davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
PROPER BASIS FOR RATES.

A curious case has recently been
decided by the Wisconsin railroad
commission, says the Electrical Re
view. In this case a utility which is
municipality owned and operated ap-
piled for permission to increase its
rates to those consumers only who are
residing outside of the municipality.
While the commission denied the ap-
plication, it at the same time discusser
the principles which should govern
such cases and indicated that it was
proper to make a distinction between
residents and non-residents of a mu-
niCipality. This distinction is based
upon the fact that in computing the
fixed charge against the investment
only per cent. is used in connection
with that portion of the plant neces-
sary for supplying resident consum-
ers, whereas an interest allowance of
rs per cent. is used in computing the
fixed charges for that portion of the
plant necessary to supply non-resi-
dents. This is the same percentage
that would be allowed in the case of a
privately owned utility.
The distinction appears to be made
on the basis that the taxpayers in the
municipality have involved some risk
in investing municipal funds in the
electric power plant. To carry out this
idea logically. the same distinction
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
EVENING CHAT
Better Be Sure Than Sorry.
BY RUTH CAMERON

A few weeks ago a 2-year-old boy,
whose position as the grandson of st.
Gaudens, the famous sculptor, made
him a figure in the worlds news, got
his hands on some strychnine pills and
swallowed one. 1t was so large that it
stuck in his throat, but the baby trav-
eled over to table and actually man
aged to clutch a glass of water in his
little hands and wash the pill down.
He died in commissions before anything
could be done.
I suppose some millions of mothers
shuddered as they read that story and
promised themselves that no such thing
should ever happen to their babies.
And yet it will. Into some of those
very homes the same tragedy will pro-
badly come. Where do 1 get such a
terrible prophecy? Why, from that
surest prophet of the future-the past.
I doubt if day, surely not a week,
went by in the last year in whicr
a similar tragedy did not occur some
where in this country.
1 doubt if there is one among my
readers who does not personally know
at least one family which has suffered
such a loss. 1 know of two.
In some of these cases there could
be absolutely no blame attached. For
instance, l know of one in which a
doctors child, who had been carefully
taught not to enter his fathers office,
slipped in and helped himself to a large
quantity of cathartic pills which were
not at all poisonous, but which were
fatal to him because of the size of
the dose.
In other cases there is carelessness
which is so bitterly punished that it
excites our pity far more than our
blame.
OF course all children ought to be
taught not to touch pills or anything
of that sort without permission, but
and so this training should be supple
mented by unremitting care no to leave
danger around.
Don't keep poisons unless you abso-
lutely have to. When you must, label
them with some striking label, and put
them on a separate shelf which is I'M
questionably out of the reach of chill
dren. or better still, lock them up.
Children have been known to reach
shelves which their elders thought per-
fectly safe.
Nor is it poisonous alone which ought
to be kept out of a child'S reach Many
medicines which would be harmless ia
ken in small doses, might be fatal if
child helped himself in wholesale
fashion.
And one more caution. Never throw
away a bottle with anything in it. es-
pecially anything poisonous. Not long
ago, several children We're poisoned
by drinking something they found on
dump. So rinse out your bottles be-
fore you throw them away. You owe
that precaution to other peoples chill
dren.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
A HOT WEATHER IDYL.

I love to lie beneath the trees be-
side the babbling brook,
And bury myself all day in q. Robert
Chambers book;
L love to seek a quiet spot where
there is naught but shade,
And have fried chicken for my
lunch with ice-cold lemonade.
1t is my joy and dream of bliss to
live among the trees,
Far from the city's torrid street and
catch the vagrant breeze.
tbs glorious and that's a fact, at
least that's what they say,
L love to do that sort of thing, but
1 can't get away.
L love to ride upon a yacht and sail
the cooling sea;
A good fast automobile also make a
hit with me.
love to spend the summer up
among the mountain tops,
Far from the burning asphalt pave
ment and offices and shops
There's some class to a cottage down
upon the sandy shore,
Where auto horns don't rend the air
and street cars do not roar.
love all of these summer things;
they say they're mighty nice,
The only thing a Teller needs to have
IS just the price.
tBy Roy K. Moulton.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
FROM OTHER PENS
HANDY MEN NEEDED

Few things can be more self evil
IDENTITY true than that the abality of the
to do all manner of odd Jobs, coupled
with his cheerful Willingness to make
and to do them, means a large saving
in the conduct of the home. There are
men whose tastes, bordering closely
upon genius, run this way 1t is to
them, and to the example they set,
perhaps, that posterity will attribute
the final and glorious triumph over
the problem of high cost of living. At
all events, the person who can sit or
stand unmoved while a neighbor of
this type is in action is lacking in ap-
probation of timely and useful human
effort. The handy man. around the
house is at once an inspiration and
rebuke. While others of his sex stand
by idly and useless and helpless in the
presence of domestic emergency, the
handy man is engaged in setting right
whatever is askew. If the gas stove
leaks, he fixes it; eSca ping heat from
the fireless cooker he promptly checks,
and if the electric light fuse blows out
he fixes that Is the water pipe leak
ing in the basement-did son throw a
ball through a pane of glass-is the
refrigerator radiating or the radiator
refrigerating-the handy man is there
to fix them all. He mows the grass,
paints the piazza. fixes the camera,
mends the broken umbrella. Does Il
picture frame need regilding? He
regilds it. Does the hardwood floor
And so it goes all along the line. You
can always reach him when he is
needed: you can always tell where to
find him. He and his overalls arc in
separable. The home that can claim
him may well boast of a prize. Is 1t
necessary to say that there are men
who when things around the house
need attention almost Immediately go
to the telephone and order somebody
to come up, or down, or over, and at
tend to it? Is it necessary to say that
there are men who would not dare
undertake anything in the carpenter
ing, glazing, steamfitting or plumbing
line? Need wives be told that there
are husbands who do not know which
way TO turn when household repairs
are called for? If these conditions be
admitted, is it to be wondered at that
many bills come into some families on
the first of the month that the handy
mans family never sees? Much is
said in current writings regarding the
wasteful and eXtravagant wife; why is
1t not in order to call attention to the
Wasteful and extravagant husband p
Christian Science Monitor.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
TORIES TO THE LAST.

In Great Britain and Ireland one of
| the most infamous wrongs entrenched
by long usage and the sanction of the
| laws is the system of plural voting for
| members of parliament
When a new house of commons is to
be chosen the elections are strung
along for about a week. In a country
| of no great size it is easy for a man
to go from one district to another and
then on to a third, in time to vote in
as many places as he is entitled to a
ballot. And he is given that privilege
wherever he has a residence. If he
owns and occupies, at some time dur
ing the year, four or five houses in
four or five different parliamentary
districts, or divisions, as they are call
ed in England, he can vote for a can
didate for the house OF commons in
every one of them.
The effect, of course, is to give
rich man several times the power of j
poor man in electing the national par
lament or congress. 1t is a suffrage
based upon property, and the depar-
ture from a standard such as Ameri-
cans have always been familiar with
is wide that it cannot be defended
by any believer in the equality of all
men at the polls. 1t is an abuse which
flatly contradicts the oft-repeated as
sertion that Great Britain is really
more democratic than the United
States in it's form of government.
Now an effort is being made to abol-
ism this gross injustice of plural voting.
The house of commons has passed a
bill for that purpose, but the house of
lords, true to its Tory traditions, re-
jected this reform measure by the
overwhelming majority of 166 to AZ
In the end, the stand of the hereditary
branch of parliament can avail moth
ing more than delay but it will make
class feeling run higher than ever in
England and breed trouble in the
Nnars a come
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

should be made between taxpayers and
all those who are not. If such a dis
tinction is justifable it would seem
equally proper for a privately owned
utility company to make a distinction
in rates between those consumers who
are stockholders and those who are
not.
Upon the basis of cost-of-service
principle, rates should be adjusted so
as to just cover the cost of operation.
including fixed charges, and allowing
as small margin of surplus as may
be feasible. The proper allowance for
fixed charges is usually estimated
upon the basis of what return is neces-
sary to make the investment a desir-
able one, so that future necessities for
capital for extensions, ETC., will be will
ingly met by the investor. Since it is
possible to secure capital for a munich
pal plant at lower rate of interest
than for a privately owned plant, this
clement of the cost of service is in
herently smaller and all patrons of the
utility should receive the benefit of
this lower cost. Why the consumer
who resides outside the political boun-
dairy of the municipality should be dis
eliminated against in this regard, espe-
cially with respect to the consumer
within the boundary who is not tax
payer, is not evident.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

land interrupted. Martha Marshall
| is coming here. Didn't she tell you
that?''
Then she's a wretch-same as you
are Audrey protested. Il hate
folks who break engagements-eve
myself
Eyes, 1 know-but there's one. en-
gagement 1 shan't let you break. 1t
presence OF Witness Leland broke
in, tweaking her ear very gently.
Mother Molly is the witness we
need" he added, the least shake
creeping into his voice Take hands
with me before her, honey, and prom
Use to make man of me. You can
if it's in me-and I believe it is"
LELAND! You = you = outrage!"
Audrey gasped. You must think I'm
a reform school," she ran on breath
lessly.
He shook his head, took both her
hands in his and said tensely, mo
need to play with me longer, darling
now 1 know you love mel
Leland 1 am ashamed of You!
To say such a thing to a young lady
in your own house," Mother Molly
shrilled. ITO her face-and mine!
Oh .!n,, Its.it's too S drea 9fh1 ,,o.,e
Molly?" Sarah Minor peeped. She
had a fine high voice which sounded
odd, coming from very plump chest.
Audrey tried to free her hands, but
Leland he1d them gently out 1lrmly-
I'VE are doing murder-to the con-
ventions,' he said. Wont you help,
like the good fellow you are?"
I-don't know-I-dont under
stand!' Sarah Minor peeped.
Leland let go Audrey's hands, stood
very straight and lifted his head, a
fine red in either cheek. 1--WE loved
Audrey all my life,' he said. But
1 never knew she loved me the same
until 1 saw her show herself Jealous
of YOU. We know-you and I-shG
has no need to be-we are the best of
friends-and you'll get the better man
you deserve. Tell her you've known
! all along how it was with me-
After all, Sarah Minor was good
sort She looked at the pair, drew
their hands together and said, "Oh
you go long, Leland! You know
am the worst hand to tell folks
news. - Copyright, 1913, by the Nc
Clure Newspaper Syndicate.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
LFrom the Chicago News.J

IFrom the Chicago News.]
The worst babies are over 20 years of
age.
Lazy men would rather find fault than
find work.
About all the average man takes for a
cold is advice.
'Misers," said the barber, ARE men who
use safety razors."
Even experience falls down when 1t
tries to teach a fool
And the less man is abused the more
he doesn't amount to.
No woman is supposed to look her age,
no matter what it is
What a girl likes about a young man is
usually what her mother doesn't.
A man may make a guess at what a
woman is going to do, but that is his
limit.
Do not be one of the majority who ex-
pect more of friend than they are will
ing to give.
Some women get even with a man by
refusing to marry him, and some others
by marrying him.
Once in a great while a mother man.
ages to persuade her daughter to marry
the kind of man who will make her
happy.
Yes. Alonzo, it is possible for man and
woman to generate brand of platon1c
love that will stand the acid test-h they
can be kept 500 miles apart
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
EDUCATToN's CHAMPIONS.

AS an aid to the campaign in be-
half of better educational facilities,
the United States bureau of educa-
ton has just issued a bulletin: Elk
pressions on Education by American
Statesmen and Publicists." The book
is a collection of notable utterances on
education by prominent Americans
from the earliest days to the present.
Beginning with Franklin, Washing
ton. Adams, and jefferson. all of
whom were firm believers in popular
education. the document quotes opin-
ions on education from a long line of
distinguished Americans, including
John Jay. Madison. Monroe, Albert
GaIlatin, Dewitt Clinton, Archibald
Murphey, father of the North Caro-
lima common SCHOOL," Calhoun, Web
ster, Buchanan, Thaddeus Stevens,
the champion of public schools in
the early days of Pennsylvania; Ed
ward Everett. George Peabody the
philanthropist: Horace Mann, and NJ.
3. Lamar, president of the Republic
of Texas.
Coming to more modern times. the
following are represented: William
H Seward Robert E. Lee, who gave
the last years of his life to the cause
of education and urged the thorough
education of all classes of the peo-
pIe;'' Lincoln, who viewed education
as the most important subject which
we as a people can be engaged in
Charles Sumner, Calvin Wiley. who
considered it the lasting honor of his
state that cher public schools sur
of
General Grant. who commended the
progress of the public schools in a
message to congress; Rutherford B.
Hayes. Senator Benjamin Harvey
Hill of Georgia. who said that "edu
cation is the one subject for which no
people ever yet paid too much" Will
liam Henry Ruffner of Virginia, ]. L.
NJ. Curry, who considered it 'the
prime business and duty of each gen
Grafton to educate the next" Henry
w. Grady, Grover Cleveland Gov
ernor Aycock, who fell dead at Bir-
mingnam, Ala. with the word "edu-
cation on his lips; and other leading
Americans who have urged the ex-
tension of educational opportunities.
frequently in the face of strong OPP
position.
A few conspicuous men now living
are given space in the bulletin for
their utterances on education. There
are significant passages from Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson and former
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft; from
Charles w. Eliot of Harvard; from
Ambassador Walter H. Page, who has
been one of the leaders in the edu-
cationaI regeneration in the south;
Charles w. Dabney, president of the
University of Cincinnati; Senator
Hoke Smith of Georgia, James B.
Frazier of Tennessee. Dean Liberty H.
Bailey of Cornell, and President Ed
win A. Alderman of the University OF
Virginia.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
HYHAWKER JOTS

The dry spell reminds the Wathena
Times of years ago when the people
went to church to pray for rain on a
similar occasion. One little girl asked
her mother where the people We're go
ing. When told they were going to
pray for rain, she wanted to know why
they did not take their umbrellas along
if praying would bring rain.
From the Moline Advance: A farmer
at Junction City has a little chick pre-
served in alcohol that has two distinct
and we'll formed heads and necks 1t
lived five days and then died as the
result of being stepped on. He claims
that the chick while alive. could let
out two peeps" at the same time
Just think what an advertiser of her
business this chick would have been
as a hen if it had lived to lay an egg.
Another snake story, this time from
the Elk Falls Reflector: Mr.. and Mrs
D. NJ. Forsythe, who now reside near
large blacksna1e. Mrs. Forsythe had
been missing eggs for some time and
finally mammoth china nest egg-oHe
larger than a turkey. egg disappeared.
One morning a disturbance was made
among the chickens and both hurried
out and there curled up near the nests
was a big blacksnake, measuring over
four feet long. His snakeship appeared
rather dumpish and neither showed
fear nor fight. After his life had been
taken by Mr.. Forsythe with his trusty
hoe, the cause of the aforesaid Dump 5h-
ness was discovered About midway of
the snakes body was a great enlarge
ment. which when dissected, proved to
be the big china nestegg, and it doubt
less was causing the poor snake some
discomfort and was the prime rea son
for his careless exposure to danger.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
HUNOR or THE DAY

F'lubdub-"What do you consider the
most delicate form of flattery?" Cynicus-
Ieling a married man he doesn't look
it.'-Judge.
"Ikey, vat did you learn at school to-
day?' Der principles of interest, father"
Ikey. Doan't you know dot der right kind
OF interest has no principles ?'-Ldfe
In the lexicon of youth there is no such
word as fail observed the PHILOSOPHER
But the synonyms it contains appear to
be without number" suggested the cynic
Buffalo Express.
Il understand that some of the medieval
ancestors your son-in-law boasts of
weren't able to read and write.' VERY
probably" replied Mrs. Cumrox ct have
no doubt that when they wanted ANYTHING
in the literary way they were abundantIy
able to employ press agents."-washing-
ton Star.
You can't joke with a woman. re-
marked to my wife last night that 7
wished some one would invent hool1Iess
gowns Wei, what happened % ..She
SAID my remarks remined her that there
We're couple of gownIess hooks in her
closet, and now I'm in for laundering big
dressmaker's bill."-Boston Transcript
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
JOURNAL ENTRIES

A stitch in time often saves a lot of
embarra SSment.
= j. =
There are always plenty of domestic
storms in a period of drouth.
j. d
Most of the important people are only
that way in their own minds.
+ /, +
Many a child misses a deserved
spanking because it's mother thinks it
may be sick.
I. !. j.
Naturally, it's banks most trusted
employee who gets away with the
funds He has the best chance.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
Man Born in 1875 summoned. ;,

he newspapers are publishing a story
from Heidelberg which throws a charac-
teristic light on the bureaucratic practices
of German officialdom. 1t appears that
a workingman named Heinrich Sommer
desires to have fourteen persons who
emigrated to the United States in 1859 Of
ficially declared dead The Oldest who
was born in 1T6. would therefore now
have attained the age of 1877 years. Others
were born in 1893 and 1865. All of these
persons are now summoned to appear at
the town hall of Heidelberg on Feb. II,
1914, at 10 a. m, and, in case they refuse
to do so, they will officially be declared
Berlin cable to New York Times.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
Full LEASED WIRE REPORT
OF THU ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOME NEW WHILE AWAY.

Subscribers of the State journal
away from home during the summer
may have the paper mailed regularly
each day to any address at the rnte
n month (by mail only. Address
changed as often as desired. Mhile
out of town the State Journal VIII ne
TO you like daily letter from nome.
Advance payment is requested on
these short time subscriptions, to save
bookkeeping expenses.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

WIND MAY GEL OhLAI1OhA .
GOAT, BUT IT'S THE HEAT THAT
GETS OURS.
Tulsa, Okla, Aug. 6.-Broken
, Arrow, on the east side of Tulsa
county, was today swept by cy-
clone which did many queer
things. The wind picked up a
billy goat, which was grazing in
a meadow, and set it down un1n-
jured on top of a hill quarter
of mile away. The goat re-
newed its grazing as though. moth
ing had happened.
Again we are advised of the re-
markable possibilities of the peaceful
pelican. The pelican is some bird,
and the limerick is some limerick
is it not? Yes, it is MOTOR purposes
of publication in a polite paper.
Losing the appendix may be a phul-
ish phad, but it has lasted longer
than did ping pong.
Let us hasten, business of hasten
ing with great haste) to square Bale
Waggener with his multitude of
friends; he doesn't wear that goatee
as an ornament, but because the sur
geons "c1ave him to the chine" and
said chine is still too sore to shave
consider our resolution to vote ag1n
him. ((Busy business of reconsider
ing.O
And, CHANGING to again lamp the
paragraph at the top of this colyum-
might one presume that 1T was the
wind that broke the Broken Arrow?
Yes, one might; there is no city ord1-
nance against presuming
1t is easy to explain why we aban-
doned the daily
1t Might Be Worse!
1t can't.
For, as j. Supp observed last Fri
day: IF Billy Sunday was operat-
ing in Kansas now, he would have to
frame up some other kind of here
after scare to get the natives. They're
almost used to it,
The ingenuity of the cook who can
make a mustache hide a hair lip is no
more ingenious than the ingenious in
genuity of the young man with a bald
spot who. can tip his hat without tip
ping off, the bald spot.
Friend Ernest Tucker has revived
an ancient custom. He has the wed
ding bells ringing in North Topeka.
In the remote southern part of our
village, they have adopted the mod
ern system of Infringing" the society
reporter to announce the event.
Nay, Josey-feen, not all of the Mar
shalrs bandmen are going to Den
yer on a protracted ''toot;" few of
the gentlemen play drums and things
like that; one does not toot drum
or a bull fiddle (yclept dog-house).
Your alarm over the published state
ment that we were to have a full
band" in Denver is unfounded.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

Although Cardinal Gibbons is per-
sonally opposed to woman's suffrage
he is nonetheless able to see the hand
writing on the wall and expresses the
opinion that suffrage is certain to
come to women"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

That Ohio man who slept peacefully
for an hour while his wife shrieked
for help downstairs with her hand
caught in a washing machine may not
be = model husband, but think what a
policeman he'd make
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

Fire Chief Wilmarth will be heartily
applauded if he makes good his threat
to cause the arrest and punishment
of persons who are so careless as to
burn their trash in the alleys during
this kind of weather.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

Attention, poets. Take the train
for Chicago. A poet there who was
unable to sell his wares in the usual
channels had little trouble in eX-
changing them for few cold bottles.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11

If there We're no mines in Mexico,
points out the Brooklyn Eagle, civil
ization could be postponed there in
definitely. AS it is, mineralogy de-
mands the introduction of sound