davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1909-02-14

1T Is sad that the next day one OF the
audience. secretary Of the French Le-
cation. made bitter protest, alleging
/ that what Coque!in really said was mar
/ velous TRADE against the hotel, the
cooking, tho service and the general
management. in which he condemned
them all TO eternal perdtion. With an
absolute lack Of humor the secretary de-
manded his money back, not realizing
that the conversation Of the audience
after the play when the wonderful die
ton OF Coquein and his inspired moment
in the Wagram incident were particularly
cxtoled should have been compensa-
ton enough for any expenditure of time
and sa,aryt
Miss Constance Collier (Mrs. Julian
Iestrange), who is playing in Samson,
knew Coquelin we'll in the intimate life Of
eyes as she speaks OF him.
Il like to think of him best, she says, sin
his beautiful garden at Pont aux DANES,
near Paris, where he had country place
next to the Actors Home. which he had
erected and has now endowed. This
philanthropy, one OF the sweetest and best
charities know. was his early dream and
his later achievement.
Toward it a great deal Of the money
gained in his American tours was de-
fected. and 1t was in fact their inspira-
tion. No one could possibly have de-
signed such place and carried 1t to its
perfection unless he knew through sym
pathy and companionship the needs OF the
actor, OF him who has played his little part
on life's stage and is waiting for the our
tain to close and shut out the world.
1T is really homo in every sense OF the
word and has never been separated from
Coauelin's own garden. and when he takes
his daily walk there he always looks about
for some one OF his friends who never
intrude on his busy moments but can
always be found when wanted. He has
realized so delicately what so few people
seem to know who give bountifully OF
their Substance for such places. that
merely keeping people alive is nothing,
that the roof and food are after all but
meagre gifts unless at the same time the
soul is fed and there is a roof to cover
ones illusions and ideals-that Ia the only
true charity.
1T was because he knew this so well
that he had erected there little theatre,
and from time to time all the great actors
and actresses from Paris and London
have played there, and visits have been
The sun., 1909-02-14

as though they wanted ~ speak, but
then they would cast a glance over their
shoulders in search Of the booted lady,
and nervously pass on. AZ the very end
a fine looking elderly Couple had the
her how they enjoyed the speech. when.
just as the ice was breakibg. the booted
one appeared and they fed.
Colorado Is so big and tbe people we're
so poor that panic year that not more
than one meeting was hN1d at any one
point. and as Mrs. Gait watohed the town
fade frop the car window she felt that
there was one place lost TO the cause
When the election returps were tabu-
lated some weeks later ehe look ed 20 see
how heavily the town wept against suf-
frage. To her lasting surprise she found
that it gave a good majority for the
measure.
The people were suffra eists all right
They merely refused TO aovept the booted
lady. 1t seems that there was nothing
whatever against her except her boots
and her spiritualism. but that was enough
They wouldn't have Il.
Some years ago South Dakota sub
male from the Constitution and Mrs. Gait
stumped the State. One hfoiling. sizzling
day she was let OF a train at a siding
where there wasn't even station. just
platform. She WAS the OILY person on
the platform.
She walked up and down. "a zing out
over the broad. treeless. baking plains.
parched with drought wpich was reduc-
Ing whole sections OF the state TO famine.
After a while dust cloud indicated the
approach OF team. A lumber wagon
drove up and n coetlesA man asked il
she were the speaker. Re was neigh
Dor Of the people who were soing TO enter
tain her and had come sfter her az an
accommodation to them.
They drove seven miles IN the parching
dust without q canopy between them and
the roasting sun. The house where she
was TO be entertained Consisted Of one
room on the ground floor and half story
containing a chamber upder the caves
over it. When she arrived there was no
, one there.
The wife and four children were at
work with the husband And the hired
man in the fields. She hu6 been sent to
that house to be entertained because it
was the only family in tho neighborhood
prosperous enough to keep hired man,
and therefore the aocommo Citations would
he little better for her. The drought was
nearly killing them. as il @as everybody
else. The crop on which they were rest
ing all their hopes was One OF water
melons. Somebody stayed in the field
with those watermelons al the time to
catch them
The sun., 1909-02-14

both have gone. and both died as they
wanted to. in harness, Sir Henry coming
from the theatre after his nights work
and Coquelin studying like a novice on
his part for Chanticleer. a part to which
he has brought all the experience and
interest Of his life.
He considered this play Rostands
chef d'euue. His own part, that OF the
cock in the barnyard Of fowls, is wonder
full. and the whole piece, with its humor
and its lessons and its symbolism, is beyond
description. When saw the costume he
had designed for it l simply gasped
with amazement. He had studied out the
most marvellous idea, keeping his own
countenance unmasked and yet giving
in some weird way the effeotof a man-bird
There is another place, too. where
! saw Coquelin at his best. This was at
Equihan, near Boulogne, at the home
Of the Cazins--a celebrated summer re-
sort which they practically own. Coque-
lin spent q part Of every summer with
them, and had gone there as Michael
The sun., 1909-02-14

just as simple when he was talking IN
the Emperor Of Germany as when he was
at his family table. His defnitepess Of
attitude was a relief after tho wabbly
attitude OF the greater part of the world,
His definiteness In the matter Of art was
equally invariable. He belonged to the
classical school and believed in 1t. yet his
judgments and opinions OF other schools
we're not 30 severe but that one could
get much help and guidance.
There is only one time says Miss
Collier. ending her little reminiscence.
that l ever remember seeing Coquelin
out Of temper-with me. l can't blame
him for that.
He was a great fisherman and once
a sudden stage complication occurring
to me l rushed down to the pool to ask
him about 1t. He spoke quite Grossly,
for had disturbed the fish. but in minute
he had forgiven me and had straightened
out my mental perpleIity with his usual
acuteness. Oh, he was a great. good
mani
The sun., 1909-02-14

himself acquainted with all the stan Of
walters and learned from each one of them
the story OF his life. his reason for emf gra-
tion, the amount of his wages and the
responsibilities left behind in the mother
country. There was nothing too unim-
portapt TO inte rest him. and he did some
quiet almsgiving on the side.
-lp time his resort became known. and
all of a sudden the French CATS proprietor
woke up TO find his place in the supper
belt. At the beginning of the fashionable
raid party appeared one night attracted
by the news that Coquelin might be seen
there au naturel.
Before they had hardly done more
than open the door he had disappeared
into the kitchen, where he put on a
walters apron and made up bit for the
part. He waited on this party with
inimitabie self-control. listening mean
while to their criticisms on his acting and
regret at his non-appearance. He was
the waiter born. not made. attentive.
The sun., 1909-02-14

For dinner that night they had bread
watermelon. a white end dreadful butter
and weak and dreadful tea, and from
the artless remarks OF the, children the
visitor realized that the butter and the
tea were added in her honor. After sup
per the man went to bed, but the womaIi
harnessed n span to the farm wagon and
with Mrs. Gait. the four children and the
school teacher drove five miles through
blcckest night to the little country school
house, where Mrs. Gait asked the men 10
give their wives the right to vote.
When they reached home again the
lecturer was ushered TO the bedroom,
There we're four beds in it Inder the caves.
In two of the beds slept the -four children,
in another the\ parents. The fourth
Mrs Gait was TO occupy with the school
teacher, who boarded there Tho hired
man slept in the field with the water
melons. a dog and a gun.
This was the sort of thing Mrs. Gait
encountered all over drought stricken
rural South Dakota that summer and
this the sort OF place where she stayed,
She watched the women work in the
| fields beside their husbands in addition
TO doing their housework She compre-
hended the part that pioneer women
take in the opening Of new country.
There were two amendments to the
Constitution voted on that fall. one to
let the Indians vote and one to let the
women vote, The white men Of South
Oak ota voted the Indians in. but kept the
women out.
I The farmers son Is an American ira
dition. Mrs Gait is a proof that the
farmers daughter may also influence her
day and generation.
Her father was farmer at Charles
! City, la, Carrie Lane began her pubic
career in the little old red schoolhouse,
| like 30 many eminent men, Al the age
Of II she was hired as teacher of the
school in her home district and taught
it two full years. She had thirty puris
some Of them older than herself. and
every one of them called her Carrie.
They had known her all their lives, and
1t was no mark Of disrespect.
She saved her money and entered the
Iowa College at Grnnell at the age OF
le. When her school money gave out
she earned more as assistant librarian
in the college. Her four years course
cost her father only 800
Her first employment after being 81 adu-
ated was at Mason City. Ia, where she was
summoned suddenly to All an unexpected
vacancy In the high school, Two years
later. at the age Of %, she was appointed
school superintendent Of Mason City.
A successful educational career was sp-
psrently before her when. like many
mother woman, abe threw il all up 70
The sun., 1909-02-14

that the road would 60 through II. and
town lots were staked and industriously
sold. The road skipped it, and the towns
people hitched horses to all the build
ings and hauled them ito the nearest
point on the railway, leaving the town
lots 10 whom II might concern.
When they got the town settled in it's
new place they decided that they never
did like the old name. anyway. and gave
1t a new name. The conductor told her all
about it; she went on to the removed and
renamed town and had a rousing good
meeting.
The story Of how the train broke down
among the high hills up between Rico
and Telluride when Mrs. Gait was stump
ing Colorado in the franchise campaign
Of '93, and how she walked two miles TO
the next section house, chartered hand
car and got to Durango on time for her
lecture appointment has often been
told. She had another adventure
though, during that trip, which was less
celebrated but a good deal more painful
to Mrs. Gait.
She was met at a certain station by a
woman who had short hair and wore short
skirts and cowhide boots reaching to
her knees. The woman announced her
self as the person who had been in oorre-
spondence with headquarters at Denver
and had arranged the meeting. She lived
on a ranch two miles out of town, she
said, which would be inconvenient for
the speaker, 30 she would take her to
the best hotel in the place. The pro-
prietor was the only sufYragist in town
besides herself. The people of the town
we're all against suffrage, but she had
hired the opera house herself and they
would have a meeting anyway.
The woman and her daughter accom-
panied Mrs Gait to her room in the hotel
and watched her dress. As she was comb
ing her hair the daughter. who had been
very silent, remarked suddenly:
Il see a man standing beside you
This was startling. but Mrs. Gait said,
"Is that so? Who Ia it,"
It's Wendell Phillips" said the daugh-
ter, "and he says he's going to help you
tonight"
well, that's good said Mrs. Gait
calmly.
ltappeared afterward that the daughter
was a medium. That night the mother
presided at the meeting in her short
skirts and cowhide boots. 1t was pain
full ordeal for Mrs. Gait, but the place
was filled and she spoke her best.
At the close, determined that the booted
chairwoman should not prevent her from
meeting some Of the people, she fastened
TO the door and stood there as the people
filed out. They looked at her strangely
a. they went by. some Of them hssitsted
The sun., 1909-02-14

gent In business and thou shalt stand BE-
fore kings" The Iowa farmers girl made
woman suffrage her business. She was
diligent in it and she has stood before
Queens-Queen Victoria and the Empress
OF Germany. When the international
met in Copenhagen Mrs. Gait was invited
to a private conference with the aged
Queen Of Denmark. the mother Of Queen
Alexandra, with whom she talked for two
hours on the position OF women. Within
twenty-five months municipal suffrage
had been conferred upon the women OF
Denmark.
Totally unknown. she came to New York
back in the early 'sos. opened her little
office with one stenographer. and began
the job Of organizing America for suffrage
In New York she met and was married to
George W, Gait. whom she had known
when both were members Of the same de.
batting club in Iowa State College.
The sun., 1909-02-14

One day just at closing time her en-
ployer asked her to step into a certain
Office on her way home and present q
bill. 1t was raining furiously. She en-
tered the office and asked for the money
The man said Certainly" produced the
money and asked her to sit down at the
desk and receipt the bill, She did so
He came up behind her. threw his arms
around her. drew back her head and
kissed her repeatedly.
When he released her and she burst
into tears he stood and laughed at her
She stumbled down the stairs and walked
a mile and half to her boarding house
She could not endure a street car. She
had to walk of her helpless rage. The
gentle breezes Of San Francisco in a
storm turned her umbrella inside out.
Still she plodded on. the rain beating
down upon her and the tears strea ming
down her. face. No one noticed her II
was only woman walking. crying,
through the rain.
That incident was a turning point in
her life. She had always been a suf-
fragist; now she resolved to give her life
to securing the suffrage. She thought
she knew the world She found there was
whole side Of it of which she knew moth
ing whatever.
She found that the respect paid her In
her home towns had not been simply be-
cause she was a modest. intelligent and
well behaved young " oman. 1t had been
because she had backing-the backing Of
her father. her husband, Of the school
board that hired her. Taken out, OF the
environment where she was known
placed in one where she was apparently
poor. friendless and alone. she was in
suited a dozen times in as many weeks.
She saw that millions Of other women were
like herself. She decided then and there
that woman must be made more power
full; that whatever weapons could be placed
in her hands for her own protection and
advancement ought to be so placed. She
has devoted her life to that work
The ancestry of the woman whom the
suffragsts Of the world have given the
highest position in their power may he
interesting. Her father was a pioneer in
Iowa. His father was pioneer of New
York State, farmer in the town Of Pots
dam, 81. Lawrence county. His father
was Canadian, who refused to serve in
the British army against the Colonists,
escaped to the colonies and fought on the
American side through the Revolution.
His ancestors had been among the earliest
settlers in Massachusetts and had drifted
to Canada. During its history the family
passed, always pioneers. from Boston to
San Francisco, and then. finding the Pa
cihc in the way. turned back.
Somewhere the Bible says, BE thou dill.
The sun., 1909-02-14

marry. Her husband was a Mason City
editor. Leo Chapman. She helped him
run his newspaper for a few years and
. then having an opportunity to sell it
advantageousy they did so. and Mr..
Chapman went to San Francisco, where
he intended to go into newspaper work.
His young wife received telegram
70 come Immediately, as he was i'll, When
she arrived she found him dead Of typhoid.
BY the time the necessary expenses were
paid almost all the money they had re-
ceived for their paper was gone and she
was left alone in a strange city.
She could, of course have gone home
to her father; but she was able bodied
and educated. and it never occurred TO her
! to go and live on her father She looked
about for something to do
One day she saw an advertisement for
an advertising solicitor on commercial
paper. She went and asked for the job
She'has never forgotten the dumfounded
look with which the proprietor heard her
request. She told him with all the fond
confidence Of youth that she had been in
the newspaper business with her husband
and she believed she could do what he
wanted.
/ He heard her story and told her to go
to a certain mining corporation and ask
/ them for a certain advertisement. Con-
hdent as child, she went and asked for
; the advertisement The mining man
met her with the same dumfounded look
as the editor had done, He heard her
/ little story in perfect silence. and when
. H. H. G,,;s hAr nj IL,
and asked slowly:
Are you married or single?"
! The young widow bushed painfully.
/ Il don't know as that's any Of your
business, said she. and started for the
door.
The man called her back apologized.
gave her the advert isement and told her
to come back for more. When she gave
the advert isement TO the editor he was 30
delighted that he hauled out a $40 gold
piece and gave it TO her on the spot. She
won her job by that days work. She
was sent out sometimes to solicit adver-
tisements, sometimes to collect bills and
sometimes to report the markets.
She was the first woman ever employed
OH a paper in San Francisco. II was
twenty-five years ago. when very few
women were seen in the business part
of that city. She was only 27 and pretty.
Naturally she was the observed Of all
observers. picking her way through the
downt own San Francisco markets.
Not one Of the market men was ever
rude to her, but men Of different
class, men to whom she went TO solicit
advertisements or to collect bills. fire.
quently we're.
The sun., 1909-02-14
HUNTING VOTES FOR WOMEN
SOME ADVENTURES or MRS.
CARRIE CHAPMAN GAIT,
The Iowa Farmers Daughter Who Is q
Leader In the Suffrage Movement
Turning Point OF Her LIfe-WOn
! Over I'm spite OF Boots-Her Ancestry.

Leader In the Suffrage Movement
Turning Point OF Her LIfe-WOn
Over In spite OF Boots-Her Ancestry.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. president OF
the International Women's Suffrage Alh-
ance and Of the 1nterurban Woman Suf-
frage Council Of New York and chairman
of the committee which is now circulating
the petition to Congress to submit con-
stitutional amendment granting woman
suffrage. is always well dressed. While
she has the usual feminine liking for nice
things. it is nevertheless true that she
dreeses for suffrage. II she did not feel
that she must clothe herself in a manner
TO do credit to the cause she would dress
much more plainly and save time and
money for suffrage work.
II was for the sake Of suffrage that she
had her first reception gown, the fate.of
which she sometimes relates TO her friends
with smile,
When she began to lecture for suffrage
her work took her among plain people.
Then gradually, whether because times
were changing or suffrage sentiment was
penetrating into different quarters her
uOeIeoSth lfRdtl W BlNe ltOcpllouS iOI
her. Finally she came to the conclusion
that she had TO have reception gown and
carry it about with her.
She had always travelled with one piece
Of hand baggage. When she got the new
gown she still could not bear the thought
ri a trunk with its extra expense and
bother. 80 she bought new grip, cspe-
cially for the new party dress. She was
going down into Mississippi TO giva lee
ture and she took it along.
Somewhere down in the black belt the
train broke down and the passengers
had to walk mile or two. A portion Of
The local colored population carried the
hand baggage, The way lay through a
swamp. Half way across the colored
brothers got tired and set the baggage
down in the swamp while they rested
The swans soaked in. and when Mrs.
Gait opened the grip and looked at her
Moo new dress IL was merely selected
portion OF Mississippi swamp. 1t was un-
ceanable and had to he thrown away.
Other adventures Mrs. Gait has had.
Onoe she started TO make IA speech in
an Oklahoma town, and found after she
got on the train that the town diGn't
exist any more. 1t seems that the village
had been founded in the expectation
The sun., 1909-02-14

it seemed, unnecessarily It was a day
with many bad quarters Of hours for them
both. The play that night was 'L'Aiglon'
and Coqnelin was particularly impressive
when as Flambeau he controlled the great
Wagram scene.
The sun., 1909-02-14
MAN CANE FROM DUST
DUST SETTLES.
ARE YOU A MAN,

In one of the offices Of The Department
OF Education hangs a card which gives
the other side Of the philosophy Of owing
money.
There is something ennobling,' Il
says. about the patience Of our credl'
tors
The sun., 1909-02-14
4 GALE By ANOTHER NAME.
What the sailorman Meant When He Told
OF an Adventure In Force 10.

Doubtless there were many puzzled
readers when a deep sea skipper rolled
into this harbor few days ago snd re
ported that his ship had been belated by
a gale which had piped up to force 10,
Force TO-" it was explained, meant some
thing like hurricane.
1t is term borrowed from the Beaufort
scale, a scheme Of wind measurements
devised by the British Admiral Beaufort
before the days OF oceangoing steam
Force was I'm, force 2 light breeze
and SO on up 10 .e hurricane velocity.
Perhaps, too, the Beaufort scale may
give clue TO those who have been wonder
ing for some time at the title OF popula'
German picture II il Just one expans'
OF frowning cloud and storm tossed billor,
and the artist has named II 'WindstarK'
10, IL
The sun., 1909-02-14
COQUELIN IN AMERICA
FRENCH ACTORS THREE TOURS
HERE REC ALLIED.
Nheu He Played waiter in chicago - An
Orator Not In the Book OF "L'Aiglon"
Excited Tears as Wen as Laugh.
ter HIS Home Idfe Described.

Coquelin had many friends and admir-
ers In America. In these days. just after
sis death. one hears many "reminiscences
~ his three tours in this country.
His first visit to the United States took
place In isSB. One of the incidents Of the
"trip throws a side light on the character
of the comedian when OF duty.
There was charming little coffee
house in Chicago says a 'biographer
who shows Willingness to tell everything
but his own name. 1T was situated on
State street near Jackson boulevard and
within a block or so Of the Illinois Theatre,
where Coquelin pa;ed. French restau-
rants were not 40 plentiful then as they
are now. and it was ignored by the fash
ionable after theatre crowd
But Coauefn, with his doglike ability
20 scent his chosen trail. found it out and
became its nightly patron. He soon made
The sun., 1909-02-14
DEBIT AND CREDIT.
4 Bit OF Wit and BIT Of Wisdom Aprspo'
OF Unpaid Bills.

One Of the most amiable mon who ever
dunned delinquent debtor has con.
densed the argument OF his calling into
an epigram and pasted 1t on the back
of his collection book. II reads:
The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-08-24
CAPITAL, $50, 600.
SURPLUS AND UNDIVIDED PROFITS
S28, 900.

CHAS. O. MOUTON ....... Pres.
CROW GIRARD.. -Vice-PreS.
j. j. DAVIDSON ....... Cashier
j. {. BARRY, Asst. Cashier.