davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-11-10

w USU = GIW1u SUVCH0 .
block Il 30 affects the en-
erU that is a part Of sig
mailing that the soma
phore arm remains hori.
The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-11-10


when a man giving the name of Le-
fevre arose and loudly proclaimed
that he was the slayer of M. Stein
he'll and Nine. Japy for whose murder
the widow of the former is being tried.
Not much credence Is placed in the
mans confession.
President Taft received q Joyous
welcome in Columbus. Miss. when he
went to visit the birthplace Of Score
tary of War Dickinson and brother.
the secretary with him. q
George Baker. recently appointed
corresponding secretary to Gov. Mar
shall Of Indiana. committed suicide At
Goshen. Ind. BY poisoning becanse q
young lady refused to marry HIN.
Arrangements are being mado BY
the United States with foreia sSoun-
tries BY which diplomatic matf MI be
put in special pouches. thsk { void
ing the individual handling en oute
Of ordinary mail
As the result Of the act Of deputy
sheriff In invading the local Italian
consulate ut Denver to serve . sum-
mons on Consul Rossi. the latter may
complain to the omcials at Washing
ton. e
The district court of appeals affirmed
the decree Of the supreme court Of
the District Of Columbia adjudxine
Samuel Gompers, Frank Morrison and
John Mitchell, all officials Of the
American Federation of Labor, guilty
of contempt Of court in the Buck
Stove case. The effect of the de-
cision viii be that the defendants viii
have to go to prison.
The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-11-10


In the year 1908. the old line life In
surance companies Of Nebraska col.
lected premiums from the people OF
this state amounting to $842, 725, while
the outside old line life companies COZ
lected $2,695.954. For every dollar
paid to Nebraska company the out
side companies received more than
three dollars. This proposition should
at least be turned around for the best
interests of the people Of the state. and
The Midwest Life and the other state
companies are doing their best to per-
suade and educate their fellow Nebras-
kans to do 50. What gain or advan-
tase Is there to any Nebraskan in
dividually. or collectively, to the peo-
pie Of the state. to have these pre-
miums. or the larger part Of them.
sent out Of Nebraska? One sane and
emphatic way to stand up for Ne
braska" Is 10 buy from Nebraska in
surance companies what they have to
sell, especially when it is a good ar
ticle, whether It is life insurance, FIRE
insurance or accident insurance.
The premium rates of The Midwest
Life Of Lincoln are reasonable. Its
policies are as good as any on the
market today and none are better. The
premiums paid 1t stay in Nebraska
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

which succeeded came so qulckly on the
heels of that which failed the owner never
has obtained any indemnity. This condi-
ton obtained all over Panama. The truth
is that 1t has been the very docllity and
simplicity OF these peon people which has
led to the possibility of these frequent poll
teal disturbances.
This DEPRESSION popped in in spite of the
best resolves, just as the tide rolled over
my boat in spite of wenty years expert
ence with paddle and oar. Having some
letters of Importance TO get off by the first
mail. and relishing the ride ard a bit Of
canoeing, / decided TO be my own mes
senger and to take them down to Puerto
Chorrera myself from my headquarters near
the terminus OF the canal,
At Narraoncho | found the canoes all in
use except one small one about twelve feet
long. The tide was then out and the river
calm. The distance is about a mile. There
was nothing to disturb the trip going over,
and the letters were duly put into the hands
OF Senior Filipo Tore to be sent to Pan
anna early next morning on the sailboat
which carried the mail between Chorrera
and the capital.
| did not tarry, as the tide was turning,
and / wished TO have its help against the
current Of Camieto as l went back mp
stream, Inere was u gentle breeze blowing
from the sea as l stepped into the canoe.
while the tide had set in. When L had
gone a few hundred yards the wind in
creased to a light gale. 1t also threw he
boat into the trough Of the waves. l did
not like this, as the boat was small and
the river was twenty feet deep. l could
swim across the river there, but with both
alligators and sharks In these waters II
was not a pleasant prospect for swimming.
I turned the boat in the direction OF the
mangrove swamp mad pulled away. The
gale increased, the tide came in as II by
magic. the waves seelnec TO threaten 10
verwhelm the canoe ever minute. At last
l drew near the first mangrove tree, not
much more than a bush, on the edge OF
the river.
tried TO dodge II, 30 as TO get into shall
lower water, Then came a big wave and
a strong puff OF wind and threw the cock
leshell OF IA craft against the tree as II 1t
were a feather. over II went.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

At this moment the champagne was
brought in, and with it came the red visit
ing cards of some Chinese officials. In
high society here the entrance of the wine
always means the close Of an interview,
and when your host asks you to drink you
know that the time has come for you to
depart. For this reason my last questions
were rapidly put:
What does your excellency think OF
the new constitution? Arc the Chinese
prepared for it,"
mot now, perhaps, but they will be by
the time it goes into effect. We are to
have eight years of education. and at the
end we shall have q new China"
will you be able to wipe out the opium
evil?"
yves. But its abolition must be gradual.
The confirmed smoker cannot give I'D the
habit at the wink of an eye. SOM may
be able to stop, but others will hold on
till their death. II is only from the young
that we can expect much as to the aboii-
ton Of opium. The custom is already
considered disgraceful, and If we can keep
it so, we can get rid of the evil"
How about foot binding?"
That will go, too. The better class
women have stopped binding the feet OF
their children. The custom begins TO be
unpopular. l have no bound feet in my
household, and L am glad to say that tho
day has come for the bound foot to go"
At this point we had already taken three
sips Of champagne. There was a crowd
of Chinese callers waiting outside, and I
knew it was high time to leave, AS I
rose, his excellency again gave me his
hand, saying he regretted he had not had
a chance to ask some questions of me, and
that our whole conversation had been
taken up with his answers to queries of
mine. FRANK g. CARPENTER,
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

in the face, and his bright black eyes
seemed to be searching my soul. Indeed
his eyes were so keen that the remainder
of his personality was thrown into the
background, and 1t was some time before
] took In the details. Then l observed that
the eyes belonged to an old Chinese, of me-
dunn height and STOPPING shoulders, They
shone out OF a sallow complexion, over
high cheekbones and from a rather thin
face. His eXcellency was dressed in a long
black gown OF blue silk. He had a black
silk hat on his head, the rim of which was
Of which extended a broad waving feather.
He wore a white turnover collar and his
coat had buttons of gold.
The great financier smiled as he greeted
me. He led me across the room and mo-
toned me to sit down at the table Civ
ing me a chair at his left, which is the
seat of honor in China. As we sat there,
our elbows almost touching, rested his left
hand on the table, and, as he became in
terested In the talk, row and then tapped
the board with his nails. Al he did so 1
could not keep my eyes off his hand.
The nails on the last three fingers-that
is, on all Of the fingers except the in
deX finger-were at least three inches long,
and the thumb nail stood out like a spoon.
When not tapping his excellency's hand,
resting on the nails, had the tips Of the
fingers raised above the table itself to the
height of an ordinary glass tumbler, and
the wrist was well up off the table. The
finger. nails were as white as ivory, and
it struck me that It must be a trouble
some matter to keep them so clean.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

villages on each side. One of these, on the
side, is called NarTancho, that on
the western shore being Puerto Chorrera,
as it is the port for the inland town OF
five miles up Camieto Valley.
These settlements are so typical Of one
side OF Central American life that per-
haps a word about them would not be
amiss. AS one approaches them from sea
or land, there Is no evidence OF human hah-
itation until the huts are right at hand.
They are completely bidder In the trees
and surrounding vegetation,
The houses are built on sand dunes
above high tide, and each one has appro-
priated a dune to itself without consider
alton Of order or symmetry. In Narrancho
there are about a dozen of these huts on
ten acres of land. You cannot see one hut
from the door of another though the place
is regarded as a town and has a sort Of
intendant. OF course there are no streets;
trails through the grass and brush lead
beach Is the only common highway.
from one dwelling to another. and the
These huts are distinctly African in the
type of their architecture, though the in
habitants may be largely indian in blood.
But one who has travelled much in the in
terror Of Africa can easily see that the
African type OF culture to all sorts has
prevailed over the Indian, where, as prac-
tically everywhere in Central America
there has been a mingling of the two races
The huts are generally square in shape,
like those of my old friends, the Bakuna
and the Baschilele. The walls are OF up
right sticks, with as many cracks as sticks
The roof is made OF palm leaves. Under
the caves is a loft in which the residents
sleep, while below is the kitchen and liv'
ing room,
There is a doorway, and rarely a secure
door In It, But no one seems to feal
thieves here-it is the most honest country
! ever saw. ! sometimes wonder how lone
this happy condition will last after n,
American Influence has become entirely
dominant.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

The last do not live with the rest, except
by indirection. But the names are all Cas-
lillian enoush-SantO Domingo is the mayor,
Eduardo the main boat-builder, Juan the
heaviest tippler, Federico an expert char
ccal burner, Catalina "A lucky fisherman,
George, an English-speaking jamaican who
drlfted into the old Canal company's service
and vas never able to get away, a mighty
hunter. II they have any surnames | have
no. yet been able to discover them.
1t is sometimes conceived that these peo-
pie are degenerate desperadoes, ripe for
revolution, ready for any desperate deed,
AS a matter OF fact, they are a docile,
simple, inoffensive class OF men, and what
evil they do in times Of riot and confusion
comes from instigation OF rum. The revolu-
ticEists are the work OF designing and UNI
scrupulous politicians and these lower
classes are often more the victims than tho
pI oducers Of the revolutions.
II is interesting to hear these people talk
about the fact that now since the Ameri
cans are in evidence on the isthmus there
are TO be no more revolutions. Whatever
may be the attitude OF some OF the
Weather men in Colombia, II is emphatl-
cally true that In Panama the bulk Of the
people are delighted 10 have a government
which is not likely 10 have TO call them
to arms every few months.
Just above Narrancho is a red hill, or
top of which are piles OF stones which
were the breastworks for the defense OF
the harbor In the last revolution. There
were several thousand head OF cattle on
the adjoining hacienda and the government
troops ate them all up. AS the government
then was Colombia, and the revolution
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Iow about your new coinage?'

How about your new coinage
"There Is a movement on foot to stand
ardize It. We are sadly In need OF a uni
form coinage, and II is bound to come
will the unit be the silver dollar or the
tael?"
Most probably the dollar. Many OF our
people have come to know that coin fairly
well. and we like the decimal system upon
which II Is based. 1 think 1t Is better than
the tael."
"Win China ever be on a gold basis!
I'm time, yes; but not soon. / should
like to see all our finances managed on the
gold standard"
How about the new bank notes which
are being issued in so many parts OF the
empire? Are they properly secured?'
II think they are all right now,' re-
piled the Chinese financier. Such notes
as are already in use are safe enough,
and / nave no doubt but that they will be
safe for some time to come. I consider
them a dangerous medium OF exchange
however, and / can easily imagine condi-
lions which might arise in connection will
them which would create great financial
disturbance and possible loss.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
1eouId not keep ny eyes off his hard

which mating can be stretched In summer
to shut out the sun. There is no sign Of
the poverty which we associate with the
ordinary celestial, sheng belongs to the
rich and, like his class, he wears satins
and velvets and entertains in great style,
His butler always has champagne on tap,
and among the dishes served at his feasts
are pigeon-egg stews, shark fins and birds
nest soup, the latter costing several dol
lars q plate.
Ii was In the finest of his buildings that
his eXcellenoy received me, 1t Is a com
bination OF Chinese and foreign archltec-
ture, built OF gray brick, three stories high,
and OF vast extent. Passing through a
wide hall / came into a court, over which,
on a framework OF poles, mating was
stretched. This was surrounded by rooms,
most of which are intended for receptions,
The servants led us into a large Darlor,
furnished in Chinese style, Heavy chairs
Of black wood, inlaid with mother Of pearl
and wonderfully carved. stood against the
walls. There was a dlvan at the back, and
in the center OF this a low table, upon
which two guests could rest their elbows
as they sat and chatted. There were
Chinese paintings on the walls and here
and there shone out a beautifully written
text Of the Chinese classics. In the center
of the room was a table. This was Of
carved teakwood. Il had no cover, but,
with a view to my reception, it was set
with refreshments of various kinds. There
were cakes. fruits and candies. and other
dainties were brought in during the au-
dience.
1 was able TO meet Sheng Kung Pao by
an introduction from Or. John C. FerSu-
son, an American who is high in the con-
fidence of the leading Chinese officials. He
was for a long time. and is now, one Of
the confidential foreign advisers of Sheng,
and he has been associated in a similar
capacity with the viceroys of Marking and
Wuchang, lie accompanied me to the
palace and performed the ceremony Of in
Productions, after which he left me with
Sheng and the Interpreter.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

the fireplace ON VIII CHI icrked meat is
smoking, piles Of the shells Of clans, oys-
ters and crabs, and a box or two for The
bright colored cloths which come out for
the fiestas and funerals-such are the fur
nishings, with dogs, pigs, chickens and
ducks pottering about In the midst of 1t al.
Did any one ever see a negTo's home
without ducks? The dogs are mongrel to
the last degree; In a land where deer hunt
ing might be INDUCED to the hearts con-
tent | have not yet seen a deerhound, and
in a country where cattle is the ore reliance
/ have yet to find a collie. Narrancho also
boasts a flock Of turkeys, but the guinea
is conspicuous by its absence.
The population is what was left by the
Spanish Of the Indian, and what was
brought over of the negro and what was
produced by the. mix up of all three. You
can see the Indian In the straight hair.
the negro In the thick lips and the Spaniard
in the aqulline nose. sometimes It Is all
negro, sometimes all Indian, hardly ever
all %Spaniard.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Coke 0ens at Han. Yang, Shsnss $1SOO00OO Steel Plant

accept no help from outside. The cost OF
railroad building, however, is so great,
and our people understand II so little, that
they hesitate to invest, and are now coming
to favor foreign loans"
And, indeed, I still believe in foreign
loans for railroad building" continued
Sheng Kung Pao. 81 think It will pay us
to borrow the money, and let the roads
earn the interest. The situation in regard
to such loans has changed during recent
years. In the past the roads were mort
gagged as security FOR the bonds; but the
government Is now guaranteeing them, and
the roads, to a certain extent, are free
from such membranes. A guarantee by
the Chinese government is better than that
Of any railroad. 1t has all China back OF
1t, and the interest is absolutely secure"
But, 1 understand you want to borrow
some millions of dollars to extend your
steel works at Hanyang, and that you are
asking the Chinese to put up the money.
Why do you not so abroad for a loan OF
that kind?"
1--WE do not think 1t advisable. Similar
obligations which we have entered into
during recent years have caused interna-
tional trouble, The men who borrow the
money, in case of a dispute as to the settle
ment, are likely to call in the government
to which they belong to enable them to
bring things their way. and that without
regard to Justice or right. The mortgaglng
of private enterprises and public works
has, in certain cases, given the control OF
such works over to the foreigners who
made the loan, and that we cannot permit.
We feel that we Chinese should control
our w mines, and that In the present
conditions Of affairs Il Is not safe for us
to go outside for capital so secured
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Mountains are High.

II is not often realized that these noun
talns are higher than the highest OF the
AIleghenies. Indeed. ono Of the ChlriQul
range near by Is n,O tsot high. II is
certainly a strange perversion Of fact to
regard Panama as a land OF low lying
Jungle and morass, as one Of the Eeograph.
zeal encyclopedias In my library has e..
II is really almost as mountainous as
switzerland. From any hill along the
shore OF either ocean one can see the sharp
outline OF mountain after mountain up
against the bright tropical sky, and only
the wide horizon OF dSEzling water on
every hand shows one that h Is not IN
Colorado or New Hampshire,
II Is these mountains which help to make
Central America such a condenser OF the
ocean vapors as to be among the best
watered parts OF the globe. The steaminG
water laden atmosphere is blown upI from
Atlantic and Pacific against the cool
peaks which lower the temperature to
the point OF precipitation and send down
ever the and three times as much water
as falls on New Jersey or South Carolina,
The annual rainfall at Colon on the At
lAnte side is i2l,Ss inches, mean: that foI
Pan&m Ia u90
nut for the stiff clay soil and the heavy
tropical vegetation this great rainfall nigh
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Nice TO Think About.

Lacking at II from the safe and comfort
able hacienda Of a former governor of
Panama in which / write this account of
II the experience does not seem 80 dan
gerous as II did when going through Il,
but il was never a bit pleasant. l had no
way Of telling how high the tide might
reach. l watched it coming on until dark
then began TO throw down bits Of the
limbs OF the mangrove into the water
which was strongly phosphorescent and
which when disturbed cleaned and shone
so as to Indicate how high il was. In this
l managed at last 20 be sure that IL
had began to recede.
Then / got a long limb with which 10
sound, and when the water was about a
foot deep / decided 10 venture down. Be-
fore leaving the tree | tried a shot with
the gun in the direction OF where I had
left the boat, so as to brighten away any
prowling alllgatorsI Then / started TO
wade over to the boat, sinking above my
knees at every step.
TO my dismay the boat had sunk face
downward into the soft mud. and when
] tried to lift 1t ! Immediately sank up 10
my waist In the slime, and was sinking
deeper when l made a strong pull on the
boat and extricated myself. 1t was evil
dent that the boat must be Abandoned
This meant that / should have TO walk
through the swamp TO the edge OF the
river and then along It's bank up 10 where
1 would be opposite the huts at Narrap-
Continued on Page FOur.l
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Exciting Adventures Incident to a Days Work of a Panama Ponce

and tumbled off the tree. to be held up
by the belt.
Then ] thought 1 had better not risk suck
a thing again and / began to sing to keep
myself awake. Training in singing three
babies to sleep stood ME in good stead this
time, but what the alligators and the
cranes and herons thought OF 1t is a matter
for imagination. Sometimes a great white
heron would fly along until he espied me
on his perch, then he would give a short
cry OF establishment and veer off abruptly
In another direction.
Then of course as the sun went down
there arrived a new diversion. The mos
quitoes came, not in single file, but in
hordes and whole divisions. 1 broke p
branch Of the tree and quit singing. There
was no danger OF sleeping now. Fortu-
nately the thick khaki and heavy leggings
protected me everywhere but In the race
and on the hands, and l set TO work TO
keep them off. For three long hours L
kept up the battle, while the fishes leaped
in the water below and the alligators
spIashed about and the frogs on shore
croaked dlsmally and an owl somewhere
hooted his sympathy.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
Imperial Bank Of China at shanghai --
Largely owned B<ShenS.

Undoubtedly SO, The Chinese classics
are of great value in training the mind and
soul; but as far as business matters are
concerned, they are ethical rather than
practical / want the classics kept In our
schools, but J think the modern sciences
should supplement them"
How are you training your own chill
dren?"
Il nave two boys who are learning Eng
fish. They are now going 20 the college
here. and I shall send them abroad, to
Europe or the United States, as soon as
they are prepared to enter the universities
OF those countries"
Whom do you think is of the most value
to China, the man trained at home along
the old lines or the one educated abroad?'
II think both kinds Of training are neces-
sary. They are both needed to make an
all-around man. the man OF business and
the man of morals. and, in short the best
man for U.S.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26

to the anchor rope, grasped ii and male
q plunge for the tree,
1t had a fork about a foot below water,
and ! wrapped the line around the trunk
and then pulled al the boat to get II !nto
the fork. Then I twisted a leg around the
tree. and tried to turn the boat over, hay
ing broken a branch and thrown the gun
strap over IT. The paddle ] had wrapped
with the rope. But ! might as well have
tried 10 overturn Gatun dam as to get that
boat over with the waves beating me at
every life. Finally l steadied myself in
the fork of the tree and took a survey Of
the situation.
It was far from encouraging. The tide
was now coming in in full force and the
water marks told me that this little tree
would afford no permanent roost. Already
the water was at my waist and II was
creeping up with fateful certainty. There
was a taller mangrove some thirty yards
away which seemed my only chance. but
between my perch and that tree was a
tempest OF waves and possibly both sharks
and ~alligators.
But there was nothing else TO be done,
Under ordinary circumstances such a
win would be child's play when I am in
condition, but 1 never made a plunge /
disliked more. I threw the 2unstraD over
my back and let go boots leggins and all.
One does not get such things easily here
and ] did not wish to lose them. The
gun had been my faithful companion for
thousands Of miles in Africa and l had
almost as soon lose a hand. SIN fate
gave me a shove and / got TO the taller
tree and went up It with an alacritv such
as only one can know who ever had to act
In such a case. Then l breathed a while
and took another survey.