davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

rul Student for I'm, but still Mis- Lof-
good spell back
ooh, yes, l knew. knew the awful
truth as soon as I saw the tears In
the eyes of the little strange girl. The
dreadful blow had fallen.
'They carried me into the house.
full now of sad faced, whispering wo-
men, that very room where 1 had
more than half an hour ago. Away in
the darkened bedroom they had laid
her and spread white sheet over her
face. Mother!
: But the great wheel of the years
kept turning. The old life was a
thing of the past. The boy was home
less, friendless. But the years did
not stop, and as they turned I grew
out of my blue jeans and no longer
went barefoot. And now l was in
love with the minister's daughter
just the same angel that stood that
night at the bars, the beautiful vision
with a woman's tender heart And
then came ambition. that great,
swelling sea that swallows up all
else of life.'
He swept his hands out and in the
gesture included all the .magnificence
that wealth could give, all that his
surroundings implied.
"1'll give you my white kittie.
i Dear little heart, what was she moi
| ready to sacrifice for me always!
And I, brute. the beast of selfishness
and ambition> clothed over with the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Law CALLED Good
President.Elect Taft Lauds Sherman
Act at Banquet Of Civic
Federation.
MARKED CLOSE OF MEETING
Antitrust Statute, However, Held
Capable of Improvement at the
Hands of Congress.

New York, Dec. 16.-The annual ses-
sion of the National Civic federation
in this city was brought to a close last
grouped together at one of the five
scores of individual tables President
elect and Mrs. Taft, Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor; August Belmont, A. B. Gar,
retson, chief of the Brotherhood of
gals, former president of the Big Four
railroad; President Seth Low of the
federation and Mrs. Low, former Judge
and Mrs. Alton B. Parker and Mrs.
Andrew Carnegie.
At other tables in the banquet hall
of the Hotel Aston sat employers and
employees representing corporations
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Frank B.
Kellogg, VINO has been prosecuting the
governments inquiry into the Standard
Oil company, were near neighbors,
though not at the same table An.
drew Carnegie and John Mitchell sat
side by side.
Ola scores wiped Out.
The notable throng of men and wo
men brought together by the fedora
ton led by Mr.. Taft, who was the prin
cipal speaker of the evening, to re
mark that he had been sitting with
company with which it hardly would
have been well for him to associate
prior to the election. He then de
| clared amid cheers that all that had
happened before the election, was as
a closed book to him, and he would
be the president of all the people.
Mr.. Taft was the last of eight speakers
Those who preceded him were Mr.. Low
who acted as POSTMASTER, and Messrs
Mitchell, Gompers, Carnegie, Belmont
ingalls, AMI Garretson. Mr.. Taf
spoke entirely extemporaneously.
Dwell on '.Twilisht Zone.
1 Much had been said during the eve
ming concerning the problem of tn,
twilight zone" where state jurisdic
ton ends and federal authority begin
The Sherman antitrust law also hat
been attacked by Mr.. ingalls,, who as
| ooiiSu II dl
which should be entirely driven from
the statute books. Mr.. Taft came t,
the rescue of the Sherman law an,
said that while he believed with other
that certain amendments were neces
sary, he would be opposed to any al
tempt at its repeal. AS to the "tw
light zone" and its problems, Mr. Tai
declared the country had got alon
very well under the constitution an
he believed it would continue to fin
that instrument allwise and indisper
Isable
II Officers of Federation.
The following officers were unan
mously chosen:
: President-Seth Low.
i Vice presidents-Samuel Gomper
Nahum J. Bachelor Ellison /
Smyth and Benjamin Ide Wheeler.
, Treasurer-Isaac N. Seligman.
: Statistician-Ralph P. Faulkner.
{ Mrs. William H. Taft was electe
: honorary chairman of the woman's d
, partment.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
crowding the Horse Off the Farm,

the Horse Off the Farm.
The motor vehicle, says H. w. Perry
in the Engineering magazine for De-
cember, is now succeeding the horse
in use on the farm His article is in
teresting, but it does not consider the
fact that on the Hill farms of the wide
country the motor plows and the rest
cannot operate to any advantage. So
that the real significance of this, as of
other progressive farm engines and
farm work, is that not the horse is
crowded off so much as the mountain
farmer who finds himself a victim to
too much Improvement. This is what
Mr.. Perry says:
"Curiousiy England appears to have
made more progress in the develop
ment of the small internal-combustion
engine farm tractor than America, al
and portable gas engines are used for
feed cutting, grinding, churning, pump
ing and saving wood on farms through
out the United States and steam
traction engines are common The
first of the successful light gas engine
tractors was the Ivel, brought out in
England in 1902. This can be oper
ated on gasoline, kerosene or alcohol
and has won &c gold and silver medals
in blowing matches and other competi
tons in different countries. Complete
the machine weighs SO hundred weight
(3,54O pounds. Motive power is sup
piled by an 1920 horse power double
cylinder opposed engine disposed long
itudinally in the frame and protected
by a metal cover. A pulley is fitted
by stationary work, such as threshing
grinding and driving dynamo. Haul
ing three-furrow pillow, the tractor has
plowed six acres in nine hours to g
depth of seven inches on a consump
ton of 20 gallons of gasoline or kero
sene and one gallon of lubricating oil
One user, after two years experience
claimed to have done with it daily or
an average as much blowing as he
could do in the same time with three
teams of three horses. three men anC
three boys-that is IA acres of heavy
soil to a depth of six inches. Will
one six-foot reaper and binder attached
2 IL acres Of grain could be cut in al
hour on a consumption of IA gallon:
of gasoline and one pint of oil. Two
small binders can, however, be hauled
on suitable 81 ound. Another user fourK
that it would easily drive Gin double
blast threshing trusser. More power
full tractors are built for blowing ant
reaping on a more extensive scale
such as the 5o-horse power Saundersol
Universal motor, also built in England
Like the Ival, it is a three-wheeled ma
chine, but it drives by pair of from
wheels and is totally different in con
struction and appearance, the engin
standing vertically between the from
wheels. The builders are now bring
| ing out two smaller tractors of 90 an,
35-35 horse power which will have fou
wheels and drive by the rear pair.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
The Argus Daily Short Story
CHRISTMAS RESTORATION---BY FRANK H. SWEET.
copyrighted

1t was most disheartening trick of
the brain-so John Lotus told himself
"a trick of the memory, way 1t had
of dropping into that old rut and 60
ing over and over again the same aw-
full road of misery and desolation.
What be saw was rocky hillside
pasture, with myriads of Canada this
ties and a barcfooted boy picking his
way among them at the heels of a
struggling little line of home going
cows.
"O-u-u-oo. but can feel those this
ties yet. How like sin they did punish
my bare, brown feet! Mother was not
feeling well when 1 went after the
cows-my blessed, darling mamma.
She had heart trouble, I heard one
neighbor tell another, and would go
suddenly some day when we least ex-
pected it. l had hardly let her out of
my sight after that, although in the
misery of my poor. bursting heart
could never tell her what l had heard.
How l raced down the hill that night!
And at the foot of the pasture, just at
the end of the village street. / stopped
to put up the bars.
"As / turned there stood that-that-
vision. Blessed if 1 did not think it
was fairy. had never seen the like
before. For moment l forgot even
my anxiety about my dearest mamma.
Oh, 1 can see her now-the folds of
her filmy white dress, the little blue
slippers with the straps over the an
kles, the long golden curls and the
plying violet eyes. And the poor little
devil of a kid in a faded shirt and
blue jeans-how he WINGED and feli
ashamed!
| "And then the vision spoke. She
| came to me shyly and held out rose
| "I wish you would take this she
said, holding it out, far out, and
saw then that tears were running
| down her pink cheeks. did not take
the rose, but the birch switch dropped
from my hand, and my heart turned
to ice. Poor little kid! Poor kid!
"'My mamma sent me to meet you,
she said and sobbed, brushing tn,
palm of her hand across the track o.
her tears. L wish you'd take the rose
came to stay all day wifi you. May
be I can stay all day tomorrow. l.
I've got white kittie. We brought i
from our former charge. I'm the new
minister's little girl. you see, and 20,
may have my kittie, and-and / know
how to string red berries into boofu
strings of beads, and-and'-
"She pushed the rose into my han,
and then turned away, and saw he
bare white shoulders toss up and dow
In tumult of sobbfng.
"What awful, horrible hurts Their
can be in this little life Of ours!
knew, knew.
81 threw the rose as far as I coul
dash it and flung myself into the san
by the roadway.
II did not cry out. I beat the cart
with my clinched fists and my bar
i. face. The sand filled my mouth an
blinded my wet eyes. and the bloc
oozed out and clotted across my throl
bing temples.
"Then people came and wiped ava
the sand and the blood. and the shall
ing voice Of woman kept sayin
Poor boy, poor little boyv
I'll "a team drove along the road al
!, crept out into the grass in order
pass me. Then heard neighbor sa
Let me take the little shaver into Il
waggin. Poor. little teller! It Is dr.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
In the Field of Literature
The January Good Housekeeping

The January Good Housekeeping
The January Good Housekeeping is
well described in the vernacular as a
live WIRE" one who gets hold of a
copy is not likely to let go for some
time. The most startling feature is
Death Traps for Children" a list of
public school houses in different parts
of the country which are fire traps, in
spite of the awful lesson of Collinwood.
Another very important article, by
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, asks why
President Roosevelt's commission on
farm life contains no women, though
the inquiry mainly concerns the farm
home. Good Housekeeping itself in
stitutes a National Farm Home In.
quiry, in alliance with the American
Agriculturist, Farm and Home, and
other agricultural papers. An article
| by Clinton Rogers Woodruff recites
the wonders which women are accom-
| plishing for municipal betterment
Mabel Osgood Wright contributes q
bird sketch, Gelett Burgess a comica
story, and Amy Lyman Phillips a fully
| illustrated account of Famous Ameri
can Restaurants" An interview with
Frank Alvah Parsons of the New Yorl
Art school on "The Influence of Color
Harmony" particularly in home fur
nishing decoration, is not only exceed
| ingly interesting, but highly important
DR.. H. w. Wiley. chief of the bureau
| of chemistry at Washington, is an ex
pert cook and writes frankly of House
hold Cookery" Fifteen cents copy
81 year. The Phelps Publishing com
pany, Springfield, Mass, New York
| Chicago.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Hurnor aue Philosophy
EFFECT OF THE WONDER.
By DUNCAN N. SMITH

You ought to hear that boy Of mine
Arise and spea. a piecss
Just like a lawyer, you would swear,
AS slick, by Joe, as grease!
He doesn't hesitate nor halt
AS though he were afraid.
He starts right in to saving wood
AS though 1t were his trade.
To hear him you would almost think
That you could see the Alps
That Caesar or Napoleon crossed
When after heather scalps.
Or you could view with half an eye
Horatius bravely stand
And hold the bridge, defying foes
That stood ON every hand.
He rushes up and down the stage
And makes the rafters hum.
Tells what Pat Henry had to say
When he was going some.
His "Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight"
Is said by one and all
To be the best they ever heard
From one SO very small.
Say, they would have him on the stage
II would give consent,
For he's a wonder, honor bright,
Or don't want a cent.
And nothing is for that bright chap
Too difficult or deep
What's that? Just talking Of my boy
I've put you all to sleep?
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Time Is Worth READING.

Leo F. Zelinski, of IS Gibson ST.,
Buffalo, N. Y, says: Il cured the most
annoying cold sore 1 ever had, with
Bucklen's Arnica Salve. I applied this
salve once day for two days, when
every trace of the sore was gone
Heals all sores. Sold under guarantee
at all druggists. Csc.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

When a man begins to boast about
the temptations he has resisted, Satan
writes another name upon his list
because strong man doesn't even see
temptation.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
SHOP EARLY.

Buy your Christmas presents
.ar1y-early In the day. That
will be your biggest gift of the
holidays to the workers behind
the counters and on the delivery
wagons.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

ton arise tc a similar slaughter of
sparrows, hut to all who have watched
the insolence of these little nuisances,
there would be general tendency to
approve the proposed law because as
the slaughter proceeded, there would
be less sparrows.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Illinois Man Gets Panama Place.

Washington, Dec. 16.-The president
today announced he had selected Les
lie M. Owen of Leroy, ILL.,, to be JUS
tice, of the supreme court on the 18TH
mus of Panama to fill vacancy.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

If you do not know just what you
want to buJ for Christmas present,
consult The Argus advertising col
umnS.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

There wasn't dry moment in the
waterworks convention.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

1t all depends upon where you put
the modifer. A miser Is one who loves
money a great deal, but most of US
would love a great deal of money.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

A woman does love to have her hus
band shine in society, but she will in
sist that he scintillate in her own Pc
culiar way.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

Santa Claus is something of a night
rider himself.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Sounded Familiar.

Sounded Familiar.
"These close, poorly ventilated Sleep
ing cars must be hard on the lungs"
II should think so, and, come to
think of it, / believe l have heard peo-
pie speak of Pulmonary diseases"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

Keep on good terms with your neigh
Dor. He might want you to go his Sc
curity at the bank, and it would en-
barrass him so to ask you If you were
Oh i'll terms.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

1t is a lazy hen that quits laying
when eggs arc So cents dozen.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
PERT PARAGRAPHS.

Being successful is quite often b
matter of being busy, belligerent and
bluff.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

There are people who aren't content
with being miserable for themselves,
but want to assist others to be miser.
able also.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

Have you Christmas shopped yet?
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
JA ToLo you sol
How Do They Know?

How Do They Know?
There's always room at the top"
$50 I have heard, but I have my
doubts"
Have your doubtsw
81 have
"And why, pray?'
~ have always noticed that 1t Is al.
ways those who were never there that
are prating about it."
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
Suspicious.

"Adversity, they say, is often the
friend Of genius
"Well, wonder
"WhatY'
what sort of pull adversely has"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
That Loud.

That Loud.
'Is Mabel engaged"
81 heard a rumor to that effect"
"What kind of a noise does a rumol
maker
This one sounded like a big rex
auto"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16

Continued on Page Nine.)
Blue-grass blade., 1908-11-15
THE ADDRESS.

rae last act in the drama of life has been
merged into tragedy, and we are now assem-
bled to pay tribute to one who has lived
among us for many, many years.
1t was the earnest wish OF this woman
that no preacher be permitted 10 participate
at this service, and her request that write
an exposition of her thoughts ON life and
death. and | have, as best ! could, com
piled.
But after all, what do we know of this
mysterious thing called death, or the equally
inexplicable thing called life? Death dis
places life as easily as the sun dlsperses
clouds. Life slips away Oh so suddenly
and so silen ly, and we marvel at its incom
prehensibilty. Life and death are the two
mighty mysteries which centuries of thought
have sought to solve.
The invncible touch which marks the vic
tim wi h death, lays upon the hearts of in
divduals a blighting grief But the Law
of Nature knows not the individual. The
forces of the Universe transcend the triv-
ial intellect The sweep of evolution COM
prehends only the ultimate
twithstandng, we send our thoughts
soaring into the realm OF the unseen seek
ing to sound the solemnity Of silence but its
esoteric meaning escapes DO h the sage and
the savant. We strain our eyes hoping to
Blue-grass blade., 1908-11-15

of iiie. let Iife an death are inseparaDle.
Lille and death are lnevitapie. One is the
concomitant OF the Other, and one as ma
wnen We snail have discovered whence we
came, We snail know wnitner We 90 af.er
dealh. But as yet We do not know
wnetner life or death is the greater good,
Tor our simple senses canno. compass tue
ceaseless Changes OF mater and OF force,
and our little limitations leave us only at
the ocean shore of uncertainty.
So why should We waste time III speculat-
ing on the whence and the whittier? Why
revel in re rospecion? Why kneel in con-
temptation? Thought and action are needed
now. Our work should be for this word,
our labor for this life, our purpose for the
present.
We know that in the domain of the dead
all distinctions disappear; yet it is daily
...ade painfully apparent that in the realm
OF this life the toilers are despoiled of their
substance, innocence is debauched, honesty
degraded and justice dethroned.
We are aware that on the surging sea of
death the wise man and the wight, the poet
and the philosopher, the saint and the sage
sail together in solemn silence But we
are also aware that ON the voyage of life
the prisoners of fate are prosecuted, the up
right are prosecuted and the virtuous VIC
timized.
We note that at the pale portal of the
tomb the mighty monarc surrenders his
scep;re, the tyrant treads the threshold
with the tenant, and the prince passes with
the pauper. But in the household of life
the weak and weary and wounded are
wronged beyond hope of repair
So friends are We to learn lesson from
death? Then let us help to harmonic the
inhumani les of life. The dead has passed
beyond the pale where human hands can
help. but all about US is a surging, suffering
multitude who deserve our services.
AS long as blatant ignorance abounds
and rank injustice rules, as long as supersti
ton survives and tyranny triumphs, as long
as the race exalts its bu chers above its
so long should we pursue
a practical plan of present day work, for
supinely seeking the supernatural has sig
nally failed in Strengthening the race. The
fear of God has blighted the flower of fell
lowship, and religions ritual has was ed the
energies of men.
Our relative realized the unreason Of SELF
ish reverie which omitted the sunny smile
of hope. the welcome word of praise, the
Blue-grass blade., 1908-11-15
Freethought Funeral Address
BLUE GRASS BLADE.

pierce the portals OF the shining empyrean
domain With burning brain we bend DER
Nature book and s.rain TO read the eter-
nal riddle, but within the universal scroll
alas! is locked the secret key.
Thrust here, as we are, between two il
limitable eternities, We raise cur arms hop
ing to grasp glowing realty, but the
sought-for substance shrivels, and its gist.
ening garments crumble to ashes in our
hands. With faltering lips We formulate
the fearsome query Why the past has
been, why The present is and what the Sc
cret of the future? But the mighty cosmic
silence vouchsafes to us no answer.
The human unit desires eternal life, and
the very intensity of the desire has in
duced he assumption that after death there
Is continual, conscious personal existence
But while we desire eternal life, we as nat
urally avoid death, so the desire for the one
and the avoidance of the other gives no as
surance of immortality.
If we assume that after death we are en-
dowed with the conscious, personal attrib-
ute of Immortality, 1t must be reasoned that
we possessed the same attribute before
birth, but as memory returns only to in
fancy, the con nuity of thesehain is broken.
So when we contend that self consciousness
Che result of physical organization plus life
force) persists after bodily dissolution, we
exceed our present realm of facts and revel
only in the realm of speculation
So because of the dark inscrutability of
these eternities, We are slowly though pain
fully learning the lesson Of living one life at
a time-living in the here and the now-the
only life of which we are assured. We are
learning the lesson of cheerfulness, Of help
fulness, of happiness. The lesson of CLEAN
ing the little gladnesses along the way that
grow from the gracious gliding of LIES ho
rizon, for our friends, and If there be life
beyond the grave, the best preparation pos
paradise here. So
I'VE waste no time In useless dread,
In trembling fear;
The present lives. the past Is dead.
And we are here.
Without a fear of coming night,
We seek the truth, we love the light"
In our eager desire to search out our orr
gin and discover our destiny We have I'M
derest'mated the Importance Of the present.
How patiently we ponder the problem-'he
profound mystery Of death,-while we care
essly waive aside the more perlous tragedy
Blue-grass blade., 1908-11-15
-rave, yet Tender, sad, yet Sweet and
iou.nins words Uttered over the bier
or Loved One now Lead.
(By Harriet Nj. Closz.)

III iull anu co.lp4e,e accord WIN the policy
auNo.aIeu w lne Diauv Oh rleelnlnkerS, lii
the event Oh deatn, Deng lad % rneir maj
ros,.ng place, minus Christian lornis, and III
d nis.nIer ntLins TO tne.r meutal attitude
upon ortnCdox mat. ers, 1t is gratifying to
hoe uLaC our vaiued contributor, MIS- Har-
riet NJ. Closz, has faithfully performed sucn
sau rites, made sadaer sun BY the tact that
ne services were conducted over the imam
lniato form OF reiatIVe. Inc following ad-
uress was widely published in Iowa papers
Ind the services were largely attended.
Many were deeply impressed, and others
expressed a desire for additional rational
istlc rites upon such occasions. The SER
vices were conducted by Mrs. Closz from
her own home, and, after the elimination
Of family his DRY therefrom, she has pre-
pared the address for publication for the
e.. MI CT Blade readers. 1t follows:-