davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
PLEADS FOR PEACE.
CONGRESSMAN Hamilton Says It Is Pres
ent Days Greatest Need.

Portland. Me, Feb f2.-"The best thing
that could happen 10 US is peace SAID
Congressman Z. l.. Hamilton, OF Michigan
in q Lincoln memorial address here TO-
night. Peace not only from war, but
neace among ourselves. domestic peace
neace in all the ramifcations of our ma
tiona1 being, peace and rest from the
turmoil of political ve1lcws. and peace from
the turbulence Of mutual aggression.
while the Civil War settled for all time
whether the Constitution is a revocable
contract among the sovereign states or the
fundamental law of an 1ndeStructible
union Mr. Hamilton continued. what now
remains for us to learn and learn again IS
how to govern ourselves and TO wisely ad-
minister the heritage of an undivided ma
ton.
Mr.. Hamilton criticised the hustl1ng ten
dercv and the congestion of modern civil
ization in America, and predicted that al
some time in the future a tremendous
energy now employed in riotous money get
ting might give TO the world a master
piece.
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
CHlNS.

to be found a kind of belief in a Supreme
Being. This is nat called Chinun Way
Shun. who existed long before there was
any world. He created the other mats.
That the dead go Somewhere" most ka-
chins believe. but they do not know and dc
not care about the place. There does not
appear TO be any separation Of the good or
the had. or any thought of heaven" or
hell" This applies to most of the tribes,
though one two OF them think there are
places for the good and other places for
the wicked
The prevailing thought, however is that
everything that happens is due TO spirits
When a Kachns liver is out of order and
he feels sccdy. he Is fairly sure that the
spirit of some wicked uncle aunt or
jealous brother is causing all the trouble
Therefore, first Cf all. he Consuts the
Tumsa. The Tumsa INDUCES in lot of
hocus- pocus. and AT last announces which
nat is offended. Then the rumsa delivers a
long sing song admonition to the spirit and
a buffalo or pig or chicken is sacrificed
The Office of SaWbwa, or headman. of
kachin tribe is hereditary, and always goes
to the youngest son-qute contrary to the
principle OF inheritance in Western lands.
The Sawbwa has two or three elders to
is no individual possession of land. and the
rice grown is regarded the property OF
the tribe. Alongside the paddy" rice
field, little patches of poppies are grown.
When the poppy heads are ripe they are
notched with dab, and the exuding juice
wiped on cloth. This Is dried and rolled
up When required for use, little bit Is
torn off and smoked. cloth and all
The only warfare in which the kachins
engage is raids on peaceful villages In the
valleys. The head of enemy is cut off.
and usually brought along with the spoil.
that the Kachin may be accepted by his
friends first class warrior. The ka-
chins are not really brave. They prefer To
make their attacks from behind. ana when
a village Is to be rushed IL is generally
during the darkness II night. one OF the
objects of these raids ~ to secure slaves,
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
kACHINS.

though since the British occupation slavery
has more or less been stamped out.
Now. another strange and little known
race In British Burmah are the Chins.
They, too, are nomadic, and live in the hill
lands. But these lands are not so favora-
bic those possessed by the kachins. and
they are obliged to work extremely hard TO
scrape living out of the soil They are Il
mean. poor spirited folk. They have an
idea that if they are good earth they
will spend their time in the next existence
In continuous gorging-a very natural
heaven to a people who are always on the
edge of starvation.
Being a Chin has more disadvantages
than being a kachin. When a chin dies
his eldest son is obliged to make all his
fathers wives his wives-except his own
mother. Besides this sad prospect always
in view. the eldest son must marry .hs
youngest daughter Of his fathers eldest
sister.
Though the Chins live close 10 China. they
have never heard OF the Chinese or their
country. They arc more confined than the
kachins. keeping to a mountain locked re-
gton where the hill slopes are heavily mat
ted with Jungle Occasionally they ventura
from their Businesses to make IA raid on
some Burman VILLAGE. The attack is usual
ly made just before dawn. the Chins rush
ing into the village. yelling and firing their
guns. killing all resisters. while the IucLIrss
villagers make a wild rush for the safety
of the Jungle They carry cff everything
they can including many captives as
possible. whom they use as their slaves.
chin villages. always protected by stock
AIDES. are built on the hiIlsdes in terraces
and stand on piles three or four feet from
the ground. The houses are uf beams NJ
WOOD no nails are used in the constru,.-
ton The logs are treasured possessions.
which descend from father TO son. so that
many OF them are black with age and
smoke. because there are no chimneys or
windows iii the houses. the reek escaping
through the one door or through any chinks
there may chance to be.
Drunkenness Is much too common among
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
No l
Bv John Foster Frazer

All travellers have remarked that while
on level stretches of particular areas of the
world s surface the people are of the same
race and speak similar language. there
are in mountainous regions many races in
close proximity who are startlngly disSimi-
lar ard who speak quite different languages.
The hills have done much 10 lock people
UP in particular districts and to prevent
them from communicating with their neigh
bors. But many of the hill tribes, like
those in the wild land of Upper Burma,
which cuts off China from the rest of the
world are not aborigines but come from
lands iii the west. II looks as though. over
a long stretch of prehistoric time, the no
madic people on the plains OF Central Asa
went wandering aud wandering until at last
they got into a tangle of mountains. which
barred tkem-and there they have stuck
ever since. Just as in the Caucasus Noun
tains and mostly on the southeastern side,
are many races, speaking more than sixty
Languages so in the Burman-China noun
tain ranges. and generally on the western
side, are many quaint peoples.
Now. in all my vaga hondings in strange
lands ! have never come across place
which is so captivating a storybook of the
human race as the little known patch of
the British Empire in Upper Burnah. The
Burmese are delightful people, kindly,
easy going, picturesque; but it is when
YOU get on the eastern fringe of Burmah
that you run into a hotch-potch of tribes
which have got nothing in common with
the Burmese except the BROWNIES of their
skins
| remember once falling in with a party
Of Kachins who had been down to the
plains getting rid Of pigs and fowls and
honey, and receiving in exchange gaudy
cotton goods. / walked with them-all of
US trudging zigzag Indian file. up the
iangled mountainside to their temporary
village. 1 knew when I approaching
the village. because curious bamboo de-
vices, hung with tufts of colored wool. had
been erected TO keep away the evil spirits.
Nv casual friends were well disposed. and
/ got sleeping accommodation in the house
Of the head man, al oblong, lowbut
house rather like p Noah's ark, raised
from the ground, without windows and di-
vided into various apartments.
The Kachins are divided into many sub
tribes. minor clans. The chieftain is
called the sawbwa The various tribes are
distinguished by their customs, some shay
ing the head. except for a topknot. and
others allowing the hair TO grow. tangled
Some are almt~t naked. and dIhing the
cold night hudde SO close 10 the fires that
their bodies are scared with burns.
The kachin, as a rule, Is a short man.
averag ging feet inches, while the women,
short, podgy and unloVable, are rarely
taller than five feet. The man is slim and
weedy, and though apparently lacking in
muscle is capable "f much endurance
The variety of types of countenance
among the people is most marked. Some
are curly haired and thick Tipped and
others are fairish skinned and have
straight hair. Then you come across OBJ
Iique eyes and aquline noses, while in an
adjoining village the eyes are round and
the nose is a misshapen dump in the mid
die Of the fanA- Mostly. however. the eye
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

tho oath of allegiance rendered us by the
s,,,borities. and as a result were remand
"a % ,ha Old Capitol prison for an indef-
IT.. neriod. After an incarceration of sew
80, noonths. while my case was being in
,,...ig,ted by General Martindale. then
Acting Secretary of War, interested friends
IN Nev York interceded with President
Iincoln In my behalf. among them an in
n,sntiaI friend of the President who Wis
tied Washington for the purpose OF procur
;ro, my release. His call at the White
uouse successfully accomplished this re-
su1t and in return for this act of kindness
we called at the Executive Chamber 10
thank President Lincoln for his considera
ton and magnanimity
At that TIME during our Civil War. when
the clash of arms resounded throughout
the land amid the walls of the wounded
and the lamentations Of the afflicted, was
performed All act of philanthropy charac-
teristic of the true philanthropist. My
friend unconsciously informed the Presi-
dent that | had fought against the gov
ernment and that my father at that time
was prominent in the Confederacy and
liberal contributor to the Southern cause.
Mr. Lincoln grasped my hand. and in re-
sponse answered. Il am happy to know l
am able to serve an enemy.
What a noble contrast to the prevailing
bitterness and animosty of that eventf1l
period a gentle reminder that had he lived
the North and South would have been re-
united in true brotherIy love at a much
earlier period, as he desired il, with
charity toward all and malice toward
none" Such act was worthy of ex-
ample and reveals character combining
the noblest attributes Of human nature.
In the winter of 1865, while in the St
Lawrence Hotel, Montreal, the writer had
a conversation with Wilkes Booth. who
then claimed he was on the way South TO
run the blockade for the purpose of enter
ing the Confederate army. a few weeks
thereafter this man was an assassin. and
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated- On
that memorable day 1 was at the Queen )
Hotel Toronto, when an ex-Chaplaln OF the
Confederate army disgraced his clerical
robes by excIaiming in the corridor OF the
hotel that the death OF Lincoln was the
greatest Southern victory Of the war L
then narrated to him LincOln's kindness
n me and recalled To his mind the mag
uanimity of the il1ustriOus statesman He
immediately acknowledged his error, bowed
in. submissive silence and earnestly apollo
gized for the words unConsciouSly SPOKEN
in a moment of great excitement one OF
the greatest. grandest characters IN history
was Abraham Lincoln
I contribute this article as a tribute TO
his memory on this, the anniversary OF his
birthday. In honor of that philanthropy
and magnanimity which were shining traits
in the character of the nations martyr ana
h.nefactor G.. L. MORDECAI.
New York, Feb. Y, 1910.
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

better than ours. but the general average
of construction has been and is better than
ours in the one fundamental detail that
they have used less wood than We Inc
result is that a fire seldom gets peNono
the building in which 1t originates, While
with US three and four buildings at time,
an entire block, whole town, a great sec
ton of city. destroyed in one fre IS
no uncommon occurrence. Our fires aver
age a loss TO us of nearly s. per capita,
while in Europe the general average is
trifie less than SO cents. and In some couh-
tries even as loN as u cents per capita.
London. a nightly crowded city. larger
than New York and with very poor build
ings. according to the European standard
has only 3Ooo fires a year, and its depart
ment costs little over S1,0o0rN. while that
of Berlin. salaries and all, means only an
outlay of &000ol
There are many things that our archl-
.ects and engineers should know and apply
in new buildings: to distinguish between
materials that are merely incomhuStible
and those that are undamageable by hre;
TO make small units OF space in when
fire can occur; to cut off the window route
to fire: TO enclose elevators and stairs so
that each story is immune from fire in that
below it Cities should properly classify
and conspicuously label all buildings of
public and semi-pubc nature nreproof'
Ordinary and dangerous This would
keep crafty people from advertising in
ferior buildings as of the first class, as Is
SO frequently done now, thus obtaining
tenants under false pretences Insurance
companies should make their rates on COM
bustible construction SO high as TO be pro-
hibitiVe.
But all that is for the specialist, the
technical man. to know and to eXpound.
| There are certain things that we should
| pound into the layman: we should get upon
! the housetop and cry them forth: we should
| paint them in huge letters on every sign
| board, that even the deaf could see If they
! did not hear our vociferation: Keep out
! of wooden buildings as much as you can.
Don't buy a wooden house and don't, in
! Heavens name, don't use wood in building
! the new home the church, the shop, the
/ club or other structure in which you pro-
! pose putting your money
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

turned to Richmond preparatory to run
ming the gantlet through the Confederate
and Federal lines. With this in view I
cidentally made the acquaintance of a man
whose past experience as an indefatigable
blockade runner had been extraordinarily
successful In fact. L was only a novice,
while this, his third trip through the lines
from Richmond to Washington, had made
him strictly a professional. Fortified with
two passports one from the Secretary of
state and the other from the city authori-
ties. accompanied by my companion. I left
Richmond defiant, but doubtful as TO the
final result.
Like any young man whose first advent
ure had made him somewhat egotistical. L
felt like proclaiming, Here the conquer
ing hero comes" but remembering that alb
soute reticence and strict secrecy were
essential TO success, / reluctantly and with
great difficulty suppressed my boyish emo
tions and proceeded the journey. No
soldier ever. entered battle with greater
emotion than these two weary travellers
through the mountains of Virginia. Up
hill and down dale, tramping and driving
long and short distances, here and there,
on TIE ragged and rugged edge of consterna-
ton and danger. these two forlorn wander
a while lost their bearings, not knowing
what they were doing nor where they were
going. But in time of great doubt and un-
certainty when everything seems lost,
there is safer pilot than determinations
pluck and strong presence of mind
After a long and very monotonous jour-
ney crossed the Potomac at night, IN
the midst of volley of musketry sharp
shooting from sentinels stationed on the
banks of the river, and arrived on the out
skirts of Port Tobacco. Md. just before
the dawn of another day. Completely ex
hausted, we vainy endeavored to procure
accommodations at the only hotel in town,
but were Immediately informed that this
was no resting place for suspected rebels,
whose presence would surely impugn the
loyalty of the proprietor and thus endanger
his position and interests in the COM
munity After this rebuff we wandered to
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
HAPPY TO SERVE AN ENEMY.

[From The Tribune of February 10. 1901. ]
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In the memorable winter of 1854 dur
ing the Civil War, one of the most eventful
periods in our national history. occurred an
incident of more than ordinary interest to
every admirer of the martyred and immortal
Lincoln. After receiving an honorable dis
charge from the Confederate army, the
writer. who had been an occasional con-
tributor to the Southern press, was au
thorized by an officer of the most prominent
blockade company in South Carolina to
visit Nassau in behalf of the stockholders
who had large and valuable interests in
that island. Immense cargoes of goods
shipped from England to this point re-
mained there awaiting favorable oppor
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

tunity to run the blockade a Charleston.
To facilitate this without further un-
necessary delay 7 left the latter city for
Richmond with letters of introduction to
the Hon. Judah P. Benjamin, the Secretary
OF State for the Southern Confederacy.
After presenting my credentials and re-
ceiving a passport to leave the South,
started Immediately for Wilmington, \. G.,
there to embark on blockade vessel for
Nassau. On arrival to my great amaze
ment and discomfort, / was officially in
formed by General Whiting. in command
of the department, that conscription order
had been issued by the Secretary of War
since my departure from Richmond, call
ing on all able bodied men for active ser
vice and revocation OF previous pass
ports to leave the Confederacy.
Determined not to be baff1ed by this un-
foreseen and unexpected contingency. l re-
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

the outskirts of the town, and there hai.ed
a stage en- route from Port Tobacco to
Washington. Among the several passen-
gers were furoughed federal officers and
soldiers on their way home. By these we
were scrutinized with a peculiar suspicion
during the trip. until our arrival al the
Potomac bridge entering Washington
Much to our amazement we were then and
there arrested and marched by provost
marshal's guard to headquarters for a pre-
liminary examination, preparatory to a
very long confinement in the Old Capitol
prison.
Picture two forlorn, detected. dilapidated
Individuals after such a struggle. on the
eve of a most triumphant success, with
victory near at hand, to be thus crushed
and crestfallen, and you will thus realize
defeat in all its significance Prompted by
conscientious motives, We declined to take
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
TRIBUTETO LINCOLN
IN EX-CONFEDERATE
WROTE IN PRAISE.
Reader Recalls Letter to The
Tribune Which Is Here
he printed.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Permit me to suggest that YOU re-
print on Lincolns Birthday the letter of
G L. Mordecai re Lincoln, which snneared
In The Tribune on February II or 10. 1901
over his signature. This letter is Of excep-
tional interest and is frequently referred to-
Many parties have sought in vain to pro-
cure copies of The Tribune containing the
original article. ] have had MANY applica-
tons for it since I have briefly referred to
K in a monograph on Lincoln. T. NJ.
New York, Feb. 8. 1910.
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

night. The ordinance granting the fran
chise also leases Ocean Park, the ten-aCre
tract belonging to the city. to the pier
company for twenty years, with option of
purchase.
provement is the Long Branch Pier and
Land Company, which was incorporated
last week Pittsburg capital is backing
the enterprise, which is headed by James
G. Ewing and William +. Mason.
The pier will extend $50 feet TO sea and
will he of steel and concrete. It will con-
tain a convention hall, seating ten thou
sand persons, a theatre and other amuse-
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
A PERFECT" BUILDING.

mall this great big country Of ours, with
its twelve million buildings and over, there
are scarcely Ten thousand Of them in which
effective ATTEMPT has been made at hre
prev4ntion. and 10 my certain knowledge
there are not ten that afford absolute
safety to their Inhabitants. their contents
and TO their own structures. buildings
mean. that are perfectly fireproof IN every
detail II must he ignorance or stupldllH
that creates this condition, because an IN
Hanlmahie building costs only a little less
initialy than a good one and ultimately
good deal more, and is never either safe
or profitable investment In proof OF that
take the Underwriters Laboratory in Chi
cago the most perfect building In the
world and II cost initially scarcely 10 per
cent more than if it had been the usual
burnable construction: il requires no lnsur-
ance. needs little or no repair as its DE-
-erioration Is negligible quantity, and
affords perfect safety TO every one in II
and the maximum OF safety TO everything
that NAV be stored in il. L was built as
model but the lesson has been lost upon
most OF US.
We have SO built and are 90 building that
our weekly average Of destruction by nre
is thrse theatres. three public halls, twelve
churches. ten schools, two hospitals. two
fails two asylums two colleges, three de
partn1enr stores. six apartment houses.
tWenty-siN hotels. one hundred and forty
fathcuses and nearly sixteen hundred
homes. Now. then, every one Of US lives
or has business il some structure equally
well 20 built: ve average from fifteen to
tNenty-three hours spent in buildings. and
from seven TO ten hours Of that time are
asleep in them and therefore powerless to
helm ourselves It can be truthfully said,
therefore. that We are all the time in grave
peril Of our lives, z greater and more pres
ent danger Of fire than Of destruction by
any other cause or accident.
That is speaking broadly, but put in
more concrete form. there are thirty-siX
thousand Of US who barely escape that
destruction every day in the year. There
are that many people VINO just get out of
burning buildings in the nick OF time or
are carried down fire escapes or are other
wise in imminent peril. more palpable, more
visible than that which threatens US, all
he time
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13
THE NEW s A6Y.

Ieacher-i shall not keep you after
school. Johnnie. You may so home nov
Johnnie-l don't want ter go home.
lheres baby Just come 10 our house
Ieacher-You ought IL he glad, Johnnie.
y dear little habv--
Johnnie (vehementlyl-I amt glad Pan
eiahe me-he blame5 me fer everything
L!ppinGotts.
New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

rnent places. It is planned to have 1t
sufficiently completed by July to permit the
larding of steamers, a fast line of which
is to he run between the pier and New
York.
Ocean Park is also 10 be further i'm
proved It is almost opposite the site of
the pier. at Ocean avenue and South Broad
way on the old United States Hotel prop
erty. a block away in Ocean, avenue, 4CO-
room concrete hotel is to be erected by the
pier company.