davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
MEANS MUCH TO PUBLISHERS.

MEANS MUCH TO PUBLISHERS.
The large army of newspaper pub
fishers, and the larger army Of news
paper readers In this country, have
reason, just now, to be on their guard.
Sometime within the next few weeks
the senate will take action on the bill
to repeal the Canadian reciprocity act,
which was passed last year and short
ly thereafter rejected by the Canadian
PEOPLE.
Since this act became dead the min
Ute the Canadian people rejected 1t,
there was no good reason, in the
with affairs in Washington, for the in
PRODUCTION Of a bill to repeal the act.
However, such a bill was introduced
by Senator Hepburn, of Idaho, and this
bill, carrying a very important modifi-
cation, has been reported favorably to
the senate, and action will be taken on
IL soon.
The modification is this: That Sec
ton of the bill be retained.
Section of the bill placed Canadian
paper and wood pulp on the free list,
without qualification. That is; this
section provided for the admission of
paper and pulp into this country free
of duty, regardless of whether the Ca
radian people accepted the reciprocity
proposal. If the reciprocity act is re-
/ pealed, therefore, the publishers will
again have to pay duty on wood paper
and wood pulp, provided an exception
is not made in favor Of section 2. g.
Manifestly, the only purpose in ask
ing the senate to repeal the bill was
To- bring about the repeal of section 2
since that section was the only part
of the act which had the least life, 81
which in any way affected the trade
relations of the two countries. AS far
as all the other sections of the bill
we're concerned, they might just as
well have not been written.
At the time the Hepburn repeater,
carrying. as it did. this singer for the
publishers and readers, was introduc
ed in the senate, attention was called
TO it's possibility for evil, and the sen
ate finance committee, in response t
the protests that were made, modified
the repeater so as to exclude section
y The bill, in that form, went to thu
senate, and il is now up to those wht
are opposed TO placing tax on intelli
gence in this country, to see TO ii tina
10 special privilege senator get
through an amendment TO repeal sec
ton along with the rest of the bill
# the bill is passed, exactly as 1t he
been reported, no harm will be done
but il an amendment is tackled on L
include this important section, an VI
told injury will be done the publisher
and those who read the papers an,
magazines they publish.
This is the time TO let the senator
= know that thousands of eyes ar
watching them, and that any attemp
TO slip in an amendment will be dc
tected.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

We all want too much, says Senator
Burton In giving the causes OF the hlgn
cost Of living.
Well-maybe we do all want TOO
much. But most Of US don't get It.
One reason we want more than we
need (sometimes) is that we see SO
many who have so much.
We see sleek countenances, fine raj
ment, high powered automobiles. ele-
CANT residences. We not only see
these things-and more-but we read
about them in newspapers, magazines
and books. We're soaked in luxury
at second hand. We're also soaked
In other ways. Therefore is 1t strange
that we want more than we have
that we want some Of the good
things that we see others have and
the possession Of which causes these
others to gaze upon the common herd
under supercilious eyebrows?
The woman struggling through the
slush on the sidewalk knows exactly
how she is regarded by the beauteous-
" clad woman who passes her COM
fortably sheltered in a limousine; and
Ithe woman on the sidewalk, unless
she has found the philosophers stone,
resents the ease and protectedness OF
her sister in the limousine. She feels
that she is as fully entitled to such
favors, and perhaps she goes home and
reproaches her husband for not being
man enough to provide her with lux
uries that have become necessaries in
her mind.
ITO those that have shall be given
is a modern saying. We see this
worked out on every hand. To those
that have go the favors and the kow'
toys. So we would have also. There
fore our men go forth to get the ma
terial to put up a 'front.'" even though
in the getting they lose the real JOY
of living.
This same spirit prevails through
the various grades of society. In each
little pond the little fish want the same
privileges as the big fish, and if they
can't get the identical privileges, they
accept a cheap imitation.
In that way the senator is right thar
we want too much these days. Oul
striving to emulate our neighbors Oh
go them one better has something tt
do with elevating the cost of our living
But do we want too much when VIZ
ask for the common comforts of tbs
day?
| We ask for comfortable houses, will
enough space in them to accommodate
a family. We are educated beyond
the herding idea of our pioneer father
and mothers, who thought nothing o
four children in bed, and that three
room cabin, without a single sanitar,
convenience, was a good enough habt
tation in which to rear a large family
We ask for a furnace, at the least
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Hunor and
Philosophy
REPRESENTATION.
~ DUNCAN ~. SMITH

Unless you start to take a walk
You'll never finish 1t
A task that never In begun
You win not have to quit.
And. though you think to travel far,
Your talk Is all in vain
And doesn't carry you from home
Unless you take a train.
By putting or until next week
What should today be done
You have q dozen duties then
Where there should be but one.
And 50 you pile them In a heap
Or stand them In q row
Until there are so many that
You have to let them go.
The work you have and ought to do
You never will keep straight
BY putting on each little thing
Until q later date,
For on the morrow there will be
To occupy your mind
"A lot OF other things TO DE-
OF every sort and kind.
Procrastination IL the thief
That steals away your time.
To listen to Its soothing voice
Is little less than crime.
Each task performed as II comes up
VIII save you much distress,
But you have heard all this before
A thousand times, I guess.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

part Of the business now carried by
the express companies would be car
ried by the railroads as mail matter.
Investigators in the service Of the
interstate commerce commission have
reported that express companies re-
ceive less than cents per pound, or.
to be exact, S1.54 per 100 for handling
express, and Of that amount the rail-
roads receive As per cent A report Of
the postmaster general shows that the
government pays more than cents q
pound for all mall matter carried by
the railroads. The same rate would.
Of course, apply to parcels post
The average cost, including all ex-
pense of handling mail. is about IL
cents per pound. The average cost TO
the government for handling parcels
post is estimated from s to 10 cents
per pound. These facts and estimates
correct-they are from official sources
the railroads would gain more than
SO, 000, 900 for every million dollars Of
business transferred from express to
parcel post. If parcel post service
will cost the government, as estimated,
from to Is cents pound, it goes
without saying that any selfsupporting
parcels post viii not benefit any pat
ron Of that service, because the aver
age rate is several times higher than
the average rate charged by express
companies, who thus have nothing to
fear from government competition.
There being mutual ownership Of rail-
road and express companies, 1t is clear
that both are for the scheme that will
produce the largest revenue and so the
largest net earnings.
AS parcels post would mean a 81 in
stead of rs cents rate paid by express,
naturally the railroads and express
companies are for parcels post
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

The Massachusetts legislative com.
mittee on taxation has under consid-
Grafton a bill levying a tax of Sc a
head on unmarried men over 80 years
OF age. 1t is designed to use the rev.
enue from the tax In providing for i'm
provident spinsters. Miss Charlotte
Smith. who addressed the committee,
said that the purpose of the bill is to
compel men to abandon the unmarried
state and to provide homes for some
Of the 10000 girls who are turned upon
the streets Of Boston each year. If
Miss Smith shall suggest a way for a
good many men over 35 10 provide for
a wife and family she will have evolv-
ed solution OF the social problem. The
cause OF the declining marriage rate is
economic.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
* AS OTHERS SEE US -

city the cleanest government 1t has
had in many years. 1t has won the
enmity OF thugs and gamblers, by clos
ing up the saloons Sundays and by at.
tempting to clean out the gambling
institutions.
II is up to the decent citizens OF
Rock Island to sustain the mayor. II
is the only thing there is to do, so far
as people are concerned who do not
want to sustain the thugs.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Moline Dispatch.)

The question in Rock Island should
not be what truth is there in the
charges that have been made against
Mayor SchFiver. These can be dis
missed by asking yourself what truth
was there in charges made from the
same source against other citizens of
Rock Island in the past.
Mayor Schriyer and the Rock Island
city commission have been giving the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

The sharp rise in the prices Of pork.
bacon and lard in the Chicago market
on the announcement OF the verdict
in the packers trial suggests the pos
slbillty Of a converse effect If they had
been convicted. Students of the cost
OF living problem may speculate as to
whether 1t might not be solved by put
ting somebody in Jail.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Colonel James Hamilton Lewis. dem
ocratic candidate for United States
senator. is on a speechmaking tour
throughout the state. The brilliant and
fastdious colonel is showering some
real campaign oratory broadcast in
Illinois.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Suspects Poison In Death.

Rockford. April 1.-The death Of
Mrs. Fred Wheeler after an illness OF
only 21 minutes, in which she Is said
to have suffered commissions, was in
vestigated by Coroner McAIlister Sat.
rrday. The Viscera of Mrs. Wheeler
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

The ice man will soon be around
again and we will be forgetting about
those winter coal bills. Isn't life lust
one thing after another"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

charge of endeavoring to persuade
persons serving in the forces of the
king on land or sea from their duty
and allegiance to his majesty, was
committed for trial at the Manchester
Assizes.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
April l In American
History.

1833-The United States treasury build
ing burned at Washington.
l9C9-The lest detachment OF United
States troops withdrawn from
Cuba.
1910-Robert W. Patterson. president
of the Chicago Tribune company.
died in Philadelphia: born 1850
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Doing away with poll workers on
primary day is but another step to-
ward decent methods in elections.
They are relics of former days. of days
we do not care TO be reminded of.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Peculiar,

"One o. de mos curiosest thing
about fool" said Uncle Eben. rs d.
way he'll boiler and git mad If you
don't let him show on his misfortune"
Washington Star.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

The Eternal Feminine.
"Long is going to build a new house"
"What style Of architectureT
Feminine
THAT'S a new one on me-"
He says it is to be five-tenths clos
cts, three-tenths windows and the rest
hardwood floors"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Misiudqed.

Misjudeed.
"Women are so unreasonable"
"Wife expects 80 per cent of your
salary, does sheT'
mo; but she expects me to carry all
the household affairs in my mind
considering you are on the road so
much that is unreasonable"
isn't it? Why, she even got mad
the other night because I mistook one
of our children for the neighbors' and
said his mother ought to keep his face
clean"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
suanish War Men wIII caun.

Pontiac, April The state encamp-
ment OF the United States Spanish
American war veterans will be held In
this city June II and Is. The first
battalion OF the Third regiment Of the
Illinois National Guard will be sta
toned here during the encampment
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Easily Satisfied,

Easily Satisfied.
"He seems to be an easy man to get
along with
Yes; it takes very little to amuse
him.
Not hard to please"
"Say, he could have a good time
holding his wife's hand"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Being Naughty.
'They are strict vegetarians."
do they enjoy it?''
''They say they do"
81 notice they like to go away from
home to get square meal"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Taken In at Last.
Alone down there with no hot air
The south pole thought things awful
slow.
les little twin was taken in
To headline lands some years ago.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Cheap Victory.
81 like losing cause"
"But why?"
"No matter what sort of a fight you
make, you are sure to get sympathy
as the under dog.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

London-Tom Mann, labor leader
who was arrested March Is on the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Had Them Sized Up.
He wouldn't trust fellow man.
For he was very careful
They might be true. but then he knew
That folks were so hot airful.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Justice.

Justice claims what is due, polity
what is seemly: Justice weighs and de-
cides. poiity surveys and orders: jus
tice refers 10 the individual, polity to
the community. rGoethe.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

A man who can't keep out of politics
generally has a good graft.
There is reason in everything except
q woman's because"
A man who breaks a law usually
feels himself entirely competent to re-
place it with a perfectly good new
one.
There may be room for improvement
even at the top.
Anything worth while is worth lot
Of il.
Being the town kicker seems to be
some mems idea Of official position.
Popularity Is hardly ever worth much
when you have to spend all your time
holding 1t.
Getting what you want may be hard,
but IL Is often harder to keep wanting
L after you get it.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
Monday, April I, 1912.

April and the robins and blue
birds are singing-and this is no joke.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

viii be subjected TO analysis. She was
the wife Of farmer living near Cher
~ Valley.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
RAILROADS AND THE PARCELS
POST.

II any OF the proposed parcel post
laws should be adopted. very large,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Learning makes a man ct company
ksr himself-Young.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
THE ARGUS.

Published Dauy ana weekly at 1884
Second avenue Rock Isiana. III ZEN.
tered AZ the postofncs a. sscond-class
matterJ
Rock I.Iand Member 81 ths Associated
Pres.
BY THE J. w. POTTER CO.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

Possible Reason.
ST he Chinese
don't appear to
know what to do
next"
mo: they have
lost their cue"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

TERAS-Dally. 10 cents per week
Weekly. 81 per year IN advance.
Complaints OF delivery service should
be made to the circulation department
which sho AID also be notified In every
Instance where It 10 desired to have
paper discontinued. a. carriers have no
authority In the premises
AL communications OF e-gumentative
character. political or religious. must
ton No such articles win DO printed
over fictitious signatures
Telephones In all departments: Central
Onion. West I45 and 1145; Union Eleo-
trio. 5i45.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01
PERT PARAGRAPHS.

Experience is often more expensive
than it is productive.
When a girl doesn't know what else
to do she calls up her chum and makes
fudge.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-01

A man who can't keep out OF politics
generally has a good graft.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-03-22
MAKING PENS OF TANTALUM
Excellent Properties of Metal Have
Suggested Idea of Using 1t for
Writing Nibs.

The excellent properties of tantalum
have suggested the idea of using this
metal for writing pens. Most of the
pens now used are of steel, whose
elasticity gives the desired pliability
to the pens. But the steel pen rusts
easily and is attacked by ink. Cold
is rust proof and not so attacked. But
gold alone is too soft, and the extreme
points must have some hard metal like
iridium soldered to them to make
them durable, which is complicated
and expensive. Some very interesting
tests have been made by German
scientists. The tantalum metal was
cut, formed and split like an ordinary
steel pen. Then the points were bent,
ground shaped, and hardened by spe-
cial hardening process, which was
found to greatly prolong the life of
the pens. Comparative tests were
made between steel, gold, and tantal-
UNI pen points on six miles of paper,
and the results showed the hardened
tantalum pen to be far superior to the
others. The chemical tests showed
these pens to be proof against the
attacks of ink.
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-03-22

One of the Oldest cultivated plants in the
world is the date palm. At least 1000 years
ago it was growing on the banks of the Eu-
pirates and it is this plant and the camel that
together made it possible for the Arabs to
populate the great deserts of northern Africa
and Asia. The date palms would grow where
the water was alkaline and the camels were
able to make long journeys across the desert
to take the dates to the coast to market and
sell them for wheat and olives
In these deserts of the old world millions of
Arabs live on dates, for the date palm can be
cultivated on land SO salty as to prevent the
culture of any other paying crop, and it will
live in the hottest regions on the face of the
globe; not even temperature of 125 degrees
F. will affect it. This obliging plant does not,
however, insist on such temperatures, but will
stand some frost, and has been known to live
where the mercury falls to IL degrees F.
It is also the only wood obtainable in the
GASES of the Sahara, and on the shores of
Arabia boats are made of it,
The date palm has both male and female
MOVERS and they occur separate plants, and
the Arabs have to plant one male for every
plantation Of a hundred females, making
harem as it We're. The artificial pollination or
fertilization Of the female palms is one of the
most interesting processes practiced with
plants a spray of flowers from male palm
being bound with a bit of palm-eaf fiber in
each lnfiorescence Of the female tree Propa-
cation Of the date palm can be accomplished
by means of seeds, suckers, which are
thrown up at the base of the palm Suckers
VIII start, however, on land so salty that the
seedS refuse to grow on It,
-Four years from seed, trees of some yarie
ties begin to bear and in six years will have
paying crops Of dates. They live to a much
greater age than almost any other Of the fruit
trees, and specimens century old are said to
be still good investment
The date is not dry-land crop, but requires
irrigation to grow and produce fruit A planta-
ton once established requires to be kept free
Of weeds, to be p0lljnated when the palms
come into bloom. and to have the fruit har-
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-03-22

into the country, and has been directed by a
great and growing body of research men and
women into those regions where 1t was
thought they might make their homes.
In the brief space of short article, and to
avoid what would be almost a bare enumera-
ton of plant names, prefer to treat only of
a few of the many important problems with
which the Office is working, passing by, also.'
the introduction of the Durum wheat the
Japanese rice, and giving the Siberian alfalfas,
which are earning for the farmers of the coun-
try many millions of dollars a year. "a bare
mention, for the reason that they have been
so often described in the newspapers of the
country.
The mango is one of the really great fruits
of the world India, with its hundreds of mil
lions of people, has for centuries held 1t
sacred and celebrates annual ceremonies in
its honor The great Mogul Akbar, who
regned in the 10th century, planted the ia
nous LAX Bag, an orchard of a hundred thou
sand mangoes, and some of these still remain
alive. 1t Is fruit the Importance Of which
Americans are at last beginning to recognize.
notwithstanding the unfortunate discredit
which the worthless Seeding mangos of the
West Indies have given it in the minds of
Americans generally
There are probably more varieties of man.
goe than there are of peaches. l have heard
of one collection of 500 different sorts in In
dia. There are exquisitely favored varieties
no larger than a plum. and there are delicious
sorts the fruits of which are six pounds in
weight In India where the wage of coolie
is not over 10 cents day, there are varieties
which sell for $3.50 hundred, and the COM
monest sorts bring over cent apiece.
The great mango trees of India are said to
reach a height of 20 feet and are so loaded
down with fruit that over $3.50 worth has been
sold from a single tree.
These fine varieties, practically as free from
fiber as a freestOne peach, can be eaten with
spoon easily as cantaloupe Train
loads of these are shipped from the mango
growing centers of India and distributed in the
densely peopled cities of that great semi-trop-
ical empire and yet, Notwithstanding the.
great Importance of this fruit, the agricultural
study of it from the new standpoint has
scarcely been begun. / believe that it has
never. for example, been tested on any but its
own roots
We have gathered together in Florida and
Porto Rico and Hawaii more than hundred
varieties, and some which we have fruited
have already attracted the attention Of the
fancy fruit-dealers, who agree that the demand
for these will increase as fast as the supply
can be created and maintain that extravagant
prices, such as so or even rs cents apiece,
viii be paid for the large, snowy, delicious
fruits. Last year 900 dozen Mulgoba mangos
were sold in Florida for So dozen The Gov
ernor Of Porto Rico has committed himself to
a policy which, II carried out, will cover the
island with hundreds of thousands Of mango
trees OF the better varieties.