davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1912-07-09

@runb al anben
BeItemmelie er min Gmebie meo BERT,
tei iantt Sus % Stab, / ct fort If~anoiuaoilt
Settlement, binig tiIialgs bpis Sanoel fan
lte itrar. WGrmere peb Senpen6clIe til &.
6. =. &nnoion, q. 3, @rooe @itn, Ninn.
Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1912-07-09

FOR SALE: FIRST MORTGAGE FARM LOANS
n The safest and best Investment n n
on the market today. Nets the
IN purchaser 6 percent. Payment Of In
u ' principal and interest guaranteed y "
The Farmers & Merchants State Bank Of 0klee
W. B. T0RGERS0N, Cashier, LAMBERT p. o., MINI.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06


 power. MT. Jackson made searching in- vestigations as to the possibilities for the generation ofs electricity and for the building of railroads to open up new ter ritories
 He did not make the investigations on his own account. but in the interest of bankers. i1e did his work so thoroughly and his reports were clear and con- vincing that he won the complete con fidence of his principals. Occasionally he made a trip to London or New Y ofl to see the financiers who were interested l in his work. He has home in Tokio and one in Pelin. He also has one in New York.
 Within the last few years there have been some momentous happenings in the far east. China has been in the throcs of one of the mightiest revolutions q na- ton ever has known. From out of dark ness of ages it is coming in to the light. It has thrown off the customs and the habits of many centuries and adopted new ones.
 In the revolution that has given birth to the republic of China things have hap pened so fast and so suddenly that many of the men who have been close to the center of affairs have not been able 70 understand the full significance of what was happening. But the California pro lessor has had clear vision. He know s history and he knows men. He has a cool head and a spirit that his 57 years of life have not shackled. Possibly he has had more ardent sympathy with tine aims of New China than foreigner would be supposed to entertain.
 Revolutions are expensive. They dts orga nize the whole system of govern ment. They entail tremendous direct and indirect costs. In China this is especially true. Various nations look upon the huge eastern country with jealous if not en- vious eyes England has interests there of vast importance. Japan has designs, commercial and territorial, that will take long time to work out. France has n- terests that must be protected and must be enlarged. Germany has possessions in the far east that are to be broadened. and she has, too hopes of increasing her influence in Chna's trade and affairs. Russia, as China's northern neighohT. is much concerned with what China does, and America with the Philippines near by and with a great and growing business relationship with China. has much to safeguard. | If Japan could have her way 1t would not be long before Japan controlled China. If Russia could have her way. the great white bear would be master of China in very short time. Kaiser Wilhelm has little doubt that the Test thing that could happen to China would be for China to be Germanized. John Bull, already fin possession of some of the most important gateways to China,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06

between the several republics. The city was prosperous. It had about 15,000 people and 1t was full of tourists and pleasure lovers, as was Pompeii at it's fall. Among the visitors were several hundred Americans who had come here from Panama. These were the condi- tions on the first of April, 1910.
 sIn Earthquake Land
 Several months before that time, however, the volcanoes about l.ed been having eruptions Old Poas a mighty mountain at the west had throw n up geyser of steam to a height of more than two and a half miles, and this had spread out in a mushroom of light gray which had covered the valley of San Jose. At the same time a rain of ashes fell upon that city which lies about, flf- teen miles west of here and the trees and shrubs for miles around were COW cred with volcanic ash, making them look as though covered with snow. The ashes even went as far as Punta Are mas, on the Pacific, and near the vol cano stones which were more than foot in diameter fell from the skies.
 Along about April 1S. there was an earthquake which was felt throughout this whole central plateau All the church bells at cartago began to ring violently and the ground rose and fell. This was about midnight. The people ran into the streets and the most of them got down on their knees and prayed to the saints. The tremblings of the earth continued until morning. There were more than a score of shocks before o'clock, but they grew less and less and all thought the trouble was over. There was another strong shock shortly after midday and on the fol- lowing day a dozen or more shocks were recorded, but nothing very alarm ing. Then the earth became quiet and for almost three weeks there was peace. The people thought the trouble was over and the tourists spoke of the earthquakes as delightful experience and planned the big stories they would tell when they got back to Panama.
 This was the situation May 4, Hvhen
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06
AZEp 7HE EARZHQUAkE.

And now let me tell you something of the Cartago of today. have spent hours wandering through it's almost de- serted streets and tramping over the ruins of the homes of the past. Every where one goes he sees the foundations of buildings with.a pile of debris inside of them The 'hurch of San Nicolas
 not far from the station, is being re- paired, but the tower is down and the walls are cracked and broken. The bells have been put up on poles at shed at the Gide and are now rung by hand
 The great cath sdral opposite the public park and the market, which was built at cost, I venture. of half million or so, has been cracked and destroyed beyond hope of repair. It is stone structure covering almost an acre, with walls ten feet in thickness. Others of the churches have entirely disappeared.
 Walking through the streets one sees the despair of the inhabitants in the buildings which have been erected to take the places of the substantial houses of the past There are shacks everywhere made up of pieces of gal vanized iron roofing, boards from dry goods boxes and the scraps of old lum- Der which fell with the quake. The town now reminds one of Nairobi in Africa, which is contemptuously called the tin town. The houses are made up of all sorts of makeshifts. The roofs and walls are of galvanized iron or half iron and half tile In the several houses I saw the sheets of iron laid on the walls with the tiles around the edges of the sheets to keep the rain from running through the cracks.
 The market now consists of a large number of sheds made of debris and roofed with iron and tin. Today is Sun day and the people from all parts of sthe country about have come into the market. There were a thousand or more there when I visited 1t a few hours ago. Many of the market women sat on the ground with oranges, ban anas. potatoes and onions piled around them. The butchers stood inside their tin shacks and used sheets of galvan- ized iron as counters, upon which they cut up the meat for the customers. There were tailor shops and shoe shops in store-box like sheds and l saw women sewing at machines out in the sun. In many cases the merchants sold their goods out in the open, sitting on the ground as they did so. At the pres- ent time. about two blocks away, a new market is building. This Is a building of steel with galvanized iron roof It must cover several acres and it Is rapidly approaching completion.
 A Look at Carnegie's Peace Palace I walked down the street following a stream of mountain water which flowed through the gutter to the site of Carnegie's great building which was to teach peace to these Central American republics. The scenes about it are now peaceful enough, but they are the peace of desolation. I will not say of de- spair for I understand that Mir. Car negie has offered to give an extra hun dred thousand dollars to erect a new
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06

building. and that this will shortly be put up at the capital, San Jose, which is about five hours walk aawy.
 As to the first structure. it lies where it was stricken down by the stony hand of old Mother Earth The walls and the roof have been reduced to pile of stones and the foundations only re- main to show the beautiful structure that the palace must have been. These foundations are intact for, perhaps, eight or ten feet above the ground. Ev- erything else has fallen as far as the floor of the great central court. l climbed up the steps and walked over the patio. This is intact, but weeds and grass are growing in the corners where the fountains were to have been located. and there Is a wide hedge of weeds running around it, covering tho hall which separates the patio from the ruins of the rooms which faced upon 1t.
 In the Cemetery
 l next visited the cemetery, which is situated about three blocks away. This institution was formerly the pride Of Cartago. It covers six or eight acres, and was filled with monuments and beautiful vaults amid semi tropical trees. It is shut off from the street by a wall of catacombs, in the center Of which is the entrance. The wall of catacombs is about ten feet thick, twenty five feet high and over 400 feet long. From each end of 1t shorter walls of catacombs extended back into the cemetery, forming great set of pigeonholes, each of which contained coffin, and the whole formed like the head of letter T. This wall of cof- fins was broken in two by the earth quake at about ten feet from the ground, and the upper portion moved inward several inches
 It must have been tilted over and this threw out the slabs which held in the dead. sealing shut the pigeonhole vaults in which each coffin lay. | counted the pigeonholes in the main wall. There were over 600 of them, and, with those in the walls at the ends, there must have been fully 1000 collins with the dead in them at tho time the earthquake occurred. The wall at one end was reduced to debris of bricks and mortar, of broken wood and bones and flesh. In the central wall many of the collins were thrown out and the skulls and bones rolled about everywhere.
 It was the same in the family vaults of the cemetery. These were made very similar to the catacombs at the ends, each vault being a little flat-roofed house made up of these pigeonholes. Some of the vaults are still in ruins. and on some of these are flowers and wreaths hung up in memory of the dis turbed departed. At the time that the dead were exhumed there were so many that it was found necessary to burn most of them to prevent disease. Others were put back in the vaults. but alas, without the quotation, After lifes fitful fever he sleeps we'll
 FRANK c. CARPENTER.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06
The Power of Talking

fFoIn the btllntdtOf.
 Conversation is one of the most inn portant things in your life. because it is the point of vital contact with other minds. By it you mold others and arc nodded by them. If you listen to conver- saton that expresses hope and courage and a love of life, it tends to make you feel that way too. But If you listen to conversation that throws cold water on your good intentions, or holds up the bad instead of the good, or makes you feel that life is very commonplace. hum drum affair it tends to draw you down into its own mental vortex and takes away the natural joy of living.
 What you say, of course. has simi- lar effect on others. Do you realize that your conversation is one of ysur chief powers for good in the world? If you are sensible of it's power and let your tongue and voice, it soon becomes sec ond nature and your life will be bless
 ing to others wherever you go. And they will be apt to pick up the strain they get from you and pass it on. Others iD turn wil, catch the spirit from them ana pass it on without limit If we always remembered hat. how careful we should be to keep our conversation on subjects that are truly worth while, and to let the thoughts we express be only such as lift the mind to a brighter tnterpreta- ton of life. Why not resolve within yourself that you will be a conversation litter anc not a dragger down of thought? One touch of purpose< will work wonders in directing conversation into profitable channels.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06

CT projects that Mr. Jackson had recom- mended in China. In New York Mir. Jackson also consulted with the bankers he had made reports to regarding oppor- tunities in China.
 The proposition he laid before these men was enough to take their breath away. It was thht they should take at- vantage of the situation, finance China s needs. win the frieroship of the new sIe- public and become the agents for the fVe- velopment of the fars east. The mere idea of opposing the mighty powers ot the world of money the men who die tated to nations, the men who made or prevented wars, was enough to shock any stall-fed banker. To enter into open rivalry with them might mean disaster and exile from the sacred circle of money. There is q cant saying that there is nothing moro cowardly than money. It is true and it is not true A vast majority of men of money are timorous, but here and there are valorous spirits.
 Professor Jackson had to do lot of missionary work before he could get his banking friends committed to his plan. He knew and they knew they were talk ing their business lives in their hands but they were men of courage and he won them over. And while MT. Jackson was working on them the money kings were making their positions more secure. China was ir urgent need Of immediate funds There were some debts she had to pay at once. The international bank CTS lent this money on account, pending the closing up of the regular deal. Mean while they proddcd China in order e force her to come to terms. But tic Chinese statesmen pleaded for delay. The bankers lost patience and made all sorts of threats. The situation became moro and more grave every day. Then if was declared that if China did not accept the bankers would withdraw their proDosi- tion, and when they made another one ii would be less generous in its terms than the one under con sideration.
 This was the situation when one da J Jackson cabled to Pekin an offer to sup. rly 5o000. GOO to China. He had the bank i CTS to underwrite bonds to that amount There would be. no clause in this loar | stipulating that the bankers should con
 trol the expenditures of China. The $50.
 c0o.oo0 would provide for the immediate
 needs of the new republic. reimburse the syndicate of international bankers for the
 sums they had advanced, pay off press. l ing claims. and have a working balance Later on he could take up any furthe. 1 loans China needed to negotiate.
 | When the formal announcement was made through the news agencies that A Wendell Jackson had offered to finGncs
 China the question went up, "Who tn, deuce is A. Wendell Jackson?'' Few per sons in England, France or Germany
 knew. but in a few days it was learned
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06

wants no interference with what he now owns. but has a desire for more. France, with Tonquin. only has had her appetite whetted for more of China. Uncle sam has no land hunger in that section of the world, but must see that none Of the other nations gets the ascendency in Chinese matters.
 There is very. close relationship be- tween the money kings and the rulers of nations. Nations, like business houses, have to borrow from the money kings to finance their business. Nations, like courts, protect the bankers when the debtor fails to meet his obligations. China. through It's hugeness. through its antiquated system through the incapa>- ity of the Manchu dynasty and through the heavy expenses of the revolution. fourd itself in state of serious finac- cial embarrassment. There were claims amounting to millions of dollars for dam age done to enterprises owned by foreign investors. There was interest due on loans made to the empire that was wiped out of existence by the republic. There were millions of dollars due to the sol Giers who fought in the revolutionary army. There were other millions due to the companies who had furnished muni- tions of war to the former government or to the revolutionary forces. There was little or no money coming in.
 In the Reorganization that had eo,ie with the downfall of the empire and the rise of the republic taxes had not been collected and the treasury had been empted. To make the republic secure, a great deal of money had to be obtained. When nation needs money it gets it.J communications with great money kings. It has been a long time since any bor- rowing nation has had so complex a Joh in money getting as confronted China Japan could not afford to let America l bankers lend the money. because that would give America the ascendancy 'n the development of China. England could not afford to let German bankers finarco Chna's needs. for Great Britain is in tensely concerned in anything or every thing Germany does outside of Germany. Russia had to be very careful that Eng
 land did not get control of the situation through English bankers, and all of the other nations had good reason for pre- venting France from getting too frineGlv rela tions with China through her pocket book.
 Tn this hash of politics and money the six nations most concerned saw one way of solving the problem. That practically was that they should decide how muc' money China should borrow. and that each of the six nations should have an equal share in the lending of the money Japan was to lend, or rather Japanese bankers were to lend, $50.000,000. Russian bankers 10 participate for like sum German bankers were to have $oosUosvN
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06

that he was an Amefican, an engineer and former university professor. Then the natural question was as to the identi- ty of the men behind him. Mir Jackson was reluctant to give names, but ac- knowledged that E. Birch Crisp & co. or London were among those interested. This was shocking to the international ba nkers Small-fry people were poach- ing on their preserves. There were sug- sestions that the Jackson proposition was mere bluff, that Professor Jackson was a person of no importance, just the ordinary American promoter, you know, and that be was getting worldwide mo- toriety for very little cost.
 Professor Jackson and his principals had very little to say. The international bankers had good deal to say little later. however when it was announced unofficially from Pekin that the Chinese government had accepted the tender of MT. Jackson, and that per cent of The $50 100000 loan, that is s2.500,c00. had been received by the government as earnest of the Jackson syndicate power and good will
 Then the great international bankers got busy. So did the lords of statesman- ship. There were rumblings of trouble. Pressure. it was hinted. would be brought
 
 many, Russia. Japan and France to
 bring China to her senses. It was lttlc short of treason to anger the money kings. What would the world do with out money kings? There were sugges- tions that Sir Edward Grey, foreign min ister of Great Britain. had sent note to China flat was little short of a com rand. The foreign ministers in Pekir representing the six powers who were to participate in the lending arrangement of the first plan had audiences with the Chinese minister of state and entered formal objections to what the Chinese government had done. This might pres
 age anything. even the landing of troops to make China behave.
 Meanwhile the little group of bansers
 who had the temerity to comp0e witt the great money lords were not idle. They
 had to have public support or they couit not obtain the money to meet their oh ligations to China. They went to wort to sell the bonds they had underwrit' ten. The other day subscriptions fo'
 these bonds were opened in London Within n few hours they were sub
 s,cribed nearly three times over. IL wa amazing How could the investing pun ! lie be so eager to buy what the grea money kings were opposed to? It IS h' secret that the money kings beheVe' | this subscription would be flat fall ure It was shocking that 1t shoui' i he such a pronounced success. In' day after the sale the. great mone'
 kings announced to the world that tne'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06
AL ROr\ANCEC OF THE BUJINEJ0 WORLD
 A1oercan Enaneer Wko Has Become Cnas Enaneial Moses

YF you have the notion that these aro
 prosy times, that syndicates. cliques, J trusls and corporations generally con troi everything worth having, that the world offers nothing today to tempt the soldier of fortune 10 go forth in search of adventure and a brilliant career; that the good old days when stout heart and an alert nlind were sufficient for man to blaze his way to success in a foreign land. if not at home. have passed never to return hark to the story of A. Wen dell Jackson.
 In day Le has become world fig ure. From comparative obseurity he mas sprung at one bound to position or prominence such as few men attain, He startled thu, chanceleries of the six great nations He confounded the most power ful group of bankers the world has cvcN known, and it looks as if the project he has launched is going to create new era in the oldest of nations.
 A man must not be young necessarily to dc daring acts. A. Wendell Jackson is B. He was born in Chelsea. Mass. February iS, 1855. He has been college professor and an engineer, off and on, for 20 odd years, Outside the engineer ing profession he is little known. He would be one of the last men the average per son would pick out as likely to be the leading spirit in a great adventure. Put you never can tell where turks the gei m of opportunity.
 Back in the early '70s Jackson was student in the University of California. He was graduated in 1874 as bachelor of philosophy. The next year he was stu dent at Leipsic. Germany. In 1876 he was student in Frieburg. In 1877 he got some practical experience in the United States as miner. Then he went back to the university at California and be- came a professor of mineralogy. He stayed in the university a good rnny years and taught in various branches. among them economies and geology. II was not until 1901 that he gave up uniNcr- sity life. He came east and became a consulting engineer--first in Nov York and then in Boston, After live wears of this he was made president and general manager of the Central Electric Con- struction company and of the Atlanuc Engineering company of New York. In J905 he was consulting engineer in rin- ing matters. Then he began to think of the far east. When he. was past 50 he journeved to Japan and went from there into Siberia. down into China, through Corea and across Manchuria.
 He read the signs of the times. There was a great awakening in the far east. He saw opportunities for a man of eIl- terprise and ability. He is a linguist ii rare accomplishments. He speaks Ger man, French and Japanese and has n fair knowledge of Chinese. The far east needs railroads and 1t needs electriea al