davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
SANTA CLAUS A STRANGER.
tie Is Officially Unknown to Uncle
Sans. Mail Agents.

tie Is Officially Unknown to Uncle
Sans. Mail Agents.
The posiotiice department does not
know Santa Claus The old saint has
no official existence so far as Uncle
Sans mail agents are concerned. This
is due entirely to the fact that Santa
Claus lives everywhere at the same
time instead of having single local
habitation like other people. 1t is very
sad, but it cannot be helped. Letters
which children address to Santa Claus
or Kris Kringle must go straight to the
dead letter Office.
Some time ago an effort on behalf of
the children was made to induce the
poStotfice department to permit post
masters TO open all letters addressed
to Santa Claus and turn them over to
the parents of the child correspondent
or to some local organization having a
Christmas fund to spend. but the at
torney general for the department rem
dcred an adverse decision. holding as
follows:
II postmasters We're granted authority
to open all such letters and select those
which they thought proper TO deliver to
persons applying for them. there would
be temptation and opportunity for post
masters and other employees to open let
ters indiscriminatcly. some CT which con-
tain Enclosures of value. and give us an
excuse for such action the authority
granted by the department
The departments legal adviser also was
of the opinion that. IL permission were
granted to deliver sgch letters to benevo-
lent societies and individuals. ii would be
difficult foS the department to draw the
line where benevolcnce ends and CONNER
cialism begins. Many persons desire such
letters for use in newspapers and maya
zine stories. the name of the child Of
some prominent public man attached to
such a letter making Il especially vaua-
BILE for that purpose and often CORE
sponding.y embarrassing to the parent
of the child Furthermore. the opinion
states. such n practice would violate the
principle of the sanctity of the seal
which is ore of the best features of our
postal system. and the department would
continually be open to serious suspicion
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

PILLOW. in chorus.
HEN. Well, we will see what is
in it anyway" assented the mate.
When the canvas cover was opened
d score of letters in soiled and torn
envelopes dropped out.
Il see no harm in letting you fell
lows get little home sentiment out
OF these old letters said the mate,
but you must not keep them. They
must be forwarded to Bobs friends.
lou boys can bid for the privilege of
reading the letters
Dick for 50 bought the right to first
pick He took the best preserved en-
yelope and its Enclosure and went away
to read the letter.
The sale continued. letter after let.
ter fetching neat sum. Half the let.
ters were sold when Dick came from
his corner and interrupted the sale.
He looked troubled and shook his let
ter in our faces. ~
Boys, this letter is from the girl,
said he "She's dandy. Bob was
no good. He didn't go home when he
was paid off in Liverpool; he didn't so
| home from New York: he didn't go
home from San Francisco when he
could have made the trip in a day
| The girl is waiting yet
! The mate. who had been intently
reading one of the letters, here inter
rupted.
l fl.at. L. f.t6 nd Oh q
! is poor. She does not ask for money.
| however All she wants is her boy.
| He will never return to her now Poor
| Bobs motherl poor Bobr'
At four bells the lookout gave us
his "Als well. Side lights burning
bright" Suddenly he began to beat
| the forward bell like mad.
The lookout was shouting and way
| ing his arms from the forecastle head,
where he stood clinging to the rail
| When we reached the fore part Of the
house the lookout attracted our at
tertion to a dark object leaning limp
ly against the starboard lighthouse.
1t was Bob Jones.
We carried him into the forecastle
The mate and the whisky bottle were
brought forward. and Bob slowly came
| to his senses.
81 was slambanged something fear
| fuI boys" drawled Bob. THAT break.
err caught sme right. and the blamed
strap broke. Then over she rolled to
| leeward"-
And | saw you go over the side
interrupted Dick.
"Not |. It may have been the sheet
coil" continued Bob. II was washed
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
Candles For Christmas.

Christmas candemakers are busy
for many months in the year 1t would
be impossible 10 estimate how many
hundreds of thousands of dozens OF
pretty little colored wax candles are re-
quired for Christmas trees all over Eu-
rope and America There are also can
dies for church decoration at Christ
mastide- Whereas the Christmas tree
tapers are. some of them. 50 tiny as to
require seve5ty-two to make a pound,
the great altar shafts of pure bees wax
will sometimes stand six feet and
weigh forty pounds apiece. Bits.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
THE TERROR'S CHRISTMAS.
Turkeys Were S17 Each During the
SIEGE of Paris.

Turkeys Were S17 Each During the
Siege of Paris.
When the Christmas day of 1870
dawned upon Paris the city had been
in the iron grip of the German invest
ment for about three months The
winter was bitterly cold one, the
thermometer registering 10 degrees be-
low freezing point on Christmas morn
ing. The Seine was frozen ever
The poor's daily rations were few
ounces of -horsehesh and piece of re-
pulsive looking black bread.
BY Dec. % food prices had reached
their highest point since the begin
ming of the siege On Nov. ID a pound
of butter fetched Sl4 and rabbit
$3.50 By Dec. 10 rabbits had risen to
So, a box of sardines brought $3.50 and
eggs % cents apiece. For ones Christ
mas dinner one could buy a goose for
$40 or IA turkey for $1T. Pigeons were
So each, and small fowl could be OBJ
tained for s.. Ham WAS $3.50 pound.
AS fo, vegetables, carrots and turnips
were 4 cents each, and Il bushel of po-
tatoes cost $6.25 There was hardly
any milk in Paris. and the little there
was had to be preserved for the sick
and wounded. However, there were
oceans of wine, and the wineshops did
a roaring trade.
For some time before Christmas the
starving people had been feeding on
cats. rats and dogs until by Dec. %
a dish of cats flesh was hardly obtain
able. Dog was GO cents Il pound, and
fine rats fetched IA cents each. Many
domestic pets were killed for food
Poor Azor'' said humorous citizen
as he finished stew made from his
favorite dog. How he would have
enjoyed these bones.'
With true Partisan light heartedness
the citizens tried 70 make the best of
things, and the cafes aud restaurants
wore almost their normal aspect Al
half past 10. however, an order Of
Trochu closed every shop and cafe,
and by II O'Clock Paris had gone to
bed
was celebrated as usual in the church
es, which were crowded with pray
| ing, weeping women. Newspapers APP
peared as usual some of them contain
| ing glowing accounts of perfectly i'm
aginary French successes. The sa-
tirical sheets were even more bitter
and venomous than at other times
| and published scathing caricatures.
Some showed the fallen emperor, Ma
| poleon ILL.,, as Il shoeblack at King
| Williams boots. or as beggar with
his pockets turned inside out. or as q
traitor handing over France to muir
derers, or as 4 thief making off with
| millions Of the nations money. 9th
ers depicted Julius Fayre in tears and
pocketing Hismarek's gold and Trochu
| handing oyer the keys Of Paris TO a
I Prussian IN exchange for a bag of
coin. In all the idea of Parisians that
France had been betrayed by those
! who ought TO have protected her was
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
i i valuable straw pillow. Re.

" i valuable straw pillow. Re-
8,5r xrbat Bin Shakespeare says
sasy rests the head that hasn't got
.iew What an, bid Two doh
81 Tlazlk yon. Tiiree-fcur-fve-
siy I lfavc. Cape Horn prices.
!anlloincn. Eight fen ten-are you
Mi done? Tom, ypu can have It for
SIC. You may get d better one in San
Francisco for 80 cents. but you can't
duplicate 1t for $50 within thousand
miles Of this place.
next article is handsome Vtand-
up linen collar. 1t has only been worn
by poor Bob in Liverpool and can be
washed absolutely clean for the small
price of 5 cents. 1t is the only article
OF its kind that has ever been for sale
IL Cape Horn What am | bid-a dol
lar-two, two-ffty. three-fifty. four
four-are you all done? Sold to Dick
for 81. Dick is a sport now. Wait a
minnie; there is button In the back
OF the collar You will have to buy
he button separately. Dick"
And so each worn and patched gar
nlent of poor Bob was sold at Cape
Horn prices Bob's shipmates took
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

4 was CO the Nary m. In
Daessrher. 1891. sue was i deep cut
steel clipscr hut SIC was i four mast
cd bark. and -four niasfrd halts are all
ugly. In heavy seas. Tie lest sea boat
afioat will plunge al Cape Horn. but
four nastcd barls are all the time I'M
der water. Sometimes they are swamp
cd altogether and hoat water!oggel
around the lIcri Then the current
pushes them south 10 perish in the
Ice jam
Some sailors can be likcned to the
four masted bar,ss They are the sail
ors who have been too long away from
home All sailors plnnge literally into
shore life tut he too long away from
ZONE fellows are, as rule. swamped
IN shore lies breakers.
One Of n,y mites on the Mary Ann
was Eob Jones. a typical too long
way from home" unfortunate. But
bob still had somebody dear TO lis
heart. lie had started on more than
one trip around the world with the set
determination that the end OF the yoy-
age should see him rejoin his own loved
ones at home.
But on pay day at the end of his
trips his gccd resolutions had been
broken 1t had often gone so, and Bob
was hiding self despair under the grim
surface of Il man hating man.
Bob and |. with twelve other Yam
KEGS. Dutchmen and Swedes, were on
the starDoard watch under Chief Mate
Dickson of the-Aiary Ann. When we
went below on Christmas eve the sea
was running high. Sleet and hail came
down in the squalls. The western gale
had trimmed cur sails down to the
lower topsails.
We had hardly fallen asleep whel
we heard the man Mt the wheel strike
one bell Before the signal for al
hands on deck" was answered forward
Bob and were out of our hunks and
had orr sea boots on.
Whats up now?'- growled Bob. apt
he got his answer from Jimmy, tht
| deck boy. who came rushing in with
out preliminary warning.
Rise rise. rise. sleepers, Weather
ship for icebergs on the leeward bow
Rise. rise. rise"
The watch on deck was already set
ting the fore staysail to head the vesse
off the wind She was running cas-.
| when we came on deck, and the storm
| spaBker was hauled out to bring th
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
The Most Popular chr.ssnas Poem.

The most popular Christmas poem
ever written for children was that IA
miliar to the world, beginning:
sTwas the night before Christmas. when
all through the house.
The poem was ,,ssfssra ~ . ..o,sw
learned man, Dr. Clement Clarke
Moore. a profound Greek and Hebrew
scholar Tie was professor IN die
General Theological seminary IN this
city Hcrwaz born I'll 1870 aud dN
In 1863 New York Globe.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

~
for !. big breaker came laundering
over file weather rail.
The breaker caught Bob at the fore
barkstays III jumped up. and put his
arm through the coils of the fore sheet,
hanging ri straps in the royal back
stay.
The straps were rotten, and Bob and
he coli Sheet rope dropped and disap-
peared in the boiling deck waters.
The waters sGrged to leeward and
carried dark object with them.
The skipper threw a life buoy from
the poop. n
..poor Bobr' said everybody to him
self II was ali we could do for him.
Bob was gone. aud there seemed to be
no help for it.
We had the Mary Ann snug at last.
Our watch had still an hour more be
low. not long enough to make it worth
while to.crawl Into our hunks, and we
lighted s-cur pipes, lay down on our
chests and discussed poor Bob.
BILL who was .Bob's own chum, went
to Bobs hunk and overhauled the
things
!. III is enough to make anybody rip,
ming mad to think ofsa. rotton old strap
chacking a poor fellow overheard.
unused Bill Christmas night too
Say, boys. when we. ailction this stuff
of we've sot to show Bob up hand
some 10 his frieiids
II must be explained that when sail
ors die al sea lseir belongings are sold
at auction 10 tGa crew This custom
serves a douhlesq.xfpase. 1t Is easier
.fy ship. money halfway around the
globe than TO Insure 'tsle safe delivery
OF an old wooden -eheat A good sun
of money is alsti More welcome 10 most
heirs than..a cbestfuf of tarred rags
Besides, the sea auetions give the sh- ,
mates Of the dead shm 'opportunitH 4
raise lis reputatioii'' by adding - q
ously TO his account. ~
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

care that none of
them contribut-
ed less than a
months wages to
Bob's final pay
day.
The M a t e at
last put his hand
to the b 0 t t o m
Of Bob's chest,
and from a cor
ner he brought
Up a bundle of
papers wrapped
in an old piece
of canvas tied
together W j t b
yellow silken CT
gar bands. The
mate held the
bundle thought
fully in his hand.
He hesitated to
trespass.
"Open it up!"
shouted the men
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

vessel % the wind
en- the other tack.
Bob was sent for
ward to fnrl the
fore ststysaii. The
rest of us went
20 the braces aud
pulled the yards
in to starboard.
Then came the
llgliest part of the
job. Slowly the
Mary Ann turned
70 face her foe
again. But before
she could head
her bow against
the mighty seas
they broke over
her from stem to
stern.
Boo came aft
fr0rl the Staysail
TO join us just as
wa all itrDonoI
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

So at this season of peace and good
viii suffering Paris was nearly at her
LIST gIsi, l-ssEisaaa.to the tenacity Of
her rulers and citizens. however, her
agony was to be prolonged for some
weeks Ion@er; as 1t was not until
February that the negotiations for a
.apitulatjon begaa-
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

,,sruAs IN spain Is Q rem
s,ons festival rather than - :
~ ~, one. II was 50 originally l., =
porto Rico. but the popu.a', ne
,,asn Influenced partly ~ ~ -
s,t u the new world and party ,, - :
s .I MANY American merchants VIZ : I, n
s s,s. : Nhe cities and who eSs s,,s = nun.
f fuen &C mssse greater ,s than ~
49, -, . em TO warrant .,t,
bers would sen uelccme the day VII.
The churches WeG6 midnight ant
chimes which begin a. next day
last until the midnight of the - tel
What with one church beginning -
minutes too soon and another ten MIN
utes too late aud third at the right
moment. what with bells which ring
every fifteen minutes and bell ringers
who under some ancient custom VIII
sound the great bells every half hour,
| the mir is filled with music which never
seems to end
IL YOU are near campanile the eI-
feet is not altogether pleasant on ac-
count of the volume of sound striking
the ear with too much force. but In Q
public square several hundred yards
from the nearest belfry, where trees
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

away up under
t b e forecastle
head. l guess |
went clean eff in
q faint after !
had crawled to a
dry place. When
| woke up |
m q d G for the
forecastle. but !
couldn't make ii.
| dropped right
off again at the
lighthouse"
When Bob had
been bandaged
up and given a
warm breakfast
he was the Old
Bob once more.
The boys poked
lots of fun at,
him when they
re I urn e 4 bis
things TO him.
! Hold on. boys:
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
AVOIDING Temntatinn.

Hammert Siyingham has never
bought Christmas tree for his chill
dren
Callahan Probably he is afraid OF
temptation.
IlaHsA-egt--T eiaptatssn?
Callahan mem that he is afraid
that II h "a L'ss tres re would be
tempted + Try something TO hang on
h.-~owa aud Country.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
I,u-ru ID szrtn r.ian.l

~ ~'7tt*sA As4ab1s
Yander EFis ri Chris nsua.
L,oafir. song de way.
He slov gfan raisread"-
Dat whl-t e.isfrn say.
Dey wan fer ter hurry up
An pass dine er cay
preamin' 'Lait de eosain er ee chris'musI
Atlanta Constitution.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21

IeI US flake-- - -
bargain with Bob the imperative
Dick broke in. Here is my BibIe.t Ar
/ Bob viii swear to ~ homo "a kis
mother and the girl IL 49, Fran
eisco lie can take the auctsSs 4meney
along as a Christmas present. |"
.'That's right Come on. Bob. Swear.
man, swear,''
II do, so help me- God and merry
Christmas. to you all. shoysr' sobbed
Bob. 4 viii go home. boys-I viii"
And he did Philadelphia Ledger.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-12-21
The Quest CT the Auto.

Mrs. Newlywed-l am hoping and
PRAYING that my hubby viii give me
l.las.iStr1as
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-13
A SNEAK THIEF.

Last Sunday afternoon when Co. G
returned from the rifle range south of
the city, its members, when they
reached the armory, started to change
clothing, and soon it was discovered
that a thief had visited the armory
during their absence. The boys, when
they left the city for the range Satur-
day evening, left their citizens
clothes in wooden clothes closets in
the armory. These closets have no
locks on them. A certain young man
in the hall at the time was suspected
of having stolen the articles, and he
was forced to submit to search OF
his pockets. The search resulted in
bringing forth two watches, a pocket
book and other articles, it is said,
which belonged TO the boys. The
young man is a member of the COM
pany and did not go to the range Sat
urday night, as did the rest of the
boys. The young mans name is
Alex. Heller. He was arrested and
brought into court Monday afternoon,
and, pleading guilty TO the charge OF
larceny, was given a jail sentence OF
sixty DAYS.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-13
FORGERY.

Upon complaint of Frank Tafelski,
a saloon keeper on Washington street,
John Baker was arrested Saturday
night charged with the crime of
forgery. He appeared in municipal
court yesterday and his examination
was set for July 10. In default of
bail he was placed in the county jail.
Baker has been working for M.
Lipski, the upholsterer, since the
formers liberation from the state re-
formatory in the spring, where he
served term for the same offense he
is now charged with. 1t is claimed
he tore between forty and fifty blank
checks out of Mr.. Lipski's check book
and Saturday evening he filled out a
number of these for amounts ranging
from SO to SIS. 1t is said he sue
ceeded in having nine of them cashed
before he was arrested. When taken
to the city Jail and searched, two more
checks were found on him. One of
these was payable to 'self," the other
to John Baker and both signed NJ.
Lipski. The one payable to ''self"
had the signature of NJ. Lipski on the
back of it.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-13
A POPULAR RESORT.

If you have never been down to the
Eau Claire villa and enjoyed few
hours boating up the beautiful Eau
Claire river, just make up your mind
to do that very thing right away,
because the summer is going fast and
you are losing lots of time. If you
do not like rowing or canoeing, Mr..
Fullmer will take you up the stream
in a launch. You will be surprised at
the beautiful scenery. The water is
not deep; there is nothing treacher-
Gus about the stream; in fact it is an
ideal place for boating, picnicing,
bathing or any kind of summer sport.
Mr. Fullmer, proprietor of the villa,
has built pretty little pavilion out
on the point, about 40 rods from the
car line,- away from the dust and
noise in which are tables and chairs,
a stove on which coffee can be boiled
and in fact very convenient for picnic
ers, or those seeking quiet nook for an
afternoon. One of the prettiest swim
ming places one can imagine is on an
island which can be reached in ten
minutes from the villa and on one
side is a stretch of low water, sandy
bottom and on the other side is deep
water where one can swim and dive
to their hearts content. Don't miss
the boating, swimming and picnicing
on the Eau Claire this summer. Ice
cream and refreshments can be had
at the villa
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-13
HE SHOOTS GIRL;
COMMITS SUICIDE
District Attorney Smith And Doctors
Hurry To Scene Of Shooting.

Just as we go to press We are in
formed that girl has been shot and
man has committed suicide.
The girl is a daughter of Aug.
Hasten of the town of Merrill. She
was shot by man named Ole Sinkel-
son. After shooting the girl he turned
the gun On himself and he is now
dead. The girl is living, but in a
very precarious condition.
No details of the attempted murder
and suicide are known at this writing
and the word was only received a
short time ago by District Attorney
Ralph E. Smith, who with others
hurried to the scene in an auto. DR..
Kelly had already left TO render med
ical aid.
We are informed that the injured
girl is the youngest daughter of Mr..
Hasten. Her name is Hattie The
shooting took place at the Hasten
home, which is ON the Chat road and
about five miles from the city, about
800 this afternoon The shooting
was done with revolver and the girl
was struck in the breast.
1t is not known exactly what the
reason for the shooting was but it
probably was all due to a love affair
Merrill Herald
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-13
VETERAN DIES.

The dead body of John d. Gardner
was found in his room in the City
hotel Saturday morning. Mr.. Gardner
retired the night before in his usual
health, but not appearing for break
fast next morning one Of the hotel
attendants went to call him and
found him dead. Though his bed
looked as if it had been occupied the
night before, it is believed that Mr.
Gardner got up some time during the
night intending to come down stairs,
but fell when he reached the door,
He was fully dressed when found.
One of the girls working in the hotel
says she heard noise during the
night sounding like some one falling.
Parts of his body were still warm
when he was found.
John Gardner was born in st. Rose,
Can, in 1882. He came to the United
States when quite young and at the
age OF thirty enlisted Aug. 10, 1862,
for three years in the 24th Wis. Vol.
Inf. He was mustered out of the
service in Nashville, Tenn, June 10,
1865. He came to Wausau shortly
after the war and worked in the
woods, occasionally taking logging
contracts. He was very quiet man.
Few knew anything of his business
affairs and he never attempted to
make other peoples business his own.
Recently he spent a short time in
Hot Springs, Ark, for the benefit of
his health, but getting no relief, he re-
turned to Wausau. He made applica-
ton to be accepted into the National
Soldiers Home in Milwaukee and
would have started for there yester-
day had he lived.
He was never married and has no
living relatives, except one sister who
is living somewhere near Montreal,
Can. Cutler Post officials are trying
to locate her thai she may take pos
session of his effects.
The funeral was held yesterday
afternoon from the undertaking
rooms of the Kiefer Furniture Co.,
Rev. T. B. T. Fisher conducting the
service a.