davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
EFFICIENCY IN OFFICE.

Without necessarily critlc1Slng any
county officers who have gone before
the fact remains that the average
efficiency of the men who are elected
now to county office is much higher
than it has been. The loose, careless
methods of handling the county az
fairs, once in vogue here as every
where, is giving way to methods and
systems that protect the general pub
lie, and make the county's business a
real business.
Anybody who has had occasion to
20 back a score of years in the records
of the county in almost any office is
given an opportunity to appreciate the
change. Now. instead of being i'm
bued with the idea that an Office was
for the purpose of getting the most
with the least work. the county Of
ficers are making an earnest effort
to improve their systems, and make
their methods of procedure as modern
as possible.
This is especially true in the purely
clerical offices. Much of the improve
ment is, of course, due to the i'm
proved methods of bookkeeping and
accounting, which these men are using
to advantage. But many of the i'm
provements require time and consid-
cradle thought.
Perhaps no other one incident has
had so much to do with the improve
ments as the special audit, a year ago,
of most of the offices at the court
house. Many of the officers, taking
advantage of the suggestions offered
by the expert accountants, have IN
stalled new books, or have made
changes in the old. books, simplifying
the systems and making them easier
to check.
The new officers are showing a dis
position not only to take advantage
of the improvements, but to make still
further improvements, and in this
they are to be commended. Hugh
MacFarland, elected probate judge,
expects to further systematic his Of
flee. Oscar Swayze, county clerk, has
some ideas of further improvement.
Sheriff L. l.. Kiene will work out
simpler methods of handling the rec
ords of his office. The records of the
ly so complicated as that of other Of
fees. Register of Deeds Tasker has
made a number of improvements in
keeping his records and expects to
make others.
Thus through the entire list. The
trend is toward higher efficiency. 1t
is getting so that an ordinary person
can peruse county records and actual
ly learn something from them. The
records are becoming complete with
out explanations. May the reforma-
ton and improvement continue.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
GLOBE SIGHTS
BY THE ArcH1soN GLOBE

You can't convert a man by boring him.
There isn't any such thing as vindica-
ton in politics
You tell all you know; that's why the
people are laughing at you.
You may have observed that you don't
need It when the price is reduced.
hypocr1te isn't always religious, al
though that kind gets the most severe
panning.
For twenty years Judge johnson has
been Threatening to get up early in the
morning.
Just about the time father gets his
Christmas bills paid the coal pile begins
to look small.
He may talk differently but the average
man believes no opposition is the best OF
position.
Game laws are changed frequently. but
the working schedule for hunters remains
about the same.
There are men who would rather take
the opposite side of the argument than
the right side. So s4.s
HE can get drunken than $500 on ten
cents" said a brakeman this, morning
about town drunkard- 'r
One trouble with this world is the ease
with which the man who isn't doing it
sees how it should be done.
A smokeless smoker was held recently
church. Zero in entertainment
Where, we desire to know, did the Scot
get the notion that bagpipe is a musical
instrument? Or isn't that the idea?
And a crouch who is trying to quit the
weed might be referred to as the smoke
less nuisance, If one didn't call him hard
err names.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
THE. TALKING BIRD.

My big sister said the other day
Shes twelve years old and awful wise
and tall
She said that fairy books were merely
bosh,
Bout things that couldn't be at all.
Witches and fairies never yet were seen:
There aren't dragons and no giants stalk
She said that princes weren't turned to
frogs;
There never was a bird or beast could
talki
That very day went across the street
With my best doll to visit Fanny Meek:
And there I saw an awful funny bird
Green, red and yellow, with a crooked
beak!
looked at him and he looked back at
1 hate to tell the rest because I know
You'll think perhaps I'm telling naughty
fibs-
He opened that big beak and said.
'Hellor'
Well, no, didn't wait for any more;
1t scared me most to death I'll have to
'fess-
But when she says that birds don't ever
talk,
why. my big sisters wrong for once.
guess.
-zelia Slater Bissen in woman's World
for January.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
[From the Chicago News.1


Money talks-and it also stops talk
Some people are too heightened to have
common sense.
The love letters of a wise man and a
fool sound much alike.
It's difficult to rattle a bore; in fact,
you can seldom shake him.
A biga1nist. Cordelia, is a man who has
more wives than Judgment.
Many girl who loves a man for his
money is too modest to mention 1t.
The woman who looks before she leaps
may want to see If her hat is on straight.
And many woman is So changeable
that she never wears the same comple4-
ion twice.
If 2 man has any sense at all, it shows
up. before he gets engaged or after he Is
married
The world is usually willing to let a
man have his own way-if he is willing to
pay literally for it.
Every time her husband consults rail-
way time table a suspicious wife wonders
if there is another woman in the case.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
ELIMINATING FIRE WASTE.

The move toward eliminating as
much as possible the fire waste of the
state is one that should interest every
man who owns property. The figures
on the fire waste for a single year
are appalling. The state insurance
departments figures, together with
estimates on fire losses on which no
insurance was carried, places the fig
ure in Kansas for last year at over
S4,5OO,00O. Much of this waste, the
experts say, is preventable.
This is an age of prevention rather
than cure. Medical experts are bring
ing forward new ideas every day for
the conservation of public health. The
old adage, AN ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure" is being given
a new significance these latter days.
With a movement toward conserva-
ton of everything else, there seems to
be no good reason why there should
not be conservation of the fire waste.
The subject not alone interests the
fire insurance companies. although
they are, of course, deeply interested.
1t should interest every man whose
property is subject to destruction by
fire. A carelessly thrown match,
lighting on inflammable material has
caused thousands of dollars in losses.
The lighted stump of a cigar. cast
thoughtlessly into a stubble field in
western Kansas in the summer time,
has cost much in both life and prop
erty.
Figures are presented showing that
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17

YES he said quietly Il am.
Tell me about her." urged Stepnanie.
strangely pensive-
ing in the mountains one summer and she
suddenly appeared on the bank OF
sparkling little stream, looking more hke
the workaday world knew. We agreed
to call each other boy and girl and l
never learned her real name. That Is why
have never found her?'
"Have you looked for herr
Everywhere. She is waiting for me
rea princ cna o os o o4e fairy story You
won't understand. Miss Stepnanie, you
can't understand. because you don't be-
IT do believe in it" breathed Stephanie
softly. Every woman does in her heart
I met her ten years ago wnen l was 49,, a
was Just a little place. big enough for US
two. I was sure that ] could find her
wasn she urged that w You realy
love me- Boy, you'll find me- she said
when we parted, and believed her: Bu-
the world is cruelty wide MISS s.epna aie
I gave her little garnet ring that l
bought in a country jewelry store. Sne
gave me this" He held out little old
fashioned locket that was Fastened on
his watch
There was a commotion in the hall, two
all at once. Above the babble come a
sweet, fresh voice calling. where's
everybody"
away.
Townes Gaines rose and stood by the
mantel. He noticed then for the first
time a picture in a little gold frame. He
caught 1t up eagerly. lost to sound and
time and place 1t was the girl OF his 30
nance.
$50 I had to find you after all, boy"
came a soft voice at his side
H looked up and saw her, a beautiful
woman with the dear dreams of old light
ing her clear eyes.
20 GIRL he cried, brokenly, how
have wanted you'll I have hunted for you
all over the world
And have looked for you, too, and
came home to find you here"
He put his arms around her ana
Stephanie, coming in at the door, was
amazed to see him kissing a little OLD
garnet ring on a slender hand held In his
own. He looked over the blue turban
in the shelter of his arm.
Sarah an. old maid?" he laughed
Never, my dear sister Stephar1ie, neverl'
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
EVENING CHAT
Letting the Children Help.
BIZ RUTH CAMERON.

Children are not allowed to take
enough part in the home life. Even
! babies two or three years old can be
| taught to help about the home.
"a child can do little errands before
| it can talk"
| These are some of the conclusions
I of one of the prominent educators IN
an eastern city.
Don't you think they are interest
ing?
I do, and 1 think it is strange that
more has not. been said on this sub
| ject before, for If there is one lesson
of life that this generation seems to
| be learning, it is the lesson that labor
| is one of the greatest sources of hap
pinesS and that life without labor Is
| quite as unhappy as life with nothing
but labor. Every day we read in the
newspapers of women of wealth and
standing who are no longer content
with the idleness of social life, but
take up some profession or some cause.
Look about you, among your own
humber circle. and you will see, that
many women who 20 years ago would
have been disconnected idlers, are now
busy and happy. And idle young men,
no matter how great their wealth, are
coming to be exceptions.
Why, then, should the children, that
part of the race that by every law of
life has the right to be happiest, be
OF course, it is a tradition that child
hood should be one long play-time, but
since we have found that We are not
the happiest when life is one long play
time, why can we not realize that it
may be the same with them? Take
out the shadows from a picture ant
you cannot have any high lights. Take
away the toll from life and the play
time loses half it's sweetness.
This educator declares that she has
seen a child of two and half taught
to help set the table, and happier in
this task than in any of her amuse-
ments. To the mother who devotes
half of her waking time simply to
keeping a child of that age out of
mischief that sounds incredible. And
yet, why should it be? Children I'M
derstand a great deal more than they
can make us realize. When child
begins to talk we are astonished to find
how much he must have been observ-
ing and thinking before he could speak.
And children do not necessarily prefer
to employ their energy and intelligence
in mischief. 1t is only when their cid
ers fail to find other occupation for
this activity that 1t makes it's own
channels.
Then why not utilize some of this
energy? OF course it will be more
labor than help at first, but not for
long. A child's ability to help grows
rapidly wher it is fortified by SYM
pathetic teaching and watered by love.
Besides, while you are filling your lit
tie plot of ground with herbs of help
fulness you are keeping out the weeds
of mischief.
two of the greatest blessings of life.
Surely you cannot begin too early to
help your child enter on this precious
heritage of happiness.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
says UNCLE CAV

The trouble with most of us is that VIC
are mentally Tong sighted" The aver
age section hand can tell you more about
administering the office of president Of
keeping a roadbed in condition, the teach
er knows more about statesmanship than
the principles of education, the clerk
more of theology than salesmanship.
Things have a trick of looking EASY at
a distance. When it comes down to our
own job we may be willing to admit TO
failure, but We know all about how the
other fellow should succeed in a task that
mistaken world considers a good deal
more difficult
Running a little government like that
OF the United States looks like a snap to
the numan frog who has to tie himself
INTO double bow knots twice day for
the delectation of a popular priced vaude-
vile audience The man at the helm of q
mns es VINO doesn't know a sub
Just how to settle the tariff question IL
you'll give him time and a crackerbox.
There have been presidents who thought
It would have been very simple TO depcse
the gods of high Olympus and operate the
universe, and so it goes.
We are disposed to do one of two thfnas
with our own jobs. We either think they
are too complicated for mastery or too
s zl,n 70 De worth while; In either event
All there is to know. We spend our time
teInng our neighbors what we know
We Know ali about tSe t Me rea9 a6ont bout;
reach It's much easier to let frnagfnation
SUPPLY the details than it is to investi-
gate The man with a prying finger and
an investigating turn of mind gets a siiy-
er in his digit and questionable buYnns
his ego. There is nothing in the realm OF
imagination to collide with except ths
stars and they somehow keep out of the
But along With his bumps and his sIiv-
eTs, the man who knows his job inside
out gets working knowledge of things
night. While the t'long sishted' man sits
on crackerbox in front of the, corner
srocery 10 Wnlltie and tell the other LOAF
ers what Wilson should do. the man with
the patch over his eye and the bandaga
on ms index finger goes inside to bring
home the bacon.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
QUAKER fluctuations.
IF,rom the Philadelphia Record. ]

From the Philadelphia Record.1
In their efforts to make both ends meet
some people break in the middle.
Don't try to sit on a man unless you
are reasonably sure he Will stand for It
Ask a poet to lend you $40, and You
won't get it; but he will feel Immensely
flattered.
No, Maude, dear; we shouldn't say the
best time to land fellow is when he is
half seas over.
Walking is fine exercise, but there's a
difference between stretching your legs
bit and having them pulled.
Blobbs-.'Has Guzzler much money!?
Slobbs-''WeI, his pocketbook is seldom
thick as his tongue.
Sillicus-t'What is the age of discre-
tion?'' Cynicus-'There isn't any.
know a man over 20 who married his
fourth wife the other day."
Wigwag-''You should remember that it
is just as easy to make friends as to
make enemies Closefist-'PeThaps, but
our friends generally cost more
1.-TWO negatives are equal to affirma-
tive" quoted the Wise Guy. Yes, but
even one mo- from a woman may some
times mean yes added the Simple
Mug.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
AYHAWKER .OTS

The women of Parsons have form ed
a civic association to beaulify the city.
What an astounding confession from a
bunch of women.
There isn't any doubt that the heirs
will erect a monument to the memory
of the late Mr.. Shaft of Emporia, who
left a large fortune.
Already free seeds have beer sent
out for distribution according to
several Kansas newspapers. Time now
to predict an early spring.
Joe Fuest. who has been a member
nnissioners for 20 years should write a
book on Kicks on Taxes That Have
Listened To-" ~ t--
In the marriage of Miss Gould and
Mr.. Shepard of the Missouri Pacific
the Kingman Journal has found a
touch. The law has, however. in times
past touched" Gould wedding or
two.
The Cimarron Jacksonian questions
the truth of a Lindsborg dispatch
which contains only the names of
pen at Lindsborg. the Jacksonian in
Inmates. they happen among the John
sons and Hulquists 80 ~-t
Not to be disputed item from the
Florence Bulletin: Just at the time
when the papers were making known
the fact that not Kansas bank had
been robbed in the past year along
comes the report that the Liberty
bank was robbed of $4,000. But then
the fellow was at Liberty to rob the
bank.
my Filipino cook does the cook
ing" writes Cecil H. Sheldon from the
PHILIPPINE Islands to the Kingman
Leader Courier. In Kansas the cook
usually washes the dishes, runs the
sweeps the floors. gets half
a dozen kids ready for school. feeds
the chickens, warns the skim milk
for, the calf and hogs and spends a
couple of hours mepding clothes be-
fore she starts to prepare the midday
meal
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
How They SIeen.

The American or the European in or
der to get a good nights rest, ordinarily
requires a soft pillow under his head, bur
the japanese stretches himself on a rush
mat the floor, puts a hard, square
block of wood under his head. and does
not sleep well II he does not have it In
China the beds are very low. scarcely
rising from the floor, but are often carved
exquisitely of wood. Like the japanese.
the Chinese never makes his bed any
softer than is possible by the use of rush
mats.
People in northern countries to not ap-
pear to able to sleep well unless they
have lots of room in which to stretch
their legs but Inhabitants of the tropics
often curl themselves up like monkeys al
the lower angle of a suspended hammock
and sleep very soundly.
The robust American will cover himself
with a pair of blankets and throw has
of winter. and sometimes he will not com
dow sill in the morning. The Russian. on
the contrary, likes no sleeping place so
well as the top of his big soapstone stove
in his dwelling. Crawling out of this
blistering bed in the morning, he delights
in taking plunge in a cold stream, even
If he breaks through the ice to do 1t.
In Lapland the native craw1s, head ard
all, into bag made of reindeer skin. ana
sleeps warm and comfortable WITHIN IT.
Inc East Indian, at the other end of the
world, also has a sleeping bag. but fl is
more porous than the Laplander's. Its
purpose is to keep out the mosquitoes
rather than to keep its occupants warm
Evening Wisconsin
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17

cREDIT sysrE,M .naIIsr a

CREDIT SYSTEM MUST GO.
fnere seems. to be but little doubt
tnat the time is coming when the credit
system as applied to retail business will
De thing of the past. AS time goes
on competition becomes keener, the
inall order house more aggressive, and
IN many localities the tendency to
patronize the home man, less notice
aple. Ihere is a GLASS of people in
every town who have the idea that che
stores in their town do not carry any
thing good enough for them. The fur
n1ture in the town stores don't suit.
the WomenS coats and skirts must be
got out of town togbe correct, etc. AS
a. consequence, an ever increasing vol
lme of business is leaving the small
town Tor the city. Another thing when
the buyer seeks the city market, he
or she goes with the cash. The money
is laid down for the goods when the
purchase is made. There are no bad
debts contracted by the mail order
house or the city stores from out of
town buyers. They pay cash. The
home men hold the sack. They get the
credit business. Credit business costs
the creditor money; 1t costs more than
cash business For every credit BUSH
ness loses certain per cent through
bad debts. Then there is the loss
through the interest that is paid on the
charged accounts and the losses of dis
counts through the merchant being
UNABLE 10 make payments promptly.
The buyers who fail to recognize this
courtesy of the home merchant and
are sending their cash away, or going
away with 1t to buy, are gradually
bringing about a. cash business system
If monetary consideration is to be the
sole influence in the purchasers deal
ings. and home! welfare and public
good are to be eliminated then the mer-
chant must save himself if he can, by
such means as. he can and the first
step will be the cash sale system
Holton Signal.
PEACE.
One hundred years of peace. That is
the record between America and Great
Britain. For more than half that time,
for two-thirds of it really, England did
not appreciate the American spirit and
there was constant trouble. But finally
the English came to their senses and
there was a better feeling. There is no
prejudice against England IN America
now and we are constantly assured that
there is no feeling in England against
America The two countries have a COM
mon purpose, common destiny. The two
countries are working out great problems
and nowhere is the work being better
done. English speaking races are the
masters of the world. The hundred years
of peace have been fruitful. The two
countries now dominate the world.-Law-
renee Journal-Wofld. :
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17

the fire insurance companies bear but
little more than half of the fire waste
of the state. The rest Is borne by in
dividual property owners. The RENE
dies for the trouble are suggested in
more drastic laws relating to rubbish
heaps, the handling of inflammables,
the connections of gas stoves. defec-
tive wiring, defective flues that may
cause trouble, etc.
If such laws will relieve the present
terrible waste in Kansas, by all means
give US the laws.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
JOURNAL ENTRIES

IF all the worlds a stage some of its
men and women must be comedy ac-
tors.
= = j.
Most everybody else is quite sure
the self made man would have been
better off If somebody else had been
the maker. -
&. = =
If small 'fibs'' will bar people from
heaven, what chance will some host
esses have who continue to say, I'm
SO glad you came"
- q 4
Most men will not admit they are
supers titious, but they either shy
around the number 49," or else seize
upon it as an emblem of good luck.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
DAFFYDHS
BY u. NOALL.

A young boy from Boston is like a
loud noise because he is a Hub Bub.
(Tambo will now sing, Where, Oh
Where Has My Lima Bean."O
If mat lies near a door, is mata-
dor? ~
CThe dame who doesn't care for dia-
monds must be stone blind.).
When the Duke asked her dad for his
answer he said: My aunt sir, I'll have
you know my aunt sir is a woman
(Clear the track! I'm the gink who
put the bee in bonnet)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17
COLLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR
TFron the New

- IFrom the New York P-ess.l
You can jolly more out of people than
you can club out of them.
All a girl cares about, when she falls
down skating, is if there are no holes in
her stockings.
Sometimes a man can get his salary
raised without his family taking more or
it than it amounts to.
Having husband is great help to a
woman for the way it teaches her she
must do things for herself.
Just because there are as good fish in
the sea as have been caught is no sign
you have a chance on earth to catch
them. er-.- ~ g
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17

The thief who picked Mr.. Bonebrake's
pocket at the inaugural reception, evil
IDENTIFY made mistake in identity.
Everyone knows that a banker does
not carry "roll' with him. The low
browed villain may have mistaken Mr..
Bonehrake for q coal dealer.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-17

1t might be in order to suggest that,
If merely handing Don Castro his hat
is not accepted as a sufficient hint,
the easiest solution of the problem
would be to crate him and send him
by parcel post to Venezuela. The pres
ent Venezuelan administration would
undoubtedly appreciate the gift.