davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

the Amazon and the Aborigines of the
Brazilian provinces.
II was a most fascinating research and
y hen one makes study of the melancholy
dreams and the strange intuitions Of these
children of nature one is in doubt to de-
eide whether they are a race of savages
just emerging from barbarty or a rem
nant of a race declining from its pristine
grandeur and state of former civilization
and culture.
To be sure in the study great care riust
be exercised to detect the imprint of
European Influence in the folklore. such
as obtains in their melodies of the sea,
and to segregate the African coloring,
implanted by the slaves. from the tradi-
tions which are autochthonous.
But the marvel of it is that here among
these denizens of the forest are to be
found legends closely allied in sentiment
to not only the sagas of Scandinavia and
Germany. but to the imaginations of no
less poet than Homer If these legends
are original. most remarkable is their
kinship to those. of other lands; If not
original how and whence were they OBJ
tafned unless this now untutored race
learning?
| have previously discussed the wier-
wolves, or loup garous, sometimes called
skin-changers. who during the middle
ages were much believed in by the in
habitants of Germany. France and Scan
dinavia. They periodically took upon
themselves the nature of wolf and as
they knew when such periods were ap-
preaching they voluntarily abandoned for
the time their wonted locality that they
might not injure their relatives and loved
ones. Strangely enough the loup-garou
Is known by the Indians of the Amazon.
II is always the seventh son or seventh
daughter and it might even be the seventh
male or female issue of a horse, sta =.
jaguar or pig. The strange part of the
transformation consists. in the fact that
the head is separated from the body and
is called a Kumacanga. The body rests
at the house while the head msanders
around always on Friday nights like a
ball of fire. The charm may be broken
in two ways-either by wounding the head
without yourself being wounded, in which
the loup-garou, or by burning the clothes
which the unfortunate one wore before
his transformation.
Nor are these Indians unfamiliar with
the swan-maidens of Germany.
It will be remembered that these swan
isaidens were immortal, but they FREE
eIienty came to this earth to bathe, and
IL mortal succeeded In obtaining posses
sicn of their clothing the owner thereof
became his wife. The Amazionlun variant
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

TT is a matter of considerable regret
that Birmingham does not possess
a folklore society, an institution
pulaIic favor and which is to be met
up With in nearly every other cultiyated
section of our land
We have our study circles. art So
cieties and dramatic clubs. but folk
lore has been neglected. and that too,
in field which is full of material for
the establishment of such an institu-
tion.
Modern scholars have reduced the
study of FOLKLORE to science and its
benefits are of incalculable value as
through its agency history has been
materially elucidated under the rays Of
sideIights and well defined path has
been blazed for it through the liter
ature of ages from the time of the
fables of ,Pilpay and Aesop, down
through the Beast Book of Reynard
the Fox the fables OF La Fontaine and
the fafry stories OF Perrault to Bull
wer's fictitious but charming Lost
Tales of Miletus."
1t is declared that nowhere has his
tory been so truthfully and so uncor-
cuptedly transmitted as through the
medium of folklore and the very songs
of the children upon the street and
the plays of lawn fetes that are en-
gagged in by the little ones are often
repIete with most reliable data for the
historian and chronicler. In fact, 1t
Is only when the man of letters be-
gins TO dabble with these juvenile rec
ords that error creeps into the story
This Is demonstrated in the story of
Cinderella and the glass slipper. Orig
inally and as the little ones correctly
knew 1t this piece of footwear was
fashioned out of fur. but the wiseacre
rvair' the French tor fur. for ''verre'
glass and the slipper has ever since
been erroneously called glass Slip
per.
Folklore is divided into two classes
the nursery stories and berce, or
cradle songs, being known as marchen
TO which not much Importance is at
tacted from a historical point of view
and the legends Of the locality. which
are termed sagas and are of great
significance.
when In the diplomatic service IN
Brazil ample time and opportunity were
afforded me for indu ging my penehant
in this direction ani ] was enabled to
gather quite a store of material con-
eerning the folklore Of the Indians Of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

would play hockey in order TO play bawl
and the Guverner caught him. there was
usually a reseptsion held that evening
in the wood-shed in which the aforesaid
boy took prommnint. though reluctint
part. He was sharply adonnished that he
was growing up to a wurthless indiv-
viduel He was told in caustick and
sneering tones that he was throwing
away his opportunities and that. unless
be changed his corse he would be nuthing
but burden on the community and
wart on sivvilizason. In short base
bawl was frowned on by serious minded
peepul and the boys who played the game
weer considered future ornimints OF the
renitensiaries, rather than sosiety.
Ii is not thus now. That is 1t is not so
thus as you would notise it,. Now when
boy is sint away to school, 1t is not
altogethur to solSe his system full of the
syense of algebra and astronnermy or
geeollogy. 1t is ifnportint that he lern
about these things of corse, but in pick
ing out a school for him to go to, CRATE
attension is paid to what kind of athle-
tick instructor the school has, and
whether or not there base-bawl TEEN
stood well in the college leege last secsun.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26
Changes in Meaning of Words

FROM the LOnuDH chronicle.
II is too true that George Meredith
wrote alright in a letter II Is also
trGe that whole nation writes Al
mighty IN books. When does a little
popular habit gain authority2 What Is
more puzzling is the complete right about
face OF words ia the course of half
generation or less, as in the case of mot
half bad"
That uncla ssieai phrase meant only late
Is that a thing was ra ther good: It now
means that thing is completely and
wholly bad. When Matthew Arnold. the
cultured. astonished Boston by his rather
had manners he-being guest in New
England house-advse1 Mrs. Arnold across
the table to try some of these scones:
They are not half nasty" Boston has
never forgotten H. Ten years ago or
less his words were understood. as Bos-
ton understood them In the sense he in
tended. The young of today would take
them in the opposite way unanimously.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

be a trick in IL, and the only way for
them to lose the rase is for sumboddy
to turn the track around.
At last the opening day will come. The
crowds pour into the gates and fill up
the grandstands and the bleeehers; the
pitchers air out there warming up; some
fellow is batting flys to the outfield; the
smell of fresh flowers and new grass is
mingled with cigarettes and rope in the
smoker. A kid Is yelling, cushions aud
Fee-nuts.'' The umpire goes out and
draws a little line by the batter's box;
the crowd draws long breath and Ty
Cobb draws his salary. The Mayer walks
into the pitchers box and a new white
ball is handed to him. He poses, for he
is some poser. He is probability a fat
man, most Mayors air fat men. The
crowd yells, "oh you Matty" at him and
he bushes and heeves that ball in The
gennerel directsion of the grandstand. 1t
is rescued and the umpire utters that
maggie word, 'Playbawl."
1t used to be the lawdabulG ambision of
EVERY fathur for his sun to be a CRATE
man; a lawyer or a member of .he leg
gislature or a prize-fiter or sumthins. lie
thought playing bawl on the town lots
was waste of time, and when The boy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

The man who can teech him how to throw
a spit bawl so that an opponint couldn't
hit 1t with plank is thought moor of
than that the hybrow that teeches the
dead languages. His batting average is
of moor consiquince than his grade in
grammer 1t is moor importnt that he
bee looked ovver by a skout frtm the big
leege. than to he considered for an en-
ginnerring job by a railroad President
Basebawl is all rite, but we would
not advise yung mar TO forsake uther
things and foller 1t as profession.
1t is all well and good so long as you
air in the hay-day of yuth and can
deliver the goods. While you air do
ing this you air a bigger man that
the guvverner and moor populer than
a three ring sircus. 1t fills your buz-
zum with wild and tumultuus joy to
step up to the plate amid the plawdits
of the home fans and soke the bawl
on the trademark for a three -bagger or
a home run Then when you air in the
feeld to make a wunderful one-handed
stab of line drlt and have to don
your cap to the admirring populasA
The only trubble about this is that you
must do it evvery day. If you would
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

Z nISTUR EDDITUR-Time Passes.
MI Time has always passed. 1t seems
to be habbit, and no one does
emmy thing to prevint it. Old Joshua on
one occasion told the Sun to stand still,
it is recorded, while he licked the ever
lasting stuffin out of sum of mis- enni-
mics or sum thing, and the Sun paused
ling enuff to see the scrap, but cents
that occasion the Sun has kept rite on
the move paying no attension to mod
dern stirring events.
The nasional eectsion for time has
demanded our astension, and the forma-
sion of cabinets and the scrambull for
= pie followed it, and mominterily distracted
the average American mind frum our
reguler vocason. Sum of us evven for
spell considered the tariff and the Par
sells Post, and the Inisslative and the
Referendum and the Recall, but we
have weeried with such subjects and
thank goodness the time has cum for us
to leeve them in the hands of the pa
kryots whom we have elected to Congress
to figger ON for the next fore yeers.
Day before yesterday--it seems not so
long ago-Clyde Enge lifted fuzzy fly
to Snodgrass-Cris Speaker lifted a foul
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

continue to hold publick esteem. The
publick esteem In basebawl is as hard
TO hold as an cnthusiastick pair of
yung mules who air viewing there first
oughtermobile. The day will cum when
you couldn't hit box car with a fence
rail and it'll cum quicker than you
expect and before you know It; when
1t Gums the same publick who has been
handing you silver dollars and glad
acclaim will yell hack to the bushes,
the can for you" and such rude and
sarcasticlx remarks.
There is but one Cobb, one Mathewson,
one Cy Yung, one Marquard, one Wood.
There air moor fellows playing bawl for
hundred bucks per month during the
seesun and waring straw hats and washr
ing dishes in a restaurant in the winter
than there air getting the prinsely sal
leries credited to Wagner, Cobb and
uthers
Home Run Baker is probability better
known In the United States than james
Tamma Wilsun, Secretery of Aggricul-
ture, but he wont hold his job as long
Tesserow moor than likely has a wider
repputasion in this country than Senator
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

t, Merlxle-two or three uther things hap
pened suddenly and the Giants stood on
there boneheds and dropt a Worlds
series and about fifteen hundred bucks
each out of there pockets at the same
time. And now the tramp of the base
ball heroes hurrying to there training
grounds air onse moor abroad in the land.
Hurray, soon again we will be clinging
TO the bleechers and hammerring the
derby of a persunal friend and hurting
pop bottles and cuss words at the UNI
pire.
Many of our leading journalists will lay
dow there pens and take up there bats;
Rube Marquard will desert the footlites
and the uther fellers wife, and turn his
tension and expectorasons on the hoss-
hide. The offise boy will again take up
his regular and doleful occupasion of at
finding his grandmuthers funeral, and
evvery thing will be as merry as a church
sosiabull.
Bush leegers will move up to the big
show, and sum of the big leegers will
move down to the little show, an man
nagers frum Podunk Maine, to Fresno
Californier, will issue statemints declar-
ing il they don't win the Pinnint, there'll
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-26

Bankhed, but the Senator will be doing
bzness around Washington aftur Tesse-
row has worn out his welcum at free
lunch counters. Let the yung man paws
before he plunges into the career of a
basebawl idol. Today you will be a
thrty-six carret hero with lawrel reeth
upon your alabaster Draw maid to or
der, so as to get il big enuff. but tomor-
rer you will have your meel ticket
punched full of holes and your system
full of sad regrets and pink slips. Today
you will moove in an excoosive soshal
set and have the chickens. feeding you on
bon-bons, but tomorrer you may be sadly
viewing cord of tuf wood In back
yard full OF tin cans which brings up re-
gretful memmeries. while an old lady in
iron trimmed specs is cooking you sum
pork and beans to assuage your hunger,
when your task Is dun.
There air exceptions of corse. But they
air SCATTERING The publick pays for
bascbawl, they also get all the fun out
of IT,
Down in Muntgommery they don't even
get that. Yours trooly.
BILL VINES.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27

FRUIT LAXATIVE
FOR SICK CHILD
California Syrup of Figs can't harm
tender stomach, liver and bowels
Children love it.

Every mother realizes, after giving
her children California Syrup of
Figs that this is their ideal laxative,
because they love its pleasant taste
and it thoroughly cleanses the tender
little stomach, liver and bowels with
out gripping.
When cross, irritable, feverish or
breath is bad, stomach sour, look at
the tongue, mother, If coated, give
teaspoonful of this harmless fruit
laxative" and in a few hours all the
foul, constipated waste, sour bile and
undigested food passes out of the bow
els, and you have a well, playful child
again. When its little system is full
of cold, throat sore, has stomach
ache, diarrhoea, Indigestion, collie
remember, a good INSIDE cleaning
should always be the first treatment
given.
Millions of mothers keep "Califor-
mia Syrup of Figs handy; they know
a teaspoonful today saves sick child
tomorrow. Ask your druggist for a
5O-cent bottle of California Syrup of
Figs" which has directions for babies,
children of all ages and grown-ups
printed on the bottle. Beware of
counterfeits sold here, SO don't be
fooled. Get the genuine, made by
California Fig Syrup Company
Adv.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27
What So Precious
AS a Healthy Baby?
Every Youngster Can Have Fine Di-
geStion If Given n Good
Baby Laxative.

In spite of the greatest personal
care and the most intelligent attention
to diet, babies and children will be-
come constipated, and it is a fact thai
constipation and indigestion have
wrecked many young life. To start
with a good digestive apparatus is to
start life without handicap,
But. as we cannot all have perfect
working bowels. we must do the next
best thing and acquire them. or train
them to become healthy. This can be
done by the use of a laxative-tonic
very highly recommended by a great
many mothers The remedy is called
DIR. Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin and has
been on the market for two genera
tons. 1t can be bought convenient
ly at any drug store for fifty cents ar
one dollar bottle, and those who are
already convinced of its merits buy
the dollar size.
Its mildnesS makes it an ideal medi-
cine for children. and it is also very
pleasant to the taste. 1t is sure in
its effect, and genuinely harmless.
Very little of it is required and its fire.
quent use does not cause it to lose
its effect. as is the case with so many
other remedies
Thousands can testify to its merits
in constipation. indigestion. bilious
ness. sick headaches, etc. among them
reliable people like Mrs. James r.
Rouse of Marinette. Wis. Her little
son Howard was fifteen months old
last April. but he was sick with bowel
trouble from birth and suffered, in
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27

at a thimble party given Saturday at
ternoon by Mrs. P. ]. Clevenger and
Mrs. Robert Fullerton, whom she is
visiting. Miss Green wore a pretty
gown of champagne colored crepe de
chine. made with draped skirt The
bodice had a collar trimmed with
brown fur, and the frill at the neck
was open at the throat.
About 25 guests attended, and there
was music at intervals during the af-
ternoon. Mrs. E. d. Clithero played
piano solo, and Mrs. Charles Joslin
sang. Miss Gladys Cav, accompanied
on the piano by Miss Joy Paxton,
gave some violin numbers.
= + +
Society, with a big double S, was
out to see Mrs. Fiske at the Grand
Saturday night, and the stage fans
are still talking about the perform
ance but at any public place there is
usually a little side interest, for those
who have the gift to see it. A careful
scrutiny of the boxes (and at our To-
cal shows the boxes are always SO
scrutinized if there is any one in
themN revealed the presence of the
Humane society people, the King
family of the North Side. OF course,
Mrs. Fishes particular hobby, which
is her interest in the work of HUI
name societies, is known throughout
the country, and her special antipathy
to certain kinds of plumage in hat
decorations has been set out in letters
and articles galore Sitting behind
Miss Kate King was modishly
gowned society woman, and on her
head was a millinery triumph bear
ing about a thousand dollars worth
of aigrettes. The presence of such a
collection of feathers at a Fiske show
was, in itself, just a little startling.
Then Miss King laid off her modest
black hat at her side, and presently
the gorgeous one reposed near it.
Whereupon one of the men seated in
the parquet near the box thought of a
bright idea, but he was a little too far
from the focal point to put it into ex-
ecution. 1t occurred to him, how
ever, that a practical joker would en-
joy manipulating an exchange of hats.
so that when the little woman whom
Topeka people name with pride as the
lover of the poor and the defender of
the helpless went to greet her fellow
enthusiast of the stage, after the
show, she would face her under the
bobbing aigrettes of the actress be-
loved and despoiled birds.
+ + J.
DR.. and Mrs. Paul Todd were guests
of honor at an informal reception
given by DIR. Todd's sister, Mrs. Will
liam Macarthur. and Mr. Macarthur.
The house was decorated for the
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27

ington, Ia, is visiting her uncle and
aunt, Dean and Mrs. D. L. McEachron.
Mrs. John Reed of Denver, Mrs. T.
H. Thomas of Rock Island, ILL.,, and
Mrs. o. Badders of Topeka, have been
visiting their sister, Mrs. Neil Mcleod
of Valley Falls.
Miss Dorothy Parkhurst, who is a
student at the state university, will be
in Topeka Thursday for the Amato
concert, and will visit her parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Frank Parkhurst.
Clearance sale of Millinery tomor-
row. Everything included in Mil
linery in this sale. COS Kansas ave.,
second and third floors-Adv
Miss Yetta Conklin, of Lyons, will
arrive next week to visit Miss Madeline
Whitney.
Mr.. and Mrs. Nat Black have return
ed from trip to California. They stop
ped on their return to visit Mrs. Blacks
mother. Mrs Emma Corning, in Boul-
der, Col. Mrs. Corning will remain in
Boulder some time longer.
Mr.. and Mrs. J. A. Cole and their
family and Miss Katherine Gentry,
and Mr.. and Mrs. George Clark and
their family were weekend guests at
Lake View.
Mrs. c. o. Knowles will leave Tues
day for Waterville to visit her daugh-
ter, Mrs. George Thatcher.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Frizen have re-
turned from Evansville, Ind, where
they visited relatives
Banquet Flour is guaranteed.-Adv.
Mr.. Frank Griggs has been on hunt
ing trip to Mead.
Miss Mary McGiffin has returned from
visit to relatives in Pennsylvania and
Ohio.
Miss Frances Mitchell will leave soon
for New York to spend the winter
studying art.
Miss Ruth Wilson and her guest,
Miss Mary Atkinson, Mr.. Philip Sproat
and Mr. Wendall Lyman, motored to
Manhattan in the Lyman car Saturday
for the football game.
Mrs. j. j. Everhard who spent the
summer in Minnesota, has returned to
Topeka and will be with her daughter.
Mrs. Roy B. Guild, this winter.
No lady can afford to miss the clear
ance sale in Millinery tomorrow at
Courtney'S, sos Kansas ave. second
and third floors.-Adv.
Miss Olive Garfield has returned to
her home in California, after a months
visit to Mr.. and Mrs. H. H st. John
and other friends
Miss Grace Silvers left today for a
trip to Turney. Mo.
Miss Susie Williams has left for Col
umbia, Mo.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27
AT THE PLAY.

After an absence of two years, Mrs
Minnie Madden Fiske returned to
Topeka on Saturday and found her
way to the hearts of an appreciative
and expectant audience via THE
High Road" an essentially modern
drama by Edward Sheldon, author of
Salvation Nell.''
George Creel, qualified to Judge a
play of this kind, wrote Of 1.-The High
Road last year: 1T is the one pIay
In New York with any significance or
real value. In it the growing strength
or Mr.. Edward Sheldon as a dramatist
is shown, and the rare artistry of
Mrs. F1ske is given wonderful oppor-
tunity"
Mr.. Sheldon's conception and Mrs
F1skes portrayal Of Mary Page are
little short of superb. rs
In order to understand the play and
its teachings, a brief review of the
plot is necessary. In the first act
Mary Page, mothefless child of the
village miser, leaves her home in up
per New York and travels, quite nat
urally, with Alan Wilson, a wealthy
artist, to the wonderful world beyond
the hills.
The second act, Miss Pages
apartments on Riverside Drive.
occurs three years later Mary
mas discovered that her life with
Alan is no less cramped, no
less perfect than her miserable ex-
1stence at Milford Corners When
Wilson beseeches her to marry him.
she asks in surprise, What differ
ence would that maker and leaves
the apartment, penniless and alone
Eighteen years elapse between this
scene and the third act, the govern
or's office in Albany. Winfield Barnes.
a country lawyer, is governor of New
DIRK Mary, after years of patient
effort, is president of the Woman's
Trade league. Barnes, at her insti-
cation, IS about to sign the eight-hour
labor law for women when he is in
terrupted by Maddox, president of
the tobacco trust, owner of a chain
OF da1l1es, who attempts to bride him.
When Maddox meets Mary he re-
members having seen her in Wilson's
apartment, declares he has met her
before. and leaves the room. Follow
ing Barnes proposal of marriage.
Mary tells him of her life with Alan.
He hesitates. The room is silent.
Then comes the climax with his cry.
What has that girl to do with the
wonderful. splendid woman you are
today" and Mary's sob from his
arms, II knew knew
The fourth and fifth acts take place
in the Barnes library. Barnes, can
dldate for the presidency, is visited
by Maddox, who threatens scandal
unless Barnes changes his policy on
the labor problem. Maddox relates
his meeting in Alan's studio with the
girl of the yellow hair and sea-green
eyes, Alan is dead-Mary must pro-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-27
SANTA FE NOTES.

Items for this column may be phon-
ed to 1915 or the State Journal office.