davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
A Heartless Swindle.

SEATTLE, Dec. 14.-Edward Stub
ley was placed on trial today in the
federal court charged with using the
United States malls to defraud tender.
hearted girls, who sent him money
when he wrote to them that relatives
in Seattle were sick and in want.
Stubley, the United States attorney
alleges, visited saloons trequented by
loggers and lumbermen and gained
their acquaintance, learned the names
of their friends and relatives in die.
tant places. preferably young women,
and then wrote to the latter, saying
their friends OF kinsmen were sick
here and desired them to send from
Is to $40. On receipt Of the letters the
victims generally sent the money.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
SANTA CLAUS
IN PORTO RICO,

@HRISTMAS in Spain is a reli.
gious festival rather than a so
~ cial one. It was SO originally in
Porto Rico, but the population
has been Influenced partly by the
spirit Of the new world and partly by
the many American merchants who re
side in the cities and who exert an in
fuence much greater than the mum
bers would seem to warrant.
The churches welcome the day with
chimes which begin at midnight and
last until the midnight Of the next day.
What with one church beginning ten
minutes too soon and another ten min.
utes too late and a third at the fright
moment, what with bells which ring
every fifteen minutes and bell ringers
who under some ancient custom will
sound the great bells every half hour,
the air is filled with music which never
seems to end.
If you are near a campanile the ef-
feet is not altogether pleasant on &C.
count of the volume Of sound striking
the a with too much force, but in q
public square several hundred yards
from the nearest belfry, where trees
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Abandon Fight On Cannon.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-Represent-
alive Gardner of Massachusetts today
announced the abandonment of any
further effort during this congress for
change in the rules or speakership.
He made it plain that he was speak
ing for himself alone. He still be.
lieves that in the next congress there
should be a change in the rules of the
house or a change in the speakership,
perhaps in both. For the present ses-
sion, the question was settled when,
in March last, the insurgents were
outvoted, Mr.. Gardner said.
Laugh and the world laughs with
you: I'm laughing; I'm not weeping
smilingly remarked Speaker Cannon
today in charcterizing as a bit OF i'm.
agination q published report that he
proposes to retire from the speaker
ship at the close of the present con
gress and positively not again to rur
for q seat in the house.
IA man may retire from politics, q
man may resign from the house: be
may decline the speakership; q mar
may retire from anything" he said
1.-The man who wrote that story had
vivid imagination. l am not crossing
q bridge before I come to it,"
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Baked Cheese OmeIets.

Baked cheese omelets are most appe-
tizing and may be prepared in several
ways. A good recipe calls for a pint
Of milk, four large eggs. n heaping
tablespoonful Of flour. one of butter
and a teaspoonful Of salt. Let the
milk heat or the stove until it reaches
the boiling point. Beat the butter and
-four to a cream and gradually mix it
with the hot milk. taking are that no
Jumps form. Cook the mixture for five
minutes. Let it cool and add the egg
after beating the yolks and the whites
separately. The whites should be beat
en- to as stiff a froth as possible. Pour
the omelet into a buttered dish, sprin-
kle the top with grated cheese and fold
some Of the cheese through the omelet.
The more cheese used the better. Let
the 'omelet bake for half an hour or
until it is solid, so that it will not
run" when dipped out with a spoon.
1t should bake in a hot oven.-New
York Tribune.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
James j. Hill As a Prophet.
Buffalo News.

~~~ W
1t ia a wise oracle who knows what
to say next when he has called public
attention to an evil endured or q dan.
ger threatening. Such q prophet Is
President James j. Hill, unquestion-
ably the great man of the great north.
west. He has pointed out that the one
Indispensable industry of this great
country, the growing of grain to feed
itself, il in danger from lax methods
of agriculture and q truly American
habit Of rushing Off to new lands In
preference to keeping up the fertility
of lands severely cropped. The new
lands are about exhausted and Ameri.
can enterprise Is fast filling up the
Canadian northwest.
1t Is only just to say that Mr.. Hill
does not write % an alarmist. He has
abundant precedent in history for the
very worst that may befsll the grea,
food producing industry that lies q
the base of national prosperity be-
cause what 1t produces is brought from
nature and actually added to the cum
of human wealth.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Big Revenue From New Tax.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-Corpora.
ton tax regulations are now complete
and ready for the printer. 1t has been
a great task to meet all the complexi-
ties of the law and expected attacks
on it by the corporations. Latest es-
Inmates indicate a net from
the corporation tax of approximately
s25, 900. 900 annually, and $4,000 cor
porations probably will have to pay
the tax. In a far southwestern state
it has been found that not more than
10 per cent of many thousands of cor
porations ever have actually done
business.
All returns are required to be in the
collectors hands by March l, then sent
to the internal revenue bureau here,
where the tax will be assessed and the
taxpaying corporations notified by
June l, the tax to be paid by July l.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

and buildings break the sound waves,
or in suburbs on the hillside the effect
is unspeakably delightful.
Pleasantest Of all is it when you are
sitting in the inner court or Quadran-
gle of a Porto Rican home. Around
you on four sides the house rises above
you, and in the grounds or in great
tubs and porcelain pots rich flowers,
graceful vines and restful trees afford
shade. color and perfume. The sound
Of the bells descends from the air
above very much like a benediction.
You sit in an easy chair, and servants
bring you tea or steaming coffee,
sweetmeats and biscuits, CONNECTIONS
and cigarettes, while a daughter or son
plays ancient songs or dances upon a
mandolin OF guitar.
The churches are crowded; so are the
clubs and most of the places of recrea-
ton. Every vehicle is in use, and here
and there al be seer young men and
women trying to initiate English mod
els. Some of the people of the our
tain districts carry out many Of their
early superstitions in regard to Christ
mas. They hang over the doors Of
their houses boughs of trees which are
supposed to possess charms and often
conduct marriage ceremonies under
great canopies made Of these charmed
trees.
A great many wild flowers are in
bloom at Christmastide, and these are
worn by children of the mountain dis
tricts in wreaths and garlands about
their heads, necks and waists. The
Christmas giving is sadly missing in
our new possessions. The churches
hold no Christmas tree, and there are
few charitable societies to give feasts.
However, one hospital for old people
and orphans in Ponce gives a Christ
mas fete, and the inmates have a good
meal and receive warm clothing, med
icines and other needful gifts.
The American occupation has brought
extra Christmas cheer to the people of
the island. The American residents
celebrate the, day in good American
fashion, and, best Of all, they put
money into circulation and give zest to
industry and business.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
THE JEWISH SABBATH.
lts Influence on the Habits Of the He
brew Children.

lts Influence on the Habits Of the He.
brew Children.
The Hebrew Sabbath, including its
complicated preparations, is rich and
impressive material for a child's imagi-
nation. On Thursday evening the
mother already prepares dough. goes
to market, cleans the fish. etc., says
the American Hebrew.
In the morning comes the baking Of
'chales" (bread). How bewitching for
a child to watch the mother making
different shapes Of dough. smearing it
with egg and decorating it with braids
Of different shapes and forms. A Jew
fish child gets the first lesson in model
ing by making make believe 'chales."
In the evening the mother prepares
to meet the Sabbath. The child par
takes in the household occupations
and therefore gets habits Of industry,
order and regard for the rights and
ideas Of others and the fundamental
habit of subordinating his activities to
the general interest Of the household.
This is especially true in regard to
Jewish households where everything
seems to be prescribed by law. Before
darkness sets in on Friday the house.
wife lights III the dining extra
candles or a special lamp in honor Of
Sabbath and reads the blessing.
Quite often a child not yet able to
talk will cover its face with its little
palms, initiating the gestures Of the
devoted mother. The returning from
the synagogue, the appreciative greet
ing "Good Sabbath" the Kiddush, the
blessing over wine, the special menu
and the holiday spirit Of all who par
ticipate have undoubtedly a soothing,
bene1cent influence upon the child.
After supper the time is spent in rest
+ ing.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

GREAT FALLS, Dec 12.-Despite
every effort of the local officers, aided
by outside talent. not the least trace
has been secured of the body of the
little Conrad boy stolen from its grave
on Thanksgiving evening. Many al
legged clews have been followed up, but
without any success and the officers
appear to be no nearer q solution of
the mystery than they were the day
after the grave robbery. Supposedly
the body was stolen for the purpose
of obtaining q reward for its return,
but there has been no effort made by
the ghouls In that direction.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
When Shepherds Watched by Nigh

When Shepherds Watched by Night.
Some historians contend that the
shepherds could not have watched by
night on the Bethlehem plains in De-
cember, it being a period of great in
clemency. In answe to this a well
known student says: bethlehem is
not a cold region. The mercury usual
" stands all the month of December
at 46 degrees. Corn is sown during
this time and grass and herbs spring
up after the rains, so that the Arabs
drive their locks down from the noun
tains into the plains. The most deli
cate never make fires till about the
end Of November, and some pass the
whole winter without them. From
these facts I think it is established
without doubt that our Saviour was
born on the 25th day Of December, the
day which the church throughout the
world has united to celebrate in honor
Of Christ's coming in the lesh."-Wash.
ington Star.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
A BIG LAND BUSINESS,
Nearly Twenty Million Acres Entered
During the Past Year.

sNSot'y SWeUty WIIlOn acres Entered
During the Past Year.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-The chief
feature of the annual report of Com.
missioner Of the General Land Office
bennett 10 his recommendation that
the positions of registers and receivers
OF land Offices be done away with and
one Office. an "administrator," be
submitted therefor. "There is friction
between the register and receiver in
many localities" says Mr.. bennett
In support of this change, which he
says would result in better admins.
tration of the land Offices. Such q
change, he Gays, would mean q saving
OF $4,000 to $500. 900 q year. As
their positions are of equal weight
and Importance, he says the present
system of registers and receivers
causes constant conflict as there is
dual authority.
Another important recommend alton
ie that for the creation of q second
assistant commissioner to have charge
Of the field service and prepare cases
for the department.
Mr.. bennett, in ~fsvoring the sur
veying of public lands by salsried
surveyors az against the contract sys.
TEN. Gays it is more ideal in that it
secures the quicker opening Of the
lands to entry and avoids delays in
inspection. He points to the compile.
ton OF the survey of the Blackfeet In.
dian reservation in Montana during
the year at a cost of go q mile as an
instance.
A total of 19, 1892, SOB acres of land in
the country were entered during the
year, he reports, an increase of nearly
1000, 600 acres over 1908. On 5000, 900
acres final proof vas made, and near.
ly $1,000, 600 acres were patented, of
which $500, 900 acres we're homestead
land.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Long Drouth Is Broken.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 14.-Swept by
q wind and rainstorm which did dam.
ages amounting to thousands of dol.
lars, the coal regions of eastern Penn.
sylvanta have been relieved OF q
drought which has been almost con.
tinuous for six months.
The damage done by the high WIND
and driving rain was lost sight of II
the comparison to the great benef>
wrought by the unusual downpour
During the last sixty days Thousand
OF miners have been entirely idle Of
working on less than halt time be
cause Of the low water in the ~colleries
The mines will now resume.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

mar blowing 20-dollar gold pieces out
OF the map of Montana, is moi much
out of the way after all.
II the thing keeps up the man who
wants to make money will "hike'' for
the country and take up q homestead,
and In a few years become a million.
aire.
The next We know, instead of the
complaint going up that the country
people ire crowding into the cities, the
shoe will be on the other foot, and the
great question will be how to prevent
the cities from being deserted.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
A GOOD FARMING STORY.

One of the best farming stories we
have noticed this year is published in
the Dawson County Review and relates
to the agricultural operations of J. R..
Smith, who resides near the eastern
boundary of the state.
Mr.. Smith ia q fortunate gentleman,
for mother nature forced upon him
$50, 600 this fall when he was not look
ing for anything and did his best to
side.step getting it, says the Butte
Miner.
According to this authentic account
it appears that Mr.. Smith owned 1000
acres Of land and last spring he wanted
to sell it, but not being offered quite
what he thought it wss worth, he got
peevish, and declared he would break
the land up. and then he might &c,
more for 1t.
He had the sod broken, and as an
after.thought, sowed 1t with fax, jus,
to be doing something. he got twenty
bushels of fax seed to the acre, which
he sold for S1.63 per bushel..
He bought two gasoline plows with
which to break up his land, and hi
had to buy eleven h~arvesters will
which to cut his crop, then he pur
chased q threshing machine, which hi
ran with one Of his engines. while h
kept the other buoy hauling his seed
to town from the thresher, employing
elk tank wagons for this purpose.
After paying for all the machinery,
labor bills and other expenses, Mr.,
Smith had q net profit on his farming
endeavors of $4,000.
The famous pictures circulated by
the Milw aukee railroad, showing
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Doubtful Praise,

Stippler-Did Miss Kittie admire your
your paintings? Dobber-I don't know.
Stippler-What did she say about
them? Dobber-That she could feel
that l put a great deal of myself into
my work. Stippler-Well. that's praise.
Dobber-Is it? The picture l showed
her was "Calves In the Meadow
New York Journal.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
A MUCH NEEDED REFORM.


President Taft put into his list of
reforms recommended to the attention
OF congress was his suggestion OF
such judicial reform az would make
justice more speedy and cost less.
Both the delay and expense attending
any effort on the part Of q citizen to
invoke the law have become proverb.
ial. 1t is q very ancient proverb at
that. Moreover, both the delays and
the excessive costs are largely due to
the lawyers, and as the judges have
to be lawyers before they have q
chance to become judges, they lend
themselves to the furtherance of these
two evils, with great complscency.
profound courtesy helps along
the laws delays q heap. A regular
system has been built up by which one
lawyer consents to delays in the case
OF his client to cult the convenience of
the opposing lawyer and expects and
receives similar favors from him in
turn. In the latest analysis the trans.
action revolves itself into this. The
attorney who is said to protect his
clients interests-for it is almost al
ways to his interest to get speedy jus.
tice-sacrifces that interest to accom-.
modat his brother attorneys interests
and convenience on the implied UNDER
standing that the brother attorney will
sometimes repay him for his action
by a similar sacrifice of his clients
interest.
Thus lawsuits get continued to an.
other term and the sutton is hung up
by the heels on the hooks of uncer-
tainty because the attorney of the man
he is trying to get justice from through
the law wants to attend family party,
or has more law cases in hand than
he can we'll attend to. and is not will
Ing to turn them over to someone else
or to let go his grip on the fees.
Between the lawyers on the bench
and the lawyers at the bar legal fees
have been multiplied and costs of
litig alton so increased that any calm
minded citizen prefers to suffer con-
siderable injustice without protest,
rather than invoke the power of the
law to remedy such injustice.
President Taft struck a note that
finds response in the heart of many q
litigant who has had bitter experience
when he says that some comprehensive
plan should be evolved by congress
for shortening the course of litigation
and for making it cheaper. Such re.
form would make our courts more
popular. 1t has come to be regarded
as a rich mans luxury to invoke the
laws of the country for the protection
of a citizen in his rights. We shall
be interested in seeing what congress
will do with this suggestion, which not
only comes from the president of the
United States, but alec from a AN
who has been both a lawyer and q
Judge. At least it must be conceded
that President Taft is in a position to
know the need of that branch of the
reform program. Perhaps they will
do something on the lines suggested.
More likely they will not, for congress
is largely composed of lawyers
Great Falls Tribune.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

This bank solicits accounts, and
offers to depositors absolute security,
prompt and careful attention, and the
most liberal treatment consistent with
safe and profitable banking. Buys
and sells foreign exchange, drawing
direct on all principal American and
European cities, and issues It's own
Letters of Credit.
Interest paid on time deposits. The
highest cash price paid for approved
state, county, city and school bonds
and warrants.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
The Most Popular Christmas Poem.

The Most Popular Christmas Poem.
The most popular Christmas poem
ever written for children was that ia
miliar to the world, beginning:
Twas the night before Christmas. when
all through the house
The poem was written by II very
learned man, DR.. Clement Clarke
Moore, a profound Greek and Eebrew
scholar. He was a professor in the
General Theological seminary in this
city. He was born in 1870 and died
In 1S63.-New York Globe.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Music Lovers,

How do you know those people are
sincere lovers of music?'
"By the fact" replied Miss Cayenne.
that they compelled their youngest
boy to stop trying to learn to play the
Observation-Disclosures Star.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22
Soup Marks.

Question: called "Minna." Is that
the blond. the dark one or the old wo-
man? Waiter-How do you know our
cooks? Guest-By the soup.-Meggen-
dorfer Batter.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

PAID UP CAPITAL..,...,...,S loo.Ooo
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY 600. 900
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-22

Local Securities 4 Speciality.
Interest Allowed on Time Deposj
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-12-01

be staggering.
well. let us admit that these con-
gressional visitors are not engineers
or contractors. Let us hope that they
were we'll entertained On the isthnius,
and saw what they did see unGer the
guidance Of those thoroughly familiar
with what was going on. Let us au-
nit that the original estimate of the
cost of the enterprise will appear small
by comparison with the sum that will
be found necessary. What of it? Why
should we not be heartened by the
views of men of good general observa-
ton who have brought their powers
to bear on a project in which both as
citizens and legislators they are pro-
foundry interested?
Pessimism will not dig the canal. It
is big and difficult job, and it is go
ing to cost a lot of money. But we are
committed to it, and we have the
money Congress, which Is to appro-
pirate for the work, as it proceeds,
should keep informed as to progress;
and occasional visits to the scene by
members, and reports by them, will
help materially. Ships may not be
passing through as early as expected,
but an error of a year or two in that
calculation will not be at all discourag-
ing
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-12-01
SOCIALISM IN GERMANY.

Social democracy becomes in Ger
many the party of discomfort, of pro-
test and reform. It's double name is
to be interpreted, however, and hap
ply as meaning democracy more than
socialism. Comparatively little stress
is laid upon really sOcialistic or COM
munistic doctrines, and it is to be
demands or desires the establishment
of a socialistic system. What it does
want is democracy instead of autoc-
racy or bureaucracy. Doubtless there
is danger that the socialist propagan-
da will increase and that the party will
become more socialistic and less dem
ocratic, but that is likely to be the case
only so far as the party is arbitrarily
suppressed. If the safety valve of the
empire is opened through the eQualiz-
alton of the suffrage and the granting
of popular rights the menace of So
cialism will become far less grave,
while the empire becomes a truer
democracy
The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-12-01
A BUSY PORT.

Nearly one-fourth of all the wheat
exported from the United States dur
ing October, 1909, was shipped from
Portland The shipments for the
month were more than 100000 bushels
in excess of those of any other port
except New York, which was in first
place with 2,93S,9S4 bushels, compared
with 2,115,439 bushels from Portland.
The prestige of this city as one of
the great wheat ports of the world is
further shown in the government fig
ures for the ten months ending with
October, which give this city second
place, New York being first, Philadel-
phia third, Duluth fourth, Chicago
fifth and Puget Sound sixth
These are figures complied by the
various customs districts, and are ac-
cordingly official They find readers
throughout the entire civilized world
wherever commerce is handled, and
are most effective advertising, which
has been largely made possible by the
excellent work of the port of Portland
in providing shipping with safe, eco
nomical port of entry and discharge
OregOnian