davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05
Woman's Letter
Narrates Bob's Exploits.
San Miguei, Central

San Miguel, Central America.
Mrs. David X. Cannon:
Dear Madam take the liberty 10 ad-
dress you. 1 have been writing to Miss
y. Speck 10 try to find out the where
abouts Of your son. Robert Lee Roy
Cannon, who is an esteemed and much
valued friend Of my whole family. but
Miss n. SpeCk got cross and wrote me
sassy letter blaming US for Bob hav-
ing got mixed up In Central American
politics. But she made a big mistake
that time. Bob has lots Of dear Spanish
friends from one end Of Central America
70 the other II you believe ME this.
We only knew Bob four days when he
was arrested for being mixed I'D in
Central America politics.
About ten soldiers came In his house
and beat him with their rifles until he
fell to the floor bleeding from head. nose
and mouth. He looked like a dead man
Ct thought he was dead. AS quick s I
could I took the bleeding head In my
lap. washed. and gave all kinds OF re-
stOratives till he showed signs Of life.
Then we took the ropes from his arms
and put him 10 bed
I'VE reported 81 10 the American con-
suls, but they thought they could not
help him. We all had 10 leave Nicara-
qua We went TO Honduras, and just
then war was declared against Nicara-
qua. All business was at a standstilL
All talk was war, war, war. from morn
ing til night The outcome Of 70 was
Bob and my husband went Honduras
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05
Promised Treatment
As Prisoners Of War.

Cannon was taken October q by one
Of the steamers. Tt Is said the COM
handing officer aboard promised him
treatment as Il prisoner Of war. The
search for Groce required until No
vember 2. In the meantime Cannon
had been thrown into an clubhouse. held
there twenty-four hours until nearly UNI
conscious rom the bad air, and taken
10 a prison nearer the capital. The
two were tried by court-martial. Ac-
cording to the Nicaraguan representa-
tive now In Washington they confessed
20 having attempted TO lay dynamite
mines in the channel Of the San Juan.
Then they were led out into the prison
yard. stood up as Maximuian had been
made 10 stand. and shot 10 death by n
squad Of Zelaya's troops.
The American consul had learned, OF
tho capture. lie had gone TO the Presi-
dent with a demand that Zelaya inter
vene until the case Of these American
citizens could be heard. Zelaya had
! answered he would sse" And the
next report 20 the consul was that his
foloW-cOuntTymen were dead.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05

lost Bob fed to Salvador we went
down to the Panama canal.
Asks Help
To Free Cannon.
All the time we have been trying TO
keep track Of Bob. He wrote seldom.
Last evening we got a letter from Hon
duras from a Spanish young lady saying
poor Bob had been in prison for many
months So now at last we have a clue.
You will have to get your government
TO give him up, that is. II IT won't be
too late. In the Spanish countries they
have to respect Uncle Sam. We can't
do anything to help him. II is his
parents duty now to write to the War
Department about that
I would be glad to have a letter
from you as we are all very fond Of
your poor unfortunate boy. He was
running the risk of his life so as to be
able to make some money. He wanted
so very much TO go home for a visit,
but he said he would never so without
cash. This is the last straw now. We
are all more than sorry that he Is in
such a fix. It is no fun to be in "A
prison in Central America. They all
went to the war for gold. Some won't
need gold any more, some ran away,
some got caught. and your Bob is one
of the latter"
Later there came to the Cannons up
in Harrisburg another letter in the same
angular handwriting. It was even more
to the point. It's entire text is COM
pretended in these few lines:
"Alr and Mrs. d. K. Cannon:
your son, Robert Lee Roy Cannon,
has been for several months a prisoner
In ChIluteca, on the frontier OF Nicara-
qua and Honduras. You win have TO
act quick before II is too late.
Yours very Sorry,
MRS. NJ. POBTSCHBACH.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05
Government Slow
In Commanding Respect.

Nc government as slow as ours has
been could hope for such respect for its
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05

thousand TO oppose Zelaya's 400 men,
more or less trained And among his
first accessions were 'hese two Ameri-
cans. Now they had a special value
70 Estrada They we're engineers. A
part Of the governors plan Of campaign
was 20 choke the RIVER San Juan, the
main stream of Mica aqua, the connect
ing link between the lake and the At
lantic. and the route of Zelaya's four
steamers plying daily from san Juan
del Norte to Granada
Within a week of the beginning Of
hostilities the engineers had their de-
tail. Zelaya was on his guard. When
Cannon had left the camp 10 spy out
the best place to lay the mines, the
natives of the party We're surprised
by government troops. Undoubtedly
there 'gas opportunity 20 capture some
Of the rebel Nicaraguans. But they
were not the quarry Zelaya sought.
With one American isolated somewhere
I'm the underbrush along the river bank
and the other nearer the camp there
was little time 10 waste on natives.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05
HEROES ARE DENIED
HONORS IN DEATH
Americans Executed With
out Being Allowed a
Hearing.
CONTINUED from Fourth Page)

him most TO guess at his progress and
TO speculate as TO his condition.
The home life Of the two boys was
different rather in appearances than in
Influence. Groce was the son and name
sake Of a doctor-"one of the really
prominent physicians OF Texas, until
his retirement from active practice"
telegraphs Mr.. Warner But the pro-
fessional atmosphere of the home in
Hampstead did not suffice TO incline
Leonard away from business, and it Is
not at all likely that this lad found
in his mother and father a training
more earnestly and solidly founded in
character than that which was given his
mate, the butchers son. up in Penn
sylvania.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05
Groce So
OANNG OLA
Years Cannon's Senior.

Whether they hooked together their
enterprises at first or kept in touch
merely as friends does not appear from
their letters. Each speaks Of the other
as Of his own disposition. Groce was
six years Cannon's senior ard better
able TO oppose cunning with cunning
Cannon had a remarkable ability to
produce results. II is easy TO see them
in the attitude pictured by him who
met them in Panama
Zelaya and his government proved IN
endurable soon after the American Sc
lection Of the Panama route for the
canal We contracted by treaty for the
present canal zone in November, 1903.
but the location Of the route was shown
earlier and by the time of the bIoodless
revolution along the line Of the old
French excavations Cannon had become
project of police in Salvador, that
tiny country tucked apparently in a
pocket Of the Nicaraguan stair Zelaya
was then engaged in war with Hon
durss and he believed that the Ameri-
can police officer Of Salvador was aid
ing his enemy. There is no indication
that Groce fell at all under suspicion.
Two years later the Americans had
money enough to be possessed Of "es-
tates.' What the lands were or Of what
worth is unknown to their families. But
the estimates are that the older mans
investments had increased to a total
of abous 100000 and the younger mans
nothing had become about $4,000 Their
location was at the town Of Masaya,
which is perhaps twenty miles from
Managua and Zelaya's palace. Then
something happened which throws a
at least one Of the two But we ought
TO hear OF it from one who was almost
an eyewitness;
TVn~,,-1. 49,
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-05

lost. Bob fed to Salvador. We went
down to the Panama canal.
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

gentleman and good citizen. Blu. he had not
the prescience needed in the highest statecraft.
The ideas from which he shrank We're not in
vented by political faction. They were in the
air, and sooner or later they were bound TO tri-
umph. Yet it is easy TO see how even very
clever men could be deceived as 10 the signs OF
the times. NJ. de Meaux has recorded a col
loquy between himself and the Due de BrogIie
at this period PreOccupied with grave political
questions. they crossed the Champs EIysees on
a sunny afternoon and noticed the careless as
pect of the happy crowd. These people," re-
marked the duke, "are better suited for a coup
detGt than for the serious efforts that We mean
to demand of them" The observation was not
unnatural The speaker must have had a thou
sand reasons for his somewhat cynical reffec-
tiOn. But. in the last resort. he was 70 be
proved wrong. and Gambetta knew it, NJ Hano-
,aux's heart warns TO the great Tribune and he
brilliantly pOrtrays him the prOtagOnist of
Republican ideas. The Due de Brogie not onIy
believed that MacMahOn meant we'll. but con
sidered that the Marshal was acting as Presi-
dent under an ungrudging mandate from the
people. and that the interests of the latter were
safeguaTded at every point. The critics of the
administration were convinced that in the
words OF jules Ferry. the policy of the Marshal
and of the Cabinet was parliamentary and
anti-cOnstitutiOnal. and. they asked. "Are we. in
short, governed by the sword of a Marshal of
France, or are We governed by constitutional
iaws?" With that slogan Gaplbetta ranged like
lion up and down France.
IL remains OF the anomalies Of political
history that he should not sooner have arrived
at the power which he finally achieved. and that
he should have held it so short a time Indeed
fate was. at the best. rather niggardIy in her
favOrs 10 him. on the death of Theirs il was
Gambetta rather than Grevy on whom the sue
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

the posture Of affairs described ny W. fssii.''<luN
in these pages you recognize an elual oiS..iD .'A
tion of patriotism both sides OF the poIi''O'
conflict Liberal thinkers doubted the ei1cacS
of those constitutional provisions on whlch Mac Mae
Mahon rested his authority. They were q mite
dubious about the present and decidedly aiaiihsU
about the future They waxed suspicious feel-
ing that forces of despotism lurked oehihd d
conservative" scheme of government A"S
mon il, office ON the other hand. lad grave fears
OF the rise of what looked 20 them IKE 700 VIZ
lent radicalism. The Marshal IN hieiioi SlDAO
message referred with frank disapproVai 10 'nS
more advanced wing of the Republican party
which he said, considers that the stfehsthe"
ing of the Republic only be accompllshed Oy
means of the radical modification or all QUIZ
great institutions whether administrative. 1u-
diciaI financial or military. as complement aho
consequence" His reputation OF the facuoh'
so-caIled was unequvocal Neither my con-
science nor my patriotism" he declared. allows
me 20 associate myself. however distantlys with
the triumph Of these ideas. i consider them IN
oDDortune both for the present and the future
Marshal MacMahOn was a tine soldier
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

1874 to 1877 was full of sound achievement and
of the fairest promise. Yet even then the sit
uation was difficult. and more time was needed
before the state could reach anything like con-
elusive security. This last volume of Nj. Hano-
tauXs, like its predecessor. vividly exhibits a
people strenuOusly and painfully working out
its political destiny. Why the struggle so
hard? A full reply to that question would nee
eSSarily have to take into account elements in
the French genius, carrying the discussion too
far for the present purpose. Considering the
matter with reference to the particular period
traversed in this volume, and the conditions
marking that period. it is enough TO recall the
remark of Jules Ferry on the confusion of mind
reelected in the debates he shared. LAS soon as
the question of Universal Suffrage is touched
upon" he said, I'VE feel that there is a mis-
understanding between us. AZ the bottom of
your hearts lies a very natural regret for the
regime of privileges You DO not ask that it be
re-estab ablshed. but you introduce into our cleo
toral laws a thousand little dOGges intended to
bring il back That was for long time the
foible of French politicians.
1t was as though in spite of themselves that
they built up a durable fabric of government.
The superficial reader might be inclined to
mise that self-interest was at the bottom of
much Of the factional turmoil amid which the
problem got itself solved. But Nj. Hanotaux
makes us feel the good faith underlying the
curious welter of party differences which he de
scribes The trouble, of course. went deep. for
II involved the practical making of the
nation After many vicissitudes. after the
breakup of the monarchy. the rise of Napoleon.
the creation of the Second Empire and the
crowning disaster of Sedan, to name only the
more salient episodes, il was next To impossible
for men to reconcile traditional habits of mind
and new promptings OF the heart in clear
sighted and passonless campaign, of reconstruc-
tion. Men of public spirit dii the best they
could under a tremendous handicap. Thus in
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
"DANN4BLE ITERATION
Nature A0hOrs Repetition as Huch as q racuaua

Mature AbhOrs Repetition as Huch as G TqcuanS
From The london Outlook
Children love 20 hear the same tale a score
or times. and II a word is altered they insist
the correction II am a lost dog" repeated
without further words by Mfr. CSaISwOrthy's beg
gar. secures more pity than all the investigations
deserving case. Generations OF our youth have
derived an tneXplicable pleasure from repeating
words or no apparent meaning. such as. Who
EITna! Now we shan't be long," There's
arr! Won't you go home. Bill BaiIey?' What
no! she bumps!" and, at the present moment
are you WeL! with break in the voice ike
q mllkmans or a TyrOleSe PEASANTS. Il IS
strange. and all the stranger because on the
Other side We are brought face TO face with the
Greek philosophers DOWNRIGHT assertion that
Twice is impossible" All artists know IL TO be
true; they can never do anything twice Driven
oy their own reputation and by the common be-
lief that man who has done one thing we'll
should go on doing it forever. they may try the
same theme n hundred times. but never reCapt-
ure the splendOr OF that first fine venture. The
curse that DrOOCS over good teacher is that he
can never teach the same lesson twice. and II X
comes to sermons. the very sexton sleeps ct the
second time of preaching. though he may not re-
member single sentence of the first
Twice is impossible The repetition OF a lap
dogs zap, of a kittens new. baby's yell T
drawing room song seldom TedOubles JOY
Love music as we may, the fourth time at the
man next door turns the Moonlight Jnata'
upon his planOla are lit 10 wiring us neck
Regularity in meals is all very well. brit go 90
the same restaurant day after day and gov
sicken like sheep stale on its pasture. Fash.s
Is tickle jade. but dress a girl always rs
same and her soul turns drab iu,iuSt
school Children may like Old old st
ous tale shat is told is q proverb of tediuif
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
TITB UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY; 10 AN
AIR BY HENRY LAWES. 1852.
BY HENRY NEwBOLT

BY HENRY NEWBoLT
The flowers that in thy garden rise
Fade and are gone when Summer mes
And as their sweets by time decay
So shall thy hopes 3e cast away
The Sun that gilds the creeping moss
Stayeth not Earths eternal loss:
He is the lord of all that live.
Yet there is life he cannot give
The stir of Mornings eager breath
Beautiful Ewes impassiOned death
Thou lowest these,-thOu lowest we'll,
Yet of the Night thou canst not tell
In every land thy feet may tread
Time like veil is round thy head:
Only the land thou Seek'st with me
Never hath been nor yet shall be,
Z is not far. II is not near
Name il hath none that Earth can hear.
But there thy Soul shall build again
Memories long destroyed of men.
And Joy thereby shall like q river
Wander from deep 70 deep for ever.
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.
TIE Last Volume in VI. HanOtGHrs s
Study of Its EUOlution.

CONTEMPORARY FRANCE. BY Gabriel HlnO-
taux. Translated from the French by T. Spar
vel-Bayiy. In four volumes With portraits
Vol. Nv. QS77-lSs2l SvO, PIP. xii. 65S. G. p Put
MANS Sons.
The third volume of this Indispensable work.
which NJ. HanOtaux published two years ago.
left the French Republic well on the way tow
ard it's present stability The procedure advO-
Gated for the Presidential election by Nj. Henri
WALTON enthusiastically received by the
country. and in the exercise of many of it's
functions the government of Marshal MacMa-
hon could breathe little more freely. France
had still to give her attention TO the wounds of
war. but industry was reviving. and both at
home and abroad the national interests were
coming under the control of stronger be-
cause more judicious policy. The period from
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08
gbe Nespslleals Q4iib5u11pgas
SUNDAY, AUGUST 8. 1909

This is the season during which a good book
now and then appears, but in which the pub
fishers are chiefly occupied in preparations for
a more important period. The regular fall lists
are withheld for the present, but such advance
announcements as have been made show that
the season beginning next month will bring forth
plenty of interesting matter While the quantity
of fiction promises to be neither larger nor
smaller than usual, the names in the long list
include 4 rather exceptional number of those
which generally stand for really clever work.
There viii be many volumes Of biography
and most of these denote serious purpose. The
scissors and paste collections of gossip about
some great and many shady figures in court his
tory already seem TO have worn out their well
come This catch-penny form Of bookmaking has
been SO grossly OyerdOne and has provoked such
q chorus of scOrnfu protest that. while not alto
gether abandoned it is being used with consd-
erably less ardOr. The 'color book too, though
preserving its vogue, is being improved and
fewer trivial examples have been projected The
serious book of travel on the other hand, Will
this year receive abundant attention. We will
have n number of new art books of the substan-
tial character made popular in the last few
years. and. OF course, the reprinted classic, with
illustrations, will duly appear
The recent death of Alexander Anderson, the
author of "Cuddle Doom" and other Scotch
poems. has revived interest in the work of man
who rose from the position Of a railway labOrer
10 be librarian of Edinburgh University. In his
early days in DumfrieSshire he wrote some
pleasing lines, and they led 10 his receiving the
patronage of such nOtabilities as the Duke Of
Argyll Lord Houghton, Thomas Carlyle and
John Stuart Blackie. That, one would say, ought
not to have don him any Larm, but that it was
carried too far for his good is asserted by a
writer in ''The Dundee Advertiser" who reflects
upon the poets career in these terms of excellent
common sense:
They praised him-and praise is sweet. They
may have visited him in his humble home, and
made him feel strangely awkward, but after all
they simply regarded him kind of curiosity
something out of the ordinary run-and admired
him very much the vulgar mob admires a
performing monkey a whistling parrot. They
took him from his native surroundings and
stripped him of his cOrdurOyS. arrayed him in
tWeeds placed him among books found him a
comfortable salary and told him to go and
sing But the voice that had charmed from
the railway track was silent. Occasionally he
endeavOred to express himself and and
again got note that had all the sweetness
of earlier days, but it WAS plain to see that his
work done. He killed with success
How familiar the story sounds. 1t is being
repeated every day. The simple Scotch poet
went through the experience that in one way or
another, does more than anything else TO injure
the clever writers of our OWN time.
New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

Periodically some one brings up the question
hs TO how far novelist is justified in making
use in his work of a living parsonage. Every one
admits that within bounds he is free TO take
his copy where he finds it, but it is difficult to
define the bounds. The full length portrait, how
ever, is pretty generally regarded as not only a
risky but an injudiciOus thing. A capital con
Uibution TO the subject has lately been made by
Mr. Arnold Bennett, who has had a play pro-
iuced SatiriZing some of the methods of modern
Journalism. Forthwith il was assumed that the
leading character in what the Public Wants
was intended 10 represent Lord NorthcIiffe, of
'"The Daily Mail" In repudiating the idea, Mr..
Bennett placed himself on record as abiding by
the principle thus expressed "An artist whose
aim is creativey To crticise the institutions,
habits and tendencies Of his age has 10 time 10
E4uander in the facile game of copying individ-
uals" The point is well taken, and we wonder
why ii does not more often commend itself to
the modern novelist. Perhaps the copying of in
diYiduals in some contemporary fiction is only
part and parcel of that rather commercial move
ment which aims at the exploitation of matters
Of current general interest. The novelist has
hated 10 leave TO the 'nuck raker'' those CON
spicuous personalities in whom the public is
Supposed 70 be interested.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-20
FAIRFIELD

The Indian hockey team of the Bridgeport High School came to town Saturday afternoon for a game with the Oneidas on Jennings pond. The former won. to 0. The Oneidas claim that they have had little time to prac- tice. and are hardly organized as yet
 E. J. Flanagan is putting a hot wa ter heating apparatus into the resi- dence of Edward Sandford. Greenfield ESll.
 Some of the lights which used to H. luminate the roof and outside of our popular pharmacy have been extin- guished. since the new globe at the li- brary corner Eliminates the whole neighborhood.
 The new superintendent of schools is searching for a rent. where there Is a barn. as he wishes to keep a horse and carriage. It is not yet determin- ed whether he will live in town or in westport.
 Miss Laura A. Dowd of Greenfield