davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

was a commercial speculation. ID
she had no patience with the kckers.
II was i'm August that she received
her first order for frogs legs, aud II
made her gasp. and opened BessicS
eyes 10 the practically Of frog farm
ing The order was for 300 dozen
pairs Of legs.
The hired man was sent out with
two assistants 20 run down the un-
suspectinR frogs. The assistants were
TO be paid 1T the rate OF 81 "a day.
After three days OF wading ana trail
ing four blinking and puzzled bull
frogs were brought In. The doctor
advised boat and nets. Result: SIX
dollars more paid ont for wages and
two more blinking frogs
Then the kicking grew more in
tense. The doctor recon 1cnded dig
nified silence. Result: Five lawsuits
were begun in one day There wasn't
any question about there being frog
farm and there wasn't any question
about the songs and shouts and
growls and bellowingB Of hundreds of
frogs AZ night. but the question was
how 10 catch them by day.
The bu!IfroR," said Or. Fancher.
belongs 10 the rPp'llian family. Iie
has less brains han the 10th. but"
And there he stuck and the num-
Der Of lawsuits was increased by two
and the mortal enemies by a dozen.
Again the boat was cent out. only 10
return frog ess. slight after night
the reptilian family cent forth notes
Of rejoicing and defiance.
About the first Of September ths
doctor arrived one afternoon % find
Miss Fi'oh wearing a look ~ defeat
and Bosgie sobbing In her handker-
chief Had tho frCg-chOlcra depopu-
lated The marsn2 Had the bottom
dropped ont and let the reptiles
through into China2 Had had?
But before ne could shiycr again
Miss Fitch assumed "A heroic pose and
dramatically exclaimed:
" 'Tis done They have cut tbs
dyke and every last bullfrog has gone
sailing down the river. We have no
longer frog farm, We have no
C2ccr-lOuReT--
"Eut you have me-" replied the
doctor. as he went over and took his
stand beside Bessie.
And they have him yet. but IN
stead Of growing frogs on the MARSH
f. has been drained and trained 70
grow onions and &c cry. which can 10
caught ana shipped the same day that
an order Is receiged.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

who had little or no money! you
should marry a young doctor, for in
stance, the fact that you knew the
difference between leghOrn hen ard
a scrub rooster would come in very
handy"
But I'm going TO live and die an
old maid" protested Bessie, as she
fdgeted about.
Yes, but that doesn't alter my
argument. I want you TO become prac-
teal. I want TO make a business
woman of YOU. | want you 10 drop
all other ideas for q year or so. Many
a husband owes his success in bust
ness TO his wife. Many a wife has
been left a widow and has gotten
along finely because she vas practi
cal
You can write a beautiful essay.
but you don't know how many bush
els of onions an acre Of ground should
WELD. You can give fine recitation,
but you don't know the price Of car
rots You can speak French after a
fashion, but you can't tell what rail
roads passed dividends last year. /
have heard II said that doctors were
not practical business men, and there
fore II eehooves-''
The blushing niece put her hand
over her sunt's mouth and held It
there for half a minute. When II was
removed the old lady said:
We'll, TO come TO the point, you
know we have three acres of marsh
land along the river I have never
seen my way to doing anything with
IL. The other day l came across an
article in a newspaper that solved
! the problem. I asked our hired man
about 1t. and he was enthusiastic at
once. Bessie. I am going TO run a
dyke along the bank of the river and
inclose that march and make q frog
farm OF IT.
Why, Auntte Fitch"
And I am going 10 put you in
charge OF that frog farm and make a
| business woman OF you. In two years
| there won't be a windmill man in the
| state who can hold a candle to you IN
! doing business. You will be right
| here under my eye and have the
| benefit OF my years OF experience"
! But you have never raised frogs"
protested the appalled, young lady.
| And il you have a frog farm what
are you going 70 co with the frogs
! II isn't just TO see them jump and
| hear them croak. is it,"
Didn't / say you lacked practice
/ biIIty2" dryly replied the aunt. My
dear child. don't you knew that frogs
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
Laws Easily Evaded.

Any man who wanted to speculate in
land got a certain number of men at
home. tramps or friends-anybody
give him their power of attorney,
then TO Oklahoma without delay; two
lots for him, please, and two lots for
his friends whose power Of attorney
he showed
Sometimes a man would get several
hundred lots in this fashion. He would
sell, and, If the graft was discovered,
where was the CRATER?
The commissioner OF Indian affairs,
Robert G. Valentine, put the case
pithily the other day:
1T is possible 20 do only one of tw"
things with the Indians--to extermi
nate them or 10 make them into citi-
zens. Whichever we choose should he
done in a businesSlile way. If We
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
INDIANS ALWAYS PREY OF WHITES
Helen Hunts Fight For AbOrigi-
mes Forgotten When In.
creasing Value of Broad
Acres Is Seen.
Acres Is Seen.

ting IN the aforesaid progress with a
flourish of lying. perjury. graft ana
other concomitants of civilization quite
amazing TO behold
II was done in this fashion: Begin
ming in 1887. certain severalty acts
were passed comforting citizenship on
anv Indian who would give up tribal
life and take up land individually. In
1901 this offer was extended TO the
Five Nations in Oklahoma, and IN 1893
the famous Dawes commission, headed
by Senator Henry l. Dawes of Massa-
chusetts, was appointed for the pur-
pose Of extinCuishing the tribal titles
to lands and aIlotting the same in
severalty TO members of the tribes.
It is not TO be supposed that the In
dams had anything to do with this ar
rangement The white man took. along
with his other burdens, that of decid-
ing that the Indian should sell his
land.
So it was sold. Some Of it was to
come into the market almost immedi-
ately and some within FIVE years or SO
and some IN twenty or more years, but
practically all was to be sold in course
of time over two-thirds of il has
been disposed of now.
And the money? Well. the Indians
are more likely to become charges on
the state than to buy automobiles
There were only 100000 or so of them,
and over 1000 600 acres Of land have
been sold, but the Indian didn't get
the money.
One woman sold land worth in
asphalt beds from 100000 to $4,000
She was paid S1,1O0, but not all in
cash-oh. no, For so large a price as
that the purchaser explained that she
must take part in the form of notes.
Blind Woman Cheated.
Another woman was blind and very,
very old Two white men explained
TO her that she was entitled to a
pension by virtue of her late husband
service during the civil war. They pre-
scented paper for her to sign. assuring
her that she would get her pension on
lis receipt in Washington. She made
her mark, her fingers guided by the
men. The paper turned out TO be 81
warranty deed for her farm. Both
these cases were fought in court aft
ei-ward
The Dawes severalty act, arran ging
for the sale Of the Indian lands. con
templatcd the prompt sale of some OF
the property. bat considered that a
good deal of il would be held for
twenty or thirty years. The act was
a piece Of interference with the rights
( and desires of the Indians under any
/ circumstances. but this provision was
q redeeming point, and for nearly
+ twenty years the sales proceeded with
this Limitation.
/ But It seemed too bad TO leave the
/ lands in the hands of the Unprogres-
+ sive for so long a time. Four years
/ ago an amendment to the Dawes act
! removed all restrictions from the sale
/ OF the land and authorized the issu-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

on frogs and interested enough to
give her many pointers.
She was not disappointed in this.
The dyke had not yet been COM
pleted when, as he was accidentally
driving past. you know" young DR..
Fancher made call. His greeting
from Bessie was all that he had hoped
for. but Miss Fitch was very formal
and waited 10 size him up.
She mentally criticised him as i'm
mature: as lacking in profundity; as
probably wanting in business a~umen:
g a man that might know all about
nux vomico tonics. but mighty little
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

ponds and mudholes. During the
winter he hibeTnateS; during the
summer he cavorts around and be
Iieves that life is worth the living.
The bullfrog's hearing is not very
acute. but his keennesS of vision
makes up for it. lie can spot school
boy with a stone in his hand 10 rods
away"
How Interestingly" whispered Miss
Bessie. with a shy glance.
Il am glad you called" added Miss
Fitch. feeling a sudden balminess.
The nature of the bullfrog is nat
rlraIlv retiring" continued the dos
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

legs are on the menu of every first
class restaurant and hotel in the big
cities, and that they are a very costly
dish. Men are employed to hunt for
the frogs, but they can never catch
enough to supply the demand.
"A genius out West gOt to think
ing these things over. and the result
was that he started q frog farm, and
is now making several thousand dol
lars q year. He has his frogs right
there. He can FL an order in an
hour. They are no expense to him,
and the profits are simply enormous.
Il have already given orders for
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
investigation Started by Senator
Gore Opens Up CeBturys
Record of Studied Rob-
berry of Lands.
Wv 7HEN Senator Gore Of Oklaho-
MA ma made the charges which
brought in the name of Vice


brought in the name of Vice
President Sherman he open
ed the story Of the greatest muddle
In all the muddled history OF the white
mans career Of colonization.
When Helen Hunt, who fought for
the Indian as no one else ever fought.
published her Century Of Dishonor'
the public conscience was stirred. and
IN effort was made TO do the right
thing by the man who. after all, was
here first-to give him land and let
him live on il. In short. we stopped
being bad and began TO be stupid.
For no sooner had the Indian been
6olemnly given the land, almost with
tears Of shamed apology, than we let
II be taken away again, right and left,
hit or miss We forgot all about him
as soon as be was duly a ward Of the
nation. We had said he was protected.
and under the magnificent aegis OF
this declaration he was. OF course, for
ever safe.
High Commissions Cause Row.
Then began the sort OF thing that
eliminated when the MCMurray firm
announced that IL would sell the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw lands for them.
charging only 10 per cent Of the price
paid The syndicate that wanted to
buy was willing to pay 100000 for
the rich coal and asphalt lands that
are said by some 10 be worth from
S1OOH0.OOO to 100000 more, and
for putting through this deal-so de
sirablc. they explained. from tie In
dian point Of view-the MCMurray
firm wanted only the fee Of S3.OOO,OO0.
Senator Gore objected. and hence the
trouble Buc there have been deals
like this a-plenty and no Senator Gore
to protest.
This same NcMurTay has had sue
cessful financial relations with the In
dams in the past He was. with four
others. indicted for obtaining an enor-
nous fee from the Five Nations in
connection with the registration law
some years ago. It Is long story,
bur one worth telling.
When the Five Nations were moved
westwa rd-ho TO make room for civ
iization that had no particular use for
them they We're paid for their lands
and were given over 100000 acres
in what is now Oklahoma. Here they
were to live as they wanted TO live
and hunt or farm, just as they liked.
unmoleSted by the white man
As we grew and waXed fat we OK
tended anxious eyes toward Oklahoma.
The Indian land was, unfortunately
for them, very good land. No sooner
did we grasp this fact than we felt
we must take up the white mans bur
den.
Indians Tribunals Abolished.
The red man had certain govern
ment of his own. sort of communal
government not undemOcratiC. He
thought II pretty good. Anyway II
suited him. But il stood in the way
Of "progross'' and so it had to 80, let
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

the dyke to be constructed, and have
engaged boys from the village to
catch US the frogs TO start cur farm
with You must begin tomorrow 10
read up on the frog. lou viii find
his career full Of interest and ad-
venture"
Miss Bessie did not rebel. On the
contrary, after q few minutes
thought, she rather took TO the idea.
She had a dim idea that all doctors
were naturaIists. and that the young
doctor at Somerset would be posted
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

about bullfrogs.
She was doomed TO be agreeably
disappointed. however. Without much
encouragement from her. and even
before he had seen the marsh wherein
the frogs were to dawdle away the
days and below away the nights,
look OF erudition came to his face and
he began
The buIlfrog belongs to the rep
lillian family. His hind legs were
known as an article OF diet a thou
sand years ago. He lives in lakes,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

tor. 1T is retiring and also musical.
Although created during a savage
epoch in the history Of the world, he
has thus far failed TO betray anything
like ferocity in his conduct toward
the human race Az efforts to con
meet him with the mysterious diEap-
pearance of certain small boys and
girls have utterly failed. II Is not
known that he even defends himself
when attacked He is easily domesti-
Gated. and IL is believed that the bull
frog has a grateful nature"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
CARNEY & THOMPSON
WE STORE GOODS.
Old Phone 1888. 1875 Second Ave.
Rock Island. M.

choose extcrminatiof we should do i
suddenly, painlesSly and completely
but instead Of frankly engaging In that
course the country has set itself 10
make the Indians into citizens. II has
no business 10 buugle this Job as ~ ~
now doing any more than II the course
OF determination were now to bc dc.
cided on it would have any business 90
bunglc that"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

ance of a fee simple patent to any
allottee competent and capable or
mana cing his or her affairs"
The Indian Office construed the
meaning of this statute to be that if
anv Indian disposed Of his land know
inc he would not get it back again he
was competent and capable within
the meaning of the law.
Children Also Robbed.
There have been $4,000 cases in
court in regard to the sale Of these
lands by persons competent and capa-
BILE" Not all of them concerned
adults. for the case of the Indian child
has been even harder than that of his
parents. Many children of the Five
Nations are very rich by inheritance.
The tribes are dying, and those who
survive have often much land coming
10 them. Here is scope for the guard
IAN idea.
In 1896. after It was decided that
the lands were TO ne divided, the com
mission announced that applications
for rights in the apporJioRment of land
should he made within thirty days and
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

other rush TO profit by the graft. The
land had been Indian land, half mil
lion acres in all, and it was offered on
these terms to encourage civilization
TO take nice long step and settle in
Oklahoma
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

be passed upon within ninety days
That was fourteen years ago. and they
have lust wound up the matter. In
deed. there are some cases not yet
settled.
Mansfield & McNurray of McAlester
set forth to the Five Nations that some
body had to be employed TO keep OH
the rolls the names Of persons who
were not really Of their tribes. The
Indians aCreed-poor, muddlcd. badg-
cred. harried tribes that wanted moth
ing but TO be let alone
Now, it was the business of the gov
eminent 20 attend 70 this. and so Ethan
Allan Titchcock'S secretary of the
interior said aftcFward in no uncer-
tain fashion. but the government
didn't do anything about it, and Mans
field & McMurray proceeded to push
pcopIe of the rolls. They got SO a
head for pushing, or something lik"
that. Anyway. the bill amounted to
$4,000
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02

ISIS JANET FITCH was
w<zv-AN an old maid when
!" !. !. !: !: J. ]:
81. el2{ she legally adopted
FSS$%yf IN the little 10-yesT-old
EiESSS%3 IA Bessie Havens. her
tsEiE# tSj is<5 niece. and she was
RSs%YSAS 81 older by nine years
kSss<$igfS ~ when one afternoon
ESSxesss yfS - she said to the young
k@aSS - lady:
well. dear, I
think have done my
duty toward you thus far in the mat
ter of education and accomplishments.
You have been taught history. gram
mar. mathematics. algebra and other
branches. You can sing and play.
You know a little German and
French. You can recite finely. You
have composed essays. You have
graduated with high honors"
Thanks to you. dearest OF aunts, :"
replied Miss Bessie as she put her
printed loving kiss on her wrinkled
Cheek.
And now-what. dear?"
''Why-why. I'll get married. won't
Yes. that generally follows. but 7
don't want II TO follow too quickly
after your graduation. ] have been
told have been told. Bessie. that
there is q young doctor over at Soner-
set who seems deeply interested in
you"
Now. aunt, YOU know how folks
gossip" chided the blushing girl
Just so. but I have made some
quiet inquiries concerning this young
doctor. and / find that he is highly
spoken Of I don't know as I should
seriously object to having a doctor in
the famtly-not If he could relieve
my headaches and didn't smell OF
iodine and Carbolic acid all the time.
Please don't tease me. aunt. You
know I haven't seen Dr.. Fancher half
a dozen times n the last year. that is
Il can't be over seven or eight times
and then he was always so busy"
Yes. We will put him aside fol
? moment no g yer. Bessie, I'm q
practical woman. I've mad 10 be.
lave quite a little property, YOU
know. and ! have had 20 be practical
70 take care of II and TO add 20 II. II
I hadn't been practical We should
have been sent 10 the poorhouse Ions
ago. / believe a woman should have
a good education. but she should alsC
have business ability"
Yes, aunt"
If you should marry q young ma1
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
The Old Reliable

]. Z. Wlliamson's new and %
hand store has returned TO Rock Is
land and will be conducted under
the firm name OF Carney a. Thomp-
son. 1t runs ju.t ;he same as -.
p" used TO run It. We will pay
more for your goods and sell cheaper
apvppa plGp
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
Indians Paw All Bills.

There was a protest. McMurray and
others were indicted. and then the in
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-02
indians Tribunals Abolished.

The red man had a certain govern
ment of his own. a sort of communal
government not undemocratiC. He
thought il pretty good. Anyway II
suited him. But il stood in the way
Of "progross' and so it had TO 80, let
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-04-14
FROM THE PEOPLE

Editor of the Beacon:
The impression made upon me by the
reading of Mr.. Cavett's letter IN reply
to R. w. Banks is, that he was per-
suaded that Vardam IN was the choice
of the people, and, therefore. 1t was
his duty to support him for the nomlna-
tion. After he had promised him his
vote, for consistency's sake, he STOOD
hitched," and to clinch the matter, he
went into the Vardaman rally and MADE
the speech of announcement, Whlch lr-
revocably committed him. He was ev-
identity misled by the fuss and extrava-
CANT claims. He ought to have re-
membered that but two Iyears before
the people had expressed themselves
as opposed to him.
Mr.. Cavett is to be congratulated
upon his honest and fearless position as
to the fairness of Mr.. Percy nomina-
ton, and for stating, so clearly, his
reason for introducing the resolution
saving there was no taint upon his com
mission as senator. He must have
known that snch a declaration from
him. would not meet the approval OF
the Vardaman followers in this cam
naion. the men whose support he must
have in his race for the legislature, but
so strong is his sense of fairness and
right. that he has told the truth as he
saw it. no matter what the effect might
be on his own political fortune. Such
is the rugged honesty of the man.
Certainly no man has hit the dirty
campaign of the dirty Bilbo so stag
pering a blow as does Mr.. Cavett,
when he says that the ''secret caucus,
so called. was in no way different from
the caucusses of the past, or that any
unfair or dishonorable means were re-
sorted to, to nominate Percy, or that
Percv's friends used any influence or
means to secure the nomination, that
Vardaman's friends would not have
used if they could
The cry of corruption, bribery
and "rottenness" was proclaimed from
every hilltop in Mississippi, from the
pulf to the mountains on the north, by
the Bilbo gang and other henchmen of
Vardaman's. Never was such cam
paign of slhnder, abuse and villlhcatlon
Waged in afy state as dISgraced MIS-
sissippi inI 1910. Every man in the
state who was opposed to Vardamis3n
was an unmitigsted rascal So loudly
ano 20 periistently was this cry kept
aR that 1Ven ii old NoSabee' II was
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-04-14

said that our representatives were cor
rupt, and that we must send a new del
egatiOn to Jackson. Though the men
who represented US had all their lives
been reputed to be honest, and men of
integrity. yet. because this character
less scamp said they were corrupt, the
people, in their madness. took up the
cry. If Walter Price, Iva DOrroh En-
NETT Cayett and Mike O'Byrne are not
worthy of the confidence and esteem
of their fellOW-citizens, then you would
have to go outside of the county to
find men who could be trusted.
The Bilbo campaign has sunk by its
own rottenness. There is no deader
duck in Mississippi than BilbO.
He will go down to the vile dust
from whence he sprung, unWept, un-
honored and unsung," and decent and
respectable men will be ashamed that
they were ever misled by this scamp.
Alas! alas! the White Chief, instead
of conducting his campaign on a high
moral plane and discussing 'issues not
spends much of his time in Vitupera-
tion, abuse, bitter denunciation, at
which he is almost as expert as Brann
of the IconOclast.
He knows that he can not meet these
men on the stump without being made
ridiculous, so ne proceeds to make little
Of them.
No doubt he fools some of the people
and makes them believe that he does
not enter into joint debate, because he
is the only man in the race who can at
tract crowd, and he does not want to
get the crowd for Alexander and Percy
to talk to. Some of his dupes believe
this sIush, but his intelligent supporters
know better.
Mr.. Cavett defends his chieftain
from the charge of grating. Nobody
believes that he is knowingly and in
tentionally corrupt, but many of us
think that he was very careless in
handling funds committed to his keep
ing. The committee of the legislature
who investigated the expenditure of
the Contingent Fund, failed to find
vouchers to cover the amount. Many
of us who are opposing him, believe
that when the battleship money was
called for. it had to be made good by
his friends. He answers all these
charges by denouncing the men who
make them as dirty liars" He seems
to be ambitious to organize an Ananias
club that will rival that of his friend.
Roosevelt.
Many of us are opposing him because
we believe he has been curse TO the
state by his constant appeals to race
prejudice, thus keeping the passions of
the people always at the highest pitch.
Would the repeal of the 18th amend
ment lessen the danger of negro out
range? Some seem to think that it
would change his nature. The negro
has practically been disfranchised in
Mississippi for twenty years. Has it
had any influence on his nature or
made him less dangerous 10 sooietyf
The whole idea Is utterly pfepostee.