davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

were driven from the city and that
not even 4poradic attempt 1t rum
ming contsNr4 to the order has since
been made. He praises the commits
sion because the streets have been
kept cleaner than ever before in the
fifty-two yeak6' existence of the city,
while the alleys have been regularly
swept and cleaned for positively the
first time He bubbles over with en-
thusiasm because Of the completion of
handsome reinforced concrete
bridge. supplanting the fran iron
structure which the young reporters
waited to see fall. He declares Des
Moines is destined to surpass Chica-
go because the dream of half century
has been realized and ash heaps, tin
can dumps, bill boards and houses of
III fame have been removed from the
river front while in their place have
arisen substantial structures. fronted
by wide stretches of green lawn, the
whole ramparted from flood ravages
Of the river by a retaining wall. He
can hardly wait until the visitor has
alishted from the train before he
PUSHES him down to the river front
and points out the new $500, 900 post
office. 100000 public library. $125 :
900 Coliseum and the beginnings of
the new $s5O,OOo city hall. all situa-
ted where the scarlet women once
Haunted their shame midway be-
tween the bill boards and the public
dumping grounds. When he has
caught his breath he adds the infor-
nation that during the year seven re-.
tail stores have increased their floor
space 100000 square feet, 900 new
residences have been built, the bank
deposits are now approximately $685.
100000 and so on, ad infinitum, for
Des Moines is enjoying its first ex-
perience with boosting and converted
knockers are always among the most
enthusiastic boosters.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
choice at the election"
cEAvENWoRTH, Kansas.

But, it may be asked, does this new
order OF things prevail elsewhere or
is Des Moines an isolated example
of the rejuvenescence and regenera-
ton Of commission-inoculated cities
1t is only necessary to cite the ex-
perience Of Leavenworth, Kansas,
which admits it was deader than the
proverbial door nail two years ago,
though it is now very much alive.
Now that Leavenworth is ruled by a
commission it believes in advertising
and carries this standing want" in
metropolitan newspapers:
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

to that still IN vogue In majority Of
the towns and cities Of the United
States. Aldermen. Or councilmen as
they are somets~. - termed. were cleo
ted =. 'ne sal wards into which
~ %" uiivided. The test Of
oss - Use aldermen was the
sofsice wnlc hey rendered to and
-A' puo'.o ip 5vements which they
secured for the. -. ,...,, $500
less of the need, :, o,,ar u.rd. =, !,
the city as ,vhn,. r,a .,a.rr,er
"es a''e to grab the largest
' ~ nc Street and sidewalk APP
preparation wal 1900 - =. 49, ,..s
Ae 'p' - W council, while the one
o'u park or playground
III n,s "aIa' regardless of whether or
not the adjoii 800 $1,000 a,,,.s
ana sewers to protecs .-~nertv and
safeguard lives. was the public ser,
ant sure to be returned at the next
election by enthusiastic supporters.
Annually recurring floods might EN-.
phasize the urgent need Of bikes, but
If the representative Of the flooded
ward was not a good mixer. lid not
side in with the ruling faction or did
not trade his vote with sufficient bus
mess foresight and political ishrewd-
ness, the ward might go dike-less
through all eternity. The welfare of
the entire city was subservient to the
spoils to be won by the aldermen for
their various wards.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
Impossible Under Old WAY.

All this could not possibly have
occurred under the old plan of mum
cipal government There was toe
much graft, too much politics, toe
much looking out for self at the ex
pense of everybody else. too much
knocking; there was too little publi<
spirit, too little realization thaf txsfs
Hmyets be ? man hiyhsr upewbS " Is
'hlalts an T. IN nnst be had
y Ie6 ~ nnssf * public scorn
could be pointed tat this man without
any intercepting barrier or underling
to shield him. The commission plan
has proved to be the much-needed
system. BY its provisions the re-
sponsibility of administering the pub
lie affairs of the city is placed upon
small governing board of five men
elected at large, without regard to
wards sectional lines or party poll
tics. In order to secure more sim
piicity, greater efficiency and fixed
responsibility the work of the city is
divided into five departments and to
each is assigned member of the
commission, who is made responsible
fer all matters coming within his jur-
isdiction. The man higher up" is
known to everybody under the CON-
plan
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

II
To the outsider the best evidence
of the working out Of the new system
lit is really the first time any sys-
tenn has ever been applied-are to be.
found in the financial report Of the
city at the end of the first year OF
the commission plan. On April /,
1908. when the cid ward government
passed out of existence, Des Moines
lacked $4,000 of enough money to
pay its obligations for the year. In
fairness TO the old administration it,
should be added that about one-third
Of this amount had been carried over
from TIE previous year, but even then
my'"~, 4 "tshe expense of the city
plan showed deficit for the year OF
$4,000. On April l. 1909, when the
commission completed its met year.
the city had working capital Of
$104.S55. Every department had kept
within the buget, all bills had been
paid and there was balance in the
treasury instead of deficit, only the
third time in over fifty years that this
had happened. Adding the deficit of
the last year Of the old administration
to the balance on hand at the end of
the first year Of the new administra-
ton the difference between the two
systems is found to be $1S4,055 a year.
In this connection it is important to
state that all the bonded indebtedness
Of the city of Des Moines today is the
result Of the annual deficit which ex.
listed under the old plan of city mis-.
government. These deficits, due to
extravaganza and waste, were allow.
ed to accumulate two or three years,
when bonds would be issued to cover
the floating debt. AS a result Des
Moines is carrying today a bonded in.
debtedness Of $4,000, upon which
the tax payers are required to pay
annual interest of $37,73O.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

D~'ssssssS~sSss WY
Typical of the cities which within
the past two years have defied the
sting Of death and the victory of the
grave is Des Moines. the capital city
and commercial center OF iowa. Be-
tween 1895 and 1900 the population Of
Des Moines increased only ten per
cent. which may be put down as the
natural, un-stimulated growth of an
ordinary city. Between 1905 and 1909
the population of Des Moiues increas-
ed thfrty-seven and one-half per cent,
at which ratio the five years ending
in 1910 will show gain Of forty-sev-
en- per cent. On April 1, 1908, the
city government lacked $119 200 of
enough money to pay the obligations
for the year. On April /. 1909, the
trumpet call of a municipal Gabriel
having sounded in the meantime,
there was a balance In the city treas.
ury Of $104,855.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

time and money, to say nothing of
the fires of local pride and municipal
patriotism. Bridges which tottered
precariously, so that young newspap-
er reporters hurried from their regu.
lar beats" to sit on the river bank
and wait for them to fall that they
might be eve witnesses to the catas-
trophe. were allowed to stand as
monuments to municipal procrastina-
ton and shiftlessness. Bill-boards
and houses of i'll fame were permitted
to line the banks of the river, regard
less of moral corruption or physical
pollution; while the accumulated filth
of months reposed serenely in UNI.
swept alleys or, borne on the wind,
carried disease to every quarter of
the city. Looking back now, it seems
as If there was danger of the dead
becoming so decomposed as to be a
breeding mprass for the plague, both
white and black.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
Politician Fired,

Once more the Galveston exkI
was sought and once more thaes1
seemed feasible. LeavenwortE3
the politicians bodily and iaft
place put five business men. o.
wholesale hardware merchant ~
er transfer and storage mI6ps
third a lumber merchant, thesf el1I
soap manufacturer. the mr. =, q
ture manufacturer. The 1Ane1<
covered that in eight yeafS We
officials had collected from The
looms and questionableS i aq3f(s n
than s5SS.O00. They made 10 T,
er discovery that littla c1}rnont
this money had been uSod lf67 pay
the city Indebtedness ofit0f Ike
lie improvements. ~ ned
though cleaning the uf,1 sta
was a snap compared NJ tas
these men, but they ~ ~ do '
they could. They four f Ieaks
stopped them; they The v
places and strengthC bem;
used the ak freely nG1 Vial h
fell at every meetine< 4t has
the result? .,5A
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
In a Score of Other cities,

In Score OF Other Citie6..szf
What has beenss aed1 $ n
Galxssten y 9Isll & s
!, ~ - ilsl z(Sfs
ss c5!le4 ~ have aireauy put the
eommissfon plan into working opera
lions, the list which had adopted the
plan up to the first of last November
including fifty-one American towns
and cities, representative among
the number being such widely scat-
tered places as Haverhill ard CE.,
sea, Massachusetts; San Diego. Cali
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

on the junk pile and the different
parts Of the new government system
had to be made, put. together and
started in motion.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

What Brought About the Change.
How had the marvellous change
been brought about,
Prior to April. 1908. the city gov
eminent of Des Moines was similar
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
important to Note.


1t is important TO note how the
former reckless waste, and extravag.
ance were stopped. BY making a
move favorable contract with the
Hehttn8 COMBS fiHs he city W ElS
n dnss ~ a. Nat
what 1t was under the old regime
to $6O.694. a saving of $5,549. The
city was also able to secure a gain of
1918 hours per lamp per year on 6O3
lamps or total gain of 1,126,254
hours. 1t instituted litigation which
may result in increasing the city's an
nual saving on light to $1O,332. The
superintendent of parks and public
property did more and better work
than ever before and saved $4,000 for
the year by introducing business
methods to take the place of political
graft. Modern bookkeeping methods
were installed in the city hall. The
system of careful checking of vouch-
ers. initiated by the auditor, resulted
in saving to the city of over $4,000
in enc year. Being able to pay cash
for what 1t bought the city was able
to obtain liberal discounts and by this
means saved fully $4,000 in one year,
Under the old administration a con-
tract was let to pave downtown
bridge with creosote blocks at s4.47
per square yard under the comnis-
sion plan the city did it's own work
in paving an adjacent bridge with the
same kind of material at $4.O9 per
square yard, thus saving the city al
most $1,000 on this job. During its
last year the old government cleaned
2,272 catch basins at an average cost
of $1.40; under the commission. GOV.
eminent 1851 catch baaiu9 lNore
cleaned at an average cost Qf q l2
$40, a saving to the city 81 f,0o9 25
Under the old plan contr6ctof8 were
paid $l7.61 per cubic foot k1t pptting
in culverts; under the new man the
city was able to put IN dimI1ar Gull
verts at cost of but 4fzsee ber cubic
foot. Under the new plan The police
was man6 u . saving
of $4,000 over the yeSf pg1y1pns while
the health departms1t NJ y supported
at $1,4OO less expsrGt 1R6r the first
time in its history 10y received
interest on all IL Is. four per
cent on time DEF <~o per cent
on daily balance terest for the
year amounting ~ III.
Helps Ways.
To the natis> ~ Ills is interesting,
affecting as ~ his pocket book
but the ply 63uyenescence and
moral regeo Of his home city
8 even ~ t011ortant. With an
enthusiast A political platforms
rave neN4 1h he points with
II. ~ net that the commission |
'Orudi, w. : I. !, :'s s':; &c &
NIGHT. sl5A. sim. 75C. SoC
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
Dead Brought to Life.

Wanted-Parties to write for infor-
nation about Leavenworth, the most
prosperous city in Kansas and the
first city in the state to adopt the
commission form of government. In
eighteen months the commission gov
eminent has turned dead city into
one of the Invest and most wide-awake
cities in America. If you want to
know how it is being done, write the
secretary of the Greater Leavenworth
Club, Leavenworth City, Kas. ....ss
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
How LsavenwsS ~ Grown.

nv" ISavSH"e{1&@ER oS""'
Leavenworth. lopf1d ppked on as
dead city, last yeqRI f4nked second
in Kansas in gro&11 j6f population.
In the first year u NJ commission
government, accqr1ld So the asses
sor's books. s2s>' vas spent on
new buildings al rovements to
old buildings. TH11NlS all invested
by local peoples l1e second year
the city paid ~. 200 in bonds
which had beef< 13pg interest for
thirty-seven yelz }th $4,000 less
revenue per ne the old city
government h }ze Jew government
announces thu a. fR1lt require $4,000
less TO run ~ llt1 next year than
1t had last yer u Outstanding that
better street ling and sanitation,
police and a. tse1ection are being
given. Mr.. GRANGER, the first
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
CATARRH CURED

Bad Breath, k'HawIlng, Ringing In
the Ears, Deafness, Hacking Cough
and splitting Quickly Cured.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
A New Birth

In this crises, Des Moines under
vent new birth; the saline solution
of solvency was injected into the
corpse, after which a dynamic dose
of decency was administered to the
one newly risen from the dead. News
had percolated into Des Moines of the
successful working out of the commits
sion form of government in Calves
ton, Texas, where five business men
applied business principles to city
government-after the great storm
had wrought havoc and left ruin and
desolation in its wake-building a
new city on the bleeding sands, erect
ing a sea-wall to shut out the pound
ing surf and sending Galveston for
ward on the track of prosperity until
today 1t ranks among the greatest
sesrorts Of the world II Galveston
could be rebuilt physically in the trail
of an awful castrophe, would the same
plan be equally efficacious in rebuild
ing city, physically and morally, be-
fore the storm had burst? The ex-
pertinent was worth trying.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31

.ez4s{{.--7-rssss 81 4 Z s.
Why Esavtee sortkw5 m - s ~
.I4e4ssnst1 rth tSyxsd 'f0tshe =
sion pll54lfsFsit had been q
~ lg0 physical one. 64
aWept over Galveston and brOu " ~
commission idea into form, but asG6ort
al one which babe fair for fiw4ffo
be as destructive as the GhlPSN&6u
wind and tidal wave. Thes III
broke when Attorney General ~ 1he
state closed the saloons and s1S&7 ~
off the illegal revenue Witt n
grown to an annual budget Of. &1G.o
The political leaders were der ~
ed. They confessed they were I'M ~
to meet the ordinary runninS
penses of the city with revenue
rived from direct taxation. MOI ~
looms. no money: no money, 10 icify'
government. What was LeavenW'Nf<ns
senile and decrepit. to do? tsf2ssss
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-31
Under the Old Regime.

Des Moines is SO much alive today
that 1T vas the deadest of the dead,
by comparison, in those days. Still
it was a vigorous corpse and, posi-.
bly, due to reflex action, kicked lusti.
ly at everything proposed rather than
any particular ward. Nothing in the
way of public improvements was sug.
gested but litigation ensued; such a
jangle' Of Injunction and mandamus
writs, contempt proceedings and dam
age petitions that the desired i'm
provement was lost tract of in the
discord. No sooner was it proposed
to demolish the old court house which
had done duty for decades and was
in a fair way to fall down of its own
volition and thus summarily end the
discussion than wrangle ensued as
r. the slocatAQa of thezAeys lpfl9lng.
nece aQeal9l : ~
- nm ~ ~
o the 6upfe1ke court and the =; ~ ~
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

Flushed with pride, and convinced that Fame has at
last perched herself securely his banners the young
huoris takes early trip to New York, is welcomed
by the magazine editor in flattering his
PRIDE introduced various other editors and then
taken out to luncheon for the purpose of business
talk The prospective contributor is of greatly
eated by the attention that is paid to him; but he
little knows that the editor far ublant than he
for he thinks that he has discovered Bret Harte
Mark Twain, and his eyes gisten his overheated
fancy pictures serial that will become the talk of the
world and swell the circulation of his monthly hun
dreds of thousands The young humorst has, of course
provided himself with list of themes. each of which
to him capable of satirical treatment of high
order and the light their cigars he proceeds
to enuncate them. OF course he has allowed himself
to be deeply impressed with the superior quality of
work that is expected of him. and the magazine itself
is printed coated paper and illustrated in costly
and elaborate manner, he knows that it will do
suggest anything coarse as the homely bill Jug
gins letters, which rests his modest claim
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13
Betsy Milkweed to Life Again

MEANWHILE in the quiet of the pretty country
A~A home that he has earned with his pen, huorist
of quite another school is busy with his winters work
He writes under his now, in the principal
magazines but forty years ago. under the hilarious
de plume of Betsy Milkweed of the Beanville
Budget he was widely known for his comic "b'gosh
philosophy Now, hale and hearty in his y-nnth
year and with his grandchildren prattng about his
knee he presents charming picture of literary old
age. The study in which he distls the humorous
essence with which his fate is identified is lined with
bound volumes of Vanity Fair wild OATS"
Puck" Judge" and various short lived publications
of an older day. There is also cabinet containing
collection of humorous clippings, carefully ndexed,
which serves him vertable treasure house of nfor-
nation and suggestion
Betsy, his old friends still call him. prdes himself
being quite up the times; in proof of which he will
tell you that it is many years since he has employed
cept in subsidiary capacity those hoary standbys Of
fun the goat the mother in law, the banana peel the
stoveppe. He has long since discarded the bicycle
agent of catastrophe in favor of the automobile and
proposes to live up to his reputation up to
date writer by taking up the flying machine But in
what form? Eureka! he cries after twelve hours of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

Wallace Irwin also did their first work newspapers
Besides these there of former newspaper
writer's like Burdette of The Daily Hawkeye Bailey
Of The Danbury News Lewis of The Detroit Free
Press, White of The Chicago Tribune" and Charles
Hoyt of THE Boston Post, each one of whom we'll de-
serves niche in the Hall of Humorous Fame
Indeed to give list of graduates from the columns of
daily papers would be to print directory of American
humorists for, with the exception of the late Myra
Kelly know of no writer of humor who may be said to
have sprung armed capa pie, from the pages of mod
magazine, and that unless there should be
radical change in methods of magazine editors the
daily papers will continue to furnish with the
of native wit.
The for this is obvious to everybody who has
either toed with his hands in the humorous vine
yard else had occasion to study the from
critical viewpoint. True wit should have purpose and
target. The sort of humor that deals with such up
or fleeing from bulldog creeping under automo-
bile belongs rghtfully the days when people looked
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13
WHO WILL SUCCEED
MARK TWAIN

to almanacs for their jokes. 1t is a
matter of history that "acrobatic"
humor, as it was termed professionally,
was forbidden in "Puck" during the
editorship of the late H. G. Bunner
nearly quarter of century ago.
Begin in the Home Town
NOV there is not town, city, or
village in the land that does not
contain men or conditions that are fit
and legitimate subjects for honest
mirth. As daily papers are given over
to the dissemination of news rather
than the development of literary taste,
they are usually ready to welcome a
funny account of some local happening.
Moreover, almost every daily paper
is partizan in national politics or
municipal affairs, and is likely to have
a few healthy prejudices of its own.
This gives unusual opportunities to
the bright young reporter who is able
to see the funny side in a serious as
signment and so incorporate it with
the text of his story as to throw an
amusing light on some local parsonage
or happening. Work of this sort pos
sesses the timely value" that is of
so much Importance; for it saves the
trouble of awakening interest in the
theme, and that is half the battle.
Moreover, every reporter knows that
if he can strike popular humorous
chord he can, literally speaking, make
himself felt in newspaper over night
and perhaps find himself working on a
liberal salary before the end of the
week; whereas it may take him
months, if not years, to get started in
a slow moving monthly.
Solong as he remains in newspaper
office, the bright young reporter will
occupy himself with the happenings of
the day. Although his work, even at
best. may possess little permanent
value, it will serve to extend his fame
with wonderful rapidity, and there is
always the chance of making such a
hit as Eugene Field did in his famous
description of the Chicago reception
given to the poet Stedman-who, by
the way, had previously made himself
famous by his satirical poem, 1.-The
Diamond Wedding"
Another element that counts in the
race for fame is the more than good
natured willingness with which news
paper writer's will help along rising
member of the craft by frank and
friendly criticism based on immediate
and sympathetic appreciationo of merit,
and. in a much larger way, by freely
copying with due credit. l have fire.
quently been amazed at the generous
manner in which men who have never
won success themselves have gone out
of their way to push along younger and
more brilliant writer's.
Must Please "Our Readers"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13
Must Please "Our Readers "

NOW, let us suppose that our gifted
~ young friend has contrived to ex-
tend reputation that began with a
funny funeral story in his native town
Mr.. Dooley" sprang into life with
his comments on the passing of Jay
Could, and that the editor of some
widely circulated monthly has learned
of his existence and invited him to
contribute.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

to almanacs for their jokes. 1t is a
matter of history that acrobatic"
humor, as it was termed professionally,
was forbidden in "Puck" during the
editorship of the late H. c. Bunner
nearly quarter of century ago.