davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

space is covered with the best quality OF
cork carpet Of a dark green shade that
matches the green tone in the wood finish.
The matn entrance vestibule leads with
swinging doors into the delivery room. To
right and left are the reading room and
the chiidren's room and behind is the stack
room. These three rooms are really one.
being separated by wide ~archways. sack
Of the reading room and children's room
are two smaller rooms for reference and
administration The delivery room is deco
rated with Kesota marble 10 the height vt
seven feet. Marble bases extend about the
lower floor walls. The reading room has
movable shelving all around the room.
three feet high, except under the windows,
where space Is taken by radiators. The
rack for current periodicals is built into
the wall and paneled above to bring Il on
a line with the shelves. The tables, In arts
and crafts finish, are oblong and supplied
with branched lights.
The chldren's room has the same gem
eTal shape and dimensions as the reading
room, and is located in the opposite front
corner Of the building. The shelving runs
six ana 0ns-hAlf feet high, and above 1t u
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

q frieze of Elizabeth Shipper Green pic
lures. The pictures above the dark wood
are highly decorative. Built into the walls
are the children's catalogue, a cupboard
for the picture file, and above a bulletin
board. -Four low tables are used Of the
same size as in the reading room.
Tn large, semi-octagonal charging desk
stands in the center OF the building. All
switches for lights on this floor are at
the charging desk. The reference room is
Just back Of the reading room. 1t is fur
nished with a long table and shelving
about the walls for bound magazines and
reference books. 1t has doors from the
reading room, and into the large stack
room, which is just back Of the delivery
desk. Stacks are to be supplied here as
needed. Here is also a l~avatory for gen.
eral use. Back Of the children's room
is the Librarians room, which is provided
with a desk, closed shelves and ~cubboaris.
This room opens into a small hallway,
which has an outside door leading to the
stairway 10 the second floor.
The space OF the second floor Is divided
into a large auditorium across the front
OF the building covered with cork carpet
and providing a seating capacity for 200
people. This room is separated by double
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Progress in Public Lighting

pneumonia and fevers. On moral, philo-
sophie grounds it was held that the peo-
Plies moral standard would be lowered
by street lighting. as the ~drunkard would
feel there was no hurry to get home, and
late sweethearting would be encouraged,
whereas black night sent people home early,
thus preserving them from a multitude OF
sins. They also argued that lights would
make thieves alert and that national ilu-
limitations would lose their effect II there
were street lighting every night
ssventy-nvo years ago streets were being
lighted with oil and gas. Twenty-Five years
ago the electric lights were introduced and
the systematic lighting OF streets began;
now there Is scarcely q hamlet 30 small Il
cannot boast OF lighted streets. Men who
know say the dawn OF artificial Light Is
just breakinE-Rsvisw Of RsVisWA
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

way to the palace. According to law. tho
emperor of China can marry none but a
ull-blooded Manchu. 1t is also provided
that when he reaches manageable age all
the daughters of the Manohu nobility be-
tween Il and IS are TO go to the palace in
order that they may be looked over by
the empress dowager, and the best ones
selected for the imperial consorts. This Is
what will occur fourteen years from now,
when little Pu ri is 16, and It is just what
took place In 1883, when the empress dow
ager was picked out as the wife of Kwang
Su. OF the crowd which then came there
were only three who were kept. n the
chief of these was Ye-ho-no-lah. who now
rules the palace. The other two were his
majesty's secondary wives, and were re-
spectively 10 and Is years of age.
The selection was made by the empress
dowager, and, as Ye-ho-no-lah was her
niece, the choice probably went by favor
rather than beauty. This woman is now
between so and 40 years Of age I am told
she is short and lean and that she has a
yellow complexion. almond eyes, a large
mouth and a long chin. Her nose is bigger
than that OF most Chinese ladies, and her
teeth are decayed. She is said to be a
woman OF tact and good sense. She has
not the force Of the old empress dowager
and will probably allow herself to be ruled
by the prince regent and the other high
Chinese officials. She will. however, be
supreme in the palace and will have much
to do with the education and training OF
his imeprial majesty.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

a month after birth. Before that he was
known as the little one" ana as baby
or darling" AT the age of one month
his head was shaved and he was known
as Pu VI The hair has since grown and
1t is now braided in four long plaits
which stand out like tails on the differ
ent sides OF his head.
The VI, or the last part Of the name, is
hat which distinguishes him from the
other children of the same generation of
the imperial family. According to prece-
dent and the unwritten law Of the coun-
try the emperors should run in one long
uninterrupted succession from father to
son. II there are no sons. the children
places, and this is the case with Pu VI,
Kwang su had no children, so Just before
dying the great empress dowager sent
out an edict that Pu III should be regard.
ed as the adopted son Of Kwang Su and
heir to the throne. This was done, not
withstanding Prince Chun. little Pu Yrs
father who was the brother OF the en-
peror, Kwang Su, was still living. and
that in any other country he would have
peror is thus really the nephew Of the last
emperor, but he is his son by adoption.
Pu VI is the great-grandson of the EN-
peror Tao Kwang. who ruled China from
1891 to 1850. His grandfather by adop-
ton was Emperor Hsien Feng, who mar
ried the great empress dowager. of whom
Pu VI In his edicts now speaks of as his
holy Rrandmother.'
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

These hills are really mountains that
are almost worn out, for they are
the Oldest land in America and, ac-
cording 70 Agassiz. the oldest in the world.
In the days when there was nothing but
water on the face Of the globe. these noun
tanis came up-a long island OF primitive
rock with universal ocean chatting against
its shores. None OF the other continents
had put in their appearance At the time
America was thus looking up. The United
States began TO come to light by the grad
ual uplifting OF this land to the north and
the appearance OF the tops OF the Allie
ghenies. which were III next In order.
Later the Rockies started up. The United
States grew southwark from Wisconsin
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Baby nmperoE's PIaythinEs.

This imperial infant will have all sorts
OF toys. The Chinese are famous for
making such things. They have animals
Of wood, iron, paper and cloth. They
have mechanical toys and toys which
teach certain things. The last emperor
had many foreign toys and the imperial
baby will first learn Of the new civiliEa-
ton by playthings brought from abroad
He will have railroad trains, phonographs'
and electrical car lines, and he MAJ per-
haps have Teddy Bears and Billie Pos
sums. He will have watches and clocks
OF all kinds. Indeed, there is already q
large collection of such in the Imperial,
palaces. and when the last emperor was
a boy he amused himself by taking them
to pieces and trying 70 put them together
again. He did not always succeed, ana
the old empress dowager was In constants
fear the Kwang Su would ruin the clocks
she loved most.
As his baby majesty grows older he
should nave all sorts of tutors and 1t may
be that he will be allowed TO travel over
the country and see something OF his em-
pire as It really is. Such a thing has
not been possible with the emperors OF thu
past. but his infant majesty Is no morV
secluded row than the mikado was when
he was a baby, and the present crown
prince OF Japan goes everywhere. China
Is so rapidly changing that 1t is Impossible
to tell what the people mayt allow their
emperor TO do before he grows up ana
takes the actual rule in his hands. II he
lives. he will SURELY be the master OF +N'-
oOc. 900 millions, and of what may then pro-
bablv be the richest and greatest manu-
featuring nation on earth.
FRANK q. CARPENTER.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Pu Yi's Educntion.

And this brings me to the question Of
Pu Yrs education. The officials are al
ready discussing what it shall be. and the
more progressive OF them want him trained
along modern lines. They propose to hire
foreign goveTnesses to teach him tho
modern languages, as Is done by the I'm
perial families Of Europe, and he is to
have a knowledge Of our civilization. The
school books now in use in the new Chi
nese schools are being examined with a
view to preparing some special ones for
this little baby. He will be made to learn
the Chinese classics and to commit the
wisdom of Confuclus and Mencius. When
he reaches the right age he will have man
teachers, who, according to the old Chi
nese custom, will remain on their knees
while they instruct him. No ordinary man
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
How Pm IA Was Crowned.

I was In Peking when Pu, vi was
crowned The ceremonies took place in
side the Pin Forbidden City, and only the
highest officials of China were present.
The baby was brought forth and made to
60 through the rites fixed for the ooca-
sion. Some Of the requirements he could
only perform by proxy. but word was sent
out over the oountry giving his imperial
actions, and according to the publications
he acted as a young man rather than a
baby. He was really carried into the
throne room in the arms OF his father,
Prince Chun, who had already been made
the imperial regent. I an told he cried
when he came in, and that his father
quieted him by promising to buy him a
pony.
The officials wore their gorgeous court
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

Marc Antony turned impatentiy to the
energetic young man who had touched his
elbow.
ali Antony" said the young man. "cAn
you tell me how much money Caesar left
his family7"
Il cannot" said Marc. abruptly. II cama
TO bury Caesar. not 70 appraise hlmr'
And the reporter, VINO was not very aos
curate. went away and miSquoted Antony
AID made him famous~SL Paul Dispatch.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Pn wa Fir.t EhIctn.

The baby monarch began to work i'm
mediately after he came to the throne.
According to law, all the imperial edicts
are put forth in his name. and many have
been issued which seem ridiculous as com
ing from the mouth of a s-year-old child.
I understand that they were written by
the great statesman and scholar, Chang
Chi Tung, but that the people suppose
that they come from the mouth Of the
emperor. Here is the way in which Pu VI
describes his feelings as to the deaths Of
the emperor and the old empress dow
ager:
"All who rave blood and breath cannot
but mourn. We weep tears of blood and
beat upon our hearts. How can we beal
TO express our feelings? The late emperor
has assembled the dragon to be a guesi
on high. and we have received the com.
mands Of the empress dowager to -entei
upon the succession. We have lamentel
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Oldest Land in the World

and westward from the Blu Ridge. An
early view Of the country would have
showed a large island which is now north
ern Wisconsin, and a long thin tongue OF
this primitive rock sticking down from Cam
ada into Minnesota. and these two growing
states looking out over the waters at the
mere beginnings Of mountain ranges east
and west. They were waiting for the rest
OF the United States to appear.-AtlantiO
Monthly.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

II Andrew Carnegie could be per-
suaded TO donate $4,000 for the build
ing such a library might be built as
would do credit to a town OF twice the
size Of Onawa. The first appeal on the
part OF the secretary Of the library board
TO Mr.. Carnegie was met by a courteous
reply congratulating the town OF Onawa
on the possession OF such a citizen as
Judge oliver and offering fluctuations TO
him personally upon the opportunity Of
which he had availed himself in giving TO
the town a free library and declining to
add to his benefcence. Mr.. Carnegie had
not reekoned on the argumentative and
hypnotic power OF the dauntless secretary
OF the library board, and after a third ap-
peal a reply came from Mr.. Carnegie's
secretary asking that he be privileged 70
d $1,000 TO the building fund with the
well-knoWn provisos that the community
furnish a site and agree TO supply en- an
nual maintenance fund OF at least 10 per
cent Of the amount OF the g-ift-eonditions
heretofore met IN the acceptance OF Judge
divers donation.
The conditions were put before the tax
payers for a vote ana were accepted. TIVE
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

49, N@a - - -
- OF fiction placed In a general
INN3lWf store and rented out to willing
49, patrons. This undertaking by
Miss Joanna oliver was followed up in 1908
by her father, Judge Addison Oliver. with
a generous gift of 5000 for the establish
ment Of a free public library for the town
of onawa and Monona county, on the con-
dition that the town purchase a suitable
building and provide an annual tax Of 3
mills fer support-conditions upon which
the women's vote helped effectually in
carrying the day.
The Congregational church. in that year
vacated for the new building, was selected
as suitable and purchased for the use OF
the library. A corner Of the building was
partilioned off for a workroom and the
old primary room was set apart as the
references room. trustees room and regu-
lar meeting place OF the Women's club OF
the town. Wall cases were set up. the en-
tire floor was covered with cork carpet,
the woodwork painted a cream color and
tho walls papered in dull greens, alto
gether presenting a surprisingly attractive
interior. Miss Fannie Duren, now librarian
at Ottumwa. was sent to OnRwa by the
State Library commission TO organize the
library. She was assisted BY several young
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
The Golden Phoenix.


Al that I saw of the browning was
from the gate of Chen Men, on the top
of the wall, opposite the tower which rises
above the gate Of the Forbidden city. I
was several hundred feet away, but 1
could see the gorgeous officials come out
OF the palace and stand under that tower
waiting for the proclamation Of the crown
ing Of his majesty ag It came down from
heaven, in the mouth Of the Phoenix.
This, according to the Chinese tradition,
is q part of every emperor's coronation,
and the fiction was carried out In reality
as far as appearances went. A golden
bird with the proclamation In its mouth
was let down by a string from the tower.
and was caught as It fell by the proper
officials below. They took out the paper
and put It in a sedan chair, which was
covered with yellow silk. and then started
in a grand procession to lay It away in
the imperial archives. There were soldiers
to guard the procession, and men with
whips went in advance to drive the COM
mon people out of the way. Incense was
carried in front Of the chair bearing the
proclamation, and men with great umbrel-
las of imperial yellow followed behind.
The officials who went WIN it were gor-
geously dressed. ana the whole was really
imposing. The procession marched right
Town to the gate above which I was stand
ing, and I photographed Il as 1t passed on
below me.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

excellent lots on the main business street
OF the city were donated by Messrs. b. -.
and p. X. Holbrook. and a third lot bought
by the residents of the east side. Plans for
the new building were submitted by various
architectsa Those OF Patton s. Miller OF
Chicago were deemed most satisfactory.
The contract was let early in the fall to
w. g. Merten OF Emerson. Neb., and the
work Of excavation was soon under way.
The idea OF -permanence was a funda-
mental one in planning the building. 1t
was Judge divers wish TO construct al
edifiee which might endure through the
changing years, The building has been
designed and equipped with the greatest
regard for its usefulness and artistic APP
p~ear1nce. 1t is an example OF modern
renaissance style OF architecture, built with
a high basement and two stories. The ma
terials OF construction for the foundation
and bearing walls are brick and stone. with
fireproof construction for partitions ana
floors. Tit roof Is a red tile. The
interior woodwork Is OF white oak,
with arts and crafts finish. The walls
are painted In plain colors, the stencils
above being done in ola The entire floor
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

is supposed to stand in mis- presence, all
though in the reformation which China IL
now undertaking this may be changed.
There is one thing sure, and that is they
will never whip little Pu Vi. When Kwans
Su was little he had his whipping boys,
who studied with him and recited the
same lessons as he. II his majesty did
wrong the teacher was allowed to whip
one OF these boys, and this was supposed
to answer the purpose. II not, the great
dowager took the matter in hand and or
dered an eunuch to punish Kwang su. The
same will probably be the rule as to Pa
vi
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

10 earth and Heaven, and we stretch 'out
our hands wailing our inefficiency. We
had hoped that her majesty would be vigor-
Gus and live to be 100 years old that we
might receive her instructions But her
toll day and night weakened her. and on the
21st day Of the moon, when the late EN-
peror assembled the dragon TO be a guest
on high, her grief was so excessive tha
the end suddenly came. On the following
day she took the fairy ride, and assembled
to the far country. We shall strive to be
temperate 80 as to comfort the spirit OF
the late empress dogewer in Heaven"
1t was at this same time that the baby
emperor sent his first telegram TO the
United States. It was addressed to the
president and read:
again the imperial family is unfortun-
ate. Again we have met great calamity.
The 22d day of the present moon our holy
grandmother, the great empress dowager,
was taken up by the fairies to the far-off
land. Our mourning and lamentations have
no limit. PROSTATE. we reflect how the
gracious counsel and excellent virtues of
the great departed were revered by all be-
yond the seas. him has long been on
terms Of friendly intimacy with the United
States and your e%xcellency, the president,
on receiving this news will surely mourn
with U.S."
Where the Baby Monarch Lives.
1 wish I could take you into the homI
OF little Pu VI From now on he will live
in the palaces of the Pink Forbidden City
in the most secluded part of Picking. q
this city strangers are never admitted. ex-
cept they be MEMBERS of the foreign le-
cations or ladies invited to visit the EN-
press. Such visits have been made only
within the last few years, and it is a ques-
ton whether any but the ministers will
be admitted in the future.
I ave information, however. from con-
fidential sources among the highest Chi.
ness, which enables me to give you one
or two peeps at these royal quarters. The
palaces are surrounded by a yellow TILED
wall more than two miles in length, anc
many feet high. There are huge towers
over the gates to this wall, and Officers
in uniform stand just below. They keep ouI
all but the servants OF the palace ant
the highest of Chinese officials, and the
ordinary Chinaman has no idea of whal
goes on within. 1t is only by standing upor
the wall Of the Tartar City that a stranger
can see anything, and then only the roofs
All he sees Is a wilderness of high, broad
buildings, covered with bright, yellow
tiles, which glisten Like gold under th'
sun. The buildings run UP and down botf
sides of a lake. upon which are boats, and
inside which on a little island is the palac,
where Kwang Su, the last emperor, wa,
confined by the great dowager, when n,
would not do as she commanded. 1t may b.
that as Pu VI grows older he may objec
to the orders Of the present empress dowa
ger and nave the same prison home fo
a time.
The imperial baby will ave many at
PENDANTS. There are something like 1000
souls in the palaces and the buildings
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
Pi-TsInu-LI, the saueeser.

P~t-Tstau-It, the SQueeners
At the head OF these eunuchs is q nan
who has cut a big figure in the recent his
tory Of China. He was for years the favor
lite Of the great dowager, and 1t was
charged that he largely ruled China
through her. He has committed all sorts
of extortions and has made a great for
by squeezing the officials who through
him got the ear of the old empress dow
ager. 1t is sure that ne is now a man
of enormous wealth. Indeed, he had so
much money In the Chinese banks OF
Picking tina he created a panic when the
old empress died by saying that he was
going to withdraw his deposits.
A half dozen banks then failed on this
account. This mans name is Ii Lien
Yirg, or, as he is sometimes called, Pr
Tsiau-Li or "Cohbler L." because he Is
the son Of a cobbler of Tung Chow, about
fourteen miles from Picking. Ii was taken
into the palace as a boy, and grew up
under the empress dowager. He was in
charge of her toilet and personal wants,
and later on became her business manager.
He invested her money in pawnshops and
in loans at high rates of interest and
organized q system by which millions OF
dollars came into the palace. Toward the
last he was placed in charge OF all OF the
servants, and at the great dowager's death
was the head of her imperial household. [
understand that he holds the same position
today and that the new empress dowager
has made him the chief OF the eunuchs
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
New Empress DowaEer.

But before l go farther let me tell you
something about the new empress dowager,
the woman whom Pu VI from now IN must
as his mother, and TO whom. during
his childhood. he must be subservlent. She
is the late empress of China, the wife Of
Kwang Su, who died last November. She
is the niece OF the old empress dowager.
and was first cousin of the late emperor.
whom she married little more than twenty
years ago. Her father was Duke Chow. a
Manchu, and her mother a Manchu
lady, I was in Picking at the time OF her
marriage and saw the carts containing the
girls from whom she was chosen on their
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

rRETCHING across Canada,
north Of the ST. Lawrence, and
ending in the regions about the
u OF the Mississippi. is a
range Of low granite hills called
the Laurentlan Hlghlands.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

boys carrying torches. Today this great
thoroughtare is famous as the Great
White Way" because OF the brillianoy OF
Ats night Illumination.
Less than q hundred years ago street
lighting was opposed by the very best men
OF that day on theological grounds as being
a presumptuous thwarting OF the Intentions
OF Providence. which had appointed dark
ness for the hours OF night It was opposed
on medical grounds. as gas and oil were
,asclared unwholesome. and they argued
that It was a bad thing TO encourage peo-
Ole 70 stay outdoors nights n catch colds
Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

IT 200 years ago Broadway. New
York, after nightfall was al
most pitch dark and infested
with roughes and thieves. It
was not safe to travel IL by
night without armed guards and