davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
JeRE A. MILLER

Jere A. Miller. the candidate for
state Treasurer on the Democratic
State ticket, was born 90 years ago.
near Martinsburg. in the valley OF
virginia. lie was educated in that
town. In 1862 Mr.. Miller removed
TO Wheeling. w. Va. lie has been
In the mercantile business from the
beginning OF his career until about
fifteen years ago. when he engaged
In the banking business. He is in.
terested In several industrial and n.
nancial enterprises of Wheeling and
has been unusually successful In his
undertakings.
Mr.. Miller served as Mayor of
Wheeling during iSS3.iSS4. ana was
aid-de-camp with rank OF Colonel on
the stan of Governor Jacob II. lack.
son. lie has served thirty years
conseoutively as member of the
Board OF Education of Wheeling.
Was appointed a Regent OF the Re.
form School at Pruntytown by Gov.
crnor MacCorkle. and served as Pres
ldent of the Board of Directors OF the
West Virginia Penitentiary during the
administration of Governor A. II.
Fleming. He is connected with the
several branches of Masonry and OF
the | q. o. r.
A few days before the assembling
OF the convention which nominated
Mr. Miller the Wheeling News had
the following to say of him
Ohio county will present the name
OF candidate TO the Democratic
state convention to be held at
Charleston Thursday The candi
dacy is one that should, and doubt.
less will, receive the hearty. unani-
nous aud efficient support OF the dele
cation. and that should commend
itself TO the convention as a whole.
we refer 10 the candidacy OF Mr.
j. A. Miller for State Treasurer The
News knows OF few men I'm either
party who are better qualified to
serve i'm this capacity than Mr.
Miller. He Is man with much eX-
perience. not only i'm private financial
matters, but I'm handling the finances
of the public. He has had consider
able experience in public Office and
behind him he has left an admirable
record for honesty and efficiency.
The Office of State Treasurer is
not one to be sneered at or TO be
filed by man with little or no ex-
perience. put on the ticket merely TO
satisfy some county or because OF his
ability TO control n certain faction
There are certain qualities which
should be possessed by n State Treas.
urer the same as any other Official of
the state, and the place should by
no means be sighted. That Mr.
Miller will permit his name TO be used
Is a tribute TO his conscientiousness
and his readiness TO serve the people
II called, for a campaign and even
public office can not have great
deal OF attractiveness for Mr.. Miller,
at his time of life and after his sue.
cess in other directions.
MIR. Miller has been success as n
business man because he has the
qualities which make a successful
business man. He will run the office
OF State Treasurer In n business-like
way; and that is what we want in
the state administration, little more
business, and "A little less politics"
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
SAM MATHEWS,
Commissioner Of Banking.

Sam Mathews is commissioner of
banking for West Virginia. He IS
also chairman OF the machine state
committee. =. H. Smith Is assist.
ant commissioner of banking lie
Is also Republican nominee for sher-
in OF Kanawha county. Mathews
draws $4,000 year and expenses.
from the state. Smith draws 81 800
and expenses from the state.
Mathews has been busy for the last
six months running Swisher's cam.
paign and now running the general
Republican campaign Smith has
been busy the last six months run
ming for sheriff of Kanawha county.
The commissioners office has been
running itself
The law says each bank operating
In the state under the state charter
and each building and loan assocla.
ton shall be examined at least once
In each twelve months. and provides
that they must pay the commissioner
certain fees, which he must turn into
the state treasury. During the year
ending September 30, 1907. Mathews
turned into the state treasury fees
amounting to $3,5O5. but during the
year ending September 30. 1908 he
turned into the treasury only $2,995.
II he had examined all the institu-
lions which the law makes II his
duty to examine. and collected all
the fees the law makes IL his duty
to collect, and turned them into the
treasury, the amount thus turned I'm
would have been $4.l6O. instead of
$2,995.
The question is, therefore. did Sam
Mathews, commissioner of banking
N IL hn all 81 4. g...
by law, or did he do the work and
fail to turn over the money?
The question should he answered
nj once.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
Yours very truly.
G. a. SWEARINGEN.
TIE pEcENrEsT.

II looks like the Charleston Mail
and the Clarksburg Telegram are
about the deccntcst Republican news.
papers in the state
And amt that awful?
But those two were frankly for the
machine from the start Made no
pretentions 10 anything but the rank
est runners with the machine. They
were honest i'm their shame Gloried
in II, in fact
And that's a lot more decent than
TO pretend 20 be decent and then sell
out Al the first offer, big or little.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
pc hands OF a political machine.

the hands OF political machine.
The Democratic party insisted that
these laws had been lily considered.
were unjust and dangcrous-the
spawn OF legislative usurpation-and
were the creature and offspring OF a
party eNigency. made necessary by
the turbulent dissensions within the
republican party, and passed as a
compromise makcshift 10 save that
party from DISBURSEMENT The
changes made in the new laws at
every session of the legislature since
thtir adoption I'm the summer of 1904
nave tully indicated the Democrats
IN their position. and have proved
that the apprehensions then express.
ed were well founded. and the criti-
clsms then made were just and we'll
directed. The laws are unjust he
cause they fail grossly to distribute
the burdens of taxation with fairness
and uniformity on all interests They
are dangerous because OF the great
latitude allowed she Machine i'm their
administration.
Their whitening influence has fall
len upon the undcvclopod mineral re.
sources OF the safe. injuriously affect
ing the opening up of new coal fields
and causing the prices of coal lands
10 TALL from twenty-five To nifty pcr
centum. The continuous tampCrinC
with the laws. rendering them uncer.
tain and unstable. has alarmed out.
side capital with fear. and IL is no
longer eager to invest In the miner
al and other wealth that kind PROV.
idence has bountifully placed within
our borders.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
DANGERS OF THr sysTFM

The Machine has unlimited infiu.
ence over the large corporate inter.
ests Of the state through the power OF
the board Of public works in whose
hands the valuation for taxation Of
the property Of those corporations
rests.
The history Of tax legislation for
the last four years Is a strong Illus.
tration OF the baneful effects Of sys.
tenn which places 80 much power IN
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
didatc for Governor:
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COM
MlTTEE.

didatc for Governor:
REPUBLICAN, NATIONAL COM
MlTTEE.
I Madison Avenue.
New York City
Personal October q. 1908.
Mr.. l.. Bennett. Weston w. Va
Dear Sir:
The legitimate expenses of the Re
publican National campaign are nee.
cssarily large Under the law cor.
portations may not contribute. and
We therefore ask individuals to con.
tribute more generally.
Many wouldbc contributors are de
TERED from subscription lest the
amount when published. be the sub.
iect of comment as being too small.
or, ON the other hand. too large.
| have therefore determined to ask
a uniform contribution of $4,000 from
say. 10000 business men 80 vitality
concerned In the continuance of Re.
publican principles.
! hope you will place yourself on
this roll and send me your check for
which an official receipt viii be sent
YOU. Hoping for n prompt response.
am.
Very truly yours,
GEORGE X. SHELDON.
Treasurer Republican National Com.
mittpp
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
TRYING TO RAISE BIG coRRuP
TON FUND.

Tho Republican national commit.
tee. in It's desperate efforts to secure
q monster corruption fund with which
10 buy the election Of Taft, has sent
out thousands OF letters appealing
for contributions Some times the
letters fall into the hands OF men
who are not likely 10 contribute.
The one following was received by
Hon. Louis Bennett, Democratic can.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-10-22
A REPUBLICAN, HolD.up

Tine following letter was received
by the gentleman TO whom IL was ad-
dressed. and similar ones were re
ceived by practically every postmas-
ter I'm the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict:
ELECTION NOVEMBER 3, 1908.
c. A. Swearingcn, Chairman.
Jesse J.. Cramer, Secretary
Dave b. Crawford, Treasurer.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE.
Fourth District of West Virginia.
Headquarters. Parkersburg, w Va
Parkersburg. w. Va.
Sept 2G. 1908
Mr.. VIM. a. Straight,
Atwood, w. Va.
Dear Sir:
AS you know the political pot Is
now boiling, and all candidates are
busy trying to- save their own lives:
Mr. woodward has begun his cam
paign and will actively push II TO the
end. You realize that he Is Obliged
to make n campaign for the nomin-
alton, Ms well as the election. two
very expensive campaigns, every two
years. and we. his committee. think
that IL Is decidedly unfair that he
should be Obliged to stand almost the
lOiNf vi iilH tADfiint, We tNfIf'-
fore ask you, as Republican and
one whom we feel would desire that
Mr.. woodward should retain his seat
In Congress. to contribute toward the
necessary expenses OF this campaign
Would say that we consider this all
the more necessary for the reason Of
our probable inability TO get help
from the State Committee this year
We have therefore decided. Judging
from your ability and your standing
I'm the Republican party TO ask you
To contribute not less than s.
Hoping to- have a favorable reply
from you i'm the very near future.
remain,
Yours very truly.
G. a. SWEA RINGEN.
Chairman.
This letter is n violation OF the
criminal practices act Of this state.
and the writer Chairman SweaHn-
gen. should be indicted, prosecuted
and fined for sending IL out
Similar hold-ups have been worked
on the employees OF the state institu-
lions, In the effort TO raise a big cor
ruptiOn fund whcrewith to defeat the
will Of the decent people Of the state
at the polls.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15

more. With strange words and passes
with her hands over the eggs she told
US to give them to my wife and they
would put new life into her.
Every day when she came she would
make passes with her hands over my
wife and throw something behind her.
This she said was drawing the devils
out and casting them away.
"At the end Of the nine days my wife
was no better and I complained about
it. She then said that the hoodoo was
very stubborn and would not leave uu-
less we took desperate measures.
"She brought piece of meat which
she said was from live dog. The dogs
spirit would enter into her and fight
the devils.
'Then she hid a piece of meat under
a corner Of the carpet. Then she asked
me for money, saying it was necessary
to go out to a cemetery.
Il have given her $11O in all up to
this time, and was just beginning to get
wise to the fact that I was being
fooled. 1 went to the Board Of Health
and told the doctors there what I had
done and they helped me swear out a
warrant against Mrs. Wunderlich."
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
THE OPEN ROAD.

Out past the bars of Square and Place,
And streets where toilers bear their load,
Past all the hurrying populace
There runs the Open Road.
How white it's ribbon measures out
The sun-baked acres round the town!
How hoarse the Peoples empty shout
Behind us travels down!
They fret. but we with scrip and staff,
Take pilgrims way some dusty eve.
Behind the People snatch and laugh
Over the toys we leave
Beyond us lies the healthy hill,
Lone valleys where the brown streams
meet,
The low-roofed cot, the turning mill,
The waving plains of wheat.
Before us still the wide skies arch,
The primrose West with rose is strewed,
And ShadOwy clOud-battaliOnS march
Across its solitude.
The wild-fower clusters brighter Irvine,
The wild birds note more clearly rings,
And from the shade of beech and pine
Look forth the forest things.
But far behind, through dusty days
The People fret against their bars,
And set no foot in open ways,
Nor eye the evening stars.
And some have paused by purple slope
To hear the echo of their signs,
Turned back to bring the People hope,
And toiled to make them wise.
For air and the blue heav'n are free
(Say they, and peace is not for few
And these must share, as we'll as we,
The stars and morning dew.
These must come forth with pilgrim song,
With light-weighed scrip and strength
ming red,
For unto all the roads belong,
And the straight paths of God
-Naude Goldring in the London Spectator.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
MALLARDS IN A FARMYARD.
How Pennsylvania Raised and Domes
ticated Flock of Wild Ducks.

Among the odd things to be found
within hailing distance Of Wage man.
sion is flock of mallard ducks-the reaE
mallards, such as are pictured on post
ers and in game journals-at peace and
contentment among the other ducks be-
longing to J. Franklin rowbridge of
this place.
Strangers would at a cursory glance,
scarcely see anything unusual in their.
appearance, but there is a vast differ
ence between the mallards and the. do
nestle variety. There is difference in
size, in color and in carriage.
Several years ago Mr.. Trowbridge Sc
cured some wild duck eggs and had an
old hen hatch them out. The eggs We're
found along the Illinois river, where it,
is a common thing to raise mallardS at
home and use them as decoys for other
wild ducks.
AS stated, Mr.. Trowbridge got them,
Matched, and now he has the third or
fourth generation of mallard ducks.
They waddle about the, premises as Sc
dately as the home ducks. In fact the
maIlards appear to be thoroughly at
home in the Trowbridge yard, and they
seem content too. From the first Mr..
Trowbridge has kept. their wings
clipped, and even at that sometimes
when flock of wild ducks come m
from the river the Trowbridge mallards
hear the call of the wild quack and
squeak and iutter and carry on at
great rate, eager to join the throng in
the air. Except for these occasions the,
domesticated mallards remain ''pert'' and
act as any sane, good old York county.
duck would do.-Wago Cor. York Ga.
zette.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
FOUND NEEDLE IN NECK.
Entered Hand and Travelled Throug
Body in Ten Weeks

Entered Hand and Travelled Through
Body in Ten Weeks.
Ten weeks after Miss Maggie Shields,
35 years old, ran a large needle into
her hand while washing some clothes,
and after her hand had swollen to such
proportions that four doctors told her
that amputation was inevitable, the
needle was removed from the woman's
neck by DR.. John H. McCreary Of 116
North 50th street, says the Philadel-
phia Inquirer.
DR.. McCreary considers the case to
be unique Of it's kind in the history Of
medical science. Despite the fact that
the needle gradually worked itself up
through her arm and body to the neck,
where it was found, an abscess formed
on Miss Shields hand which was so
serious that her hand at one time was
swollen to three times its natural size.
The accident happened in the early
part Of June. Miss Shields was rub
bling the clothes vigorously against the
dashboard in a tub. Suddenly she felt
a piercing pain and dropped the wash
ing, crying, II have run a needle into
my hand!'
The wound bled very little, but while
Miss Shields was on her way to a doc
tor to have the needle removed, her
hand commenced to swell. When the
doctor probed for the needle he could
not find it. He told Miss Shields, she
says, that she had made a mistake
that she had struck her hand with The
needle, but that it was not in her body.
Satisfied with the explanation, she
returned home, but her arm and hand
continued to swell. Three other doc
tors probed for the needle, failed to find
1t and finally when the abscess on her
hand developed to serious proportions
advised in favor Of amputation.
For ten weeks the abscess continued
Finally, one day last week, Miss Shields
felt severe pain in the left side of her
neck. She went to DR.. McCreary and
told him that she felt pricking sensa-
ton, as though there was some me-
tallic body in her neck. 1
DR.. McCreary, who was aware of the
story Of the needle, made an examina-
ton and found that there was some for
eign body in the neck not far from the
surface. Knowing that many cases
have occurred Of metallic substances
travelling through the body, he told the
housekeeper that the pain which was
troubling her was probably caused by
the needle she ran into her finger.
Miss Shields was incredulous, but
DR.. McCreary performed a slight opera
ton and pulled out the missing needle
with a pair Of forceps.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
WAS A HoODoo HEALER.
Medieval Medical Practices of WOm-
an Get Her Into Trouble.

Medieval Medical Practices of Wom-
an Get Her Into Trouble.
For practicing medieval medicine and
obtaining money from him for failing
to cast out devils from his sick wife,
Enoch Muller has obtained a warrant
for the arrest of Mrs. George Wunder-
Itch, says the st. Louis Dispatch. The
warrant specifies that Mrs. Wunderlich
practiced medicine without a license
and obtained $11O under false pre-
lenses.
Muller, who is now angry at what
he says was an imposition upon man
who was desperate at the serious ILL
ness of his wife, says he will have his
money back or prosecute Mrs. Wunder-
Itch.
Il don't know how / could have been
such a fool as to have swallowed all
the stuff she told me or been fooled by
her monkey-shines. But was like the
man whose life was at the bottom of 4
well and was doing everything l could
to save her." he said.
my wife is still suffering, and after
I had fourteen doctors was in despair
Finally my sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Ber-
mel, said Mrs. Wunderlich knew of
some herb which might cure her. We
sent for Mrs. Wunderlich. She came
to see my wife and said there was moth
ing the matter with her except that she
had been hoodooed by three women and
that she would cast the hoodoo out in
nine days.
The next day she brought an egg to
the house. and the day following eight
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
Disappointed.

At a dinner of legal association held
in Washington not long ago one of the
speakers told Of a farmers son in Illi-
nois who conceived a desire to shine as
legal light. Accordingly he went up
to Springfield, where he accepted en-
ployment at a small sum from a fairly
we'll known attorney.
At the end of three days study he
returned to the farm.
We'll Bill. how'd We like the law?"
asked his father.
ut amt what it's cracked up to be-"
responded Bill gloomily I'm sorry /
learned t."-Lippincott's.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15
No Chance.

Here's another tale of the canny Scot
For once the American had discovered
something British that was better than
anything they could produce across the
pond" His discovery was a fine collie
dog, and he at once tried to induce its.
owner. an old shepherd, to sell it..
"Wad yet be takin' him to American
inquired the old Scot.
yes, I guess So" said the Yankee.
II thocht as muckle," said the. shep--
herd. 81 couldna part wi Jock"
But while they sat and chatted an
English tourist came up, and to him
the shepherd sold the collie for much
less than the American had offered.
.'You told me you wouldn't sell him.
said the Yankee. when the purchaser
had departed.
ma replied the Scot: Sc! said
couldna' PART WI him. Jock.l be baeE
in day or SO, but he couldna' swim the
Atlantic -
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15

his head in with her tomahawk as he
emerged.
Il gave her SO for the skim writes
the dealer, 80 it was not bad morn
;ng's work. Another ingenious piece of
hunting that / remember was accom-
plished by an Indian who found two
moose in a yard-that is, the snow
clearing which the animals make when
the frosts are breaking up and the snow
is too sharp and brittle for their com
fort.
HE crept up and got the female with
his tomahawk. The male was driven to
fury and it was unsafe to approach him.
The stroke of a hoof would have put
the Indian out of business in close order.
The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-10-15

10 quell plaSue OF the HeSsldu Hy
which has been doing great damage
to wheat in Southern Kansas and
Northern Oklahoma, the government
sent to that region large consignments
Of gnats of a species hostile to the dis
astrous insect, which will be distribut-
ed over the infected areas.
The gnat, a very minute species, is
the principal enemy Of the fly, which,
but for it's interference, would prac-
tically anihilate the wheat-growing in
dustry in this country. 1t is known
to science as Polygnotus, and operates
in very peculiar fashion, laying its
eggs in the eggs Of the hessian fly be-
fore the latter are Matched. This does
not prevent the maggot-like Larvae Of the
pest from Matching out, and their de-
structive capacity-they suck the sap
Of the young wheat plants-is not
diminished. But they do not trans
form into flies. Instead, gnats emerge
from their bodies, to repeat the per-
Torrance and continue the business of
fly destruction.
A New Police System.
The distribution Of gnats for the pro-
lection Of the wheat crop is in line
with new plan Of operation by which
friendly bugs are to be Systematically
utilized for policing the cultivated
areas Of the country, to regulate the
rogue insects. This plan, it might be
said, was long ago adopted by nature
herself. All that the government is
trying to do is to offer intelligent as
sistance, the idea in view being to aid
the farmers by keeping the whole Unit
ed States under surveillance. When it
is found that any destructive pest is
rapidly increasing in certain section,
it may often be practicable to fight it,
or perhaps to ward off a serious out
break, by the transportation Of insect
enemies from some other region to the
scene of the trouble.
Friendly Bugs Absolutely Necessary
The question is not how much the
farmer could raise without the protec-
ton of friendly insects, but whether
he could raise anything at all. He
does not realize that these tiny helpers
are working for him ell the time. It
Is not merely when serious outbreaks
threaten that they are useful, but con-
tinually. To put the matter in other
words, the agriculturist is deriving q
steady and constant profit from one of
natures most powerful forces, that of
parasitism-a force that has probably
been more largely instrumental III
shaping the status Of animal life over
the face Of the globe than we can, with
prehend.
This Is the force which the Bureau
of Insects is trying TO utilize, in some
instances by transporting friendly bugs
from one place to another in or
der to give them an opportunity to do
their work where it is most wanted
There seems to be good reason for be-
lieving that certain parasitic flies may
be utilized for fighting grasshoppers,
which even at the present time are A
fC1y OSStl pest III POI 10 " SH~
West The cultivation OF the soil has
to a great extent destroyed the great
grasshopper- breeding areas which-the
eggs Of these insects being laid in the
ground-formerly supplied such innu-
merable swarms, totally devastating
whole districts. But plaques Of them
still occur at intervals.
The flies in questton-one species is
called appropriately enough, Sarco-