davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

brated Joseph Mayr. who played it in
1890. that the director at first began
to correct him. Finally his character
izatfon became SO remarkable that he
was allowed to play it according to his
own conception. He was cast for the
part again in 1910. and his clear, gem
tie voice left lasting echo in the
hearts of those who heard him, and
his acting, his gestures-in fact, his
every move will remain inseparably
connected with the production in the
memory OF those who were in
Oberammergau in 1900 and 1910.
As for Ottillie Twink. she lives with
her father who in 1900 and 1910
played the part Of Judas, his acting
being Of the highest order. She IL a
pretty girl with a wealth Of golden
brown hair and sweet. delicate face.
She is a typical German housekeeper
and leads the quiet and unostenta-
tious life of village girl. There is
an unwritten law that the Virgin Mary
must be played by an unmarried
woman, 30 1t is doubtful whether she
will ever be seen in this part again.
for it IL whispered that she is beloved
by one Of the villagers.
Passing over the other scenes we
come to the Crucifixion scene. We
ffnd the chorus clothed in black. The
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

their suite, marched in state to their
private chapel. There costly cruel
fix was placed on q silk cushion on the
floor aud q rich carpet was spread be-
fore 1t. On his hands and knees the
royal parsonage then crept along the
carpet, as evidence of his humility,
until he reached the crucifix. There
he took the vessel containing the
cramp-rings and blessed them. His
ordeal over with, the Queen per-
formed the same AFFECT penance and
the rings were ready for distribution
among the fortunate ones in the edi-
nee.
Strange as It may seem the belief
was once universal in England that
he who ate "a hot cross bun" on Good
Friday morning need have no fear
that his home would be destroyed by
nre before another Good Friday rolled
around. Though they are not eaten
today for that purpose. the hot cross
bum IL still q prime favorite with tho
English on the morning OF Good Fri
day. It II sold then in large QuAnti-
ties In the shops and by men. women
and children along the streetA Tho
bun itself u hot. very highly spiced
and Drowned, coated with sugar and
marked on the surface with the Inn
print of the cross.
It was formerly believed that II the
sun shone on Easter Day 1t would con-
ttnna to shine the remainder OF The
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11
Tie escGx<Z *uW NeGf05y

"QUIET. peaceful village nestled
among the beautiful noun
tains Of the Bavarian Tyrol.
- y inhabited by a people simple in
manner. sincere in thought and action.
and imbibing into their natures tho
pure. fresh mountain air. thus pro-
viding a perfect type Of humanity to
portray the life. death and resurrec-
ton Of the Saviour Of Mankind. Such
Is Oberammergau. the scene OF the
wonderful Passion Play.
1t Is well known that in the fulfill
ment Of vow made more than two
hundred years ago these peasants
actually carry out the sacred scenes Of
the Passion and Death of our Lord.
and give to the world a sermon such
as no minister of the Gospel can
preach. and present a picture beyond
the conception of the worlds greatest
painters for no man can put upon
canvas the remarkable acting of these
Bavarian peasants whose one ambi-
ton seems to be a duty and vow paid
to God for his mercies in staying the
plague away back in the seventeenth
century when its devastating power
threatened to wipe out the entire viii
lage. The whole play from beginning to
end seems almost above the work Of
man. but the Crucifxion and Reaurrec-
ton are the most impressive. These
scenes beggar description. yet the
chief actors are not players Of note
but humble peasants. Christ IL por-
trayed by Anton Lang. the stove
builder and potter of the town, and
the character Of the Virgin Mary II
assumed by Ottillie Twink. a young
woman who knows little of life out
side the little mountain town.
The play with its remarkable acting
has been the subject Of hundreds Of
articles published in every part Of the
world. but 1t is of the portrayal Of the
Crucifixion and Resurrection alone Of
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

~ ITH the present day celebra-
ton Of Easter. consisting
chiefly OF church services, the
navajo NJ ESoo<or A~ovxy ovA
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11
Parsonage

privilege reverted TO the woman-but
that could not have been half so satis-
factory to the latter as it would have
been. perhaps. had they been allowed
the last whack" in the beating
proposition described above.
It was only until comparatively re-
cent years that Oxford. the famous
English seat of classic learning, wit
messed an extraordinary ceremony on
Easter Day known as the clipping of
the block" At the entrance to one
or the long halls a wooden block,
decorated with evergreens and fiow-
ers, was placed. and the College chef
with his assistants, wearing the white
caps and jackets Of their calling. sta
toned themselves beside it. A blunt
chopping axe reposed peacefully ON
the level surface OF the block. and the
two cooks standing by held pewter
dishes in their out-stretched hands.
After the elaborate dinner served
them on Easter Day. the students filed
out OF the hall past the block, seized
the axe in turn and struck the block
with it. Having done 80. each student
then placed a coin in the pewter
dishes.
In those old days Easter must have
been . day of mingled joys and sor-
rows for the clergy, ~ many strange
things befeil them then. Old writers
record that the monks and the priests
played games OF bali within the sacred
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

which the writer will speak. also Of
the personal charm and life Of the
persons who take part in these grand,
ennobling scenes which make our
Holy Week and Easter Day scenes of
sorrow for His death and Joy for His
resurrection and hope OF eternal life.
First, let us become acquainted with
the leading actor. Anton Lang-the
man who has twice stirred the world
by his remarkable presentation Of
Christ.
Since early childhood It had been
his dream to take part in the religious
drama of Oberammergau and his
FIRST appearance was made in 1880.
when he was but five years Of age. In
the entrance Of Christ into Jerusalem
scene he essayed the part of q Jewish
child and was in the foreground of the
rabble which followed Christ. His
father. Rochus Lang, was cast for the
part Of Ezekiel, the man who RACES
so flercely against the Nazarene. The
performance made a great impression
on the child and when the play was
finished, he rushed home and burying
his face in his mothers lap he sobbed.
Father ragged wildly against our Lord
today. and when he goes to Heaven I
am sure tho good Father will lock the
door against him." he cried as his
mother tried to soothe him. It was q
long time before he could be COM
forted, and from that time the Pas
sion Play was in his veins. He de-
lighted in stories Of the ceremony, and
his ono desire as he grew older was to
play the part of John. When the play
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11
shoulders a ring which is hooked

shoulders q ring which ID hooked
on to the crossbeam of the crucffix.
The feet rest. unseen by the audience.
on a small cornice nailed on the cross.
and around both wrists 1esh-colored
straps are wound and fastened to the
crosspieces. Lang hangs on the cross
for twenty minutes. but to the audi
ence 1t seems like hours and one Is
fearful lest something should happen
to injure the performer or mar the
solemnity and impressiveness OF the
sacred scene. In one or two instances
things have not passed on smoothly
although few in the audience ever
knew OF the genuine sufferings Of the
portrayer Of Christ. In spite Of the
artificial experiments to relieve the
body during the severe strain the
position IL a difficult one-the upper
part Of the body sinks by degrees and
the blood circulates slower and slower
through the. tensely drawn arms until
a numbness sets in. II the cross is
raised too quickly the ring between
the shoulders is liable to slip out Of
place and deprive him of his strongest
support. One afternoon the strap
which held the left hand to the cross
became loose. Striving after some
support Lang caught the nail between
his fingers, when it suddenly came
out Of the wood. Gathering all his
strength to a supreme effort he held
his arm outstretched until at last the
other participants saw his plight. The
scene was shortened and after an
excruciating fifteen minutes the
descent was made from the cross. and
no one in the vast auditorium knew
anything Of the critical situation. The
resurrection scene, however. had to be
delayed for half an hour while proper
circulation was being restored in
Lang's body. The descent from the
cross. too. is no easy task for 1t must
be accomplished slowly and with ex-
treme care as the arms are completely
numbed and q quickly restored circu-
lation of the blood might cause con-
gestion. At another time the steel
binding used for the purpose OF
fastening the cross to the floor was
missing and chain had to be used. so
Lang went through the scene in the
knowledge that the cross might fall
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11
Of 1890 (for the vow was made that

Of 1890 (for the VOW was made that
the performance be given every ten
years) came on young Lang was then
boy Of fifteen. and although he was
given his fathers part Of Ezekiel the
audience was attracted by the lads
finely cut features and mass Of wavy
hair. He still wished to play John
and when he spoke to his father OF
his desire the latter answered, BE
satisfied. my son. even If they cast
you for the left malefactor." A few
years later young Anton was no longer
a potter's apprentice but a full dedged
journeyman and his father sent him
to look over the potteries OF Munich
and Stuttgart, and for time he
worked in one of these, but soon
longed for his mountain home and re-
turned to his father. While away he
grew a full beard. His sisters begged
him to have 1t removed, but Matilda
Rutz, the daughter of the master
smith Of the village and the child
hood friend of Anton, declared that If
he valued her friendship he would
continue to wear it-so the beard has
remained unshaven until this day. As
time went on the Passion Play Com
mittee began to see in this young man
the essential characteristics Of the
future player of the part Of Christ.
and when on November 18th, 1899,
the choice of performers was made
for the Passion Play Of 1900 1t was
unanimously decided that Anton Lang
was to play the part. Rehearsals be-
gan and Lang's conception of the role
was SO different from that Of the cele-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

SWANS and msidens gathered ct .
certain inn on Easter morning. Each
Of them mixed water and sugar or
water and honey, in q cup and slipped
It as they repeated the lines Of an old
verse in unison. This custom was
known as 'sugar-cupping."
In another section Of England
quantities Of bread were thrown from
the church steeples to the poor chfl-
dren who waited for 1t below. On
Easter Monday the ceremony Of clip
ping the churches'' was no doubt .
pretty sight. Hundreds Of childrea,
attired in their Easter clothes. Joined
hands ana encircled the various
churches in turn in . sort Of ''ring-a-
round-the-Rosy' manner.
In Cornwall . King Of Easter held
sway on that festival when one Of the
citizens, chosen by his fellows. led .
solemn procession through tho streets
to the church with q crown on hi1
head and bearing . sceptre In his
hand. After the Easter service In the
church he and his suite attended an
elaborate feast in Joyous celebrat1on
Of the day. This custom. It seems,
was also popular In many Of the Va
lagos Of ancient Spain.
Long ago couples considered e
eminently proper to observe Eastee
by going down together on the side q
hill. joining hands and rollins
further down the hill to the accom-
paniment OF shrieks Of laughter. 1t
II said that our present day cuGtom
Of rolling Easter eggs downhill Wao
derived from this human Easter ogges
performances
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

should be extinguished and then re-
Eve in order to enjoy q prosperous
year and to ward OF strokes Of light
ming. A peasant always rode his horse
into the nearby creek, or river. on
Easter Day firm in the belief that the
animal would thus be insured against
all illness for q period OF twelve
months.
Even the weather was a fertile
source Of prognostication a. to good or
bad fortune. II the wind were from
the East and a serious minded in
dividual bathed himself in freshly
drawn water he could snap his fingers
in lordly disdain Of the chills and
cold which the East wind always
scattered broadcast.
| No fair maid OF ancient Mecklen-
| burg. in the long ago. could possibly
have been restrained from washing
her fair self with linen cloth that
had been spread in the garden on
Easter. Eve ana was damp In the
morning from either rain or dew; for
f, BY 30 doing she was certain Of ward
ing on an illness for the coming year
provided-and this was quite essen
tial-the East wind was blowing
steady and strong.
When England was under Catholic
sway the King. on Good Friday. was
serving . peculiar superstition known
a. the blessing of the rings" In
this ceremony q number OF rings for
public distribution were placed In =
large silver basin and. whom properly
blessed. were believed to be entirely
emcacious in preventing cramps.
] The King and Queen. attended by
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

at any time with him helplessly tlo0
to 1t. But he saved the play and IT,
audience never knew.
The Resurrection scene shows IT,
four soldiers who are appointed ~
watch the grave. lying by the tomo.
The day Il just breaking and the scene
Is indescribably beautiful. One OF the
soldiers rises when suddenly there -
a shock and q peal Of thunder and tie
stone covering the entrance Of TIE
tomb falls to sthe ground. Lang AZ
pears at the entrance radiant in white
apparel. The soldiers fall prostrnto
on the ground and he passes out c9
the sepulcher and into the gardon-
The soldiers hasten away after finding
the tomb empty. Mary Magdaleue
(Marice Mayr) and the other women
soon appear bearing spices which they
have prepared. On going to the tomb
they find it empty. but an angel
(played by q young peasant boy) ap-
pears. BE not amazed" he cries.
"Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which
hath been cruciffed-He Is risen-Ho
is not here!' The others hurry away
to tell the Disciples. leaving Mary
Magdalene at the tomb. Lang again
appears. His face at this time seems
TRANSPORTED, for there is an expressions
on IL tnaC one rarely mus III y nuns88
being. Mary" he calls in wonder
full voice. 'Tather!" she answers -
she reaches out to touch him. Again
he speaks. Touch me not. for I am
not yet assembled to my Father and
your Father. and to my God and your
God.' These are the last words
spoken in the play by Lang although
he appears TN the Ascension tableau-
the last scene in the play. Here 10 he
robed In white and holding . palm
branch in his hand stands In the midst
of his Disciples. Close to him are
Mary. his mother and Mary Magda-
lene and John and Peter. AZ he
blesses them he slowly and almost
imperceptibly begins to ascend In the
air. AS he reaches the centre Of .
company of angels the curtain fails
and the chorus. now robed in bright
color. sing the Victory Chorus
HALLELUJAH!
Praise, Honor. Alteration, Power
and Majesty be unto Thee from Ever
| lasting to Everlasting.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

" ITH the present day celebra-
ton Of Easter, consisting
~ chiefly Of church services, the
W parade of Easter finery and
the revels OF children with their multi
colored eggs. the association of super.
stitions and queer customs in the
observance of this day Is apt to seem
a far cry indeed. But in by-6one ages
and, in some instances, not SO very
far back at that-the popular mind
was vastly concerned with counting
favorable and avoiding unfavorable
customs and superstitions Of this
greatest Of Christian festivals.
If the average man of the present
day puts his head out Of a window on
Easter morning he is apt to be doing
30 for no more serious a purpose than
to ascertain whether the air is fresh
and balmy OF. perchance, II there IL
any likelihood of q sudden spring
shower spelling his new Easter suit.
But in England, q long while ago. the
typical country squire raised his
blinds on Easter morning with no lit
tie anxiety an to what would meet his
gaze.
If he espied q lamb gamboling ON
the green, well and good-provided
his Lamblet's head was facing the
house. II the animal happened to be
lying down, however, or facing in an
other direction. the fortune of the
peeker from the window would not be
altogether good for the ensuing year.
possible explanation Of this queer
superstition is that. in those days. It
was believed the devil might conceal
himself In any form but that OF .
lamb or q dove.
People once believed that all flres
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-11

confines of the churches for tansy
made of bitter herbs and were be-
lieved to possess medicinal properties:
at the present time, the tansy pudding
is a favorite Easter dish in England.
From the same authority. we are
told that the clergy made humorous
addresses from their pulpits and their
congregations bedecked themselves
with Easter finery. In the thirteenth
century, between Easter and Pente-
cost, the ecclesiastic who stepped be-
yond the shadow Of his own home
possessed a stout heart indeed. for
he was almost certain to be seized BY
some Of his hilarious parishioners and
held captive until he paid . ransom.
The oldest Of all Easter customs In
Scotland and in England was the one
known as "heaving." This was done
ON Easter Monday by the men. in
pairs, interlAcing their hands 20 ~
to form q Seat" capturing . maid
and tossing her three times into the
air from this improvised chair. Incl
dentally, 1t may be mentioned. the
maid was then 0ound1y kissed before
being released.
On the next day the women were
privileged to "heave" the men In the
same fashion. This strange custom
was supposed to be symbolic of the
Resurrection OF Christ. though the
simile seems very far fetched and II
understandable solely on the grounds
that the person 'heavinG Tor the
moment leaves the earth ana b elo-
waited toward Heaven.
In DerbyShire. England. the young
The chronicle=news., 1914-12-28
NEW YORK WORKMEN'S
COMPENSATION LAW is
Observation-Disclosures

philadelphia, Pa, Dec. 2S.-The
workmcn' compensation law in upc-
alton in New York state gives Scner-
al satisfaction, with the possible en-
ccption of the matter of insurance
rates. which experience is proving to
have been too high, said John Mitch
ell tOCGy in address before .he Ameri-
can Association for labor legislation.
Mr.. Mitchell, who is n member of the
New York State Workmen's Compen-
satiOn Commission. said the nigh rate
of insurance is common experience
of every state adopting compensation
laws.
Lack OF compiled statistics" lie
added, "compcls the rate makers to
put themselves on the safe side. and
{: rate to be safely high must be too
high.
I'm the administration Of the state
insurance fund, the commission has
been able to declare "A general aver
age Of 20 per cent reduction in rates
and in addition to that to refund 10
per cent dividends upon business of
the first semi-annual period"
Mr. Mitchell said that i'll the
schedule OF compensation sc % per
cent is not too high. When the OPP
Grafton of the law has settled to
firm basis OF administration. he said,
II will entail little or no added bur
den upon the industries of the state.
The chronicle=news., 1914-12-28

mine are er gagged in exploration ana
development work and preparing for
outputting more coal. Underlying
the whole district are at least seven
veins of coal varying in thickness
from six 20 /. feet, with u known
yerii'iI thickness of 90 feet Of clean
marketable coal. Therefore there is
no Immediate danger OF the deposits
being worked out.
Oak Creek coal has obtained wide
reputation and popularity. II is in
creasinEly in demand throughout
Colorado and the states to the east
ward. being sent as FAR as Iowa. 1t
has no trouble in successfully com
pcting with the coal of southern
Colorado ana other districts, al
though the cost of transporting 1t
over tie hill" is somewhat of
randicap as far as price is concerned.
A wcll-knoWn engineer says That the
Oak Creek coal mines are the safest
In the country, being free from dan
gcrous gas and other features con-
tributine so largely to make the
death rate IN coal mines larger than
in any other industry.
The town OF Oak Greek. which is
III" natural business center for the
trade from the various coal mines Of
the district, is making substantial
progress, and business men are do
ing a thriving trade and feeling
irb.lant. One of the leading bust
i'm At iG al
The chronicle=news., 1914-12-28
YOAKvM GOES
THRU TO Ell PAS0
TO MEET belmont

Enroute to 81 Paso where on New
Years day he will battle twenty-five
ounds with Gene belmont, STANLEY
Yoakum of Denver passed through
Trinidad this morning. His live
manager. Louis Newman, remained
over in this city to visit friends ana
will Join his protcge in Il day or two.
Yoakum has fought his way to the
top of the fistic ladder and has con-
oucred some of the best of his weight.
His most recent bout was with Sler-
man in Denver. Manager Newman
has offers OF number Of other
matches which he is considering.
Newman is himself local product,
having lived most of his life in this
section. He was one of the fastest
lightweights in Colorado up to the
time he quit the ring to take up the
managerial end. lie handled the in
terests of Eennie Chavez for few
months and has been in charge of
Yoakum during the time he has been
fighting his way to the front, tie is
now part owner and promoter for the
Colorado Athletic club in Denver, the
leading sporting organization of the
state.
The chronicle=news., 1914-12-28
OAK CREEK COAL
CAMP BOOMING,
PRODUCTION LARGER

Sto,mhnot cnrinns colo Dee Is
,..,, .,,,I
,,,n 10 nio,,i,,, ,,uwontsd nrosper-
i,y n, Tho nresen, time There Is
moro o,,i,,,,. nan oye,. hof,ro in tbc
his,or,, ,r ,i,o c,,,r aud tbo nroduc-
ZION 10 ,orcor ,n,I trora arc moro men
,I, 49, ,tl,,r ti,e rho
town h,d nro,,y wal, recovered from
,.;,. ho,,,. :, ,.,s ,,,,od off l,s,
-. 49,, ~ "a, r.,,;,,,i,,r ia
IN ,;a, 49,, a., ;,1,,,,,it oor,Ii.,
,,t'a #, ,,.o,., runrinc
,.a,,i,,, n-,,,,,.i,, h,t ,no s,ril,-
60. a.,
',,., w., ,',,,. ,'',,,,o,r,,. sci
49,, 49,, ,a.., a.. ,.,a.rt nosi,i,rs
ono VINO Is iuiiF COW ers"n' VII"
the SITUATION si'eS ti'e peSe"'
"loh'"it 'pio"ut,ioi VI ,"e "'l.e' .".
properties as ioiio"S' i'o"'' ."""''
ruol 'olhp"i'H' -"'oo" 'o''' '''''"
N"iieH r"ei cohii'ah!' i"'o'" 'o"''
Nclial 'o"i COMPANY "'''o' 'o'''
''as"eh hros' 'oal 'oi'' p""|' n''"n
IONS '""c''o" WY 't'"'' ''''''
IONS.
Six hundred men are employed IN
Cr about the miulnS properties an"
approximately S3o,poo is distributed
at each semi-monthly pay day.
The Hayden Bros. company mas
been doing extensive work in prep
aration for Il large production. Last
The chronicle=news., 1914-12-28
Daily Morkets
CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE

Chicago, Dec. 2S.--Frcslt strength
developed in wheat today. owing
largely to falling off in receipts, to
the huge exports and the fact that
no peace was in sight. Opening quo
tations which were / to Sc up, were
followed by a rise to lc or more all
around above Saturdays close.
Tn" close was unsettled. I to | Z
to IL net lower. December Leg:
May sl.2Sa. .....
Corn displayed some sympathy
with the wheat strength, After on,
ening ! off to &c advance, the market
steadied at about the same as Satur-
day night.
The close was weak, 7, to llr net
lower. December Gi2: May ~.
Firmness was the rule in oats
Close: December 49i: May 53A.
Provisions swung upward as IA re
suit of higher prices for hogs.
Close: Pork, January SlS.G2; May
$3.50 Lard, January Slo.i2; May
s10.G5. Ribs, January s10.22 May
$1,000. iii n