davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
Solve Post Office Department Mystery

The man named upon the envelope
had finally been discharged, and Is
now an object Of charity. The pro
prietor Of the hat establishment
where the man used to work stated
to the postoff1ce inspectors that the
man had formerly worked for him.
and that he had in the past received q
number Of anonymous letters. Then
the inspectors started out to chase the
old man down. finally finding him, and
when they told him that $146 were in
the custody Of the dead letter Office
for him he was overjoyed.
The old gentleman was somewhat
dubious about taking the money. as
he said that there was not anybody on
earth who owed him anything. Then
he made an exception to this state
ment by saying that a great many
years ago he had made silk hat for
man who had promised to pay for
it, but never had. and he thought very
likely that this man was trying to get
even with his conscience by sending
this small sum every month.
The $146 helped to put the old man
on his feet and get him out of the
pocrhouse.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
ELEPHANT Collects Pennies in Zoo

Keepers practice when the bank was
full to take Congo across to the soda
fountain nearby and buy him a quart
OF Ice cream out Of the days receipts.
At this rate Congo soon learned the
value OF money, and also began tn
love !t-not for its own sake. but for
what it brought him. When Richards
went for his luncheon a few DAYS apo
he carefully emptied the bank leavinp
Congo with vacant tin box.
When the keeper had finished h,s
meal he fastened back to the fafthf,,,
Congo. but on the way net fonr r.
bilant urchins. who were dfvidfn1 ca
cents.
There stood Congo. swayin9 mour,-
fully. Beside him Sultana and Kh.--
toum. two other elephants, were hold-
ing up their educated fellow -ho
seemed ILL., '0
A seedy man standing at the raj, A.
planned the case:
Some boys were just in here u,,+,,
some apples they'd stole, and eve--
time they gave the elephant with -.
bank an apple he gave then: q cent
an as soon as they got his la.t cans
! they beat it, e ~
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
Sexton Finds Chests in a Church

Lindgren said, Il heard a rap on the
door of my bedroom Positive that
l had locked the front doors, was
puzzled to know how any one could
have entered. l threw open the door
and standing in the dark hallway {
saw the figure of an old man with 4
long flowing gray beard. asked what
ne wanted and instantly the figure
vanished.
1T was several weeks before the
old man again made his appearance
Determined to investigate the matter.
| followed the old man into the
church. Hardly a second had ELAPSED
until found the strange figure at
my side.
"'Be not afraid he assured me
This building was once a dance hall.
and it was here that l wasted a for.
tune which had been left to me by
my father. who was an Italian noble
man. killed a man in this very
room. Yes. l stabbed him in the back.
| stole the money to buy rum. and
her l am a physical wreck
Early the next night" he said, las
the old man approached the altar I
fixed my camera in position and gave
the picture a long exposure. Mrs.
L1ndgren was with me and we went
directly to our apartment and deyel-
oped the picture. Only the white out
lines of the mans face. head and
beard were shown in the photograph.
but by using q pencil on one of the
negatives. | succeeded in drawing an
excellent Likeness of the mysterious
figure"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

r HERE are the GHOSTS" in the his.
torical old Chapel of the Comfort.
er at 10 Horatio street. near Jackson
square. in New York City! Soren
L1ndgren. who until recently was sex
ton Of the little mission supported by
Ascension parish, of which the Rev.
DR.. Percy Grant is rector. has not
only seen the spirits, but he has taken
photographs of two of them.
These strange. mysterious figures,
according to Mr.. Lindgren. congregate
every evening at the foot of the altar.
1t is weird story Mr. Lindgren tells
OF his experiences in the church,
where he and his wife. who frankly
confesses that none Of the GHOSTS"
have been visible to her, had their
living apartments.
So interested did the sexton be.
come in the movements of the de.
parted spirits that he purchased a
camera and lay awake at night to
take snapshot pictures of them. The
Ltndgrens took up their residence on
an upper floor of the church last No.
vember, and the presence of the
GHOSTS" was revealed to Mr.. Lindgren
the first night he slept there.
About IL o'clock at night" Mr.,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
THE Yemassie Haymakers. a West

THE Yemassie Haymakers. a West
/ side organization in New York
city. whose members say they are
henchmen of Leader THE" McManus,
had an outing at College Point and
the last installment came home by
way of the East Thirty-fourth street
ferry at 1870 o'clock in the morning
They damned the ferryboat, Manhat-
tan Beach, and there were also aboard
number of outsiders returning to
their homes.
= As soon as the boat started Charles
Ammon. 80 years old, SGT Tenth ave-
nue.. called some Of the picnickers to-
gether and announced in no soft tones
that he was going to open court and
that as Judge he would sentence every
one brought before him for disorder
~ conduct.
The idea was taken up readily and
soon several of the "of1cers" appoint
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
DR.. WI Seeks LIGHT on Spirit World

When Mrs. Hennen, regarded a. a
first-class medium by the splrituallsts,
took the floor and asked whether any
one was present who had never re-
ceived message from the spirit
world. DR.. WI signifed that he was
such. The medium declared that she
saw standing by the Chinese minis
ter's side woman Of his country with
two children. She said she had not
been given their names, but described
them to him and remarked that II dur
ing the evening the names were given
her by the spirit she would make them
known to him.
While she gave spirit messages,
names and descriptions of spirits to
persons in the room DR.. WI watched
and listened with the keenest atten-
ton. To his companion another me.
dunn gave long reading" informing
Mr.. Chang he was going away shortly.
but would return.
DR.. WI returned few nights later
and had private sitting" during
which he was told that tho spirit Of
William Mckinley. martyred presi.
dent Of the United States. urged him
to use his efforts for peace. The
spirit Of the Chinese ENJOYS mother
also talked to him.
why Is it cannot sec the spirits? p
was DR.. Wu's question. The mediums
explanation has not been made public.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

NEW YORK.-There is a man in q
~ big real estate firm in the Wall
street district OF New York city who
has not paid penny OF house rent for
the last ten years, although he has
lived during all that time in hand
some apartments in the most fashion
able part OF town: the smallest of
which never is leased for less than
$500 a year. Among the very few
who know the secret OF how he is
able to occupy such expensive quar-
tiers free OF charge he is the most en-.
We'd man. Yet he himself finds his
good fortune something Of q trial.
He does not know from one month
to the next where he will have to
move. He always Is the first tenant
OF all to move into the house. and
when the house begins to I'LL up he
knows he must prepare to get out.
Then this man who lives rent free be.
gins to wonder where he will have
to move to next No sooner has his
family made circle of pleasant &C.
qua1ntances among the other newcom.
ers IN big apartment house than
they have to make some excuse. tele.
phone for the moving vans. and have
their furniture taken to a new place
OF abode.
This nomadic New Workers. re.
moval from one place to another does
not cost him anything. except the
wear and tear on his furniture. and
the labor Of getting settled in each
new apartment. His changing about
Is part of his days work and arises
solely from the fact that he Is consid
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

r HE postoff1ce department in Wash.
1 ington has just solved a problem
that Of several years standing, and
which for long time they feared they
neved would be able to solve. Since
as far back as August, 1904, at regu-
lar intervals, the Boston postmaster
has been sending with his consignment
of dead letters to the dead letter Office
number Of small envelopes, all ad-
dressed with lead pencil in the same
handwriting to the same person,
street and number in Boston, with no
postage paid upon them.
When in time it became necessary
to open these letters at the dead let
ter Office each was found to contain a
81 bill, wrapped in a scrap of brown
paper or old newspaper, without the
least sign or mark by which the SEN
der might be identified.
The number of these letters sent
to the dead letter Office having reached
146, Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral De Graw concluded to send out
his inspectors to run down the mys-
terry, for mystery he felt there must
be.
After long search the postofice in.
spectors found that the name upon
the envelope and the addresses were
correct for the years 1904 to 1907.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

7 1EUT. FATHER of the Washing
l. ton police gave away one Of the
secrets Of the third degree" when he
told Judge Aukan how he extracted
about two dollars in small change
from the mouth Of cclored woman
who pretended that she had a gum
boil.
Policemen Russell. Looper and Har-
ney had made a raid on q house on
G street southwest that was thought
to be a "speak-easy." or, in legal
terms, an unlicensed bar.
The police sent into the house two
or three people with marked coins.
When the raid was made George Tub
man, Annie Tubman and Charles Nor
man we're gathered In, together with
a lot Of evidence In tho SHAPE Of
whisky and beer.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

WASHINGTON. - Having satisfied
W himself regarding the technique
OF flying machines when he visited
Wilbur Wright ia College Park, Nd,
and piled him with all sorts Of ques-
tons. DR.. WI Ting Fang, Chinese min
lister to the United States, turned his
attention to spiritualism and took his
FIRST plunge into the mysteries of the
spirit world. He attended q meeting
Of the Temple League of Spiritualists,
where he was Informed by a medium
that half a dozen spirits lowered by
his side.
From the time the human interro-
cation mark" as DR.. WI has become
known here. entered the hall. accom-
panied by WI Chang. an attache of
the Chinese legation. and took a seat
directly In front of the speakers
platform. he was all open-eyed atten-
ton. Notwithstanding his flowing Dur
pie robes, the minister was not recox-
nized by the half-hundred attendant.
but was the center of curiosity.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
Uncle Sam Plants Fish bv Billion

ed by planting fish in nearly that
number OF rivers. streams, lakes aud
ponds.
OF the entire amount planted. 9S
per cent. was for market fisheries.
only two per cent. being for the use
of sportsmen.
In summing up the conditions for
the fiscal year, Commissioner Bowers
has come face to face with the con-
tingency that in the near future the
Pacific coast may be called upon to
restock the Potomac river and it's
tributaries with shad. Only q few
vars ago shad were taken from the
Potomac and planted in the Sacra.
mento river. where they are now more
plentiful than on the Atlantic coast.
The commissioner is having pre-
pared maps showing the extent to
which nets are planted along the Po-
tomac and its tributaries for catching
the shad as they return from the salt
water OF the Chesapeake Bay to the
fresh water in which they spawn. So
great has been the onslaught on the
fish as they attempt to reach their
spawning ground. that in spite Of all
the efforts Of the bureau to plant
eggs, the catch is constantly decreas.
ing.
seen to return soon, however, and he
stood near Ammon as if enjoying the
proceedings.
Sergt. Irwin told two or three Of his
men to pretend they were assaulting
him and when he started to cry for
help a half-dozen of the Officers"
grabbed them and started to take
them before Ammon.
AS the Judge" was about to ask
what the complaint was, Irwin said
softly: "Now," and his signal was
heard by all his men. Ammon went
to the floor with punch in the face
that nearly took away his senses, and
the policemen seized II of their SELF
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

nUR1NG the last fiscal year more
y fish and fish eggs were distributed
by the bureau of fisheries of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor in
Washington than ever before in its
history. For the first time the total
OF fish and eggs distributed passed
the three billion mark. The exact
number was 3.117,301.525.
Last year the total amount of the
distribution was 2,871. 456,280, and al.
though Commissioner George M.
Bowers suggested early in the year
that he hoped to pass the three bi.
lion mark, small hope was entertained
that he would be able to do it.
In addition to the Increased distribu.
ton, careful estimate has shown
that the cost of distribution has been
reduced to about 1852 million of fish
and eggs distributed, which is a lower
average cLst than has ever before
been attained. The cost during the
previous fiscal year was $160.25. In
1907 it was $172.2S. 1906 s216.So.
When the bureau was established.
In 1904, the cost of distribution was
$403.51 million. while in 1897, the
year before Commissioner Bowers
took charge Of the work. the annual
output was 568,144,042 and the cost
was $397.76 a million.
Ten years ago the number of applf.
cations for the stocking of rivers and
streams with fish of various kinds was
less than 1000. During the last fiscal
year, the applications increased to
nearly 1000 and the bureau respond.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29


to
10
Dewey said
of
lively without
merchant marine e continued Admiral Dewey
to something n nothing
But the American not quite helpless
the OF
place in his
m be
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

<In1CK" RICHARDS, keeper at the
- Bronx Zoo, in New York city, be-
tieved until a few days ago that the
high road to riches lay In simply
catching an elephant. hanging tin
bank on the animal and then teaching
him to beg money from the public and
ring a bell whatsoever be put a pen
ny in the bank.
Richards faith In the integrity of
elephants was a sublime thing, but
now he holds elephants to be not only
immoral, but capable of almost human
imbecility.
In short, 1t was Richards who a
year ago taught the Bronx elephant
Congo to beg pennies and put them in
bank, for which the huge beast has
been famous ever since. It was the
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
Woman's Mouth Was a Speakeasv TIL

Annie Tubman's Jaw was swollen
enormously. Lieut.. Fathers asked her
what was the matter.
Gum boil" was her laconic reply.
"Ahem," said the lieutenant. Then
he began to massage Annie's face.
Out came dime.
ANY more?" he asked. and Annie
shook her head.
The lieutenant gave the face q
pinch. Out came two quarters.
marked money. Another massage. and
Annie disgorged five nickels.
More pinching. more money, until
about 81 were in the neutenant's
hands. Telling about It in court AS
sistant Corporation Counsel Pugh had
the nerve to say to Judge Aukuln
that the woman was forced to cough
up!
Annie and George Trbman were dis
missed. and Charles Norman was held
for further examination.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
House Mascot and His Job

cred as mascot or a forerunner OF
good fortune for certain rich man,
who owns a great deal OF Manhattan
real estate. and who is continually i'm
proving 1t by putting up large apart
ment houses,
One of the crucia! periods in the
life of an apartment house Is when
1t just has been completed. and it is
desired to fill 1t with tenants. All the
apartment houses owned by this rich
man are managed by the firm OF
agents in whose employ is this mascot
who never pays rent Just how the
superstition started is not Known. but
that the man who believes In 1t has
grounds for such belief that are sat-
isfactoroy to himse;: is evident from
its long continuancee.
When a new apartment house be-
longing to this great landlord is f1n-
tshed, the lucky clerk in the agents
/ Office is notified that his quarters will
be ready for him on such and such
day. His apartment Is the first to
be completed. The other apartments
may be still in the hands of painters
and decorators and the halls may be
Uttered with shavings and broken
plaster. But this professional first
tenant has to have his household be.
longings moved in and get them ar
ranged as artistically as possible with
But his field of usefulness is not
confined exclusively to new structures.
1t sometimes happens that an un-
profitable number of vacancies occur
in one CT tie older structures.
Strong IL, the belief in this mans
magnetic Qualities. the landlord tele-
phones him to move in hurry to
the apartment house whose list of ten
ants is Gwindling Even in such
seeming desperate cases as this, where
the apartment house is less attractive
than a newer building, the mascot's
luck seems to warrant the landlords
confidence in it.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29


@ TO De attacked by them yet trying gain the object these
"o De the methods he other
been shsn time and precedent be
Social and Political union in England This is the big militant
organization the English
nurst together with her daughter. Chrtstabel
10 secure the
men, to use the thus obtained establish
weibeng Of the community"
Ins object to be accomplished by six methods
Action entirely Independent Of all political
Opposition to whatever
the franchise
d1date and Independent Of all other candidates.
Vigorous agitation
which women present
The organizing OF
adequate expression their desire
Education Of public opinion
respondence and populations to public representatives
Is there
and feared by the politicians who regarded with enthu
devotion
women are ready rush do her slightest bidding Hundreds
nave already
lives Mrs Pankhurst certainly
of modern
She Manchester
OF the Bas her father being
Poo IN 1879
Henri Rochefor and became
She has
a
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

The latest Enoch Arden has rather
varied the usual order of things in his
celebrated case. Disdaining the mag
nanimity of his prototype, he had the
spouse he left behind him arrested for
bigamy. That he was able to show
any originality at all in the matter of
such long-established precedent is to
his credit, but no amount of other
good qualities can make the whole
class of Enoch Ardens other than IN.
desirable citizens.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

. Prince Nicholas of Montenegro has
been the most capable of the native
rulers Of the small states of eastern
Europe. Having a real king for a SON.
in-law and a car for his best friend.
he will probably find no trouble If he
really tries to assume the title Of kinR
of the Serbs.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

The postal authorities at Washing
ton have ruled that a mail carrier is
not obliged to deliver mail where
vicious dogs are kept, and that owners
Of such animals must call at the post
office for what Is coming to them.
That seems to be an equitable deci-
sion. Uncle Sam is under no obliga-
ton to provide mail carriers as It'd.
bits for savage CANNES.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

The annual average loss of property
by fire in Germany, Austro-Hungary,
Italy, France, Denmark and Switzer-
land Is about 80 cents per capita. In
the United States it is $2.47 a year.
The only consolation for Americans
In such figures-and it isn't very SEN
stble-is the fact that they have more
per capita, than the Europeans to
burn
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

This Is the country of big things.
even in the matter of small ones. The
official statistics show that the people
of the United States have bought
00,000,000 worth of toys in ten years
and that the toy industry here is
large and fourishing. Unquestionably
this is happy land for the youngster
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

The sultan of Morocco is writing to
the powers that he is afraid Spain has
Interior motives and that the powers
might as we'll look into the matter.
Which shows that these oriental bar
barians have caught the infection of
some European diplomacy in the way
OF slyly arousing international jeal-
Ousy
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

The Belgian concesslonalres in the
Congo are suing missionaries for al
legged libelous statements about cruel
ty to the natives. If the trials are
fair, they ought to afford good way
OF bringing out the truth about this
much-mooted point.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29
DEWEY DEFENDS u. s. NAVY

Defending with characteristic vfgor the Amer
lean navy. Admiral George Dewey asserted that
not only is our navy not bluff" but that he Is
confident that 1t would give good account OF
itself should war ever come.
The admiraps remarks were called forth by
a statement attributed to former Representative
Lands Of Indiana, who, in recent speech at
Cincinnati. Ohio. advocating ship subsidy, is re-
ported to have said that those Americans who
are informed consider navy a bluff" The
expression was characterized by Admiral Dewey
as an unfortunate one"
Declaring that he no war clouds gather.
ing on the horizon. Admiral Dewey discussed sew
eral phases of the navy. He expressed himself
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

An authority In western university
declares that too much prosperity al
lows students to buy motor cars, and
that their studies suffer in conse-
Quence. He apparently holds that
work and taste of hardship will keep
In check the natural propensity of the
average student to get into mischief.
No one can deny that a speeding car
is terrible incentive to the fast life.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

Spain has a war abroad and a re-
bellion at home, which is enough to
make her unfortunate government
walk Spanish. At least, this is the
pleasant prospect if they do not win
the war and put down the rebellion.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

Forty-seven Chinese students, an in
stallment of several hundred that are
coming, have started from Picking for
the United States. These young men
will go to various institutions of high
er education, and as they are selected
by competitive tests from the bright
est youths of the Celestial kingdom it
may be reasonably expected that they
will make their mark in scholarship
here.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-10-29

We have the assurance of an expert
that the soil of New York is better
now than it ever was for farm pur.
poses. That must be some satisfao.
ton to the farmer who has spent all
his substance for fertilizers.