davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
Deluge of Books.


Our friend who reads "all the new
books as they come OUT must have
had the time of his life last year. Just
1910 new books were published in
the United States in 1910. That was
enough to keep the most inveterate
book-worm tolerably well engaged. 1t
was more than even England turned
out, far more than France produced
and about as many as Germany
printed. Thus in another realm of
human endeavor have we asserted our
pre-eminence. And we did it with such
nonchalance, too. 1t was the least of
our efforts. We wrote books while we
ate, almost while we slept. Certainly
some of them seem to have been writ
ten while we dreamed.
The authors of these books wrote
with an abandon as free as the wind,
upon any old subject, topic or line of
thought They got pens, or pencils or
typewriters to going and could not
stop them. They simply deluged the
land with books and made the presses
groan as they reeled them Off. Then
they proved that writing a book is the
easiest thing in the world. And
they have come near proving that we
are a very easy people, judging from
some of these books.
The number Of books for 1910 ex-
ceeds that produced in 1898 by 1863
per cent and shows as great an in
crease in classes. Fiction still leads in
numbers, though not in point Of in
crease. The multiplication of themes
of reform, in thought, style and action,
has paved the way to the fertile field
of literary effusion along new lines,
such as, for instance, what we may call
Optimistic suggestion" and "the re-
ligion of healthy-mindedness." A mass
OF matter dealing with things that
books were never known to deal with
before has been thrown upon a pa
tient public, and that, too, from the
most obscure sources. But we have
stood for 1t all.
Every new theory or ism finds its
champion in the book. Religious; philo-
sophical and theological works take
third rank in point of class. If it we're
possible to determine how much of
this print we're worth while. it might
be possible to determine whether or
not serious effort had gained or lost
IN this riot of writing. But the fact is
that vast amount of what goes under
this classification is sheer ruck ard
muck, emanating from minds not large
enough to think something without i'm
posing the thought on the public. But
in spite of that, of course, the increase
of this class OF literature must indi-
cate a growing tendency toward seri-
Gus inquisitiveness. In this may lie
some hope.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
Crazes in Dress.

NEW YORK. Feb. 24.--Brooklyn bridge
broke Its record as a scene OF daredevil
exploits today suicide or professional
bridge jumper would thrill the throng of
bridge promenaders no more than did
the appearance of dashing young blonde
on the great thoroughfare late this after
noon. She was attired in the new harem
skirt
MADRID. Feb 24.--Two women belong
ing to the most exclusive society circle
of the capital Appeared on the streets
last evening wearing the new Partisan
trousers-skirts and were fairly mobbed.
The crowd, which grew rapidly to great
proportions. surrounded the exponents OF
advanced fashion and after insulting cries
threatened violence. A large force of po-
lice came 20 the protection Of the women
and cleared the streets.
PARIS. Feb. 24.-Incidents Of public
disturbance accompanying the appearance
in trouser-skirt occur daily, The Avenue
de POpera was the scene OF one of the
more serious male outbreaks. The woman.
having been surrounded by a laughing,
jOering crowd, was unable to proceeds
and a man, taking advantage OF the situa-
ton, purchased basket Of eggs from a
dealer IN q side street and distributed
them among the other men, who pelted
the helpless Wearer Of the new garment
until a squad OF police interviewed and
aided the woman to escape.
These dispatches are one days grist.
Evidently, one touch OF nature makes
the whole world kin. Lines of nation
ality cut no figure when It comes to
the shock one OF these fashion novel
ties produces. 1t is like plate of
clearinghouse hRsh--it catches every
body for what it is not. Truly, il SEN
sation were the modiste's aim, she has
hit the bull's-eye When a style in
womans dress shocks Paris We sub
NIT i'm must be shocking. At least It
has a right to be classed as ieonoclas-
tic. Perhaps in the orient it would
not create a riot.
Thus far the unsophisticated west
has not figured prominently in these
dispatches. still. out here we are even
more stoically philosophical than they
are in more effete centers, and we may
take this dose with no more grImace
than we made at the hobble skirt. SO
far as that goes. anyone who has seen
clowns In a circus has seen harem
skirt, OF course, on more moderate
lines, perhaps, than these now at
large The difference. however, Is
that clowns are supposed 70 be dressed
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
People and Events

The early robin is clearly distanoed by
millinery and the seed catalogues as a
harbinBer Of spring
Count Apponyi. Austrla's dove OF peace
now cooling in the United States. is de-
nounced in six languages as prize hum
bug by the Hungarians OF Chicago.
Al the age OF four score and one Dr.
Weir Mitchell Of Philadelphia can do as
smooth a piece Of cutting with a scalpel as
with pen. He is a master emeritus in
handling both
Fifteen years IN prison Is the reward
handed to one Of the Newark, O.. lynchers
who plead guilty to the crime II is be-
lieved the term gives ample time for re-
Election undlsturbed by the rude noises OF
the outer world.
New York school teacher, on a salary
OF $50 a month, managed to pile up debts
aggregatng $4,000 SO he reported to a
bankruptcy court. How he got It and blew
It is not material to the show down Of the
metropolis as the home Of easy marks.
Approaching the value Of publicity as a
booster Of business Hudson Maxim ex-
presses the opinion that war cannot be en-
tirely abolished, and wisdom suggests ade-
quate preparation. Therefore, buy the
The modern woman has appropriated not
only man himself but most OF his wearables
and his jobs. The fluffy trousers may
prove the last straw for the masculine
camel. Preliminary shakes Of his humps
should be a warning to the daring sellers.
Preaching on the folly Of women sermon
izing TO the inmates Of Jails, william Allen
White, the Kansas mentor, spoils the moral
OF his tale by locating the scene in Lincoln
and the star character a Gagged drunk
DRINKS are as impossible in Lincoln as in
the holy cities OF Emporia, Wichita or
Topeka.
Defeat does not daunt the Oregon advo-
Gates OF votes for women. Although a
constitutional amendment granting equal
suffrage to the sexes was beaten at the
polls last November by a majority of "a
600, the Oregon Legislature has decided to
submit the proposition again to the people.
Twenty-four thousand adverse majority is
hard to overcome. but the women are
radiant with hope"
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26

sition Of the grass. but It does away
with the danger that COMES from that
grass dying down and mating. form
ing finder to feed flames and spread
them from forest 20 forest. Measures
have already been taken to provide for
homesteading forests. We believe
they should so through 1t would
populate districts and thus reduce the
liability of FIRE. to say nothing Of put
ting on the pay rolls Of various west
ern states millions Of dollars in valua-
bic property.
It Is idle to quarrel longer over how
to proceed to save our timber. The
best patriot is not disposed to haggle
over methods Irwe are for genuine
conservation, let us go to conserving
We believe Mr. Mondell is clearly
right in saying that a larger proper
ton of the annual appropriation of
$5,5O0,OOO for the forestry service
should go into FIRE protection Last
year under Mr.. Graves 25 per cent Of
the whole fund was so devoted, but it
seems that for six years prior to that
not more than 10 per cent was thus
spent in any one year. Perhaps that
is why we have had so many devas-
tating forest fires.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
ENCHANTED GROUND.

w. ID. Nesbit IN Chicago Post
There was a hill so far away
IL seemed the shadow Of a hill;
IL melted into cloudy gray
or doomed against the sky all still
and many times we felt a thrill
" marveling. when on the breeze
There came faint music, In the tTill
Oh birds ana lazy hum OF bees.
For well we knew that further on
Beyond the hill there was a land
OF Mag1c-and the lino was drawn
To show where mortals might not stan
Some necromancers cunning hand
Had wrought spell. that none might 90
To where the palaces all grand
stood In great, majestic snow.
And we knew. too, Of magic streams
Which rippled through that fair domain
Where were the marvel gOld-o' dreams
And Jewels flashing In a chain,
And blossoms that could never wane,
And fairy folk who worked their charms
Yet though 10 see this we were fain.
The path was edged with dire alarms.
There was a hill-a far, far hill
Beyond which mysteries were kept,
And when the nights We're clear and still
We dreamed upon them as we slept
But those who with all caution crept
Above that hill 20 spy the land
Come back-"It Is not there" they wept
So we could never understand.
But now we know. Grown old ana wise,
We know why II would vanish quite,
Why II was hidden from our eyes
This land OF magical delight:
For now We dream by day and night
OF giadness that may not be found
And. as In youth pray that we might
Set foot on the enchanted ground
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
No Jim Grow Laws.

The Jim Grow" bill introduced in
the house at Lincoln by a Gage county
democrat should be promptly defeated.
II has nothing in existing conditions
in Nebraska to justify 1t and one is
rather puzzled to know Just what
could have inspired its introduction.
1t enumerates railroads, street rail-
ways, theaters and hotels in its list of
privileges circumscribed to the col
ored man, none of which would as
sumo responsibility or desire for the
proposition. Moreover, the demo-
cratic party in this state, which con-
trolls the legislature, would be very
foolish, even from the standpoint of
expediency, to permit such a law to
be written on the statute books by its
authority. II has, probably, not one
chance in a hundred of being enacted,
but nevertheless 1t will do no harm to
call attention to its Introduction, so
wholly unwarranted and inexcusable.
The number of negroes in Nebraska
is small in proportion to population.
Its colored people are industrious and
law-abiding as rule, many of them
being property owners and taxpayers.
and there is no demand, irrespective
of race or color, for imposing such dis
elimination upon them. Such a meas
ure would be In poor keeping with the
spirit that breathed into being the
states of Nebraska and Kansas and a
violent assault upon this states slogan
OF Equality Before the Law"
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
A World Wide Unrest.

That the political and social fer
ment of which we see signs all around
us in. the protests against established
institutions, and the demands for
novel experiments in government, is
not local but worldwide, must be al
most self-evident. Nearly every civil
lied country on the globe, and many
that are only half-civillzed, are ex-
periencing 1t in greater or less degree.
Passing by South America, which ex-
hibits in constant revolutions, Mex
leo is obviously In a state of unequal
equilibrium. over in the Orient the
Cinnamon are cutting off their queues
to emphasize the revolt against the
old order of things, and Japan is OK
erting itself to become an Industrial
nation. Russia is smoldering under
fires of liberty seeking to break out
through the duma; the socialists are
making Roadway in Germany and
France; in Austria the Bohemians and
Hungarians are utilizing every oppor-
tunity to assert racial nationality;
Portugal has assumed to be a repub-
lie; and the Spanish king is holding
on to his crown with both hands. In
Great Britain the. last remnant of SOW
ereign power is passing from the lords
to the commons, and British provinces
like Canada and Australia are feeling
their way toward independence Of the
mother country
If this unrest were local, we would
hunt for local causes and try to apply
local remedies. If the conditions,
however, are general the NOV
ing causes must be general, and
the readjustment, though it pro-
coed in one country at a time, must
eventually be- worldwide The move
ment is pronounced by the best quail
flied observers to be an upheaval of
new forces against the traditional, of
the young against the old, of the teach
ings of modern science and twentieth
century thought against the inherit
ances Of the past There has always
been, and always will be, social un-
rest, and the waves mount higher at
times than others, and this seems to
ba an era of high tide
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
me Silver Iininv.

mo cloud without a silver lining"
is time tried maxim which we may be
permitted to recall to our railroad
friends in their disappointment over
the refusal Of the interstate commerce
commission to authorize their pro-
posed increases in freight rates. The
railway Spokesman are disposed to
view everything with somber vision.
and to charge all their woes up to the
regulating arm of the government
without crediting any offsets on the
balance sheet OF state and national
regulation.
II is a safe assertion that the rail-
roads will soon realize that they have
not been as seriously hurt as they
fear, and that the certainty of fixed
and stable transportation charges will
stimulate traffic, which Is even now
producing the greatest gross revenues
within the history of our railroads.
They should remember, too, that while
the interstate commission has refused
assent to a general raise in rates,
rates on many commodities have been
raised, and certain determinations,
such as rebates and free passes. have
been abolished. whose abolition is
tantamount to rate increases. Freight
rates on dressed meats, for example.
and on furniture are said to have been
advanced last year by agreement with
the shippers. The stopping Of rebates
is authoritatively reported to have
been equivalent in some classified
tions to an increase of from 10 to 25
per cent in the transportation charge.
The exaction of full fare from those
who used to ride free has made up to
many roads more than was lost by the
enforced reduction of the mileage rate
to cents Had the commission de-
cided in their favor they would still
have to ascertain by actual experience
whether the higher rates would not
have produced a shrinkage in volume
Of traffic, and in that way have cur
tailed the revenue as much as en-
HANGED 1t.
All things considered, including the
reductions on commodity rates by
state laws and state commissions, the
railroads have Jared tolerably we'll,
particularly inasmuch as they have
succeeded in heading off applications
to the Interstate Commerce commits
sion for reduction in rates. The very
fact that the commission in these vi
tai decisions, rendered under the law
comforting rate-making powers, hdI
stood firmly for the people will
strengthen public confidence in the
principle of regulation and in the inn
partially Of the commission, which
cannot fail to be a great benefit to the
railroads as well as to the public.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
Protecting the Forests.

The upheaval which some changes
in the personnel OF the forestry serv-
ice created seems to be working out
with good results. Both sides are
now willing to admit that progress
and improvement are being made in
our forestry operations. Evidently
there was, after all. some need for d.
reotlng attention to the service. In
one particular, that OF protecting the
forests from fire, we think It may be
conceded that not enough had been
done and that much progress has been
achieved under the new forester, Mr.
Graves.
Still, as Congressman Mondell Of
Wyoming recently pointed out in a
speech on the floor OF the house, much
more progress and Development is to
be made We had neglected TO buId
what are known as are lanes, as
breaks and means OF protecting the
trees. Now Mr. Graves reports the
existence of ISL miles Of such lanes.
That is well, but when we remember
that our forest reserves comprise / So
100000 acres OF ground-an area
nearly fve times that Of the state OF
Iiinols-it does not look so big.
No more lessons are needed to teach
the wisdom OF exercising every possi-
Bile precaution to protect these forests
from ere. The fearful eonhagrations
of last year taught all that, 50 we
should build fire lanes. increase the
ranger service, maintain telephone
lines, admit hOmesteaders where pos
sible and permit grazing OF tracts
Congressman Monden lays great
stress on the desirability OF letting
sheep Craze on these open stretches.
Il not only affords a profitable dispo-
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26

Tuition OF the problem for those who
care to remain I'm that section. Fertile
land Is available at reasonable figures,
and already some of the men are pre-
pairing to invest in It, They have be-
come Injured of the climate and like it.
Their inclination meets the hearty ap-
prevail OF the federal government
since their residence in Panama under
leave and protection of the republic
will tend to promote good feeling be-
tween that country and this, a fact or
most desirable, since we shall be
thrown for the rest OF time into such
intimate business and political rela-
tions as a result Of the canal.
Already the canal has become an
element in fostering this friendship.
Prior to now the laws Of the Republic
Of Panama did not permit American
ownership of land there, so we see in
this one change a tangible product of
our enterprise. 1t is interesting to
note, too, that this law was enacted as
a direct result of an inquiry by an
American employed on the canal. He
desired to remain in that country and
asked as to the possibility of buying
and owning land and being protected
I'm his ownership. The matter was
taken up by our officials with the presl-
dent of Panama and in a very short
time the law was on the statute books.
We need give no serious thought to
the idea Of the United States annexing
that little republic. Panama might be
led to favor It, but the United States
does not. Il believes both have most
to gain by maintaining separate gov
ernments. OF course, this country
shall continue to stand as the closest
friend of the little republic, ready at
all times to help it out of any diff
Guilty.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
onsninps On the Panama.

The question has been raised as to
the movements OF the Panama canal
employees when the work there is COM
pleted. Nearly 10000 men are en-
gagged there. including the Panama
Railroad company's force. From now
Gu the number viii grow smaller. OF
course, only a part Of them are Amer
leans, but in many cases the Ameri-
cans with families and homes, at least
temporarily. established on the Pan
ANA are inclined to remain in that
country and they are beginning TO LOOK
about for means OF employment. The
question has TO be met.
The Republic Of Panama is helping
TO meet it and at the same time is TAX
ing steps to benefit itself Through
the good Offices OF President Arose
mena. Il has enacted a Law under which
Americans may buy and own property
there This opens the way to the so
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
WOMEN AND THE THEATER.
A Dominant Factor I'm the Success of
the Drama.
Phlladelphia Ledger.

Ihiauelpnla Ledger
A theatrical manager has had careful
enumeration made at the doors of five
theaters, and finds that about IS per cent
Of the play-goers are women. 1t has been
said that although figures cannot lie, liars
can figure. but in this case the statistics
seem to be authentic. and the result Of the
census is significant
1t is incontestable that the church de-
Ponds mainly upon the faithful allegiance
Of women for its support, and Il is plain
to theater-soers that the drama, which has
a profound ethical and moral influence,
leans no less heavily upon feminine patron
age. II play does not appeal to women,
it has no hope OF financial success.
The modern playwright who legitimately
seeks to achieve success must consider the
tastes Of feminine play-goers. He cannot
very well escape the introduction of a
strong love interest" The situations Of
the drama and the opera, as we'll as Of
most novels, must eternally revolve with
greater or less disguise and indirection.
about the everlasting problem Of ''the way
OF a man with a maid" for II art is truth
fully representative of life It cannot avoid
the delineation Of the predominant human
passion.
Women enjoy, even better than men, the
effort to unravel the absorbing mysteries
of detective story The grewsomeness Of
murder and sudden or lingering death is
not in itself sufficient to repel feminine in
terest in play.
In the typical society drama which in the
hands Of comedians OF the right tempera-
ment is generally successful, there must be
talk that Is above the dinner table average
Of nimble-witted people; there must be most
careful attention paid to accuracy in min
utely realistic details of the stage setting
and the accessories, and there must be
dresses that create in the breast OF the
beholder the wild, flutterlng desire to emu
late their pattern.
No play will draw merely because It is
extensively mounted. nor just because It is
literally advertised Above all things. the
magnetic attraction of the drama TO man
or woman is it's truth to the best instincts
OF our common human nature. A play that
is human and true to life we go to see as
we would seek the company Of affable and
entertaining friends.
Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-26
The States, Rights Bugaboo.

The raising of the states rights boyle
in connection with the popular cleo
ton Of senators may be All adroit
means calculated to defeat the resolu.
ton by lining up all the southern SEN
ators against it, but as q serious prop
osition we regard 1t simply a buga-
boo.
The fact is, as we see it, that the
federal government has now and
should have authority over federal
elections. What the southerners are
afraid of is not federal supervision
over the election Of senator's, nor Of
representatives, but of president They
know that their states have a larger
electoral vote than they are actually
entitled to and they guard with des-
perate precaution against anything
that looks like an attempt to take
from them this illegally held power.
1t is far from probable that so far
as the election of senators is con-
cerned, the federal government would
have occasion to interpose, so that it
may not be vital which way this
question is settled, though as a mat
ter of law and equity the final author
ity must, for its own self-preservation
rest with the national government.
Shis authority could be reserved with
out in fringing on any rights belonging
to any state north or south and fur
thermore it would be as fair TO the
south as to every other section. It is
not to be SUPPOSED that such power
would be exercised unless provoked by
outlaw methods of election, in which
event It would be wrong not to exer-
else it and no law-abiding man or com
munity could properly object.
If the southern senators have no
better grounds on which to oppose
popular election of senator's than the
bugaboo of threatened states rights,
tnen they are without directive means
of opposition and the sincerity Of their
professions may be questioned.