davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
RATS WORRIED THE FZRElMEN
batted at it with his hand just as it
was climbing his coat, squeaking hor.

batted at it with his hand just as it
was climbing his coat, squeaking hor.
ribly.
Then the men saw others, hun
dreds, they say. In the light of the
fire, which was feeding on the heaps
of rags, bones and ancient junk in the
rear of the shop, the 1iren1en saw
them, squirming up through holes in
the floor, scattering through the smoke
along the rafters, ,tumbling in suffoca.
tion down the piles of smoldering rags.
The rats climbed up the firemen's
boots and worried a way under their
coats. Some dropped from the ceiling
on their helmets.
ugh! Let the fire burn and give
the stream to 'em, boys" yelled the
chief, and after that the water plowed
the length of the floor and searched
the walls, carrying with it the bodies
Of the drowning rats by the dozen.
Some of the streams carried through
the rotten roof and rats began to drop
r with the water on the heads, Of the
Italians that had massed themselves
in front Of the burning building. They,
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
WHY he LIKED TIGHT SHOES
Little Remark That Threw Crest
Light on the Home Conditions

Little Remark That Threw Crest
Light on the Home Conditions
Of Amos Dore.
I'VE always wondered a little how
Amos Dore and his wife got along
really" Aunt EN-" Macomber said,
frankly. "Some in the neighborhood
said they'd never overheard a single
loud or cross word on either side, but
Lie Daniels always stuck to it that
Amos was as mis'a at home AZ Q
man could be.
He never spoke right out till Amos
died and Mis- Dore went back up.
country to her folks. Then he let
out"
"What?" queried Aunt Ems visitou
well; Amos worked logging along
side of Life every winter, and sum.
mers they hayed together most al,
ways, and It seems" said Aunt EN-, inn
pressively. that Amos complained Of
his shoes hurting him about all the
time. Finally Lie asked why he wore
tight shoes.
"'Why don't you get a pair big
enough says Lie, one day.
"'Well, I'll tell you,' Amos says.
When I wear tight shoes forget all
my other troubles '"-Youth's Com
panion.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16

etable Compound had helped her, and
I tried it, and after the third bottle
was cured. observation-disclosures,
II Langdon Street, Chicago, Ill
IF you are i'll do not drag along al
home or in your place Of employment
until an operation is necessary, but
build up the feminine system, and re-
move the cause Of those distressing
aches. and pains by taking Lydia +.
Pinkham's Vegetable Comp pomd, made
from roots and herbs.
For thirty years it has been the stan
dard remedy for female ills, and has
positively restored the health of thou
sandsof Womenwho haye been troubled
with displacements, Inflammation, ul-
ceration, fibroid tumors, Irregularities,
periodic pains, backache, bearing down
feeling, Aatulency, indigestion, dizd-
ness, or nervous prostitution. WY
don't you hy itP :
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Duties Of Royal Bodyquuiard.

To stand in ring around the king
OF England, should he go out upon
the battlefield, and protect him with
formidable battle axes, was the origi.
nal duty of the honorable CORDS Of
gentlemen-at-arms, which has GELS
brated its four hundredth anniversary.
The ancient bodygQard, however,
still has duties when the king is in
Lcndon. At levees in st. James nal.
ace they are required to be in attend.
ance, standing solemnly in quaint
scarlet coats and with white-plumed
helmets, officially keeping clear q
passage to the. royal presence. It Ia
their duty also to be present when
there is court at Buckingham pal.
ace and when the king opens parlia,
ment. >..,...;..
Their battle axes date far back, to
the days Of the Spanish armada. They
were actually brought over on the i'll;
fated Spanish galleons, and, falling
into the hands of the English, were
given to the kings bodyguard.: ...,:
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16

A fish wouldn't be much good at run
ming around house chasing snakes
But Cousin Orone McDooble did the
best he could, and it worked pretty
well, for garden-hose isn't particu-
lar what kind Of noise an imitation
mongoose makes, just so it makes
a good loud noise. So Cousin Orone
McDooble got down on his hands and
knees and made noise like a mon
goose. It was something like a dog
and something like a hyena. And every
three yelps he snarled and showed his
teeth and jumped at the garden-hose.
The garden-hose just hung there as
silentRnd still as the grave and glared
him in the eye! And the more it
glared the madder Cousin Mongoose
McDooble got. He fairly bouncea
around under the garden-hose Oh his
hands and knees, snarling and snap.
ping, and all at once he jumped right
up and bit the garden-hose in tha
neck! And the garden-hose bit
back!
That almost settled Cousin Orone
A"A~AAoOO0N, III Oh az OACO 11C IcluVIll-
bered something he had forgot, which
was that the mongpose, before fear
lessly attacking serpent, neutralizes
the poison by eating the Ophiorhiza;
Mungos, and he had forgotten to
eat any! So he dashed away and ut
piece off rhubarb plant 3inl thea
dashed back and bit the gardeu-hoas
and he kept it up :natil on one round
trip the spigot OF the nozzle caught in
his pocket and as he ran the garden
hose leaped out of the tree and went
leaping after him. My, but Cousin
Orone McDooble was scared! He
jumped right into the rhubarb patch
and ate three whole plants before he
was sure he had eaten enough poison
antidote, but once he was sure he was
no more afraid Of that garden hose
than l would be. He lay right down
fiat and seized it by the nozzle, and
wrapped his legs around it, All
chewed it, growing like a pup with 4
slippery bone.
1t was struggle for life or death,
and Cousin Orone McDooble chewe.a
18 feet of that rubber garden-hose be-
fore he was sure it was dead, but when
he was sure it was dead he was the
happiest mongoose that ever killed q
garden-hose. He got up on his han3s
and knees and capered> around the
yard uttering short, sharp barks of Joy,
and then, not feeling sure that all the
serpents in Betzville were dead, and
that he ought to protect his poultry at
all hazards, he went into the hen housa
and went to sleep.
And the next morning he couldn't
remember for the life of him whether
he was q rooster or a mQngoose, and
he might never have had the heart to
come out Of the hen house if he hadn't
thought of compromising. So he
barked like mongoose three times
and crowed twice, and let it go at that.
Copyright, 1909, by w. G. Chapman.)
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
HOW TO MAKE A LETTER SHORT
YET STRONG.

There Is a wide impression on the
part of business men that letters must
be very short If they are to be read
instead of thrown in the wastebasket:
and as a consequence they are often
made so short that the reader does
not know what they are about, and
the important points that should be
impressed on his mind are not made
at all. The short letter may be read
more widely, but still it may convince
fewer in the end. than a long letter
that is read by only very few, but
really convinces them,
The secret of making letter short,
yet strong, lies in selecting repre-
sentative points--one point that will
give the effect Of half a dozen. It fs
matter of judgment as to what will
have most effect, what is really typi-
cal and representative of the case.
The man who knows his business thor
oughly has mass of facts from
which he must select. He should take
those which are simplest, most direct,
and most closely related to the or
dinary habit of thought of the person
who is to read the letter or adver.
tisement.
For example, a man came into my
office the other day with a baking pow.
der which he wished to make com.
pete in his own immediate vicinity
with well-known brand. l asked
him If he had any unique features in
tile manufacture which he thought
made his powder better than the
other. He mentioned half a dozen
minor technical points in the manufac'
ture, and finally said: "Of course we
deliver baking powder fresh every
day, while the other is made six
months in advance" We immediate
~ recognized a simple point which
every one would see, and which would
be sufficient as far as manufacture
was concerned. More would be accom-
plished by emphasizing this point
strongly and letting the others go than
trying to cover all. Stating one typi
cal point and then referring briefly
to "scores of Others" Is the right way
to produce conviction. But the one
point must be good one. Some
times two, three, or even four points
may be stated. In general, there
should be one point for each feature
or phase of the case.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
HOW ARTIST GETS SUBJECTS

only one subject at time is shown
through the little slit that 1 have cut
In the paper that covers my dials.
Now turn the left-hand dial"
I turned it and came on Oxford"
Nov spin the other one for the
atmospheric conditions.''
This brought me June Clouds"
"You see; Oxford, in June. Very
easy to paint Magdalen gardens un-
der June clouds so it goes. But
seldom have to use my machine,
as my mind is full of places l have
seen."
Wonderful man! If men had never
humored their laziness we would have
had no great inventions. Why could
not authors have a plot dial and a
character dial? It might change the
style of stories now Charles
Battell Loomis, in Success Magazine.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Not Lacking In Dignity.

There was once upon time coun.
try lawyer who was noted for his Sc.
date manners and his judicial bearing.
In the course of time he was elevated
to the bench, where he conducted him.
self and the court with becoming de.
meanor, and where he won a reputa.
ton for sagacity based nearly alto.
gether upon his solemn accents and
his corrugated brow.
One who knew him we'll was asked
by stranger who saw the Judge pass
upon the street whether he was really
an efficient arbiter.
WE'LL" said the acquaintance slow
ly, Il think may say that John pre-
sides with more dignity and less abil-
ity than anyone else l ever knew
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
WON'T MIX
Bad Food and Good Health Won't Mix,

The human stomach stands much
abuse but it won't return good health
IT you give it bad food.
If you feed right you will feel right,
for proper food and good mind is tho
sure road to health.
"A year ago became much alarmed
about my health for 1 began to suffer
after each meal no matter how little I
ate," says Denver woman.
II lost my appetite and the very
thought of food grew distasteful, with
the result that l was not nourished
and got weak and thin.
my home cares were very heavy, for
besides a large family of my own
have also to look out for my aged
mother. There was no one to shoul-
der my household burdens, and come
what might, I must bear them, and
this thought nearly drove mo frantic
when I realized that my health was
breaking down.
II read an article in the paper about
some one with trouble just like mine be-
ing cured on Grape-Nuts food and act
ing on this suggestion I gave Grape
Nuts a trial. The first dish Of this
delicious food proved that I had struck
the right thing.
my uncomfortable feelings In stom-
ach and brain disappeared as If by
magic and in an incredibly short space
of time I was myself again. Since
then I have gained IL pounds in
weight through: a summer. of hard
work and realize am very different
woman, all due to the splendid food,
Grape-Nuts." 't
"There's Reason" Trial will prove.
Read the famous little book, "The
Road to Wellville," In pkgs.
Ever read the above lettefe A new
one appeaF1 from time to tine. They
are genuine, tr1ss and fau Of hunes
Interest.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
HOW FAR APART IN TIME SHOULD
LETTERS GO?

The time between follow-up letters
is very important. Lists of names will
not stand indefinite continuous work
ing. They wear out and time must be
allowed to lapse before another letter
will pull properly. When time has
passed, letters will begin to pull
again.
At the same time, when a first at
tempt is being made, letters should
usually be very close together, so as
to concentrate the blows and try to
get some advantage from the success
sion, and from taking advantage of in
terest while it is aroused. 1t often hap
pens that two or three letters coming
right on top of each other will accom-
plish what no one letter alone would
accomplish, but in that case the let
ters should be very close together, not
over a week apart, and sometimes
only three or four days apart.
In other cases more time should be
allowed to elapse, a month being a
common period, and then three
months, or even four months. In the
SAu OAS ASItOA q yCdA Audy D0 dill LudC
will pay.
Usually this is about the proper ar.
rangement:
A large list made up from Dun or
Bradstreet's is taken up to be worked
for inquiries. A postal card inquiry
comes back, and the inquiries are fol.
lowed up closely with long, hard let.
ters.
The answer to the inquiry will be as
full letter as can be written. It
should be long and strong letter.
Within week the inquiry should have
second letter, and ten days later a
third, perhaps, with a fourth a month
later, and then follow-up letters at in
tervals of two or three months. Others
require six or eight letters one after
the other in quick succession.
AS the inquiries are cleaned up
through getting some answer they are
checked off, and there will be a GER
tain residuum of names from which it
is impossible to get anything at all.
They are usually dead ones and should
be thrown out altogether.
Those that replied and show they
are alive may be put in a special list
by themselves and given special
follow-up from time to time indefinite-
ly. But everything depends on the re-
turns.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Unpatented Device That Noted Writer
Suggested Might Be Useful
to Authors.

But, of course, it happens with
everyone that the brain is sluggish
sometimes, and I have invented lit
tie spur for such occasions. Will you
just help yourself to that square of
cardboard on that chair over there
that's it.
"You see, I have two dials set side
by side. On one of them is printed,
in round robin form, list of SUBJ
jects for paintings: Windmill, old
church, hay meadows, stone steps at
Capri, Alhambra, Coney Island, Notre
Dame, and so forth. On the other
dial is printed list of weather or
time conditions, like moonlight, sun
rise, haze, snowstorm, windy day, June
clouds, and so forth. You'll notice that
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
SORE EYES CURED.
Eye-ealIs and Lids Became Terribly
lnfiamed- WAS Unable to Go About
All Other Treatments Failed, But
Cuticura Proved Successful.

"About two years ago my eyes got
In such a condition that was unable
to go about. They were terribly in
famed, both the balls and lids. I
tried home remedies without relief.
Then I, decided to go to our family
physician, but he didn't help them.
Then I tried two more Of our most
prominent physicians, but my eyes
grew continually worse. At this time
a friend of mine advised me to try
Cuticura Ointment, and after using It
about one week my eyes were con-
siderably improved. and in two weeks
they were almost well. They have
never given me any trouble since and
I am now sixty-five years old. shall
always praise Cuticura. G. B. Halsey.
Mouth Of Wilson. Va, Apr. 4. 1908"
Potter Drug l. Chem. Corp. Sole Props, Boston
ACCENT ON THE "PUs."
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
tuberculosis Aff1icts japanese.

tuberculosis Am1cts Japanese
Consumption among Japanese labor
ers is increasing to such degree that
the figures are becoming source OF
anxiety to Japanese merchants and of.
flcials. A large percentage of labor.
ers who are sent back to Japan by
the Japanese charity associations are
consumptives. It Is claimed by the
Japanese newspapers comenting on
this matter that through the lack OF
hospital accommodations in the Jap.
anese labor camps tuberculosis in.
creases at an alarming rate. They
suggest that a new system be EN-.
ployed in dealing with the sick In
these camps, as the Japanese are
quite ignorant of even the most sim.
pie health safeguards.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
HOW TO ADVERTISE 4 sPEclAL7Y

There are probably very few busi7
ness men who do not at some time or
other have some little thing OF their
own invention or conception, or, some4
thing that somebody else has invented
or conceived, which they would like to
advertise If they knew how. - a.
A certain druggist I know has a
tasteless castor oil. Everybody would
rather castor oil didn't taste so bitter
when it has to be taken; but how shall
the news be distributed? A farmer has
an improved pick, or an ak handle.
Each and all dream of fortune If they
can get their discovery upon the mar!
ket, and usually they look as far away
from home as possible. They think Of
a small advertisement in a big maga-
zine, inquiries by mail, or sales to
large dealers through clever letters set-
ting forth the merits Of the article.
Those who succeed with these spe-
cialties, and there are many who do
succeed and make small fortunes,
nearly always begin very near at home
;; The man with the improved pick goes
to every contractor in his immediate
neighborhood and tries to interest him.
| If he can't interest man he can see
and talk to, he can't interest those far
| away, to whom he can only write.
When he has got lot of his neighbors
| to using his pick, he finds he is begin
ming to make a little profit out of his
sales, though the article is not known
so miles away and the big country has
never been touched. But the enthusi-
astic Endorsement Of his nearby friends
he puts into a neatly printed circular,
and writes a strong, enthusiastic per-
sonal letter to those who are so far
away he can't go to see them. He gets
only three orders from a hundred let
ters, but that is enough to show a
profit on the first sales, and he knows
that future sales will pay him hand
somely. And so the enthusiasm of his
first customer grows until it reaches
far and big interests take him up and
help him to carry the good news every
where, in return for liberal share in
the profits.
The druggist first tells his own pat
rons about his tasteless castor oil.
They are so much pleased that he
writes to a number of druggist friends
in other towns, and because they are
his friends they try his discovery. The
merits of the thing create enthusiasm
in each of these points, testimonials
come in of their own accord, and the
spontaneous enthusiasm Of those who
are pleased is little by little spread
farther and farther He doesn't bank
rupt himself by trying to do too much,
he feels his way step by step and letter
by letter. He tries over and over
again to tell his story till he has found
the best way, and after while the
volume of orders coming in every day
shows fine profit.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
The Right Way to Write Letters
By lShl!e'1rwiir1 Cody
Author of the Cody System That Pull


and hard enough. just asSthe book
agent gets orders from people who
pay to get rid Of the agent.
Letters cannot be used to worry
anybody into anything. It is too easy
to- throw the letter in the wastebas-
ket. The only possible hope is to ex-
cite interest.
The idea that you will get an or
der if you keep at it long enough is,
therefore. also. .fallactous. The first
letter may not close an order, If the
amount .inyolved is large. ;,One letter
will not sell a piano or threshing
machine. But the 6rst. letter is most
likely to excite interest and get re.
ply. If the first, letter does not de.
velop interest," one can safely. con.
clude that something .is the matter
with the letter and better one must
be found. If the frat letter does
not do something, none of the ordi.
nary follow-up letters are likely to.
1t happens, however, that the first
letter usually gets some favorable re.
suit If the business amounts to any
thing in itself. The case is stated
fully and fairly in that first letter,
and those who are interested re.
spond.
In planning letters to follow up q
good first letter, the first thing that
the average man does is to ask if the
first letter has been received and to
express surprise that nothing has re-
suited.
Nothing could be more foolish. AS
1 said at. the beginning, people can
not be worried into doing business
through nagging letters.
The only fair way is simply to con
clude that the first letter made nc
impression, and was thrown away and
forgotten. Make the following letter
as complete a soliciting letter as the
first one. Try all over again, restat
ing the entire case, sending circular
and the like. The second letter should
attack a customer from a new point
of view, that is all. There should be
no direct reference whatever Tin most
cases) to any preceding letter. If 8
catalogue has been sent, inclose g
small circular in the second letter
and offer to send another copy of the
catalogue II the first one sent is moi
on hand. Never worry or imagine
the first letter has been carefully
laid away. Start fresh each time.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Flies.

God bless the man who first invent.
ed screens, and God pity the man who
is too indolent or Indifferent to place
them between his family and the
spreaders Of deadly disease. There il
absolutely no excuse for the man or
woman whose place of habitation
swarms with flies and whines with
the voices of mosquitoes. They can
be kept out, and Is cents spent in
keeping them out is equivalent to
keeping out a doctor who would cost
$2S. or possibly to keeping out a much
less welcome visitor.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
On Their Minds.

1--WE got something on my mind
that I've got to get rid Of" said the
author, bursting in and seizing pad
and pencil. And when you have got
ten rid of it and have received a
check for it, there is something down
in the milliner's window that I want
to get on my mind" said the au.
thor's wife, picking up his hat, coat
and umbrella.
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Wedding Month, In Germany.

In Germany the month Of April il
the chosen time for weddings. One
must, however, be careful to select a
lucky day for the event. The lucky
days. 30 say those who know. are the
second, fourth, twelfth and twenty.
second. The unlucky days are the
seventh, eighth. tenth; sixteenth and
twenty-first. .
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
Youngsters Fellow Feeling.

SOu''9SeS1 TS'30" Z TSSIT19'
A small boy, about five years old,
was taken to an entertainment by his
mother the other evening. It was
10:30 o'clock when they reached
home and the little fellow was very
tired and sleepy. He undressed quick
ly and hoped into bed. George"
said his mother sternly, I'm sur
prised at you." 'Why, mamma?" he
asked. "You didn't say your prayers.
Get right out of that bed and say
them" Jaw mamma" came from the
tired youngster, whats the use of
wakin' the Lord up at this time of
night to hear me pray?"
The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-16
FOLLOW-UP LETTERS.

There is sort of fetch attached to
the term "follow-up letters" by many
persons, who have an impression
there is something magic about them.
Others think you will get orders If
you keep after people loEg enough