davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
POEMS OF JOHN
CHARLES MCNEIL
A YIalf Dozen Poems of North
Cardinals Sweet Singer which
Should not be Forgotten.

appreciation of John
Charles McNeills poet
ical genius Gas we'll as
my appreciation Of the
charm of his friend
ship, grows stronger
rather than weaker with
the passing months. A
few days ago [ read the
New Poems" of Rich
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

ing room of the Baltic. contrasted the
literary and the scientific tempera-
tents
But a letter will best bring out my
point said the famous author.
You've heard. OF course. of Tenny-
sons poem, The Vision OF Sin. Well.
an eminent mathematician wrote
Tennyson. on the appearance Of his
poem a letter that ran like this.
Dear Slr-I find in a recent poem
OF yours entitled The Vision OF Sin
n following unwarranted statement:
Every moment dies a man. and every
m one is born / need hardly
point out that this calculation. if cor
rect, would tend to keep the sum to-
tai of the world population in 4
state of perpetual e~quipoise. whereas
1t is an established fact that the said
population IS constantly on the in
crease | would therefore suggest that
IN the next edition of his poem the
erroneous calculation TO which ! refer
should be corrected as follows. Every
m dies a man. and one and a
sixteenth is born may add that
the exact figures are 1.16T. but some
thing must of course be conceded to
the laws Of rythm.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
SONG.

When the bluebirds loo the furrow,
| will come to you;
When the grey mouse quits his bur
row,
And the skies are blue;
When the little leaves cast shadow
Ger the roads of EldoradO,
Where, on hill and happy meadow,
Flowers hav come to view;
When the same old bells will tinkle
Where the cattle roam,
And the shattered blossoms sprinkle
All the lanes at home;
When the g~oldt1nch pipes q measure
To a world of a n pleasure
When the cunning crow digs treasure
From the mellow loam:
My tired heart will drink the easement
Of the dusk and dew,
Revel in the dear a~ppeasement
Which it's childhood knew,
And along the same old highway,
Through the same neglected byWay,
Once we called your way and my
way,
I will come to you.
John Charles Mcneil.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
LOVERS

Her right hand urged his going.
Her left hand chung to him;
Her lips with smiles were glowing,
But her sWeetheart-eyes were dim.
Twas East he fought for glory,
And West he sought for gain;
His fame was a flreSide story,
His treasure a royal train.
But dawn by dawn Wearied,
And dusk by dusk she said,
would that my youth had tarrled
To laugh by my bridal bed!
eff he bring me the riches Of seven
And stars for a crown, in sOOth
T will barter them ack to heaven
Fol a day of his love, and for youth
John Charles Mcneil.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

The Significance of n Odern mover.

Fiction is. in our time, especially
significant because it is becoming more
and more the verv organ Of q creative
INTERPRETATION and realization OF hu-
man life. 1t is rue that nlne-tentnS
Of our novels, as a like proportion or
our plays. are fashioned merely for
observation-disclosures Of these, 1t must
be allowed, for intellectual entertain
ment. and most of them, following
an old fashion, as old as fiction itself,
attempting something more by way OF
easy moralities, didactically or muck
rakingly. Our diversions are legltl-
mate, but they are for the most part
reyersions. Our life itself is nine-tenthS
reyersionary, seriously and lnnocently.
Rut it is the other tenth winch SHOWS
van in vital movement and real
values. and which engages creative
faculty and vision.
We shall not call the fiction of this
creative order the best or give IL
anv other label. 1t does not concern
degrees any more than Nature does.
It does not classify human phenom-
ena; it tends to break up all, and es-
peciallv social, classification. 1t is
creative in that it is natural. and its
art is the art which Nature makes,
instinctively ~SeleCtjve, for organic en-
hence also for form. We
should expect women to be creators
here. with intuitive selections; for here
surely more than anywhere else is the
proper field for the expansion Of mo-
Yet, without Vlrlle fertIll-
zation. it is a sterile field.-H. NJ.
Alden, in Harper's Magazine for
August.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
TgTLMI)
LEGEND OF THE DECORATED
TREE,

To the Editor: During the Bi-Ccn-
tennial week a good deal Of interest
has been manifested in the decorated
tree, thai stands at the corner of Pol
lock and Metcalf streets in New Bern.
h legend of this tree, handed down
from generation to generation, is this:
When De Graffenreid established his
Swiss Colony on the banks of the
Neuse and Trent rivers, there was a
tribe of Indians whose WigWams were
on the upper part of the Trent river.
Their name for this settlement was
''Cuddyhunk." 1t extended as far down
as Metcalf street. Later the Colonial
Governors palace was built on George
street, the grounds ending at Metca1f.
Later still the Hannis ancestors Of our
distinguished tOwnsman n orator.
Hon. Hannis Taylor, owned this cor
ner and it was here that the last of the
name lived and died. It Is said by "the
ancients" that this old tree has always
there" That it cast its shadoW
over the wigwam of the savage, over
the grounds of the Colonial Palace,
and over the HanniS residence, a faith
full sentinel through three periods of
the towns history. The house was de-
stroyed by fire in 1862. All that was
left was the faithful sentinel, ever
epi vigilant guard over his his
tOriC spot.
MRS. j. c.. ROBERTS.
Tu1v 90 1910.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
A HAWK.

No pensioner upo the world art
thOui
Death visible to all thy feathered
kind;
Those dropping wings have borne
thee on the wind;
Those sky-clear eyes, set in that tyrant
brow,
Gazing in silence from some far-seen
Dough,
To mercy, craved or given, were
never blind,
Alert. with beak and talons set, thy
mind
Would scorn my pity, were it offered
Proud heart, that beats defiance while
it throbs,
Proud eyes. hat pray not stalking
death to halt,
Time was when would thy courage
had bee mine:
AS who, in fortunes froWn and loves
default,
Yields him into the arms Of fate and
sobS,
ooh Fate, deal kindly with me; I
am thinei'
job Charles Mcneil,
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
THE WHITE SOUTH.

badsered by precepts, prayers and
by petulant friend and foe that sneers
she stands defiant through the years.
guarding the futures open gate,
AIone. unchampioned, passionate.
L tdSohlng and as fixed as fate.
10 hostile creed and subtle song.
Inc roted rules Of right and wrong,
mat tall 50 lightly from the tongue.
one shouts one final argument,
"a winch her soul Of souls is spent,
Deeper than plausible intent.
mat; with more zeal than wisdom
More courage than the hate of foes
M love Of native land bestows,
uuo1hhlhg no thought for i'll or good
YIN the blind heart of motherhood,
'"e "8htS the battle for her blood.
p J." voice of many a buried age,
W. ana warrior, priest and sage,
wa" hoarded close her heritage,
gu pH4 poured into her pulsing veins,
r I'A with their slow. millennial gains,
N"9 ne I1at rOWne itself and reigns;
W. - cry of children yet to be,
n "oSe COON h writes for time to see
me stern script, Heredity;
Mor o0oer than the roaring mart,
TIL sweet than any speech of art,
II past and future in her heart,
pro never. never will her face
A miaIH1 creations prime disgrace,
0l5rei' pridelesS, hopeless race:
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
GOOD LIQUOR
n Dithyra1nb Which John Il. Cough
Was Fond Of Quoting.

To the Editor of The Sun-Sir. In a
recent Sun q correspondent referred to
q eulosy Of whiskey by Robert G.. In
gerson and compared the meditation
ol the agnOStlc with a like enthusiasm
on the part of an early English writer
IL th'a day and generation It NAV
seem strange hat any one should in
yoke literature in behalf of that iiouOr
which, to quote the words of Oliver
Wendell Holmes, destroys mems Wis
cera Whlle the live and c%oufers I'M
IN 'rfailty on these parts Nheu hey
are dead" By way of rejoinder let
me repeat for the benefit of w~hiskey's
saints and patrons the famous apos-
tTophe to water which occurs in Judge
Atherton's novel Paul Denton" It is
the apostrophe often used by that
eloquent apostle Of temperance John
&. Cough.
In the story where the apostrophe
IS found a camp meeting preacher of
the Peter Cartwright type had an
nounced as an attractive feature of
his service plenty of good liquor At
the hour for the service a thirsty des-
perado strobe orwar to the pulpit
and angrily demanded "Where?"
There" said the preacher. pointing
to a gushing spring. There is the
liquor which God the Eternal breWs
for all His children. Not in the sim
mering still over the smoky fires,
choked with poisonous gases, sur
und With stencil OF siCkening
doors, and corruptions. doth your
Father in heaven prepare the precious
essence Of life, pure cold water; but
in the green glade and grassy dell,
where the red deer wanders and the
child loves to play, there Sod brews
it; and down, low down, in the deepest
valleys. where the fountains murnlur
and the rills sigh, and high up on
tie mountain tops, where the naked
granite glitters like gold in the sun.
where the storm cloud brOOdS and the
thunderstorms crash; and far out on
the wide, wild sea, where the hUrri-
cane bowls music and the big waves
roll the chorus. sweeping the march
of God. there He brewS 1t, the beV-
erage Of life, health giving water.
and everywhere it is. a thing of
life and beauty, cleaning in the dew
drop; singing in the summer rain;
| shining in the ice gem till the trees all
| seem turned to living jewels; spread
ing q golden veil over the sun or q
white gauze around the midnight
moon; sporting in the glacier; folding
its bright snow curtain softly about
the Wintry world, and weaving the
many colored bow whose warp is the
raindrOps of earth, whose wool IS the
sunbeam Of heaven, all checkered over
with the mystic hand of refraction.
Still it is beautiful. h blessed HE
water! No poisonous DuDDleS are Oh
it's brink; its foam brings not murder
and madness; no blood stains its liquid
glass; pale widows and starving or
phans weep not burning tears into It's
depths: no ~drunkards shrleklnG ghosl
from the grave curses it in the WOrlG
Of eternal despair. Beautiful, pure,
blessed and glorious. Speak out, my
friends; would you exchange it for
the demons drink. alcohol?'
CLARENCE EDWARD MCCARTNEY
Patterson, N. j., July 29.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
VIRGINIA DARE.

baby Eve Of Saxons in the West,
The master yet shall come to sing
The master, who is waiting now to
His epic's ending, when the land shall
rest:
But centuries Of suns must urge their
quest
Ere they, thy people. seize the wllds
in fee,
And Welding from their toll, turn
tenderly
Back to their wee babe in the Roa-
noke nest.
fear thee not neglect hath done
thee wrong.
First born American: for every
stroke
That felled the woods, for all the
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
1%o
ART AND THE MAN.

T am savage for life and the lusts
OF reckoning questions / have BAN
ished;
7 am glutted with Beauty's face
And the brush that | paint her with;
T am sick of the dreams and dustS
OF the soul of me-Of the vanished
Years that l spent in chase
OF the Turing lips of Myth.
| was sucked for more than to fling
The blood Of my heart on a palette
I was given the eve of a god
For more than a pictures worth.
I have felt the ineffable sting
of life-thoUgh ! be Arts valet.
I have painted the cloud-or the clod,
Who should have possessed the
earth.
Young Rice, IN the ugu
Forum.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
IKEEI-L
0. Henry'S Reading.
(WaShington Star.

washington StaF.E
The late 20. Henry" whose flip
pant and slangy stories gave him a
great reputation as a humOrist, was
in private life a serious student.
A visitor to the library of Mr.. Por-
ter's New York residence was amazed
at the ~ponderous histories and bio
graphies>on every side.
but don't you read" said the visi-
tor, Ellis Parker Butler and writer's
Of that sort?"
Well, no." said Mr.. Porter.
He laughed and added Whinsically:
Il make fancy cakes and sell them,
but l only eat bread and meat"
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

SinCCTcSt ~i'Iattcry.


At the dinner of & literary club in
Chicago two minor poets We're heard
IN conversation.
Harold" Said the one. Il have just
seen our triolet in the Spread Eagle
magazine"
All exclaimed the other, a
pleased expression coming into his
face, and with the air Of a man pre-
pairing himself against q burst of
praise.
Yes continued the second poet,
and do you know l heard a rather
neat little compliment passed on it by
a young lady Of my acquaintance
Harold seemed still more pleased.
May I ask what she said he queried.
WhereupOn the first minor poet
gurgled, Why said he, she wanted
to know whether / had written it."
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

ard lie GalIienne. who is now regard
"a as one of our greatest living writers
IF English verse, and | cannot believe
that my friendship for McNeill was
wholly responsible for the conviction
that we have had IN our North Caro-
lima Lycidas. dead ere his prime, a
trler poet even than LIE G~alIienne.
The next time you wish to give a
book as a present, instead of buying
the latest popular novel, buy a copy
Of McNeilTs Songs, Merry and Sad
He would be reckoned a very disloyal
Scotchman who did not know and
honor Burns; I cannot help thinking
that it is equally dis~creditabIe for a
North Carolinian not to know the
poetry of John Charles McNeill-Mc-
Neil. who knew the common things
Of our North Carolina farms and
fields and forests n sang about
them: he whose sensitive nature could
divine the tenderest feelings OF The
Little White Rride;" could laugh with
barefoot boys on Lumber River; could
tongue loves sweetest dreams in such
poems as oh, Ask Me Not" could
look straight to God in Christmas and
Easter hymns; could feel the tragic
harrenness in the life of The
Drudge whose heart beat with pity
even Tor the OutCaSt woman VINO
knew so we'll the heart of Nature that
the mood Of every season found magi-
cal expression in his fancy; and who
also felt, as we felt at his own pass
ing, the hopeless mystery of u~ntinleIy
death, and expressed it in words of
matchiess beauty in his tribute "To
Melvin Gardner"
l am writing this note simply by
way of Introduction III calling atten-
ton to a half dozen poems of Nc
NeilIs not included in either of his
published volumes but which I clipped
from the Charlotte Observer at the
time they were first published and
which should not be forgotten. There
are no doubt enough other poems Of
genuine merit not yet put into book
form TO make q third volume which
would do credit to NfcNeilrs memoir
Why should not this be dOne2
"fho White South enclosed here
with is 3 strong poem somewhat out
of NcNeilIs usual vein; Lovers
Partlng' is a s~TnguIarfy exquisite and
tender bit Of sentiment; "a Wounded
Hawk" is made Of sterner stuff; 'Vir-
prophecy; while the Song" and ITO
an Idle Maiden illustrate the flaw
lessness Of his rhythm and his grace
OF expression.
But enOush Of this. My purpose
was simply to put before your readers
these half dozen MTNeilI poems which
deserve a better fate than the obi
Won which has threatened to overtake
CLARENCE POE.
ltaieigh, n. c., July 6, 1910.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
battle smon

UdlIIt SI1OE3
That rose Ger conquest. for each say
throng,
And "a the hearts hat bore but
never broke.
at last shall flow the master s
song.
john Charles MCNEIL.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
IH2

Society is like Jericho-its walls fall
down before him who dOes the most
trumpeting.-Smart Set.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09
HC)
Conscience VS.. Art.

washington Starr
Thomas Nelson Page, in the Smok-
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-09

But Whlie her seed shall yet endure.
Clear-eyed, their tread shall still he
sure,
blood be proud and brave and
purei
job Charles Mcneil.
TO AN IDLE MAIDEN.
Grleve not that no great task
Is thine to try,
world is full of workers
Such as l.
Like the red ose which knows no toll.
But rests at ease,
Yielding her sweets, the spoil
Of lover bees,
Like the white cloud, which knows no
haven
Beyond the hill.
broods all day or Wanders
At her will.
Like winds that stir the reeds
Or kiss thy hair.
And bring their vagrant blessing
Everywhere;
Like all things beautiful
And all things free,
Thou hast no duty, sweet,
Except to be.
John Charles Mcneil.
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-11-07

all the seasona5e weights represented in variety Of
East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-11-07

al nd % .g1 g@59e 3 :: .Ga G@45 5 sa.s IN % 5s @ ] " -
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-27
!" Won in the Ninth"

this years Jefferson's team We didn'i
have such very easy time with them
last year. though the effort it cost made
the victory just that much sweeter, You
l think and Will do so.
AT first base they have, OF course.
Frank l Church, who is. as you know, still
much about him. because you know he
is one OF the greatest first basemen ever
known, and IT was his ability as man
you have found some one nearly as good
as Penny to play FIRST. You will need
him Hughie chuckled to himself as he
thought OF his own wonder al first base.
AT second" wrote Pop further. they
have. as you know, La Joy who is one
of the best batters around In the west,
He also Is as fine Il fielder as ever. but.
OF course. you have Johnny Everson. and
AT third Laird was on last years team,
the best third saclser they ever had out
here and better this year than ever. AT
short they have n youngster named Hol-
He is brilliant. hcady. and fast, and is a
dangerous player both at bat and on the
bases. He can play second even better.
They, seem to have had a good deal
OF luck In picking up freshmen youngsters
who can I'LL the holes in the team made
by the graduation last year. l think
this Hollins is a great shortstop. and
hope you have good one In Joe's place,
Hughie smiled TO himself. He was no
doubt thinking Of Hagner. his big, awk-
ward looking shortstop, Whenever
Hughie wanted to feel real good he drew
Il mind picture of Hagner going after q
hot grounder or Texas Lacquer out his
way.
They have great right fielder out
here named Twitchell; also a new man
a good thrower. In center is Thomas
Beach. just as good IN the field chasing
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-27

| some one out here to look the whol
team over; You may be able TO discover
them several times. and think for once
dear old Lowell Will have to hustle II
they beat this team.
Dear Old Pop Anderson took particular
pains TO write about the Jefferson team
In general. II don't want to scare you.
my dear Hughie," wrote Pop, but you
had better be prepared to outdo ever
yourself when you came out here to play
did you ever know Of anybody else
having the kind Of baseball luck as We
have had this year," asked Tommy
son team and a good friend of Church s.
No, said Church. i've, seen the
bad luck come In bunches often before.
team put out OF the game on account
OF injuries in a day, but no ono ever
had the good luck we haye had In pick
men recruits and have them develop into
stars after the few games We have
played"
us in 1'I the .' past, said Big George Mel
len, star pitcher OF the Western col
lege but methinks that when we have
with the team we now hove this bunch
of fellows will have wiped out not only
all the disgrace of the football defeat
but also the long string OF baseball beat
ngs they have handed us In the past
years"
and had had a chance TO see some OF
the games which Jefferson had played
with other western. colleges. began TO
think that Church had finally succeed,
cd in putting a team together that
would, II they kept up the pace which
they had set for themselves. give Lowell
a pretty hard tussle.
They could not quite speak what was
really their true opinion because OF their
great belief In jenkins. but when they
looked away down deep in their hearts
they not only felt these western boys
might give Lowell a pretty hard tussle,
but they. were very much afraid ;hey
would take the championship. So they
began sending what seemed at first TO
their friends at Lowell to whom they
wrote some wonderful stories OF the
star players on the new team at JEFF
ferson college. and gave many warnings
that at last Church had real ball
team. and that when he brought his
boys to Lowell the championship would
at least be in danger
George Davids wrote to Delvin about
n fast shortstop who. strange TO say
had come from the east TO attend this
Houlns," wrote George "and ne is
star performer. He came here direct
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-27

, flies he was a couple OF years ago at
third base, You will, I know. never for
get the trouble this young Beach person
has caused Lowell teams. In the past
reports OF the first Inning In 80 many
games read, Beach has got double or
triple to left
"one thing have noticed, though.
Beach Is still weak when IL comes to
getting caught at third. Do you remem--
Der last year King caught him off third
three times when with Church on first
and Tommy on third. they attempted a
double steal? I've seen him get caught
twice this year the same way. Funny,
isn't It, that he can't get over that play? :?
He just can't resist the temptation IL the
to second to stop steal to make false
start toward the plate. and when the
catcher throws to third instead OF sec
ond. Beach gets caught almost every
time. Hope you con work It on him this
year again.
"Wareford In left is only fair fielder
but wonder with the bat. He comes
from Kansas and is likely to make trou-
BILE at any time with his stick He hits
| all kinds OF pitching,
You Will have finally to deal with
George Mellon In the pitchers box. He
is better than ever this year. He has
won twelve straight games this year
and is almost as good batter as any
pitcher named Cam who promises to be
II wonder For catcher they have a
younssteT; freshman named Roger
think he ought TO be lne this year you
may have the advantage OF catcher
with experience on big college teams,
but Brest seems to be n find end think
seem TO have had remarkable luck out
here with the team this year,
''It will take all your ability as man
ager and as good q team as you had