davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
Girls Plan Surprise

Dear Aunt Laurie:
Ruth and Emily and all those other
girls are talking about me, l know,
said May to herself one night going
home from school. But l don't care
| guess | can make them sorry"
May was new girl at school and
was very sensitive. School had been
closed for some time, but as the next
day was the Fourth of July the teacher
had asked them to come and practice
a song which she wished them to sing
the following evening. When May got
home she asked her mother what she
could do to make the girls like her.
Il think it would be nice to give
them a Fourth of July party, don't
you?" asked her mother.
"Oh, yes, yes; how can you always
think of such nice things?"
May went to the exercises and no
ticed that the girls seemed to be talk
ing of something which they did not
wish her to hear, but she thought,
perhaps it just seems that way"
After the exercises she gave all the
girls an invitation to her party. Some
of the girls read theirs and then looked
at one another with so forlorn an ex-
preston that one would have thought
it was an invitation to a funeral.
May got her hat, ran home, and
cried in her mothers arms. Her
mother smiled and insisted that they
would come. The next day May said,
"Why mother, it is almost time for
the girls to come and you haven't even
got the table set"
Mays mother asked her to go over to
Ruths house of an errand just then
and when she got there she was greet
ed with a loud cry of Surprise! Sur
prise" and found the girls all dressed
in white smiling at her so beautifully
that she was satisfied that she had not
been sighted. That night after she
was in bed she said to her mother,
This has been the most beautiful
Fourth, for it has taught me beau
tiful lesson" Your loving niece.
RUBY DALLAS.
Ventura. Plaza school, grade BIS.
Use just ordinary size paper the next
time you write, Ruby. The wide paper
which you wrote upon this time was
altogether too large to be handled
easily, although your letter was so
good that I went to some Inconvenience
and printed it.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
The Deadly Firecracker

Dear Aunt Laurie:
Joe was 10 years old, and July he
and his mother and father We're walk
ing around town. Joe noticed the fire.
crackers and wished to buy them for
the next day.
mo, dearie; mother would rather you
wouldn't have any this year. said Mrs.
Farley.
Let the child have them If ne
wishes" said Mr.. Farley.
SO into the store went Joe with
shining s. gold piece in his hand. He
soon returned with his arms loaded
with skyrockets, roman candles aud the
large and dangerous giant crackers.
Mrs. Farloys eyes were blurred with
tears as she gazed upon her son. The
next day was q beautiful day. and Joe
and his father arose early to have their
fun.
over the city.
cracker"
Yes, son." Mr. Farley answered.
"Oh, no, Philip don't, please don't let
him." said his mother
Mr.. Farley paid no attention, and
boom! bang! went the cracker. Where
was Joe?
oh, yes there he is lying unconscious
by yonder tree.
Mrs Farley fell in a dead faint, ana
has been an invalid ever since. AS for
MIR. Farley, you would think him man
of 60. although he is only 50. Many
such sad cases are happening every
wear while the firecrackers and fire
works are being exploded.
MARIAN ATWATER.
1856 East Thirty-fifth street.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

around New York all day, and evening
found a very sleepy little Jack sitting
at dinner with father and mother in the
large hotel dining room.
MY little Jack looks tired" said
mother as they left the table. II think
he'd better come right to bed now
Jack was too sleepy to say no, so he
soon found himself in his bedroom.
AS his mother sat having a good
night talk with him they heard music
and voices singing the American ma
tional songs. Mother said they were
doing that as tomorrow would be the
Fourth of July.
But why do they sing national songs
just because tomorrow is the Fourth
of July?" asked her rather sleepy son.
Then she told him about how the
Declaration of Independence was signed
long ago and how the Americans cele-
prated that day. BY the time she had
finished he was fast asleep, so she
kissed him good night and left him to
dream of hot, noisy New York.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jack woke with a start What was
happening? At first he thought the
noise was in his own room, but soon
found it came from the street. He
seemed to hear banging and booming
from ell parts of the city. What could
it be? Then the story mother had told
him last night flashed across his mini.
The Americans were celebrating the
Fourth! In a flash he was out of bed
and had his clothes on. He dashed to
fathers room and woke that sleepy
man.
Dad! Dad! Please get up and get
some firecrackers. 1 want to help the
'Mericans celebrate the Fourth"
As dad" would always do anything
for Jack, they were soon sauntering
down the street to the shop where they
keep firecrackers.
The rest is briefly told. Jack had
soon joined the other small boys in the
hotel and they fired away all day.
That evening Jack said to mother:
Mother, I'm so glad the 'Mericans
made the Declaration of Independence,
for if they haden't there wouldn't be
any Fourth of July"
EFFIE 3. NICHOLS.
Corona high school, ninth grade.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
The Twins Celebrate

Dear Aunt Laurie:
1t was Monday morning early when
the twins Jack and Dot Miller jumped
out of bed and ran to their nurses
bed to have her put on their clothes.
The nurse did mot want to get up at
o'clock, but she had to please the
twins.
Soon they were dressed and the first
thing they did was to run for their
firecrackers. The big papa giant fire.
cracker came first. The children stood
right by it as it went off They thought
they were going to be brave. AS the
bomb went off, you might just as well
call it bomb, Mrs. Miller ran to the
children's bed to see if they were all
right. She thought it was an earth
quake, it sounded so loud. When she
didn't find them in bed she almost
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
Celebration in the Desert

Dear Aunt Laurie:
One Fourth of July when we were
out on the desert we could not buy
any firecra ckers out there because
they did not sell any.
Papa knew an engineer that was
coming to town, so he said he would
get us some firecrackers.
Papa gave him the money and he
bought us some.
The lady who lives next door came
over and she and mamma brought
table out on the side of the tent in
the evening and we ate our supper
there.
We didn't have any ice cream freezer
out there, so the lady next door made
ice cream in bucket.
There was a little boy out there who
had no mother and his father worked
at the same place papa did.
His father and papa had to work for
a little while that night, and so the
little boy asked us if he could come
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
Uncle Is Convinced
Dear Aunt Laurie:

Dear Aunt Laurie:
Uncle Henry was an old-fashioned
man. rather set in his ways and one
thing he was strictly against was fire
works on the Fourth. His nephew,
Jack, was, of course, in favor of them.
Uncle Henry was so against them
that the boys planned a practical joke
on him. He was a feshy old gentle
man, "as broad as he was long" and
he had fiery temper He was in the
habit of going to town every day, and
he always went a certain way. The
boys knew this, and they took some of
their hrecracker money and bought
these little packages of Chinese crack
ers and several skyrockets They hid
around a corner, and as he went by
they tied a long string to his coat.
They tied the punches of firecrackers
to this and set them off. Uncle Henry
heard the popping and the cries of
Look out, mister"
He looked behind him, and by this
time all were lit. He saw Jack and
couple other boys running away laugh
ing They were looking behind them
and they ran right into the arms of
couple of policemen, who held them un-
til Uncle Henry came up, putting, and
told his story. One of the policemen
held two of the boys and the other
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
To Celebrate Every Day
r Aunt Laurie:

Dear Aunt Laurie:
Roberts parents presented him with
a large box of assorted fireworks Il
week before the Fourth of July. They
told him not to shoot any until the
national holiday, but Roberts enthus-
iasm was so great that day by day
the number of firecraCkers in the box
grew smaller. The day before the
Fourth Robert emptied the contents of
the box on the floor. How surprised
he was to see what few pieces he had
left
He sadly placed them in the box, and
no sooner had he done so than he began
to cry. Roberts father asked him
what he was crying about, so Robert
showed him the box The father was
surprised. but not angry. and that
evening Robert joyfully carried another
large box of fireworks to his room,
after he had promised his mother and
father he would not disobey them in
the future.
1t was before sunrise on the Fourth
of July that Robert hastily dressed
and went into the yard Most of the
neighbors were asleep. a cannon
cracker was exploded. and bombs and
torpedoes broke the stiffness of early
morning Soon the neighbors' children
began to shoot their fireworks, and
from sunrise continual explosion OF
firecrackers was heard until late in
the evening.
Roberts parents had told him to be
careful, but in his excitement he burned
about a dozen holes III his blouse and
his rev cap was tern to threads be
cause "he put it over a giant cracker
to see how high it would GO" His
fingers were slightly burned, but al
together he had no serious mishap,
In the evening he shot roman can
dies. skyrockets, pin wheels. volcanoes
and other night fireworks. After all
lad been exploded he sat on the steps
and said. wouldn't it be fun If every
day was the Fourth of July?'
Yours truly, MARY BIScH,
775 East Seventeenth street Age Is.
Graduate of San Pedro street school.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

tainted with fright. She ran to the
back bedroom window, where she could
see right down in the back yard, for
the children were never allowed to go
out in the streets. There lay Dot and
Jack with the firecracker on the top
of the arbor. Mrs. Miller ran out to
them, although she was only in her
kimono. Dot had a burn on her leg,
while Jack was scared more than any
thing else.
Mamma put them both back into bed
and fixed Dots leg. They shot off
the rest of their firecrackers in the
afternoon and evening. They received
a few more burns on their thumbs and
fingers. In the evening Mr.. and Mrs
Miller, the servants and the children
all went out in the street to shoot the
roman candles and other things.
Well, Aunt Laurie, I think | have
written enough. Your niece.
ANITA WILSON.
1927 South Main street, Thirtieth
Street school, AS grade.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
WRITER'S CONTEST

Los Angeles first prize $100-Frances Myon, 1914 West
Threh street; fourth preparatory, girls collegiate
Honorable mention-Honor Dennison 2143 Fargo street.
Logan school, grade 40 Bertha Warde 1909 Rich street.
Senous street school, grade AS
grade 8.
Honorable menton-Nelle Dunn Santa Maria, grade i Ell
fe B. Nichols Corona grade 9.
LIMERICK CONTEST
Los Angeles first prize boo-Iheodora Gabu 32l South
Alvarado.
Honorable menon-Consance Curtis, Marlborough prepare
8l7 West Twenty third Edith Taman, III South
Avenue o.
Out of town, first prize book-George Ashbaugh street
school, grade 4, S0l Third street, San Berna1dno.
Honorable northumberland Collins 1920 Brand boulevard
Tropico; Marie Woodman 71O West Fourteenth River
side; Grant school, grade 4.
UNFINISHED STORY
Prize story-Rdley Smith, 1908 North Main Santa
Ana grade b. Santa Ana high school,
Honorable mention-Trank Tom Howell, ass West Third
street
YOUNG ARTISTS CONTEST
Prize picture $1O0-George D. Alin 906 North Orange
Grove avenue Pasadena grade H. Pasadena high school
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
Made His Firecrackers
Dear Aunt Laurie :

Dear Aunt Laurie:
1t was July 8 and grandpa was
coming to spend the Fourth with us.
We didn't have long to wait for he
soon arrived. A little later L was beg
ging for a story. This is what he told:
"When my father was a little boy
he lived in the country and couldn't get
fireworks. AS the Fourth of July came
near he wondered how he could get his
fireworks. Suddenly he thought of
plan. He got out his powder horn
and some paper and was soon busy
making some very good fireworks. He
put ashes in the back to keep it from
getting out of the back end. He had
crackers of all sizes. For his fuse he
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

turned the boys over his knee and gave
them their medicine.
Uncle Henry took Jack by the arm,
and one of the policemen took each of
the boys home, where they got more
punishment.
Jack never attempted another prac-
teal joke on Uncle Henry, and by his
good behavior won Uncle Henry over
to saying: Wal, l guess them gol-
darned poppin' jacks amt so bad, if
ye're keerful an don't set 'em off under
anybody" ETHEL BARNHART.
916 Sunset boulevard Alpine street
school, grade AT.
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25
UNFINISHED STORY
YOUNG ARTISTS CONTEST

Prize picture $1O0-George D. Alin, 900 North Orange
Grove avenue Pasadena grade H. Pasadena high school
Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

took a string and covered it with pow
der. When the other boys found out
what he was doing they hurried home
and did it also, and let me tell you
there was a hot old Fourth around
that neighborhood."
FRANK TOM HOWELL.
ASS Third street.
Your letter is good, Frank, but you
are getting careless about your writing
again.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
THE BEY's GUEST.
He Was Ready For the Emergency and
Con1uered the African.

~1tt4&&t ~ 1& EftA~NR*
A show Of force is often the best
kind Of diplomacy. Al writer In the
Paris Temps tells a story of the French
admiral Dupetit-Thouars, who had
been intrusted with the mission OF
exacting PREPARATION from an African
hey who had insulfed a French consul.
AS Dupetit-Thouars' demands were
supported by the forcible argument Of
loaded cannon, the hey acknowledged
that he had been too hasty and prof
fered profuse apologies, He eve in
vfted the admiral TO his table and had
a sumptuous repast prepared for his
guest.
The consul warned the admiral to be
on his guard
aThe hey is inclined to be malicious"
said he, "and when he strokes his
beard and smiles you may be sure that
he Is connecting some mischief"
sWe shall see" was Dupetit-Thouars'
reply.
He reached the bey's palace in good
time. Profuse compliments and salu-
tations were exchanged. All at onc
the admiral's foot met some soft.
hairy substance lying on the carpet I'M
der the table. He bent down and saw
a huge lion showing his Formidable
teeth. The hey smiled and strosed his
beard.
Dupetit-T houars did not wince. blt
called his dragoman.
sMy pistols" was all he said.
The servant saluted. retired end
brought back a pair of pistols Oh 4
silver tray. The admiral took them
and placed them on the table before
him. But the hey, still smiling. con III
ued to stroke his patriarchal beard.
.sTell the commander" he said 10
the dragoman, "that If those pistols are
for the purpose of blowing out my
lions brains they are quite insufficient
and perfectly useless"
Then, like a skilled fencer counter
ing his opponents thrust. after the
bey's ironical advice had been trans
lated Dupetit-Thouars replied:
.Tell his highness that my pistols are
not there to kill his lion, but to blow
his own brains out at the first move
ment of this Objectionable carpet"
Gravely, but a little pale, the man
interpreted.
The smile died away on the bey's
lips, and he no longer stroked his
beard.
my Hon. said he, lis too well train
ed ever to scratch one Of my guests,
but since he is not wanted he shall be
sent away"
At a word from the hey the lion
slowly and heavily left the room. like
an obedient dog.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
No More crsdles.

"a cradle?' said the salesman. "Oh.
no! You don't want a cradle"
He smiled.
First kid. amt 1T"
EYES," admitted the young father,
frowning.
II knew you weren't experienced, or
you wouldn't ask for a CRADLE" said
the salesman. "You see, they've gone
altogether out. We don't sell two a
year. ~~~srs-sm
"Why did they go out?"
Because they're unhealthy, bad for
the kid. They lower the temperature,
hurt the heart and bring on nausea,
collie, regular seasickness. 1t stands to
reason that the violent rocking Of a
cradle can't be good for frail little
baby any more than the violent rock
ing Of a ship In a storm is good for the
passengers. Moreover. they keep m
body busy rocking the baby to sleep.
Now the baby goes to sleep of Its WI
ccord."-Philadelphia Bulletin.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
THE P~ARAGUAYANs.


~ N
The infusion Of spanish blood and
customs into the Guaranl has produced
q people with the faults and good quail
tiles of both In about equal parts,
Dark OF complexion, With strongly
marked Indian features, essentially
gentle when u~nrestrained or not IN.
duly excited, careless Of the morrow
poor and honest, hospitable and gen
crous, indolent and uncultured, strong
" Catholic IN theory. but generally lax
In religious performances as TO dog
mas-this is a rough sketch Of the ma
tive people Of Paraguay. Asuncion
the capital. and ever the smaller
piaces-vlia RIGA. san Pedro. villa del
Pillar, Villa Conception have thcli
~aristocratic families, Of which the
daughters and sons are sent to Europe
to be educated and which maintain az
exclusiveness that must be almost $50
lation. Blu In general the people min
gle readily.
In the early morning in the streets
OF Asuncion the women gather Ia their
long white dresses and barefooted TO
sell their wares. The younger women,
Judged by our standard. are beautiful
aud from carrying baskets and water
Jars on their heads have attained an
erect and graceful carriage which our
young women could well initiate. Be-
sides. when they laugh they show two
rows Of pearls, and their speech In
soft Guarani patois Z worth going far
to hear.
When you see Asuncion you e Par.
aguay. for 1t L. the most advanced
city In the republic. Its streets nrc
poorly paved, 1t has mule cars which
at long intervals and low speed.
and the hotel accommodations are not
exceptional. but there Il a kind Of lazy,
happy-go-lueky gayety about the city
that represents the national feeling.
Paraguay is hard up-yes, almost stone
ybroke. The currency Is paper and the
value so small that for a hundred dol
lars one receives a basketful Of ragged
stuff, printed in Germany, to represent
some nebulous Indebtedness Of the re-
public. Gold does not stay long In
Paraguay. 0 does II often enter the
country.-yan Norden Magazine.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
READY TO COUNT
ELECTORAL VOTE
Congress Will Tomorrow Proclaim Of
hcialIy the Election Of Taft
and Sherman.
rfnn The WORD {. 1ass ay:

from The World G. TUGS sg:
Tomorrow February 10, at ! o'chock
the two houses OF congress will meet
il Joint convention in the House Of
Representatives chamber and viii 80
through that always interesting but
generally psrfunctory operation Of
counting the electoral votes. After
that William Howard Taft Of Ohio and
James schooicraft Sherman Of New
York will be solennly pronounced
elected president and v~ice-pFesident
for the term beginning March 4
next, and presidential politics can
take a rest for the next q~uadrenniai
period.
1t is not often that the Senate and
House are seen met in joint conven-
ton, and the meeting Wednesday will
bring out a great crowd OF spectators.
anxious TO see that Bryan and Kern
do not by ans hook or crook sneak
past the teIlers and land in the white
house; also DESTROYS Of seeing how
the senators and representatives look
when aggregated, and to watch with
their W eyes the unusual spectacle
OF really electing a president anu
vEce-president, for, under the forms OF
the constitution, the election OF the
chief executive is completed on the
second wednesday in February, and
0 on the first Tuesday after ne first
Monday in November. The secretary
to the Speaker, L. White Busbey, IS
now wrestling the problem Of how 70
seat everybody, and is finding it not
an easy one to solve. Doubtless many
who come to see Che election will be
disappointed and will not be able 70
get admittance to the House chamber
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
EXPLOSIVES.
Best Way to Destroy G~unpowder and
Nitroglycerin.

EWHT
Nitroglycerin.
The best way to destroy ordinary
black gunpowder Is to throw 1t into a
stream under conditions that prevent
any harm coming to human beings or
animals through the dissolving OF the
saltpeter. If no suitable stream Is
available, the gunpowder may be stir
red with water In tubs. or the dry gun
powder may be poured out on the
ground IN a long thin line and ignited
with a fuse at one end.
To destroy dynamite cartridges the
paper wrappings should be carefully
removed, the bare cartridges laid in a
row with their ends in contact and the
first cartridge ignitcd with a fuse with
out q cap. Even with these precau-
lions a Simultaneous explosion Of the
entire mass may occur, so that II Is
wise to retire to a safe distance. The
row Of cartridges should be laid paral-
lei with the wind and ignited at the
leeward end, so that the fame win be
driven away from the mass.
Frozen dynamite should be handled
with special care, as It's combustion is
peculiarly liable to assume an expIo-
sive character. A small quantity Of
dynamite may be destroyed by throw
ing 1t In very small bits into nm open
fire, or the cartridges may be exploded
one by one In the open air with fuses
and caps.
Dynamite should never be thrown
into water, as the nitroglycerin which
1t contains remains sndissolved aud
capable of doing mischief. Other. ex-
p~iosives which contain nitroglycerin
should be treated In the same way as
dynamite.
Ammonium nitrate explosives may
be thrown in small fragments into an
open fire OF II they do not contain nj
troglycerin may be destroyed by means
of water. Explosive caps should be ex-
pioded singly with pieces Of fuse.-Sci-
entifc American.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
Won VITA Whirs.

According to ~IIerodotus. while the
Scythians were away on a long cam
paign their slaves took the opportunity
to rebel and seize all their masters
property. The latter on their return
promptly attacked them, but were con-
tinually defeated until at last n of
them hit on the brilliant idea of at
lacking the slaves with whips only.
That, he said, would remind them of
their origin and so COW them that
they would never dare to stand. The
Scythians followed his counsel. and it
fell out as he had predicted. When
the slaves beheld their masters riding
down upon them tiourishing the terri
BILE knotted thongs they knew so well
they threw down their arms and fed.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13

When Helen. aged four, for the first
time accompanied her mother t.
church she was given some money for
the collection box. IT was carefully
explained to her that this money was
'for the poor"
Helen sat patiently through perhaps
d third Of the service. when she star
tied her mother by rafting the coins
between her cupped hands and inquir
ing in a loud voice: mamma, when
are the poor coming around? My :
cents is getting all hot and sticky
L%ippincott's Magazine.
Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-13
Reused His Suspicious.

A naval officer was speaking of the
extortions of ~innkeepers in out Of the
way parts of the globe.
s'In Montenegro once" he said, II
asked for my bill after having slept
overnight at a certain inn, and as
soon as the document was handed to
me l took out my purse to settle it. /
did not bother to verify the various
items. What would have been the
use?
"But my readiness to pay amazed
the landlord. He thought a moment,
and then he said uneasiIy:
"sWfll you let me have another look
at that bill. sir? I think | have omit
ted something"