davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
TERRIBLE FIGHT
WITH BIG SNAKE
SAILOR TELLS OF BATTLE WITH
BOA CONSTRUCTOR IN JUN
GLE OF AFRICA.
KILLS REPTILE WITH KNIFE
John Bates Believed to Be the Only
Man who Ever Escaped From
the Coils OF Such
Snake,
BY JAMISON T. MACY.

New York-When the tramp
schooner Kittie s. limped into port
a few days ago after a rough voyage
from Liverpool, she had among her
crew John Bates. a giant Of six feet
five, weighing 243 pounds stripped,
who claims to be the only man alive
who ever was in the coils OF a boa
constructor and escaped death.
Bates is 81 years old but he has
been following the sea ever since he
was 1e years old. His mates vouch
for his veraclty and farks on his face
and body. they say. are proofs OF the
story he tells OF the terrible battle he
had with the huge snake.
Born in Liverpool. Bates early
formed a love for the sea and as
small boy was employed on the docks
He grew rapidly and when only l6
years old his muscles were like steel.
lie had no trouble in becoming n sea.
man when his mother gave the con.
sent which she had long withheld be.
cause his father had lost his life on
the ocean. Bates first ship was the
Santa Teresa on which he sailed sew
eral years. Next he shipped on La
Seville n French barkentine. He re.
mained with Capt. Mock, master OF
this vessel. two years and then he
took to the tramp ships. II was while
on voyage to Africa that Bates,
whose great strength had made him
terror to sailors In their pay day
brawls, and two companions decided
to visit the interior.
The story OF the battle with the rep.
tile had to be drawn from Bates be.
tween his drinks of grog because he
modestly refrains from Dragging about
| II.
Il guess was lucky all right" he
said. Simeon West and Jack Gard.
ner were with me. We had been in
! the Jungle week and had had so lit.
tie excitement that We intended to so
back to the coast when the snake
gave me all the trouble shall want
| for the rest of my life. II was hotter
than the boiler room of the Maure,
tania. and ! had on only my shirt,
| trousers and shoes. ! was gathering
| leaves to start fire when | came un.
der a tree. The Internal snake was
on a limb but / did not see him un.
| I'll II was too late. He dropped down
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Ao~aA 2;"'

Is it strange that Mexico, through its
representative, Senor Creel, should offer tc
mediate between the United States and
Nicaragua during the present difficulty
The numbering of Cannon and Groce is
more or less similar to the policy of the
Mexican government toward some Amcri.
can citizens.
To suffer Imprisonment on trumped-up
charges, without trial for months and in
many cases years, in watcr-soaked fever
laden dungeons, having ones miserable
life sustained with the yilest of food, is far
worse than a speedy death by execution.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
After the Hunt.

Provided with some trophies OF the
Shase In the shape of rabbits. Rev
Sanford G. Hearn, pastor of the First
Methodist Episcopal church, Yonkers,
proceeded to dress them for dinner in
the parsonage cellar. Ills small son
watched the fathers work with inter.
est. Going upstairs, the youngster
called his mother.
"Oh, HANNA" said he. what do
'ou suppose papa is doing?"
II cant guess, child. What is he
doing?"
We'll, he's Just skinning shaving
and cutting up cats"
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Public
Service
Career Depends
on Personal
Equation
BY JOSIAH QUINCY

OSITIONS in public service, like those private employment
have their advantages and their disadvantages The disad
vanagcs commonly dwt upon those arising from
IT1 of where the office within the pot
S& a sphere the absence of good opportunities for promotion
&hI and the that the and conditions Of public service
ka7I such dsQuafy for subsequent private
/ ~4 poymcnt
- But it must be remembered
spending such freedom from the uncertainties
of business professional life absence of and definite career
which he reasonably counted for life least where the office
within the scope of the civil service rules.
atraciyencs position public service
depends chiefly upon the personal equation position which under-
able for energy ambition and fconfdenc be der-
able for who does not the qualities win success
upon a competitive basis.
Outside the public service there who fitted TO do
Independent work. found business of their out their
professional There others who do much better work
when employed directed by other man Of force and enterprise
these qualities better for himself branch of public
employment than in trying TO make his fortune in the outside world
The law of compensation through life; if there not a
elements about Office holding offset its limitations and dadvan
there would be such keen competition for every vacancy from
the lowest to the highest.
The lower grades public service protected by The civil service laws
rather duafy the incumbent for private work his duties suor
the settle down to their performance routine
spirit very strong There great incentive for cxerton
promotion sight be by proved efficiency payment by
results In there merely the fixed routine of work to
be through and the fixed pay be regularly received
My opinion is, generalization wanted that taking the
public whole this country, every per-
holding public Office employment who would probably be better Oft
private life there least five who better off they 1t
for the public empoye imagine how much better he could have
done if he had chosen other 1t difficult in most cases
for the impartial observer to be salts =.
fled that the opportunities thus lost Fv",E> 9-~'<~>
would otherwise have been realized.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Law
and
Justice
in Mexico
By W. R. PARKER

forgotten incident that caused government to COM
pei Mexico open up the doors of Monterey prison and berae an
held for years without trial in the worst
Of Mexican pcnicntarc?
DO to-day and forget tomorrow the that was brought
the reproduction in the daily papers of telegram sent
the citizens of little Texas Secretary of State Knox
informing held and has been held for nine
months Guadalajara prison without the sembance of trial.
old times in the last few years and have
of Mexican law and justice applied Americans
have civil and mining engineers who have spent
years that republic that such
They the imprisoned seldom granted trial. but
underground cells far removed from the light of day
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Christmas
Brings
Many
IOrtureS
By B. MARTIN R0HEN

the has his hand out for Christmas gift and
cashier has her handbag ready for anything that may come her
Even newsboy ready appropriate coin
may paper Christmas and Christmas morning
then toward his office and drops to ha
the book drives his dark through this geni
and regular patron unless he uts up coin commenura
with the annual expectancy
goes the Office building and the elevator bids hi
cccry merry Crsas with the expectation of receiving ubsta
tial reminder of Christmas.
where this wanders during the day. there is alwa
the band for the Christmas Offering.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

"'Plunk' Is useful word to have
about the house" observes the Lon
don Chronicle. 1T denotes the sound
Of the string Of a musical instrument.
A plunk may also be sudden blow,
the grass within n fairy ring, a thick.
set person and-in American slang
a large sum of money" True enough.
Almost everybody has seen the time
when a "plunk" was a large sum Of
money
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Although Christmas to many may
bring pleasure and happiness in profuson,
yet TO many others it is made day of tor
ture and melancholy by the actions and
expectations of mcndicants who ought to
have more manhood and more apprecia-
tion of the rights of others.
\ man enters the barber shop Christ
mas eve to get shaved and not only does
the porter expect a Christmas offering, but
the barber, who has been receiving regu-
lar weekly stipend from his customer, ex-
poets an extra good tip for Christmas.
This same man goes to restaurant for
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Naturally the question arises how is
II, seeing that we have the greatest
actual and relative banking power OF
all nations in the world, that we must
still borrow money abroad? The an
swer is easy. We have still many re.
sources TO develop, many business
propositions to exploit, while the old
er nations OF the world find that do
nestle business has well nigh reached
It's profitable limit. They prefer Amer.
lean investments with their larger re-
turns In interest.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Easily Distinguished.

This" remarked Mr.. Cane. rs my
photograph with my two French
poodles. You recognize me?"
81 think So" said Miss Softee. You
are the one with the hat on. are you
not?"
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
The Worst OF u.

"Oh. she's awful. Whenever she
tries to sing song she simply muir.
ders It,"
but that's not the worst Of t. II
she'd only murder II outright I
wouldn't mind, but she tortures 1t so
long"
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
Excused.

SHANE on you You came home
last night actually tipsy."
$50 l did, my dear. just couldn't
resist the pleasure Of seeing two OF
you at once"
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

A Missouri gentleman Is demanding
that be be given some altar Of roses
that he alleges was presented to Pres.
idont Monroe by the japanese govern.
ment. Ia this instance the gentleman
from Missomi does not demand to be
ghown but 10 he allowed TO smell
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

A Philadelphia man has given TO
his wife n Christmas present consist.
ing OF a rope OF pearls worth $3.50, 900.
The amount OF his contributions to the
charitable institutions Of Philadelphia
is not mentioned.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

II does not require the wisdom OF
hose who talk the most about riding
on the water wagon stay on It for the
shortest time
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

A Gotham Judge has decided that II
is not actionable for a man to call
his neighbor's wife and daughter cats.
But It is to be hoped that no Goth.
amite is yearning for that privilege.
As a gentleman, such a one would Ger.
tainly not come up to the scratch.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03
An Anti.suffraoist Argument.

Mother-Johnny, If you don't be.
have shall spank you.
Johnny-Er-don't you think II
would be more womanly to use indi:
rect influence?
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Ono thing ailing us Is the fact that
the mild winters we have been having
have spoiled us.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Minister WI has talked to phono-
graph. II is the first conyersationalist
he ever met that he couldn't ask ques-
uons Of
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

The old proverbs depend largely on
the point of view. For instance. you
can't convince mouse that a black
cat brings good luck
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

A Canadian police inspector thinks
the craftsmanship OF our policemen
Is bad He ought to see their record
when there are enough innocent spec.
tators in the line of fire.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Are our monthly magazines losing
their enterprise? Not one of them as
yet has sent out It's Fourth Of July
issue
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

II costs the American citizen many
times as much for fire protection as
the European pays Evidently in Eu-
cope they build better than we know
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Farms in the United States are esti.
mated 10 be worth s30,O00.00O,0 900.
These are figures which make even a
copper trust envlous.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Only n merciful man should be put
in charge Of a team of horses in this
weather.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Sausage. spare ribs. ham, bacon and
pigs knucklcs are now popular. The
pigskin has been laid away
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Love stories and love plays are com.
ing back into fashion again, and we
are glad of IT, We have had these
new thought and problem things until
we are sick at our stomachs.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

In reforming football there is no
lack Of places at which to make the
start
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

A barefoot dancer is drawing large
crowds In New York. The next thing
is for Chicago to claim her as a ma.
tive daughter.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Don't get worried about the price
Of steers and hogs. You don't have
to buy any Content yourself with
sirloin steaks and nice Virginia ham.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

once there was cook who stayed
in one place for more than months.
She was in n hospital, paralyzed
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Eggs will soon come down" says
the market page Look out below
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Prices OF living are soaring so that
Uncle Sam now admits il is up to him.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

This is hard weather on germs that
happen TO be left out all night
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Sign Of spring: College baseball
schedules are out.
The Jackson herald., 1910-02-03

Rear Admiral william Il. Potter,
chief OF the bureau of navigation, in
his recommendation that the age for
admission OF cadets into the Naval
academy shall DO lower has the sup.
port Of facts that have time and again
been given serious attention. These
facts relate to the advanced age at
which officers arrive at commands in
the American navy. Before they
reach the highest grade in the serv-
ice they are about ready for retire
ment and the great majority never
have q chance TO reach those grades.
The fire flend is rampant these days
Yet when one considers how careless
the great majority are with this spedi.
est and most destructive of the ele.
ments, the wonder is that fires are
not even more frequent. In the
blazes OF the past week or so in differ
ent places the careless cigar stump
has played quite prominent part.
It seems little thing at the time to
attend to. but II there is law against
throwing refuse on the street there
should be an even more stringent one
against tossing away spark capable
OF starting an expensive fire or en-.
dangering a human life.
Barbour County index., 1910-03-16
CONFIDENT CAN DOUBLE
YIELDS OF FARM CROPS
Wyoming Soil Can Be Made
More-Scientific Methods and


but he has not given much attention
to practical features that appeal to
the farmer.
Alfalfa is the basis of western ag-
riculture, yet it has never been pedi-
greed or improved by scientific breed
ing. Like 'Topsy, it Just growed.'
1t is a mongrel plant, with probably
the greatest value of any mongrel on
earth. | now have in my breeding
gardens 20 varieties and strains of
alfalfa, including those raised from
seed from every part of the world
where the plant is grown, in addition
to my own hybrids. The method pur-
sued in improving alfalfa is to make
crosses and hybrids between all of
these varieties and then select the
one that shows the best quality, COM
bined with the greatest productive
ness. This last season l had two hy-
brids that grew to a height of three
feet in 80 days from the date of plant
ing the seed. Any one who has
grown alfalfa can appreciate the sig
nificance of these figures. By fixing
some type of this sort l can put into
the hands of the farmers improve.
ments that greatly will increase the
yield.
Those who are trying to improve
alfalfa have three objects in view
The first is to develop a quick grow
ing, heavy yielding strain. The Sec
ond is to obtain fine stems, with n
large percentage of leaves, for the
leaves are of the most value to the
stock farmer. The third object is to
gain power to resist disease. One
troublesome disease is known as leaf
spot. 1t is new fungus disease af.
fecting many plants that can be made
immune by proper treatment. This
disease is general and Is causing
Barbour County index., 1910-03-16
RUDE TYPICAL BEAVER HOME
Is Rude Cone in Form and Stands
in Upper Edge of Pond, Near
Where Brook Enters.
CBY ENos A. MILLs.)

(BY ENOS A MILLS.)
Up in the mountains at the scource
of the North st. Vrain. in Colorado, is
typical beaver home. The house is
a rude cone in form and stands in the
upper edge of the pond near where a
brook enters.
Most wild animals are homeless
wanderers; the beaver, however, lives
in home of his own building and does
so many interesting, useful things
that l like him better than any of our
wild people except our friends the
birds.
A beaver dam three feet high and
80 feet long forms this pond by the
st. Vrain, a.round which are thick
growths of willow and a few small
groves of aspen.
l had long wanted to have a close
look at the house and to take some
measurements. The opportunity came
one November a few days after the
pond was frozen over The pond was
l2O feet wide. and, measuring from
the place where the brook came in, to
the dam, it was 80 feet long. The
AOoSN GAo AAoOC vi d lulAluI0 vi
and long willow sticks. | measured
the house around the bottom on top
of the ice. 1t took 26 feet of rope to
go around it, while the top of the
house was exactly five feet above the
Ice. Wondering how much of the
house was in the water under the ice,
l thought to measure by thrusting a
pole to the bottom. Since the ice
was not very thick l attempted to ac-
complish this by holding the pole in a
vertical position, raising it, then
bringing it down with all my strength
to force 1t through the ice 1t went
through the ice-and so did 1. The
water was 21s feet deep; so altogeth-
er the house was 71a feet high.
Most beaver houses have two en-
frances. These usually consist of two
holes about one foot in diameter that
extend from the floor to the bottom
Barbour County index., 1910-03-16
A Beaver AZ Work.

OF the pond. Beaver houses do not
have any other openings, except some
very small air holes in the top of the
structure.
The room in this house was like the
rooY7S "a E1oRt beaver houses; it was
circular, four feet across and 21a feet
high; while the floor, with two en-
trance holes in it, was about three
inches above water or pond level.
Beavers do most of their work by
night, but occasionally work in the
daytime. One autumn afternoon l
hid on top of rock pile close to this
beaver pond and watched three beav-
ers at work. They were cutting down
aspens for winter One beaver con-
cluded to cut down an aspen that was
five inches in diameter. In the be-
ginning of his labors he raised up and
placed his forepaws against the aspen
tree, propped himself by extending
his hind legs wide apart, and began
cutting. He worked steadily until he
had deep notch in the tree Then
he stopped, tucked his tail between
his legs, sat down on it and continued
cutting. After gnawing away for one
hour and Is minutes he stopped and
thumped the ground three or four
times with his tail, then scampered
away, and with him scampered the
other two beavers just in time to- es-
cape injury from the falling tree,
which came to earth with resound-
| ing crash.
Our beaver then removed the limbs
OF the tree and gnawed the trunk into
short lengths SO that he would be able
to carry them away. While he was
working on the fallen tree one of the
other beavers, who had felled a yery
small aspen. was dragging it, limbs
and all. to the pond This was hard
work and it consumed much time
When the tree was finally placed in
the water the beaver caught one OF
the limbs in his teeth and swan away
easily dragging the tree through the
water to the pile of other green trees
in the water beside his house.
While the beaver with the fiye-inct
aspen was still busy cutting it intc
sections coyote came along and triet
to catch him, The awkward beaver
however. fed for the pond and jumped
in just as the coyote snapped for hi.
tail. He escaped, but it was a clos,
call. Once in the water he was safe
Beavers have very short legs an,
on land are so slow and clumsy tha
their enemies often catch them. Il
Nater. however, they swim and div
so easily that they usually escap
their foes.
Barbour County index., 1910-03-16
TWO AMUSING MEXICAN GAMES
Hanging Judas" and "The Flying
Game" Not Generally Known or
Played Anywhere Else.

While children play pretty much the
same games the world over, here are
two the Mexicans play which are not
used anywhere else:
Hanging Judas is a popular one
with the boys. They dress a big rag
doll in funny clothes (much like a
scarecrow) and stuff it with straw,
They then put firecracker in the
toes and hang the figure on a line
stretched across the narrow street.
Then the fuse is lighted and Judas"
is pushed out on the line Bang! go
the firecrackers. Judas is all ablaze
and the children laugh and dance
about as he burns. This game is
commonly played around Easter time.
THE flying game" is another sport
popular in Mexico and their records
show it was played before the time
of Columbus
A tree is cut, its branches removed
and steps are made out of ropes. 9th
ers affixed to the corners of the frame
are then wound around the pole. Four
boys, dressed as eagles or hawks,
climb up the steps and each of them.
taking a rope, swings off, while an
other boy whirls the square frame
around. This unwinds the ropes and
makes the boys fly round and round
in larger circles until they reach the
ground.
Barbour County index., 1910-03-16

much trouble, especially where alfai.
ia newly has been introduced.
"The old statement that wheat is
direct gift from God to man needs
some modification in the light of re.
cent discoveries. Wheat is a splendid
gift, but development was necessary
before it could fill all of mans needs.
This fact, however, does not in any
way detract from it's value as a bene.
faction to mankind. 1t had been sup.
posed for long time that the true
wild form of wheat was not known,
but we have discovered that one of
the early forms is einkorn, which is
found wild in Mesopotamia. About
three years ago DIR. Aaronsohn discov-
cred wild emmer growing in barren
places in Palestine, and the fact that
1t can be crossed with other wheat
indicates that it may have been an
ancestor from which have come i'm
portant improvements.
"At the Worland ranch we have
been working with winter and spring
wheat, oats, barley and rye Although
operations have been going on at the
present site, only three years, some
remarkable results have been OBJ.
tained. From the department of agri-
| culture l obtained a black emmer.
which is an early form of wheat, diff.
fering from the common grain in that
1t remains in the hull when threshed,
like barley. By throwing this grain
under unusual conditions a sport or
mutation, was obtained from which
the yield was heavier and better than
from the original
'Emmer is bearded, like barley, sc
We crossed 1t with winter wheat for
the purpose of eliminating the boards
From this cross has arisen a remark
able series of new types of grain. Be
tween 5000 and 10000 variations were
obtained. From those have select
ed Is Of the best, which are being de
veloped so as to be of practical value
In addition to working with what are
known as feed grains, have de
veloped type of winter wheat thai
appears to be superior to the populaI
turkey red, now generally grow,
throughout the northwest"