davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
SAYS UNCLE CAV

The hardest step in the climb for
success is learning to work hard.
After that the. rest is easy. Most of
us are fritterers. We keep one eye on
where. Half our thoughts are upon
the task at hand and the rest are
woolgathering.
Concentration is the white heat
that makes malleable the toughest
material in the universe of thought.
Strict attention to business is the
greatest labor saver ever invented. A
man who was both deaf and half
blind once surprised me by saying
If accomplish more in life than you
it will be because I have one great
advantage of you-it is natural for
the thing before me. You believe
that you use your eyes and ears only
upon the task at hand. You are
wrong. A thousand things distract
your eyes. Your ears are receivers
through which a thousand other dis
fractions find their way to your mind
You pity me as an unfortunate. In
some ways am more fortunate than
you All my energies go into my
work"
There is something in his view of
the matter. The world is full of men
who believe they are working hard.
when they are only frittering hard.
They waste the greater part of their
energies in resisting Interruptions, or
getting back to work after interrupt
lions so slight and SO constant that
they are not noticed.
Only men who have learned to shut
their ears and eyes to all around them
are good workmen, or good artists
Most men do not work more than
half of the time allotted to labor. al
though they are constantly employed.
And in the time they are working
they are not working hard. They
have not learned the trick of concen-
tration. They do not know how to
tune every fiber of their being to the
task.
If you would succeed, learn to con-
centrate. That is the first and hard
est part of the fight and hardest step
toward real achievement. School
yourself to be deaf and blind to
everything save that which should
claim your attention. Cut connections
with the world about you. For the
nonce, be hermit. Unless you mas
ter this trick, your expenditure of
energy is more or less like pouring
water into the, proverbial rathoie.-
Copyright, 1912. by w. E. Williams.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
IFron the Chicago News

IFrom the Chicago News.l
Too often love is adulterated with
monev.
Anyway, the chimney in an aircastle
never smokes.
He is a successful farmer who is able
to raise mortgage.
And some people wouldn't recognize
what they want if they got it.
A man may praise woman's pie, but
that is no sign he will eat it.
Many a man would have a bigger
hank balance if he had fewer friends.
No man seems to think it's up to
him to be as good as he thinks others
ought TO be.
Make list of the things you shouldn't
do and the chances are you do two
thirds of them
If a woman would attract attention
all she has to do is put on some loud
clothes and keep still.
You have a right to your own relig-
ious and political beHef-and the other
fellow has just as much right to his.
Probably the serpent told Eve that
eating the apple would be just as good
for the complexion as any. of the adj
vertised preparations and was not as
expensive.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
GLOBE SIGHTS
By THE ArcHIsoN GLOBE

Running threshing machine
ought to be the most profitable work
in the world, but it isn't.
When a big, husky man gets sick,
he is inclined to believe the under
takers are watching him.
Men are reasonably brave. but most
of them would rather avoid oppor-
tunities for becoming heroes.
A woman is satisfied If her son be-
comes a preacher, but she thinks he
really should be made bishop.
While competition may be the life
of trade you will observe that mo-
nopoly usually gets along pretty well.
Ever notice how fast the road dis
appears behind you, and how far
away the top of the hill seems to be
Children can't realize that that in
dependence they hope to attain with
their majority will be largely devoted
to earning a living.
After my quarrel is over, and I
have had plenty of time to think
about it, think of great many Cut
ting Remarks I might have made and
didn't: that makes me pretty mad
again"-Rufe Hoskins.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
AN ASSAULT ON THE LAKES

The Chicago boomers behind the
scheme for a deep channel from Lake
Michigan to the Mississippi-and for
extremely profitable water power rights
as a side issue-persist in saying that
the quantity of water they ask the
| federal government to permit them to
take from Lake Michigan, and hence
from all of the lakes, could not affect
lake channels. They argue that 10000
cubic feet every second would not
amount to much.
1t only means 100000 cubic feet min
ute and that amounts to no more in
an hour than a great pond or small
lake about half a mile long, quarter
of a mile wide and IL feet deep, on
and another such lake every other hour,
without end!
In a single day the drain upon the
water of the great lakes would be
equivalent to the contents of lake a
mile wide, Is feet deep, on the aver
age, and mile and half long. In
a month the lakes would lose water
enough to make a lake 80 feet deep,
five miles long and nearly FIVE miles
wide.
The part of Niagara Falls known as
the American fall is splendid and i'm
pressive cataract by itself. 1t is the
part of the river between the main
shore on the New York side and Goat
Island What the Chicago waterway
and water power promoters. allied with
the drainage commission in the same
city. seek is permission to withdraw
from the lakes volume of water not
far from the normal flow of the Ameri-
can falls at Niagara.
Common sense denies the contention
that such a river running from the head
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
BOOKS SHOULD BE INSPECTED.

Perhaps there is yet time for the
governor or the members of the state
text book commission to remedy what
seems to be a rather startling defect
in the system of providing the school
children of Kansas with their text
books. This concerns the appointment
by state authority of a representative
to see to it that the books which are
to be provided during the next five
years shall be in every way as good as
were the samples submitted to the
commission by the publishers, and on
which the commissioners made their
selections
1t would be unfair to suggest that
any of the publishers who were sue
cessful bidders for the contracts that
have been recently awarded them will
furnish books that do not come up in
all specifications to the samples which
they presented. Yet that very thing
has happened in Kansas in years past.
Very often the binding, the paper and
other important details of the books
that have reached the hands of the
children have not been Of as excellent
quality as was contained in the sam
pies on which the text book commits
sioners passed favorably.
And it would seem to be no more
than an ordinary business precaution
that the state should be represented
by some agent who would see to it
that the publishers who get the con-
tracts to supply Kansas with school
books should live up to their contracts
in all particulars. Under conditions
that have prevailed since the creation
of the state text book law, the pub
fishers who have been successful in
the quest of contracts, Jointly appoint
an agent who sees to the receipt and
distribution of the books. But this
agent acts for the publishers, and
there has never been an agent repre-
senting the state to pass upon the
quality of the books so delivered.
If the present textbook law is not
sufficiently elastic to permit the state
auth critics to appoint such an agent,
this is a defect that should be RENE
died at the earliest possible moment.
1t is a safe and sane business PROPOSE
ton pure and simple, and one to
which the book publishers could pre-
sent no reasonable objections.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
EVENING CHAT
BIZ RUTH CAMERON.

1t seems to me that there is at least
one quality which is daily becoming
less common among US, and that is ac-
curacy. This is the day of big things,
of large undertakings, and broad out
looks and general culture, but it is
most emphatically not the day of ac-
curate knowledge. If you will take
the pains to notice, you will find that
the average person knows a great
many things loosely, but very little ex-
actly. Indeed, it seems to be very diff
ficult for the average person to. be
exact and definite about anything.
was anxious to hear all about a
certain kind of work which was being
done by a woman in a neighboring
city. i was told that a friend of mine
me all about it. When went to inter
view her on the subject, she corrob-
GRATED this. Oh, yes, she knew all
about it; she had lived next door to
the woman for six months, she assured
me glibly. 1t sounded hopeful, but
when we came down to definite facts,
1 was less delighted, for the following
is a fair sample of the accuracy of her
information: "How much could Mrs.
A. usually make at this work ?" 'fWell,
Pm not exactly sure. 1t was either
thirty dollars a week, or thirty
month. I've heard several times, but
I can't seem to remember which,
A friend of mine was visiting in a
the depot from her hostess home she
was obliged to travel on the trolley
car. When it came time for her to go
home, she planned on certain train
which would get her back to town in
season for an important engagement,
and then asked what time she could
get a trolley car to take her to the
train. Her friends assured her. that
the trolley car, which went past their
street at ten minutes after the hour,
would give her ample time. Infor
tunately, ten turned out to be merely
one of those round numbers with
which this generation is so prone to
content itself. The car actually went
at seven minutes after the hour She
missed it, missed her train, and could
not keep the important engagement.
The man who wears watch that he
is sure is exactly right is a rara avis,
and a popular one, too, for all the in
accurate watch carriers are constantly
awaiting themselves of his accuracy.
And in at least nine homes out of ten,
if you ask: rs that clock exactly
it is little fast-I don't know just
how much" or "I'm not sure-I'm
afraid it loses a little" or something of
that sort.
time of day, or the time of trolley car
goes. is not wicked, although 1t GER
tainly causes infinite trouble, but
things like these are indications of our
national trend towards inexactness and
inaccuracy.
There is an expression: 81 want what
I want when 1 want it, which is said
to be characteristic of the American
people. / wish it could also be said of
us that we know what we know when
we know it.
In the home, in the schools, in pub
lie life, IN business life, in professional
life, in our children, in ourselves, it
certainly behooves us to fight this
growing tendency to be satisfied with
careless and inaccurate knowledge.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
AYHAWKER JOTy

| News is hard to get, reports the
Beaver correspondent of the Lyndon
Peoples Herald. We are all busy
planting corn and picking greens.
If you can't stand a gentle roast
yourself, advises Mack Gretchen in his
| Sedgwick Paragraph, for goodness
sake hang up your. rooster and give
| other people a rest.
II am not keen for a fop," said
Peter Doubt to the Minneapolis Mes
| senger recently, "but he has little on
the man whe thinks bath or two a
| month is enough"
Tom Thompson, of the Howard
Courant, has started on hunt for the
| old fashioned man who used to tell
| of killing a RATHER with thirteen rat
! ties and a button on hir tail.
They tell me, says the Village Dea-
con in his Osborne Farmer, that af-
ter woman passes the $50 mark on
the scales she would good deal rath-
er tell her age than her weight.
We have been negligent again, con-
fessed the Red Pepper correspondent
of the Burlingame Enterprise. but
chickens and garden seem more i'm
portant than news this spring.
A crop note from missouri Bob"
the East Verdigris correspondent of
the Wilson County Citizen: We dis
cover field of alfalfa Just north of
our capital has turned out to be hen
pepper.
The Randolph Enterprise is deserv-
ing of a medal for modesty. In re-
porting hail storm in it's vicinity re-
Gently it said that some of the hail
stones were as large as the end of a
mans thumb. Few Kansas newspa-
pers ever tell of hail stones smaller
than hens eggs.
1t has been remarked as a. curious
fact, says the Wilson County Citizen.
that debt and bad health are covered
by the same rules. A man Keeps
checking away on his constitution,
and because nature let's him go in the
end, he thinks it is not taken account
of. But nature is a good bookkeeper
and never forgets to make an entry.
There is something of an epidemic
of measles among the school children
at Humboldt. The Union of that
place reports that more than $50
of the youngsters are down with this
disease, and that school work is being
greatly retarded thereby. The Union
adds, though, that older folk who
have the measles don't care whether
school keeps or not.
An apology from Pip Daniels of the
Howard Courant: I made fool
break when I met Mack Gretchen at
or hear of a great man who is ad-
mired for his wit and wisdom, unless
I am advised to the contrary, / natur-
ally take it for granted he is a Repub
Hcan. I said something to Mr.. Crotch
er, intimating his Republican proclivi-
ty, and he looked at me quizzically,
wondering whether to hit me or pity
that kind of a cat" Hang it, he's
smart enough to be a Republican, and
can't keep track of every genius'S
eccentricities.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
HUAOR or THE DIP

Mrs. Subbub-I wonder what's come
over Harry. Instead of being cross. as
usual. he started of happy and whistling
like bird this morning. Nora "a new
girD-Its my fault, mum, 1 got the wrong
package and gave him bird seed for break
fast food.--Woman's Home Companion
''Now, in order to subtract" the teacher
explained, .-things have always to be Of
the same denomination For instance, we
couldn't take three apples from four
pears, nor six horses from nine dogs"
Teacher" shouted a small boy, cant
you take four quarts OF milk from three
cows?''-Jewish Ledger.
For a Purpose.-'sBut your stock is wa
tered" 81 know it is" admitted the pro-
moter of the new distillery corporation.
I'VE had to water It to propitfate the
temperance people.
Ted-Did she seem satisfied with the
picture you drew of love in a cottage2
Ned-She demurred at first, but changed
her mind as soon as I called It a bunga-
low.-Seyannah News
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
JOURNAL ENTRIES

Every mans best judgment is not
necessarily worth much.
y X
A clever man usually has a screw
loose somewhere in his makeup.
y "
No matter how little a woman may
be she is generally too big for her
shoes.
X =
Most people have a lot of serious
battles to fight that the world knows
nothing about.
X y y
Bad weather also seems to have the
faculty of affecting everybody's dis
position in the same way.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
QUAKER NfEDITATIoNs.
IFrom the Philadelphia Record

TFrom the Philadelphia Record
some people aim so high that they
will never hit anything on earth.
The prettier a girl is, the more the
devil makes goo-goo eyes at her.
man may be a straight UP and
down good fellow. and still be in bad
form.
No. Maude, dear; it isn't necessary
10 open an account to have your soda
water charged.
Ever stop to consider that there
wouldn't be SO much scandal in the
world if more people suffered?
They were having some trouble with
the witness. Madam" said the judge.
ARE you sure you know the nature
of an oath?'' II ought to-" replied the
Witness II have the reputation of be-
ing married to the most profane man in
Philadelphia" ~.-fs
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

of Lake Michigan could be without
serious effects upon lake channels and
lake ports and upon the vast commerce
for which both ports and channels have
been created or improved. Chicago will
have to yield, If wise counsels prevail
to the larger and wider interests which
would suffer by the carrying into eff
feet of plans which mean much to one
great city and to limited district be-
tween Lake Michigan and the Missis-
sippi.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Surely there is no one who envies
the members of the Republican ma
tiona1 committee their job of making
the decisions between the contesting
delegations to the Chicago convention.
No matter what their decisions may be
they will be far from satisfactory to
all parties concerned
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

GFrom the New York Press
Money can melt in your pocket
faster than butter in your mouth.
A woman seems able to see all OF
her figure in looking glass that is
around the corner.
A friend is so much more danger
Gus than an enemy because he has so
many more chances to hit you.
The reason girl can smile to three
men in a group and make each one
of them think 1t was meant for him
is it was still another one behind
them.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

State troops fired into a crowd of
rioting coal strikers at Scranton, Pa,
the other day, and as usual, their only
victim was an innocent bystander, this
time 14-year-old boy who was stand
ing in the yard at his home. In al
most every particular it is others than
the strikers who suffer most from a
strike
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
DAFFYDHS
BY U. NOALL4.

If a sea-cook laid three eggs on the
deck would the forward hatch?
(Yesi he's funny as crutch.)
If a man got caught in draft
would he hold himself in check?
(And he forgot to leave his laundry
at the old front door,
If Teddy got hungry while roasting
Mr. Taft would he use his big stick to
make a club sandwich?
Cab! you can't fool me. I'm sly
fox.l
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
1t was almost a foregone

1t was almost a foregone conclusion
that the st. Louis jury would acquit
Mrs. James for the murder of her hus-
band whom she shot while he was
asleep. There is almost an unwritten
law nowadays that among a wife's
privileges is that of murdering her
husband If she SO desires
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14
CABARErTTNG.


Have you met
The Cabar-ET?
(Do not say
Cabar-AY),
Have you met
The Cabaret
In its lair?
If you've never dined and Wined
With show
aAll combined,
You are not
pardon mel
Anywhere.
If no chants
The restaurants
Where you sup
Lven up,
If no wag
Performs rag
If there's not
Bunny bug or grizzly bear,
Disappear
Out of therei
Meals don't go
Where there's no
Turkey trot.
Not a bit!
i Proceed to quit,
Should no girl
Do whirl;
Should. none hop
Ger your chop
Wherefore eat?
Should the waiter fail to trill
When he hands
You the bill
Do not pay,
Go away,
He's cheat!
But should steak
The echoes wake
With tune,
Do not swoon;
Should the soup
With a whoop
Do a dance
Should a plate of chicken salad
Sing a sentimental ballad,
Don't be fretting,
Cabaretting
MUST advanced
r. Ybarra, in the New York
Times.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Assuredly the regents of the state
university cannot be surprised that
they have been mandamused by the
supreme court to establish the school
of mines at Weir City forthwith. Their
arbitrary action in refusing to estab-
hsh this school was without any ele-
ment of Justice.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

If President Madero is successful in
the vigorous campaign his soldiers are
now waging against Orozco and his
rebel band, it will not necessarily
mean the re-establishment of peace in
unfortunate Mexico. Orozco's revolu-
ton is only one of several that is under
way down there.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

More than $2,5OO,OOo is to be spent
by the Missouri Pacific on improve
ments in Kansas during the present
year. This is more evidence that the
latest plans to fix up this railroad were
not Of the same paper variety that
they have been for the previous score
Of wears,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

No one can deny that President Taft
has the courage of his convictions.
With all the unfavorable criticism that
is being directed at judges these days,
the president seldom misses an oppor-
tunity to reiterate his opinions that
all of the federal judges should be
bof+ar maid
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Emilio Vasquez Gomez, who recently
declared himself to be a provisional
president for Mexico, seems to have
qualified for a job as an assistant to
to some prestidigitator. Nor would he
need much practice to put on "a van
fishing lady stunt"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Within short twelve years the
number of automobiles in this country
has increased from 5000 to $50, 461,
and the manufacturers are now turn
ing them out at the rate of 700 a day.
This is all the testimony needed that
the automobile is no longer a luxury.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

feature is what makes it a most rea-
sonable measure. There is little JUS
tice in giving the same-sized pensions
to veterans serving three months at
the close of the war and to those who
served three years or more from its
inceDfion
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

While far from being of the dollar
a-day variety for all veterans, the new
pension law. created Saturday night
by the action of President Taft, ought
to be generally satisfactory to most
of them. 1t provides material increase
for the aging veterans according to
their length of service. This latter
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Those recent heavy rains which
were general throughout Kansas came
along at an opportune time for the
newly planted corn. Unless all signs
fail, there are going to be some
bumper crops in Kansas this fall.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

All Mississippi flood records of the
past at New Orleans have been broken.
But nobody in that section is at all
enthusiastic over any such unusual ac-
compliSfme nts
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

President Taft's chances of winning
the victory he deserves in Ohio are
much better since it is assured that
Governor Stubs will make speeches in
that state for Colonel Roosevelt.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

Holding that English sparrows are
good to eat, N E. d. Dearborn, the
expert biologist of the department of
agriculture, says the only way to get
rid of them is to eat them. Inasmuch
as the sparrows are the scavengers of
the city streets it is not likely many
people will be keen to act on Mr..
Dearborn's suggestion.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-14

As soon as the Chicago bachelors
adopt the infant orphans they are af-
ter, they will surely have to annex
wives to care for them.