davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-19
IF IT WERE REALLY so

Now Mrs. Holland is securing u
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
The Boy and His Top

A little boy had bought top.
The best in all the toyman's shop,
He made a whip with good cells skim
He lash'd the top and made it spin;
All tina children within call,
And the servants, one and all.
Stood around to see II and admire.
At last the top began to tire;
He cried out, Pray don't hit ms
Master.
You whip too hard can't spin faster.
can spin quite as well without 1t"
The little boy replied, Il doubt It;
1 only whip you for your good.
You were a foolish lump of wood.
BY dint of whipping you were raised
To see yourself admired and praised,
And il left you. you'd remain
A foolish lump of wood again"
EXPLANATION
Whipping sounds a little odd,
I don't, mean whipping with a rod.
1t means TO teach a boy incessantly.
Whether by lessons or more pleasantly.
Every hour and every day.
BY every means IN every way,
By reading, writing, rhyming, talking,
By riding to see sights, and walking;
If you leave OF he drops at once.
A lumpish, wooden headed Ounce
John Hookham Frers.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Coiffures of Old

A contributor to The Point of View"
in the current Scribner's. deplOring the
monumental style of hats and head
dresses" tells of the old days of the
French court when the coiffure went by
the name of the pouf sentimental. This
was collection of objects symbolic OF
all that was dearest to the wearer. The
wife of a naval officer bore on her
head a frigate breasting the waves
with all sails set. A mother loaded
down her head with five dolls to rep
resent her five children The duchess
of Lauzun wore superstructure pre-
senting an entire landscape. The di-
rector of the royal opera ruled against
the admission of women wearing ex-
travagantly large coiffures.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
An Object Lesson

us a boy before going to college the
writer entered wholesale dry
goods store in the city of New York,
owned by men of national reputation.
In the linen room were the boy and a
single salesman, both newcomers. On
the first morning, after their arrival,
one of the heads of the house came into
the room with a customer. and himself
showed him the goods. The business
was done after this fashion: the mer-
chant said this linen Is such a make,
so many threads to the inch, so many
yards to the pound at such g.. price.
And the customer said / will take so
many pieces. In Is minutes he sold
him $2.500 worth of goods. The Gus
toner went out and the merchant then
turned TO the salesman and said:
That's the way to sell goods l can
sell that man at any time all that he
wants. because he knows that. so far
as it Is in my power. 1 will tell him
the exatt truth. II you treat your Gus
toners in that way. you can sell goods"
That was our introduction to the
wholesale business of New York. 1t
was an object lesson which has infiu
enced the life of the writer. In his
Judgment there are many thousands OF
businessmen who are doing business in
that honest way and prospecting. be-
cause they are honest To make a
statement contradictory to this we hold
TO imply a lack of knowledge of things
as they are-Exchanse.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Some Old Games

Fingers for seisaOrs-ScissOrs usual
ly come under the ban of the nursery
authorities. even those with blunt
points representing precariOus play
things for small children A substi-
tute for cutting outT may. however.
be found in tearing paper into the
snaps of animals and figures with the
fingers. and proves just as popular
with the small nursery people as the
more dangerous amusement. Ordinary
kitchen paper may be used, or prefer
ably the common white paper which is
used 10 line shelves. Trees, animals.
little men and women. or even dolls
furniture can be torn out with the
fingers.
To Make Them stand AIOne-With
rounds of cork and matches, tribes OF
small Nosh's ark men can be made.
the skeleton bodies being wound with
stiff paper. on which buttons can be
painted or marked In chalk. while
rounds OF cork instead of feet will en-
able the family to stand alone.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
GOOD STORIES IN FEW WORDS AND BRIEF, POINTED POEMS
Nationality

II you would contemplate nationality
as an active virtue, look around you
Is not ohir own history one witness
and one record of what it can do?
This day-fourth of July-and all
which it stands for-did it not give us
these? The glory of the fields of that
war, this eloqnence of that revolu-
tion, this one wide sheet of flame
which wrapped tyrant and tyranny,
and swept all that escaped from it
away, forever and forever, the courage
to fight, to retreat, to rally, to ad-
vance, to guard the young flag by the
young arm and the young hearts
blood, to hold up and hold on till the
magnificent consummation crowned
the work-were. not all these impaired
as inspired by this imperial sentiment?
Has 1T not here begun the master
work of man--the creation of q ma
tional life? Did it not call out that
prodigious development of wisdom,
the wisdom of constructiveness, which
illustrated the years after the war,
and the framing and adopting of the
constitution? Has it not, in the gem
eral. contributed to the administering
of that government wisely and well
since2 Look at it, 1t has kindled us
to no aims Of conquest; it has involved
us in no entangling alliances. il has
kept our neutrality dignified and just;
the victories % peaceg have been
priced victories, but the larger and
truer grandeur of the nations for
which they are created, and for which
they must one day before some tri-
bunal give account-what measure
of these 1t has enabled us already to
fulfill Tt has lifted us TO the throne,
and has set on our brow the name of
the great republic; it has taught US TO
demand nothing wrong, and to submit
to nothing wrong; it has made our
diplomacy sagacious. warv and ac-
complished; it has opened the iron gate
of the mountain, and planted our en-
sign on the great tranquil sea; it has
made the desert to blossom. as the
rose; it has quickened to life the giant
brood of useful arts; it has whitened
lake and ocean with the sails of
daring, new and lawful trade; it has
extended to exiIes, flying as clouds,
the asylum of our better liberty; it
has scattered the seeds of liberty, un-
der law and under order, broadcast;
it has seen and helped American feel
ing to swell into fuller flood; from
many a field and many a deck though
it seeks not war and fears not war,
1T has borne the radiant flag all un-
stained; it has opened our age OF let
tered glory; it has opened and honored
the age of the industry of the people.
RUFUS CHOATE.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
The Fourth of July

Our country's day of gladness,
The day we love to keep,
Remembering the fathers
Who long since fell in sleep.
The day which marked an era
When faint we were and few,
With our history all before us,
And our work laid out to do.
Brave were the hearts that challenged
The naughty mother land
Strong We're the hands that carried
The musket and the brand.
Stauneh were the souls that waited,
Pure were the hopes that famed,
And righteous were the leaders,
For God the land who claimed.
With banner and with bugle,
With song and happy cheer,
With tumult and rejoicing,
We hail it year by year,
our country's day of gladness,
That marks from sea to sea,
Through mount and stream and prairie,
The birthday of the free.
God keep our land forever;
God guard and make her great!
jehovah lead her armies;
Jehovah guide the state.
through all our heightened borders,
From all our clustered homes;
The cry for God and Freedom,
From heart and hearthstone comes.
Alice Rogers.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
The Starry Flag

From proud Atlantic's surging waves
To where the broad Pacific lies,
And playful1y the bright sand laves
Beneath clear, sunny skies;
From far along Canadian lines,
The rocky borders of the land.
To where the gulf in beauty shines,
And breaks upon the strand.
From A1legheny's crested mounts,
And on the Rockies submits gray,
Where brightly, snow fed crystal founts
Are welling forth alway;
On Mississippi's mighty tides,
And on Ohio's silver stream,
Or where the Susquehanna glides,
Or Schuylkilrs ripples CLEAN;
Where Delaware, with current grave,
Is sweeping outward to the sea-
In every land, on every wave,
The starry flag floats free,
And through all time this flag above,
: In triumph DER oppression's holds,
Shall. in the light Of peace and love.
Unroll its glorious folds.
Stockton Bates
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
After the Fourth

Hurrah. hurrah. for the glorious Fifth,
And our boys who survived the fray:
Who wear the scars. of the bloodless
wars,
They fought and won in day.
The shouting. screeching, bowling mob
That rent the heav'ns with noisel
Are these sweet things, tied in leading
strings.
Those same distracting boys?
But yesterday they were soldier lads.
Marching to fife and drum;
While with frowning brow each told
us how
He was going to make things hum.
You bet we will" And you bet. they
did!
They're now the Invalid Corps.
With blackened stains, and powder
grains,
But safe at home once more.
Then hurrah. hurrah. for the glorious
FIFTH
SHurrah for our patriot kids.
Who are laying low-for repairs, you
know.
And doing as mother bids.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
The First Taxicab

In the matter OF the taxicab investi-
gators are finding that, as with most
other things in this world, it is not as
new as it seems
students had limited for some years
that a vehicle of this description was
known in ancient China, but to Profess
sor Giles of Cambridge, Eng, has been
reserved the honor of discovering an
actual contemporary account of it. This
occurs In a history of the Chin dynasty
for the period of 265-419 A d. The
name for the cab was the measure
mile drum carriage" Of course it was
not self propelled, the motor power be-
ing horses. The description says that
in the middle of 1t there is a wooden
hgure of man, holding a drumstick
toward a drum, and at the completion
the drum. In a history of a later
dynasty (s15-9SD has been found an
other record of taxicab, which is de-
scribed as follows:
They are painted red with pictures
of flowers and birds on the four sides
and in two stories handsomely adorned
with carvings. At the completion of
every Ii the wooden figure of man in
the lower story strikes a drum, and at
the completion of every 10 Ii man in
the upper story strikes a bell There
is pole with phenixlike head and
team of four horses. Formerly the
chariot held IS soldiers, which number
was increased in 9S7 by the Emperor
Tai Tsung to 30.''
A third account has been found in
history covering the year 1927, where
the mechanism is described In the
fourteenth century Chinese poet. we'll
known in his day. wrote an "Ode to
Taxicab. Literary Digest.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Our Birthday

\VTE live in a comparatively young
w country, for we have had but few
real birthdays. dating back as we do
to July 4. 1776. when our forefathers
announced to the world that thereafter
the United States of America was a
free and independent nation. We are
very young in the estimation of our
cousins across the water and of such
dynasties as India and China-and they
also think we have lots to learn.
But although this is but the one hun
dred and thirty-third anniversary of
our birth, it is doubtful If a majority
of the people, especially in the newer
settled parts of the country, could give
a clear account of why we hold the
day in remembrance, or why we seem
to be more patriotic then than. at any
other time. This we must attribute
to the great influx of foreigners dur
ing the last few years, who naturally
are not well acquainted with our his
tory. They know this is a land OF
freedom, where men are equal in the
race for money and fame; where their
children or grandchildren may aspire
to the highest gifts of the nation; so
they seek our shores from every quar-
ter of the globe.
1t is our task to teach these new
corners the reason of our fourth of
July celebrations, to make them un-
derstand why the stars and stripes is
the most beautiful flag in the world;
why our men in civil life are ready
at the first cali to arms to drop every
thing and join the regular troops in
defense of that flag; why wae have no
conscription; no forcing of our young
men into the army. Our country be-
longs to each man. woman and child
who is a citizen of IL, and that is why
we take a personal st in it and
love its flag, which stands for happy
homes. work for all, liber ~ to choose
our religion and our rulers.
And we are not so sure that all
the children of Americari parents are
we'll posted in the history of the fourth
of July. The schools do all they can
in teaching the facts arid in training
their pupils in love for their country,
but the home teaching lis also needed.
So on this day let us tell the young
people all about the revolutionary war
and it's results; of the handful of cou-
rageous men who at tire risk Of their
lives signed the declaration of inde-
pendence and while tho flags float and
the fireworks light the heavens the
children will remember who made this
holiday possible.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
OUR COMMON FROGS AND THEIR COUSINS

comes up close under the bank. pok-
ing his bit of a green nose out, just
up to the eyes, and watching us keenly
We can sometimes take a little stick
and gently scratch his back without his
moving at all, or even quickly put our
hand over him; but a noise drives him
at once into the deep water.
If you do catch. frog do not hold
him too long or pull his legs too hard,
but notice his ears. / would wager not
one in ten boys or girls could find them.
Oh. yes, he has excellent ears, they
can hear under water better than out
of it, but they are not like ours. Do
you see that round, thin and fiat place
just behind the eye on each side? It
looks like a drumhead and is his ear.
His nostrils are plain, and see his
bright, pretty eyes with the black pu-
pills. His feet are webbed for swim
ming and his toes very long. Watch
him jump from your hand far into the
pond
Our bullfrog is the largest frog
known in this country, but in other
lands are some as large, and in the
rocks are found remains of giant frogs
beside which he is a pigmy. However,
he can grow TO be foot long, which
is quite large enough. His common
place dwelling is a pond, lake or river,
where there are reeds and muddy
banks. And his famous bass voice is
familiar to us all
Besides these water loving frogs
there are frogs which dig into the
earth and burrow, called gpadefoots,
provided with a spur on the hind feet
for digging. They are remarkable
songsters, making a noise so loud it
has been compared to a steam whistle.
Spade footed frogs are very rare, in
deed, and / have never seen one alive
and never heard one whistIing
Tree frogs, in spite of their arboreal
habits, are real frogs, and in spring
these handsome little chirpers go into
the water to lay their eggs. Most of
their life. however, is spent in the
trees and bushes, and while in Europe
there is only one kind of tree frog. we
are blessed with no less than FIVE dis
tinct kinds.
The swamp loving cricket frog, which
lives in bushes over the water, is tree
frog in the making. He has not the
curious feet lobed at the ends for
clinging to leaves and hanging upside
down. as his cousins, the real tree
frogs, have, but his hind legs are very
long and so he is called the cricket
frog, and he is a perfect jumper. Real
tree frogs are wonderful creatures, OF
a blush green or leaf in the shade
color, and he has something of the
power Of turning in a moment from one
tint to another like chameleon. Some
of the frogs are rare, particularly the
toothless frog-most frogs have few
upper teeth--the swamp cricket frog
just mentioned, and the swamp tree
frog
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
The Fourth of July

Don't forget, when the old flag waves,
The boys in blue in their lonely graves;
Gone the drummer. the bugle, the scout
But don't forget what twas all about
Don't forget that to make us free
Brave men fought both on land and sea;
We owe it them that our nations name
Live untarnished and free from shame
Teach the children to love the right,
Honor the flag, and with their might
Guard the ballot, that this may be
Ever the home of the brave and the
free!
Teach them to feel that of all birthdays
That of their country is best always;
Let the rockets soar and the people
shout,
But don't forget what tits all about.
-Sallie M. Moses.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Summer

Meath summer skies all earth Is glad
And smiling meets the day,
The hills and valleys flower clad
Wherever we may stray.
Each stareyed blossom lifts its face
In greeting mute, but sweet,
The roses in their tender grace
And viOlets at our feet.
There's tints of beauty everywhere,
On leaf. on flower and lea.
A perfect scene of lOveliness.
Alike by land or sea.
Lizzie NJ SOuden.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Fairy Song

Shed no tear! o shed no tearl
The flower will bloom another year.
Weep no more weep no more!
Young buds sleep in the roots white
core.
Dry your eyesi dry your eyes.
For was taught In paradise
To ease my breast of melodies
Shed no tear.
Overhead, look overhead
Mong the blossoms white and red
Look upl look up! I fiutter now
On this flush pomegranate bough.
See mel tis this silvery bell
Ever cures the good mans Ill.
Shed no stearl o shed no tear!
The flowers will bloom another year.
Adieu. adieu, I fly, adieu,
vanish in the heavens blue
Adieu, adieui
John Keats.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
A Good Reason

Teaeher-And why are you so late.
Tommy.
Tommy-Please, miss. it's muvver's
washing day. She's been and lost the
on top to keep the steam in.-Sketchy
Bits
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
By the Moon We Sport and PIav

BY the moon we sport and play.
With the night begins our day;
As we dance the dew doth fail,
Trip it,. little urchins ALI
Two by two. and three by three.
And about go we, and about go we.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-03
Latin

Latin is dead language,
AS dead as can be;
1t killed the ancient Romans,
And now is killing me.
Non paratus.' Freshie dixit,
With a sad and mournful look;
"Omne recte," Prof. respondit;
"Nihil," scribit in my book.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-05-13

expenses? Oh. yes, she has grub staked US, all right; but she has done a good deal more-she has furnished. more than half million to Ms for our gamble"
 The colonel considered; then: But why did you keep him here so long be- forehand?" said he.
 'It was not iong beforehand" said Mercer. "rhe meeting was adjourned for a day--we don't know why--we fancy that his partners suspect some thing. It is caied for tomorrow, in spite of their efforts to have It put of a week But We want more; we want to induce Keatcham to vote his own stock for us, and to call off his dogs himself"
 And you can't force him to do it?"
 We shall force him. easily enough" returned Mercer. but we don't trust him. We want his private code-book to be sure he is playing fair. In fact we have to have 1t, because nothing gets any attention that isn't, so to speak, properly introduced"
 And he will rot give it to you2"
 Says he has lost it."
 Perhaps he has" unused the soldier, ''But now, all this is not my concern except that I have no right. as re!- Gisr. even pessifely to aid in breaking che laws. It is my duty to rescue and free MT. Keatcham."
 Before he could speak further Mer- cer lifted a hand in apologetic inter ruption. Would Col. Winter excuse him, but he must ask MT. Tracy to go back to the patio and have an eye on the detective. Endieott only ex- changed a single glance before he obeyed. Mercers eyes followed him. Tt was not to he helped, he said. half to himself, but have been sorry more than once that I had to take him into this"
 Winter looked at him, more pug. zled than he wanted to admit to him self; indeed, he was rather glad to have the next word come from Mercer.
 T have a few things l want to say to you; they go easier when we are alone-but won't you sit down" When the colonel had seated himself he went on: I'd like to explain things a bit.'
 "Td like to have you" answered the soldier. T think you have the clew to Archie's whereabouts and don't recog- nize 1t yourself; so put me wise, as the slang goes"
 Ther. without preface. in brief. ner- vous sentences, spoken hardly with culver of a muscle or a wayering cadence of the voice, yet nevertheless instinct with a deadly earnestness, Mercer began to talk. He told or his struggling youth on the drained plan tation, mortgaged so that after the in terest was paid there was barely enough to set the meagerest living for mother and sister and little broth CT; of his accidental discovery of iron ore on the place; of his working as common laborer in the steel mills; of his being rooster" 'strand-soy,F "rougher.p heater" roller during .h,ree years while he was waiting for
The Mena weekly star., 1909-05-13
CHAPTER x.
he smoldering Embcrs


 If Mercer's avowal surprised the colonel, there was no trace of such emotion in his face or his manner. "i rasher thought t might be-" he said And our young friend who is pro noting freless stoves with the solemn energy he learned doing Dicly gtunts?'
 MT. Endicott Tracy" Mercer baa the manner of cerenlonious introduce tlon Tracy favored the customary mnrmur of pleasure with his radiant smile.
 Pleased, l am sure," said the colo nel in turn, lowing Your fatber I suppose, is the president of the Mid. land; and MT. Keatcham will, I sup pose, not be able to prevent his re- election tomorrow. Is that the game 9" MT. Tracy's son admitted that it might be.
 An, very clever" said the colonel very. Any side-show, for examrle?"
 T did not go into this for moI ey |" Mercer's level gaze did not relax, ard
 '-NbN hAS AtRdlJ tlto on Winters. peculiar look in the eyes recalled some tragic and alien memory just what, Rupert could not capture; 1t fitted hazlly through his thoughts ere the next words drove 1t off Nevertheless, it is true that if We yin out shall have enough to pay back to all the people who trusted me the money they lost when they were frightened into selling their stock in ihe Tidewater, and your aunt and MT. Tracy stand to make money"
 How do you expect to make it?"
 "The M. X s. stock is away down because of rumors Keatcham is likely to control it. When it is settled it Is not to be footed by him, the stock will rise-we are sure of the ten points; We may make 20"
 And my aunt has financed your scheme, has she?-paid all your ex. penses? ?"
 The Harvard man laughed out. Our