davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09

This animal Is well armed against the
attacks OF most OF Its enemies, as
many a man and beast can testify,
but It's weapon apparently is Of no
avail against the horned owl. The
bird will kill and eat a skunk. and,
with the almost overpowering EVIL
dence OF the feast still clinging to Its
feathers, will attack and dispatch an.
other. A fine specimen Of the great
horned owl once came into my pos.
session. There was every olfactory
token that II had recently dined OF
skunk. II was six months before the
last trace OF the odor left the birds
feathers.
The screech owl (Megascops asio)
Is q mouser of the first order. 1t Is
probably the most abundant bird OF
the whole own family. Apparently 1t
Is not afraid Of man, though he often
abuses the confidence which the little
bird shows In him. The screech owl
comes about the house and watches
for the mice which the house cat has
overlooked. II there be an entrance
through the clap boards leading to
some weatherproof nook within, the
little owl will frequently take up his
residence as mans near neighbor.
The screech owl is destroyer OF
quantities OF insect pests. 1t has q
marked fondness for grasshoppers. q
fact which should endear 1t to the
farmer. People are not apt to think
Of owls as being insectivorous. but
the smaller ones, like our friend Me.
gascops, not only have keen appetites
for grasshoppers. but they like a des'
sert of beetles, spiders and at times
worms. Mice are on their daily menu,
and lizards and cray fish do not come
amiss. Occasionally they will eat a
song bird or two. but this habit is not
marked.
There is popularity about the
plumage Of screech owls. In the same
nest may be found birds differing so
completely in color that It seems al
most impossible that they should be
children OF the same parents. The
popularity exists even more striking.
ly in the adults. Some Of the birds
are gray and others are bright brown.
almost red in fact, and between the
extremes of coloration there are to
be found specimens whose plumage
varies between the two hues. For
years It was believed that the gray
and the red owls formed two distinct
species. The great ornithologists,
Audubon. Wilson and Nuttall, treated
the red and gray phases Of this bird
as two distinct species. Frank M.
Chapman says Of this popularity Of
the screech owl: This difference In
color Is not due to age, sex or sea-
son, and is termed dichromatism or
the presence in the same species OF
two phases of color. The same phe-
nomenon is shown by other birds.
notably certain herons. and among
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09

mammals by tho gray squirrel, some
individuals Of which are black"
The saw-whet owl (Nyctala acadica)
Is a small bird, like its brother the
screech owl, and to the unfamiliar
eye is not unlike him In its plumage,
Ordinarily. however, the saw-whet
shuns mans company. The blacker
the woods the better this little night
hunter likes them for his day time re-
treat. He is an inveterate mouser and
he hunts his quarry on noiseless wing
from sunset to sunrise. This owl re.
ceived Its name. saw-whet. from the
popularity OF It's note which Is sup
posed to resemble the noise made by
the filing OF a saw. The name does
injustice to the quality Of the birds
voice. for in the spring time when
love is afoot." the notes are not un
musical
IL has been said that the saw.whet
does not care for mans company. Oc'
casionally he forgets his dislike, or
his fear whichever 1t is, and comes
into the great cities. His urban resi-.
dence Is confined principally to the
winter time when mice are hard to be
found In the fields and when the null
titude Of English sparrows in the city
streets offers a temptation too strong
to be resisted.
Until recently the demands OF fash
ion made sad inroads into the owl
ranks. Thousands upon thousands OF
screech and saw-whet owls and not q
few Of the larger species were sacri'
feed to meet the millinery demand.
There was a protest made against the
slaughter OF the creatures, but 1t was
met by the dealers statements that
owls we're Injurious birds and that for
everyone killed the world was 80 much
the better of. Fashion. with those
whose livelihood depends on 1t, Is
ever ready with falsehood. 1t Is easy
to quiet the conscience OF a woman
and especially easy II her heart be set
upon a hat. Science set to work to
refute fashions statements and did 1t
successfully. II Is fortunate for the
owls that science is not necessarily
compelled to slaughter them in order
to find out what they eat.
Like the hawks the owls capture
their prey with their powerful talons.
II the quarry be small It is swallowed
whole. II large It is torn, into pieces
and both the digestible and indigest'
ible, parts are taken into the stomach.
Once there the indigestible portions.
bones feathers and hair. form into
hard round pellets, which the owl
elects through the mouth. When one
OF the birds roosting places is found
these pellets cover the ground beneath
the perch and 1t takes but short ex.
animation to determine what the bird
has eaten. A pair Of barn owls lived
for some time in the tower Of the
Smithsonian institution. DR.. A. X.
Fisher examined 200 Of the elected
food pellets and found in them the
skulls of 454 small animals mostly
mice and rats.
The extinction OF the owl family
would remove from the bird world one
Of its most interesting and attractive
features. The farmer now is staying
his hand voluntarily. for in the owl
he is recognizing q friend. Fashion
is staying its hand unwillingly at the
behest of the law and thus setting at
naught mans former belief that fash
Ion was invincible.
EnWARn d NIARY
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09

According to Mr.. William Barclay
Parsons, civil engineer. the $4,000. 900
sewerage system for Havana. work on
which viii begin in October. win be
ideal, and when the American govern
ment withdraws from Cuba in January
the island that was once q hotbed Of
yellow fever win Be a. sanitary as pos
sibIe. How long win Cuba libre keep
q %?
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09
Innovation In Politics.

The recent municipal elections In
Paris were remarkable not only for
the candidature Of M. Laloe, who was
soundly beaten, but for the first re-
corded candidature Of domestic serv.
ant. The liveried class is supposed to
take on the. political color Of its sur.
roundings and to be ultra-conservative
as a rule, but this candidate stood as
o republican socialist, and he Is said
to have been strongly supported by
his kind.
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09
No Law Against righteousness.

Certainly. Eustace. you may wear Q
striped suit with wedge-shaped peck
cts, and low shoes with buckles on
them, and q hat that turns mp In
front and down In the back. and carry
a swagger stick with ribbon tied to
II, II you want to. The city comptrol'
Ter has looked up the question and
finds there Is no law against Il The
public Is therefore quite helpless IN
the matter.-Kansas City Star.
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09
Peace for Once.

ct tell you, Judson is a slick chap"
laughed Silas Ryetop. He took his
wife TO Washington and kept her In
the congressional library four hours"
what did he do that for?" asked
Hiram Hardapple.
"why, begosh. they fine you II you
talk In that building, and for foui
hours she didn't speak q word"
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09

the urine. My wife and I have both
used Doan's Kidney Pills for what dec.
tors diagnosed as advanced kidney
troubles, and both OF US have been
completely cured"
Sold by all dealers. 80 cents q box
Foster-Milburn Co.. Buffalo. N. Y.
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09

q pioneer OF Colo
RADIO. now living at
21S East Nebraska
street. Blair. Neb..
says: II had such
pains In my back
for a long time that
] could not turn In
bed. and at times
there was an almost
total uinNnana ~
Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-07-09
VETERAN or THREE WARS.
A Pioneer Of Colorado and Nebraska.

Matthias Campbell. veteran Of the
Civil War and two Indian wars, and
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

we're al; Of iron beams and brick arches the
sonry being exposed In the corridors passages and
vestfbules, but FOR comfort having covering Oh
vood in the audience room The roof was of iron
md masonry the outer covering of slate being Sc
cured to masonry blocks The iron roof beams OF
over one hundred feet were mounted on rollers
to allow for contraction and expansion Tne ceiling
az the audience room Of iron. The ornamental
work Of the proscenum, the tier balustrades and
the frames of the partitions between the boxes
were all os metal The stage was supported oy d
complex iron system OF about four thousand light
pieces adjusted as to be removable III sectohS
xben ~ was desired TO open the stage floor Thea
tre fires almost invariably originate on the stage
and. as an additional safeguard. MI Cady Con-
triyed an apparatus flooding the stage in the
case of threatened confagration- 'arge sky
light was weighted fall open in case of fire and
q great water tank placed over the rigging lott ana
connected with network of pipes with apertures
stopped with extremely fusibe solder, so that the
heat of small fire would open the hoies an"
release drenching shower
One after another these precautions were rem
dered inutile- The iron support OF the stage
troubled the stage mechanics who wanted some
thing that could be more easily handled; so wooden
nieces were substituted for the iron The location
Of the tank such that the water was IN dan
ger Of freezing In winter, and steam pipes were
arranged to keep the water warm Mr. Abbey do
not like the expense of warming the water ann
therefore enptied the tank. There was Hreproof
curtain which cumbrous to handle. and MI
Abhev's men chained IT up. The commodous stage
made superb paint shop in summer ana Nc
Abbey used IT for painting scenery for MS other
theatres It being thus used on August 20
1892 when n workman carelessly threw . iighted
match among the green scenery. 1t caught hre
the stage was burned and the auditorium sadly
disfgured. When eventually. the building was re-
nsired the interior of the theatre. all that had
suffered harm. thoroughly renodelled, the
stockholders boxes reduced to a single row.
the proscenium given its present shape, the
of he removed
self was made more practicable in many ways
This did not happen. however. until the question
whether or the Opera House should be restored
to its original uses had occupied the minds OF the
stockholders and public for nearly a year In tne
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

turbulent current But the stage picture Is less
sapglinary than it looked in the beginning ).
seems to have receded millennium IN uine' ~
has the terrible ferceness of an Attic tragedy OUT
II also has the decorum which the Attic TRAGEDY
never violated There is no si' hter IN the pres
ence OF the audience. despite humbenesS OF
its personages. 1t does not perpetuahy III
sight of the shambes. 1t is eed. an eAposi-
ton of chivalry; rustic, but chivairy' neVer'he
less 1t was thus Clytemnestra slew her husoand
and Orcstes his mother Note the contras lich
the duel between Alto and Turiddu presf WIN
the double murder the piquant ACCOM- linent
of comedy in "Pagliacci' the opera ch fol-
lowed so hard upon its heels. Since T. piquancy
has been the cry; the piquant Contemplation or
adultery. seduction and murder amid the reek ana
stencil of the Italian barnyard. Think OF Cflea
.'Tilda" Giordano's 'Mala Vita" Spineilrs "A
Basso Porto and Tasca's "A Santa Lucia!
The stories chosen for operate treatment by the
champions of rerismo all alike II IS ther hith
and blood which fructifes the music which rasps
the nerves even the plays revolt the moran
stomach I repeat: looking back over the tiihe
during which this so-called veritism has heid us
orgy "Cavalera Rusticana' seems almost Classic
Its music is highly spiced and tastes not III
mouth but it's eoquence is. after ALL In Its eager
pulsating pa assonate melody.-like the music which
Verdi wrote more than half a century ago for the
last act of IL Trovatore.' II neither Mascagni
himself his ima tors have succeeded in equal
ling 1t since it is because they have thought too
much the external devices Of abrupt and un-
couth change of modes and tonalfties, OF exotic
scales and garsh orchestration, and too little OF
the fundamental element Of melody which once was
the be-all and end-aIl of Italian music. Another
fountain OF gushing melody must be opened before
"Cavallcria Rusticana finds a successor IN ali
things worthy of the succession Ingenious arti-
fee reflection and technical cleverness will not
suffice even with the blood and mud OF the Nea-
potan slums fertilizer.
Mcssrs. Abbey and Grau had no rival opera or
ganza tions contend with any time after they
opened their doors. they created bit of COM
petition themselves. In January they brought Nine
Patti and her operate concert company into the
house for a pair Of concerts in which scenes from
operas were sung in costume. the famous singers
companions being Mile. FabbTi, NJ Guile ttepor)
Sienor Novnra Cbass) and Signor Del Puenti. The
occasion offered an opportunity to study the i'm
pulses which undere popular patronage. The
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

ination Aronson precpitated what he called a dress
rehearsal of the work at the Casino In the AFTER
noon of October !, 1891. Like the king in the para
bic he sent into the highways and bade all ne
could find in to the feast Especially did his ser
wants labor in the Rislto the affair had all the
appearance of a professional matinee Nothing was
quite in readiness, but Mr.. Hammersten rlao an
nounced his first performance for the evening OF
that day and must be anticipated at all hazaros-
Vet there were singers and scenes and musicians
In the orchestra and Mr. Gustav kerker TO steer
the little operatic ship through the breakers On
the whole, the performance was fair Laura BEL
ln was the Santuzza the occasion. Grace Golden
the Lola Helen Won Doenhof the Lucia, Charles
Bas.ett the Turiddu and William Pruette the AlIo.
Heinrich Conried staged the production In the
evening oscar Hammerstein pitchforked the opera
on to the stage OF the Lenox Lyceum-an open
concert roon and a poor one at that. There was d
canvas proscenium. no scenery 10 speak Of COS
TUNES copied from no particular country ana no
particular period and q general effect OF iTap:o-
yisation But the musical forces were superior TO
Mr. Aronson's, and had there been a better the
are the Casino performance would have been great
Iv surpassed. There really fine orchestra
under the direction of MIR Adoiph Neuendorn but
It sat out the floor OF the haii. "hlch feNei-
berated like a drum. Mime. Janouschoffsky. an ex-
ceedingly capable artist. was the Santuzza. MIS-
Pemberton Hincks the Lola. Mrs. Jennie Bonner
the Lucia Payne Clarke the Turiddu and Herman
Gerold the Alho While all this pother was max
,np ..C-avalleria Rustica ma already three
weeks old in Ph1iadelpnld, Nheie WI bSS'f' 'i''
rchs had brought it forward with his American
counany at the Grand Opera House: Minnie HaucH'
with a company of her own. had given IL IN chi
caro the night before the New York struggle, and
Emma Juch and her company were rushlng lor-
ward the preparations for production in Boston
.Csvallera Rusticana" upon the Worln
like the bursting of bomb, and its effect was
SO startling that 1t bewildered and confounded the
radical leaders of musical thought There were
few indeed who retained calmness OF vision
that
manner than OF subject matter which had whried
the world off its critical feet. Outside Of Italy
there was no means of seeing the work of prep
sration which had preceded IT, The annual out
put of hundreds OF operas made no impression be-
vond the Alpine barrier. and IL easy to be-
lieye that the entire product formed after the
old and humdrum manner. No sooner had "Caval-
leria Rustcana" broken down the old confines,
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

of beer in certain restaurants and has prohibited
French wines in the officers mess But It doesn't
make any difference Our economic situation trans
lates itself very simply in the one word-overpro
duction-
In vain William the in his cuirass. IN
he tells extraordinary stories and makes the
atricaI demonstrations in order to drum up trade
The overproduction ausments. and we shall befors
Ions, reduced the ioorous alternative of either
greatly restricting production. which spells ruin
OF of greatly continuing II. which spells ruin also
You must further remember that banks are
up to the neck in these affairs. ard that are
not. like the French. a saving people We like to
enjoy life and spend what we earn, consequently
could pay off. with sacks of savings. ths
heaviness of financial crisis. The hope would
be that France. generous France. might come to
our rescue. as she has been doing in these past
years and re-estabriSh for a time the disturbed
equilibrium of finances
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

however. than It Was discovered that whole
brood Of young musicians had been brought up
on the same blood heating food. and dozen COM
posers were ready to use the same formulas. Most
of them, indeed, got the virus from the same
apothecary who uttered the mortal drug 10 Mas
casni-that Is to say. from Amilcare Ponchielli.
Had we but listened twenty-five years ago to La
Gioconda" as we able to listen to "Cavalera
Rueticana'' and its swift and multitudinous OFF,
spring now might hsva recognized the begin
ninRs Of wha, has been termed ''Mascsgnitis'
not in an essentially new manner OF musical COM
position, but in the appeal to the primitive pas
sion for violence and blood which found express
sion in the operate paraphrase Of Victor Hugo's
story and the invitation which that passion ex-
tended to the modern musician suddenly emanci-
pated from lot OF cumbersome formularies and
endowed with q mass OF new harmonic and instru
mental pigments with which to produce the start
ling contrasts and swift contradictions for which
the new field OF subjects clamors.
Seventeen years ago "Cavalleria Rusticana' had
no perspective. Now. though but small portion
Of its progeny has been brought to notice. we.
nevertheless, look IL through q vista which
looks like a valley of moral and physical death
through which there iows sluggish stream thick
With filth and red with blood. Strangely enough
in spite OF the consequences which have followed
II still speaks with voice which sounds like
the voice truth. Its music still makes the
tinge aud carr.As eur feelings 1uyaSiakuklx On "
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
WATCH HILL.

Watch Fiji. r. L.. Aug. 2a--The afternoon must.
cal given by Charles F. Hammond, barytone Of
New York. Tuesday afternoon. of the
chief diversions of the week. and of the most
enjoyable entertainments Of the season Mr. Ham,
mond was assisted by Miss MabelIs Han1yn Mac
Connell. soprano: Miss NJ. F. NacConnel. accom-
panist and William G.. Hammond. composer and
pianist. The patronesses Mrs. /. W. Adams
Mrs Frederick Brooks. Miss Julia Howard Bush
Mrs a. VI. Byers, Mrs. William Clark. Mrs. James
McCrea. Mrs. Harvey ID. Cowee. Mrs F. Kingsbury
Curtis Mrs L. W. DalzeII. Mrs Harry Darlington
Mrs. S. G.. Dunham. Mrs. A Loves Dickinson,
Mrs l. H.. English, Mrs. III. F. English. Mrs. III.
N Fenner Mrs. Clement A Griscom. Mrs. Rodn1an
f. Griscon. Mrs. y NJ Guthrie. Mrs. George W.
Guthrie Mrs. William c.. Hastings. Mrs James L.
Howard. Mrs W. H. Halle. Mrs William H Jack
son. Mrs H. &. Joy. Mrs. Frank B. Kennard Mrs.
E. K. Kfngsbury jr, Mrs. ". P. Ietchford Mrs
]. D. Lyon the Misses MacAlister. Mrs George Y.
MacI.anahan. Mrs George W. MacLanahan. Mrs.
r B. Mellon. Miss Sophie Moen. Mrs. Efingham B.
Morris Mrs. John s. Newberry. Mrs Truman II.
New berry Mrs Park Painter. Mrs C. w Page.
Mrs George w. Parks. Mrs G.. r. Parsons, tho
Misses Perrin Mrs. F. c. Perkins. Mrs ". Fl. Peck.
Mrs John o. II. Pitney. Miss Estelle Rand, Mrs.
Frank SchOonmaker, Mrs. Louis E. StOwward. Mrs.
Josiah C. Thaw, Mrs George H WatrouS, Mrs.
John Camp Williams and Mrs. Perry p Williams
A delightful luncheon was given at the Golf Club
last week by Mrs. Truman III. Newberry, of WASH
ington.
The annual ball at the Ocean House this week
was a most enjoyable event. a gay throng OF
dancers and spectators crowded the big hotel
William III. Peck of New York. who last sum-
u1e- bought the Harvey property. facing the bay,
is improving the cottage BY additions to the rear.
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30

tertainments being concerts. not operas the stock
holders were not entitled to their boxes under the
terms of their contract with Abbey & Grau and
conspicuous by their absence Nevertheless.
at the second concert. which took place an
afternoon. ! estimated the audience at four thous-
and--nne- -tenths Nine Patti also ap
peared in performances Of Lucia di Lammermoor"
and III Barbiere' In a supplementary season. one
feature Of which. March 81, 1892 was tho pro-
duction Of Wagner's Flying Dutchman" In Ital-
ian, with M. Lassalle in the ttuar part. which he
sang for tho first time in his lfe "A marvellous
artist indeed IL this Frsnchman." was my comment
in The Tribune 'and II he and the brothsrs do
Reszke in next years company the lovers Of
the lyric drama distinguished from the old sing
song opera win look into the future without trspi-
dation." Unhappiy. there was no next yssr's
company"
In August 1892. the Metropolitan Opera House
had visitation Of fire. which brought operatio mat
to a crisis. caused postponemsnt Of the per-
formances for q season. 4 reorganization OF the
corporation which owned the building and .
modelling of the stage and portions Of the interior
of the theatre. For considerable space before tho
building OF the Metropolitan the puolic mind was
greatly exercised the awful loss of life at
recent theatre res especially the destruction OF the
Burgtheater In Vienna. When Mr. Cady planned
the New York house he set about making II an ab-
solutely dreproof as such structure ~. It
was to BE- non-conbustible from the bottom up.
XhAaA XAA A0k 4 GR11 1ogtfn1A Il u N -
New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
GERMAN PR0DUCTIvENESS.

Octave Mirbeau. In The American Magazine.
must do Emperor William tho Justice to say
that he understands. like every else. that in
dustry and commerce tho vital organs and the
vascular system Of q country. But the Emperor.
In his feverish incoherent activity. has made Ger
many gddy by driving It madly on toward all sorts
Of economic conQuests.
In order to make her first in everything he has
forced her to produce. produce producs The prod
ucts piled up In the shops. on the docks and In
the grauaries. Sales are allow, and enormous
stock 10 LEFT on hand Here 10 example:
Jealous OF the worldwide SUCCESS OF the Bor-
deaux, Burgundy and Champagne wines OF France
william has pushed our landed propnetors and
peasants furtously cultivate the vine. He has
protected tho German wire industry In all ways
and In all countries. and has even gone far as
to make himself wine agent, advertising agent and
rsstauratsur.
There II wihs enough along the Moselle River to
intoxicate not only the whCle OF Germany but all
the world besdea but II II sold under II fils
the encumbered storehouses. driving tho owners TO
distraction and tho peasants to lamentat.on
To improve the situation the Emperor has adopt
- tHnoDDiA 0nnG1RnA ~ - znnG1u1G1ok - -