davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
THE aooTIEeelNG PROBLEM.

Judge Smith Mcpherson of the
United states district court for south
ern Iowa frankly confesses that he
does not understand why so many
people, men and women, persist in
selling liquor in and around Iowa
cities without a federal license In
conversation with representative of
the Register and Leader in Des
Moines a day or two ago he pointed
out that from the very nature of the
trade they carry on they are sure to
sooner or later get caught. In order
to make any money out OF their
sales they must have number Of Gus
toners who come often to their places
Of business. and these crowds invar-
iably attract the attention of an of
ficer. Judge Mcpherson said further:
1T is unusual for crowds to fire.
qnent private house or even com
mon refreshment stand, and, there
fore, when an officer observes crowds
hanging about any place he always be
comes suspicious and catches the
bootleggers red handed in selling the
liquor in most OF the cases which
have come before me make the
penalty nearly as severe as possible
unless there are extenuating circum
lstances. When a man has to paw {
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
The Third penree.

st. Louis Star: While, perhaps, the
authors of the play now running in
st. Louis which deals with that In
human feature of police life known as
'.the third degree" may not have In
tended to teach lesson and helo
bring about much needed reform,
such is likely to be the trend OF its
influence. To many who see IL there
may seem to be an exaggeration of
the actual facts. but such is not the
case. To be sure, not all police
authorities carry the mental torture
and the psychic suggestion to SO ex-
IRENE a degree, but there is ample
evidence that some go much further,
and that in many instances physical
violence IL added to mental torture.
There is juSt now on trial in Tacoma
case almos paralleling the one ae-
picted in the play.
A woman is on trial for completely
in the murder of her husband, and
the prosecution has presented as evil
dence confession which sEe de-
clares was wrung from her by meth
DDS similar to those shown in the
play and to BE utterly untrue, the
product of mental suggestion. The
facts in the case, as outlined by the
woman's attorney, were submitted to
Professor Munsterberg OF Harvard
and he declared that a statement pro
cured in such manner would be
nothing but the untrue product Of
hypnotic suggestion. The professor Of
psychology in the University of Wash
ington placed the woman in a hyp
motto state. and she enacted the third
degree scene, including the thrustine
before her eyes of the revolver witt
which her husband had been killed
and the repeated assertion that she
was guilty, In which assertion she
| finally joined. under the influence Of
mental exhaustion and suggestion, as
| her counsel contend
Occasionally even often, it may BIZ
/ possible that the police secure evi
dence or clews in this way from ar
rested persons, but innocent men ant
women are horribly outraged in thei
rights, put to torture both menta
and physical, by denial of food o.
sleep and by means still more crue
and intimidating. That occasional,
| innocent persons are forced in Thu
4 way to confess crimes they neve
committed is not the worst feature o
this Illegal and inhuman practice. Th,
worst feature is the fact that any hon
orable. innocent citizen may be arb
trarily arrested and thrown int
prison and be subjected to this hol
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
LAyMEN AND LITIGATION.

A practicing attorney made con-
tract with layman by watch the lat
ter was to seek persons who had re-
ceived personal injuries in the en-
ploy of railroads and induce them to
entrust their claims to him. Profits
and expenses were to be equally dlvld-
ed. Finally, when the lawyer refus.
ed to be bound longer by the contract
he was sued for money recovered be-
fore his reputation. The matter I'm
ally came before the supreme court
of Minnesota, which, in passing on It.
held that the conduct by laymen In
stirring up litigation by persons who
have received injuries and inducing
them to entrust their causes to solie-
itor or attorney on contingent zee
basis tends to disturb confidence in
the administration of Justice, and to
undermine faith in security for in
diyidual rights. Contracts like this
not expressly prohibited by statute
1 but on the broad ground of the gen.
sral public good, it was held are not
enforceable. The intermeddler in It'll
cation has always been obnoxious, and
! has always received scant treatment
at the hands of the law. The bust
4 ness of seeking personal injury It'll
4 cation by a layman under agreement
\ with an attorney to share in the prof
its is too clearly violation of SOUND
morals to receive sanction or approval
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
CHOOSING CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

H.
The Consumers league, wnlch as
an organization was the first to urge
upon the public the humane necessity
of doing Christmas shopping early, mas
issued circular in which it makes
some excellent suggestions as to when
to buy and the kind of gifts to choose.
Following are its recommendations:
l.. Buy early in the season and
early in the day
[ Q. Send packages two weeks ahead,
marked Not to be opened until Christ
mas
3. Minister to actual needs. Give
chiefly to children.
A. Choose presents having either
usefulness or beauty.
S. Demand articles which have
been made and sold under condltlons
fair and wholesome to the worker.
G. Remember that Christmas Is of
noble memory, not an occasion fof
display
These are one and all sensible as
well as timely hints Only a short
time now remains in which to do
Christmas shopping, and the pleasant
duty should not be postponed a day
longer than is absolutely necessary,
The advice as to the kind of presents
to choose should help solve the prob
lem of what to get Buy chiefly for
the children and minister to actual
needs. In all cases the choice should
turn either on utility or beauty.
Bearing these things in mind no one
should go far astray.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
EARLY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

A far-western paper, the Tacoma
Ledger, says some things concerning
early Christmas shopping which
should have the widest publicity. The
gist of its article is that persons who
shop early go about it deliberately.
They are not going to buy because
they feel they must provide presents
of some kind or character. They in
tend to take their time in order to
select something particularly appro-
pirate for the person to be remem-
bered. 1t is much greater compli-
ment to receive a present that mas
been selected with deliberaticn. One
does not like to think that at the last
hour somebody rushed through the
stores to find something or another
that would ..do' and finally in despair
grabbed an article and rushed away
home or to the postoffice or express
office with it. A good deal of the
commercialistic spirit Of the latter
day Christmas season may be avoided
by early shopping.
From the standpoint of comfort 1t
/ is we'll worth while to buy early. To
struggle with difficulty through a
crowd to reach counter may put
one in a mood not consistent with
Il the Christmas season. Then, the
4 clerks are to be considered as vel
4 as ones own personal convenience
4 With Christmas buying distributed
over few weeks instead of few
days, it is more satisfactory al
around.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
NO ABANDONED FARMS.

Secretary Wilson declared not long
ago that New York state was full OF
abandoned farms. Exception Is taken
to this statement by the Buffalo News,
which has taken some pains to make
inquiry of county and town clerks IN
those parts of the state to which ref
erence was made in Secretary Will
sons statement. He stated that his
report was based mainly upon the re-
port of the department in that state,
but if that is the case the issue IS
made with both departments instead
of with one-with that at Albany as
we'll as that at Washington. The
News thus reports its findings:
1.-THE unanimous testimony OF men
in the counties that were Said to have
the abandoned farms within their lim-
it's, is to the effect that there is hard
~ any basis for such reports as have
been made about them. There are
no farms abandoned in the true sense.
There are some pieces of land up in
the mountains, some pieces in the
hills, inaccessible to culture, that
have been suffered to relapse and turn
into woodland or go to pasture, but
they are parts of larger estates and
are not to be described fairly as
farms that have been abandoned.
There are no abandoned farms that
can be located anywhere in western
New York. .
1t was stated by Secretary Wilson
that such farms are to be found in
all parts of the state, but the News
denies that such is the fact. The
Buffalo paper claims that agriculture
in New York state has maintained a
very high industrial and commercial
position to this day. BY comparison
between war prices on paper-money
basis and peace prices on a gold basis,
the argument was made a few years
ago that farm values in New York
had immensely fallen off, but the
News declares that every farmer in
| the state who knows his business will
admit readily that farming is as profit
able an occupation now when it Is
conducted intelligently, as any Other
business must be in order to show
profit.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

Milk is retailing in Sioux City at
ten cents quart and dealers find it
difficult to supply all their patrons
even at that price. In explanation it
is said one of the principal reasons
for the scarcity of milk is the fact
that farmers no longer feel the need
of raising cows, having became too
prosperous for such means of secur.
ing funds. At present the principal
reason for keeping COWS seems to be
to secure milk for only home con-
sumption. and those having too many
COWS for this purpose prefer to use
the milk for the purpose of fatteaing
cattle and hogs The Cedar Rapids
Republican takes notice of this to
say:
That's probably the real reason
but it is a little curious that some
political prophet has not seized upon
the situation as another evidence Of
the iniquity of the Payne tariff bill
and some more Of a squeeze put upor
The people by Aldrich and Cannon
Down with the czars OF conores~ ant
the same with the price of milk"
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
Music.


The gifted artist who edits Twink
ling Stars in the ST. Louis Star has
the following little poem on the way
in which young girls are induced to
exploit taeir voices. 1t is so true that
it will be relished by our readers:
She used to lead the choir in little
church out west.
And of all the splendid voices hers
was better than the best,
She was gifted as warbler and the
folks all said that she
In the course of time would learn
to hold her voice at highest 6.
Then fellow from the city who had
money by the yard
Glanced to happen in the village and
he wrote postal card
Saying Il have heard your singing,
and as sure as any fate,
You have Tettrazina faded Il would
like to make you great
So she answered him next morning
and declared that she would 60
With him anywhere he mentioned II
he'd get her in a show;
And he promised. and she followed
and our little tale is done
She is now the gifted singer in 8
nickelodeon
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

Z =.
Burlington is to be congratulated
upon its adoption of the commission
plan of city government by such
decisive majority, All experience to
date with the new plan has shown it
to be vastly superior to the old ward
and aldermanic system which it has
supplanted in number of cities in
all parts of the country. The big
majority in its favor at Burlington is
significant and gratifying as evidence
that it has behind it an over
whelming public sentiment which will
go far toward ensuring its success.
In that city, as in Keokuk, the new
form of city government will be in
augurated under the most suspicious
conditions.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
SERVED WITHOUT PAY.
Graduate Of keokuk Medical College
Was Surgeon in Civil War With
out Compensation.

Bonaparte Record: A very inter-
esting and peculiar record was that
made by DR.. T. w Boyer of Bonaparte
during the Civil war. Mr.. Boyer is
very reticent and some of his most in
innate friends knew nothing concern
ing the capable and efficient work per-
formed by him during time when
good surgeons were in great demand
and We're very necessary part OF the
army. Even if they knew that he had
served in the army almost three years
they did not know that he had not en-
listed and that he had never received
pay. The following are facts as can
easily be proven by letters and affi-
davits from surgeons under whom
DR.. Boyer worked when in the service,
and by the testimony OF soldiers still
living who have seen him there and
whose wounds he has dressed.
Dr.. Boyer graduated from the Keo-
kuk Medical college in the fall Of 1861
and in September of the same year
at the request of DR.. Wyman of the
21st Missouri entered the army hospi-
tai in the Estes house at Keokuk. Here
he served as assistant surgeon until
1862 when ae went to ST. Louis and
was in charge Of DR.. F. w. White on
board tie hospital boat Decatur.
After the battle of Pittsburg Land
ing he assisted in caring for the
wounded and was on the boat while
the sick and wounded were being con-
veyed to hospitals at Paducah, Cincin-
natl, or Evansville.
At Corinth he assisted In caring for
the wounded and sick Of Sweeney's
brigade accompanying them on the
boat to Keo.Suk and elsewhere, and
serving on the boat and in the hospi-
tai until April l, 1864.
The unusual part of the record is
that he never enlisted and never re-
ceived pay. When on duty he oil
course got his board and lodging, but
otherwise he paid his own expenses
/ and served without hope of remunera
ton or reward.
He is said to have dressed the
wounded arm of Captain A. Wilkin
an uncle of the editor of this paper
and that he came to Keokuk on thu
boat with him on his way to the vii
kin nome at Burlington.
During the thirty-one months ~
was in the service Dr. Boyer aat
no other occupation, business or EN-
ployment He saw that he was need
4 ed and that he was doing good. III
has since that time often wished tina
he had enlisted and made his recor
4 clear so that he might have made tn
a necessary affidavits for many OF tn
boys who we're wounded and who cam
to him for aid in completing their ret
ords for pension application. 1t
certainly peculiar case, one TIA
. has few parallels In history.
DIR. Boyer is now seventy-thre
! years old and lives just west of Bon;
: parte He was for many years in th
mercantile business here and is we
known throughout this part OF low
j. His services siaould be recognized.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
Prof Charles f. Curtiss. dea

Prof. Charles F. Curtiss, dean Of
agriculture in the State college at
Ames, declares that the most neglect
ed crop in America today is grass,
AS our lands increase in value and
labor becomes scarcer we will be
obliged to devote larger areas to
grass. The theory that high priced
lands will not grow grass profitably
is. he says, a dangerous fallacy A.
cording to Professor Curtiss, Iowa
must grow more and better grass
or the time may come when Iowa
farms will sell for less than their I'M
provements cost
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
A Peculiar Fellow.

Waterloo Reporter: This man Je.
rome is a peculiar fellow, anyway
He spent much time and taxes at the
murder trials endeavoring to prove
that Harry Thaw was sane and re-
sponsible for his acts, and now he
is working equally hard and spend
Ing the peoples money equally as
freely in demonstrating that he was
mistaken and that Thaw is crazy
as a March hare.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
Need Of this Country.

Cedar Rapids Republican,: What
we need in this country above all
other things is a solution OF this
problem of production. When we
have solved that we shall find that
the tariff is not barrier but that
1T has been mostly the plaything OF
self seeking politicians whose great
est mission seems to be to arouse
the prejudices Of the people, instead
OF promoting industry.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

same support that was accorded to
President Roosevelt. Any other
course represents criticism, either
selfish or unselfish It also repre-
sents criticism which does more
harm than good.
We call the attention OF Republi-
cans and Democrats to these matters
in order that reason and Justice may
assert themselves to the advantage OF
the entire country.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
All night porch lights are becom

All night porch lights are becom-
ing quite common in the residence
districts of some of the most pro-
gressive cities. On the Pacific coast,
in communities lighted by hydro-elec-
trio plants, such as we hope to have
in operation in Keokuk within a few
years, the practice of all-night porch
lighting is feasible at small cost A
rate of 60 cents a month-two cents a
nights made for an all-night porch
light, with the result that whole resi-
dence districts are SO lighted, as they
were never lighted before, and bur
glars give such towns wide berth
It viii be up to Keokuk to profit by
the Pacific coast examples If the
water power project succeeds.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

The law OF compensation continues
to hald good. AS the price OF flour
advances the hole i'll the doughnut be-
comes larger. Keokuk Gate City. 3
At last, and perhaps the only time
on record, the philosopher OF The
Gate City has derailed his train OF
thought How can there be a larger
hole without more dough for larger
rim burlington Hawk-Eye.
What's the matter with making the
rim thinner?
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

1t has been suggested that it would
be proper to call Mr.. Bryan an in
surgent on the liquor question. The
pertinency of such an appellation de-
ponds altogether on the latitude of
the observer. From the southern
Democratic party point of view Mr.
Bryan is entirely regular, and it is the
southern Democrats that the gentle
man is after just now.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
NOTES AND COMMENT.

An eastern exchange defines foot |
ball as organized assault and bat
terry without intent to kill"
According to the Washington Demo-
crat, a man in that town with rheuma-
tism has been offered ZIG remedies.
A farmer living in Nodaway county,
Mo, sold s1.S4S worth Of Jonathan
apples from one acre OF land this
year.
The Des Moines Register and Leader
predicts that as chauffeur of the water
wagon, Mr.. Bryan will never be arrest
ed for exceeding the political speed
limit.
The Burlington Hawk-Eye says the
Chicago newspapers should learn in
time taat if they wish to defeat a
political candidate they should sup
port him.
| Cone advantage of these new mono
rail trains is that they would not
cut a man in two in more than one
place. suggests the Manson Demo-
crat.
The Harlan Republican says an in
teresting feature Ct the fight against
Speaker Cannon is the fact that it is
being made by men not members OF
the house.
ut is an indication of prosperity
when grafters reap success" says tie
Red Oak Express. ut is only the easy
money-the velvet, so to speak, thai
people will take chance on"
1t is tae observation Of the Sioul
!, City Tribune that the stories sprung
against candidate usually go in thu
scrap basket to be used against The
other fellow in the next campaign.
! The Lacrosse Leader-Press ventures
the prediction that what the Republi
! can insurgents are going to do to Uncl'
+ Joe Cannon when congress convene
/. next week is consuming much NOR
i. space in tae newspapers than tn
I story OF what they did to him vii
!. require when the festivities end.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
Helm the President.

Des Moines Capital: II the Repub- |
lican party desires to continue to ac-
conlplish good for the country, the
party must stand by President Taft.
Without united party behind him, he
cannot accomplish much. If the house
Of representatives is rent In twain by
dissension and discord, and is at skies
and sevens with the President, moth
ing can be accomplished for the public
good.
President Mckinley was backed By
an enthusiastic and harmonious Re-
publican party. When he called on
congress for aid he received It. When
he called for money, with which to-
carry on the Spanish-American war,
the amount asked for was granted.
During his presidency, he felt free to
call into council the leaders OF his
party He was on good terms with
all Of them. He was not on bad terms
with any of Them. No one undertook
to tear him down, for the purpose Of
building themselves up, or for any
other purpose.
President Roosevelt had the support
| Of congress In all his undertakings He
1 called the leaders in for purposes Of
consultation. While he was vigor-
GUS fighter, it was not his purpose to
ALLEVIATE the house OF representatives.
IF he could not secure all that he
wanted he contented himself with
what he could get. Pursuing this pol
icy, he accomplished much.
There ought to be way found at
/ Washington for the Republican party
to be harmonious in the house OF rep
resentatves. There is little to quarrel
about Speaker Cannon is not elect
ed for life. There will be a time
when he can be defeated In the usual
Republican way, provided it is
thought best to defeat him. The nee
essity for getting rid Of him, is not
sufficiently intense to justify the de-
stroying of the usefulness of the party
along all other lines. Those who feel
j revengeful toward him ought to put
away their hatreds for the good of the
country.
Republicans desiring amendments
to the interstate commerce law in the
interest of the public welfare, ought
to stand by Taft. They ought to hold
UP his hands and help him. They
ought to say good words for him
q They can offer him advice in kindly
spirit. Nothing can be accomplished
by declaring war upon him.
1t would seem to be the policy o.
patriotism and good sense to suppor
the policies OF the President. He il
an honest man He wants to do the
best for his country. He is getting
started in his work. Every depart
ment is efficient. In many parts o
the country, Investigations are in pro
gress, having as their purpose thu
betterment of the public service. The
! sugar trust is being prosecuted Thu
Standard Oil decision, while not &C
: credited to President Taft or his ad
ministration, is In harmony with hi!
: ideas of justice. In other words, tn,
! administration is proceeding on thu
{ lines laid down by Roosevelt and hi
advisors.
, Newspapers pretending to wan
things done. in the line of additiona
: legislation, in control of interstat
} commerce or in the suppression 0
: trusts. should give President Taft tn
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01
Accommod atlnn.

esshs ~
Jim jenkins would never take job,
His was loftier mission;
But in the Bee we read how he
Accepted a position"
When Uncle Zekiel's grocery store
Called for clerks attention,
For Christmas rush, Jim, full of push.
Z Accepted the position
The village pound required man
To put it in condition:
Jim filled the breach, and in a speech
Accepted the position"
When Sadie Smoppem. thrice divorced
A fourth time felt ambition
To try her luck, Jim primed with pluck
Accepted the position"
So when his earthly course is run.
And glory Cor perdition),
Is offered him, we'll hear that Jim
Accepted the position
New York Sun.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-01

Linn, Benton, Cedar and Johnson
county farmers are buying automo-
biles, as they can well afford to do.
Many of them clear between SO. 900 and
$4,000 a year on 100 acres Of land
every year. That is more money than
the average merchant makes on a
like investment of capital.