davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
The Telegram
~~~~~~~~~~

"Odd hand, my last" remarked one
of the bridge-players.
He was a good-looking fair man,
with an eyeglass, who was not too
much absorbed in his game to find
time to glance at the girl in white who
sat on the sofa at right angles to the
card table. She seemed to have great
deal to say to the man by her side.
He looked like sailor, a man with
keen, alert face, and far-seeing gray
eyes. They talked in low tones out
of Difference to the players. The game
went on.
What good camel" said one of
the men, as they rose. He stifled
yawn, looking at the clock.
Eyes," replied the man with the eye
glass, absently. Good game" He was
looking towards the sofa.
Their hostess glanced suddenly at
the clock. "My dear people," she ex-
claimed, IF any of us mean to hunt
tomorrow, we ought to go to our little
beds. I had no idea it was so late.
George has probably gone to sleep in
the smoking-room. Evie, are you bored
to death watching us?"
The girl in white smiled demurely.
mo, thanks. DEAR" she replied pref
tily. She did not look bored.
They moved into the hall where
there was keen but silent competi-
ton between the sailor and the man
with the eyeglass to light and hand
the candles. Both turned at the same
moment to the girl in white.
Naval or military? whispered one
of the bridge-players in his hostess
ear. She frowned at him as he handed
her candle.
Don't let George sit up all night"
she remarked. generally. Come.
Evie"
The soldier pressed the girls hand
with an earnest goodnight. The sailor
said nothing, but looked at her with
those strangely far-seeing eyes of his.
Goodnight" she said softly and
impartially to them both.
The two other men who had been
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

recently swept over city that which the mem
orable day of Sept g. 1900 caused the death of more
than 5000 persons and destroyed property worth more
than SIT 900 OOO That the latest great assault OF an
cry waters the loss Of single life with
in the city was due the promptness and with
which the people of the stricken city in 1901 set to
work to provide effective barrier against another
awful calamity
The Galveston sea wall is of the triumphs of
REINFORCED concrete construction 1t extends along the
citys water front 1883 feet (three and one-third
miles, and its top is seventeen feet above low
of the gulf. 13 feet higher than the highest
point reached by the food that driven the
city by the hurricane Sept g. 1900 The wall proper
is five thick at the top and sixteen feet thick
its base the being and the back vertical
1t is built on foundation of piles that driven
fortythree feet into the ground the side of the
foundation being faced with sheet piles twentfour feet
long, provide seamless surface against undermin
ing In front of the wall for twentyseven feet
massive bed Of granite riprap three to
feet thick provide further protection to the founda
ton The wall ITSELF calculated to resist by its weight
the shock of and the hydostatc pressure
is backed by filling extending inland far enough
to provide walk thirteen feet wide next to the wall
and driveway thrtyeight feet wide. The surface of
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

the driveway is the grade of the city which
being extended the island straight sono
point eight feet above the waters of Galveston Bav
permanently raising the general level of streets and the
first floors of buildings
The wall is built of concrete consisting Of one
part of cement three parts of sand and six parts Of
crushed granite Every three and onehalf feet there
STEEL and onehalf inches square and feet long
short distance back of the curved surface and extend
ing diagonally in straight line parallel tangent
to about the middle point of the conceived front Three
engineers of national repute designed the wa-Brga.
der General H. M. Robert retired army officer Alfred
Noble of Chicago and H. c. Ripley The grade raising
carried under the direction of Captain c. S.
Riche for several years United States engineer
Chicago and for six in charge of the
office in Galveston
That their city is safe from any storms that
may Is the exultant cry Of Galvestonians. 1t is
true that the wind during the recent storm did not
reach nearly so high velocity in the great storm
of 1900 when the thermometer at the government sta
ton blew away after registering 100 miles hour
that unprecedented fury Of the storm king is est
mated the wind reached velocity of 100 miles hour
Some observers consider it demonstrated however that
Galveston Is safe against storm that Is likely to
visit it for many years, considering that such caamt
ties as the 1900 hurricane like the earthquakes
that devastate great cities only in centuries Since
it was settled in 1S47, Galveston been visited by
only six storms, and in previous to that Of
1900 was there loss of more than three lives.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
THE HAPPIEST HEART.

Who drives the horses Of the sun
Shall lord 1t but day;
Better the lowly deed were done,
And kept the humble way.
The rust will find the sword of fame,
The dust will hide the crown;
Ay. none shall nail so high his name
Time will not tear 1t down.
The happiest heart that ever beat
Was in some quiet breast
That found the common daylight
sweet,
And left to heaven the rest.
John Vance Cheney.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
sheet: Such pile" She
sat staring into the fire.

sheet: Such pile" She
sat staring into the fire.
They all came in from hunting the
next evening, tired and pleased with
their day. There was the usual search
on the hall-table for kilograms, or
second-post letters. The man with the
eyeglass took up an orange envelope.
He looked his tall, straight best in
pink, mud-splashed as he was. He
read the telegram and an eager light
came into his eyes. He gathered up
his letters, with one quick glance at
the girl. and went upstairs.
Come along, Evie, let's 60 and
change" said her hostess. She linked
her arm in the girls. and they walked
together to the foot of the wide stair
case. But she suddenly reraan- hArad
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

Enrlf.h Plea for Cities ,ss
What England wants )us' -. - .bii1
man, or several. OF lilly lilly for tho
and ample means. who, pur o., nrepsrs
sake OF their art alone VIZ ,og snd
imaginary schemes sno"lns st TO gos
il what way our cities ousn' arellins
If they are to be heal1n, instead =
places and beauty spo.0 ~,,ah Buts
blots upon our land.-EnS
inn Nawa
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
Saving the Pieces.

every little fragment Of time should
be saved" said the homegrown mill
osopher.
"Sure it should" rejoined the cynical
person. The moment the day breaks
it's up to us to begin saving the
pieces"
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
Sounded Romantic.

Sounded Romantic.
There was one time in my life"
said the fussy old bachelor. when I
really wanted better half"
Tell me about It." cooed the senti-
mental widow.
'&Oh, there isn't much to tell" an
swered the (. o. b. "Some chap stuck
me with bad 5O-cent piece"
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

CCUPYING the east end of an island some
thirty miles long and from one to three
miles wide, with it's original ground sur
face less than five feet above the Gulf OF
Mexico, the City of Galveston is provided
by nature with practically no protection
against such furious storms as that which
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

as fond as you Of your little kingdom
Rule it WELL"
Il shall. l have a great 'leal to p,uve
now"
She smiled Felix Of Al-stair:s then
she turned up the path.
I vent back t. the Ship mighty with
resolves; I thirsted for great deeds o do.
When / came on board found plans for
such deeds brewing.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27
His Choice Of .EviI.-

His Choice Of Evils.
Shall forever from her part.
Or wed her for better or worse9
The formers sure to break her heart
The latter to break her purse
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-08-27

/ A MI
| the pre-
| not cor
Seems
when c
which t
bic.
Place
two or
they are
them so:
adds a n
tatoes 81
ny rubbi]
+,
DR.. Eli,
nd the !
cad ther
'use mob
The sun., 1909-05-30
THE WAY OF ADVERTISING.
Manufactures Gets out Msving Picture
Piayiets.

A novel method OF presenting argu-
menta in favor OF his products has just
been put into operation BY a manufac'
turer in the middle West. A motion
picture act has been devised with all
the caro- that 10 given to such perform.
anoes by tie best Of the Aim makers ol
France and the United States.
The services Of a playwright and o'
actors and actresses were secured. says
System, and playlet was produced with
all tho dramatic force that has made the
motion picture show 30 popular. TAX
ing machine records were made to ac-
company these films.
Both these re cords and the films were
sent out to the oompany's representa.
tives In the various cities, who IN turn
lent them for gratuitous use to the pro
prietors OF the motion picture theatres,
who we're glad Of the opportunity to save
the. money usually paid for rentals o'
such materials.
Thus the need Of the companys prod.
uct was emphasized and unique but
effective selling talk was delivered to the
public who paid for the privilege OF hear.
ing Il, Films are .noy being made thst
New York to the factory. with motion
views Of the various cities en- route taken
from above and including a trip through
the factory departments and showing
40 hnale one of the ma aohines Assembling
itself rapidly and 'mysteriously without
- sss-:>.:scs ~ human hands
The sun., 1909-05-30

soning showed that there is a tremendou,
increase Of the white corpuscles of The
blood without a decrease Of the red cor
puscles and that this causes displacement,
OF the nascent oxygen in the red cells. II
also shows that specific toxic influence
OF the gas itself acts upon the ceptra
nervous system. He adds:
"1n cases in which the patient il noi.
soned while asleep or under influence n,
alcohol, or In cases in which large oman.
tity OF the concentrated gas is at once
inhaled, the preliminary nervous nha,
nomena are absent and the patient passes
at once into coma.
THE coma, which is always profound
torous breathing and sometimes ''1, hv
dilated pupils In some cases, after
! hours OF unconsciousness, the patient
may be partially aroused to take nourish. .
ment, only to relapse again.
THE coma may last from half an hour
to many days, and it is usually accom-.
panied by elevation Of body tempera.
ture and a rapid pulse, but there are
cases in which 1t is the chief and almost
the only symptom"
DR.. Thompson finds that the fever re.
sulting from gas poisoning is OF q moder-
ate and irregular type. Convulsions
OCCUR in about per cent. Of the oases.
DuC tne nervous symptoms are varied
and inconstant.
The coma bears no relation to the in
tensity and duration Of the fever. Coma
lasting four or FIVE days IL not neoes.
sarily fatal. The infusion Of a salt sol,,-
tion and the letting OF blood is the beat
treatment for these cases.
Notwithstanding all that is known and
all that has been printed about the dan.
gers from the use Of gas, an occasional
country visitor and good many immi-
grants will continue to blow out the ras.
numerous drunken men will turn It on
accidentally, and somnambulists and
others will become its victims: chan
deliers will fall and curtains may turn On
cocks through the agency Of the wind, ali
causing death.
But the great majority Of deaths will
be from suicide. probably nine-tenths
OF them. and there is no known wav Of
stopping them. It is the favorite form
OF suicide. There were sIo deaths from
glnshot wounds In the city last year. Of
which only IA were accidental. The re-
corded number Of gas suicides was 2ss
for the same time, but II is estimated that
they really numbered more than IOo.
Gunshot wounds. the gas people saw.
must take second place.
The third favorite form of suicide "a
by hanging. Last year there were 1is
OF these cases.
The sun., 1909-05-30
the book tho might calls in case of leak

the book the might calls In case OF leak
have separate numbers.
AS soon as telephone call is received
giving notice OF leas an electric gignG
oalls the emergency Grew out. I'y the
time THO crew is ready further Particular
are received, and when the crew reaches
the office a slip is HANGED to the drivol
sible who has sent In the call. The tim'
to accomplish all this is less u an eighteer
seconds on an average.
In 1907 no less than 1.s49 emergency
calls were responded tn bv one Of thu
three crews In Manhattan. For example
one OF the latest reports shows that leaL
reported to the station. In Iess thar
three minutes the emergency crew wal
on the ground and in eight minutes tht
renairs were made. --..
A call came not long ago from a large
apartment bouse uptown. Tba call waa
reported at 2'4o A. NJ. TIE distance to &C
was exactly i.2s miles. The crew arrived
10 less than five minutes. found the house
full Of gas and the residents in q state
of panic. In ten minutes from the time
the call was received The service valve
was closed, ths building ventilated and the
danger Of an explosion verted.
Defective Insulation Of an outside wire
had aten away the service pipe and caused
VIZ StvuDl6. III al SUCH CRISES every apart
ment Ii visited to make sure that no stop.
cooks are turned on boforo the gas is
sent through the house again.
The outfit for an emergency wagon oil
automobile consists Of ahovels. bars
chisels, hammers. keys, hooks, wrenches
caps. plugs and the like. but the most
important, In cases Of fire and explosion
is searchlight in which acetylene gas Ia
used. The light works upon q pivot and
usually Is operated at safe distance
from the break.
In cases Of extreme emergency after
the wagon has carried the crew to the
danger point it is used to 20 about the
district and gather up employees Of the
company for quick work. In twenty
minutes q large working force can be
assembled by the company.
Another precaution that the gas COM
pany takes invariably is to watch the
proving dial on every new meter. that il
installed. That occupies about ten min
tes, and IL shows whether there is any
gas escaping in the house.
1t is a mistaken idea, the gas people
assert. that the pressure often gets 90
low that the gas goes out and then puts
a household In danger when 1t starts up
again. They say the proof Of this Is that
Of pressure and that II such low pressure
did exist these lamps would 60 out.
They declare that their telltAle devices
at the gas factories reveal instantly any
loss Of pressure.
The study that DR.. Thompson made
OF the fatalities resulting from gas poi
The sun., 1909-05-30
',NOREDEATHS CAUSEDBY GAS
INCREASE NOTED IN THIS
( CITY IN LATE YEARS.

Seven, or Eight Cases OF Gas POISONING
l.. Daily, OF Which 10 Per Cept. Are Fatal
.,4,--Most OF the Deaths by Gas Are
n Attributed to Suicide or Carelessness.
Scarcely day passes that there are not
! half a dozen cases OF gas poisoning re
/ boYted by the police of this city. 1t Ia
! estimated that from 1S to 20 per cent. OF
them are fatal, The number Of deaths
in the city annually from this cause II
between 500 and coo. II the percentage
OF deaths Is correct It means that there
must be between 2.50o and 5000 OF these
/ cases each year. an average Of seven or
eight a day.
There is no way Of telling how many OF
the gas poisoning cases are accidental
and how many are suicidal. The sta
tistics kept by the Health Board are not
conclusive on this point. The records
for 1907 show that there were 557 deaths
In the entire city. OF these $50 are classi-
fed AZ accidental and POI as suicidal.
In the year 1908 there were 494 cases OF
death from this cause. or these 200 are
put down as accidental and 2ss are classi-
fed as suicidal.
Unless the cases are plainly suicidal
they are classified as accidental. 1t is
the opinion of investigators employed by
tho gas companies that fully nine-tenths
OF the deaths are suicidal.
The belief that only about 20 per cent.
OF the gas poisoning cases reported are
fatal is based upon an investigation that
DR.. W. Gilman Thompson of this city made
not long ago. His investigation included
ninety cases in which the patients were
in a oomatose condition when they re-
ceived treatment. or these cases seven
teen. or 1873 per cent. were fatal.
4 large proportion Of these cases were
treated at the Presbyterian Hospital
They came from the central districts
and prompt aid was given. In the re-
moter parts of the city. where quick help
cannot be secu red, the cases are few in
number.
. The distribution Of the cases in the city
is ia the ratio of population OF the bor-
oughs. OF the accidental cases in 1907.
225 were in Manhattan. II in The Bronx,
The sun., 1909-05-30
NOVELTY IN HOME AQUARIUMS.
Made With q Picture Frame Front and
Intended to Hang on the Wall.

A novelty in balanced or self-sustain-
ing home aquariums is made to hang up
on the wall like picture. The tank is
oblong. narrow at the bottom but wider
at the top. The side to go against the
wall Is vertical. while the front slopes up
outward. as picture hangs, and this outer
side Ia in fact surrounded with a picture
frame,
The back and ends Of this aquarium are
enclosed in metallic holder, with hooks
at the top by which It may be hung. and at
the back between this metallic holder and
the back wall OF the glass tank Is inserted
picture. a landscape having at the
bottom In the foreground brook.
The bottom OF the tank is covered with
gravel and set In the water is suitable
vegetation sufficient to please the eye and
to keep the water aerated. and then OF
course there ara the fishes. and when you
haven't thus stocked you hang this aqua
rum up on the wall 70 have the, the effect
In It.
The sun., 1909-05-30

vices are really worse than none In thu
long run. Appreciation Of the danger
from the use Of gas and the knowledge
common to every one OF intelligence II
the matter is the greatest security from
accident.
OF course no one can stop the use o
gas. for suicidal purposes. The only way
ings. Thefavoriteway Of ending one g life
by gas suicide Is to use tube and inhalt
the gas. The slower method Is to stop al
cracks. turn on the gas and die when one
falls asleep.
The action Of gas is slow in causing
death. The general opinion Is that in 9
tightly closed room coma does not result
filed room for several hours without
dying. The stertorous breathing and the
odor OF the gas as 1t leaks from a room
usually warn others, and the victim Is
rescued before death.
The greatest protection from death.
whether accidental or suicidal, tfrom this
cause is the odor OF the gas. An ordinary
minutes from escaping gas. The oocu.
pant will know his danger at once. With
ordinary ventilation 1t will require several
hours to asphyxate him.
Where natural gas isNsed no such warn
ing comes. Natural gas u odorieas and the
occupant Of room may become its Victim
without tho sightest knowledge that II
is escaping. The gas that IL burned In
New York city Is q mixture Of coal and
water gas and has DO puneent an odor
that no one can fall to detect its escape In
bis presence. Nothing In the world smells
anything Ike 1t.
The gas companies mako every effort
TO prevent the accidental escape Of gas.
In io00 the Consolidated company organ
lied what 10 Known as an emergency force
There are three stations fitted UP with
apparatus to stop leaks and ready for
instant service. 1t is said that the
emergency crews get out for duty as
quickly az the hremen do. The latest
Improvement IL to 60 TO the scene Of
danger In automobiles.
There are no less than I .425 miles OF gas
mains In Manhattan's streets, supply
ing 10000 buildings and 100000 meters
in an area Of twenty-five square miles.
OF necessity there must be many leaky
joints. falling chandeliers and the like,
due to deterioration OF material.
In cases OF fire and explosion also 1t Is
necessary to have the gas shut of
promptly. In all police stations and fire
houses the gas company hangs q plotted
chart, showing how the city Is divided
into districts by the gas company and also
showing where the emergency stations
are and what the telephone calls are. In
The sun., 1909-05-30
MIR. JURGLETON'S DISCOVERY.
No Man In q stovepipe Hat Ever Seen
Carrying . Baby. He Declares.

eDid you ever.' said Mr.. Jurgleton
See man in a silk hat carrying an infant
child? Never. venture To say.
@You do see plenty Of fathers. young
fathers mostly, carrying their babief
and very willing to carry them, indeed
proud Of their offspring; but you never
see such fathcr in a tall hat. They may
wear fcrty-'leven other kinds Of hats
derbies, soft hats. straw hats, or az many
kinds of cans; but nc father carrying an
infant ever wears silk hat.
or course there can't be any fashion
decree about this. Refraining from wear
ing a silk hat on such occasions must be
due Just to instructive common sense;
the baby Is an extremely informal thing,
haole TO scream or cry or wriggle 0f
squirm at any minute. to bear itself in
many ways In a manner quite incompati-
BILE with high hat dignity; and even young
fathers. seem to know this, and so they
lesve their stovepipe tiles on the shelf
at home when they 20 out with the baby.
They eeem to know what In fitting instinct
lively; but you -never nee man In q q stove
pipe hat carrying baby.
The sun., 1909-05-30

gas turned Off when It Is not In use, eco
nomio reasons alone are sufficient, fol
that oauhon:, but there can be no donb
that through carelessness the tubing
Ia detached sometimes when the gas Il
not shut OF at the stopoock. A person
Walking about room In the night may
strike the tube with his foot or detaof
1t accidentally otherwise, especially
1t is attached loosely. and then 60 TO bee
In ignorance OF what no has done,
Investigation has also shown thai
many persons get up In the night and
impulsively or semioonsoiously fool witt
a gasoook, decide not to use the gas and
leave the cock half turned on. Asphyxi-
alton follows In case Of profound slumber
Somnambulism may also account fol-
some Of the accidental cases, but the
great cause is intoxication.
Now and then Investigation has shown
that . drunken man has turned on the
gas accidentally by throwing his things
about. A shoe tossed against the wall
may hit the stopoock and turn II on.
Many q person has whirled sheet OF
paper about q room to find 1t lodge In a
crack. II he tried hundred thousand
times to perform that same feat he would
fail. Accordingly 1t Ia argued that. a
drunken mans shoe 10 as likely TO hit a
stopoock when 1t Ia thrown toward
any old place as it IL to hit the wash pitcher
or a mirror. Investigation has also
shown that some drunken men take
special care to hang some Of their clothes
on gascocks with wide hanges. In trying
to secure firm hold for the clothing
the cock is turned.
There also have been cases when a
strong wind has blown curtains against
a loose gascook in such a way that the
latter is turned around by the repeated
tugs. Still the gas people assert that such
things are rare.
The old days when the stopoock had
no check are gone. The law does not per-
nit the use Of any plumbing OF that kind
nowadays. Some OF the old time fixtures
are in use, but fatalities from that source
are rare. Those who have that kind Of
stopcock usually know their danger and
guard against it.
The gas people cay that the check on
the stopcocks is practically the only
safety device in use generally and that
II is the only effective device
Many patent devices have been tried
to check the occidental flow. Of gas. but
it is asserted that most Of them depend
on a spring for their operation. A few
weeks of disuse will put the spring out
OF commission through rust or other
causes and it is declared that these de-