that not drop
of the precious fluid may be absorbed
by the great thirsty dragon in the sky.
''Often these most pathetic endeavors
to save their crops end in tragedy and
death. Men are making n supreme eff
fort to avert disaster from their homes.
and In the mad endeavor to gain the
water for themselves the widest pas
Sions of the heart are aroused. and
neiglihors will struggle with each 9th
er for the slowly trickiing drops of
water. The solemn air of night is
broken with the sounds of conflict, and
the stars looking down from the mid
night sky see murder committed by
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

you were married before the war;"
Not SO fast, Honey. l WAS mar
ried before the war. But you must
remember that 1t was the custom for
young ladies to marry much younger
then than now. And / merely went
along so things would look right
although / did want TO see my broth
.er Jimmie. Poor boy, that was the
last time ever saw. him. He was a
good boy" s
a We'll. go on, Grandma" said
Elizabeth, who saw symptoms OF
moisture in Grandma's eyes. TELL
us about you. and the girls"
s There isn't much to tell" re-
1sumed Grandma, only that as we
were talking to the boy, some kind
of an alarm sounded. and the pickets
told us to rum and we ran. / re-
member we all had on hoopskirts,
and right at the start Lydia Larkin
stepped on her skirts and fell, and
we had to stop and pick her up. And
that took some little time.
Maybe you think we didn't scoot
along that road, 'Lizbeth. Every
time we passed a picket he would
shout to as to run faster-and al
that we were going as fast as we
could. 1t was just as we came close
to the wagon bridge-hai hal
Charlotte Johnson tripped and be-
fore we knew 1t, she was rolling down
steep gully beside the high wagon
road. Over and over, down she
rolled--ha, ] can see her now-jus,
like a barrel CharIotte's hoops werf
good and stiff, though. and maybe
that's whatysaved her.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
The Rina FINGER.

To the question often asked why the
marriage ring should be placed on the
left hand many answers are given.
Some say because i the left hand Is
much less used than the right and
therefore the ring is less liable to get
broken. In the British Apollo of 1873
it is stated that for the same reason
the fourth finger was chosen. which is
not only less used than either of the
rest. but is more capable of preserv-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

constructed sort of gondola hand car
with long pole as propeller. and
twenty can ride on the car at one time
1t has been dubbed 1.-The daylight limit
ed and on market days makes almost
regular trips from end to end Of the
farmers railroad
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

- VERY family has a "secret,"
IL the same as the skeleton in
the closet" or the "black
sheep" and like them to be
kept carefully in the background
What the secret was in Grandma's
family, very few knew; and those
few were principally confined to
elderly aunts and uncles. Though
Grandma liked to yarn. at certain
times she would stop suddenly off.
And it was generally believed among
those OF the family who were not in
the know that that was where the
secret began-right where Grandma
left off.
Grandma, why on earth don't you
let Mama or me make you a new
CAPT" asked, almost pleaded. Eliza
beth.
why, Land Of Gosheni child,
what do want of a new cap? I'm
sure l teink this one is very pretty
replied Grandma. why, IL my
Grandmother could see me now in
this d.Itted-lace and purple-satin
lows affair--well. don't Just know
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02

ing a ring from bruises. having this
one quality peculiar TO itself-that it
cannot he extended but in company
with some other finger. whereas the
rest may he singy stretched out to
their full length and straightness.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-02
Private Railroad For Farmers.

Six miles of railroad track between
Shnmway and Eiiingham. near Mat
toon. ILL.,. abandoned about eight
months ago by the Wabash railroad be-
cause the business did not justify the
heavy expenses of maintenance are
being used in a novel way by the farm
erS who occupy adjoining land. Some
of the mechanically inclined have