davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
HALF A MILLION A DAY.
That Is the Amount Which Chicago
 Puts Into Stimulants.

Chicago's consumption of stimulants k amazing, according to a correspondent The money spent in saloons alone totals up between S120,OOO,OOO and S130,OOO,- GOO annually. At least S1o,oOO,OOO more is spent for stimulating drugs in the 900 drug stores in the city.
 If tobacco can be classed as a stimu- lant 1t may be said that there are between 35,OOO and 10000 places In the city where cigars and tobacco are sold. Proba- bly, S10O,eO0 per day is not an exaggsr- ated estimate for Chicago's smoking bill.
 At the lowest estimate, taking alcoholic beverages, tobaccos. and all manner of drugs into account, 1t Is impossible to fig ure that Chicago spends less than $5OO,- 900 per day on stimulants of various kinds, and the chances are the amount Is considerably higher.
 Of this enormous sum, how much doeA the worker spend? Fully 75 per cent, if all business men, officers of corporations, and all men who work with hand or brain, are included. But for the worker, the saloonkeepers themselves say, they would have to close up shop In few days. The remaining g per cent of the $5OO,OOO must be set aside between women who lead domestic lives and non workers of all kinds. Women perhaps are the heaviest of all users of drugs.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
Government Final Estimate Shows Great Decline In Cereal
 Production.
PRICES MAKE FARMERS HAPPY.
They Will Get Half 6 Billion of Dollars More This Year
 than Last.

The government report shows a shortage of 7s5 ,9s7, GOO bushels in total crops as compared with the crops of 1906, which were the largest ever raised in this country, and a shortage of ST. 2s7, GOO bushels as compared with the yields of 1905, which were also very large.
 The chief shortage Is In the corn crop, with 335,oOo,Oo0 bushels, oats with 211,0Oooo0 bushels and wheat with 101, 100000 bushels.
 There is something of an offset to the big losses In the feeding grains in the increase of 6,431,O0 tons of hay as compared to that of 1908, and of 3,O4o,3SS tons as compared to the crop of 1905.
 Prominent features of the final reyts- ion of Its crop estimates for the year by the Department of Agriculture were the increases made In the reports Of area seeded to spring wheat, corn and oats. In each of these particulars as well as In the estimated weight Of spring wheat and oats the official re-
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
A GAME IN EARNEST.
Courageous Acting Which Averted
 Panic at Sea.

Courageous Acting Which Averted Panic at Sea.
 Captain John Theaker of the Earl of Eldon was homeward bound from Bom- bay with a load of cotton. A large number of passengers were on board. About three days out the captain had good reason to believe that the cotton was smoldering Any knowledge Of such a catastrophe would cause a gen. eral panic It was impossible to put pack in the teeth of a northeast mon- soon, so the commander quietly pre- pared for the inevitable
 The passengers, bored from lack of occupation. were amused and interested when Captain Theaker proposed to play 1t having fire on board He said that they would go through all maneuyers lust as if a confagration were taking place.
 The passengers fell In with the sug- yestIon eagerly. The boats were got ready; provisions were put in, with water, sails and compasses. The seats n the various boats were allotted, and .he passengers made up bundles of the valuables they considered the most precious Thus. quietly, but quickly, he joke" was carried out to the full.
 When all was ready the captain calmly told the players that the game was in earnest and that the ship was really on fire, with the flames making toward the powder magazine. The boats were speedily got of, and in less than an hour the explosion occurred
 The boats were 1000 miles from land, but the weather remained fair, and In fourteen days every soul was landed in safety.-"The Still Life of the Middle Temple"
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

paid clergy and a difficulty in getting
 the right sort of men to enter the 1eid
 h the Church of England, which Is
 state church. 1t has been common for
 long time for curate at about $500
 a year or less to perform the duties
 of his superior. who receives thous-
 ands. This. however. may fairly be
 called one of the evils of state
 church. Among the other denomina-
 tons in Great Britain the average
 clergyman receives little more than the
 curate. Here in the United States the
 average minister of the gospel does
 not get salary equal to the wages of
 a thrifty day .laborer. It would, there
 fore. seem that no elaborate investiga-
 ton was necessary to determine the
 reason for the difficulties In recruit
 ing the ministry. and that a change of
 method was advisable. There are able.
 upright. and worthy men In the ranks of all the higher professions who do but they do make enough to live upon comfortably. There are hundreds of clergymen in this country educated, cultured and possessed of genuine abil- fry. who would suffer for the neces- saries of life but for the charity of the people to whom they minister
 Within sight of the gitterlng prizes of
 the church are men toiling Zealously for their fellowmen, whose families are not always well provided with the necessaries Of life. This seems to be the outgrowth of careless manage ment. Many millions of dollars are collected every year for this or that charity and for other costly features of church administration, but the little fund doled out to the clergy whose do not pay them enough to live on rarely grows any larger. and must be husbanded with great care to make It go around. There are some housekeepers who pinch and try to save year in and year out, and who never live as well as their nelghbors with only half the means at their dis posal. The former try with all their souls to be economical and judicious, but they have not the gift. Can 1t be that the churches have not given serious thought to this aspect of the question? Charity begins at home To lavish ones means on extraneous mat ters and leave the household to starye to limit some branch of its expendi- lures for a single year and raise fund for the support of its ministers, these complaints of a lack Of appli- cants for the ministry would soon be fewer-if, indeed, they did not cease altogether.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
Japanese Hospitality.

An English traveller writes of the treatment he received in the Interior ,f Japan: ''The simply unaffected po-
 iteness and the kindly hospitality one receives almost everywhere leave the most delightful memories behind Not ,nly the village head men, but even he local country police whom one meets on the outskirts of the ranges, are always ready to further ones plans to the best of their powers. One to whom I once applied for information actually volunteered to climb a noun tain with me, and proved a most ex- ,ellent companion. He was very d. ninutive, but extremely dignified, and under all circumstances. Even when, one night In camp, I un- luckily rolled out of my hammock and landed somewhat heavily on him as be lay snoring peacefully below. his sole comment was a word of polite apology, o jame we itashlmashita' q am SO sorry to have been In your hon. orable way)."
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
Fishes in Sleep,

The way fishes sleep Is study which few people have taken up, but which is nevertheless very interesting. They are very light sleepers and frequently as- sume singular positions, but the most remarkable thing Is the change of color which the majority of them undergo while asleep. Usually their spots and stripes become darker and more dis tinct when they have successfully sought temporary oblivion.
 Sometimes the pattern of their color ing Is entirely changed. The ordinary porgy, for instance, presents in the day time beautifully iridescent hues playing over It's silvery sides but at night, on falling asleep, 1t takes on a dull bronze tint, and six conspicuous black bands make their appearance on It's sides.
 If 1t is suddenly awakened by the turning up of the gas in the aquarium 1t immediately resumes the sllyery col or that It shows by daylight.
 Naturalists asTibe these changes to the principle of protective coloration" and point out that the appearance of black bands and the deepening of the spots serve to conceal the fish from their enemies when lying amid the sea weeds.-Buffalo Times.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
FARMERS WAYS IN JAPAN.
How They Live, Work and Have
 Their Being.

Their Being.
 Straw which American farmers throw away Japanese farmers would utilize, says the St Louis Globe Dem ocrat.
 Whatever grows or passes to decay is of value to him, he managing to get along and be happy and contented on very little.
 One who Is the possessor of a horse and cart Is considered to be wealthy. It seems very good to us, but most of the horses belonging to the farmers wear shoes made of rice straw, even the clumsiest horses.
 A farmer taking goods to market will take extra shoes with him to re. shoe the horse fn the event of one pair wearing out The shoes are tied around the ankle with straw rope made Of rice straw, braided so that they form a sole for the foot about half an Inch thick.
 The average shoe usually lasts about eight miles of travel.
 In Japan in former times 1t was us- ual to measure the distance by the number of shoes 1t took to cover the distance. The horses hat and harness is also made of the rice straw.
 They are too poor to buy harness like American farmers would have.
 The farmers wear shoes, hats and raincoats made Of rice straw.
 The Japanese farmer usually dwells in comfortable, inviting, faultlessly clean home, without a particle of dust or dirt.
 The transparent paper wall of his house made of the bark of the mitsu- mata shrubs. floods his dwelling with light and keeps out the wind.
 He enjoys good food served in dain- ty but inexpensive dishes made of na- tive woods
 Even in the houses of the poorest there are no visible signs Of poverty. There Is no squalor in agricultural Japan. The humblest peasant farmer Is clean, industrious and comfortable.
  The area of fence corners abandoned on many American farms to wild mus tard, pigweed, etc, would furnish comfortable living to a Japanese far1n- CT. In Japan, when a Japanese farm CT permits telegraph pole to be erect ed on his land, he has made a great concession to modern reform.
 Only the exceedingly rich have fences around their farms. Not because of the cost of the fence, but the value of the ground the post and picket would consume.
 If border is required 1t Is custo. mary to plant a mulberry tree.
 A farm laborer only receives from 10 to 15 cents a day and rice, but nev. ertheless is happy and contented
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
UNCLE SAM A CAPITALIST.
As a Shipbuilder outranks All Others In the United States.

otASAS HI thC OhAiCo SthASss
 The United States government main tains nine navy yards, representing a capitalization of more than SG0.000.0Oo and employing nearly 15.000 men, in- cluding officers, The total wages paid In the navy yards of the government Is approximately S10,0oo.0o0 annually, the cost of materials used being about S7,0O0000 annually and the value of the products. depending upon the num- Der of vessels built, runs well up Into the millions every year. In 1905 the output of the government yards was over S17,00O,O0O.
 As shlpbuilder the government out ranks all other ship owners In the United States Tn 1904 the government launched 1T0,0o0 tons Of battle ships of more than 1000 tons burden each. While only 3.7 per cent of all vessels launched that year were ths property of the nation, these vessels constituted PIT per cent of the total tonnage launched that year. These same ves- sels represented also more than half the value of all vessels over i've tons launched, the contract value of the government ships being $39,513,60O. Despite Its own facilities for building and repairing warships, only one gov ernment yard has been used in recent years for turning out a modern up-to- date battle ship.
 All told the government owns dt- teen dry docks where vessels of the navy undergo most of their repairs. All but two of these are located on the Atlantic coast. Another dock Is being completed on Puget sound. giving three on the Pacific coast. In addition to the naval dry docks there are thirty eight in the United States owned by private corporations or individuals. In time Of war the navy should find no trouble In taking care of Its smaller vessels, but the big battle ships would
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

The experiences of gun inventors during the last decade have shown that, as compared with the 13-inch gun, the advantages are all with the 12- Inch. The latter does practically as much damage as the larger gun. 1t lasts longer. 1t occupies less room in the turrets and 1t costs less to fire. Even for coast defense the 13-inch gun has tcen abandoned. nothing heavier than the Pinch being used in any of our Notifications. although Sandy Hook possesses one 16-inch gun for which Congress has never provided money enough to buy a suitable car riage. The new English 1S.5-inch gun indicates, therefore, a revolutionary abandonment of principle that both gun aud armor-makers had considered scttIed-the principle that the limit of effective fire had been reached in the L. inch rife. Now that the pendulum has t,'cn set swinging in the opposite direction. we may yet have to discard all Of our coast and naval batteries and fu'ld heavier ones to take their places. The pace set by British con- str;E tion is very costly to the world Ut large. but If experiments prove 1t tu be justified, It will be generally fol- lovrcd and. where possible, excelled.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
|MA M.FW
 8 :Aslns 'fts, A Cburcbe8.
~~@~~%N~~~

The Universalist general convention at Philadelphia listened with approval to the plea for closer fellowship between their denomina ton and the Unitarian, made by Rev. Lewis c. Wilson, secretary of the American Unitarian Association.
 The Evangelical general conference, at its recent session at Milwaukee, took . decisive step toward the union of the Evangelical church and the United Evan gelical church, adopting the report of tho committee on revision, which recommend ed the appointment of commission from each church to arrange details of the union. It was also decided to open ne gotiations with other Protestant churches, including the Methodsts, Presbyterians, Baptists and Congregationalists, with . view to federation on all lines of church work into which denominattonal differ ences do not enter.
 Under the direction of Rev. Hugh Birk- head and his associates of St. Georges Episcopal church, New York, a club has been started on lines similar to that main tained by Emmanuel church, Boston, and Christ Presbyterian church of New York, namely, its membership made up entirely of persons having incipient tuberculosis. Each member promises to care for hia health, to give up all work, stop worry Ing, live an outdoor life and obey all the rules of the club. All are supplied with a tent attachment to be fastened to the window sills 30 that they may sleep with their heads in the open air. Weekly meetings are held, when all tell of their progress.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
BRAZIL IS A GREAT LAND.
Area Equals that of the United
 States and Part of Alaskn.


 Brazil has an area of 3,2sO,OOO square miles. or that of the United States with half of Alaska added, says the Review of Reviews This Is, ap- pro1imately. fye-slxths of the whole of Europe, or almost one hundred times the size of the mother country. Con- pared with Australia. Brazil not only holds her own. but has a surplus area that would overlap the State of Texas, while on her own continent she almost equals the combined areas of the oth- CT twelve republics and colonies, one half of Argentina only having to be deducted. This will readily be appar- ent on consulting an atlas, as will the equally astonishing statement that her extreme length from north to south is. approximately, 3Sa degrees, or the dis tance from the northern extremity of Maine to the coast of Venezuela.
 Finally, dividing the land area of the new world by language Into English, Spanish and Portuguese (which h. cludes all but Haiti and the small CO., lonial holdings of France, Holland and Denmark. we arrive at the following remarkable facts The United States with Alaska, Canada, including the islands within the great arctic circle, Newfoundland, British Guinea, British Honduras and the various British islands of the West Indies make a total of 70 per cent of the whole; the IS Spanish-speaking republics. with Porto Rico, 30 per cent, Brazil alone making up the remainder, or 2 per cent And
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
INTERPRETING NEWS ITEMS.

President B. F. Winchell of the Rock Island at Guthrie, Okla, said his road would accept the 2-cent fare provision of the Oklahoma constitution.
 Coy. yardaman of Mississippi was pre- vailed upon to take a ride In Baldwin 5 airship at Jackson, Miss. Ten feet above the ground was the limit and the trip was very short.
 William E. Shiebler, the telegraph op- srator who received the first message over the Atlantic cable sent to President Bu- chanan by Queen Victoria died in Brook lyn, N. Y. He also received the message from she front announcing the fall of Richunsnd at the close of the Civil War.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

A long series of three hundredth an- niversaries Is likely to be celebrated. now that the Jamestown fair has set the example. That no opportunity might escape, Harvard University lately celebrated the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of It's founder. But what time there will be in New England, to say nothing of the rest of the country, when the tercentenary of the landing Of the Pilgrims comes around In 1920.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

At the convention of the Episcopal Church 1t was proposed to add to the prayer-book petition for a person go- Ing on journey by land, Ike that for person going to sea. No more solemn commentary could be made upon the condition of American railway travel.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

Why man with a wife and family and with only s1.0O in his pocket should steal can be understood Why rich Wall street firms and wealthy bank directors should steal is hard to explain. except that 1t Is a habit of Wall street and that gambling on the stock exchange Is more demoralizing than gambling on the race track. Hon. esty should not be comparative, but absolute.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

Ambassador Reid toasted the new star in the flag and told the English that the next president would preside over forty-Sx States. But he omitted mentioning the gentlemans name.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

owners probity If can fraudlessly become pos of thousand, he If he works with the same zeal skill and power, not only easily, but more easily, secure hundred thousand, two hundred thou sand five hundred thousand, million. hundred million iollars Just here financial genuses find opportunity.
 Now and again arises up amid the common throns of business men one with the ability to utilize to the end that seiautomatc power to set and keep this hun dred million earning with the precision governing his first investment He combines industry with industry and effects saving He takes advantage of rivals errors and hestancy.
 If he becomes a blonaire you have right to de
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
A Boston Photograph.

Look at that Boston girl at the ohonograph-she Is actually smiling !"
 "Yes. she Is listening to Prof. Bea- rom's delightful dissertation on the Fungous Diseases that Attack the Larve of the Brown Tall Moth '"- Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

yet, to the average American, the Por- tuguese language Is regarded practical ly as a negligible quantity, while many of our exporters complacently classify Brazil as spanish-French Guiana, as too unimportant to occupy a place by ftself
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

A Massachusetts judge has granted A divorce to a man whose wife persist ently searched his pockets. No experi- enced husband needs to be told that this practice on the part of wife con- stitutes extreme and repeated cruelty.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

A New York man has invented a propeller which It Is claimed will make the milea-minute boat possible. After the performance Of the Lusitania this vas to have been expected
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

snails are Of many varieties. A common variety of the snail sits around the house or the store, sleeps when he should be hustllng, frowns on avery project for civic betterment, and what little energy he puts forth Is used ln trying to turn backward the wheels f progress.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

ports ran more or less counter to the general impressions of specuators. In few instances, such as the weight of oats, the figures given were at variance with all the experiences of the trade for the year to date.
 Figures of the Report.
 The report gave final estimates of acreage, production and value of farm crops, showing winter wheat acreage to be 2S,132,000, production 400, AZ, 900 bushels and value per bushel Ss.2 cents.
 Spring wheat acreage was 17,079.000, production 24.645, eco bushels and val ue S6 cents.
 Corn acreage was 9a931 GOO, produc- ton 2,592, ,32000O bushels and value 51.7 cents
 Oats acreage was 31.S37 ,OOO, produc ton 754 GOO bushels and value 44.3 cents.
 It was announced that the total val ue of the farm crops for 1907 was s. 4o4 ,oOO, ,OOO, an increase of S42s,OOO, 600 for 19O6.
 The farm value on Dec. of the four crops already mentioned follows: Corn, SI,340, 446, ,Oo0; winter wheat, s361, ,217,- OOO; spring wheat, S193, 220, 600; oats, 34,56s, 900.
 The comparative prices for the grain crops for the past three years follow:
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

A Texas firm advertised that It wants experienced saleswomen In un- derwear and shirt waists" That Is carrying the dress reform Idea too far md then some.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
Saw Her Twice.

Tom-It was a case of love at first sight with me.
 Jack-Then why didn't you marry her?
 Tom-Oh, I saw her again on several occasions-ChicagoN News
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

A Nebraska sheriff has succeeded in persuadlng a mob not to lynch a man. Nets., = ~'av be justly proud She appeats U i've the only mobs that are willing to listen to reason.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

4 New York physician ridicules the claim that money disseminates disease. but he will surely not deny that disease disseminates money.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

What does the employer in this frank ruthfuness?
 Here at may be the first proof Of that young mans fixed value that house. That he will tell the truth at lifts a heavy burden from the employers shoulders That young will to It that there Is occasion for calling before the powers again he prevent 1t. He won't try to lie out of unpeas ant suation therefore he must prevent anything that lead to such a situation. Could employer ask for a greater assurance in work well done?
 Men who have lied all their lives have made so-caed business successes. But they not men admired Of friends In wholesale And who shall say that their world ly measure might have far greater If they had been disciples of the truth?
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27

'There is some conjecture" says the Philadelphia Ledger, "as to what ex- pert alienists will do for a living if people ever quit killing each other" Well, they might go to work for a llv- Ing. Stranger things than that have happened.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
The Muck RAker.

"I suppose" said the volcano, bitter ly, "that I will never be approved by good society because I am continually exposing the under world American.
Alaska sentinel., 1908-02-27
IN DEFENSE OF HONEST WEALTH.
 By E. Benjamin Andrews

I care not straw for the rich, as such. My interest and sympathy are solely with gen. eral society and the common man. And, speak ing as a representative of the people at large, I urge that the pride, idleness and doubtful practices of few rich are no just cause for putting all rich men In pillory.
 The possession of wealth. however great. furnishes by itself no presumption against the