davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
NO MONEY FOR WATERWAYS.
Members of Congress Are Becoming
 Worried.

Washington, Dec. 29.-The question whether there will be a rivers and harbors bill during this congress is becoming a matter of much concern to members of both houses.
 In accordance with the usual GUS tom of passing such bill only once every two years, no effort was made to put one through last session, but it was then generally understood that no obstacles would be placed in it's way at the second session. Now the committees having charge of the question find themselves confronted by constantly growing deficit in the treasury, with the result that they find 1t quite impossible to give any satisfactory assurances to colleagues, who, like themselves, want legislation.
 Knowledge of the situation is, how ever, having but little if any influence in causing a dimunition of the pres sure, and the importunate ones are urging the prospect of improved busi ness conditions. Senator Frye, chair man of the senate committee. and MT Burton, who holds like position al the head of the house committee, are giving due credence to these repre- sentations, but so far they find them selves quite unprepared to say what will be done.
 There Is a clamor for enterprises which tentatively have been promised New and old projects would call foI the immediate appropriation of about s25,000,000. If a bill is undertaken there will be strenuous effort to gel authorization for the beginning of the much advocated deep waterway from Chicago to the Gulf. This is regarded as an essential part of the plan for the improvement of the inland water courses and if 1t should be undertaken In earnest the advocates of the new departure would find in 1t reason for much encouragement.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
BAD MINE DISASTER
FIVE MEN INSTANTLY klLLEl AND TWO FATALLY INJURED
 AT JOPLIN, MO.
MANY IONS OF ROCK FELL Og VICTIM!
Tae Men Were at Work Timbering tns Root Which Had Been Pronouneee Unsafe When Cave-in Occurred Three Brothers In the Wreck Bodies Ground to Pieces.

Joplin. Mo, Feb. 2S.-Five men were instantly killed and two others were fatally injured in one of the most disastrous mine accidents in tho history of the district, when slab oi rock, weighing 30 tons, fin drift fell at the mine of the West Seventh Street Mining company at lV:4o o'clock last night.
 The'd are: Harry Ritter, Joe Morrison, Gilbert Ritter, Bob Warren and A. c. Griffith. Fatally injured: Burt Ritter and Frank Owsley.
 The seven men were at work tim bering the roof, which had been pro nounced unsafe. when the enormous slab fell, grinding the victims beneath tons of dirt. Burt Ritter, Gilbert Rit- ter and Harry Ritters are brothers, Burt being in charge of the work when the slab fell. The injured men were removed to a hospital.
 The first in.imation of the accident at the top of the ground was a heavy blast of air from the mouth of the shaft. The seven men who were caught constituted the entire force with the exception of three others in a separate drift. The Investigating party, going into the mine after the air blast had indicated a cave-in, found the entire crew covered by rock. The rescuers worked for 30 minutes before the first man was removed.
 The bodies of the victims are liter ally ground to pieces. The drift in which the men were working had been pronounced unsafe.
 The rescuers upon entering the drift located the injured men by their groans and after 30 minutes work sue ceeded in reaching them. The bodies of two of the dead were removed, but the drift Is so dangerous the remain ing bodies were allowed to remain in mine until morning.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
To Relieve seaslckness.

Eugene Wolf, the German explorer says that for the last 5 years of the 90 he has spent in travelling he has studied the problem of a costless pre- yentiye ot seasickness, and he has reached the conclusion that the best means obtalnable Is hot watersoakeaf towel folded tightly about the pa. 'ients head while he lies fiat on his back. In Wolrs own words "A reme- iy for curing seasickness there is none, and never will be- The point, therefore, lies in its prevention, for prevention is better than cure. My simple head bandage, made by fold Ing towel a large handkerchief or anything similar, dipped into hot salt or sweet water, and applied round the head q few times. restores the proper circulation of the blood, relieves the abdomen from pressure and checks he cerebral anemia."
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
War Gentle War.

At Broad street and Nassau one cold morning stood two sandwich men two of about the most forlorn speci- mems imaginable. One was a colored. gentleman-sandwich- in very bat tered brown derby. which had obvious ly served its term on the head of a broker, and the other was meant to be a awhitegentleman-sandwich-man. but had a nose of sinister tint and an eye that had been no doubt brave, but worsteJ in battle. One was carry ing on his shoulder an advertisement of matchless cigar-lighter; the other bore aloft the lure of Five Courses of Lunch for a Quarter"
 Said the one to the other: "Yass. yas, dat was sho a mighty mean t'iEs he done did ter yo Whatcher gwine do ter him?"
 The man with five courses of lunch for q quarter advanced impressively very close to the colored gentleman, shifted lump from his right cheek to his left, and imparted:
 I'm a-goin ter pass him right straight by on the street and not speak single void to him."-New York Press.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Weddlnn Rlnn Story.

It was the habit of Rev. James Spur geon, grandfather of the great preach CT of that name, to pray each even. Ing under certain oak tree in a SC. cluded wood in Honeywood park.
 One night he dreamed, the story goes. that Satan appeared and threat. ened 10 tear him in pieces, if he fol- lowed his accustomed route te the tree. There was another path by which he might go in safety.
 Remembering his dream, Sturgeon felt sorely tempted to take the route in which Satan was not. But this would be to capitulate. Trembling in every limb, he made his way by the path in which the danger lay. He reached his goal in safety and in prayer and song returned thanks for delivery from peril. When his prayer had ended he rose to return.
 In his path lay piece of solid gold 'as large as a curtain ring" All in. quiry failing to discover an owner, he retained 1t, and when he married had his wife's wedding ring made from his curious find
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
OUT OF THE GINGER JAR.
(Farm Journal)

It doesn't pay to bully-rag bull.
 A thin purse makes person feel flat.
 Common sense always brings fancy prices.
 There are some folks too cowardly to lick postage stamp.
 The jelly gets in tremble with out being the least bit scared.
 He who pursues two rabbits will succeed in catching neither.
 Men who spend all they make often don't make all they spend.
 Adam had right to think his wife the prettiest woman in all the whole world.
 The foolish man can ask twice as many questions as the wise one can answer.
 Odd as it may seem, three tongues are required in hitching span of horses to a wagon.
 Johnny looking at the specks on the potatoes asked: Mama, are those specs for the potatoes eyes 2"
 Eight drams make an ounce, but often half that number will make a man a foolish and disreputable spectacle.
 Many man has paid d lawyer $5 and $10 for poorer advice than his wife would willingly have given for nothing.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
The Danger In a Democracy.

In the March American Magazine, William Allen White. writing of the various reforms of the past twenty five years, says:
 There is danger always when man makes a thing whether it be a king, constitution, city, a democracy, or what not in the way of human institutional his mis- taking the thing for an end, when it should be merely a means of human usefulness. The real danger from democracy is that we will get drunk on it. Government of the many by the many is not necessarily more desirable than of the many by a few, or than the government of all by one. The tyranny of the mob was known of old to be as cruel as the tyranny of the king. And there IS grave danger that the rise of democracy may not be accom- panied by wisdom and self-restraint. There must be a check on the power of the masses; and the veto of the courts on legislation is not only be- nefcent, but absolutely necessary, if the rasses are not checked in their use of power by their own broad charity, their own wide intelligence, and their own unselhsh courage to do the right even against their i'm mediate material interests. The success or failure of democracy de pends entirely upon that working common sense of impersonal justice in the average man which is best termed righteousness. And as the essence of what preachers call sin in mere selfshness, it follows if we are to use our reformed ballots, or cleansed party-system, our direct primary nominations or our direct legislation to any good end in this world, it will depend upon the breadth of view of the average man, and the amount of righteous un- selfish common sense that men put into our ballot boxes.".
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
conaratulated the President.

Washington, Feb 28.-The president has received from the Presbyterian Brotherhood of America, in session in Pittsburg, telegram expressing it's congratulations "as you are about to lay down the heavy responsibility of your great office" The telegram added: we are grateful to God for making you such rigorous champion of public righteousness and private virtue and for keeping you in safety to finish your work as president and as you retire to private life we invite upon you the continued blessing of God"
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
WITH THE BRAND OF CAIN.
French Scientist Advocates the Mark
 ing of Murderers.

A French scientist has made re. markable proposal io regard to the punishment of mL1efers in France He Is of the opinion that neither gull lotining nor life Imprisonment Is an adequate or suitable punishment for murder. The guillotine, he points out. innicts absolutely no suffering on the criminal, who is ! obably a man who has passed his life in infiicting suffer Ing ou others. As to life imprison. ment. 1t entails heavy expense to the country and generally reduces tho prinoner to insanity. He suggests. therefore, that such criminals shall be branded on the face with redhot Iron and then released. The branding. he thinks, should be done In public, the "M." signifying meurtrier, the French word for murderer, being stamped as an ineradicable mark on the forehead of the criminal. He would thus bear about to the end of his days the mark of his crime, and be a con. stant warning to his kind.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

sitions when they are announced m glaring and sensational form, with a
 liberal use of capital letters to at tract attention. Second, never in vest in anything which makes the promise of very large profits with no risk; if the profits are real and sure, the fact that the investment IS offered to you at low and apparent ly attractive price measures the largeress of the risk. Third, never invest in a mining scheme or in any ioint-stock enterprise of which you know nothing, on the representations of a promoter or a friend who knows no more about it than you do, Fourth, never invest in private business enterprise unless it's sound- ness and proft-earning capacity are demonstrated to your satisfaction and to that of conservative men to whom you submit the data. Fifth, never invest in anything mining stock, railway stock or manufactur- ing stock simply because it's price is low. It may possibly be bar gain, but it's price may also be low because it is worthless, or because it is doubtful whether the stock will ever pay any return whatever on the investment.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Humor There. Somewhere.

Here is another story about Taft in lke far east that is told by Frederic S Isham, the novelist:
 Two Chinamen in Shanghai were discussing the presIdent-elect's visit to that place shortly after the depar lure of the Taft party.
 MT. Taft is certainly a very big man said one. making a gesture that implied large circle as he spoke.
 He Is that, answered the other We have certainly had a consider sole sphere of American influence in our midst recently"
 And yet they say Chinamen have no sense of humor
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

from 39. .46 in 1896 to 34.67 in 1900 and down to 33.50 in 1908, and ex- presses a belief that the Democratic party had better try another man However, the other man it did try, one Parker got even less than Bryan's last, and if he was to run again his showing might be repre- sented by 00.00.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
RE-ENACT A TRAGEDY
THE ASSASSINATION OF PoRTu GALS RULERS RE-HEARsTso
 ON sTREETs OF LISBON.
CARNIVAL WEEK ONE OF MUCH RloTE
Police Unable to Control Mobs--h ssssinations of February, tsosr h peatedly Enacted-Coffins Contah ing Skeletons to Represent Rcp, Persons Carried by the Crowds.

| Frontier, Feb. .2S.-The carnival ees Frontier, Feb. 27.--The carnival csk brations held in Lisbon this week [ suited in serious rioting and numh of encounters with the police, in whid numerous persons were more or les injured and about 200 arrests weH made.
 The precautions taken by the authc' ities were successful In preyentE any demonstrations early in the mont on the first anniversary of the assa sinations of King Carlos and the crow prince, but the population took adyar age of the carnival time to indulge the manifestations they desired to hOl three weeks ago.
 The zssassinations of February 1908. were repeatedly enacted at 'l ious points throughout Lisbon by pc sons made up to represent the lsi King Carlos and the crown prina Queen Amelie, Prince Manuel and y regicides, Costa and Buissa, as ns were attired on the day of the trages while other groups carrying conn containing skeletons to represent k1 Carlos and the crown prince gave r resentations of the funeral processe to an accompaniment of blasphen0' songs.
 Tine police were completely taken surprise, and when they attempted stop the scandalous proceedings lower classes sided with the masaf raders and received them with VoHr of stones. Women aided the rioo by throwing missiles from the V dows. The police finally had to nD free use of their revolyers and swov They charged right and left sn' panic followed. The situation was Y that the police could not control " troops were summoned. The su7 finally were cleared by the miaa who made many arrests.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Jananese Editor Indicted.

Honolulu, Feb. 2S.-Y. Soga, editor of the Nippu Jiji, a local Japanese newspaper, which, for some weeks, has waged a virulent campaign urging strike of the Japanese plantation laborers for higher wages, and went so far as to advocate that all Jap anese leave the Hawaiian islands, fl their demands are not granted. haa been indicted by the grand jury as a dangerous and disorderly person he cause of the inhammatory articles ap bearing in his paper.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
A kansan Dead In Kentucky.

Louisville, Ky, Feb. 2s.-Vandyke Stoops, son of Finlay Stoops. of Pitts
 burg, Kan, was found dead in his room late yesterday. He had shot himself through the forehead. Stoops, who was sS years old and student at local business school, left a note declaring that he could not live through the shame his parents had cast upon his life. In the mans room were found some of Mrs. Mary Baker c. Eddy's books, Bible and Social Purity in Life" He was devoat re- ligious worker.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
hln tn hnathen christianitY.

able to heather christianity.
 The saint is the business man who keeps his word and is always on time
 The devil usually wins in con test between heredity and environ ment.
 Rich mems sons are usually valu,, able as distributors of congested wealth.
 The receipe for perpetual ignor- ance is: Be satisfied with your opin- ions and content with your knowl- edge.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
How Not to Invest.

In the Woman's Home Companion for March, Alexander Dana Moves. financial editor of the New York Evening Post, gives some sound advice to women regarding invest ments. Among other things, he says:
 First. never invest in anything on the basis of an advertising prospec. tusl and especially avoid such propo.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
ROYCROFT PHILOSOPHY
BY FRA ELBERrUs
Give us this day our daily work.

Give us this day our daily work.
 Great men make room for great men.
 We pay for every blessing with a price.
 Goodwill does not die on the desert.
 Almost without exception belief is legacy.
 The saving grace of life is 9 little humor.
 No great and generous impulse is for naught.
 All that ministers to human hap pineSs is divine.
 The extreme of the law is the ex- treme of injustice.
 The man who borrows takes things easier than the man who lends. Japanese organism is far prefer
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Tea Made of White Hair

This is white hair you are drink. ing said the Chinese under secretary.
 White hair? Nonsense! It is de. licious tea"
 The under secretary laughed in his lilac brocade sleeve. No. white hair <" he insisted. White hair, that is, in my language. For Pekoe means white hair This tea is called Pekoe be. cause its leaves were gathered SO young that the downy halrs still grew on them"
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
AfahanIstan Grows Opium.

According to the Sind Gazette the cultivation of the opium poppy is just starting in with vim in Afghanistan, where 1t was supposed that under governmental pressure poppy cul. tivation was growing less throughout India. The first imports of Afghan opium into India were received last year and it was pronounced better than Malwa Consular Re ports.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Encouraging the Boy

Son." remarked MT. Erastus ll ley, q done heard you talkin p0s in a great hunter" D.
 Oats what I said," answerea aninny Jim. 'Tse gwinter lions" .w
 An you mentioned beln e' explorer"
 "Yassir."
 Well. jes' by way of pracu0e you tackles any lions, femme you kin git de COW out'n pas'a out bein hooked, an den as ~s ter comes along you kin tram \ ss north pole by wadin' out m " to de wood pile twice oss .d don femme hyah no mo ooss .a,ssss coursgIn' yoh youthful emp'''sT'
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
GETS QUICK JUSTICE.
orviIie Poland Gets Life Prison 7
 tence for HuntchIson, kasp k'"''

Hutchison, Kas., Feb. 2S.--on, Poland pleaded guilty Friday aitT'ns '. to murder in the first degree TOT ' Ing Jesse Haymaker. the express < ployee, Wednesday morning. Juus' F. Branine accepted the plea anu mediately sentenced him to llle " sonment.
 It was with the consent of ms tives that the plea of guilty wa' tered. Neither his mother ". brother was in court when sem was pronounced.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

John D. Rockefeller breaches a long sermon on how charity should be handled. When justice is done there will be less use for charity and less men with such wealth as Rocke- feller. In the place of beggars and mendicGnts there will be manly men and independent producers oi wealth.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
ro EsamInn cant. Hnt.hlns

Washington, Feb, 2S.-Capt Hutch. lns, who was relieved of his command Of the batGeship Kearsarge by Ad. miral sperry just before the fleet left Gibraltar is to be examined by spe- cial medical board which will look into his mental and physical condition, His mental condition IS said to be most pitlahle.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

They re making lot of fuss be- cause the fleet arrived home Ion time to the minute" Huh There are railroad trains in Arkansas that could do that if they had 45,00O miles in which to make up lost time.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

Every once in awhile Spain takes new step in exonorating the sol diers who failed to lick the United States few years ago. That na- ton evidently is learning more as to the size of job they undertook.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

The bankers of Arkansas are unanimous against postal savings banks. They also oppose a guaran- tee that will protect depositors. They may as we'll get together and favor one or the other of these propositions. If they are to handle the peoples money, the people have a right to some sort of an assurance that they can get it when they want .f
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

The summer months are again approaching the months W h n Mena reigns supreme in having the finest climate of all the country. Other less favored places are pre- pairing to care for visitors seeking what Mena best could give them cool, fine breezes, health and hap piness, night and day. What are we doing to care for our interests in this line?
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
THE MENA EVENING STAR

When man gets religion aright his horse soon finds it out. Success.
 Lucky is the land that is titled by the men who own it.-James Oliver.
 The most utterly lost of all days is that in which you have not once laughed. .--Chamfort.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

In Kansas City where gun toters are usually fined $500. one was al lowed to go free because his em- ployer testified he was a good cook. There's no placing a cash value on good cook in Kansas City.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

Suggestions are before the legis- lature to make more stringent game laws. That's all right perhaps, but it is the enforcement of game laws that saves the game. That's worse needed than new laws in Arkansas.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
An oId eIockade Runner nead.

St. Louis, Feb 2S.-Richard c. Fryar, who gained considerable fame as a blockade runner during the Civil war by piloting boats between St. Louis and Louisville. Is dead. He was captain and pilot on the Mlssis. sippl and Ohio rivers for 4s years. The funeral services were held to-day,
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

Some people are much agitated over the proposition of selling the old state capitol. No wonder. With that sold there is no telling how many years the legislators might have to hold their sessions in a tent.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

In Nebraska the patient hen is said to have produced sl8.000.000 worth of eggs last year. and nothing is said about the value of fried chicken and hen stew. And this is an industry in which generally the women do the work"
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

A mother recently gave away her year-old baby in Kansas City union station without shedding tear. Another victim of involuntary servitude, !" we suppose.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
Coming Events Cast shadows.

Barber Hooking for business) -Ex. cuse me, sir, but your hair Is going to come out soon by the handful.
 Jaggs twho was out all night and |, Just soing home to face his wifel- You Shicl shpose don know (hlc) shatf-~Tns Bohemian. wv
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

There would have been rush yesterday to lay in n supply of booze in Arkansas if people had known how close they came to having con stitutional prohibition.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

Prohibition for Arkansas seems to be worrying people a heap these days. One editor consoles himself with the remark that, anyway, there will be plenty of sassafras tea.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

Dr. Fisher, professor of political economy at Yale, says that 75 per cent of the cases of tuberculosis could be prevented, which would raise the average of life two years. And the best authorities say that pure air and cleanliness are the greatest preventatives.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

The legislature has enacted a law to make all railway conductors peace officers with power to arrest all drunken or peace disturbing persons on their trains. This will often simplify the troubles of conductors and will sometimes make things more pleasant for travellers.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

When President Roosevelt carried a jug of whisky ba-k to Washington from Kentucky he probably was thinking of the snakes he would find on his hunt in Africa.
The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04

The Arkansas Gazette doesn' t blame Bryan for being willing to again run for the presidency, but points out the fact that his per cent age of the electoral vote diminished