davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22
HERO WORSHIP.

A great man is great only because
he fits into the conditions of his own
time. At any other time. or in any
other age he would be only an in
significant figure. Tt is true of every
great men on the worlds theater of
action.
Caesar would have been nothing, in
any time but his own. So of Bona
parte, True, to an extent, men like
these give direction and fame to their
own times, while the% make fame for
themselves. Yet it remains that the
time in which the man lives makes
the man. The American revolution
made Washington. It gave him op-
portunity for exercise of his very great
mental and moral power. In the
same way the conflict over slavery,
and the great civil war, opened to
Lincoln the way to fame. Great men
are the accidents of opportunity.
It is true. possibly, that no other
man of Caesars time. or in Caesars
place, could have accomplished what
he did. So of Washington. So of
Lincoln. In each and every case
there is peculiar adaptability to
situation or pportunity.-Portla
Oregonian.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22
An Odd telegraph Line

What a writer calls t'the most orig
1na1 telegraph line in the world" once
extended between the city of La Paz,
the capital of Bolivia, and the town
of Oruro. In this part of Bolivia
there are no growing trees, and wood
is so difficult to procure that even the
ordinary household furniture of the
natives is invariably made not of wood
but of dried mud, or adobe, as it is
called. When the war broke out in
1880 between Chile and Bolivia this
material was used to construct pillars
to take the place Of ordinary posts for
supporting telegraph wire, with the
addition of old bottles as insulators.
These pillars were subsequently built
on stone foundations. and measured
about feet square on the base, with
height of about Is feet. They were
placed at intervals of about 361 feet
and thus held the wire at a height suf-
fcient to clear the only animals of
the. country. the llama and donkey.
The total length of the line was 1876
miles, and it rendered useful service
for some ten years before being re-
placed by the ordinary wooden tele-
graph pole line.-Chicago News.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

''Now. dear, take one of those powders
that the doctor prescribed for your in
somnia." why are you so anxfous?" so
you won't hear me when come in to-
night, ,"-Fliegende Blaetter.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Tommy-Pop. what is the difference be
tween a cook and a chef? Tommy's Pop
About $50 a. week. my son.-Phiiadelphia
Record.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22
Churns Butter With Auto.

II mas been discovered here that an
automobile can be used effectively as
outter churn and that the butter
can be churned while the machine is
formance of other duty. The discov-
erer is Warren Schelling, chauffeur
Tor Charles Spohr, dairyman in the
Jacksonville turnpike. 1t is thought
Lnat within six months every dairy
farm IN this section of New Jersey
Will be churning by the auto process
and that Schelling will be hailed
throughout the countryside as a great
penefactor of womankind. Like many
other discoveries, this one was made
by accident. Truly, in this instance,
necessity was the mother of invention.
Schell1ng, who was driving the Spohr
auto-mfIk wagon, ran out of water
on the way from the farm to Caldwell
70 70 snip milk and cream to market.
Ihe machine stopped. When Schell-
ing investigated the water cooler he
discovered it was empty. Besides he
was far from any water supply.
i've read some place. he said to
himself, that normally milk consists
of SO per cent water, per cent sub
stances which produce muscle, and g.
per cent fat. That is not as good as
cucumbers, which are 81 per cent
water, or even as good as turnips,
U wnich are s4.4 per cent water: How
ever, as cucumbers are out of season
and the farmers have buried their tur-
ntps, guess I'll have to fall back on
milk, so here goes"
He lifted can. poured in the yell
loWish-white fluid, closed the water
cooler, put on power and was soon on
his way to Caldwell again. The town
almost was in sight when the machine
baked again. Schelling opened the
water cooler and discovered it was
filled with fresh butter, favored with
gasoline. He looked at the can again
and discovered he had filled the water
cooler with pure cream, which is 100
per cent fat. Abandoning his butter
clogged machine, he walked to Cald-
well for help. Horses dragged the
four-wheeled churn to a garage, and
all the way there was SchiIling trying
to think out an auto attachment for
printing and wrapping butter after
the churning process is finished-Ve-
roma On. Y.) dispatch to New York
Press
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Friend-What-yot pawned your over
coat to get canvas for your painting? Ar
tist-Yes. Friend-And how much did you
get for the picture? Artist-Nearly
enough to get my overcoat Out-Cleve-
land Leader.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Impossible.-''You could hire a house in
New York 80 years ago for $27 year"
Impossible" But it's an historical fact"
Impossible, tell you. 1 wasn't there
Philadelphia Ledger.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Near-sighted Guest (at banquet)-I pre-
sumo the next thing will be a long and
tiresome speech from some talkative guy.
Man Sitting Next-Ohi suppose So I'm
the talkative guy that has to make the
Speech.-Chicago Tribune.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

De Young-I hear you and your young
wife are on the outs. Oldgold-YeS. De
Young-Haven't you made any advances
toward reconciliation? Oldgold-Ohl yes,
I've made an advance of several thousand
dollars.-Chicago News.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Just His Blutf-'So you have named your
little girl Investigation "Yes." isn't
that queer name?' "Well, we read every
day of some rich man counting investiga-
ton, and we shall want our daughter to
marry well."-Houston Post.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Whats that mantle of Elijah / fire.
quently see reference tor Don't know.
but if it has lasted all these years it can't
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Doesn't she ever stop talking?'' "Ohi
yes; when she's breaking in a fresh piece
of gum.''-Louisville Courier-Jo Journal
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

'I'Il take it to the Mayor. If he re-
fuses me justice, I'll take it to the Cover
nor, and If he don't, do anything, I'll take
it to the President OF the United States
What disgraceful thing did he do?' He s
been fined 81 for not having his dog tag
ged."-Kansas City Journal.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Peter" said Mrs. Pneurich, ST want
you to have that roof taken of our garage
and one of a different kind put on" what
for?'' demanded Mr.. Pneurich. whats
the matter with it?' II heard an archi-
tect say the other day that it's a hip roof.
Everybodys knows that hips are out OF
style now"-Chicago Tribune.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Il am so happy she said. Ever since
my engagement to Charlie the whole world
seems different. l do not seem to be in
dull, prosaic England, but" ''Lapland,
suggested her little brother, who was do
ing his geography lesson.-Illustrated Bits.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

Hubbubs-Do you have any police pro-
lection out where you live? Subbubs-
saloon on the next corner and an Irish
cook in the kitchen.-Philadelphi Rec
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22

'Ts Mrs. Brown at homer" inquired the
caller. mo, ma'am, she isn't" replied the
maid. Then It was you who was sing
ed the corner" said the caller. mo. in
deed. ma 'am,' cried the indignant maid;
that's was missus!'-CleVeland Leader.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
THE POWER OF WATER.
A Stream from Flrsman's Hoss WI
Knock a Man Down.


When a man goes in swimming Mt
the seashore and slaps the water for
cibiy with his hand, OF takes a back
/ dive from a pier aud lands squarcly
on his bach. he realizes that the un-
stable liquid offers not a little resist
ance. Yet, says a writer in the New
| York Tribune, 1t would surprise almost
anybody to see what water will do un-
der certain conditions.
A stream from a freman's hose will
knock a man down. The Jet from a
nozzle used in placer-mining in the
West eats away a large piece of land
in a day, toys with great boulders as
II they we're pebbles, and would shoot
a man over the country as though he
were proiectile from a cannon.
There is a story OF an Eastern
blacksmith who went West and made
n bet taat he could knock a hole
| through the Jet Of one Of these nOz-
! zles with a sledge-hgmmer. He lifted
his arms, swung the sledge, and came
down on the ten-inch stream with a
force that would have dentel an anvil.
But the Jet, never penetrated, whished
! the massive hammer out OF the black
smiths hands, and tossed it several
hundred feet away into the debris OF
gold-bearing gravel beneath a crum-
! bling eliff. After this the blacksmith
lett out iron when he spoke Of hard
substances.
There is also a power plant near
Durango, Colorado, where a United
States cavalryman one day thought he
| had an easy job in cutting a two-inch
| stream with his sword. He made a
valiant attack The result was that
ns sword was shivered in two and
his wrist broken.
A little thinner jet of water descend
ng sixteen hundred feet to a manu-
,actory at Grenoble, Spain, and travel
ng at the moderate speed OF one hun
ired yards a second, fractures the best
! blades OF Toledo.
OF course some people will not be-
ieve such stories without having seen
he thing. and one may think it a
proof Of the scientific Imagination to
say that an inch-thicl, sheet OF water,
provided It had sufficient velocity,
would ward OF bombshells as well as
steel plate.
Nevertheless, many persons, while
travelling, have seen a brakeman put
! small hydraulic jack under one end
u a Pullman car and lift twenty tons
lr so by a few leisurely strokes Of the
pump handle; and the experience Of
-iding every day in hydraulic eleva-
Tor tends to remove doubts OF the
magic power possessed by water hitch
ed 10 a machine.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
THE ExPaorAwr HARD.
no Charge Made, 5ut Present o.
Money Not Refnsea.

In recording an Hines OF his grand
father. Gen. John Watts De Peystcr
tells an amusing story in connection
with indian hemp. 1t is printed in hi5
Biography by Mr.. Frank Allaben.
Indian hemp was recommended IA
a remedy during my gr.udiather's i'll
ness, but where to get 1t was the
question. Finally soc one said It
was grown in the garden OF old NJ.
Henry Brevoort, who owned a laIse
plot on the east side OF broadway. OK.
tending through to the Bowery above
Tenth street Grace Church stands on
part OF this ground.
Doctor Bihby gave me come morey,
tod ME to jump into his E 6, drive Up
to Brevoort's old low-stoiied cottage
house on tho Bowery, aud tell the
owner that wanted some Indian
hemp for my grandfather. John Watts.
was to use diplomacy II necessary,
but not 10 return without It.
l trottcj along briskly. reused -slr.
Drevoort from a nap, stated my case,
found no demur, and got the Indian
hemp. which he dug up with his own
hands.
How much am 70 pay7" Qucs.
toned.
II never sells it," iir. Brevoort ro-
piled, because IL taiSes money FOR
Indian hemp, it weakens the vartoo.
stated that ] was ordered to pay,
and we discussed the matter, walking
across the garden toward tie zig,
which had left on Broaiway.
had made up my mind that hal
met with a disinte-cstod Christian
had replaced the NO = N NJ rcc':cs,
ard had my foot on the . Lep, When
! felt brawny, sunburnt, frecklod
hand restraining nc aud heard these
words whispored in my ear: Il never
sells Indian hemp, FOR that wcakeas
tho vartoo but If I gives it, l never
refuses q present
] eXtricptej the money conlded IA
NO placed Il IN the eyrectant hand
hurried home and related my story,
and I have heard it laughed over
many times.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
A WEED EATING cNrEpEn.
It Protects the Rubber Plant from the
L1ianp.


II appears that at last an antidote
las been found 70 the noxious weeds
which are 60 frequently the death Of
certain forms OF plant and vegetable
life r. Tie last Specimens Of this
wonderful find" have been forwarded
to the authorities at Kew Gardens.
This plant is blue towering creeper
botanicaliy known as the Commelina
dudinora linaea. but called "rumput
gremah" by the natives of Malaysia
and "ge-war.an" by tie Javanese. Al
though the report made at Kew goes
to show that this crceper is common
throughout the middle East, 1t would
seem that the managers OF estates and
plantations have not known Of its pc
culiarly welcome properties until very
recently and accidentally.
The prolific weed known as ''lalang"
is the great enemy TO rubber growth.
It was the accident of observing that
where the blue lowered creeper came
in contact with the lalang the latter
became much less injurious that In
duced planter to send specimens to
Kew. II seems that at first one be-
gins to notice that the weeds are be-
coming less prolific where the creeper
is growing among them. This i'm
provement steadily increases as time
goes on and It has been found that
under the Influence Of this antidote
lalang which was formerly four or five
feet in height has been reduced to
Only one or two feet when it starts to
flower.
But the Joyful discovery having
been made that here was an undoubt-
Cd setback TO the weedy growth that
chokes. young rubber and is the bane
Of the planters life, the question
arose: Would the antidote itself exer-
cize a prcjudicial effect on the rub
her? Therefore the specimens were
duly submitted to Kew, and, as stated
to our representative, The new creeper
Is unlikely to have any harmful effect
on young rubber trees" Planters all
over the East may therefore take
heart OF grace and also take this new
medicine"
In appearance tie blue lowered
| Commelina nudiflora IS rather pretty,
and like the weeds which It first
checks and then kills It crows with as
tonishing rapidity. The particular es-
tate whose manager made the discov-
cry and acted upon it SO promptly and
satisfactory is the Langkon estate, in
British North Dorneo. The amount
Of rubber produced annually in the
Straits Settlements is Of course very
large. and the results of the discovery
and Its successful application are like
!y to be FAR reaching.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
children's Sayings.

Wordsworth's lines Of the child at
play, 'as if his whole vocation were
endless imitation" were recently re-
called by conversation overheard In
the children's ward at the John Hop
dns Hospital.
A little girl Of mine, whose role was
that of nurse, rang an imaginary tele.
phone or the wall to talk to her com.
panion at the farther end of the room,
who played the part of doctor.
"Hello!" said the nurse. "Is this
the doctor?"
"Yes," answered a deep voice; this
is the doctor"
This lady is very sick" he was in.
cSfmed.
well, what seems to be the trou.
ble?" a bit grufhy.
''She has swallowed a whole bottle
OF ink" said the nurse.
The doctor, not furried, inquired
what had been done for the patient;
but the nurse, too, was ready in emer.
gencies. She answered.
Il gave her two large pads of blot.
ting paper!"
Ben, aged 8, was inclined last au.
tumn to dispute the fact, rs taught
him by his father, that God gave him
all he had. After an incredulous Even
those peanuts from the stcre?" hc
yielded to an older mind, and, screw.
ing his eyes tight shut. continued his
evening prayer.
After asking a blessing for each
member of the family, he said,-
Thank Cod for the peanuts and my
express wagon" adding after a slight
pause. but, Oh Lord, you certainly
lid send baby some wormy chestnuts." ;"
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
Hands Arc Rapidly.

A horrible revelation is made In q
publication devoted to scientific mat
ters. 1t is that hands age even
more rapidly than faces So where
as women make every effort to pre-.
serve the youthful aspect OF their
aces, they foo'ishly allow their
hands to Civ them away. Il Is ex-
Eenlely disconcerting to think that
'Lo obserysnt eye is not fixed on the
ace, or even on the telltale chin. but
IN the hands. There are ways, for
tunately, by which their treache9y
an be cir .Imvented. but precautions
are more likely to be neglected in
:heiS case than in that OF the face.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
Jshnny on Baths.

Mrs. Phelps Stokes, the young so
eialist worker. recounted, at a social
ist meeting in New York. her amusing
experiences amongst slum children.
On the subject OF baths IN winter,
she said.
Il expostulated the other week with
one of those mothers who at the be-
ginning OF cold weather. sew their
little ones up in hannels, freeing them
with the return of spring. / persuad.
ed this mother TO battle her children
regularly. Then. last week, visited
her again.
"Well,' | said. now do the winter
baths go!'
The children don't like II. mA'am,
saia the mother. Johnny refused his
bath positively yesterday. lie said
you could do as you liked, and hC
would do as he liked. You like to be
cold and elean-he likes to be warm
and dirtyi'"
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
oaeREr sEnvlcEeEcRETWENEas
Ns One Ever Heard Of a Detective
Being Killed.

Funny thing, but can you remem-
Der ever having heard or read OF
Gecret Service operator having been
murdered?" It vss an old New York
detective speaking. "Of course you
haven't, and yet they are in a line OF
work in which men are killed now and
then, in spite of the fine way in which
ell the Secret Service men stand
by each other. The fast is that
the Secret Service keeps the
murder of one of its agents
iust as secret as some important mat
ter of State it has discovered. The
Secret Service man when he joins
knows that II he dies in the discharge
OF his duty he simply disappears and
becomes as one who never lived. His
relatives never know.
"They are told he has gone on
some far distant mission, in which he
finally disappears and they begin 20
receive his pension. Yet, while the
murderer Of a Secret Service man IS
never arrested or punished for the
crime, never even accused, he is pun
ished Just the same.
'T remember the case of a Secret
Service man who was stabbed to death
after midnight by an infuriated Italian
counterfeiter in Mulberry street, not
half mile from Police Headquarters.
A Secret Service man drove up swift
iy in a cab intended for the captured
counterfeiter. The dying man was put
in before he had left much blood on
the pavement to tell of the murder.
He died next day. No one ever heard
OF 1t nor Of any punishment for this
murderer. But the counterfeiter was
shortly after brought up for counter
feiting and got sentence long enough
to keep him in State prison for the
rest of his life"
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
The White Death.

One of the most curious Of the nat
ural phenomena peculiar to the Rocky
mountains is the mysterious storm
known to the Indians as "the white
DEATH"
Not many years ago a party OF three
women and two men were crossing a
part of Colorado in a wagon during
tie month OF February. 1t was a de-
lightful morning, very frosty, but with
brilliant sunshine, and the atmosphere
as clear as crystal.
Suddenly one of tho women put her
hand to her face and said that she had
been stung; then other members of
the party did the same thing, but no
insect could possibly live in that tenn
perature.
A moment later they noticed that
the distant mountains were disappear
ing behind cloud of mist, a most un-
usual thing for that time of year. They
drove on and in a few minutes a gen
ue wind began to blow ana the air
became filled with fine particles Of
something that scintillated like dia-
mond dust in the sunshine.
Still they drove on until they came
to a cabin, where a man signalled
them to stop. With his head all muf-
fed up he rushed out and handed the
driver piece of paper on which was
written:
Come into the house quickly or the
storm will kill all of you. Don't talk
outside here"
No time was lost in getting inside
and putting the horses under cover,
but in less than an hour the whole
party was seized with violent coughs
and fever, and before the next morn
ing one of the women had died with
all the symptoms of pneumonia. The
others managed to pull through after
long illnesses,
Scientists call this phenomena froz.
en- fog, but whence it comes has nov
at present been traced.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
Directions for Amateurs.

A writer IN the Munich Jugend has
published five signs which should be
helpful to all VINO have to criueise
pictures.
l. If the artist paints the sky gray
and the grass black, he belongs to the
good old classical school.
2. II he paints the sky blue and
the grass green. he is a realist.
3. If he paints the sky green, and
the grass blue, he is an impressionist
4. If he paints the sky yellow and
the grass purple, he is a colorist.
8. II he paints the sky black and
the grass red. he shows possession OF
great decorative talent.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
A True pigeon stony.

A gentleman had two pairs Of
pigeons living in dovecots placed Hids
by side. In each pigeon family there
was father and q mother bird and
two ittle ones. On certain day the
Parents in one dovecot went away to
get food, and while they were gone
one of their little birds fell out Of the
ioyccot and down to the ground. The
POOR baby bird was not much hurt,
strange 10 say, but 1t could not get
back, for IL was too young to fly.
Now, the parents in the other dove
Cot were at home when this happened,
End 1t seemed rs n they said TO thom-
selves: "Onc Of our babies might fall
out in Just that way. We must do
something to make the dovecot safer" "
And thea this wise, careful father and
mother went to work. They few
about until they found some small
sticks. These they carried to their
own dOvecot, and there in the door.
way they built cunning little fence
Of sticks, not so high but that the 1T.
tie pigeons could look over 1t, but
high enough to keep them from ever
falling out Of the dovecot as their lit.
tie neighbor had done. The owner OF
the pigeons, who had seen the bird.
ling fall and had put 1t back into its
dovecot, watched the birds the whole
time as they gathered the sticks and
built the fence across the doorway
This is a true story. and It is oftea
told to some children in Boston by a
lady who knows the owner of these
very pigeons.
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
They Worked on Benches.

The dignifed dame was not really
English, but she had mastered the dla-
lect to some extent.
my nevvew 'Erbert," she said,
wants TO marry a school teacher!
Fawncy! A person who works for a
living! To be sure, now that / think
OF 1t, that is not always a disgrace.
You. my dear. write for the press now
and then, am told, but you don't ave
to, you know. That is different"
YES" replied the young person to
whom she was speaking, but | may
be said to have inherited a tendency
to work, My father and grandfather
both worked for a living, and they
were not allowed even the luxury of
a chair to sit on. They worked on
benches"
Dear mel" exclaimed the dignifed
dame, greatly shocked. What did
they-ah--work at?"
We'll, my father was a Judge Of the
superior court, and my grandfather
was one of the justices of the United
States supreme court"
Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-05-14
A Lazy Boys Inv.ntlon.

The long-handled shovel has made
over three hundred thousand dollars
Tor its inventor, and the inventor was
a lazy, shiftless boy OF seventeen
named Reuben Davis, whose father
lived in Vermont az the time. lie set
Reuben TO digging dirt and loading IT
on wagon, and the shorthaudled
shovel made the boys back ache. One
afternoon when his father was away,
he took out the short handle and sub.
sttuted a long one. and found the
work much easier.
When Mr.. Davis reached home Reu,
ben got a whipping; but otter the old
gentleman had used the shovel him,
self, he saw that IL was a good thing
and had II patented They are now
manufactured almost by the million,