davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

N HR JAMES J. CoRBETT. the emil
N nent pugllist and actor, says
AVA that Il went In the ring mainly
TO put the hoodoo on Johnson speak
ing OF the recent historical contest AT
Reno between the black boxer and jim
Jenries. Mr.. Corbett later on eiuei-
dates In quite academic fashion what
he means by the "hoodoo."
Mr.. Johnson. asked to give his
recipe for the hoodoo. which was
stronger than Mr.. Corbett. replied: "Ah
won't tell you nah hoodoo, 70 IL An
did the next man All fght could put II
on me and I'd get licked suah."
Mr.. william II. Kirk. the eminent
sporting writer. gives a number OF In
teresting instances. one OF which he
calls the brain drop" that has sent
various other distinguished pugilists
into oblivion.
Readers OF the story of the fight
noticed with interest the interchange
Of rapid remarks between fighter John
son and Mr.. Jeffries's trainers. notably
Mr.. Corbett. But few readers knew
that in this kidding" of the contest
ants there was one of the profoundest
psychological phenomena known to
man.
Jeffries was not whipped by the supe-
rior strength OF the black nor by supe-
rior muscular skill. What whipped him
was the subtle force OF mental sugges-
tion; the imprinting upon his mind the
thought of defeat. and the stirring OF
little used mental processes which ele-
waited the blows and guards Of the white
out of the reign OF instinct into the
domain OF conscious reasoning. Jeffries
was whipped because Johnson made him
think.
And that Is the reason for the brain
Drop or 'hoodoo" which In later years
Z has grown TO be a feature OF prize-hght-
ing and is partially counterpart In the
rapid-f fre coaching on the sideines OF
the diamond. II Is literally case OF
David and mis- sling against Goliath. IL
IL the more astonishing because prize
nghting Is essentially elemental, brutal
and savage II Is a drop back into ele-
mental strife and Its technique is almost
entirely Instructive. When this tech
nique Is jostled entirely out OF the In
stinctive. and Is superlntended by the
primitive. slow-moving braln-centres OF
the fighter, then that nghter rs lost be-
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

cause he cannot have the quickness in
aggression and defense that nature at
talns in its use OF the primitive instinct
In Jeffries's case the ground In which
the seed of the ''hoodoo" was to fall had
been already prepared. He knew the
proverb that a prize-ighter 'can't come
back" In his mind was the doubt
whether HE could come back. Johnson
told him that he couldn't He consciously
tried to. lie failed. That's all there Is
to It.
remember an old psychologist who was
guilty OF only one bit OF poetry In his
life, but that is 40 beautifully applicable
to what happened at the Jeffries-J ohnson
fight that I cannot forbear quoting It.
II was this:
1.-THE scorpion was happy quite
Until the frog. in fun.
Said Pray. which leg goes after whlchr
Which gave the scorpion such fright.
He lay pnplexed within the ditch.
wondering how to run"
1t must be borne In mind that the liv-
ing body, whether OF man or OF the lower
animals, is the most delicately constructed
automatic machine In the universe. In
comparison with IT, the most perfect
roducts OF human ingenuity are awkw ward
and inefficient To be convinced OF this
fact we need only consider for a moment
the delicate adjustments by which the
vital processes such as digestion, resplra-
tion. circulation and the repair OF the
body are carried on. every organ per-
forming it's own particular part In the
process. and working together with the
others IN the most perfect harmony
Now. however highly we may think
OF our so-called consciousness, the fact
is that all these Intricate processes are
carried on without Its intervention, and
whenever they are brought within the
sphere OF consciousness only confusion
and arrangement result.
The situation Is the same. to greater
or less extent. where the so-called volun-
tary muscles are concerned. We learn
new movements slowly and laborlously
by directing our attention 10 them and
the sole purpose Of training In any line
is 10 reduce these voluntary muscular
movements to the status of reflex acts;
In other words. TO put them under the
control Of the subconscious mind. The
athlete trains not so much TO develop his
physical strength AZ 10 get his muscles
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29
Think ------
Lays Him Open to =,
His Opponents
Lightning Sub
conscious Reflexes

nght. II he is properly trained every
movement of his opponent Is met
promptly and accurately by his alert
eye and ever-ready muscles practice
ally without conscious thought on his
part His movements are purely auto
matte.
In the diagram the sensation and re-
sponso which bring up his arm to hit
or stop a blow travel through to 6
In a rapid short circuit, but II the brain
drop is effective. he begins to think
how to meet the blow. The sensation.
instead of going through the short
circuit unconscious route. has to travel
up to and over to and then down
toward the arm. It is obvious that this
takes a little longer time than short
circuiting, and. because Of the fact that
this conscious part Of a lighters brain
Is not as highly developed as In the
case o. one trained to quick conscious
thinking, It takes longer for the sem
sation to be acted upon.
That fraction OF time longer Is the
fraction of time which makes the
fghter's defense fall short and the tell
Tie is thrown into confusion. Instead
of letting the muscles look out Tor
themselves, the consciousness has In
terfered and tries to drive them TO
greater effort.
By doing this tie movements which
his training has made practically reflex
20 back on him and he Is likely to disar-
range the whole mechanism, very much
as II one were TO stick something Into the
cogs OF an automatic machine. Natu-
rally the apparatus refuses to work and
You you will viii have noticed tiiat Your fingers
will run over difficult passage OF a
piece which you know thoroughly without
any conscious effort on your part. But
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

.oiowins example; II a rapidly moving
oo'eet Is seen to be approaching the face.
N1e hahd VIII be instinctlvely thrown up
ana the blow VIII be averted. even before
we nave had time to think OF the actual
uahfer threatened and the best means OF
aNoidlng II. This Is because the reaction
mas been short-circuited.
suppose. however. we should have to
uelperate'V plan our reaction. First. the
eye would send the message In TO the
oraln Large object approaching face
rapidly" Then from the storehouse Of
the memory would come the idea. "a sim
ilar object caused injury on previous
occasion Then 10 another centre In tho
brain would be flashed the message to
move the muscle In the hand, and this
message would be sent out along the
nerve tract leading to the muscles of the
arm and hand. and the hand would be
thrown up to protect the face.
Obviously the effective working OF
our protective outfit depends on the
prompt action of this short -circuit line,
and any Interference with 1t win re-
suit In more or less eonfusion.
Now. this Is exactly what happens In
The ease OF puglllst when he allows
himself TO be Influenced by the "kld-
ding" which he receives during the
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

no matter how good player you may
be, II you begin to think about where to
place your fingers. like fash, your
knowledge OF the instrument seems to
vanish. 1t is Just the same with prize
fighters.
About this mysterious force OF our
mental lives unfortunately little IA
known. Psychologists for want OF a
better name call II suggestion or auto
suggestion. In terms OF religion II is
called faith. In business II is enter
prise; The superstitious call II being
hoodooed'" and when the force is ex.
erted In dehpito nd formal way wa
usually call It hypnotism. The princie
pie IN every case Is the same Briefly
stated. this principle Is that It Is posqible
under certain conditions for some def1nIte
Idea SO completely to take possession Of
the mind OF an individual that II domi-
ates all his conduct, In many cases being
strong enough to prevail against his
so-called better judgment and to abso-
lutely nullify all his voluntary deter
limitations.
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29
BY JAMES J. coRBETT.

r-SVERY baseball fan knows how often u 80 ,ba "kid-
n because pitcher has become ratteu ~ and al
AN ding of opponents the coaching Hil'1 nasta-
though hard prove the assertonl have no
uon In declaring that many pughistie ehna ~ his
been dethroned because he couldn't stand the e,s %
opponent TO a considerable extent the best A'0D "
the best fighter 49,. a..
1t must be remembered that In an important hsn' ~
contestants keyed high pitch fhSslca.y
they prepared 10 stand terrible waoping nut psyc"
logically. the least thing may demoraize them. ENeiy
fears his opponents more than MS poWs
and a we'll directed, we'll timed Ikid Is more eneeuVs
than wicked uppercut.
johnson is perhaps the best "kidder" In the game
and gift In that direction has been of the greatest
value to him in all of his hse encounters In my own
fights always did lot of talking and attribute many
OF my victories TO the fact that able to get my
opponents goat"
defeated In spirit Is nine-tenths beaten.
the principal objects OF Kidding is 10 distract
your opponents attention cant do two things at
II he is paying attention TO your "kdding he 10
neglectpg his science. - ,
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

Diagram illustrating pui instantly
Kidding diubs pugiist his
decide what he do changed into
medula
into motion ~ being natural reflex proceed to the basal
reflex Under persifage the
changed
nj uncon rehex of his ponent
The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-29

into the habit OF
acting automat-
ically.
Put into terms OF
the structure OF the
nervous system,
this 81 tat c ment
simply means that
II is the aim of
practice to reduce
muscular reactions
to the control OF
the lower nerve
centres. or, In
other words. to
short-clrcult the
u err We currents
through the CEN
tres OF the lower
brain and spinal
cord rather than
allow them to take
the longer course
through the higher
centres OF the
brain.
The point might
illustrated hv -
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
HUNOR or THE Day

Teacher docking over g graduating es-
ssayC-Do you understand it? Pupil Chorri-
Post-Dispatch.
Little willie.-say, pa. what is a para
dox? Pa-Well. my son. coal stove is
one kind of a paradox. 1t won't burn until
it is put up. then it won't burn until It is
shaken down.-chicago News.
He fell out of an airship and made
hole in the ground" Yes, but he discov-
stitution.
Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall.
Doesn't interest me; I'm looking only for
him as a true fan.-New York Sun. .''''e1
do you own this homey' asked the CEN
sus taker. I'VE certainly do replied the
woman All we've got to pay on it is
And Gets Into Trouble.-"singular, isn't
Without thinking tSaa the tm aa he speaks
orally says what he thinks
Ocular Observation-Disclosures Charminr
Wife-Charlie. if man were to Sit os,
your hat, what would you say? Charlie
I should call him silly ass. The Charm
longer, there's a dear.-Pearson's Wee<iyy
His Hit--Every one who attended the
of my life How did YOU accor rnT nit
that?'' Il didn't go."-Houston POST. sh
Wigg-There seems to be quite a differ-
ence between a job and q situation Ws1~
oh. yes. For instance. when a faf1c.s
loses his job he often finds himself n az,
embarrassing situation. Phiiadeinbisa
Record. Pima
Guest at a observation-disclosures me st.,
can you let me come to the telen6oss.aa;
You have been there twenty n3in,+e:
without saying q word -Sorry. sir. 80
I'm talking to my wife."-Pele Mele' 'os
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
[From the Chicago News.l

TFrom the Chicago News
busy man hasn't much use for
one who isn't.
And some people make specially
of being suspicious
Our idea of a hero is a man who
never has any bad luck.
A slow way to become millionaire
is to work for the money.
It's easy to love our enemies-after
the undertaken gets them.
Many men find it harder to dodge
bill collectors than automobiles.
Nearly all your acquaintance are
your friends until you are in posi-
ton to use them.
After a man gets on the farther side
of 40 he becomes reconciled-even
though he isn't satisfied.
If man happens to have more
"cold cash. than he knows what to
do with, he is said to have money to
burn"
About the first great disappoint-
ment bride has is the discovery that
her husband doesn't enjoy entertain
ing her relations.
Ever notice how the other fellow is
applauded for saying the good things
you might just as well have said had
you only thought OF them?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
AS NO STANDARDS or LIVING.

If efficiency" were the object of ed
ucation, as 1t so clearly is in Germany,
and as 1t so clearly ought to be here,
1t would be recognized at the outset
that frugality was conducive to 1t and
luxury hostile. says a writer in the
Point of View,'' in the July Scribner.
In England. Froude said that univer-
sity education fitted a man extremely
well for the grade of gentleman, but
for no other that he knew of. And in
that Oxonian classic. tom Brown"
We find one of the hero's heroes tell
ing him: Three years at Oxford. my
boy. will teach you something of what
rank and money count for. If they
teach you nothing else That lesson
Is one which. of all lessons. should in
America be postponed to a postgradu-
ate course. and not inserted. either as
compulsory or as elective. in the un-
dergraduate curriculum. Things are
by no means as badly off with us yet
in this respect as they are with the
English. There is no American insti-
tuition of learning as yet in which a
Rhodes scholarship would not enable
it's holder to get the full benefit of the
institution, socially as well as schol-
astically and athletically. If any
American undergraduate should COM
plain to his parent that he could not
live on that allowance, the parent. If
he had any sense at all. would prompt
ly withdraw him from that seat of
learning. The sense of humor has,
among other definitions. been defined
as sense of proportion. And the
sense of humor on which we pride our
selves ought to suffice to prevent the
spending by any youth, engaged in
preparation for the battle of life. Of
more than three or four times the
yearly amount that he could reason
ably expect to earn in the open mar
ket after his preparation was COM
pleted and he had entered the battle.
And, most certainly, it is not good that
different Standards of living depend
ing on different amounts of private
means" should be encouraged or even
tolerated by the faculty of an Ameri-
can university. A place of education
is the last place in which there is room
for a set of social distinctions based on
money.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27

room. stuck to the decision of her
please put us into our taxicab and
let US CO." she said. st am very
tired"
No one would have dreamed as the
car sped through the quiet streets
that in 1t were man and a woman
happy in the companionship of each
other, filled with the love of. each
other and of life. The world saw
only gray haired matron and a girl
with eyes radiant with youth and
happiness.
How good you are to me-" Doris
said as they walked together through
the dim hallway. "I should have been
SO frightened if 1 had not had you
tonight
''I wish I might take care of you
always" Wentwort said, and hav-
ing admitted that much he was car
ried away and found himself pleading
his cause earnestly.
1t was strange scene, but so seri-
Gus were they that they did not real
ize the incongruity. It was only as
Doris said Yes that the strangeness
of it struck her. But 1 cannot marry
my chaperon," she protested and
laughed.
The old lady in the velvet gown
flung off her gray, wig and showed
the crop of dark curls that crowned
Wentworth's handsome head. at have
masqueraded long enough in defer
ence to Mrs. Grundy." he said. 'but
now. answer me. Doris, will you
marry me?"
And still with laughter in her eyes
she answered ghted
1910 by Associated Literary Press.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
AYHAWKER JOTS

zone of the incest, most modest and
popular young women in town." tells
the Howard Courant, "has confidential
w told a reliable person that she never
received a proposal of marriage, ana
she is nearer 80 than she is 20. And
one of the giddiest, flirtiest girls in
town, not yet 20, has had more tnan
half a dozen offers-and two or three
of them were good ones.
In the investigation at Kansas City
testimony was adduced to the erect
that if a person ate one loaf OF bread
day which had been baked from
poisonous bleaching it would take 800
DAYS for him to get enough of the pol
son to equal enc medicinal dose. Sort
of makes the investigation look like a
farce doesn't it? And still we can not
but admit great good has come OF the
pure food neutrality-suspicious. Re-
porter.
The other day I heard crowd of
fellows talking about a certain young
man, writes Bert Walker in his Os-
borne Farmer. One of them said,
well, he is a mighty fine old boy,
and the rest of them assented with
one voice. Do you suppose the young
fellow in question was loafer ana
q worthless sort of fellow? Do you
suppose he had ever pulled off any
dishonest stunts? No. He is hard
working boy. He has always paid his
debts and attended strictly to his own
affairs. He has been polite and pleas
ant to his superiors and accommodate
ing and fair to his friends. His path
has not always been strewn with vio-
lets, nor his days with sunshine and
music. But he has faced his little
storms and always smiled and in the
end won. When he worked for any
body he gave good services and did
not lean on his shovel as soon as the
boss back was turned. He did not
knock on his fellow workmen nor
shoot off his mouth about poor man
having no show these days. He kept
his head clear, his heart honest and a
smile on his face. He has more
friends than ever and some day he
will be a boss himself and the fellows
who do their duty under him will
prosper in a like manner.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
GLOBE SIGHTS.
IFrom the Atchison Globe.l

[From the Atchison Globe.l
We refuse to Judge any candidate
by his keynote speech
What has become of the boys and
girls who played "crack the whip?"
A woman's idea of shopping is to
look at oriental rugs, and buy mat
ting.
We have noticed that when a ouack
advertises, he always uses the word
expert"
Every man has a notion that his
"principles" are better than other peo-
pies.
Lodge emblems may be all right in
lodge halls, but they have no business
on streets.
If YOU are not bossed by a woman,
you find it necessary to do a lot or
disagreeable fussing to avoid IT.
Some men laugh so loud and hard
at their own jokes that they can not
heard you even If you make an effort
to laugh.
We have been advised to quit smok-
ing gradually. We tried that, six years
ago. and we are still quitting gradu-
ally.
This is called a free country, but if
man chooses to tie his cow to your
front door what can you do about 1t -?
If you complain, you are called
crank.
Inc man VINO WOfhS III d SAAiCAlCA Va
fires a battleship engine hasn't any
hotter Job than the gent who spends
most of his time watching the Their
mometer.
Most of the stories about the won
derful American newspapers are
printed in the American newspapers;
we don't hear the people talking much
along that line.
After four years of snickering and
sr,,Srlxinc around about marrying a
second time. an. Atchison widower
finally made it; and you should see
what he drew!
ITS a wonder get along as we'll as
1 do with my Wife Alois Philip
said recently; 81 am compelled to ex
plain all my jokes to her. And that's
no way to treat a husband"
The average boy anticipates
Cramps when he goes in swimming
as persistently as a woman expects to
he driven to nervous prostration. And
neither affiiction is very common.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
Naval Gun Power.

There is a tendency to judge the
power of a ship by the amount of
metal which can be thrown If all the
guns were fired simultaneously and
without regard to whether they could
be brought to bear upon an enemy or
could be fired as fast in war as they
can be fired in theory-on paper. This
method of judging ship Of war is
somewhat analogous to the cannibars
idea OF effective music. To an untu-
tored savage the most effective piano
would be one in which the loud pedal
was always on, and the player in or
der to produce the greatest volume of
sound struck all the notes at once. To
the practiced ear the result would not
be music. In the same way to the
expert gunnery officer the idea of
mounting as many guns as possible
il, ship-it may be crowding them
together SO closely as to become a
danger to the crew rather than the
eneny-and firing them all at once is
not effective gunnery. Naval shooting
is no longer a matter of discharging
a number of shells haphazard in the
hope that a proportion of them will
hit the enemy. 1t has become a very
exact science.-A. S. Hurd, in Casters
Magazine,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-27
QUAKER NEGOTIATIONS.

IFrom the New York Press.]
Pleasure always knocks louder than
Opportunity.
There is no virtue in being good
because you have to be.
It doesn't require a magician to
make a man turn into saloon.
Delaware is full of green peaches,
which is no reflection on the Delaware
girls.
A comb without teeth is rather a
useless thing, but you couldn't make
a rooster believe It.
The people who play the piano
merely to kill time can generally be
depended upon to do it.
The successful man jumps at a
chance, while the other fellow is balk-
ing at logical conclusion.
Some women are almost as inper-
vious to flattery as Citizen Roosevelt
is to having his picture taken.
If a doctor can prevent his patient
from smoking and drinking he stands
a fair chance of having his bill paid.
At any rate the husband of the
suffragette can't taunt her with not
getting the votes his mother used to
get.
1t pains a girl terribly after she is
married to learn that her husband
really prefers corned beef and cab
bage to those delightful little chatting
dish things.
BIobbs-"why is your actor friend
so puffed up?" Slobbs-"He has had
cigar named after him." Blobbs-
Lots of other actors have" Slobbs-
Yes, but this is 10-cent cigar"