davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

sion, you add: "The United States. The government
you're living under"
Oh no. oh, no. I told you the Fourth of July
not the seventeenth of September The Fourth of July
is no such pcayune affair the birthday of this nation,
but the birthday of the Parliament of Man. the Fedora
ton of the World The trouble with you is that you
don't know what the Declaration of Independence is I'll
bet you never heard read out loud public meeting
in your life I'll bet if some was to read it you'd
be fooled just the same as Uncle Peter Van Ness was
I'll tell you about it 1t was in the Pleasant Grove
ncighborhood, along about 1857, think it I won't
be sure because have rely entirely hearsay, there
being good and sufficient why didn't attend.
They had had pcncs on the Fourth in the Pleasant
Grove neighborhood but this year Aunt Polly Van Ness
rose in her might against any such dongs such day
"Why my land! she exclaimed "a body'd think
you all was kind o heahens an never had the Gospel
light nor nothin' Tap the Rabbit, and Copenhagen
and sch foolishness and these here recrackers which
gimme the jumps till I'm jist about distracted, and
glad am when they're all burnt up and busted and is
that all you can think of to do the Fourth o July?
Awful footy trihin way to live 1t is atchilly, if you
study minute Why don't you stir around of
you and have speeches. and readn the Declaration and
singin Hail. Columby, Happy Land and O Say Kin
You See and all them nice songs3 Why. my land
You act like you was lvin somewherf fse, come
Fourth O July. Why, when I was little A."
, And then you knew Aunt Polly wound up. Her
folks came up from Virginia Freed their slaves and
deposited money with the county treasurer security
and cut loose and came away. Oust about that time
they'd found out that it didn't pay to farm it in Vr
gina with slave labor)
Aunt Polly talked to Uncle Peter about the celebra-
ton Uncle Peter from York State, and he
thought Aunt Polly was just about right.
"Ii was man I'd be one" declared Aunt Polly.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
3y Eugene Nooa

put stop to it. but he too busy riding hither
and thiter full gaop welcoming the delegations, and
pointing with his ridng-whip all wrapped up with rib
bons where they 60 And, besides, he had that
sash on l don't think it looks right to with
sash trying to separate Henderson's rabbit-dog
and that little "yaller fee of Sol Dietrich's.
The Cherokee delegation must have felt terrible big
goy they turned in where the rails of the stake
Long before they in sight you could hear some
thing go "bump-bump- bump bump-bump-
bump-bump, bump, bump" away off yonder
where 1t was Big Sam Miller with his bass drum AS
the delegation got nearer you could hear the snappy
rattle of the drum that Little Sam, his cousin,
played And after the tenor drum you could Hear John
Irwins fife so clear and shr and yet pure in tone
and so rollicking, just like redbrd, in "The Girl
Left Behind Me-" or The British Grenaders," or
"Hey, Johnny Cope Are Ye Waukin YETI" Fine
tunes, and a whole lot of 'em John knew Well, why
shouldn't he? Wasn't he bound out, you might say,
when he little boy to be drummer and fer in
the British Army and didn't he do that until just few
years before, when he this country and bought
farm? And when he blew those tunes and the bass
drum and the tenor drum joined in, you wanted to go
and enlist for soldier only there wasn't any and
wasn't going to be any. Who'd we go to war with
Even the folks at the celebration who were shrewdy
suspected of knowing thing two about under
ground railroads." pooh-poohed the wild talk you'd
sometimes hear about how there going be trouble
one of these days. In those days they didn't any
realize what was only four or FIVE years ahead of them
than perhaps we do this minute. There cackle-
voiced boys running under swings and sending the
squealng girls away way up among the lower branches
who yet shoulder muskets and step off to the
rattle of Little Sans tenor drum, boys that never were
to back to the girls they left behind them But
they didn't know that and so they gathered about John
Irwin and heard him tell about the storm there
upon the when he came over and about the North
of ireland which to be paradise earth by all
accounts
The Cherokee delegation was exciting, but the
Huntsville delegation was conceded be the beatingest
They had an ox-team all dressed up with ribbons and
drawing big wagon, hung and draped with red and
white and blue the blue solid Color for how to print
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

but Uncle Peter didn't know about Dan. Kind o do
less, seems to me- Likes to around and read Bad
sign. Bad sign"
Levi Curl was to lead the singing Cyrus Makemson
was to make the speech and the Reed boys get
up the Rotary Swing, which was just new thing in
those days 1t was kind of like great big wheel with
out a tire Just the spokcs you know Long poles like,
up quite a ways from the ground. And swings hung
from the poles. And when Lem Reed had sold all the
tickets for all the swings, and Dophy Reed had taken
them all up then the other they took turn about
drove the horse that made the thing revolve. Five
cents apiece the tickets were two for dime. The
old folks looked at it, and said another: Well,
venturesome attempted it It the young fellows and
their girls who'll risk most anything for excitement,
that patronized it.
In those days there wasn't any daily weather report to
be passed along the R. F. D. routes There weren't any
R. F. D. routes. Whoever went to town Saturday left
the letters in the pews in the meeting house be had
before preaching look up Ihey hadnt anything more
to go by than what the almanac said: About this time
look out for showery weather"
should think anybody would know that, wheat har
vest time without having to read it out of book Folks
said BE jist our luck to have it rain pchforks and
feather-beds" But it didn't 1t hot and dry and
dusty and the road covered with warm, yellow
flour which the horses stirred up into clouds they
plodded along hauling the wagons full they could
hold, of chairs, and children, and grown folks, and
baskets bulging with fried chicken and all kinds of
good eating which it would be just an aggravaton to
here, because you can't get anything like it nova
days for love or money Everybody that wasn't sick
abed turned out and brought the dogs I'll bet there
were dog fights in McKnnon's wood-lot that day
than in any other equal time and space in the history
of man. Some thought Grand Marshal Hufaker ought
coPYRIGHT 1905
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

and it amt ftten for to git up and make speeches.
and all like that if give in my experience at the class
meetin or the ove-feast it's as much ever das to
do and theys some that thinks like Paul did that the
women had ora keep silence in the churches, though
how they made out without the women in them days
for carry the air and the alto kind gifts me- but if
I was man I'd have meetin in Hanks schoolhouse
and kind o organize, and appnt the committees who'd
do this and who'd do that and send word to Cherokee
and Huntsville, and Lewistown and Noodletoozy, and
for 'em all to jne in and hep out, and have kind o
basket-meen' and the women-foks cook up things and
swings for the little children, SOS they kin have fun,
too. Now.
al jing, Polly!" admired Uncle Peter you got
sensen some men,
That the celebration was a along just those
lines must be ascrbed to Aunt Polly, which leads
the remark that this country would get along whole
lot better if the women-folks had just much say
about how it was to be the men-folks / believe
that the reason why democracy has to stop and rest
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

twohorse team in ten-acre lot, he's that headess
don't want to say anything agin Brother Hufaker,
but they amt an awful lot to that man. if you want the
atchil pine-blank facts in the case"
Nevertheless Aunt Polly more satisfied than she
let on to be, for the men-folks had appointed Dan
McKinnon to read the Declaration Dan kind of
making up to Minerva Van Ness, and Aunt Polly
of the opinion that Nerve would do we'll to get him.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

mneddyl to throw off such government and set one
up that will
call that good American talk. It's more than that
It's the talk that will bring about the Parliament of Man.
the Federation of the World, as | said while ago Out
grown? 1t isn't ingrown yet
Dan McKinnon read it frst-ratc I'm told He had
been to town and taken lessons it And he knew that
Minerva Van Ness was there. And
81 jing, Polly" said Uncle Peter, Il didn't know
Dan McKinnon had that much in him. I swear didn't
liked what he had to say hrst-ratc"
" Yes" said Aunt Polly, kind of maneuvring around
as to get between Uncle Peter and where Dan and
Nervy talking together mighty confidential eyes,
smart as a steel trap. Girl that gifts himll do well,
tell you"
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04
H8 How to Celebrate the Fourth

them had their ear hung out for the rattle of Aunt
Poys knife on plate, and her cry of Draw up, folks
and friends
Elder Drown asked the blessng-iks to never got
through, ether-and what with the appetite out-of-
door folks have and what the womenfoks had cooked
up for the occasion-wel plainly enough that T
have to be forcibe with myself in the refusal to into
the particulars of that Fourth of July dinner get to
swallowing and dribblng at the mouth the minute be-
gin to think about it.
After the dishes cleared away the exercises be-
gan. Levi Curl who had charge of the singing was
worried considerable about it. He taught the singing
schools in those parts and he knew the faings of all
of them, and especially how they would drag. Old
Josephus Hill liked to be the last to let go of
note and Polly Ann Ryder had so much trouble reach
the high notes that it seemed kind of wasefu to her
to go on and leave them.
Levi hadn't had any rehearsals together and oh dear
he just looked to have it be plumb fzze He walked
up and down with his hands behind his back, wishing
he hadn't undertook it" He needn't have fretted
particle He hadn't figured Big Sam and the bass
drum Sam got Lewis down, left, right, up" with his
eye and the bass drum didn't let them drag bit They
just had to keep it going. Oh, it was grand Every
body sung, even to Uncle Peter who couldn't carry
tune if he was to die for it.
| won't go into Makemsons speech. 1t was about the
Constitution, and all like that. And you know told
you the Fourth of July wasn't the seventeenth of Sep
tembe which is the anniversary of the singing of the
Constitution.
Fourth of July is for the Declaration of Independence
I'm like Aunt Polly like the Declaration. 1t reads
pretty good to me. l want to shout Amen!" to its
statements that anybody with sense enough in
out of the rain can see that when we're born we're all
Just the same kind of helpless little babies and that the
differences between It's later due to bringing up
and the chances we have; that the Good Lord gave
all the same rights, which remain rights just the
whether we are done out of them by force by
tract that these rights entitle us to live like human
beings and not like workcattle machinery and have
good time while we're living; that it is the business
of government to fix it SO that everybody have
that kind of life that it has authority to exist
cep by the of the people and that if it fails
fix so that everybody have the full happy human
life then it is not only right it is duty, by jim
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

every once in a while is that it is trying to hop along
one foot instead of walking on two
With most of the selections by the men-folks, Aunt
Polly fairly well satisfied.
Whatever possessed you all though to go and pick
out Alonzo Huaker to be Grand Marshal" she snorted
at Uncle Peter is somepin don't expect to live
long enough to find out Why that man couldn't turn
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

when went to town and all like that, and I'd talk it
up about havin real celebration like what used to
have down i'll Virgnny when was little girl and not
these here pcnics and kissin' games"
al jing Poy" said Uncle Peter. You're right.
Yes sir you're right about that Sures you're foot
high"
Course" proceeded Aunt Polly, I'm only woman,
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-04

THE Fourth of July is not the seventeenth of Sep
tember
"We1, who said it was2" you ask yourself.
whats the matter with the man, anyhow"
What is the Fourth of July? inquire
why, the birthday of the nation"
What natono
"Why, this nation, of course silly" And you
me pucker my brows with "what-dye-mean" express
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
WHEAT PIT HIT BY WHIRL WIND
Fortunes Shift Like Sand-King Pat
ten Again Feature of FURRY

Chicago.-It was day of tumult and
sharply shifting fortunes in the wheat
pit of the board of trade Thursday. July
wheat following a docile advance to a
high level, suddenly dropped an extreme
4 3-S cents. The pyramid" fortunes of
small spectators vanished in trce and
the day was saved from rout only by the
vigorous eNertions of the bull leader,
James A. Patten.
Within the last fifteen minutes of trad
ing MIR Patten bought 100000 bushels
OF wheat for July delivery. The while
he chewed the stub of cigar and ran his
fingers renectively over the unshaven
gray stubble which there has been no
time for him to remove from his face.
1t was Patten against the field and the
final gong showed that the former APP
parently as mighty as ever. His pur-
ehases and those of his followers, togeth-
er with the proft-taking of shorts, who
lost no time in securing the fruits of
their bearish daring, caused a reaction of
over cent all along the line. But be-
fore this occurred the hoard of many n
small Spectator had gone.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
WOMAN'S WORK DISCUSSED.
Negro Was Also Considerd by the
Atlanta Conference.

Atlanta, Ga.-With mixed feelings of
satisfaction and regret the twelfth an
nual conference for education in the
south closed Friday. The satisfaction
was at the immense amount accom-
plished during the scholastic year just
terminated. The regret was that the
meeting, so pleasant and effective, was
SO brief. Every member united in "a dec
laration that never had the members ex-
perienced as satisfactory a meeting.
The early sessions of the closing day
were devoted largely to women and wom-
ans work is the problem that the con-
ference is endeavoring to interest all
good citizens in solving. Women who
have devoted their lives to teaching or
to the study of those economic prob
lens which every community has to solve
some time or other gave to the confer
enee members the benefit of their concur
sions. The negro was considered, too,
from the standpoint of the educator, and
some attention was paid to economic de-
velopments in connection with education.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
M0NUMENTTO IMMORTAL 600
Survivors Will Be in Memphis for
Confederate Reunion.

Memphis, Tenn.-One of the most i'm
portant societies of Confederate Veter-
ans to be in Memphis for the reunion,
June s, 8, 10, will be the survivors of
the immortal Co.," Arrangements have
been made for a headquarters for this
organization and it is more than proba-
BILE they will carry some distinction with
it.
The Society of the Immortal 600 is
made up from the 600 Confederate Off
GERS, prisoners of war, who were by the
order of Edwin NJ. Stanton, Federal sec
rotary of war, taken from the military
prison at Fort Delaware and placed UNI
der the fire of the Confederate batteries
Smelling the United States troops on
Morris Island, S. c., in August, 1864.
These men were kept under the fire of
the Confederate guns for forty-two days.
OF this 600 probably but twenty are
alive today. They had formed them
selves into society for the purpose of
getting separate quarters at reunions as
well as to raise money enough to build
monument to the members living and
dead This memorial will be built on
Morris Island.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
UNIFORMITY IN EDUCATION.
All States Urged to Adopt System
That Is Uniform.

Atlanta, Ga.-A movement to build
up an educational scheme which shall
embrace the entire South was launched
at a prolonged session of the campaign
managers of the conference for education
in the South, now in annual session
here. 1t was proposed that all States of
the South be induced to take action to-
ward strong educational system which
shall be as uniform as possible The idea
TO be worked out was thus expressed by
President P. p. Claxton, of the Univer-
sity of Tennessee:
1--WE should have" he said, "an archi-
tectural plan built up from all styles of
education now in vogue in the South.
I'VE have been Strengthening here and
there for years with good results, until
now it is time to construct a system
more or less permanent for develop
ment"
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
SEVEN CENTS BREAD LIKELY
Ghetto Already Facing Bread at Biz
Cents Loaf

New York.-With -four up forty cents
a barrel in the local market and the pros
poets apparently good for further rise,
New York City is now facing the posi-
bility of bread at seven cents loaf
What will appear to hundreds of thou
sands of the poor like famine prices for
all family larders bids fair to be forceo
as the result of the recent rise in wheat
The Ghetto of New York has already
in some degree felt the effect of the
buoyancy of the Chicago wheat pit. Six
cents loaf is the price now charged
by some bakeries, while the proprietors
of hundreds of others declare that they
cannot continue selling at five cents
much longer, with bread and -four of the
better grades costing from 81 to $7.20 a
barrel, against $3.50 to $3.50 few days
ago. They add, moreover, that with
-four permanently up to the rates re-
Gently quoted, even six cents would not
give them any sort of profit.
Seven-cent bread, either through an out
and out advance in price or an equiva-
lent shrinkage in the loaf, seems inevita-
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
Grief That Kills.

"My poor boy" said the beneficent
old clergyman who had encountered a
young waif sobbing in the streets,
what ais you? Some case of dire
distress has touched your heart
chords, no doubt"
NO" shifted the lad, you're clear
off your base, old kazzozicks. Me an
Snippy an de rest of de fellies tin
canned the NANCY. old yellow cur up
at Schwarz' grocery, and while old
Schwarz an de gang followed the
dog, l sneaked back to the grocery to
swipe dried apples. De Fido chased
into Schmitt's orchard and de gang
cribbed de SWEETEST peaches you ever
seen, an then dey smoked grapevine
cigarettes and set the barn a-f1re. l
made sashay into de apple barrel at
de grocery, an de delivery boy pasted
me with a bed-slat and it hurts yet,
and l didn't get to see de fire, and
didn't get nothin' to eat, and | visit
wuz dead-dog-gone it all! The
Bohemian Magazine.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
LABOR LEADERS SEE TAFT
President Promised to Do What He
Could to Help Their Cause.

Washington. - President Taft dis
cussed the problems of the working man
for two hours Friday with the members
of the executive council of the American
Federation of Labor, which is in session
in this city.
The labor leaders, headed by Samuel
Gompers, president of the Federation,
called at the White House to present to
the president number of matters of
vital interest to organized labor. Mr..
Gompers declared that the president not
only gave the spokesman of the party all
the time they desired to lay their mat
tiers before him, but joined himself in
the discussion from time to time to bring
out fuller information on the various sub
jects as they were reached.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
PREFERS DEATH TO DIVORCE
Rather Than Appear in Court, Grace
Caldwell Kills Self

Indianapolis, Ind.-When the name of
Grace Caldwell, defendant in the suit for
divorce against her by Lester Caldwell,
was called in the circuit court Friday
she did not answer, and during confer
ence of her attorneys and the judge a
messenger rushed in and said that rather
than appear Mrs. Caldwell had killed her
self. She had drunk carbolic acid A
physician who hurried to her home pre-
vented her immediate death, and the
judge has postponed hearing of the d.
vorce case until her recovery. Members
of Mrs. Caldwell's family have informed
the police that when the date of the trial
was set she attempted to choke her baby
to death and to kill herself, and that she
has insisted she never would face the
court
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
BISHOP WILSON VERY SICK
Caught Cold in Canada, and His
Condition Is Critical.

Baltimore, Md.-Bishop Alpheus w.
Wilson of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, is in serious condition
at his home, 1901 Park place. Bishop
Wilson has been confined to his home
for the past two weeks since his return
from Toronto, Canada, where he went at
the conclusion of the Southern Methodist
conference, recently held there. He was
indisposed at that time and had to re-
turn home after being at the session
only one or two days. Everything known
to medical science is being done to re-
lieve him of the excruciating pains with
which he constantly suffers.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
SAVING PANT MONEY
It Cannot Be Done by Using Cheap
Material and Cheap Painters.

In arranging for painting, good
many property-owners try to save
money by employing the painter who
offers to do the job cheapest-or try
to save money by insisting on low
priced paint. But no property-owner
would run such risks If he realized
what must be taken into considera-
ton in order to get job that will
wear and give thorough satisfaction.
No houseowner will go wrong on
the painting question if he writes Ma
tional Lead Company, 1902. Trinity
Building, New York, for their House
owners Painting Outfit No. 40, which
is sent free. 1t is complete guide
to painting. 1t includes book of
color schemes for either exterior or
interior painting, book of 'specifica-
tons, and an instrument for detecting
adulteration in paint materials.
Nearly every dealer has National
Lead Companys pure white lead.
Dutch Boy Painter trademark) If
yours has not notify National Lead
Co.. and arrangements will be made
for you to get it.
The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-22
"coFFEE DOESN'T HURT ME-"
Tales That Are Told.

Il was one of the kind who wouldn't
believe that coffee was hurting me-"
says N. Y. woman. you just couldn't
convince me it's use was connected
with the heart and stomach trouble I
suffered from most Of the time.
my trouble finally got so bad l
had to live on milk and toast almost
entirely for three or four years. Still
loved the coffee and wouldn't believe
it could do such damage.
What I needed was to quit coffee
and take nourishment in such form as
my stomach could digest.
Il had read much about Postum,
but never. thought it would fit my case
until onegday 1 decided to quit coffee
and give 1t trial and make sure about
1t. So l got a package and carefully
followed the directions.
Soon began to get better and was
able to eat carefully selected foods
without the aid of pepsin or other di-
gestants and it was not long before I
was really a new woman physically.
Nov l am healthy and sound, can
eat anything and everything that
comes along and / know this wonder
full change is all due to my having
quit coffee and got the nourishment 1
needed through this delicious Postum.
MY wonder is why everyone don't
give up the old coffee and the troubles
that go with it and build themselves up
as l have done, with Postum
Easy to prove by 10 days trial of
Postum in place of coffee. The reward
is big.
There's Reason"
Ever read the above letter. A new
one appears from time to time. They
are genuine true and full of human
interest.