davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

Dear Editor:
AS 1t has been SO long since wrote
to the Junior page thought would
write few lines about the sweet
flowers and birds and honey bees
Flowers are very beautiful l think.
They make room smell so sweet by
putting them in a vase. Sweet peas
made beautiful bouquet. They are
some of them purple and some pink
and others light blue and white.
Roses are pink, white, red and yellow.
popies are red and white, pink and
white and just red, and some are just
white and some pink l also think
birds are beautiful. There are blue
jays, wrens. canaries, gold finch.
robins, English sparrows, barn swal-
lows. brown thrash maybe. hummins
birds. doves, rain crow black bird,
meddow lark. There are many people
who when they find blue jays nest
take it down and break the eggs.
Their eggs are very large and have
blue specks on them. Some people
are very cruel to English sparrows, too
by tearing down their nest, but I will
not tear down any birds nest. l en-
JOY going into the woods and gather
ing flowers and listening to the birds
sweet song and watch them build
their nest Honey bees are very odd.
There are three kinds of honey bees:
one queen with every swarm of bees,
and the drones and the workers. My
papa has some bees. He
has the yellow bees and the black
ones. The bees swarm once every
year. We had two swarms to leave
this summer. Bees make lots of
honey from flowers. Well. as my story
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT

Dear Editor: I think the most i'm
portant day Of the week is Friday, be-
cause it is Junior day for us. We get
the paper one day after it is printed.
Mamma, Maude and Mabel and read
the Junior. It is called the Junior but
know great many older people than
the Junior boys and girls who read it.
We girls always try to see who can get
the Junior first, but the one who first
sees the mail carrier is the one who
gets the Junior. like the long story
in the Junior page the best. love to
read Leona Vests letters and stories.
for think she writes splendid stories.
and am very seldom disappointed for
most every week she has either let
ter or story in the Junior. The editor
can class me with the tardy or lazy
Juniors, but it is as the old maxim say,
Better late than never"
I am Daily Junior.
Florence Skirvin, aged IA.
R. r. No. 7. Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
sToRlEs-LETTERs
THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT OF
THIS WEEK.

Dear Editor: The most important
event Of this week occurred about IL
o'clock August 13, when Everett Mil
Ter was drowned two miles below Keo-
sauuua in the Des .Moines river. He
was our neighbor and cousin OF my
aunt, Nellie Rambo. He was visiting
at his sisters in Keosauqua. He and
his nephew were fishing and he STEP
ped off into q large hole of water and
was drowned They found his body
about O'Clock in the afternoon.
We were at a band concert in the
Leando park Wednesday night and
Everett was there among the large
crowd of young folks. Everett was a
school teacher and was soon to leave
to take up school in Montana.
He used to teach school around here
MY cousin went to school to him. He
was very nice writer. This was a
sad as well as the most important
event of this week.
am a Tri-Weel1lv Junior.
Mae Shaffer, age 16.
Douds-Leando, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
Age II.
FERN DESCRIBES HER PosTALs.

Dear Juniors:
/ have eleven cards from the Courier
Junior and l will write about them.
The first one l got was at the time of
the Earthquake in San Francisco. 1t Is
several men looking up Market street
from Ferry during ,the fire.
The next I got was an ocean scene.
There are three boats on it and a lot
of birds. There is q big mountain on
one side of it. One Is Christmas card
and 1t has a little boy with a branch
of evergreen at his side with some
birds on it. 1t says "a Happy Christ
mas to YOU"
Another one is Main street, west
from Market street in Ottumwa. The
First National bank, st. Louis Stone
and several other places can be seer.
Another scene is on Ellens Isle and
Loeb Katrine. Ellen's Isle is small
tree covered with lslet on which Ellen
conducted the wandering F'itz-James,
and wherein he found nights lodg-
ing.
The next one is The Grand Rue 1t
has one it one of the main streets of
the ancient sea port. St Malo was once
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
LEoNA's LETTER.

Lear juniors.
l thank the Courier Junior office
very much for my new post card all
bum which l received from the Cour-
Ter Junior. 1t is very pretty. 1t holds
500 post cards My other post card
album l got from the Courier Junior
holds 31S post cards. / have over 100
post cards at present. l have 26 post
pondents at present If any of the
Juniors fail to hear from me / would
love for them to send me post card
and let me know I havnt answer
the people that 1 owe them an answer.
have little book to keep accounts of
the people l owe now, so that / will be
sure and not forget their last letter.
I am thinking of going to my aunt's
and visit day or two before long. So
rla' be l will write letter to the JNr-
ior while 1 am there.
We have a good many little chickens
at present and a good many large ones.
We have the Plymouth Rock chickens.
We have an incubator and brooder.
They are both 200 capacity.
l love to read the Junior letters and
stories. l am Tri- Weekly Junior My
sisters and brother are all Week.
,ly Juniors. / have written to the Junior
for them all. / have two sisters and
one brother. Their names are Hazel
age 9. Ella age and Arnold ages. l
have brother dead. His name was
Robert Ray. Maybe some of you Jun
Tors saw Basil Groom's letter in the
Junior page a few weeks ago. He is
my cousin. He loves to read the Jun
Tor page. His full name Is Basil Earl
Grooms. He will be IL years old next
December. His address is Ottumwa Ia,
727 West Fourth st. He has brother
and his name Is Leo Ellis Grooms. He
is 10 years old.
Leona Irene Vest,
r. Nos, Ottumwa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

Dear Juniors:
1t has been a long time since I haze
written to YOU. So will write to tell
you what 1 am doing this summer
try to help my mama all l can My
brother John leads the horse to pull
hay on the Kicker and one day he went
to ball game and I worked in his
place and led the horse that afternoon.
| like to play and in the evening when
the work is done and the sun has gone
down and it is nice and cool go out
and get in my big swing on the old elm
tree and I swing for long time. My
mama was in Ottumwa last week and
saw where the Juror page was print
ed but did not have time to call. She
got me litlet doll I took her and
went to visit friend and she gave
meHa pair of pink slippers for my doll
Grace Thomas.
North English la
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
BONE MORE IMPORTANT EVENTS

The Courier Junior judges are SO
pleased with the Most Important
Event" contest that they want us to
hawe this contest run all through the
month of August. AS we deem 1t
best to comply with their wishes, we
will let the Juniors, those who have
already entered the contest, and the
hardy ones, write on the Most I'm.
,,portant Events OF the Week from
their own viewpoint.
The Juniors must make their own
decision about the most important
event because what is important to
one may not be important to another
/ We expect tome splendid stories On
this subject, and Of course will give
some splendid prizes, either a book
or sofa pillow cover, already stamped
with floss to work 1t, or jig-saw puz-
E1e
Mae Schafer of Douds-Leando is the
prize winner this week for the Most
important Event"
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
GLOVES.

Gloves are used as articles of dress.
They are worn as /. covering and a
protection for the hand. They were
used by the ancients and have his
tory very interesting. In some places
they were considered womanish and
In other places the exchange of the
glove meant the exchange of property
and to throw down the glove was a
challenge to fight. They began to be
used commonly in England in 400.
Deer, sheep. lamb, goat, and kid
skins are used in the manufacture of
gloves. Kid skins are the most i'm
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
: FLAX.

Linen thread and cloth are made
from f1bers from the stem of flax
plant. The common kind of fax has
straight, slender stem, two or three
feet high. There are branches near
the top upon which are beautiful blue
flowers. The stalks have a fiberous
rind from which threads used in
spinning are made. When the fax
ripens it is pulled up by the roots 1t
is then rippled to separate the seeds
from the stalks. 1t is then put in
water to loosen the fibres which are
then crushed from the stalks. Then
1t is tied in bundles and taken to the
mills where they are prepared for spin
ming. The next thing is hacking and
1t is put on large cloth and run
through iron rollers. Then they are
twisted and wound on to a bobbin
ready for spinning.
Hemp.
Hemp is something like flax. It Is
sometimes three or four feet high and
sometimes twice as high as a man.
The outside bark makes strong thread.
It goes through the same process as
flax. After spinning the hemp 1s
woven into tent canvas and sail cloth
and sacking and rope.
Jute.
Jute Is something like hemp. It Is
made from the inner bark of an East
India plant Of the same name It
grows from ten to twelve feet high.
Jute Is mostly made into coarse bag
cling and sacking used in the southern
states in bailing cotton Jute. Is sent
to Scotland where it is made into mat
ting and carpets. In India the stems
are made into baskets and coarse pa
per. Part is bleached beautifully and
its fibres are divided into threads as
fine as silk, which Is carded and spun.
1t is mixed and woven with silk, linen,
cotton and wollen goods.
Florence Skirvin, age Ia
R. F. D. No. Z, Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
JESSE ONCE LIVED IN oTTuMWA.

Dear Junior:
I am little boy eight years old. l
live in the country six miles south of
Douds-Leando We moved here from
Ottumwa last December. have lots
of little friends in Ottumwa whom |
would like to see. have two brothers.
their names are Ralph and Roy. Ralph
is five years old and Roy is three. For
pets l have cat and three little kit
tens. We have lots of chickens. My
papa takes Daily Courier. 1 love to
read the Junior letters. AS my letter
Is getting long will close.
Your little friend,
Jesse Williamson, age s,
r. F. D. No. Douds-Leando, Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

a corsair stronghold. now fashionable
sea side resort. st. Malo Is beautifully
situated on an island in the center Of
the bay and Is principal seat port for
visitors of Britain. The next card is an
"Old Nanny She is negro. In
slavery days they were called Nam
mics" 1t is very cute picture. The
next one Is Rev. VIM. Sunday. His
words are who will lead the way" 1t
is q good picture of him Another one
has Ottumwa High school and greet
ings from Ottumwa. Ia.
/ have a Lincoln card too. 1t has his
picture and these words on it. Die
when 1 may 1 want it said of me by
those that know me best, that always
plucked a thistle and planted flower
where l thought a flower would grow"
The last one was a Japanese girl
with a big fan by the right side of her
face.
q Ferne Epperly.
r. No. 8, Ottumwa, Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

Of speech. But II thou wilt not, then
will | take from thee thy newborn
babe"
And the power to answer was given
to her. but her heart was hard, and
she said, mo, I did not open the
door" At these words the Guardian
Angel took the child out Of her arms
and went away with him.
The next morning, when the child
was not to be seen, murmur arose
among the people. They said that
their queen had destroyed her only
son. Although she heard everything,
she could say nothing.
But the king did not believe the III
report, because Of his great love TO.
her.
Another son was born, and on the
night Of his birth the Guardian Angel
again appeared, and asked: "Wilt
thou confess that thou didst open the
forbidden door? Then will I restore
to thee thy son, and give thee thy
power Of speech; but il not, then will
take this newborn babe also with
me-"
Then the queen answered again,
"No, l did not open the door," Upon
this the angel took the second child
out Of her arms and bore him away
On the morrow. when the infant
could not be found, the people said
openly that the queen had slain him
The kings men advised that she
should be brought to trial. But the
king would not believe it, and he conf
manded his men never to mention the
report, on pain of Geath.
The next year beautiful little GIL
was born, and for the third time the
Guardian Angel appeared and said tc
the queen, "Follow me-" Taking hel
by the hand, she led her to the king
dom of Happiness. Then she showed
her the two other children, playing
merrily.
The queen rejoiced at the sight ars
the angel said, SIS your heart yet
softened? If thou wilt confess that
thou didst unlock the forbidden door,
then will I restore thee both thy
sons" But the queen answered, mo
I did not open it, At these words
she sank upon the earth, and her third
child was taken from her.
When this was told the next day, all
the people cried "The queen is muir
deress!" AS the king could not prove
her innocent, she was condemned tt
die.
Wood was brought, she was bouni
to stake, and a fire was lighted
around her. Then the iron pride Of
her heart began to soften, and she
thought, Gould I but now, before my
death, confess that l opened the
door," And her tongue was loosened,
and she cried aloud, "Thou good
Angel, confess"
At these words the rain fell from
heaven and put out the fire. Then a
great light shone above, and the angel
appeared upon the earth. BY her side
were the queens two sons, one on
her right and one on her left. In her
arms she bore the newborn babe.
Then the angel gave the queen her
three children, promised her happy
future, and said, whoever will repent
and confess sin, shall be forgiven
Grimm.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
BERT HAS BEEN HAVING.

Dear Editor:
received the post card you sent
me for which 1 thank you very much.
l have good many post cards, but
none like the one you sent me of the
hospital.
It is a good thing that Ottumwa has
such nice building for the care of the
sick.
We have been haying all this week.
did the raking while the other hands
pitched and stacked it. We have be-
tween 20 and % tons of hay.
This Is all 1 will rite now, but
next time will write about my pets.
Bert C. Sewers, aged IL,
r. F. D. No. /, Blakesburg, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
! The Duck ond The kolluOO.

Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
Good gracious! how you hop
4 Over the fields and the water too,
AS If you would never stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond
And long to go out in the world be
yond:
wish could hop like you,'
said the Duck to me Kangaroo.
4 ~Please give me ride on your back,
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo:
81 would sit quite still and say moth
ing but 'Quack,
The whole of the long day through
And we'd go to the Dee, and the Jelly
j 30 Lee,
/ Over the land and over the sea:
I! Please take me ride! Oh, dol"
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
Said the kangaroo to the Duck,
This requires some little ref1ec
ton
Perhaps, on the whole, it might bring
me luck:
And there seems bSt one objection
Which is, if you'll let me speak sc
ssuid,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and
cold,
And would probably give me the
roo
Matiz," said the Kangaroo.
Said the Duck, "As I safe on the rocks
I thought it over that completely;
And | bought four pai- Of socks,
Which fit my web feet neatly;
And, to keep out the cold, I've bought
cloak;
And every day cigar I'll smoke;
All to follow my own dear true
Love Of Kangaroo
Said the Kangaroo, I'm ready
All in the moonlight pale;
And to balance me well, dear Duck
sit steady,
And quite at the end of my TALL
40 away they went with hop and {
ssg1nd;
And they hoped the whole world
three times round.
And who SO happy, oh! who,
AS the Duck and the Kangaroo?
Edward Lear.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
A HONEY BEE sTuNG BETH.
Dear EDITOR

Dear Editor
I am little girl eight years old.
have three brothers and two sisters.
My brothers names are Arch, Lloyd
and Fred, and my sisters names are
Mable and Maybe. They are twins
Yesterday was stung by honey bee.
I pretty nearly stepped on it and It
stung me. went to school every day,
but it is out now / go to school att
Hawkeye. My teachers name was
Belle May. l am in the fourth reader.
My studies are reading, arithmetic.
language and spelling. Well, as my
letter is getting long, l will close.
Beth Hardy, age 8,
R. F. D. No. I, Box 5,
Russell, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

Dear Editor: Once there was lit
tie boy named Charlie who was not
afraid of anything. He would pick UP
frogs or bugs, or walk up to goat or
a dog and pat him Just as If he was an
old friend. But he was a good boy
and never hurt any creature. When
he drove the cows home he would tall,
to them. He loved the COWS that gave
him milk to drink
One day he crossed lot that was
fenced in. He saw a big bull trotting
towards him. Do you think he was
frightened? Not bit. He pulled up
a handful of grass as quick as he
could
The bull ate the grass. Then Char.
lie gave him some more. The bull
ate till he had enough.
The next day he brought him some
turnips. He brought something to
him every day.
One day Charles father passed the
lot and saw him riding on the bull.
Charles father called him. He grew
pale when he saw Charlie take hold
of the bulls horns and let himself
down over the bulls head. He ex-
pected to see the bull toss him in the
air. But he only rubbed his black
nose against Charlie and let him run
to his papa.
The next day the bull was taken
away, for Charles father did not want
him to have such dangerous friend.
Well. as my letter is getting long,
will close.
am a Tri-Weekly Junior.
Yours truly,
Marion Mincks, age 10,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
"THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT
OF THE WEEK."

Dear Editor: call Friday the most
Important event of the week, for that
Is the day the Courier Junior comes.
always watch for the mail carrier for
want to get the Courier Junior to see
what the contests are or If any of us
get letter or story in print. am al.
ways glad when the Courier Junior
comes. I read all the contests and
stories and letters l write to the
Courier Junior from my cousins who
live in Batavia. Their names are Ma.
mie and Clara Maring
am Daily Junior.
Maude Skirvin, aged II,
R. r. No. Z. Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
WOOL.

Wool comes from sheep. It Is snow
white. About June the men shear the
sheep with sheaing machine or
shears. They sell the wool at market.
Then 1t is made into clothing. We buy
it from the store.
Most Of the wooden goods are manu-
featured in New England states. The
country is not successful for farming
SO the people raise sheep. It is e good
grazing country for sheep.
People wear wooden clothes mostly
in winter time. They wear them next
to their lungs. Wool is sold every
day.
Genevieve -Iincks, age
R. F. D. No. 8, Ottumwa, Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
WARREN's DOG.
Dear Juniors:


Dear Juniors:
I thought l would write a story
about my dog. His name is Duke. OF
an evening when / go to work or do
the chores he comes around shaking
an old rag. If I do not play he grabs
my cap. mittens. or anything he can
get and runs off until he finds the rag
and he drops it and runs. Sometimes
when he is running he catches his foot
in the rag and turns a somerset, but
he is up again before I can run and
catch him. He cost me one dollar, but
l have had more than dollars worth
Of fun out of him alreadv. He is full
blooded Scotch Collie.
Warren Mccormick,
Trumbull, Neb.
Aro
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
TWENTY COWS AT THE loops,

Dear Juniors:
l hae not written for a long time
and will now write. I live on Mr.. Mil
lisack's farm and like to live here bet
ter than on the river. We have about
two hundred little chicks and about
little ducks. We have twenty cows and
heifers and we milk five cows. I milk
two and mama three. We have five
calves, six work horses and three colts
in the pasture. I planted some flower
seed and they were growing nicely
when the rabbits ate them. / go to
Sunday school every Sunday l can. l
have one sister. Her name is Ada, age
8, two brothers Max age and Alvy,
aged 20 months. l am taking music
lessons and my teachers name is Miss
Myrtle Moore. like her very much.
Anna loops.
Agency. Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
PAUL WANTS TO EXCHANGE
POSTALS.

Dear Courier junior
Well, as 1 have never written 10
you, I will write to you. walk two
miles to school. I have two sisters
and one brother. My teachers name
is Mr.. Linn Bruce. I have rifle and
l have killed lots of rabbits with it
in the winter. My papa takes the Tri-
Weekly Courier and owns 1855 acres
of land in Van Buren, county. All
the Juniors that will send me postal
card, will send them one.
AS this is my first letter, will close
for this time.
Yours truly,
Paul Mitchell, age IL,
Box SO,
Bonaparte, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT
OF THE WEEK.

The most important event for me
was Thursday, August 5. In the after
noon went to Sunday school party
at my teachers home. There were 10
there. There are Is in my class, but
five were absent. We had candy, ice
cream and cake for refreshments. We
played drop the handkerchief" and
''tea kettle" IT brought back what
borrowed" and 'tten steps" Then we
swung in the hammock and some of us
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
The Courier Junios
Published by
THE CoURlET. PRINTING CO..
oTTuMWA, IOWA.
MATILDA DEVEREAux.
EDITOR.
arHE SWEETEST CHILD KNOW"

Dear Juniors: Don't you think that
the subject, "The Sweetest Child
Know" will make splendid con
test? We think we hear all the Jun
tors saying, Eyes, yes" Besides writ
ing on this subject we want the Jun
Tors to send us pictures Of the chill
dren they write about. OF course
we will not be able to use all the pic.
lures, but we promise to return all
those that we do not use. We prom
sse to give splendid prize, but will
not announce it until we read some
of the stories. This contest opens at
once and closes August 81.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
THE SOUVENIR CARDS.

You all know that we give the Jun
iors a souvenir postal album when
they have Is cards from the Junior
We will not use letters when the
We will not use the letters when the
Juniors simply acknowledge the pos
tails. We always want nice little
gtories when the Juniors do not want
to write letters. Il you all do not want
to select your own subjects. you may
write on one of the Fo',"-7ing sub
iects:
CORN.
HAY.
OATS.
PEACHES.
WATERMELONS.
GRAPES.
Besides sending a souvenir card, we
will give surprise prize to the Jun
Tors writing the best letter be
tween now and September 1.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
LIKES HER TEACHER.

Dear Juniors:
AS l have not written to the Cour-
Ter Junior for some time l thought
would write again. go to school. My
teachers name Is Ruth Johnson /
like her for teacher. 1 have nice
pet lamb that one of our neighbors
gave me. l call him Billy. Hoping to
see my letter In print, remain
Alley Davis.
Hedrick Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

puayed on the piano. My mother and
sister Hazel came for me about
o'clock. We had very nice time. This
is what call the most important
event Of that week.
Alverna Stever, age IL,
Libertyvilla, Iowa.
R. R. No. l. Box 4.