davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-17
THE CANNON BURST.
Tragedy IN q Celebration to Homer
President Tyler.

Tragedy IN q Celebration to Honor
President Tyler.
In 1874 an accident took place In the
American navy-the explosion of big
gun. the Peacemaker, on board the frig
ate Princeton, OF Broad bay. in the
Potomac river. eight miles below
Washington.
Those killed were Abel Upshur Of
Virginia. secrctnry Of state; Thomas
w. Gpmer. governor of Virginia:
Commodore KeIn non Of the navy, Rep
resentative Sykes of New Jersey, Rep.
resentative Maxey Of Maryland and
Mr.. Gardiner. an ex-member Of con.
gress from New York.
The severely wounded were William
wilkins Of Pennsylvania. secretary of
war; Miss Wickliffe, daughter Of the
postmaster general: Colonel Dade.
Colonel Benton. Judge Phelps Of Yer.
mont Commodore Stockton. command
er Of the Princeton. and nine seamen.
On Fob. 2& 1874. President Tyler,
the members OF his cabinet and their
families and many other prominent
persona said to number over 400, were
invited By Commodore Stockton to
spend the day on the frigate Prince
ton, which was lying at anchor OF
Alexandria After the guests were on
board anchor was weighed for a short
sail on the Potomac. and the ship pro-
ceeded down the river to q point be-
low Fort Washington. On the trip
down the heaviest piece OF ordnance
on the frigate wss nrsd several times,
presumably 20 . matter Of entertain
ment for the company. The gun had
been constructed from Q model made
By Commodors Stockton. and PYest-
dent Tyler sxprssssd . decided inter-
est 10 the weApoo. AZ 2 O'Clock In
the afternoon "a ths Ps<uxu trip tho
Princeton anchossd OF Broad bay. and
the company was Invited 10 luneheos
In the cabins below the gun deck.
After iuucheoo Commodore Stockton
proposed that the gun be hred once
more - q saiut% b said, to the men,
oey Of the great peaeemaker. George
Washington Presiden< Tyler. his cab
met and q number Of gentlemen re.
paired to the gun deck
Al the gun was nred the breech end
from the trunnion's back was blown
OF. and this section was split in twain.
One-half OF It fell on Secretary Up
shur. Two sailors removed It, but the
secretary expired IN q few moments.
Governor Gilmer had been struck and
killed by this section Of the gun be-
fore It felled Mr.. Upshur. The party
on the gun deck was scattered. and
the whole ship shook under the force
Of the explosion.
The excitement was great The bod
les were removed from the Princeton,
taken to Washington. placed In hearses
at the wharf and carried to the White
House. where they lay In the east room
TIL the day Of the funeral-a day Of
general public mourning.-Exchange.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-17

We congratulate Sumter on having
the negro fair in the future. That or
ganization is doing a great work for
the negro race, and any aid that can
be given to Rev. Richard Carroll in
his great undertaking is aid given for
the Improvement of the conditions
which surround us, and through
which we live. 1t will be great af-
1air for Sumter, her people will be
able to make it greater even than the
good people of Batesburg could 10, so
that the fair will be benefited. We
congratulate Sumter on securing that
nstitution.-Florence Times.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-17
Gave Him a Pointer.

George AIDE was once stranded in a
small town. He went into the bar
ber's shop to get shaved and endured
even unto the end. When the barber
had completed his operation the hu-
morist arose and, putting a handker.
chief to his face, said gravely:
"Sir, you have missed your vocation.
You ought to be an oyster opener"
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-17
AZ Close Ranoe,

"Who is that neglected looking little
boy with dirt over his face"
HE Is the child Of the noted astron-
omer who lives over the way"
"Oh. Is he? Come here, sonny. Run
home and tell your father he doesn't
need his telescope If he wants to see
spots on the son."-Baltimore Ameri.
can
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
SCHOOLS NOT ALONE TO BLAME,

That there is another view to and
reason for the growing complaints
about the deficiency of the pupils in
the higher public schools in the fun
damentals of education besides the
charging of the fault to the cornpIex
system incident to the administration
of the modern public schools and the
crowding Of the curricuIums with new
branches of study which some persons
deem to be useless, is pointed out with
discernment by the Atchfson Globe in
an editorial it printed recently as fol-
lows:
"A subscriber in Pennsylvania writes
the Globe to find fault with her
daughters schooling. Although the
girl is in the high school, she is def
cient in orthography. grammar. arith-
metfc and penmanship,- the branches
she is likely to find the most import
ant, if 1T falls to her lot to go to work
after she finishes school, The sub
scriber is puzzled as to what course
she should pursue, but she is in no
doubt aS to her dissatisfaction. She
asks advice on matter which is diff
cult to decide. 1t amounts almost to
treason, or a declaration of war to find
fault with the present school system
or 10 mint Ihat 1t isn't a great i'm
provement over the old. But these
complaints of a lack of thoroughness.
of spending too much time on use
less branches, are frequent and wide
spread The answer seems to be that
such lack really exists, whether it
always did or not. But, to determine
just who is to blame would be more
difficult 1t is possible that the
course of study maps out too much: it
is also possible that the present gem
Grafton, being less trained in habits of
industry, works less in school, and
fails to learn as much as it should in
passing. Some of the able minds of
the country help to shape and develop
its educational policy, and it is hardly
fair to assume that they are working
on the wrong track entirely But
some responsibility rests with the pa
rents They owe it to their children
to determine somewhat the line of
work those children are likely to pur-
sue, and then direct their education
along the lines most useful for that
pursuit. And they owe it to the chill
dren to teach them the Importance of
thoroughness, and that this necessi-
tates industry and application With
out these traits. no school can educate.
and with them. properly directed and
developed, an education is possible
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
NYHAWKER JOTS

Since a false fire alarm in BeIoit
| the Gazette announces several initia-
| tions into the local branch of the
| Ananias club.
| The wise ones at Wichita are predict
| ing warm weather for the Immediate
| future. Some of them saw a few geese
| flying north over the town the other
day
jamestown folks are now talking OF
| putting in system of waterworks this
time even the druggists of Kansas will
not be permitted to sell liquor has moth
| ing to do with the case because James
| town is a righteous burg.
The legislature has been invited to
visit the Goss collection of stuffed
| birds. There are a good many dead
ducks in the collection-the legisla-
ture doesn't know whether the invita-
tion offers a privilege or a warning
Ottawa Herald.
John Macdonald. editor of the
Western School Journal. writes:
Somebody is to introduce a bill in the
New York legislature requiring boxing
to be taught in the public schools.
This is nothing new. When this aged
writer was a boy boxing was a part of
the course. but the instruction was
wholly in the hands of the boys. We
distinctly remember. indeed we could
not forget, that the recitations were in
the open air, either at the noon hour,
Or OH the way 1IOIIl SCIlOOl.
Some weeks ago we made mention
of the varied matrimonial experiences
of our distinguished townsman, Owen
Reeves, and incidentally remarked
that he was temporarily without a
wife. Our faith-backed up by his
long record as an all around wife get
ter, has been vindicated, as we under
stand that on Saturday next the old
war horse will, at Emporia, lead
blushng No. IA to the altar. We doff
our tile to this Napoleon of matri-
mony and surely think he is entitled
to a Carnegie medal and niche in
the Hall of Fame.-Lebo Enterprise.
Harry Kemp can again lift his
head without shame-for his idol
Upton Sinclair, has been cleared of
him." says the Lawrence World.
''Kemp received a letter from Sinclair
Saturday, and in which the latter says
that he was entirely misquoted in the
articles in the newspapers where he
was quoted as being ashamed of the
fact that he was married. I've been
misquoted. Don't worry was the
way Sinclair worded his letter. but it
was sufficient for Kemp. I was dis
cussing the debasing and degrading
environment of middle class women
who are tied to unworthy, drunken
and shiftless husbands, and I was
made to say all manner of absurd and
ridiculous things said Sinclair Kemp
was tickled to receive the letter and
believes that it is complete vindica-
ton of his friend
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
JOURNAL ENTRIES

Poverty may be no disgrace but 1t is
quite distressing, nevertheless.
\ X y
Persons who are always speaking out
just what they think are never very
popular.
A boy who is always putting off the
doing of things has the makings In
him of an expert plumber.
X K
The girl who is ever boasting that
she can marry any man she wants to-,
generally wanders through life as an
old maid.
Undoubtedly there are as good fish
in the sea as were ever caught, but the
trouble is that people are not apt to
always have the bait to catch them
with.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.

IFrom the Chicago News.]
A man seldom goes to a pretty wo-
man for advice
Most people have lot of influence
with themselves.
How much worry the things that
never happen cause us!
The lofty ideas of a poet may be
due to living in a garret.
Everything is possible to those who
do not shy at the impossible.
If you don't like the rules of the
game start a game of your own.
A woman can understand anything
if she isn't asked to explain why she
does.
Even a worthless man is worth
more to himself than he would be to
an undertaken.
If a girl refuses to wear a short
skirt on a rainy day it's a sign that
she hasn't small feet.
A girl seldom resents a mans at
tempt to flirt with her unless she is
in love with some other man.
And the average married woman
would doubtless spend more money If
her husband had any more for her
to spend.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
GLOBE SIGHTS.
IFrom the Atchison Globe ]

You may not hope to be unpreju-
diced. The next best chance then is
to have creditable prejudices.
A bill of fare never sounds good
enough to deceive people who have
hung around hotels all their lives.
| Probably one reason the women
think they are faultless is that men
| long since learned the futility of try
ing to reform them.
What is a man to do: He is mean
iif he shows his temper at home, and
people find out how mean he is if he
shows it away from home.
When a woman advertises for "mid-
die aged woman to work for her, 1t
usually means that she wants young
woman's work, for middle aged wo-
mans wages.
If an instrument like the seismo-
graph were invented that would reg
lister the shaking up of a woman's
faith in her husband, the works would
be put out Of fix in the first six
months.
The story of the Prodigal Son never
appeals to nineteen men out of twen-
ty: They know what it is to work
hard and get the hoofs of the fatted
calf while the more shiftless son gets
the choicest cuts.
If the dreams of good church wo-
men have any foundation, Saint Peter
spends half his time in picking jewels
from crowns laid aside for the men,
and putting them in the crowns laid
aside for their wives.
Society note: In playing a good
game of bridge, it is necessary to be
vicious. A patience with a poor play
denotes lack of skill. the good player
who is polite soon loses the reputation
of being a good player.
One of the first tasks a man gives
his wife is to hereafter carry on all
the correspondence with his kin folks:
OF what use is it to have a wife, he
argues, unless she will relieve a man
of all the letter writing to his kin.
One of these days, a baby will wake
up in a photograph gallery, to find it's
mother bending over it with drapery
on her head, a la Madonna, and the
child will be so shocked to think its
mother has worn the dishcloth down
town, that it will spoil the picture by
throwing a fit.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
QUAKER NIEDITAToNs.

LFrom the Philadelphia Record.J
The fellow who puts up a bluff at
hustling makes us tired.
In praising yourself it isn't always
necessary to blame others.
One way to keep servants is to open
an employment agency.
The average man is apt to wish he
had all the money he has lost trying
to make lot.
Guzzler-"In have a little catnip.
please" Bartender beg pardon"
Guzzler-"A pousee cafe
Tommy-"Pop; what is meant by
circumstances over which we have no
controI?" Tommy's Pop-"Modern
children, my son."
BIobbs-"I actually caught Long
bow telling the truth the other day"
Slobbs-'Wasn't he embarrassed ?"
st should say he was. But he inn
mediately tried to lie out of it,
First American Financier-"I have
no patience with the people who go to
Monte Carlo and drop all their
money" Second Ditto-"Neither
have I. Why can't they patronize
home industries and drop it in Wall
street?"
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23

habit in America is appalling; it is a
terrible blight upon our land. It should
be stopped by the most stringent leg
1slat1on. OF course, any thinking per-
son realizes that the first step to be
taken is to make uniform divorce
law. 1t is a most execrable habit. 1t
has brought to our nation the ridicule
of every civilized country in the world. :"
And the wonder is as to when the peo-
pie of this country will wake up to
these facts
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
IFrom the New York Press.l

IFrom the New York Press.1
The easiest way to get a reputation
is to inherit one from your father.
Ideal marriages are contracted at
the altar but fulfilled at the dinner
table.
The trouble with knowing how to
support a lot of people is you will al
ways have to do it.
The reason a girl is willing to kiss
any of her male relatives without a
fight is she doesn't mean it.
A mans idea of economizing is to
wear an old necktie and then spend
in one afternoon four times what a
new one would cost, treating his
friends to show them it isn't because
he is short of money.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
KANSAS COMMENT
THE FRoHMANs.

AS We understand it from the state
Inent or Mr.. Daniel Frohman, theatrical
manager, there is not the slightest diff
hculty or animosity between himself
and his wife, and the only ground for
ulVorce is climatic. Mrs. F'rohman
can't stand it to live in New York and
prefers California. Mr. Frohman is
perfectly willing she should live in Cali
| fornia, but intends. for his part, to stay
IN new york On account of the fact
tnat one is in California and the other
IN new York, they have decided that a
olvorce VIII be a very good thing.
rms explanation of the situation
would have been unusual in itself. even
IN these days of easy divorces, but the
supplementary remarks of Mrs. Froh-
man, telegraphed from California, fur
n1sh an interesting chapter.
1t appears that Mrs. Frohman has al
ready fixed it up to marry a man by
the name of Bowers as soon as she can
Take a good long rest"-and incident
ally get a divorce. 1t is quite con-
ven1ent for woman to know exactly
where her next meal ticket is to be
found before she cancels the old one.
To still further add to the beautiful
settings for this interesting domestic
drama, there is printed an interview
with Mr.. Bowers, in which he says that
he is well acquainted with both Mr..
Frohman and Miss Illington"-which
was Mrs. Frohman'S maiden name
and likes them both. He is very friend
ly with Mr.. F'rohman. Apparently Mr..
Frohman considers it rather providen-
tiaI that Mr.. Bowers should step In
and save him any expense for alimony.
Such cold blooded matrimonial dick
ering makes love mockery; takes off
the rose from the fair forehead of an
innocent love, and sets a blister there
But there is a human side to this frtgid
renunciation of old marriage vows to
take on others, and it comes In the
womanly appeal of Mrs. Frohman, once
Miss Ellington, the actress.
ic 1AtH ir1cr in
while for woman she says except
home of her own, and husband that
loves her. and perhaps few children to
keep her busy"
And these things, without which MRS
Frohman says a woman's life is not
worth while. Daniel Frohman, with all
his money, his ambition, his influence
could not give her. The element of love
was missing. Daniel Frohman was
money-making machine,
and there was no place in his life for
love, for a home, for children
Money can't make love in the nome.
Its general tendency is to unmake IT,
The happiest homes are often the ones
where money is scarce But love Is
there to take it's place.-Salina journal
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
FRON OTHER PENS
USES OF ExrRAvAGANcE.


The criticism is often heard that
this is an age of extravaganza and
waste and that, in consequence, there
is more of human suffering than
there should be. Luxurious living is
held up to scorn, and the simplicities
of former generations are recalled
regretfully. 1t is true there is waste
fulness in these times; but waste was
also a fault of years gone by. Waste
fulness is a grievouS costly fault at
any time. The destruction of re-
sources. whether by a nation or the
people as individuals, means a dis
appearance, a devastation of some
thing. But extravaganza, if by it be
meant the buying of luxuries that one
could be comfortable without, or the
pense which cannot be easily afforded,
is not waste, for there is resultant
advantage to those who profit ma
terially and in the higher ideals and
standards of living thereby en-
couraged. If all the people had
sximped and saved and bought only
what was actually needed for bare
existence, the world would have
moved slowly indeed. Each great in
vention, when first put before the peo-
pie, must of necessity be a luxury,
and it is no longer such when the peo-
pie cannot do without it. The ex-
travagances of yesterday are the
necessities of today. By such evo
betterment; and it is because of his
greater desires, that are not easily
attainable or within his present
means, that he has the incentive to do
more to accomplish for the future
Washington Post.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23

Too bad! Indeed it is considerably
worse than that to think that the Kan
sas legislature went ahead and passed
an anti-lobby law before word came
from Texas as to what the solons in
that locality were intending to do in
this regard. The Texans propose that
each lobbyist shall be required to
carry whistle. and when a legislator
comes in sight. either in the state
house or on the streets. the lobbyist
shall blow three sharp blasts on his
whistle to warn the legislator that he
is about
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
HOME. ONCE MORE.

Home again. That was the grand
sensation experienced Monday by the
officers and the thousands of men on
the sixteen great battleships of the
United States navy which sailed ma
jestically into the waters of Hampton
Roads on the successful completion of
the greatest trip that was ever under
taken by a fleet of war vessels, mod
ern or otherwise. Magnificent have
been the receptions and the entertain
ments accorded to the sailors on this
fleet and their officers during their tour
among the nations of the earth, but it
| is doubtful if any of them were as
pleasurable as was the sighting of Old
Point Comfort and home. for when all
| is said and done. there is no place like
it. Home may be a palace, it may be
a hut, but home is home and it has no
rivals
| When this magnificent squadron of
ships sailed away some fourteen months
ago for their tour of the world, Ad-
miral Evans, who was then in COM
mand, declared that the cruise might
end in fight or a frolic Happily the
| fleet has had no occasion to fight. 1t
has been harbinger of peace and good
will, carrying the message of the uni
versal brotherhood of man from this
nation to those in the uttermost ends
of the earth. But the trip has not been
much of frolic either. except for the
pleasant times that the sailors and
their officers enjoyed in the friendly
ports upon which they called. 1t has
been hard work from start to finish for
officers and men alike. and the wonder
fully excellent condition of the battle
Oh 41,oi,
evidence needed that a gigantic work
has been we'll done.
What have the carping critics of the
structural weaknesses of the ships of
the United States navy. got to say
now? Surely no vessels of war that
were wrongly put together in all of
their essential details would be able to
steam around the world, almost twice
around it as far as distance is con-
cerned for the miles Travelled were 45-
600, and return to the point of starting
in better condition than they were when
they left. Possibly the marine artists
and others who are great authorities
on the building of vessels of war in
their minds eye, at least and probably
at most, will now declare that while
the ships have proven themselves to be
seaworthy and all right for pleasure"
trip, they would make a sorry showing
in fight. Maybe they would, but the
people of this land are apt to doubt
it. Anyhow, the warships of the Uni
ted States have never been found want
ing at any period in the history of the
country in giving a good account of
themselves in battle, and the people,
critics to the contrary, may be pardon
ed for believing that they never will
be.
It's been a great trip, this battleship
tour of the world. Mr.. Roosevelt gives
it second place among the momentous
happenings during the seven years of
his administration. Its lessons have
been invaluable to the officers and men
of the navy who are entitled to Just
what they are getting, three times
three hearty cheers from every good
throat. And the few in the |
land who may not care to participate |
in the cheering can do as they please. |
for they don't count, anyway.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
A DELIGHTFUL REMEDY.

In Marion county the other day there
was a meeting of the Farmers Associ-
alton, and one of the women got up to
talk on How to Keep Boys on the
Farm" In the course of her remarks
she said: Lets try loving the boys
more and be sure to have plenty of
good things to eat. Everybody likes
to be loved; let's love the boys more
and they won't want to leave us" Mr..
Roosevelt's commission might just as
we'll be abolished as far as Kansas is
concerned. Fed and loved by Kansas
women! What boy could want to leave
home kansas City Journal.
The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-23
THE LINKING OF NATIONS.

Limited through trains between
Paris and Moscow now bring thet wo
cities at the opposite ends of Europe
within 54 hours of each other. A
suggestion of romance is unavoidable
in the institution of a fast-train ser
vice between Napoleon's capital and
the capital of Alexander is empire
on the eve of the centenary of the
French emperors flight to Paris by
sledge and carriage, following the
catastrophe of Moscow. For pur-
poses of practical comparison, the
distance between the two cities is ap-
proximately half that between New
York and San Francisco, which are
los hours and apart in traintime.
The through trains from Paris will
connect at Moscow with the Siberian
express, bringing the Far East yet
nearer to western civilization. The
important feature of this new extern
sion of long-distance train service to
Americans an old story, is the pro-
gress it reveals in the sure develop
ment of a closer union of the nations
of the Old World through the railway.
The time is now not far off when
traveller at Paris should be able to buy
a through ticket to Bokhara,
Vladivostok or Bagdad, as he does
now to Moscow or Constantinople,
and for the tourist at Cairo to book
through to the Cape.-New York
World.