davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
Pen Pictures of Petrograd and Calais

The following are pen pictures OF
Petrograd. the history of whose lay
ing out is not dissimilar to that of the
planning OF Washington; and Calais.
the center OF the lace making industry
of France. The one is the directing
center of the Russian armies and the
other the objective OF the German
armies in the west. These descrip-
tions were prepared by the National
Geographic society for its more than
three hundred thousand members.
many thousands of whom live in the
state of Illinois.
"Petrograd, the city made to the
order of Peter the Great to serve as
Russia's political capital, is the ad-
ministrative center of the mightiest of
the worlds land empires. II is now,
probably at higher tension than any
other city on earth, performing, as
ever. the work necessary to the admin
istration of church and state over vast
distances, from the Gulf of Finland to
the Black sea and the far Pacific and
besides, taking care of a great war
business, which includes planning for
the defense of more than 10000 miles
of frontier. This 10000 miles of front
ier, of course, does not take into &C
count the vaguely known northern
boundary of the empire.
"Petrograd has always been a high
tension city. 1t was constructed upon
islands and swamp at the behest of
high-tension ruler; built with wide,
straight streets upon a perfectly fiat
country, with no softening natural
beauty except that of its dividing
Neva, a river that has often been COM
pared to the English Thames. Even
the architecture of the city is repres-
sive, almost wholly of sternly chaste
classic Roman and Greek. And in
this city, the primary business has
been that of caring for vast empire,
embracing its far-reaching sweep
many peoples. numerous religions, di-
verse traditions. a confusion of
The responsibilities of government
have held the city's life as tense as
when its founder, with 10000 work
men, drained the Neva swamps and
builded over night his capital hard up
on the lands of the Finnis.
THE bureaucracy which governs
Russia in the names of the czars, or
dering everything in the peoples lives,
even in the fartherest governments,
does all of its thinking in Petrograd.
From this city, also, the Russian
church is administered. Moscow, the
ancient capital. is more important
economically than Petrograd. More
over, Moscow has, at least, equal
claims as an artistic and intellectual
center. And furthermore. Moscow is
the center of Russian life and tradi-
ton. But, as the symbol of the might
Of Russia. as the city where the en-
pire's destiny is thought out and di-
rected, as the home of the cZars and
of Russian society, Pet |
rograd is easily the first city of the |
empire.
"Petrograd is the greatest import |
ing center of the empire. A great part |
Of the products of Europe which find !
their way to the bleak northern plain /
are entered at the mouth of the Neva, |
and this despite the fact that the port !
Is ice-bound five months of the year
Il has, too, some industry. though it's
region is not rich in any
Of the raw materials of industry. Some
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
The Daily Story
Why She Wrote a Novel-By f. A. Mitchell.
Copyrighted. 1919. ASSOCIATED Literary rureau.

| with her device, but With a ma, ..
such unblushing assurance.
But how" she asked. "bsv.
found me ont after all these yearsYs
I'm very singular way. NV fr,.
Tom Mortimer wrote novel naroi1a
one Of his characters for me. Wha, !,
asked him how he learned certain p.
lures concerning me, the original NJ ~.
character, he said that they had bsen
given him by an old friend of min
Winnie Wells"
This came very near being too
for the authoress. but she represvo,s
her mirth.
How long have you known Tomr
she asked
TON? Why. have known h,,
ever since we were little toddlerv o.
gether, our homes having adiotned
each other"
did he say gave you any point.
as to your characterT"
Mr.. Wheatleigh, though a .csmn
was. so far as his own merits uera
concerned. a modest one. He said thar
Tom had endowed him with traits he
did not possess. Nevertheless be knew
that Miss Wells had spoken yerv bIoh.
Iy of him. He was bent on KNOWN,
who she was and what had been ,bts
child connection between them: but
although he beat the bush incessaptlv
he uncovered nothing. At last Miss
Wells gave him all the information be
wished and more, too. had he known
It was manufactured.
"You have evidently forgotten wbar
passed between US the night you weur
away" she said, revealing what il was
by dropping her eyes to the floor.
Forgotten IT. l shall never forget
it. What / said then repeat now.
am as unchanged as the rocks"
''Then why did you never writer
"Why didn't 1 write? Why, for the
best of reasons. l broke my right arm
three days after we parted"
Miss Wells burst into a laugh thar
made the house ring. When IL subsid-
ed she told Mr.. Wheatleigh the whole
story. He was as much delighted with
it as she was with the success Of her
trick.
well" be said when it was all out.
'-for once in my life I'm a hero-ths
hero of a story. What 1 said when
last we met repeat now. l said then
that you were the girl for me. and
say it now. III have no other.
swear it."
Miss Wells laughed again. taking the
declaration as matter of gallantry.
And so 1t was at the time INTENDED.
But the acquaintance having been thus
formed was continued. Mr..
Wheatleigh insisted on the authoress
making him the hero Of novel. She
declined TO do this, but the matter was
finally compromised by his making her
his wife He now accuses her Of hav-
ing written a novel for no other pur.
pose than to secure a husband.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

Miss winifred Wells, who had writ
ten a novel under the name of Thomas
Erskfne Mortimer, received letter
one morning which read as follows:
Thomas Erskine Mortimer. ESQ:
Dear Sir-I write to ask you where you
got the name OF your hero. Edgar wheat
leigh? My name is Edgar Wheateish,
and I am curious to know how you nap
pened to hit upon It for your clearly
drawn character. / am very truly yours
EDGAR WHEATLEIGH
Now, Miss Wells. young lady Of
twenty-one summers, had taken the
name from the city directory. and 1t
occurred to her that It belonged to her
correspondent. She was about to re-
ply that she had done so when an idea
popped into ber head whereby she
might have some fun. She wrote MI.
wheatleigh, signing herself Mortimer.
that she had heard a friend speak OF
a Mr.. Wbeatleigh In high terms and
had been given the salient points In
his character, which she had embodied
in her hero. This person of her novel
was undoubtedly another than her
questfoner.
wheatleigh giving a few points as to
his antecedents with a view to discov-
ering whether or not he was the hero
Of the novel. Miss Wells, affecting to
be much surprised at the points he
less identical with the man who had
been described to her. In this letter
also she wrote under the guise of her
nom de plume.
Mr. Wheatleigh wrote again, asking
for the name Of the friend who had
described him. The reply was that the
writer was doubtful whether he should
give the name. However. since his in
former might not be the original OBJ
server be would strain point and do
so. The outline from which the char
acter had been drawn was a Miss
Winifred Wells. To this she added her
address.
The next scene in this diminutive
comedy was a call from Mr. Wheat
leigh. Miss Wells came down with his
card in her hand looking very much
pleased.
Its a long while since we have
met" she remarked. You have grown |
from boy to man since saw you last |
should not have known you"
Mr.. Wheatleigh In the novel was a |
copy of a grand gentleman character !
in one of Ouida's novels. He would |
not be so ungallant as to admit that he |
did not remember this friend of his |
childhood.
81 would know you," he said, had l
not had the slightest knowledge of
your identity. The only reason 1 might
not have recognized you is that from a
rather pretty child you have grown to
be a superb woman"
Miss Wells was not only delighted
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
BAD TEETH CAUSE OF CAN
GER.

: Constant irritation Of any part Of
the body is now well recognized as
an important contributOry cause Of
cancer. One Of the forms of irritation
which has been repeatedly observed
TO result in this disease IS the constant
friction OF the sharp edges Of bad
teeth or OF imperfect plates against
the sides OF the tongue. To be sure,
sores on the tongue caused in this
way do not always become cancer.
Neither are wounds from toy pistols
always followed by Iock-jaw. But
there is danger in both cases. and IL
is as easy 70 avoid II in the one as in
the other. A bad tooth should never
be tolerated Ia any event, and the
danger OF cancer is only one more
good reason for having - attended 10.
Cancer Of the tongue may occur al
any age, but Il is most common be-
tween 40 and 90. Statistics show very
few cases under 30. The majority OF
these cases occurred IN females. while
IN later years males were found 20
be more frequently attacked. Cancer
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
[EALTHTAL1
l6y
William Brady.M
Hip! Hip!

This one is for ladies only, though
we have no objections to the men read
ing it too.
At the outset the hip reducing prob
lem may be reduced to simple COM
mon sense: Stop wearing corsets.
That being absolutely foolish ad-
vice to give any foolish woman, the
next best part of the "a hours at least.
corsets part of the "a hours at least.
Most women can compromise to this
extent, and every hour a woman goes
without corsets is just so much gain.
If women never wore corsets they
would have no need of hip reducing
measures.
How corsets Make Large Hips.
It stands to reason that laziness
predisposes to the accumulation of
fat. A lazy person is characteristic
ally fat and ungainly. This applies in
a general way and in a local way. BY
splinting the abdominal and hip mus
cles permanently-takin away their
natural work-the corset makes these
muscles lazy, and layers OF fat are de-
posted upon them. The so-called hip
reducing" contraptions fitted on cor
sets are huge joke upon the poor
deluded woman who adopts them
that is. if she really would like to re-
duce her hips.
Physical Culture Essential.
Lay aside the corset and all other
restricting garments. Stand erect,
throw out your chest, pull in your
chin, draw up your abdomen, toe
in, spread your arms straight out on
either side, bend as far over toward
the right as possible, straighten up
again, then bend far to the left. Re
peat a dozen times each way.
Stand again at attention, take slow.
deep breaths, chest out, chin in.
toes together; hold your breath, with
your chest chock full of any atmos-
phere there may be handy, for Is or
20 seconds, then let the breath out.
forcing II out till the chest Is as empty
as possible, and bend forward, with
knees stiff. trying to touch the floor
with your fingers. Repeat this stunt
a dozen times.
Finally. lie fiat on the back and
raise both legs to vertical position, |
slowly. without raising the head. then
let them slowly down again. Once
Is enough TO do this the first day. |
II not too sore you can repeat il
oftener as you grow accustomed to the |
exercise, day by day.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
A COMMUNITY NURSE.

Is there a service that anyone can
give 20 the people that would be more
beneficial or appreciated than the
services of d nurse? The tuberculosis
organizations Of Illinois have said that
one of the great things TO accomplish
for this state is TO have a nurse in
every community Of the state. Such
a thing is made possible through the
Red Cross Christmas seal OF the Ma
tional Red Cross society, the money
derived from the sale OF which being
used in the anti-tuberculosis work.
Illinois with fits population OF over
5000. 900 people ought to use not less
than 5000. 900 seals this year.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
Erin 90 PrositI


CB. L. T. in Chicago Tribune.)
(What we may look for in the Chi
cago city directory when the Germans
and the Irish get control of the earth.
Siegfried OBrien, 412 Crown Prince
avenue.
Terence Schwartzmann, 615 Shan.
non place.
Fritz O'Hara. 2614 w. Wiener street
Gustav Dooley, AZ Hamburg court.
Patrick Aloysius Pumpernickel, 23S
| w. Cork street.
Adolph Mulligan, S427 E Wilhelm
| street
Michael Donnerwetter, 470 Killarney
read.
Hans O'Malley Lichtenstein, 6S w.
Goethe street
Heinrich O'Sullivan, 40 E. Schiller
street.
Levy Quinn, 162 Unter den Linden.
Dennis Oppenheimer, 80 Limerick
place.
James ODumdum Burgstaller, %
Tipperary terrace.
BERTHA Krupp's husband has
contributed another $250,OOO TO the
German war fund. War. it might be
added, helps his business.
WHEN man gets love sick at 20
what he needs is nurse instead of a
chicken. especially if he is worth
million or so.
YOU never heard of a heavy contri-
butor to campaign fund complaining
that his donation has not received due
publicity. There is usually a reason.
WAR may be all that Sherman said
it was, but then it is not wholly with
out its compensations. For instance,
1t has caused suspension of tie liter
airy labors of E. Glynn, ct al
WE never could quite understand
why woman lugs around a heavy
muff to keep her hands from freezing
while about eight inches of her neck
is exposed, unless IL be that the neck
is getting tougher than the wing.
SHICKELLEMY. Pa. is the loca-
tion of new home for inebriates.
When sufferer sent there can pro-
nounce the name of the town correct
ly he is declared cured.
WOULD II be proper to say that a
railroad that failed because OF too
much stock watering had become un.
navigable7
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

Erect. Hands on hips. Benz
knees until you sit on your heels
but don't sit there long, come right
up again, down again, ct cetera, ter
to forty times, then do it all over to
morrow.
Questions and Answers.
Miss NJ. writes: Please say whether
chronic case of running ear is cur
able, and whether it is catarrh of the
head.
Reply
1t is durable if you don't postpone
treatment too long. and it is a contin-
ual menace to your life until it is
cured. No, it isn't catarrh of the head.
although ii may have resulted from
simple nasal catarrh.
Mrs. NJ. D. II. asks: Does chewing
gum aid digestion? Please explain the
cause of large white spots on the fin
gernails.
Reply
Chewing gum aids the digestion no
more than watching the movies. Such
spots appear upon the nails about six
weeks after any severe illness. acci-
dent or fright. Have we guessed right :?
Adrian asks. Will you kindly tell
me what vegetables contain iron?
Reply.
Pretty nearly all fruits, cereals and
vegetables contain iron. The amount
present in different foods is inconsider
able.
F. NJ. writes: 1. Give the symptoms
or hardening of the arteries. 2 How
can this be cured? 3. What is dry
pleurisy and how long does it last? 4.
What causes hardening of the ear
drums. 8. Would a high altitude help
il?
Reply.
1. The chief symptoms are those of
circulatory failure. heart trouble. kid
ney trouble, kidney disease. headach
shortness OF breath. and many others
but don't diagnose your own disease,
leave that to your doctor. .. 1t can't
All you can do is stay its progress 3.
Inflammation of the pleural covering
of lung and lining OF chest without
the accumulation of watery fluid; IL
lasts from a few days to many months
in chronic cases. 4. This is beyond
us-maybe an ear specialist could an
swer question and 8.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

100000 OF Its men ana women are EN-
ployed in manufacture. in the machine
and iron works, in the ship yards, In
the cloth factories, shoe factories, ant
cigarette factories, that stand on the
outskirts of the city, around the Fin
land station.
There is a certain stern beauty II
the capital. The broad, arrow-like
Nevsky Prospect is fully as interesting
as any of the worlds famous thorough
fares. 1t is a business street, some
threeemiles long, lined with shops oi
average appearance. churches repre-
senting Greek, Protestant and Catho
lie religion, bank buildings, the public
library, the Imperial theatre, gar
! den, and some dark red palaces. The
remarkably diversified life Of the re-
markable empire flows in a never
ending stream along this avenue Up
on it may be seen the military; mem
bers of the capitals student corps of
ten thousand or more, from every gov
eminent, the Finn, Lap, Little Russian,
Tartar, Lithuanian, Pole and so on;
the government clerk, and members of
Russia's highest nobility.
Calais, which has recently had a
worldwide military prominence
thrust upon it, has been passed, almost
unsupported, by thousands of tourists,
who have given It mere chance consid-
Grafton as a necessary part of the
transition from London to Paris. There
is no amusement to speak of in Calais;
there are few imposing buildings, and
only occasional, unheralded relics OF
the achievement, effect and romance
of the past. But Calais is an import
ant port, a tourists threshold, a drab
and earnest Industrial city, continental
Europe's nearest harbor to England, a
vital key in naval channel maneu-
vers, the seat of an American consul
late which in normal times watches
over a huge French-American bust
ness, and one of the four greatest ma
chine-made lace cities of the world. 1t
is as a center of manufactured laces
widely noted.
calais is a lace town. Almost
everything about it has some bearing
upon the filmy. delicate webbing which
it makes and distributes over the
world. Should tourist miss his Paris
express-a thing, by the way, which
is most improbable, for the Calais
Paris connections are eXcellent-and
find himself forced to spend some
hours in the city. the first thing he re-
marks is that there seems to be a
dozen or more women to every man
upon the streets. While, of course,
the relative disproporton is nowhere
near so great, still girls and women do
largely outnumber the men, as the lace
industry-is continually drawing them
from the surrounding country to its
factories. Wages in this industry are
very low, and many of its operations
can be performed as we'll by young
girls as by. men.
The loiterer next notices lace signs
everywhere, upon commission houses
and factories. Generally, these signs
appear in three languages, French,
German and English. In spring and
autumn, he will meet a continual
stream of his countrymen, buyers for
the big importing houses.
"Of his own free will, however, the |
traveller seldom stays. He is always |
to leave Calais for most any
Continued on Page Ten.)
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
Reason for Split Skirt

Carlyle, ILL.,, Constitution: County
Clerk Oscar Heinrich of Peoria is a
philosopher. He has discovered a rea-
son for the split skirt. The election
law, in describing the voting booths,
states that curtains must be suffici-
emily high from the floor that the
limbs of the voters be visible while
marking the ballot. They must be
plainly visible. The law says so and
how under the shining sun is this
possible unless split skirts are worn?
The ladies could not mark their bal
lots and hold up their skirts for the
edification of the clerks and assem-
bled electorate at the same time,
consequently the split skirt There is
likely to be a stampede for election
judges and clerks appointed when the
next election comes. If the judges
don't see the limbs under the voting
booth curtains how on earth are they
to know that the vote is legal? 1t is
question of law. Hence the split skirt
follows female suffrage.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

While We are trying TO quiet the
protests Of the Jap over the land laws
Of California along comes Arizona and
involves us in complications from an
other quarter with a law making citi-
zenship obligatory as a condition of
employment within the state II In
Gle Sam would compel individual
members OF his family ct states TO get
themselves out of trouble which they
cause there would be less of this sort
thing.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
Dec. z in American
History.

l7S7-DelawRre adopted the Feeders
constitution. being the first stare y
act.
ISoS-Hugh McCulloch. statesman Sc
retary OF treasury under Lihev'n, 90
second term, born In Maine' ui'N
1895.
lOOI-J. II. Stoddard. called the uean
of the American stage" died; poiA
1926.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
BY THE J. w. POTTER co.

TERMS-Ten cents per week. by car
rier. in Rock Island: IS per year by mail
in advance.
Complaints OF delivery service should
be made TO the circulation department.
which should also be notified in every
instance where It IS desired TO have
paper discontinued. az carriers have no
authority in the premises
All communications OF argumentative
character. political or religious. must
have real name attached forN publica-
ton. No such articles viii be printed
over fictitious signatures.
Telephones in ali departments. Cen
trsl Union. Rock Island 145. 1145 and
2l45.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

Tickets 10 Mexico City may be
bought once more from agents OF the
Rock Island road. However, the de-
mand for them has not been heavy
enough as yet TO warrant the use of
special trains.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

Doubtless some lawyer sees a fat
fee in the suit OF Katherine Clemons
Gould to recover the value OF 100000
worth of gems left with a French jew
eler eight years ago. Otherwise it is
difficult to conceive of any reason for
the starting OF an action at this par
ticular time
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

The new war tax regulations max
ing II necessary to buy and affix a
stamp on a bottle OF wine before open
ing It may tend TO promote temper
ance-and again IL may not.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

One out OF every four members OF the
French parliament is now in the army.
Imagine, II you can, an emergency
which would impeI one-fourth of the
members Of the congress of the Unit
ed States to personally take up arms.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

ONE of our well-known citizens
played draw until IL Saturday night.
He reached home just half hour in
advance of the milk man. Those of
our readers who have ever sat in"
will understand this. To the others it
makes no never minds.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

II will be noted that Irwin 5. Cobb
got safely back into the United States
before he printed that interview with
Lord Kitchener which the latter has
taken exception 10.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07
Korea Ends Opium Monopoly.

Seoul. Korea, Dec. THE govern
ment has suppressed the opium mon
opoly and put a ban on the smoking
Of opium. These steps were advocat-
ed by American missionaries.
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

AMONG those present at the moose
conference at Chicago were Mrs. and
Mr.. Clifford Pinchot
Rock Island Argus., 1914-12-07

Lillian Russell's third husband is
now dead and gone, but Lillian still
lives and blooms.