davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
By Felix J. Koch

~ YER water under water put RNT EpIIN
4 D not touching water-one foot ~
- from the deadliest hell-hre
with which a malignant Satan might ever
hope TO torture the accursed, five feet from
water countless fathoms, deep, here one Will meet
some fortyfve sturdy fellows. divided off into
crews of fifteen men each, who for the miserable
pittance OF seventy or eighty German marks
month at most, purchasing value at their hands
about $3.50 to $40 in American money and a
fare that would be insult to the American
workman-labor, the year round. happy and con
tent. These are the stokers OF the great AuahuS
liners.
Probably all i'm all, two thousands souls are
aboard the boat. Possibly aside from their SUI
perior officers, not per cent have seen or Will
get to see the stokers Yet these are the men
behind the guns TO speak The descent 70
their arsenal is both nosome and forbidden, and
so the great army of annual crossers on the At
lantic ferry steer shy of the haunt OF the
stoker First a pass from the chief engineer needs
to be obtained granted grudgingly Then
one must climb from the steerage deck down the
iron rungs of ladders that reek vertably with oil
and paint, and in and among the great engines,
and between the steam piping, till one reaches
point where the very handrail is too hot TO clasp.
Downward foot by foot, seafashon, that is-back-
ward into the very bowels of the liner. Then, not
content with achieving this depth alone-between
two mighty boilers, into the home haunt of the
stoker.
thereof can be extended warmer reception
than that afforded at the stoke hole The cham
ber is perhaps ten feet wide, and from the sooty
floor both fore and aft, wall of iron rises, per-
pendicuar and grim forty feet sheer, TO the cap
tain's deck where a narrow bit of deep blue stands
forth in bold relief between the lattices which
guard the top. Little wonder that no breath OF
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

nothin more out of me that Gay. for some way that
shut up like clam
one day che told me she was going home 10 Bos.
ton That made me slow up my horse very sud.
den. Her hand was on the horn of her saddle and
/ reached and took hold Of II. Don't 60"
| says, don't so, kid"
She tried to take her hand away but held It
tight Then she looked at me and saw she was
| says. "sure | won't" But ! didn't let CO.
Then | looked at her mouth and her lips curved
i'm way that was too much for me- and
made up my mind pulled my horse up close to
hers then leaned over and put my arm around
her / guess j must have imagined IL, but |
thought she leaned from her saddle a little 60
meet me-and them kissed her
The sky and the desert went swimming around
and when / got grip ON myself SOS 20 see things
straight again. couldn't see the little lady for
dust ! couldn't catch up with her elther--nO
matter II l did whip poor old Black Tip as he's
been whipped in his life before
That the last saw OF her. When went
up to the 'dobe next day she gone didn't
get to see her again Carlton said Miss Joyce
had gone sooner than she eXpected--that she had
10 leave without saying good bye TO any one There
a good many dregs in that drink for me, but
I downed it and went around tryn' to catch up
with my work and go the same as If nothin
had happened But couldn't do IT, felt as good
for nothin' as quitch-grass.
II, HEN one day got this book. Take a look at
What do you think? She's tried TO put tho
sage brush and the alkali dust and the desert and
the mountains and some of the people of this place
inside of the covers of book And she's put mo
into IL as kind of a eadn' clown.
I've felt small at times-mddlin' small that Is
like when the other fellow pays when you really
didn't mean to be busy, like when you're down
in Frisco. CROWN forgetful of time and the trail
home and some one is just smart enough 20 snap
up some Of the claims you've been putin OF
workin' till the last minute. But this Is a differ
ent kind of smalness-and to lather It on, ! feel
awful bad with il too.
wish could find a word that would say just
right the way it makes me feel / s'pose there
lot of words in the dictionary that an't
used much, which might help some, but they'd
likely turn out TO be too shopworn 60 do the work
proper. II seems to me there ought TO be some
new word coined just for this kind of feeling. Not
a crocodile word with tears streamin' through all
the letters and crepe flying out OF the end-not
that kind--but a good word that would start out
(Continusd OF page lS)
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

Her mouth said a good many things before she
spoke and made mighty uncomfortable.
'Three millions ought to buy most any kind of
a toy you'd want" she says finally.
81 guess it WILL I says, compaeent "Moneyll
buy about everything"
cit will not buy what want" she says, lookin
or at the mountains.
''You must be wantn' the moon" says.
TITS something have to work for all by my
self" she says.
s'VVell" says heres hopin you'll make good"
loped along pretty lively without saying much
more. When turned to leave, when she hit the
her hand and thankin' me for shown her the
way, Il hope shall you again"
"If I'm earth" i says.
THE next day was surprised--as surprised as
l ever am-when Carlton asked noe up to the
dobe shack went of course. but didn't feel right
Their chairs may be all right, but 1 didn't feel
right sittin' in 'em. Carlton tried to make me jolly
up, and his wife did too-but l couldn't make it
way-they've got such ALFRED fine ways
with EN- Every time knocked the ashes from
Cartons cigars that fool fancy ash tray with
those grinning heads it, / felt Just like those
grins all at me- Then when tried IL with
out looking I'd knock the ashes all over the shiny
table. The things they fixed up 20 drink in baby
glasses worried me, too / couldn't make myself
into bird takin' drop at a time my bill
and / always took the thing at one swallow-or
two, at the most Then l way ahead of all
the rest and had to take more when I didn't want
it, SOS 20 come out even. If il hadn't been for
that little lady, Miss Margaret Joyce. I'd never
have gone again but I couldn't help myself
the 1t wasn't like out the desert.
One night she got to singin for me- and felt
comfortable then for the first time in that shack.
Just leaned back and listened. Carlton had been
down to the city and brought a whole lot of roses
back with him and the place was full of EN-. The
little lady had one in her hair that got set on
havin' while she singn'. So when / was
about to go, I says off hand 81 want that rose"
She shook her head.
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

" "Give It 10 me-" says, stern as knew
how. Then she took IL in her hand and
looked at It a long time. / waited pa
tent l could till she shook her head
again. Give me that rose" l says
then, without any frs. And then she
gave it To
But what was It do you suppose made
me all of sudden feel just like beg
gar? Not prosperous cup-full-ofpep-
- MES beggar-but seedy without
any arms or legs or even a tin cup? 81
~ > don't want your rose" | says, mighty
quick throwin IL down without another
word and goin' right of. OF course,
couldn't explain the thing, next
time I thought I'd square IL by taking
her something real handsome. So took
whopping diamond and had IL set with
rough hunk of gold then put into
pin. It looked fine TO But there
was something wrong-she wouldn't
take It'll didn't s'pose she'd be that sore
about the rose 1t puzzled me good deal 20
know just what TO set on next to bring. Finally
] took up all my best specimens and told her TO
take her pick or take em all. which ever suited.
She took piece of rose sver-my star specimen
and said It would be just the thing for paper
weight l felt some better after that
ONE day we went out to ride II all seemed
~ natural all right just as hit the
desert again felt bit different I'm my saddle than
in them rocking chairs. She seemed 60 like It
fine. too and We went again the next day. and the
next. till IL got TO be regular thing. That was
what / woke up for every morning. didn't care
for nothing else. Little Miss Joyce certainly kept
me going some.
The little lady good deal of kid. She used
to like to get OF her horse and chase gophers
and hunt horned toads and catch lizards. or
course l had TO humor her eos TO make a good
playfeow 1 kind of surprised to find how
much of a ten-year.old l had left I'm me. / really
enjoyed playin' around Though l didn't much
like diggin up every kind of cactus we run across
and trying to get Il home for her without stickin'
myself TO pieces-the other things more than
made up for it, She used TO pile up rocks and
put outlandish marks 'em, talkin all the time
about totems and lot of stuff didn't understand.
But helped her pile the rocks and laughed with
her Just the same. One day got TO takin about
the desert--theres a lot to it, you know, that
some people never get. told her just few Of
the things I'd learned from it,
"Say that again" she says shutting her eyes
Just like she putin some shorthand down In
some corner of her brain But she didn't get
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

Add to this the furnaces--six great glory-holes,
opened momentarily that the stoker may orge the
hungry flames three mighty furnaces kept ever
at full blast, and one may family realize the
value Of breath of salt breeze TO the denizens
OF the darkness-dirty, sweated and begrimed,
who dance about in the light of the flames, SHOW
(coninued o page as
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

most anything
handy ra { h er
than go back to
ranching at home
i'm oregon. The
old man was
sore for a long
time, and never
sent me any
money, hut he
couldn't never
get me back, Just
the same, with
them cattle up
there. / guess I'D
have killed every
one of 'cm If he
had. He's all
right now though
since I've made
my pile and IL
keeps gettin' big
ger. Sometimes I
do get awful
tired OF Il here.
but there don't
seem to be any
way to quit and
IL I did there
ain't nothin' in
particular to do
instead. When /
landed here I
didn't have but
eighty cents; then
pretty soon things
began pickin' up
for me, and |
was the first fei-
low i'm camp 20
pay for things
with gold eagles.
Ever since then
the fellows have
called me Gold
Eagle Jack" I've
scraped together
v,annntn nnnnUh
gold eagles now
to make three
millions" 1 says,
lookin' at her
proud. Then right
away, l was son
~ I'd said that
last-my three
millions In a min
u I q Sc e IN e d
like three cents.
The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
Down Below With the Stokers

air may stir itself within I
chasm, and that the atmosphere
suffocatingly close and wal
Evening star., 1909-05-15

Is judged by the standard OF his own ce,r
tury instead of her own, and nowhere is
the authors sense OF fairness more evil
dent than in her Judgment of Isabella Of
CASTLE. whom she places lin the short list
OF really great queens" For Isabeia's
share in the inquistion blame is placed
upon her spiritual guide. the dread Tor
quemada-and even that austerely pfous
monk is credited with diseased zeal to
free Spain from heresy rather than to a
fendish desire to torture and kill Isa-
bella was honest in her belief that the
conquest of Granada was a necessary step
in the ChristianiZing of her realm and 1T
Is easily seen today that a national unifi.
cation of such dscordant and ng-divided
elements was only possible along religious
lines. 1t is very probable. therefore. that
the Catholic sovereigns were not actuated
alone by narrow bigotry when they en-
harked upon the policy of conquest whose
final aim was the expulsion OF all heretics
from Spain. but that their underlying
purpose was the unificat ion OF all the
Spanish people.
The two volumes are bound In scarlet
and gold. and enriched with sNty-four
illustrations. They comprise Photographic
reproductions of SPANS most important
monuments. temples. mosques. cathedrals,
palaces, heraldic ornaments sculptured
altar pieces. stairways and windows
cloisters showing dim and delightful
vistas: the Alhambra the old Castle Al
caZar, and the royal palace, Madrid
There are also many portraits copied from
NelasuueZ. Titan and other world-famed
painters
Evening star., 1909-05-15
BOOKS RECEIVED.

OUR PLYMOUTH FOREFATHERS: the
Real Founders of Our Republic. Ry
Charles Stedman Hanks. author cf
Hints to Golfers, etc. Boston,:
Dana Estes x Co.
POEMS OF PROGRESS: and New
Thought Pastels. BY Ella Wheeler
Wilcox Chicago: W. b. Conkey
Company
MY LADY vAUDEvIL. and Her White
Rats. BY George Fuller Golden.
founder and first Big Chief Of the
White Rats of America. Illustrated
New York: Published under the
Auspices of the Board of Directors
of the White Rats of America.
THAT AFFAIR IN PHILADELPHIA,
BY Mrs Darby. New York: Broad
way Publishing Company.
Little. New York: Broadway Pub
fishing Company.
MEMOIRS OF A SENATE PAGE. ns55-
1Sa9D BY Christian F. Eckloff.
Edited by Percival G. Melbourne. aG-
thor of "Child's History of the War
With Spain" illustrated. New York:
Broadway Publishing Company.
HEARTS ARE TRUMPs. BY Alexander
Otis. New York: The John Mcbride
Company.
THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE; It's
Origin and Development. illustrated
with Portraits. BY Clark +. Carr.
author of The Him." etc. Chicago:
A. c. McClurg & Co.
A POCKET LEXICON AND CONCORD
ANCE: to the Temple Shakespeare.
New York: The Macmillan Company.
Washington: Brentano's.
THE LIGHT OF STARS. BY Hattie
Donovan Bohannon. New York r.
+. Fenno. Company. Washington:
Woodward & Lothrop.
Evening star., 1909-05-15

affairs of the day. He also claimed to
have received bits of advice about busi-
ness matters from. Gen. Grant on these
little visits, which he religiously fol-
lowed.
While he was positive in his belief that
both Mr.. Lincoln and Gen. Grant returned
to the White House repeatedly, he was
also positive that the Executive Mansion
was the scene of the nightly wanderings
of quite a number of other specters. The
stairways were the favorite points of
ghostly activity. though the rooms were
by no means neglected. On some occa-
sions. according to the employe. the spir-
itual manifestations would drive the
night watch out on the porticos with the
rappingS on the doors and walls.
There Is a wealth of tradition clinging
to the beautiful Potomac river. for every
turn and curve throughout it's winding
course has Witnessed some incident either
tragic or romantic. Some of these have
been immortalized in song and story. and
have come down to us through the long
span OF years.
The numerous Indian tribes were al
ways at war with one another. and from
one of the conflicts we get the legend
OF. The Three Sisters" Three Indian
braves. brothers. were captured in battle
Evening star., 1909-05-15
and fraternity home.

and fraternity homes OF course a ma
jority of the girls are day students, but
it is an encouraging outlook for the uni
versity that enough are coming in from
other cities to render dormitories a ne
cessity. 1t is one proof of the fact that
the university shas high standing
throughout the country as leading .edu-
cational institution.
This increase does not mean that the
girls bid fair to outnumber the male stu
dents or that the college is developing
into a young ladies' seminary; but the
former are just as fully imbued with col
lege spirit and show their appreciation OF
their privileges by lively competition and
by carrying off an equal share of honors
and medals.
In 1896 there were only seventy-one full
day students in George Washington; to-
day there are nearly 500. and about JJ0
more who do their work in the early
morning and afternoon on az schedule OF
ten hours a week in a course for degrees.
The old Corcoran Scientific School has
been abandoned and all work in the lib
eral arts course has been merged into
one department with hours from 3 in the
morning until $50 in the evening. For
merly those employed during the day
Evening star., 1909-05-15

the high school. and in college has
made an exceptionally good record in
English and chemistry She is senior
editor of the Hatchet and the Cherry
Tree. both college publications. Her de-
gree is bachelor of arts.
Miss Christine Church, resident OF the
District of Columbia Is a good student
in the classics and has attained honors
in chemistry. She is a candidate for the
bachelor of arts degree and a member
of the Classical Club. Miss Church is
first soprano in .one of this city's leading
churches.
Miss Lillian Claire Cash of this city was
graduated from the Eastern High School
four years ago, and won the university
scholarship. She evinced such enthusiasm
and aptitude for chemistry that i'm her
junior year she was selected as DR.. Mon
noes assistant in the laboratory, and aided
in the instruction of other pupils. She
has also made her mark in mathematics,
and has done advanced work in biology.
Her scientific work has not prevented her
from taking honors in the classics. She
will graduate as q bachelor Of arts
Miss Anne Lee Ettenger has her legal
residence in Indiana: she is candidate
for the bachelor of arts degree. and has
attained a high record for scholarship in
all departments of the college. She is a
member of Chi Omega fraternity and So
cial editor of the Hatchet.
Miss Charlotte r. harrington Of Mime
sofa has made an especially good rece rd
in English and mathematics. She followed
the latter through the full four-year
course, and expects to teach 1t next year.
She is secretary of her class and a MEM
ber OF the Pi Beta Phi fraternity. Her
degree is that of bachelor of arts.
Miss Lillian Y. Keathley has been In the
university but one year of her college life.
She joined the class of on and has made
good records in all lines of work. She is
a resident of North Carolina, and will re-
Evening star., 1909-05-15
What Tradition Has, to Say of the Ghosts at the Capitol

roaming about all parts of the Capitol
and may be seen at almost any time.
There is also the story of Gen. Logan.
who returns, 1T is said, to observe the do
ingS of the committee on military af-
fairs, Of which he was so long the chair
man. Those who claim to have encoun-
tered the general say that he always
wears a black slouch hat and remains
either in the committee room or in the
corridor adjoining.
According to one of the many legends
which have been gradually accommodating
ever since the building was completed,
corridor In the Senate wing basement has
frequent ghostly walker of a foreign
aspect. This tall distinguished-loO oOking
individual is reported to confne his ac
tivities to pacing up and down that par
ticular passageway and giving digni
fled military salute at frequent intervals.
His identity is still mystery to the in
itiated in spiritual lore. but II is believed
that II is the ghost of Maj. l. Enfant, the
talented Frenchman who designed the
city of Washington.
The demon cat legend has been repeated
for the last fifty. years as the animal ap-
partition which returns at irregular pc
riOds. The story does not vary much. be-
ing merely that of an ordinary tabby at
first sight. but which grows to gigantic
horror before the eyes of the frightened
observer. Suddenly this demon cat emits
a fierce yowl. and with eyes ablaZe and
but invariably leaps quite over his head.
In the library section there are two
ghosts always on duty. If the solemn
word of the Capitol policemen may be be-
,lieved. One of these. wrath of thin
little old gentleman. had been frantically
searching for years in one of the subcel-
lars for something hidden among the vol
umes. During his lifetime he had the
reputation of being very eccentric. hoard
ing and hiding many unusual things
among the books he loved. Just before
his death he endeavOred desperately to i'm
part some knowledge to those around his
bed. but being paralyzed. died without
having his last wish granted. Long after
his demise it was discovered that he had
slowed away several thousand dollars
worth of registered government bonds
among the musty volumes of that SUBJ
cellar.
1t was argued that until the bonds were
found and turned over to their rightful
owners the troubled spirit could not find
any rest. When the new Congressional
Library was ready for the books to be
put In their places the bonds were found,
and at last the tireless ghost ceased It's
labors. Another apparition. declared to
haunt this section is that of a man very
busy stamping books in a wire cage the
same place that was assigned to him dur
ing his lifetime.
The negro scrubbers tell narrowing tales
of the long halls in the House wing A
long time ago one of their number sud
denly died while at work in the early
hours of the morning. Now the story they
tell Is that his ghost may be seen and
Evening star., 1909-05-15

after she becomes a full-aedged bachelor
of arts in June
Miss Marion Edith Craig is a resident OF
Virginia She graduated from Central
High School fours year past and her spe-
cial attanments have been in the Latin
courses and mathematics. She is MEM
Der of Sigma Kappa fraternity and of the
Classical Club. Her preparation has been
made for the A. B. degree.
Miss May Thacher Cook was born In
Wisconsin, but now has her residence in
Colorado. She is student in the col
legiate department where she has at
tanned distinction in the historical course.
Miss Cook Is a member of the Classical
Club and takes active part in the So
cial life Of the college.
Miss Laura Shackelford, resident Of
Washington City. is graduate of the
public and normal schools: she has
taught several lyears and is recognized
as among the best of our teachers of the
sixth grade She entered college solely
to broaden herself as a teacher and
has made a lions share percentage of
"A" marks. notwithstanding the fact
that this work has been subordinated to
her school duties. She has had summer
courses at Harvard In advanced physics
and geography and had the points re-
quired for graduation from George
Washington last February. She decided
however to take additional work. and
will receive her bachelor of science de-
gree in June.
Miss Mary c. Breen is resident of
this city and is well known as one Of
the practice teachers i'm the Washington
Normal School. Miss Breen has attained
honors in her class. especially along the
lines of biological work. She is a can
didate for the bachelor of science degree
Miss Nellie Ecker Besselevre is ma
tive of Pennsylvania. but now resides In
Washington city. She is graduate Of
Evening star., 1909-05-15

heard at work at regular times The
negroes tell that the splashing OF the
spectral water and the sound of the
scraping of the phantom pail as it is
moved along the marble floor in the prog
ress of the work is as real as the noise
of their own labors.
Before the White House was remodeled
1t was the trysting place of the shades Of
several of our departed Presidents. who
used to be nightly visitors. according to
the statement of an employe whose term
of service in the White House lasted over
a quarter of q century after President
Grant first installed him as general util-
ity man. He used to lament the fact that
the many changes in the mansion had
driven away the spirits of the dead Pres
idents WHO liked to return to the scenes
Of their greatness.
He declared that he had seen Mr.. Lin
coin hupdreds of times walking up and
down the stairs and gliding about the
rooms always with the same sad, serious
expression which was habitual in life.
Shortly after the death of Gen. Grant
he claimed to have seen him not only at
the White House. but in his own home.
where he and Gen. Grant would both
often come at twilight or later. when
the house was all quiet. and chat over the