davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16

One of the oldest annual contests
In the world, a mud and water fight,
during which the women of far-off
and little known Bhutan, in the heart
of the Himalayas, seek to prevent the
men from taking possession of an in
undated rice field, is described by
John Claude White, late political Of
ficer in charge of Sikhim, Bhutan,
and parts of Tibet within the sphere
of British influence. in a communica-
ton to the National Geographic So
eiety at Washington, says the Kan
sas City Star. The event is known
as the spring ceremony of blessing
the rice fields. Victory for the wom-
en- portends, during the coming sea-
son, fertility of the soil and increase
among the fiocks and herds.
EARLY one morning the sound OF a
sweet-toned gong warned us that the
spring ceremony of blessing the rice
fields was about to begin" writes Mr..
White. "a long and picturesque pro-
cession of men and women. led by
the 'donyer.' came vending down the
hillside until the first rice field, into
which water had been running all the
day before was reached.
1.-THE field below was still dry. and.
turning in there. they all sat down
and had some refreshments. Sud
denly the men sprang up. throwing
off their outer garments This was
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16

By MARI
The women who celebrate their
birthday on May Is surely ought to
shine in .the/fleld of education and
intellectual attafnments. That is, If
the examples of two famous women
who were born on May 16 have any
influence on the other women born
Oh that day of the year. These two
women were Maria Agnesi, one of
the most intellectual women of Italy,
and Elizabeth Peabody, the sister
in-law of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who
did more than anyone else to intro
duce kindergarten into this country,
and who was one of the staunchest
advocates of higher education for
women of her time.
Maria Agnesi was born in 1718 at
Milan, Italy and at the tender age
of five she spoke French quite as
fiuently as she did her native Ital-
ian. When she was nine yearse old
she wrote a thesis on the general
proposition that the study of liber-
al arts is not incompatible with the
understanding of women" By the
time this remarkable young woman
had reached the age of eleven she
could speak and write perfectly Ital-
ian, Spanish, French, German, Latin,
Greek and Hebrew.
Maria Agnesi was the daughter of
one of the professors of mathematics
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16

before the rude shock Of war. That
is what the present situation means
war. The great mass Of the Amer
lean people have war in their hearts,
and their hands clutch eagerly for
guns, that they may kill some OF
their fellow-creatures.
But there Is a saving remnant.
Actual war has not yet been declared.
It is possible that it may not be.
What can those who yet see do to
open the eyes of those who are blind
by passion? President Wilson stands
for peace, and for the justice that
can come only through peace. He
may have made mistakes in his
treatment Of the Mexican problem,
and his policies may not have been
the best, but there can be no question
that he has kept ever in mind the
fact that Mexicans are our brother
men. and that we can do more for
each other as friends than we can
as enemies. Nor is there any doubt
that he still holds to this high ideal
But he has Ventured upon a policy
fraught with the gravest dangers
{ Powerful interests are more eager
| than ever to force his hand; and &
| war-mad people, backed by an echo
| ing press, clamors to enter tho
| shambles. 1t is the duty of ever
! man and woman who has at heart
not alone the immediate victims o.
war, but those infinitely larger mum
bers who suffer in after days from
| the blight of war, to throw ever!
ounce of weight into the scales 10
| peace.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
SATURDAY EVENING. MAY 1s. 1914
TAKE A PEEP AT JERSEY CITY.

What sad commentary the non-partisan IN
oorruptible and allaround blessedness features OF
commission government rule is that brought to lgn'
in Jersey City, in the mad struggle to select sue
eessor to the late James j. Ferris
1t is charged in the press and by public speakers
that contributions as high $4,000 are demanded
of individuals for the privilege of being allowed 10
RIM for the office with Endorsement by this faction or
that faction as a return for the money handed up
Political parties getting together for the e&-
press purpose of selecting candidates and placing the
partisan stamp of approval on such candidates
The ones so favored, however, must step up to the
captains Office and settle in large sums for faVors
conferred
How about it? The Walsh act was going to purify
things generally the Geran act and the corrupt prac
,ise act were to go even further in the purgng line
Now where are they at? Compared to develop
ents in the new order of things the old style WASH
so bad after ALL For rank "rottenness the new ana
improved method of politics has everything that pre-
coded ii beaten to whisper.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16

Where Carranza got financial sinews of war nobody
knows.
But as in the war of the American Revolution the
cause was everything. The world will perhaps never
realize the devotion and sacrifices of the who
left their humble homes follow the banner of Villa
and who have shown their devotion many battle
fields.
But through all the great heart of the American
people has beaten in sympathy with the long down
trodden and now uprsen Mexican masses, and there
will be sympathetic rejoicing In the United States
when the cause SO splendidly fought for shall be
triumphant,
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
OPINIONS AND VIEWS FROM THE EXCHANGES

ent high cost of living. Ferrero, how
ever, has had us go the way of the
Roman Empire so often that we are
less appalled, this time than usual
stu his conclusion is interesting.
The root of the evil of the high cost
of living, he says, is in excessive ur-
tanization. 1.-The countryside" he
writes, has in the last half century,
been left too much 10 itself, and agri-
culture has been too much neglected,
exactly as began to be the case in the
Roman Empire at the beginning of
the second century Of the Christian
era 1t is easy to guess what must
be the natural result of this lopsided
arrangement" Possibly Professor
| Ferrero is fearful that we shall not
guess correctly, for he proceeds to
tell US. Industries, he explains, in
crease in numbers, cities grow bigger
and the needs of the masses are aug
mented. On the other hand, there is
no proportionate increase in the pro-
| ductiveness of the soil.
| Under such circumstances, there ie
! rise in the price of the products OF
the land and an accompanying pro-
, test against the high cost of living
| This Is a simple explanation and
saves considerable brain fatigue in
calculating tariff results and a waste
of energy in railing against trusts
All we need to do Is to stop growing
or, grow on and suffer the fate of the
Roman Empire. There are the cheer
less alternatives. But, lucid as is th'
historians reasoning, it is barely pos
sible that he neglected to give weigh
| to the fact that the world has ac
cumulated both enlightenment ant
experience since the beginning of tn
second century of the Christian era
If we have not lived entirely in vaii
in the intervening time, perhaps Wa
can yet save ourselves. And PROBES
sor Ferrero might assist to som'
slight degree, If for variety's sake, h.
would overturn the historians prece
dent, and discover some optimisti
chapter to give US renewed hope ant
increased courage. What a refresh
ing novelty 1t would be to have 1
| happy parallel drawn occasionally
! from history's pages.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
PAY FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD.

The National Guard of the country is practi-
cay the service of the government and resting on
it's arms They have been ordered to be ready for
call and the call may come at any hour Theirs
not to ask the why
II matters nothing whether these troops shall do
their waiting in armories in mobilization camps,
They are enlisted for the and part of the
national armies Why then should they not receive
from the government the pay of the soldier?
In no former emergency the National Guard
prepared as now and waiting fully equipped and
armed for the call of the President. They were then
not soldiers In the view of the government, but
merely citizens ready do military duty. Now they
are virtually part of the organized military forces of
the nation held IN leash and liable for active duty at
any moment Why should not the guardsman get a
soldiers pay for the time he stands ready in his
armory to obey call?
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
Noted Women Whose Birthday Is Yours
MAY is -
Maria Agnes, Elizabeth Peabody
,nesi, Elizabeth Peabody
Copyrighted 1914.

MARSHALL.
of the University of Bologna, and q J
story goes that once when IL
father was forced to be absent freq
the classroom, Maria took his pla
and thereby proved to the authorit
that she was perfectly capable of aG
ing as a professor of the university,
spite of her sex. AS a matter of fac
when she was thirty-two years of as
she was made honorary professor
mathematics at the University Of Be-
logna, which would be very remark
able honor even In these days oI
higher education for women. But
apparently. Maria Agnesi convinced
herself of the futility of all her learn
ing and many honors, for soon after
her appointment as professor of
mathematics at Bologna she took the
veil as blue nun and passed the rest
of her days within the confines Of an
Italian convent.
Elizabeth Peabody was a prominent
woman in the educational world OF
Boston seventy-fiVe years ago. She Is
probably most interesting because OF
her two famous brothers. law, Ma
thaniel Hawthorne, the great novel;
list. and Horace Mann, the great edu-
Gator. 1t has been said of Elizabeth
Peabody that to her kindergarten
was not a craft, but a religion, not ar
avocation, but a vocation from on
high"
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
UPLIFT TALKS
ruE cAApM OF A pleasant NIcE
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARpENi
Author Of Pushing to the 'FRONT.' e.
Cartwright 1914.

lively easy to davelop in young
child sweet, attractive, winning
voice.
/ know brilliat young girls just
out of college Whose voices are SO
coarse, masculine and discordant
that one can SCARCELY endure to go
near them. They create a very uTi-
favorable impression, counteracting
much of the good sffect which their
superior education lught to give. One
girl I know loet tie opportunity of
winning an exceptionally fine hus-
band because her larsh. high-keyed
talk so grated upor. his sensibilities
that he said he nev@ could live with
such a voice, although she came from
a very good family was a college
graduate and was Unusually clever
and pretty.
How often we hear women's voices
at some social gathering pitched SO
high that they rasp terribly upon
our nerves and so offend our sensi-
bilities that we are obliged to get
out of their reach. But sweet, at
traetive voice Is a wonderful aid to
popularity and to social success. 1
know a lady who has made herself
immensely popular because of tho
marvellous quality of her voice. She
charms every OIle WHO uSdlb HeE
speak The meditation is so won
derful, the enunciation so limpid and
clear that she is the centre of at
traction wherever she goes. 1t is q
real treat to listen to her because
she filings out the words clean cut.
LIQUID and musical, as though they
emanated from some divine instru-
ment.
There is no one thing which Is SO
Indicative of good breeding. refine-
ment, culture, as sweet, richly
modulated, cultivated voice. A pure,
low-keyed, well-trained utterance
which breathes of culture and re-
fnement, the voice which rises and
falls in sweet. captivating cadences,
is a divine possession which most
persons can cultivate, and to women
especially, this will be an accom-
plishment and a power above beauty
| itself.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
MIR. BRYaS,s VISION OF PEACE.

Mr.. Bryan is figuring again IN his tamlfar roe Oh
peregrinating platform speaker One night TINS
week he was speechifying at Wilkesbarre, and last
night he was in Brooklyn showing the dove OF peace
90 the Brooklyn League
Mr. Bryan told the league that under the pres
ent administration progress is being made IN
the direction of universal peace than has oeen maze
in any similar period before This was news and II
shore was doubtful silence surely there none
present to question the statement in the pres
ence of existing facts
If the speaker modestly omitted to say that the
progress made due to Mr.. Bryans craftsmanship
none the less Mr. Bryan given credit for all the
evidences peace which the Mexican war dispatches
disclose.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
up in a dark room with a

shut me up in dark room with a
mixed multitude, and 1 can pick out
the gentlefolk by their voices
Thomas Wentworth Higginson once
said.
It does not seem possible that there
could be such a tremendous difference
between the qualities which two voices
convey to u.s. However handsome the
speaker, a. coarse, harsh, strldent
voice will often indicate coarse, lg-
noFant, vulgar personality. On the
other hand, | know a lady whose fea-
lures are plain almost to the point OF
ugliness, but whose voice is divine.
The charm of it is irresistible and in
dictates a highly cultivated mind ana
delightful personality.
Sometimes the voice bellies the
speaker. This was the report Of a
teachers committee on rejecting an
applicant: THE committee could not
stand her voice"
The young woman was of estimable
character and was splendidly endowed
mentally, but her high pitched, rasp-
ing voice was her stumbling block,
and she went away disappointed and
ignorant of what influenced the de-
cision against her.
l know a most estimable lady in
New York who is a fine scholar,
broadly cultured, a woman with a
great, kindly heart, who is always do
ing something for somebody, always
helping somewhere, and yet her voice
so completely eXhausts her friends,
people even who think great deal of
her, that they very seldom invite her
! to their homes. They simply cannot
/ endure the rasping and filing of her
| loud, coarse, strident voice, which
seems to penetrate the very marrow
| of ones bones. OF course, she is
| totally unconscious that this wretched
voice is to blame for her being a lone
! ly and neglected figure, when her
other magnificent traits. but for this
one, would have made her wonder
| fully attractive woman.
| What a shame to allow children to
grow up with loud, coarse, rasping
| nasal, strident, repellent voices
which will prejudice people against
them all their lives! 1t is compare
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16

The Sea Dyak, that strange race
found in the Island of Borneo, has no
idea of clear thinking; logic finds no
place in his brain, and the most con-
Trajectory opinions seem to dwell to-
gether in perfect harmony in the tur-
bid stream of his mind, says the Star
Company Magazine.
The liver, strange to relate, is re-
garded by the Dyak as the seat OF
various praseworthy qualities and
emotions. Bravery is considered the
highest of virtues, and when they
W .sh to describe the great courage of
| a man they say he has a brave
| liver" Intelligence also resides in the
| liver, and a man of knowledge is one
| possessing an enlightened liver.
| Kindness is the quality of the man
who has a large liver" and perse-
verance that of one who has hard
liver" A weak, undecided man is
| spoken of as one who has a sort
| liver
The Dyak is truthful and honest,
and these qualities are rather neutral
| in Eastern races Families are often
away from their homes for weeks at
time living in little huts on their
farms, and though no one is left in
charge of their homes in the long viii
lage house in the jungle, things are
seldom lost.
After an experience of nearly
twenty years in Borneo writer
states that he knew of only two in
stances of theft. One was the theft
of rice. The woman who lost the rice
most solemnly and publicly cursed the
thief, whoever 1t might be. The next
night the rice was left at her door.
The other was theft of money. In
this case, too, the thief was cursed.
The greater part of the money was
afterward returned to the box from
which IL had been distracted. Both
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
THE CAUSE THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR.

The progress of the Constitutionaist armies
since the first uprising in Northern Mexico has been
an almost uninterrupted series of victories until now
when all of Northern Mexico and the important sea-
port of Tampico are in their hands.
With the taking of Saltillo and two or three
other smaller Huerta strongholds Villa will have
the wav cleared for his march on Mexico City, and in
his march he will continually draw strength from the
forces of Huerta.
It is now evident enough that our government,
and most of the American newspapers, took an alb
surdy wrong view of the Importance of the Constitu-
tionast cause. The men engaged in it have been
termed rebels" and Villa has been stgmatized as a
bandit although he has proved himself the most
capable as we'll as the most vigorous soldier Mexico
has ever produced.
Remember that this man has had scant resources
and he had to his armies. Most of his artillery
end munitions captured from the Federals and
the rest had to be struggled over the Mexican border
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
COURSE MONUMENT" TO LIARS

these incidents show the great dread
which the Dyaks have of curse.
Even an undeserved curse Is consd-
cred a terrible thing, and, according
to Dyak law, to curse a person for
no reason at all is Enable offense.
AS regards their truthfulness, it is
said of the Dyaks that SO disgraceful
do they consider the deceiving OF
others by an untruth that such con-
duct Is handed down to posterity by
a curious custom. They heap up a
pile of branches of trees in memory
of the man who has uttered great
lie, so that future generations may
know of his wickedness and take
warning from it. The persons de-
ceived start the tugong bula-"the
liars monument'-by heaping UP a
large number of branches in some
conspicuous spot by the side of the
path leading from one village to an-
other. Every passerby contributes to
1t, and at the same time curses the
man in memory of whom 1t is.
The Dyaks consider the adding to
any tugong bula they may pass a
sacred duty, the omission of which
will meet with supernatural pun.shs
ment, and so, however pressed for
time a Dyak man be, he stops to
throw on the pile some branch or
twig. Believing, as the Dyaks do, in
the efficacy of curses, 1t is easy to uns
derstand how a Dyak would dread the
accumulation of curses that would
necessarily accompany the formation
of tugong ibula.
From an Eastern point of view, the
morals of the Dyaks are good. DE-
vorce is very uncommon after the
birth of a child, but where there are
nh Ia
compatibility of temper or idlenesss
divorce lie obtainable by either huss
band or wife on payment Of a small
fine.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
HUSBANDS NOT BLAMELESS

for her support and the support of the
children he has unfortunately fathered
or he should quit complaining about
the children's fool mother. 1t is q
much smaller sin against society and
against God for a man to leave a fool
woman, than to live with her and
bring fool children into the world.
The divorce evil is a real evil. But
il is not such an evil as the marriage
evil This world will be happier when
people have to think a long time be-
fore marrying. 1t is not that divorces
are too easy to get; it is that mar
riages are too easily made.
But even this does not Justify a
man who goes on fathering children
in a family where he knows the
mother is not his mental or moral
equal A fool woman is an abomina-
ton; but the father of her children
is worse than she.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
ODDITIES IN
TODAY'S NEWS

Fences Bulldogs and Snakes Fall to HIATT
Women Census Takers.
CHICAGO, May Is. - Jumping
fences, sidestepping bulldogs, cows
and snakes, breaking marathon rec
ords and jumping on moving trains
are a few of the things women in
Chicago are doing. Incidentally, they
are the women who are taking a CEN
sus of Chicago for school purposes.
Miss Catherine Thomas, eighteen
years old, is the most rapid enumer-
ator of them all, according to Super
intendent Stephen A. Ball. Miss
Thomas takes fences at leap II IT is
quicker than going through the gate.
Miss Crystal Hixon's agility aided
her in escaping from a watersnake
which she encountered when crossing
a swamp. Sometimes Miss H!xon
dances the tango, and it was easy Tor
her to escape the snake.
Mrs. Norah Hardy was attacked by
fighting Brahma rooster. She es-
caped a terrible fate by climbing q
lamp post,
Mrs Lillian Boxes jumps on NOV
ing trains and saves time getting
through her district.
Mrs. Nellis Mcmahon found a long
lost college friend while taking the
census,
Operation on Boy Shows He Had TIVE
Appendices.
NEW YORK, May 16.-Dr. Harry
M. Biffar, of 22O Fourteenth street
College Point, Long Island, per-
formed an operation yesterday In
which two appendices were removed
from Thomas Smart. thirteen years
old, son of T. f. Smart, proprietor OF
a hotel at First street and Third ave
nue., College Point.
This is the first case Of the kint
that has ever come to my attention.
said DR.. Biffar last night. ut is no
rare among lower animals. however.
The appendix in the normal position
was in a gangrenous condition. An
other appendix branched off and wa
| enclosed in a blind pouch about fou
inches in length. The operation wa
| performed in ,St. Mary's Hospital
Jamaica, where 1t was said last nigh
that the boy is expected to recover.
Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-16
The Oil at Tampico.

From olldom.
For unnumbered ages pool OF oil
had existed in Rio Soto la Marina,
about twenty miles west Of the Gulf
of Mexico. In numerous areas from
this point down the coast almost as
far as Yucatan oil mad oeen
seeping through the ground The
Aztecs used the bitumen and asphalt
mingled with their petroleum as a
cement in building their temples and
in calking their canoes. They burned
petroleum in the vestal fires they con-
stantly maintained before their affairs.
Their Spanish successors, however,
found no practical use for 1t. AS
result such kerosene as was used
was imported from the United States.
About thirteen years ago an enter
prising gentleman from Los Angeles,
%. L. Doheny, visited the Mexican oil
fields. The Mexican Oil Company made
IN largely of Los Angeles men, was
the result. 1t leased land and OBJ
tanned subsoil rights from Mexican
farmers, and soon was making
money. The oil at first was not OF
an especially high quality, but was
useful for fuel, especially Tor rail-
roads. Higher grades soon made
their appearance. The market was
right there in Mexico, and the pro-
duction increased.
II seemed the whole coast in the
1'ampico region was fairly reeking
with oil, and from surface indications
the supply was fairly inexhaustible
a supposition that has been fairly
well substantiated, since Mexico is
the third largest producer in the
world.