davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
HUMBUG

nHINFAS T. BARNUM is credited
with having said the American
j. people like to be humbugged.
Both he and Abraham Lincoln are
charged with the saying, You may
fool some of the people some of the
time, and some of the people all of
the time, and all of the people some
of the time, but you cannot fool all Of
the people all of the time.
If we may judge by the manner in
which professional humbugs flourish,
UNTIL EXPOSED, there is truth in
both sayings. During a long career
Of miracle e-mongering and professional
mediumship, conducted on a strictly
financial basis, Eusapia Paladino has
often been called a faker; but not
until she encountered and was worsted
by a committee composed of American
men of science was she conyincingly
and thoroughly unmasked.
"A wonderful woman-a wonderful
psychic" turns out to be a wonderful
trickster: and one. of the most adroit
sleight-o of-hand-and-foot performers of
the age. According to the report of the
exposing committee, the tricks she
performs with her feet are worth go-
ing miles to see. Eusapia as an oc-
cultist has lost caste, but as professor
Of parlor magic she is unexce1led.
The news of Eusapa's downfall will
be saddening to spiritualsts. These
eager beings, always lowering ON the
outside rim of life, and wildly anxious
to "see beyond" triumphantly re-
ferred the controversial skeptie to
Eusapia Paladinos work. This was
an unanswerable argument. But, since
even the queen of the spritualist dem
onstrators has been shown to be
fraud, we return to our old inquiry:
Are there any genuine professional me
diums? And even if the spirits do all
the silly, absurd, outrageous, tomfool
things with which they are credited,
what's the use?
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
Some Fashionable Young Wives Are
Scoring Old Fashioned Wedding Rings
(San Jose Herald

G LILY women of swagger New York
~ society do so many brainless
~ things that 1t would be a waste
of time to try to read anything into
most of their actions. These are too
often the results of idleiess, empty
headedness and the desire of wealth
to be different from the common cry
of men.
On the surface. then. the recent fad
of some of the Anticipated matrons or
the younger set could be Jumped in
with the seasons crop of inanities
were 1t not reinforced on its dangerous
social side by intelligent observers.
1t was noticed in New York not long
ago that some of these young wives
had discarded their wedding rings.
Soon the number whose fingers We're
thus bare showed that there was
united action An older matron, curl
Gus in the matter, asked one of the
wives of the younger set the reason
and got this reply: "Oh, / do not
bother with my wedding ring any
more. It's so commonplace and ordi-
nary; you know every woman mas
one"
This could be safely set down as
merely another instance of the inso-
lenee which money tbreeds in weak
minds il the subject hadn't been FOL
lowed up by a shrewd reporter. lie
talked with one of the leading Fifth
avenue jewelers.. wise man ana
mildly cvnic in his attitude. rev OF
our customers take much interest in
wedding rings" the jeweler said. I'VE
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
PACIFIC PROSPERITY

II RESIDENT TAFT'S approval of
the San Francisco Panama ex-
Il position is accompanied by the
following statement: "FROM PRES
ENT INDICATIONS THE CANAL
WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE
1915. Personally, I see no reason
why a double celebration should not
be held; that is to say. a celebration
at San Francisco on the Pacific coast
and a celebration at some designated
point on the Atlantic coast. But if in
its wisdom congress should decide that
but one city should be selected, and
but one celebration should be held,
Francisco Is the logical place, and
should he chosen. The Panama canal
will influence in a large way the COM
merce Of the world. But in a more
particular sense it will affect the
Pacifc-our Pacific coast and our Pa
cifc insular possessions. These in the
years of the immediate future will
occupy much of the thoughts and plans
of the world. The canal will mean to
the Pacific coast and the intra-montane
states Il new opening of the great
west. All of this territory needs set
tiers, and should have them
Agreeing with all this, we add it
will be well for the crowded east, eager
for outlet, f its citizens are brought
10 realization Of the actual conditions
in Southern California and the Pacific
coast, which indicate clearly the ever
increasing Importance of Southern Cal
ifornia, the commercial, industrial, i'm
porting and exporting capital and
railroad metropolis of which is Greater
Los Angeles. With harbor improve
ment, our city will rival San Fran
cisco of its own growth and energetic
momentum without the artificial
stimulus Of an exposition. During the
next few years, and up to the antici-
pated time of the completion of the
Panama canal, the principal feature of
Pacific coast life will be the growth of
Los Angeles. and its progress under
the white magic" of ample industrial
power will be far greater than that of
any other city in the west.
AS a matter of fact, it is Greater
Los Angeles that is of supreme i'm
portance to the shippers who will use
the Panama canal. and with water
competition railroad rates will be af-
fected so beneficially that the claim of
Los Angeles to be the western station
of the landward route to the Orient
and the principal port of call in con-
nection with the all-water route will
be established beyond question.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
THE RATES GOUGE

A S WE believed they would since
II we realized the formidable array
of facts in their possession would
be news" to the average easterner,
the representatives of the citrus fruit
growers made a deep impression on the
interstate commerce commission. The
hearing afforded an opportunity of Civ
ing the public facts with which it is
important eastern consumers should
become familiar
When the east is as we'll posted as
the west on the subject of railroad
toll taking from western enterprises,
east will make common cause with
west in a fight for square deal;
and the readjustment Of western
conditions will result in an improve
ment of eastern conditions. The east
will be 3 beneficiary by the prosperity
of the west, and business interests in
the east, realizing this, will add the
weight of their opinion and influence to
that of the business interests of the
west in procuring for the industrial in
terests of all America fair play.
Mr.. Call accuses the railroads Of
"brazenly and openly claiming they
are entitled to every Improvement the
citrus growers and industrial investors
and workers have made"
The lemon rate of $115 is eXtortiOn-
ate, and the orange rate of $1.15, which
went into effect about three years ago,
is unreasonably high. The petitioners
who have united in an appeal to the
commission for readjustment of rates
represent 10000 growers and 30 per cent
of the product. The crop, amounting
to $4,000 carloads of oranges and 5000
carloads of lemons, has to bear a bur-
den of $140O0O00 in freight charges, to
enable railroads to make per cent on
their capitalization, while fruit grow
ers are unable to realize more than
about l per cent. The development Of
California industries is interested in
securing fair play for our enterprising,
progressive and patriotic western land.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
BREAD LINES

T VERY night there are two long
Il bread lines in New York. In each
"a there are from 1000 to 1000 men.
From an occasional philanthropy, feed
ing the starving in the metropolis of
the United States has become d steady
industry
Is it possible there in no way Of
making bread lines unnecessary? Must
great cities always exhibit IN vast
multitudes, and rural districts in
smaller numbers, American men and
women who are not allowed to make
a living?
What means this passage: I'VE hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal that they are
endowed by their Creator with Ger
tain unalienable rights, that among
these are life. liberty and the pursuit
of happiness"
Life is an unalienable right.
Is life possible without a living? can
it be sustained without the means Of
livelihood? The perpetual New York
bread line mocks the first principles
of Americanism.
THERE'S SOMETHING BADLY
WRONG.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13

have carried some lively jabbering, be-
cause as a result of the interchange the
Chinese merchants aforesaid sent
around hurried notices to all contrib
utors to the banquet fund that the
banquet was Off and their money would
be returned.
one merchant who was among those
invited supplied what he declared was
the true explanation. He said that
when the prince was notified that he
was expected to appear at a banquet he
was curious-Chinese fashion-to know
all about it. He wanted to know who
would be there and who was to pay for
the spread
When told that the representative
merchants of the town and the gov
ernment and other officials to be pres
ent were to be assessed, along with the
Chinese merchants, he peremptorily or
dered all arrangements off.
At the same time he administered
severe reprimand to the Chinese enter
tainers, declaring that the next time
they got up a banquet for Chinese
prince they should pay for the banquet
themselves, and not call upon Ameri-
can citizens to help bear the expense;
that If they then wanted to invite
Americans they might do so, but they
should accept no money from them.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
COMMENDS MAYOR ALEXANDER
FOR TRl5UT= PAID EDWARD VII

LOS ANGELES. May S.-[Editor
Herald: The considerate act of Mayor
Alexander in arranging for the draping
of the flags of the city hall as a mark
Of respect to the memory of our late
English monarch will endear him to
very many Britishers who have decided
to make this beautiful city their home.
Especially viii it be appreciated by
those who, like myself, have only left
the old country during the past few
months. To see such kindly sympathy
displayed by the chief executive Of
fetal of the city's corporate body at
this period Of profound national sorrow
furnishes an additional assurance that
our change of residence and field of
labor has not been made an alien land.
TO apply the eloquent words made
use Of by former President Roosevelt
during his recent visit to Norway in
referring to the merits of the Scanda-
navians as desirable citizens for the
United States: "a man can love his
wife all the better if he loves his
mother great deal" | am convinced
that loyal Brtishers will indorse and
confirm the sentiment as appreciable to
their respective personal feeling.
w. &. YOUNG.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
Chinese Prince Objected to Banquet
Assessment Asked from the Americans
lSantn CRUZ News)

~ ONE stories are told about the
places in san Francisco where
~ men most do congregate with ref
erence to the recent visit of Prince
Esai Taio of the reigning family of
China that have not crept into the
newspapers, and that afford an eX-
planation for some strange develop
ments.
Some may have recalled that it was
proposed to hold n big banquet, either
at the Palace or the st. Francis, IN
honor of the royal visitor COM
mttee of Chinese merchants had the
affair in charge Members of the
chamber of commerce and other COM
merclal bodies were invited to attend,
with the understanding. as explained
by a circular letter that they were to
come forward with $40 a plate. The
only place that was left blank was the
hotel at which the banquet would be
held, and the hour. The prince was on
midocean when these arrangements
were going on, and 1t was thought best
to wait until he be communicated with
by wireless before the place of banquet
was announced and before the final
hour was fixed
The prince came into the harbor and
while the ship was waiting to be docked
the Chinese got busy Wireless must
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
CITY BUSINESS

w LILLIAN r. WILLIAMS in his
w City club address made the fol
lowing statements: IF a bust
ness man undertook to transact his
business with as little information as
the bookkeeping systems of our gov
ernments, city, state or county, pro-
vide, he would soon have TO close his
doors unless he has a mighty long bank
roll Very few of the cities of our
country can tell anything about the
property they own from the books of
the auditor.
THE reports of county auditors are
of practically no value to laymen, and
probably no two of them are alike.
ANY system of public accounts
which does not provide an accurate and
complete check from some other office
on the office under observation is no
good"
All public offices should have a sys-
TEN of bookkeeping similar to that in
use by most of the big business in
stitutions
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13

have to make them thinner and light
or all the time, for our customers seem
to want them as inconspicuous as
possible. In fact the idea suggests
itself irresistibly that the wedding
rings of today are not meant for such
long and constant service as were
those that were slipped on the fingers
of the grandmothers of our present
fashionable set"
This is a straw, but significant one.
with almost a hegira of the fashion,
ables to Reno and the other quick
divorce marts, the sanctity and the
stability of marriage have lost much
of their meaning to the metropolitan
world of society and of money. Two
people do not so often wed for life
and, with this intent, study their own
natures as well as those of their part
ners to profit thereby in love and
consideration and in the emollient fact
that smooths so much of the way in
married life
If their tastes differ. IL he loses
his money or she her beauty and
sprightliness, 1t is off with the old
love and on with the new. A wedding
ring with such people is an irony. The
golden circle, the symbol of endless
ness, has no Significance for them.
rubber band that can be snapped at
first, or which soon wears out of itself,
is what they demand. In the mean
time the good, loving, sensible women,
who are preserving the nation. will
still wear their wedding rings ana still
be proud of them.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
LOS ANGELES EXAMPLE

4 BOOK on the white slave trade
n that is now being circulated, with
"A the object Of removing all excuse
for popular ignorance of this subject,
pays a compliment and a tribute to
the good citizenship Of this city by de-
voting a chapter to the story of the
destruction of the vice districts of Los
Angeles"
In this work important for the ma
tional public as we'll as the people of
Los Angeles, The Herald took a con-
spicuous part, and it was in great
measure owing to the efforts of this
newspaper that the commendaple re-
forms which made Greater Los Angeles
one Of the best and cleanest cities in
the world were effected Citizens of
Los Angeles well remember the day
when The Herald asked the question
rs Vice Protected in Los Angeles?"
and proceeded to answer it in way
that aroused general interest in public
affairs and brought citizens to a realiz-
alton of the value of good government.
From that day TO this, Greater Los
Angeles has been a citadel of good
government; ana this proud positiontit
will continue to hold conscious of the
fact that its example has had a tre-
mendous and far-reaching influence on
the other municipalities of the nation,
and that having pledged itself to right
eousness and Americanism, it must go
steadily and stoutly FORWARD.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
Sport Is Under the Ban Because it
Has Been Permitted to Degenerate
Sacramento Union)

stop the practice.
Every boy with little muscle and
desire to pick up some "easy money"
and cheap notoriety, and an excuse to
loaf when he should be working, is
developing into a prize fighter, and the
result is that lots of good mechanics
are being debauched to make poor
prize fighters. We have had two
deaths in the ring in this state so far
this year. A first class boxing match
properly conducted between men
trained as athletes, and with the bru-
tality eliminated, as it easily can be,
is. fine sport, and no man with red
blood in his veins will say it nay,
whether his name be Theodore Roose-
welt or John Doe, but that is quite a
different affair.
Pugillsm has degenerated in this
state, owing to the inefficient laws on
the subject, as racing has done. Racing
properly conducted is all right, and
there is absolutely nothing in it that is
harmful. In the days when "a meet
ing was held to really test the worth
of the horses entered and not to give
an occasion for pool room gambling,
racing was IL credit to the nation and
was INDUCED in by the best and most
correct men in the community, but the
performances that go on at Emeryville,
or at Ingleside. are but farces.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
WHITE SLAVE TRADE CAN BE
STOPPED BY UNITED ACTION

LOS ANGELES, May 1O-[Edtor
Heraldl: The Herald, which usually
takes such high moral grounds on
all questions, has a news article in
| May 10 issue which offends the humane
as well as the moral sense.
The story is that Edith Curtis, 16-
year-old white girl, has been sold into
life of immortality. She has been
subjected to the usual abuse of such
unfortunates and now looks old enough
to be her owners" mother One void
think that a city that has it's animal
humane societies, etc, would at least
stoop TO pity the human victim.
Frequently newspapers say that the
white slave women will not give evil
dence against the men who hold them
in slavery. The recent report of the
United States immigration commission
that investigated the question gives
some of the reasons why this is so. In
all vicious institutions the girls, and
they are usually very young girls, are
first trained. Each girl is usually given
into the custody of a man who is paid
for preventing her escape. OF this the
commission says (Senate document No.
1876, p. 2D: Above all she is compelled
to learn that she must give all her
earnings to her man and receive
neither protection nor help from any
tray her man If she tries to
leave the man and get legitimate work
usually he threatens her by saying
that he will tell her employer what her
life has Deen-a measure sufficient to
cause the loss of her place. Sometimes
he beats her. If she betrays him some-
times he kills her" So with power of
physical violence and even of death
over them it is small wonder that they
do not easily tell
The Herald's news item also con-
tained the following, speaking of Mills
Sing: "A strong point in his defense
appears to be the police record of the
life 'of the Curtis girl. who from early
childhood frequented the midnight
cafes with white men," Sad idea of
justice, this! one must ask if this
police record shows the arrest and pros
ecution of the white men who took
for their victim little girl in her
early childhood. The laws of Califor-
mia protect girls until they are 16, but
we trust the enforcement of the laws to
officers who, it appears from this ac-
count, keep record of such awful
work to be used only as defense for
criminal who Is further enslaVing the
girl child.
This grievous crime of white slavery
is attracting not only interest but ac-
ton in other parts of the country.
Los Angeles also should awaken. Let
every church and club, every fraternal
and social organization. every group
of good people gathered for whatever
purpose, send committees into courts
when such cases are tried, encourage
faithful officials and dismiss bad ones
and demand justice for the most help
less persons that the world contains.
AGNES II DOWNING
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
Crime Is a Disease and Is Sometimes
Durable, but Is Frequently lncurable
Sacramento Union)


1t is scarcely century since the
world discovered that the way to treat
insanity was not by the use of either
Oregon boots" or padded cells, but
through kindness and pleasant sur
roundings. and as a disease not a crime.
This century, no doubt, the same dis
covery will gradually be applied TO
crime. There are criminals who should
never be allowed to roam at will, no
matter what their age, or how much
they may promise to reform, and there
are others who could be released safely
after a month in the penitentiary.
Criminals may be divided into three
general classes, which of course in their
turn are susceptible of many subdivi-
sions: There is the congenital criminal,
born a moral defective; there is the
educated criminal who has learned to
commit crimes after he has become old
enough to perform criminal actions.
and there is the accidental criminal,
who is so from force of circumstances,
such as great pressure from misfor-
tune, or great temptation suddenly Of
fered in a moment of weakness. The
two last classes can be cured undoubt-
edly If properly handled the first can
not, any more than idiocy or imbecility
can be cured.
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13

m HERE seems to be an inclination
in some quarters to blame the
h governor of California for not
suppressing the prize fight which is to
occur at Emeryville in July. A very
little consideration on the part of his
critics would show that the governor
can do nothing to suppress the fight,
much as he may desire to do so, and
that if the issue is up to any one 1t is
the district attorney. But that official
can do little. for the reason that under
the law "boXing contests can be con-
Quoted to an unlimited number of
rounds il the necessary permit is OBJ
taincd from the local authorities, and
there is no difficulty in getting the per-
nit in this case for the reason that
Emeryvlle is municipality OF its
own, and that its officials would have
to refuse to grant the permit, which,
controlled as they are by Tom VIII
liams. they are not at all likely to do.
If the people of California want to
purge their state of prize fighting, as
thev have tried to do Of race track
gambling though in the latter effort
they were not as successful as they
might have been-they must demand of
the next legislature that it forbid prize
fights. and they must insist upon the
passage of law sufficiently drastic to
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
Health of School Children Subject
Is Demanding Increased Attention
Oakland Enquirer)


that have one or two sides open to the
weather, and not only thrive in health,
but make better progress in their
studies Some of the children who are
making these records were laggards
under the five-hour foul-air regime.
Fresh air and light are natures dis
infectants and disease germs cannot
live in them. What is of even more i'm
portance they give strength and vigor
to the living cells, thus increasing the
resistance of the child so that he does
not easily fall victim to disease. Here
in sunny California it is certainly the
height of folly to deprive our children
of the two things which go so far in the
building of life's foundation"
Oakland is preparing to build num-
Der of new schools. With the improve
mont of ventilation methods in the east
there is no reason why our schools
should not be brought strictly up to
date and made sanitary and healthful
through an abundance of fresh air,
Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-13
State Press Echoes
AMERICANS BusINEss-BouND

The typical American. though, is business
muscle bound He can't do anything else lie
doesn't wish TO do anything else. And when
he can't work he dies. The life the buoyancy.
the strength that active employment gave him
desert him in his idleness There excep-
tions like those Of Eliot. McCosh, McCracken
and other men in various walks of life who
the average man hasn't this versatility this
mental and physical resilience.-san Jose
Herald