davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
TRAPPED BENEATH
RIVER; TEN DROWN
Lost Their Lives in CdlSSOn at
Newark, n. J.

Rescuers succeeded IN recovering
the bodies OF ten volored men VINO
lost their lives in caissun accident IN
the Passaic river at Newark. \ j.
II is believed that there is another
body In the death trap. that OF Rob.
ert Boyd. who is missing His brother
is among the dead taken out
When the bodies were taken out
they bore evidence OF desperate
struggle in the chamber on the river
bottom the crew was at work under
air pressure when steel bucket fell
from a derrick that was being Oper
ated from scOw that was anchored
between the caissun and the Newa. Il
bank Of the stream In its descent the
bucket struck the caisson shell and
crashed through. releasing The ali
pressure.
Immediately the water swept into
the chamber where the men were
building foundations Tor the new
bridge 4 rush for the caisson ell
trance, three.iOOt steel pipe through
which the men had descended several
hours before. followed. but only two
of tho fourteen OF the crew got Out
In safety.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Princeton Chair For Mcclellan.

George b. Mcclellan. eN.mayof Of
New York is to be professor either OF
public affairs or political economy at
Princeton university. unless the plans
of his friends, who have been active
in his behalf. go awry.
II was announced that arrangements
have been made for founding the chair
In the university which Mcclellan
will occupy lie is likely to take np
his new duties next fall at the latest.
The sum needed To endow The new
proIessorship is $4,000 and some Of
the former mayors friends several
weeks ago undertook 10 raise this
sum Among those who were most
tctive in the work are James Martin
whom Mcclellan appointed city chan
berlain al salary of $4,000 wear.
and ex.Comptroller Herman a. Metz.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04

aha the dock wOrkmen VINO mad been
less than 200 yards away from the dy.
Mantle car. some of them, that all OF
the twenty-five men had been de.
stroyed
The violence OF the explosion cloud
ed its cause. The men who might
have told a straight story We're dead
and the dynamite had taken care Of
other evidence Theories and stories
passed wildly all through the yards
The railroad men agreed that there
was preliminary explosion either OF
boiler or OF escaped gasoline on
board the lighter Whistler OF on the
lighter Katherine Wan explosion
which instantly set of the dynamite
loaded in their holds and still on
board one box ear
The concussion set on fire alarms in
many parts Of the financial district of
New York. and the clattcr of fire az.
paratus and the shrill shrieks Of the
fire engine sirens added to the con
fusion Men and women swarmed out
of the buildings. some of them by the
fire escape route. and added To- the
confusion,
The fircmen hunted IN vain Tor a
blaze. Instead. they found the streets
dangerously crowded and the side.
walks covered with broken glass.
while frightened storekeepers guarded
their exposed wares
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Cnlcano,s BUDGET For 1911.

Chicagos budget for 1911. a. pre-
pared hy the council committee on
finance. calls EOr $40. ii0,0no OF this
sum sl3.5oo,0OO will go to the board
ut education
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04

w 's'''N&SS ~ ~fN'N "
The executive committee Of the I'm
ion Pacific and Southern Pacific lines
voted In New York To complete the
double tracking Of their lines from
the Missouri river to San Francisco.
They also voted to double track the
Oregon Short Line from the junction
with the Union Pacific main line at
Granger. Wyo.. to Huntington. Ore;
also the line along the Columbia river
in Oregon to Portland. a total distance
of 1873 miles.
The cost of the double tracking of
the lines as determined upon will ag.
gregate upwards OF s75.000.000. which
will be distributed over period OF
five years
In statement accompanying the
announcement of the double tracking
project the president. Robert $ Low.
EFT, commented upon the reasons that
had impelled the roads to reach their
decision and declared the belief OF
himself and his associates that pres
ent conditions. considered unfavorable
TO the railroads, were but temporary
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Editor is Sentenced 10 One
Years Imprisonment.
MONARCH MAKES DENIAL
DWARF r. Myths Is Found Guilty o.
sianderins British Ruler After .
6riet Tfiai.

Aftei BRIEF proceedings speclal
Jury before Lord Chief Justice Alver
stone in London cleared King George
oi imputations made against his per
sonal character by finding Edward F.
Myths guilty of circulating a libel
Mylius was sentenced to one years
Imprisonment.
After sentence had been passed Sir
Itnius read letter signed by King
George and authorizing the attorney
general TO state publicly that the
writer had never been married except
10 Queen Mary; had never gone
through ceremony of marriage ex-
cept with the queen. and that he
would have attended the proceedings
To give evidence to this effect except
for the advice of the law officers of
the crown that 1t would be unconstitu.
tional for him to do so.
Myths was charged with distribut.
ing il England copies of the Liberia.
tor, Paris publication. edited by Ed.
ward H. James, and in which II was
alleged that his majesty. while Prince
of Wales. had contracted morganatic
marriage with the elder daughter OF
Admiral Sir Michael Seymour at Nal.
Ia in 1890.
The crown called the admiral as a
witness. and he testified that the
daughter In question. now the wife OF
Captain Napier, OF the British navy.
bod nopov caau his ruafoetr untu KOS
when the king called upon the witness
at Portsmouth.
His only other daughter died in
1895, and for three years preceding
her death had been with her father at
Malta, where he was commander-in-
chief of the Mediterranean squadron.
The king had not visited Malta while
his daughters were there. and the
younger daughter had never spoken
To him
Admiral Seymour was followed in
the witness box by his daughter Mrs.
Napier. She testified that she married
Captain Napier in 1893 and had never
been married previously.
The marriage registers OF Malta
were produced. showing that no one
by the name of Seymour had been
married there between 1886 and 1903
This closed the ease for the proscCu
ton. Myths did not crosse anime ANY
OF the witnesses.
Mylius had no counsel He sought
to have the king subpocnaed as vii.
ness. but this was refused Oh consti.
tutiona grounds He then demanded
the kings presence in the court room,
asserting that lie could not be legally
tried in the absence of his accnscr
Lord Chief Justice Alverstone ruled
against the defendant, declaring that
the defendant knew perfectly well that
under the constitution his majesty
could not be present.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Force Admiral to RESIGN.

Rear Ad"'iral Edward b. Barry. for.
MGR ommander-in.chief of he Pacific
fleet. has resigned FOR the good Of
the service
His resignation was accepted. to
take effect Friday. This action was
taken with the approval of President
Taft and was announced by Secretary
Meyer after the cabinet meeting. His
resignation will completely separate
him from the naval service and he
will draw no pay from the govern.
ment.
Admiral Berrys resignation follows
charges of sensational nature pre-
ferred against him by officers OF his
fleet They affected his personal hab
its and were unprintable in detail.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
LIFTED BY KITES
Naval Officer Asoends 400 Feet From
Warship Geek.

Lieutenant John Rodgers was lifted
400 feet from the deck uf the cruiser
Pennsylvania by mnn-raising kites al
Santa Barbara. tal
The warship was steaming twelve
knots against an eightknot breeze at
the time. and Rodgers. suspended from
the kite cable 100 feet astern. madc
observations and camera views fot
fifteen minutes. lie signalled the re
suits OF hi. observations to the Offi
GERS ol the ship. The altitude attained
by Rodgers is said to be record Tor
man.liiing kites The officer was car
ried up by train Of eleven kites
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Too Hot For Hons.

Vile, Kan, Wednesday that farmers
who delivered hogs were compelled
to sprinkle them with water on the
way TO town. Two farmers lost hogs,
which became overheated in the wag-
ons and died The temperature was
40 degrees.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
1mo Miners Fan $50 Eeet.

Overcome by gas fumes near the
month oG the Gilberton colliery's
slope. Al Mahanoy city. Pa lohI
Strange and John Good. miners. tum-
bled to the bottom. distance OF $50
feet. Goods body in its descent bounc
ed like Il rubber ball as II neared the
bottom Both men are likely to die
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
ADMIRAL SPERRY DEAD
Official Vino Took Battleshlp Arouno
World Victim OF Pneumonia.

World Victim Of Pneumonia.
Rear Admiral Charles ) Sperry. re
tired. who piloted the battleship fleet
around the world in l90S-O9, died sud
denly at the Naval Medical School
hospital In Washington OF pneumonia.
Rear Admiral Sperry had been i'll
only day or SO. He was sixty-three
years OF age having been born at
Brooklyn. \. Y. Sept 3. lS47 entering
the navy in 1862
He reached the rank OF rear adj.
miral In 1906, and retired at the age
of siNty.twO In 1909.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04

Rex. an overgrown ST Bernard
puppy owned by David Wilson. far
mer of Botoga. \. j.. saved the live
OF Wilson's two children.
Harry Wilson. twelve years ola. and
Grace. nine years old, fell through
the ice on small pond back Of the
Wilson barn Rex jumped III and
pulled first the boy and then the girl
ashore.
Both children had swallowed a
quantity of water and were helpless
for time As soon as he haA them
ashore the dog ran TO the farmhouse
and fetched the father.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Rov browns skatinn.

Breaking through the ice while nc
was skating, Harold Patterson. aged
eighteen years. was drowned In a
pond at Glen Burn. near Scranton, Pa.
A youth named Dickerson, who was
skating with him. tried In vain TO Of
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04

Duke Of connaueht to Rule Canada.
The appointment OF the Duke OF
Connaught, uncle OF King George as
governor general of Canada. is OH
clally announced in London
duke to Montreal. He will enter upon
the Office in September and will hold
the appoint rent foi two years. which
may be subject 70 further eNtoL
sion
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
D. c. Holloway
SNOW HILL.
Sore NippIes and Chapped Hands

Are quickly cured By applying chamberlain's
salve. Try its II Is success. Price IS cents.
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Trie. to Kin His Child.

W. j Garrison OF Wyoming, near
Wilkes.Bar Pa. while demenied.
tried to murder his ohe.yearold child
by throwing 1t under the wheels OF a
street car,
The child struck the side OF the car,
however. and escaped with only sc.
we're bruises Dr. Garrison has been
arrested
Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-02-04
Woman Dies. Aasd ios Years.

Miss Victoria Kuschura. aged log
years. died al the residence ct her
niece at Duluth. MINI. maintaining
clear mental faculties to the last She
was born in Poland in 1904
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

develops rapidly continually bending more ano
more until In short time 1t has turheu Gull
plctely upon ITSELF so that the oaliahae s'o"
end up or in position the reverse ol "n!ci'
they are usually hung From seven 10 WE'VE
months after the blossom appears the l'ul'
is ready for the gatherer. At irregular lntei
walls along the entire stalk. and only extending
part of the way round at any one place. 'he
bracts break forth tiny ridges of flowers
which arc almost Immediately replaced oy
nine to twelve embryo bananas. These are
the future hands of the bunch, SO called on
account Of their resemblance to those mem
bers when held in a certain position.
The banana has a curious and prodigal meth
cd Of propagation. for before the parent stalk
and fruit have matured new ones spring up
These are offshoots that grow from the root OF
tine original planting. resembling sprouts from
the eyes of a potato, and each in turn be-
comes parent stalk with It's fruit 1t follows
that unless most of the continually appearing
new plants are cut out (Which is the practice)
the first stalk in a few years will become the
center of miniature jungle. The plants grow
to height of from fifteen to thirty.fve feet
spreading in all directions, until the soil is
overburdened with enormous mass of stalk
and leaf growth, and stunted fruit is produced.
In planting for the market about 200 hills
allowed to the acre. Sometimes the number
can be safely increased to 225 in which case
there will be 500 stalks However, after one
year all of these stalks do not produce mar
ketable bunch of bananas, and, the average
yield is not over 800 full punches to the acre
per annum
Perry, the well-known authority on bananas,
estimates that grower produce a bunch
for from ten to fifteen cents which will have
a market value of 80 cents The cost of pro-
ducing after the first crop is confined to cult
waiting and harvesting which may be done for
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

banana leaves the fruit is safely brought to the
railroads.
Bananas grown for the market planted.
as q rule, on the border of navigable waters
Plantations are divided into sections or zones
Of about ten to twenty miles in length. and the
zones are cut in rotation, thereby cleaning up
the available supply Of fruit in one or several
sections while it is maturing in others.
In Costa Rica the system which has been
evolved for handling the fruit from the time it
is cut from the plant until 1t is placed on the
dealers little stand in the far interior cities Of
the United States is indeed marvellous.
When steamer starts from United States
port to secure it's cargo a cable is sent advising
of the departure, that preparations can be
made for cutting the crop. The carrying
pacty of the vessel is known almost to bunch.
Each plantation manager furnishes at the be-
ginning of the week estimate Of the amount
Of fruit lie cut, and one, two, or three Sec
tons may be called upon, according to the size
Of the ship and the quantity Of fruit available
in each section. About thrty-sx hours previ-
Gus to the expected arrival of the steamship or
derS sent to the plantations, notifying
them to cut fruit for delivery specific date
The day before the steamer is due trains
made up and sent out to pick up the fruit, these
trains being SO timed that steamers will not be
delayed waiting for cargo.
On the morning OF the cutting the plantation
is all astir. First out are the "cutters," who
go up and down the long avenues of banana
plants, closely inspecting each hanging bunch.
In cutting the fruit long lances used, palm
poles armed with broad steel blades. The stalk
of the tall plant is half severed at point about
eight feet above the ground The weight of the
fruit causes the top of the plant to bend slowly
to the earth, where the bunch is cut from the
stem by stroke of the machete. Following
the cutters the picking-up gangs, who de-
liver the fruit at the receiving platforms along
the railroad track. An inspector watches the
fruit as it is passed into the cars. He counts
and grades each bunch, rejecting those that
show signs of ripening and those that are un-
dersiZed or bruised.
After cargOes discharged in the United
States, solid trains Of banana cars run as "spe-
Gals" every day In the week from New York,
Baltimore and New Orleans to all of the large
cities of the country. Carloads are even shipped
to Calgary, Canada, over 1000 miles from New
Orleans
The front ventilators of the forward cars of
these trains, and the rear ventilators of the
last cars, connected by means of canvas
tubes run into main trunk chute. A powerful
exhaust draws off the heat thrown out by the
fruit in its ripening process, and the fans cir.
culate cold air through every car in the train.
During the winter months the operation is re.
yersed and fruit in transit during very cold
destination
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

Forty years ago there were very few people in
this country who could boast of having seen q
bunch Of bananas. The fruit was practically un
known Now, in even the most remote country
store. this pride of the tropics" is familiar
sight.
Despite the fact that millions Of punches are
consumed, they belong almost wholly to one
member of the family, the common yellow
(UncO.
scientists have recognized and classified as
many as 40 different Species ranging from the
ornamental groups that do not develop fruit tC
The giant bananas, the PlatanO Of the Spaniards
The rod banana is not common in the Amcri
can markets. In the United States it is used
only to "drcss' fancy baskets of fruit out ir
the tropical countries it is quite favorite The
individual banana is large but the stalk does
not carry as many hands as the yellow varie
ties, so as it does not bring as large Il price tt
the grower and wholesaler, its extensive cultiva
ton is not encouraged.
Banana culture is one of the Oldest of indus
tries It has been known since the origin of
the human race Long before the dawn of his
tory in the old world, perhaps long before the
old world from the waters, man lived on
the fruit of the Musas. The banana was gen
orally considered native OF southern ASIA
and to have been carried into America bv
Europeans, until humboldt threw doub, upon
who asserted that the banana was cultivated
in America long before the conquest 1t is
claimed that at the time Of the lncas in Peru
bananas formed one of the staple foods of the
natives Of the warm and temperate regions of
the Montana. In spite of the uncertainty as
to Just which country may claim the fruit as
INDIGENOUS all tropical lands assert their right
to It,
The first importation of bananas to the
United States occurred in 1904, when the
schooner Reynard. voyage from Cuba.
brought into New York, commercial
ture. a consignment of 80 lunches: but the
real beginning Of the trade dates back to 1866,
when Mr.. Charles Frank undertook the i'm
portation Of fruit from Colon to New York.
Previous to that venture small cargoes
sisting mainly of the red banana had been
ceived at irregular intervals from Cuba In
1870 Captain Baker an owner of a Cape Cod
schooner, took charter to carry gold miners
and machinery 300 miles up the Orinoco river
in Venezuela After discharging his cargo,
Captain Baker ran into Jamaica to secure
some cocoanuts as ballast to New York, carry
ing few punches of bananas on the deck as
IN experiment. The result promised q great
future for the industry on that island which
has been fulfilled, the exports last year reach
ing $4.OOO.0O0
On the American continent bananas are sue.
cessfully grown through so degrees Of latitude.
from Tampico, Mexico, rs degrees north. to
Asuncion in Paraguay in the Tropic of Capri
corn, 25 degrees south-a belt over 5000 miles
In width. Cultivation of the fruit is practical
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

~ restricted to the eastern coast line, for the
banana is one Of the thirstiest of plants, and
cannot be expected to produce it's maximum
amount of fruit in districts where there are
less than 100 inches of annual RAINFALL I'm
fortunately for humanity. great areas Of the
land lying within this belt are high, dry and
sterile, while others are sandy or rocky so
only small fraction is so located that banana
growing can be made profitable. The altitude
must not invite danger Of frost. and high tenn
perature is necessary for the growth. The
southern coast of the Mexican gulf. the Puerto
Barrlos section Of Guatemala, the Puerto
Cortes district of Honduras, the Puerto Lmon
district Of Costa RIGA, the Bluefields district of
Nicaragua, the Bocas del Zorro region of Pan
anna. the Colombian province of Santa Marta.
and certain portions Of Cuba Jamaica, the Do
minican Republic, Haiti and Dutch Guiana, all
combine the favored elements of soil and eli
mate.
The plant has two natural enemies-the
gopher and the wind storm-but against al
most all other tropical conditions it's hard
mood is remarkable.
1t is a matter of common observation that
the banana is absolutely seedless, cultivation
through innumerable generations having led
to vegetable method Of propagation. Some
OF the primitive seed-bearing varieties are
still said to exist in isolated regions of the far
east
The first step toward cultivation is the clear
ing Of the land Into the tangle Of shrubs and
vines and the thick snarl of tropical vegeta
ton the laborer comes with an ak and
'machete" and cuts low everything but the
giant trees. When all Of the small timber and
brush has been felled planting is commenced.
Young shoots are obtained from panta-
ton already in bearing and these are placed in
rows about II feet apart. When the planting
is finished, the only labor necessary is to keep
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

from $40 to $40 per acre yearly. The net profit
however, averages about $50 per acre in the
various banana producing sections The banana
often grows in combination with other products
In some cases it is used as shade for young
coffee plants
A great many people of the opinion that
the banana would be much better if it was al"
lowed 10 ripen on the plant but this is not the
case. Such fruit is strong In flavor, does not
mature to perfection and the skin breaks, at
tracing numerous insects, while the weight OF
the bunch itself becomes too great for the plant
either one or both coming to the ground. The
punches are cut when the fruit is one-half to
threequarters matured, though still green and
as hard as nails 1t continues to feed from the
cut stalk which contains a great amount or
sap, until fully ripe. Should the cutting occur
100 soon however, the fruit, although turning
yellow will never attain the perfect flavor
With the cutting of the bunch ends the life
of the plant, for it bears but once and is usual
ly cut down to obtain the fruit, or succumbs a
few days later to the cleaning process, which is
merely the bringing of a spent piece to the
ground Cutting the fruit itself involves the
only careful labor on the banana plantation, as
the punches weigh from fifty to sixty pounds.
and even slight knocks are followed by bruised
Spots under which the fruit quickly ripens and
decays However. by the liberal use of dried
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

down the weeds and care
fully clean the ground
about the the root of each
stalk.
The banana plant will
grow with wonderful rap
idity under favorable cir
rumstances. In fact, the
development from a new
ly planted sucker to the
plant in full bearing is
simply short of marvel
Gus. Within a space or
six or seven weeks the
Two or three foot plant
has more than doubled in
size, and a month or so
later the leaves cease to
unfold and a spike ap-
vcars out CT the center or
the crown. This is the fu-
ture stalk of the bunch
and carries a huge red
1>,occo,,, 1T the end. 1T
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-25

will help to put China in accord with
the rest Of the civilized world. The
Importance Of the reforms that are
following one another in China and
the extent to which they are radical
may be appreciated when it is con-
sidered that until the present genera
ton outsiders, in practically every
part of China. were foreign devils"
There were no railroads, and no dis
position to permit the construction
of any or to encourage anything not
already tested by centuries OF prac-
.ice. China not only has railways