davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
The Courier Junior
Published by
THE COURIER PRINTING co..
oTTUMWA, IOWA.
MATILDA pEvEREAux.
EDITOR.
A THANKSGIVING BASKET.

Dear Juniors: You all know by TINS
time that Thanksgiving comes on next
Thursday. Nov. 25. In thinking about
n new contest the thought came 10 us
shat the Juniors would like to help
make some family happy this Thanks
giving. who perhaps have had trouble
recently and who may not be able 10
have a good dinner that day Well
here is our idea. and we want the Jun
iors to carry it out: The Courier Jun
Tor will fix UP basket, and IN inns us
basket will be enough foodstuif 10
make Thanksgiving dinner TOT q; d
GOOD sized family. This basket VIII
ME the prize for the Junior who writes
the hest Thanksgiving story, and ne o,
she in turn can take the basket anu
give it to some needy family. ms
contest will close Tuesday evening a.
IA o'clock and the prize winner Will De
notified in ample time, so that he OF
She can present the basket in person
This will be nice Thanksgiving ~
remember the time is short, only l nv,
days until this contest closes. we
want all the little Juniors 10 Wofh
this time.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
Kilbourne, Iowa.
Van Buren, Co.
WHEN MAMMA WAS A LITTLE
GlRL-HATTIE ALLEN.

When mamma was a little girl she
was born in Bloomfield. Her papa was
killed by train when she was three
months old. There was woman and
two little girls on the track when two
trains were coming together. Grandpa
ran up to save their lives and pushed
them off and he got killed.
Mamma and her brother Frank
went to the Grandpa Names to live in
the country, and mamma lived there
until she was nineteen, when she was
married
Mamma and Uncle Frank had lit
tie branch which they played by, got
the clay to make clay dishes for their
play house. We still have mammals
little chair that she had when she was
three years old, but it is about used
up now.
They rode in carts mostly then in
stead of buggies.
Mamma was seven years old when
she started to school,
I see that Beatrice Parkinson said
that her mamma was three years old
when she started That was pretty
young.
go to school now. Belle Elder is my
teacher. / have not missed or been
tardy. There are twenty pupils in our
school.
Hattie M. Allen, age H.
Belknap, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
A STORY OF MY HOME-LEiLA
BURNAUGH.

I live with my parents in Davis
county. seven miles south of Pulaski,
one mile and three-quarters south CT
Waneta. My father has 243 acres OF
land. We have an awful nice farm,
think. 1t is divided into eight differ
ent fields and pastures. There are
about six acres of an orchard on 1t.
We have lots of apples to sell. more
than we can use. We had lots OF
blackberries We have a good barn
and double corn crib, but our house
is not very good. We have nice big
yard and large naples all around
it. We have telephone in our house
and we have mail delivered to US
every day. Papa could not do without
the Courier. He puts on his spectacles
after supper and reads all the news.
| like to read the children's stories
very much. like my home awfully
well. We go to Milton to trade some
times. 1t is \ nice town. 1t is nine
miles northeast of our farm.
From your little Junior friend,
Leila Burnaugh, age 9
R. F. D. No. /,
Pulaski, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
FosTER-GENEvA sMlTHBURG.

The nearest town to our home. is
Foster, which is about 2 miles. This
town is not very big, as some towns
are. We trade mostly there. There
are two stores There was livery
barn, but it burned down, so there IS
rot any there. There is quite bit nf
t"ade. We live twenty-five miles
S; Invest from Ottumwa. SO couldn't
tie much about it. But we go to see
M, aunt sometimes, SO l get to see
the town, and think it Is nice town.
Ottumwa has many stores. Blakes-
burg is a nice town but not as big Us
Ottumwa. Well don't know wheth,
er the Juniors will like this story 70
not but there is nothing like trying,
That is all / can think of this time
am Tri-Weekly Junior.
Geneva Smithburg, age 10,
Blakesburg, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
built February, 1893. The city has
several nice parks.
A Junior friend,
Vida Wahle,. age IL,
ITO q. Court St.,
Ottumwa, Iowa.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES RUARK.

will take Pennington, Iowa, as
the subject Of my story, as it is my
birthplace and not only the birthplace
of myself, but also of my father and
and its beautiful cemeteries
are the burial place Of all my grand
parents except one and he resides in
the city.
1t is the largest town in Van Buren,
county. It's population is 1,4o0. 1t is
located on the right hand bonk Of the
Des Moines river in the southeast cor
ner of Van Buren, county. Had it not
been in the corner Of the county it
would have been the county seat. The
town is easy of access by both rail-
road and otherwise. Two bridges
cross the Des Moines river-the wag-
on bridge and the railroad bridge. Two
railroads pass through the city, the K.
D. and the G. B. G. @. The public
school, with the best building and the
best corps of teachers in the county,
the dry goods stores too numerous TO
mention. The Sterling Wooden mills
give bargains in ready-made clothing.
The pickle factory furnishes employ
ment for many Of the laboring class.
We also have fine churches OF almost
every denomination, opera house, cleo
trio light plant and waterworks. The
beautiful Anderson park, which brings
many out-of-town visitors during our
ten days of Chautauqua each year; five
first class physicians, three dentists,
two newspapers, hardware, groceries,
drugs, millinery, jewelry and furni
ture stores, meat markets, lumber
yards. coal mines, livery barns, har
ness shop, banks, lawyers, restaurants
and hotels; wagon and blacksmith
shops, machine shops, garages, f1oul
and feed mills, stock buyers. If you
Juniors do not believe our city the fin
est in the county, visit it during oul
next years Chautauqua and see.
Ruth Ruark, age u,
r. F. D. No. 8,
Pennington, Iowa
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
BEDFoRD-ANITA MAY.

Dear Editor:
I will write letter about the towr.
in which / live. There is a large cream
cry here. They ship out three to four
cars of butter a week. There is flour
and feed mill here. There are granite
and marble works here. They sell mon
ument and polished building stone.
They work about twenty men. Two
of the banks are putting UP fine
buildings.
They are paving the streets and put
ting in sewers. The town is lighted
with electric lights and have water
works. They have two big brick school
buildings. This town has no interur-
ban railway, but has the G. B. @.
My papa is agent at the depot and he
said they shipped out over one hum
dred cars of apples this year.
There are seven churches here.
This is the county seat of Taylor
county. We have a fine court house
and is on the middle of 1902 river but 1t
is not very large stream. There is
brick yard and two GENE: : block fac
tories here.
Aneta May,
! Bedford, Ia.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
oTTUMWA-cARLEToN PIERCE.

Ottumwa is located on the Des
Moines river in the center of the Des
Moines valley coal fields.
1t is a city of twenty-five thousand
Inhabitants. 1t is also the county seat
of Wapello county.
Ottumwa has a large packing house
and good many factories. Ottumwa
manufactures cigars. inter boxes,
cigar boxes, rugs. blank books, box
car leaders, stamps, iron culverts, hay
tools, buggies and wagons; show
cases, confectionery, mattresses, but
ter, water tanks, rock drills, earthen'
ware, steam pumps, pick axes, hatch-
cts and hammers.
Ottumwa will probably have two in
terurbans very soon. When the inter
urbans are in probably Ottumwa will
grow pretty fast. 1t is quite large
commercial and railroad center. The
northern and hilly part is the most
beautiful, although the South Side is
very pretty in some places.
Ottumwa has nine banks, eleven
schools, nine dry goods stores and two
five and ten cent stores. 1t also mas
five hotels and there are some large
churches.
There are three fine parks in the
side Of the river. 1t used to be a
side O fthe river. 1t used to be
dump ground, but was made into a
beautiful park There is another one
in the center of the city and in 1t is
band stand and cannon captured
from a Spanish flagship. The third
park is out in the West End. 1t is
quite large and is very pretty because
| it is rather billy.
| Carleton PIERCE,
223 E. Maple Ave,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
Melrose, Iowa.
ALBA - 8LAkEsBuRe-MoRA vlA

Dear Editor
7 will first write about Abba. 1t is
beautiful place.
We live five miles southeast of Al
bia which is our nearest town.
Abba has fine interurban. 1t runs
from Abba to Hiteman and from Abba
to Hooking. Hiteman and Hooking are
mining towns.
Blakesburg is the next place will
choose to write about. 1t is a lovely lit
tie town and has many fine resi-
dences.
The citizens are most retired farm
ers. Blakesburg has only one railroad
which is the Milwaukee.
Next | will write about Morayia. 1t
is nice town and has several rail
roads. like Moravia because of its
celebrations They do not allow any
negroes in Moravia. 1t has no interur,
bans, but has a fine park. Then next
are the stations. There are two sta
lions not more than half mile away.
One is the Wabash and the other is
the Iowa Central. There is watering
tank at the Wabash station.
Yours truly
Effie Ellison, age 70.
Abba, Iowa.
R. F. D. No. 5.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20

of the Ohio river watching party of
Indians who were crossing over into
Kentucky from the Ohio shore. Sud-
denly the Indians saw Willie standing
on the shore, and rowed swiftly to.
ward him. Willie was very much
frightened and started to run, but thu
Indian who had landed his canoe was
too quick for him. He seized Willie in
his arms and ran to the canoe, and
placing him in it, rowed quickly to the
Ohio side Of the river. That night he
and Willie camped with a part of In
dians
Willie was very homesick and
cried to see his mamma, papa and lit
tie sister Isabel. The Indians treated
him kindly and the little Indian chill
dren taught him how to make bead
baskets and other trinkets. One day
he was with one of the little Indian
boys, when he saw his father with
another man. Willie ran quickly to
them and told them to row quickly
across the river into Kentucky. His
father was overjoyed to see his little
boy once more. He told him that he
with a neighbor, Mr.. Williams, had
come over into Ohio to search for
him. He said that they had looked
everywhere for him and had been
afraid that he had been killed by some
wild animal of the forests They took
him home and his mother was very
much surprised to see him again. Mr..
Williams had three little boys. Willie
was very glad to see them again They
played all sorts of games and Willie
taught them to make bead baskets.
Ever after that he was careful to
keep away from the Indians.
Lena Maxwell, age 10.
Kilbourne, Iowa.
| Won Purop ~
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
FLoRIs-LlLLIAN FISH.

Dear Editor:
AS l have not written for very long
time I thought l would write a story
about our little town. My home is in
Floris. We have property there. But
last March papa and mama rented our
home in town and we moved to a
farm two miles north of F'loris. But /
will tell you about our little village.
We have nice school building, and
three nice churches, four dry goods
and grocery stores, two hardware
stores, one millinery store. bne bank,
one drug store, one restaurant. one
harness shop, one lumber yard, one
cry barn, two blacksmith shops, three
poultry yards. one grist and saw mill,
three creameries, one undertaking es-
Establishment post office and a depot
There is one railroad running
through the city and there's great
deal of business done here, in the way
of shipping GU. and receiving goods
Our merchants handle more goods ant
do more business than any other tow
Of it's size in the state. Our city too ha.
been improved a great deal this fall b!
the building of new brick store be
longing to R. D. Stevens and will b.
occupied by F. M. Stevens, dry good
and groceries.
The town has also put in cemen
walks from town to the depot and nov
cement walks decorate the whole city
Other improvements are in view an
! the little city is rowing rapidly. w
have good schools here and hav
preaching every Sunday at the M. Z
church and preaching every two week
at the Baptist church and Christia'
church and Sunday school every Sun
day at all three of the churches. l at
tend the M. e. church and Sunda,
school.
Several farmers have recently NOV
ed into the city and we are proud t
say, we have no saloons pool or bill
lizard halls and no gambling places Q
any kind. We have q nice quiet an
peaceable town and we are proud of i
Lillian Fish,
F'loris. Iowa
| Ace 10 r. No. g
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
SWEET POTATOES - MILDRED
OLLIE.

Dear Editor
| will try and write little about
sweet potatoes. as they are my favor
lite vegetable. They grow best in loose
sandy soil. Most people make ridges
about a foot high and put the plants
on top, of the ridge. We raised lew
this year but the dry weather huft
them some. But what we had were
nice. One day last summer some
friends of ours were out from town
and we took our dinner and Went
down in our timber. We put up some
forked sticks and laid a pole across
and hung kettle on it and boiled
some sweet potatoes. We had Lots OF
fun and the potatoes were good, but
I think the way mamma cooks them
is best. She scrapes the peeling on ana
boils them in salt water until they are
tender and then cuts them in halves
and spreads butter on them and bakes
them in the oven until brown.
like to read the stories and let
tiers in the Courier Junior but this is
the first time | have ever tried to
write, and as l looked my letter over
/ have about decided can do better
eating sweet potatoes than | can
writing about them.
From Junior friend,
Mildred Ollie, age IL.
Douds-Leando, Iowa.
r r H. No g
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
sToRlEs-LETTERs.
oTTuMWA-vlDA WAFFLE.

Ottumwa is a great manufacturing
and railroad center, and the people
have good advantages.
The white people settled in Ottum-
wa in 1S43. In 1874 Ottumwa was
chosen as the county seat. and the
name was changed to Louisville, but
the title was soon discarded and the
people thought that an Indian name
was more suitable. In August IL.
1914. the first wish was to build a
dam, flour mil and saw mill.
Elder Jamison, pioneer Methodist
preacher, preached the first sermon in
the city The first courthouse was
built in 1916, on the corner of Market
and Third streets. Ottumwa has a
very large packing house, John Nor
rell & Co" Ottumwa has much coal.
In 1892 the Market street bridge
was built. which connects the North
and South Sides. 1t cost $4,000. The
electric street cars run across to the
South Side in the roadway. The city
has many churches. The First Meth.
odist Episcopal church on Fourth and
Market streets, is considered about
the largest in Ottumwa. Rev. w. L
Jeffrey is pastor. Ottumwa has many
beautiful residences. T. D. Eos
ter's home is the handsomest.
Ottumwa has Y. M. G. A.. which is
located on the corner of Washington
and Second streets, and Y. w. Z. A
/ 1t is ON Third street. The city has
a Grand Opera house. 1t is on the
| corner of Jefferson and Main streets
The city has many schools. A. w
Stuart is the superintendent. The Ad
ans school has 500 pupils. The cour
house is a large building. 1t is OF
Fourth and North Court streets The
city has many grocery stores. the
Globe Tea company is considered the
| largest grocery in Ottumwa. 1t is OF
East Main street. There are a mum
Der of drug stores. Sargent's dru'
store is the largest and best in OF
/ tulnwa. 1t used to be located in tn,
opera house building. All things sucl
as medicines and toilet articles ar
made of the purest Ottumwa ha
/ some hotels. The Ballingall hotel is
large building, and has many rooms
(which are furnished the very best.
is on the corner of Green and Mai
Istreets. Also there are a number Q
restaurants. There are three depot
4 in Ottumwa. The Union depot is
nice building. The city has quite
few banks. The streets are niue
crowded on a busy day. The Courie
office is on Second street. 1t wa
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
Age -
ALBIA-VELMA WILKiN.

Dear Editor:
/ live in Abba. Iowa. My father runs
a large feed store in the second ward;
We have twelve grocery stores ana
four dry goods stores. We nave one .e
opera house and our court house Is
three stories counting the basement
and the floors are made OF marple.
we have four wards. The Jefferson 2
school where go is three stories anu
we have 200 enrolled. | am eleVel'
years old and 20 in the seventh sraue'
We have large library which was
built by MI. Carnegie on Main streeI
We have some very beautiful stress
The prettiest streets are Clinton anu
Main streets. There are many ltl-
provements being made. we nave
three street car lines. They run from
Hooking to the square from there &c
the Wabash depot and from there u
Hiteman.
we have three school houses ana
another one being built. We have one
moving picture show. Nearly all tne
walks are cement My father came I,
Abba thirty years ago. | was born ~
the house l live in now. We nave llVet
here for eleven years and have never
gone out of Abba.
Velma Willlin,
2O9 South C street.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20

thought, and thought, an thought; but
/ couldn't plan another single plan but
this. Well take such very good
care Of tiff you think you could lend
it to us
When Theresa went back to the
Others, she walked little faster, and
she was not sobbing. She was not
smiling. Eyes, she will" she told them
quietly. Mis- Reeds very 'commo-
datin-hearted woman"
The next day was Thanksgiving
day. Theresa and all the Others
dressed in their dressed-uppest
clothes and filed soberly over to the
next door neighbours house. Mr.. Reed
was expecting them. She had the din
ner "dished up" and waiting. She
and Theresa loaded all the little care
full hands, and turned the procession
face about. With the turkey, rich and
brown on its blue-and-white platter,
Theresa stepped cautiously along in
the rear; she would not let Mis- Reed
carry it for her.
'It amt as heavy as the other one"
that lady murmured as she watched
| the file of children cross the short
space between the two houses. II guess
she'll feel better to take it herself;
she's that kind" And with that Mrs.
| Reed went back to her kitchen, and
| basted the other brown turkey in her
great oven. The grimness seemed to
have gone out Of her face; her mouth
corners were even up-curving q little
as if she were beginning to smile. Mis-
Reeds thoughts seemed to be pleas.
ant thoughts.
: Theresa and the Others arranged
the bountiful Thanksgiving dinner on
! the dining-room table and sat down
! solemenly in their usual places.
"Joe-Johnny" said Theresa, and Joe
Johnny asked the blessing.
I'VE thank Thee, o Lord, for this
Thanksgivin' dinner here in oul
midst" he prayed slowly; then, quite
suddenly, as if he could bear no more
he said amen"
.It's a splendid Thanksgiving din
ner,' Theresa mtlrmured, and one by
one they all repeated it after her.
There's turkey to it, an cramb'ry
sauce an stuffin,'' prompted Joe
Johnny and they repeated that.
'tYou can draw in your breath ant
4 smell it, Theresa said gently; ther
in the same breath she uttered
sharp cry. She had discovered
piece of white paper skewered to the
turkeys side.
80! o, it says you can eat it, she
exclaimed shrilly, thinking of the
Others, not of herself. 1T says: 'Yot
needn't return anything but the
dishes. You're welcome to everything
else. It's your Thanksgiving dinner.
Joe-Johnny, ask another BLESSING
: quick"
20, Lord-o. Lord, we thank Thee
: it's an eat Thanksgiving dinner,
prayed little Joe-Johnny, reverently
Eve never thought it would be al
eat one; o, no. we never! We can
begin to tell Thee how s'prised an
'bliged we are
The letter that went to the Hous
Of Little White Cots told mother al
about it. 90. how good it smelled!
the letter said, "But it tasted goode
still! there wasn't anything but tn
dishes left when we grt through An
; mother kissed the little letter. an
!. went to sleep with it under her cheeI
Christian Endeavor World.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
,ut find Detroit much larger.

but find Detroit much larger.
There are many pleasure places
here. Belle Isle is beautiful park on
the Detroit river, and consisting of
about seven or eight acres. There are
all sorts Of animals and flowers there.
The aquarium is large building there
where all sorts Of fish are kept On
the other side of the aquarium is
beautiful conservatory. There are pa
vilions, bathing places, boat clubs, etc.
1t is a beautiful sight to see the canoes
slowly gliding along the canals.
Palmer's park, or Log Cabin, as 1t IS
sometimes called, is another nice park.
This park is out near the country.
There is building there called the
"Old Log Cabin" 1t is built and fur
nished as the houses were in the days
Of Washington. There is an old pillow
and yoke there that were found in
Spain in 1892.
The largest building in Detroit is
Is stories high. There are many beau
tiful streets here. I live on one of the
main streets about four miles from the
heart of the city. About mile from
my house is small woods on the edge
of cemetery. My friends and I &c
there for walk about three times a
week. There is a small body of water
on the south of the woods called the
Cemetery Woods. When the water
lilies bloom we go out in row boats
and gather them. In the winter when
the lake is frozen l have great many
good times skating there.
Your Junior friend,
Ida Platz.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
MELRosE-oLIvE LEMLEY.

Dear Editor
live in Melrose, Iowa. 1t is a town
of about 500 inhabitants. 1t is situated
on the c., B. & @. railroad between Al
bla and Charlton. Cedar Creek runs
south of the town. The town is sur
rounded by hills and timber.
The town is made up of the follow
ing business places: One bank, four
general stores, one racket store, two
hardware, one meat market, three res
taurants, two hotels, two blacksmlth
shops, one harness and shoemaker
shop, one barber shop, two drug stores
on mill one newspaper, one lumber
yard, one opera house, millinery store
and three doctors. We have two
churches, Catholic and Methodist.
They are building new brick school
building.
Your Junior friend
Olive Lemley.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-20
Dear Editor:

Dear Editor
My story will be about Abba,
which | live near by. l live-three and
a half miles from Abba 1t is a very
nice town, l think. Abba is the coun-
ty seat of Monroe county. The popu-
lation Of Abba is five thousand. We
have a very nice court house, which
cost fifty thousand dollars. 1t stands
in the center of the square. 1t is
built Of stone and has nice yard. In
each corner of the yard is a flower
bed. It has cement walks around it
and around the edge of the yard is the
hitching rack. Abba has nice cement
sidewalks and several paved streets
We have one high school where my
brother and sister go, and two graded
schools and another one which is be-
ing built Abba has very nice libra
~. It is built of stone. 1t is very
nice, and we have a nice hospital also.
Abba has ten churches. go to the
Methodist church and Sunday school.
I like it very much. Abba has one
-four mill called the roller mills. We
have an electric light plant and water
works We have an interurban which
runs from Abba to Hooking and from
Abba to Hiteman, where the coal
mines are. We have a telephone fac
tory here, too. Abba has four news
papers, one daily and one semi-weekly
and two weekly newspapers. We have
no saloons in Abba. l guess that's
what they call dry town; that is
what my aunt calls it.
Lois Griffin. age 8,
r. f. D. No Z,
Alhia Iowa