davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
LEoNAs SECOND OBSERVATION.

This is the second time I have writ
ten in the observation contest l was
very much surprised when l saw
was an observer. am very glad am.
My birthday comes on June
1, 1909. l will be 10 years old then. |
went to my uncle's yesterday, Sunday,
May %, 1909. saw rabbits and birds.
The names of some Of the birds were
black and white birds, bluebirds, black
birds. lettuce birds, wild canary birds,
meadow Iarks, brown thrushes and
wrens and robins. They were all very
pretty indeed They were fluttering
about from limb to limb. They were
jumping and flying from tree to tree.
Some were building their nests. also
saw many pretty wild and tame flow
ers. They were very pretty. The wild
flowers are in bloom yet in the woods.
Some of the wild flowers I saw were
wild larkspurs, crab apple blossoms OF
many kinds, cherry blooms, horse rad.
ish blossoms, daisies, butter cups
sheepshar blossoms and white thorn
| blossoms.
| Some of the tame flowers were Ii
| laos, hollyhocks, snow balls, bleeding
hearts, peonies, ramblers of many
kinds, but not in bloom, fowery am
mons, many colors of pinks and many
| other kinds. Some of the flowers were
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
MY OBSERVATION, TREES.

The trees are all getting their leaves
now. There are SO many trees on the
way to school I thought 1 would write
about them There are large ones and
small ones. Some trees grow very tall
and some do not. Some of the trees
are in bloom now and some are just
budding out. Some of the ones that
are in bloom now are cherries, apples,
peaches and plums and crab apples.
The wild crab apples are pink. When
they bloom they have sweet per-
fume. Some tame apple blossoms are
pink. I think they are very pretty.
will name some of the shade trees:
Maple, oak, cottonwood. elm, ash and
pine. We have some catalpa trees IN
our yard and maple; we have few
fruit trees, too.
The leaves of the catalpa tree are
large and green. They have a very
pretty flower which has a sweet per,
fume. When the flower is gone long
pod comes on in the place of 1t. This
pod contains the seeds. These trees
grow slow at first but when they are
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
sToRIES-LETTERS :
.
FOURTH OBSERVATION.

Dear Editor:
| am glad to say that Mrs. Robin
heard a peep, and then another, until
there were five little fuzzy baby birds.
The mother bird cannot hunt for food
Just yet for they are too small to be
left alone, so the father bird hunts
for food, but they do not each much.
Pretty soon they will be large enough
to stay by themselves while the
mother and father bird hunt for a
great deal of food to feed to the hun
CRY baby birds 1t is great fun to
watch them, although they do not like
it, Soon the feathers will begin to
grow out Of small pimples which COW
er the body when they are very small.
After they are full grown they are
taught how to fly and who are their
enemies. Once robin was trying TO
teach it's young birds to fly, and one
seemed too timid to try. SO the
mother procured a worm which she
held with her bill and stood on the
opposite tree from that of the timid
young bird. She then offered it to the
bird but the small bird couldn't reach
it. He was so hungry that he forgot
he was afraid and fluttered his wings
and actually flew to the next tree
where he received the reward. He
was then told that he had flown fol
the first time.
Juliette Eisenbeis, age II,
4O1 w. Park Ave. Ottumwa, la.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
KING EDWARD AS A CHILD.

When King Edward was little
boy the sailor suits were in fashion.
King Edward loved his sailor suit
very much. The color of his sailor suit
was blue with white collar and cuffs
and white necktie. He had small
sailor cap 1t was white, too.
OF course King Edward was very
dear to his beautiful queen mother.
He was a very good child. He was
good and kind to his mother. He loved
her the very best his heart could fur
nish him love to. He was a beautiful
little lad, with brown hair and blue
eyes. He was as fair as lily. His fea-
saw him. He started to English school
when he was six years old. He had two
miles to go to school. He had beau
tiful road to travel. 1t had so many
pretty flowers blooming along 1t. It
was level and always dry; never mud
dy. He had pleasant and beautiful
teacher. She delighted in teaching the
little folks. 1t made her so happy
when she knew she taught them
something. King Edward was very
easy to learn. He was very good and
kind to his teacher. He had not much
money to spend for playthings, maybe
not as much as some of us children
have today. Times change very much
in short time. The people today call
him Edward VII, King of Great Brit
ain and Ireland, and emperor Of India,
and other boys in sailor suits call him
grandfather. King Edward was always
a noble boy and is noble man today.
King Edward is an Englishman. He
has very good education, it is said.
He enjoys to help his country and
make everybody happy and noble.
Leona Vest, age Is.
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
LAURA'S OBSERVATION.

The article that I observed this
week was the rose bushes. When we
get the little bush of the nursery COM
pany it looks like two or three sticks
sticking up from little shaggy roots.
1t doesn't seem to have the least sign
of life But the company tells us it is
a hardy bush and is alive. 1t is plant
ed in the dark earth. After while a
little greenish stem springs forth.
Pretty soon the leaves come. Then
comes the bud for a rose. Every once
in a while it will rain, then the sun
comes. In about month the bud is in
full bloom. The bush hasn't grown 9
bit in height. After the first bloom II
will grow to it's own height. But the
bush never grows till it blooms.
Laura Names, age 10.
1923 North Wapello.
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
WHAT l OBSERVE.

Well, If am tardy Junior 1 am
going to. write story anyway. What
I observed the other day when l was
out in the yard when two plump blue
jays hoped up on tree near me- One
stood in the fork Of the tree. Pretty
soon the other came back with bits OF
silk and grass, sticks and tissue paper;
and other things. Then he would drop
them into the fork Of the tree while
his wife would pick them and place
them into nice neat little nest. Then
she got into the nest while her hus-
band made himself comfortable out in
the branches. Then the next time
looked into the nest there were some
pretty speckled eggs in the nest. In a
short time the eggs Matched into some.
little brides. The mother was very
proud of them.
Miss 11erne Stark, age II,
Floris, Iowa.
r. F. D. No. I.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

and taken to the saw mills and sawed
into stripes called lumber and that is
so useful in SO many different ways.
Our furniture is made of different
kinds of trees which has been sawed
into lumber. They use the smaller
pieces for fence posts. | was just
thinking today when l saw a large
load of lumber that l wondered where
that tree had been growing one day.
If trees could talk expect they could
tell some wonderful things. To think
a tree comes from little seed and
grows SO large and tall and after a
while it drops it's little seeds and other
little trees come up. Some are taken
up and shipped to different places.
Forest Weber, age 8,
1906 East Main. Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
THE INDIAN.
Age 8.

The Indians are of a dark copper
color, little eyes, high cheek bones
and long jet black hair, and no
whiskers. They live in wigwams made
Of poles stuck in the ground in cir
Gle and covered with bear or deer
skins. They make canoes out OF
birch bark and covered with skins Of
animals. The Indian men are called
warriors and the women squaWs and
the babies little papooses The Indian
men are lazy and do not work, only
hunt, fish, fight and make canoes.
The women put up the wigwams and
move them from place to place and
they plant the corn and other things,
and gather the corn and shuck it.
The Indians do not fight like the
white people. They either get behind
a tree or hide in the bushes and shoot
the white people down. The Indians
call the white people pale faces. There
are several tribes of Indians, such rs
Crows, Zuni, Pueblo, Iroquois, Alpacha
Cherokee, Canadian, Mohawk and some
of the Indians are savages and Kill
and scalp the whites. The hair and
skin are then put in with feathers
so as to make them look fierce. IN
winter the Indians wear heavy skins
make from the deer and bear, but IN
summer they wear nearly nothing.
When the babies are young they are
taught to shoot bows and arrows, tlsh
hunt and fight. When the girls are
young they are taught to make rugs,
mats and other things.
When Champlain came to America
he met with the Iroquois and they
were very good to him and got him to
20 with them to fight the Canadian
Indians. Of course he went and
when they landed on the shore OF
Lake Champlain it was early In the
morning. They went ashore and be
! gan to fight and when Champlair
fired his musket he scared the Cana
dian Indians SO bad and when two OF
three of their leaders fell dead they
ran and fed like deers. The lro
quois then went back with Champlair
with them.
One time man named Genera
| Putnam was taken prisoner by the
Indians and burned to the stake. He
would have been burned to death, bu
a white man who was with the In
dams, cut the cord and turned hin
free. The Indians were glad to SET
him show so much bravery.
AS my story Is getting long 1 will
close. My papa takes the Tri-Weekl!
Courier.
Earl Curtis, age IL,
r. F. D. No. 8, Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

in bloom and some in bud. The flowers
are pretty to have, I think. The trees
are mostly oil full leafed out, The
fruit trees have nearly all lost their
beauty, but will gain it again about
September. suppose you all know
what mean. If not, will tell you.
1t is to have fruit on them in the au-
tumn or fall. And they will have very
good things on them to eat. will
name some of the fruit trees | know:
Pear trees, apple trees, peach trees,
tame crab apple trees. Some of the ap-
pie trees are-Old Ben Davis, Black
Ben Davis, Roman Beauties, yellow ap-
pies Of many kinds. There are many
kinds of red apples, too. Some of the
small fruits are blackberries, June
berries, raspberries, currants, grapes,
blue and black and white and yellow
grapes and there are two colors OF
raspberrries I know Of, the red and
black caps. Some Of the vegetables
are cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, beans
and peas, onions, lettuce, radishes
celery and turnips.
Leona Vest, age ~.
Ottumwa, Iowa.
R. r. No. 6.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

of eggs under her; that is about thir-
teen eggs. We will wait about three
weeks for the eggs to hatch. Every
noon or morning we will let the hen
off the nest to feed. We usually feed
them a handful of feed. Then we will
give them a little water When they
get back on the nest we have to shut
them up again. Pretty soon the shells
begin to crack and we hear a little
peep. Here comes some little chick,
ems. Pretty soon they are all Matched.
They are wet when they first come
out of the shell. They soon dry They
are covered with down. Every day
they grow until here comes some little
wing feathers. They keep growing un
til they become big hens. In a year OF
so after they are Matched they begin
to lay.
Your Junior friend,
Eloise Heather, age 10.
317 West Park avenue.
OttumWa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
NV OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

There are many kinds Of grass.
There is blue grass, which looks bluer
than other grass. like the green
grass the best. 1 think 1t is the pref
test Most grass grows long unless
it is moved. We NOW our grass
with the lawn mower. When grass
gets real high it is hard to NOW with
the lawn mower.
Grass IS very useful for hay. for
COWS and horses. And tnen when it's
kept moved with lawn mower 1t
makes 1t look like green carpet.
Some grass has seed on it already
VIXEN 1t rains 1t makes the grass grow
good Tall grass looks very nice when
the wind IS blowing and makes it look
like a waving field OF grass
Josephine L. Norton, age Is.
Melrose, Iowa
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
FORESTS OBSERVATION.

Well, the tree are much different
now than they were the first week
wrote. Then the little birds were
Just peeping their little heads out and
now they have grown to be almost
their actual size. Trees are useful IN
so many different ways. They make a
nice shade to keep the hot sun off OF
us when the hot summer days come.
They are home for the little birds
to make their nests in and are shell
ter from the rain, and the most and
best of all they are what our homes
are built of. The trees are cut down
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

This time / observed a different
thing 1t is a rock. When | went IN
the country l saw large rock. L stop
ped and examined it. 1t could not be
put in a large wash tub it was so large.
Some of it was in the ground. One side
of it was coal black with shiny places
in it. The top was cream colored with
black spots in it. 1t had little valleys
on top. Although the rock looked like
it was granite or marble. 1t would take
several men to lift it little ways. 1t
looked like a small piece of boulder.
Lydia Hoed,
639 w. Mechanic ST.,
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
BIRDS.
Dear Junior:

Dear Junior:
AS I have not written to the Junior
for long time I will write now.
I have never seen a letter in the
Junior about birds, so will write one.
The birds are lovely little things. We
were out driving Sunday and saw
some robbins and thrushes and larks
and mourning doves and black birds.
The mourning doves are the prettiest
of all. They are gray with black
streaks.
The flowers are lovely too. We got
wild geraniums and May apples and
spring beauties.
/ will close now, hoping to get a
prize.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
MY GARDEN.

AS 1t has been long time since.
have written you I thought I would
write about my garden. planted it on
one SATURDAY. afternoon in April. After
a week or two it came up. I planted
beans, lettuce, radishes and beets. All
Of my seeds came up but my lettuce.
My radishes are about two inches high.
My beans are about three inches high.
My beets are just peeping through the
ground. With such warm rains as we
have been having they will soon be
ready to eat. My grandfather takes the
Daily Courier.
Clarence Pedr1ck.
sos Wapello St, Ottumwa, Ia.
Ace q
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

Photograph. Underwood and I'm
derwood, New York.
A little princess like this one is, of
course, expected to learn modern Ian
guages and to have beautiful manners,
but nobody asks her to show great tai
ents. All the same, now that she IS
the grown-up queen of Roumania, she
is an author of high standing. Peo-
pie read what she writes not merely
because she wrote it, but because it
Is worth reading.
In addition to her talents nature has
endowed the queen of Roumania with
beauty and she is known as one CT
the most beautiful queens in the
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
SOUVENIR PosTALs.

We will send out postals to all the
Juniors the week following the day
on which their letters, stories or re
ceipts appear. We do not want the
Juniors to acknowledge them by sim
ply thanking us or writing a receipt
but we do want them to write a nice
little letter telling us Of their pets
their home or else write on one of til.
following subjects:
FORGOT HER ERRAND.
MY LITTLE PLAYMATE.
NOT A VERY CAREFUL BON
NOT A VERY CAREFUL GIRL.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

about two years old they grow faster.
We have one that is about three or
four years old and 1t makes a good
shade.
When trees are cut down some are
used for fire wood and some are saw
ed in a mill and made into lumber.
/ think leaves are prettiest when
they are turning brown, gold, yellow
and red after the frost has come.
After this the leaves fall off and the
trees are bare all winter.
Josephine L. Norton, age 10,
Melrose, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

Cats or dogs are. the best domestic
animals. In the summer their wool IS
quite thin. In the fall it begins to get
thicker, until in the winter it is real
thick and the dogs have no trouble in
keeping warm. A dog or cat is very
easy to learn. Dogs have been trained
to hunt, watch and to play and take
care of little children. A cat is trained
to hunt mice and to play My aunt has
three young cats and one old one. Two
big ST. Bernard dogs. One night as we
sat in the sitting room the cats had a
string and Niger ran into the room a
tearing, the other cats after him. The
mother cat was little way off and
was watching. BLUE got the string and
ran up the curtain and tore the cur
tain 2
William Names.
1923 North Wapello.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
The Courier Junior
Published by
THE coURiEr. PRINTING CO.,
oTTUMWA, IOWA.
MATILDA DEVEREAUx.
EDITOR.
ANNOUNCE WINNERS NEXT
WEEK.

Dear Juniors: Our splendid OBJ
servation Contest closes May 81. While
many of the Juniors have written
each week we ask as a special favor
aat all Juniors as we'll as the con.
-tants write once more, using as
r subject, 1.-THE Benefits of an Oh
alton. Contest" The Juniors work
ing in the contest do not have to write
on this subject to be ranked among
the prize winners, but we just want to
see what benefits the observers" have
received.
The prizes for the Observation Con
test will be a ring containing the
birthstone Of the winner or souvenir
spoon, or a beautiful brooch, which
can be worn also for belt buckle, or
book, or a fountain pen, or roller
skates. The names Of the observers
follow:
JuLETTE ElsENBEIs.
MARY RANDEL.
FOREST WEBER.
MYRTLE M,VElGH.
LEILA sAUM.
JOSEPHINE NORTON.
LAURA NAMES.
WILLIAM NAMES.
MABEL SklRvlN.
MAUDE sklRvlN.
LYDIA HOED.
LEoNA VEST.
{ HATTIE ALLEN.
TERESA ENGLE.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
Road to Foiryland

The day is dull and dreary,
And chilly winds and eerie
Are sweeping through the tall oai;
trees that fringe the orchard lane
They send the dead leaves flying
And with mournful crying
They dash the western window-panes
with slanting lines of rain.
MY little 'Trude and Teddy,
Come quickly and make ready,
Take down from off the highest shelf
4 the book you think so grand.
Well travel off together,
To lands of golden weather,
For well we know the winding road
that leads to Fairy Land.
Al long, long road, no byway,
r The fairy kings broad highway,
Sometimes we'll see castled hill
stand up against the blue,
And every brook that passes,
i A whispering through the grasses,
Is just a magic fountain filled with
r youth and health for you
And we'll meet fair princesses
With shining golden tresses,
Some pacing by on palfreys white,
some humbly tending sheep;
And merchants homeward faring,
With goods beyond comparing,
lAnd in the hills are robber bands, who
dwell in caverns deep.
Sometimes the road ascending,
Around q mountain bending,
Will lead us to the forests dark, aud
there among the pines
Live woodmen, to whose dwelling
l3ss.52Et HoYpo urirko6 witches telling
OF wondrous gifts of golden wealth
There, too, are lonely mines.
But busy gnomes have found then
And all night work around them
And sometimes leave bag of GOLD
at some poor cottage door
There waterfalls are splashing.
And down the rocks are dashirg
But we can hear the sprites' clear cal
above the torrents roar.
Where quiet rivers glisten
Well sometimes stop and listen
To tales q gray old hermit tells, cI
wandering minstrel's song.
Well loiter by the ferries.
And pluck the wayside berries,
And watch the gallant knights spu
by in haste to right wrong.
Oh, little 'Trude and Teddy,
For wonders, then, make ready,
You'll see shining gateway, and
within, a palace grand,
OF elfin realm the center;
But pause before you enter
To pity all good folk whove misse'
the road to Fairy Land.
Cecil Cavendish.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29

so long upon the stony ground with
out shoes or stockings"
"You shall have NINE" said Carl,
sitting down and pulling off his shoes
and stockings directly.
And from having no hat on" con-
tined the beggar, "the sun has made
my eyes quite weak"
II see," answered Carl, "and my
eyes will very soon become weak If
give you my hat but will, never
| theless. So here 1t Is, and good-by."
said Carl, as he put his hat on the
| beggar's head and ran on without
one.
Now I must really keep my eye
on these pigs" said Carl, "for here
we are at the mouth of the enchanted
cave, and the Little Men will be steal
ing them away from me If I don t
keep sharp lookout"
the ground.
Where are your" asked Carl.
Here, under this stone"
Speak little louder, will your"
said Carl. II can't hear what you
say, and I don't like to turn my head
round, for 1 must look at my pigs,
Here I am, then" said the voice,
almost crushed beneath the stone
just under your right foot; will you
not stoop down and lift up the stone
and save me?"
| Cant you wait till I've passed tho
cavern, and then I'll come back to
your" said Carl, still looking at his
pigs.
"And in the meantime l shall be
crushed to death" answered thu
voice.
"Good-by,. my pigs, then" shouted
! Carl, as he stopped down and lifted
the stone from the back of a half-dead
worm.
81 thank you, Carl" said the worm
feebly; NOW go and look after your
pigs"
But they're all gone said Carl
And so they were.
In at the mouth of the enchanted
cave the Little Men had entired them
all, just in that very moment when
Carl was lifting up the stone.
"And once gone in there. it's not al
all likely they'll ever come out
again." said Carl; "but I'll go to the
town, at any rate, and see whether
| Cne king is Come!
"What do you want here, Carl?'
asked the porter at the gate Of the
city.
81 came to sell my pigs answere
Carl.
"Where are they?" asked the por
ter.
GIVE lost them ALL" answered Cari
"Then come with me to the mar
ket place" said the porter, and he lee
Carl to the market place, where thu
, throne was standing still empty-th'
crown before it on the crimson cush
J ion, and the people waiting all round
In front Of the throne stood the oil
man who had spoken to Carl In th'
|. morning, and beside him Carl saw th'
donkey, Ne rabbit, the beggar AM
the worm, and a whole army of sol
diers, who had been Carl's pigs.
"Carl' asked the old man, "wherE
have you been today?"
Through the wood" answered Carl
What have you been doing there?
Indeed, I hardly now" answered
: Carl.
carl helped me with my load
wood" said the donkey.
Carl fed me with his own dinner,
: said the rabbit.
Carl gave me his cap and shoes,
said the beggar.
Carl saved me from being crusho
5 to DEATH said the worm.
Citizens said the old man, "whs
do you think Of Carl?"
2 Then all the people shouted: "Cal
! is the king! Carl is the king!'
+ "And l never knew it." said Carl t
! the old man.
old English Tale.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-29
CLARA HAS NO PETS.

Dear Editor
/ will write few lines for the first
time. I am very fond of flowers. l
have flower garden in which plant
canterbury bells, balsam, sweet peas
pansies, nasturtium and asters. ike
to so out in the wods and gather wild
flowers. NV fayorite flowers and roses.
I have three sisters and one brother.
We have just begun taking the Ottum-
wa Courier. My school was out the
last of April. We had a program. ]
gave a recitation and was in three
songs. Nv teachers name was Miss
Eunice Miller. liked her very much.
Clara A. Hicks,
Unionville, Ia.