davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18
GORGE WASHINGTON had

- GORGE WASHINGTON had
o. a pedigree. That is a COM
fort. Not that he needed it.
. ~ People who have little else to
recommend them are the only sort that
need pedigrees. But it will be a pleas
ant thought to such that a man as
great as Washington actually had an
cestors. The Washington pedigree is
respectable enough in it's way, even
though it cannot add to his glory, but
rather shines by the reflected light that
it derives from him. Nor is there any
evidence that he knew aught of this
pedigree or would have cared for it if
he had known. He doubtless was too
busy being the Father of His Country
to bother about his own fathers. But
those who are interested in the sources
from which great soul draws it's body
may find some attraction in these re-
searches. Finding a lineage or making
one to order is becoming quite pas
time of late, and for people who may
get a standing from their forbears,
which their own qualities would not
assure them, the value Of a genuine or
manufactured ancestry is granted. But
for a man like Washington ancestors
can neither add to his fame nor can
they explain him. One must look for
the sources of greatness in something
DEEPER something more divine and I'M
perishable, than blood and physical in
heritance can supply. These are the
attendants Of greatness, not the
causes; the setting and not the gem
But even so, they have an interest, and
If their Importance is not unduly mag
nif1ed, If in other words they are not
placed out of perspective. there is
certain value in studying them. Yet in
the larger sense the immortals, of
whom Washington was truly one, have
no ancestors and no descendants.
Washington's own attitude toward
the matter of his forefathers is shown
by his statement that he regarded the
question as "of very little moment"
Again, he referred to it as "a subject to
which confess have paid very little
attention" Yet few Americans have
had better pedigree, as the world
counts these things. Some have
traced the roots of his family tree back
to Norman sources in. the time of Will
liam ~ Conqueror, and some have
even gone far as to construct him a
fanciful lineage, making him a direct
descendant of Odin. who is supposed to
have ruled all the north before the
time Of Christ; whereat some waggish
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

Yet the family marks are left. The
coats of arms are all there about the
doorway, despite Bishop Potters cole
brated letter to the contrary.
These coats of arms are the most in
teresting things about the place. There
are three of them, and four centuries
have not served entirely to obliterate
their outlines. Their description in the
language of the old heraldry is some
thing like this: Argent two bars of
gules; in chief three mullets of the
second. Crest, a raven with wings en-
dossed proper, issuing from a ducaI
coronet." To translate this into United
States, 1t should be understood that
argent means white and gules red;
mulletS are five pointed stars; "en-
dossed proper we cannot give the
meaning of properly, but it must mean
outspread At any rate. the thing
should read like this: Two red bars on
a field of white; above these three five
pointed stars. Crest, a raven with out
spread wings issuing from a ducal
coronet. Now this exactly describes
the seal used by General George WASH
ington. Not only SO. but it is supposed
to have been the origin of the Ameri-
can flag. True, that banner started
with stripes in place of bars, and both
the stripes and stars were multiplied,
but these effects were due to the evo-
luton of an idea, also of q nation.
There are some who go so far as to
say that the raven was magnified into
an eagle and became the noble bird of
freedom. This theory may be wholly
fanciful, but it is not without poetic
interest.
Sulgrave Manor lies at the outskirts
of a little village in the midst of
typical and beautiful English land
scape. 1t is a suggestive fact that in
this village lived the ancestors of that
Lord North who as prime minister of
George III. waged unsuccessful war on
the American colonies. If George
Washington were truly the descendant
of the Sulgrave family of the name his
ancestors and those Of the man he so
numerically trounced must have been
acquaintance, perhaps friends. Time
plays queer tricks.
The old manor house is only about
sixty miles north of London and is
waiting for some American with money
to buy it. The estate has been twice
offered for sale, at a price of about
$4,000. and for those who like that
sort of thing it ought to be cheap for
the money. It is not very far distant
from Stratford. which some people say
was made famous by Francis Bacon.
If they are right and Colonel Chester is
correct in asserting that John WASH
ington was not the son of the Rev.
Laurence, both places have been OBJ
tanning fame under false pretenses, but
as nobody can prove anything in either
case, they will probably continue to do
so and thus are well worth seeing. II
people believe that the man who wrote
Shakespeare is buried at Stratford, and
if people believe that the ancestors OF
Washington lived at Sulgrave, what
loss do they suffer. or does any one else
suffer, if they go thither? If faith can
remove mountains why can it not hal
low historic shrines? Or even shrines
that are not historic?
J. A. EDGERTON.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

uncle, Ripley Dunlap, OF Tennessee.
His father was DR.. Pascal Washington
Saunders of Virginia, whose people
came to this country from England in
1885, and the family seat was an old
colonial homestead known as Red Hill,
In Powhattan county. Mr.. Saunders
grandfather went to Tenn essee, own
ing and living on an estate known as
Key Corners, adjoining the Hermitage
estate of General Andrew Jackson, af
forwards president of the United
States. near Nashville. Although Rip
ley was only five years old at the be-
ginning of the Civil war, he was a
slave owner, his father having given
him boy named Jim, of his own age.
Jim was his playmate and very dear
friend, and Jim's mother, Aunt Mar
garet, was Ripley's "old black mann
my" He cherishes two exciting recol-
lections of the Civil war One is of a
certain afternoon when skirmish
took place between Union troops on
one side of his house in Lauderdale
on the other, the Union forces shell
ing" the Confederates directly over the
house. The other is of a raid made
into Memphis, Tenn, by the Confed-
crate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
He saw FORESTS men riding UP and
down the streets, fighting with the
Union soldiers, until he was "co1lared''
and hauled indoors by some member
of the family. He was educated at
private schools in Memphis, Tenn,
Mariana, Ark, and Pass Christian,
Miss. In 1874 he came to st. Louis.
first clerking in the cotton business,
but finally following his natural bent
and going into the newspaper field.
Mr.. Saunders for some time did politi-
cal work on the Post-D Dispatch Ulti-
mately because of his native inclina-
ton, he became the dramatic critic of
the paper, a position he now holds
Louise CLOSER Hale seems to have
used some "reminiscences OF her own
life as a player to provide the minor
touches of her new novel. 1.-THE Mar
ried Miss WORTH Many Of these in
! cidents are of the sort one treasures
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

ons set forth early in the tale, for the
favor of a nice, sweet, wholesome girl.
"Bar-20 Days by Clarence E. Milford
affords the reader an opportunity to
renew the acquaintance of nearly all
the fascinating characters of that
authors former well known books and
serves to introduce some new ones. Mr..
Milford knows how to kee., the plot
boiling and While there are many
serious moments the story is pervaded
by a subtle humor that is delightful
There will be posthumous work
from the pen of Will Lillibridge called
"a Breath of Prairie and Other Stor-
ies' and also a fine thrilling story OF
the siege of Lucknow called Love Be-
sieged."
Among the items in the Mark
Twain sale at Andersons in New York
last week were some important manu-
scrips and fragments of articles, in
Guiding Extracts From Adams Di-
ary," THE Death Disk "a Double
Barreled Detective Story" ''An Esti--
mate on Printing "a Horses Tale,
How the Chimney-Sweep Met the
Emperor" notes for "HuckIeberry
Finn 1.-The Man That Corrupted
Had1eyburg,' "Meisterschaft Ga Drama
in Three Acts),' MY BoyhoOd
Dreams" "My Debut as a Literary
Person." notes for finishing 1.-THE Mis-
souri, Detective Wheeler Story,
Roosevelt and Taft 1.-The Thirty
Thousand Dollar Bequest' and Turn
ing Points,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

stirring life of the early days of the
Confederacy. Later she was much in
Richmond in political circles and af-
terward became a figure in New York
life. All these phases of her inter-
esting career will appear in her Rec
elections in Scribners.
Harper & Brothers announce the
publication of a new novel, 1.-THE Skip
per and the Skipped" by Holman
king Spruce" The same firm is
adding this week 1.-THE Woodlanders"
to the thin paper edition of Hardy's
novels, in both leather and cloth bind
ings.
A new volume has Just appeared IN
the contemporary Science Series,
published by Charles Scribner's Sons,
of New York. in which some eighty
studies have appeared before. II IL
1.-THE Jews: A Study of Race ana En-
vironment,'' by Maurice F1shberg, lei
low of the New York ACADEMY %
Sciences, member of the American
chronological society, etc.
Amelie Rives has gone from Castle
Hill, her Virginia home in Alpemarie
county, to New York, where she VIII
spend the remainder or the winter.
Her late novel, "Pan's Mountain" has
scarcely reached the public when she
comes forward as a playwright. Mrs
Patrick Campbell, who read the play
some time ago, has obtained the dra-
matte rights. 1t is called kid Faun,
and was presented February 18th
IT is in no sense a dramatization, al
though the spirit of paganism in
"Pan's Mountain" suggests the charac-
ter of the faun in the play, which is
laid in one scene, but will take nearly
an hour in presentation.
A. C. McClurg & Co. announce for
this spring an especially interesting
list of new books. Their offering in fic-
ton consists Of five books-excellent
stories, all of them. Love Under
Fire. by Randall Parrish is a story of
the south in wartime and tells of the
pretty romance of lovely southern
girl and a young federal lieutenant.
It is characterized by all the dash and
directness that has made Mr.. Parrish S
former books so popular. Lawrence
Perry, author of Dan Merrithew" is
represented by a fine story of love and
intrigue called prince or Chauffeur?
The dramatis personae is mostly drawn
from the smart set at Newport and
the action concerns the rivalry be-
tween a Russian prince and an Aneri-
can naval lieutenant masquerading as
! chauffeur for obviously good reas-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

her own weight supported by a band
across the forehead, up steep bluffs
threaded by rude stone stairs, has a
spine that nothing, apparently, can
overtax
That an author who has drawn
women characters so alphabetically
as Meredith Nicholson should be in
favor of woman suffrage is not entire
ly surprising. In recent speech be-
fore the Indiana senate committee on
judiciary he said: ''If the women of
quality of our electorate would be i'm
proved. I will guarantee that
can bring to you a woman before
4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon who can
fill the place of mayor of Indianapolis
better than it is being filled now"
One wonders whether "Hezekiah." the
girl who dances so gaily through the
pages of THE Siege Of the Seven
Suitors," would do.
]. c. Grew, author of "Sport and
Travel in the Far East who for the
rotary of the American embassy in
Berlin, has been promoted to the first
secretaryship Of the American embassy
in Vienna.
Houghton Miff1in Co. have just pub
lished book on Public Ownership of
Telephones on the Continent of Eu-
rope" by Arthus N. Holcombe, The
tremendous growth of the telephone
business in the United States under
private companies, the general need
of readjustment of rates and the re-
cent attempt of a Massachusetts, state
commission to fix new rates, make
this careful study of European cond1-
tions extremely opportune and val
liable.
Ripley D. Saunders, author of Colo
mel Todhunter of Missouri was born
in Ripley, Miss, on December II
1856. He was not named for thai
town, however, which itself was named
for General Ripley, of early American
fame, but for his maternal great
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

ter's old regiment, with whose history
Mrs. McCarter's book is so largely
concerned. The regiment was on its
way from Fort Riley to the Philip
pines.
The list of authors whose writings
Charles Scribner's Sons publish this
season is unusual: in fiction it includes
John Galsworthy, Frank H. Spearman,
Maurice Hewlett, Sir A. T. CUTLER
Couch, E. w. Hornung; in more seri-
Gus literature, Robert Louis Stevenson,
Price Collier, H. E. KrehbieI Edward
Dickinson. John Galswcrthy's novel,
THE Patricians," presents a brilliant
picture of aristocratic English life;
Frank H. Spearman in his dramatic
novel, Robert Kimberly" gives an
other fascinating character, one to be
described accurately as a Napoleon of
business; Maurice Hewlett in "Brazen-
head the Great has created a most
bizarre. amusing and adventurous
parsonage whose career he traces;
%" in Brother Copas'' tells the de-
lightfully amusing and whimsical ad-
ventures of some "old brothers. and
a little girl; E. W. Hornung gives an
original and thrilling story of crime
and science in 1.-The Camera Ffend; -
L. Allan Harker in Master and Maid"
relates the love story Of true Irish
girl, a person of great charm; and
Frances Powell, with the Riviera fol
setting, contributes baff1in- story OF
mystery-''The Old Maids Venge-
ance. Among the more serious writ
ings stand new four volume deflnitive
edition of Stevenson's Letters which
contain one hundred letters never be-
fore published; Price Golfers new
study on lines similar to England and
the English From an American Point
of View 1.-The West in the East From
an American Point of View
| Mrs. Burton Harrison. so LONG
prominent in the social and literary
| life Of New York and Washin gton, be-
gan in the March Scribner a series Of
"Recollections Grave and Gay" be-
ginning with her girlhood in Virginia
] before the war, and describing tht
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06
NESTS MADE OF BANK NOTES

A pair of swallows of Fierberbrunr
il the Tryol have stolen number Ut
10 kronen bank notes to line Their
nest
The parent birds discovered thst
the new notes are just the shade OF
blue to match their eggs, the tissue
being tough but flexible and exactly
the material that they needed. The
nest and the missing notes were only
discovered when the swallows had
abandoned it and it fell to the ground.
This feat has been equalled by that
of an enterprising mouse in Dornoirn,
which distracted a number of 20
kronen (16s. SD notes to the value OF
IS, of a delicate reddish brown shade
from the cash drawer of butcher
and tearing them to pieces adapted
them to the purpose OF making nest
for her family of seven. The butcher
in his search for the notes suspected
and traced the mouse and found the
nest under the boarding. He care
fully picked ZIP the remains of the
notes and returned them to the bank.
where they we're pieced together. The
butcher recovered ct los, the bank
claiming los. for material loss"
caused by the mouse's teeth.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06
Australia Organizing Army.


Australia's new system of universal
military service is now in being, and
1t is reckoned that by the Riddle OF
the year from $4,000 to 100,590 youths
between the ages of fourteen and sew
enteen will have been enrolled for the
defense of the commonwealth. I'm
der the scheme every boy on attaining
the age of twelve must begin physical
drill, and at fourteen he becomes a
senior cadet and undergoes a pre-
scribed course Of training until his
eighteenth year, when he is drafted
into the citizen army, TO remain there
until he attairs the age of twenty-six.
After this yer there will be a contin-
uous transfer of cadets to the ranks
of the adur soldiery, and in eight
vee-s ~ l1ss there should be available
a well-trained force of something like
100000 men. OF such a development
Australia will have good reason to be
proud.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06

The state portrait of King George,
which Sir Luke Fildes has been com
missioned TO paint. will not be the
first that the famous artist has exc
cuted for his majesty, says NJ. A. p,
London. He had the honor of paint
ing both the king and the queen on
the occasion of their engagement, and
the royal family were so pleased with
the picture that Queen Alexandra,
then princess of Wales, consented to
sit to him. The double portrait OF the
then duke and duchess Of York was
a wedding present, and 1t now hangs
in Buckingham palace. Sir Luke
Fildes also painted the duke OF Clar-
ence's portrait after his death, using
photographs and miniatures for the
purpose. King Edwards first state
portrait was painted by Sir Luke in
1902 Three years later he was re-
sponsible for a magnificent Academy
picture of Queen Alexandra in her cor
onatior robes and last yes- he made
the beautiful drawing. famous the
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06

Her work and name were too precious
to impair by trusting to jaded facul-
ties.
Now that the die was cast and &C.
leste ready to journey forth she waited
impatiently for such an offer as she
could accept
Three days later Celeste boarded a
train for Glen Head, tiny village on
the Sound She had received a simply
worded but winning letter from an
elderly couple who were apparently
alone in their big estate on the waters
edge. The coachman would meet her
at the station in a governesss cart.
With eyes sparkling and cheeks
aglow Celeste alighted at the Glen
Head station She was the only pass
enger getting off and this fact pre-
vented any mistake on the part of the
coachman in the small cart Celeste
had wondered why an elderly couple
should elect to travel about the coun-
try roads in this particular style of
vehicle. Now she knew A small child
was evidently part of the household
to which Celeste was being driven
Celeste experienced a peculiar thrill
when she looked closely into the
baby's face. Her greenish gray eyes
With their dauntless EXPRESSION were
much like Hugh Ardales.
After series of questions which the
small beauty asked of Celeste and
which were duly and evidently salts
factorily answered Celeste herself
asked:
And what is your name, darling?"
'Marsa A rdale-" lisped the baby
Ce!este's face grew suddenly grave
"Adale-I wonder if there is any
connection?" The girls lips were
compressed and her eyes looked
straight ahead. If by any chance
Hugh Ardale is this child's father-I
must go back Immediately"
Celeste had no more time for rehec-
ton. The wee child had let out a
scream of delight and they were driv-
ing up the wide arched lane toward
"Windyheath" the home of Mr.. ara
Mrs Staunton.
When Celeste saw the charming ell
Ierly couple on the wide porch wait
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06
CAT FINDS HIDDEN TREASURE

A cat chased a mouse under a foot
stool in the home of Henry Karg Of
New York. The cat squeezed part
way under the stool, then thrust it's
paw up into a hole in the bottom of
the stoo,
Presently oowT came the paw with
out the mouse, but with Il $50 bill
sticking to one of the claws. The
members of the Karg family at once
suspended housekeeping to explore
the hole in the footstool.
In all S875 was found slowed away
in the stool, which had been knocked
around the house ever since the death
of Grannie Karg. She was known to
have been of saving disposition, but
she died so suddenly that she got no
chance to reveal where she had stored
her hoard Part of the treasure trove
is to be spent on monument to Gran
ME, with a carved footstool On it.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06
GR0HAN'S INTELLIGENT HEN

John Grohan of Chenille believes
that he owns the most intelligent hen
In New York state. The hen, white
Leghorn, is a pet and Grohan has
taught it many tricks lie is employed
in Tarrytown and goes there by troll
ley car every morning. The hen fol
lows him to the car and when she
sees him safely aboard she goes
home. The other morning Grohan
oversight and he was in such hurry
to catch the trolley that he forgot
about the hen until he boarded the
car. He says he heard a tapping of
wings behind him and saw his hen
flying UP from the ground. She light
ed OF his shoulder and just then he
dropped his nickel with which he was
going to pay his fare. The hen flew
from his shoulder, picked up the coin
with her beak and flew back to him,
After she had seen him give the coin
to the conductor and bad heard the
fare rung up, she flew away in the
direction Of ner coop. And Grohan
heretofore has borne the reputation of
a truthful man.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06

Celeste Wheeler bought a morning
paper and turned eagerly to the per-
sonal column. A little laugh escaped
her as her eyes alighted on the ad she
had inserted She read it over still
wearing her irresponsible smile.
A young lady will paint a miniature
IN return for few weeks hospitality
In the country Long Island pre-
TERED. References"
There! The die is cast! If | had
any family to Judge me insane they
might have good cause Still-it is a
very sensible way to get much need
ed bit of the country when funds hap
pen to be at low tide and energies
depleted"
Celeste looked wistfully down at her
rather shabby shoes and the dust col
ored velvet of her gown. Luckily for
both they were of a shade which neith-
er showed their poverty nor their lack
OF care. They were artistic in their
very shabbiness as was the soft gray
nat with its woefully dropping plume.
Not so with Celestes eyes. These
great. wonderful eyes assumed all the
brightness and depths and happiness
Oh two neJ born stars. Only occa-
sionally were these eyes permitted to
reflect all the inward longing for the
man whose love had been ruthlessly
cast aside Celeste had been very
young when she had told Hugh Ardale
that art must take the place of love.
Well, fame was gradually creeping in
to fulfil its mission and Celeste Wheel
er smiled through all.
She reached her studio and in the
hope that answers would soon come
from her advertisement, Celeste gave
her wonderful artistic treasures a more
or less cursory tidying. Also she put
a few much needed stitches in the
fragments of wardrobe which she
possessed.
When these duties, enormous to the
artistic temperament, were over, Ce-
leste went to her little tin box and
looked over her wealth. She had ex-
actly ninety-nine dollars. Her studio
was paid for for another twelve months
and Celeste had orders for nine minia-
lures, waiting her leisure. She would
not touch one of these until she had
returned from a much needed rest.
Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-06-06
HEN THAT NEVER WALKS

A man residing near Thomaston.
Conn.,, has a hen he claims is the oEly
one of its kind in existence. In ap-
pearance she is very much like any
hen, but the owner claims he has
never seen her walk; instead she flies
about the farm very much like bird,
but only rises about five feet from
the ground. Many times she is seen
on one of the larger limbs at the top
CT a tree On several different occa-
sions she has laid an egg in a small
box, which was put in the tree some
years ago by children who hoped that
birds might pre-empt it for their home.