davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
TAUGHT BY THE SWALLOWS.
How a Railway Tunnel Was Built
Through a Sand Bank.

A colony of bank swallows taught a
young but observing engineer how to
build a tunnel that his more learned
superiors had refused TO undertake.
North of Burlington. VT, lies a
broad sand plain high above the level
of Lake Champlain. through which the
Central railroad was to be carried by
a tunnel. The sand, destitute of moist
ure would not cohere, but crumbled
away as soon as an excavation was
made After several costly trials the
engineers decided that the tunnel was
impracticable.
A young man in the engineers office
said he could tunnel the sand bank at
a small cost. He said he could build
the tunnel for so many dollars run
ming foot, but that he couldn't expect
the railway people to act upon his
opinion when so many American and
European engineers had declared the
project impractica BILE.
The managers. however, gave him
contract to build fifty feet of the tun-
mel. On the face of the sand bank he
marked the line of an arch larger than
the proposed tunnel and a.: this line
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08

OF the program will be held in the
opera house Saturday morning. In the
afternoon the track and field meet will
| be held on the college field. There
will be teams here from Aledo, Joy,
Viola, Seaton, New Boston. Keithsburg
and North Henderson. These teams
have all been making great prepare
ton and this promises to be one of
the fastest meets in the history of the
association.
Miss Verle Barr arrived home Mon
day from Arpee where she has been
visiting her sister, Mrs. Guy Rether
ford.
Mrs. William Miner went to Rock
Island Wednesday to spend the day
with friends.
Mrs. Ernest Lee and two children of
Milton. Iowa. went to Matherville
Tuesday to visit their aunt, Mrs.
Henry Bogart.
Mrs. II. J. Postenwait and Mrs. w.
w. Warnock went to Galesburg Tues
day to spend the day with Mrs. l.. r.
kellogg.
Mrs. r. Johnson of Burlington, who
has been visiting Mrs. Ida Williams.
went to Creston. Iowa, Tuesday, to
visit relatives before returning home.
Mrs. James Minor went TO Viola
Wednesday to spend the day with her
daughter. Mrs. r. L. Cooper.
Mrs. w. w. Garner and daughter.
Miss Helen. went to Rock Island We'd
nesday TO spend the day.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
ALEDO

There was some exceedingly good
work done in the track and field
events. in the afternoon and two as
sociation records were established.
c. J. Noble was a business visitor
in Kewanee Thursday.
The discus throw was won by 8.
Burns of Viola. distance LOG feet. for
mer record. Butts, Knoxville, OS, 100
feet. inches.
The $50 yard run was won by Milo
Benson Of KirkwOod. time minutes
szt seconds. former record. Mcbride
Monmouth. minutes. 10 seconds
The relay race was won by Aledo
Viola won the highest number OF
points in athletics. 81. and was award
ed the championship banner.
Knoxville and Roseville each won
IS points Macomb. 10; Aledo. II;
Elmwood. S: Alexis. :. KirkwoOd, .;
Biggsville. 4 Rushyille. l.
Mrs. o. VI. Dunlevy went to Gales
burg Monday TO attend the council OF
the district officers Of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary society and at
tended the Ministerial meeting Of the
Rock Island and Galesburg districts
held in Monmouth. May (. > and @.
Mr.. and Mrs. Jack Curtis and baby
daughter. Marjorie. returned to their
home n Peoria Monday after making
a weeks visit with Mrs. Curtis sis
ter. Mrs. T. L. Bailey.
Mrs John NcDauiels and little
daughters. Grace and Lucille. returned
20 their home in Woodruff Tuesday
after making a few days visit with
Mrs. Edith Mccormick.
The standard bearers OF the Metho-
dist church held their thank Offering
service at the church Sunday evening.
Notwithstanding the storm a very good
audience was present and an Offering
Of about S42 was received by the So
ciety The following very interesting
program was given:
Hymn
Prayer.
Song. by the Kings Heralds.
The Voices OF the Women.
lin costumeb
DTeamer-Gladys Mckee.
Conscience-Auna Hebel.
Woman Of MeziCo-Mary Wharton. I
Mohammedan Women Of Malaysia!
Frances Sheats-
Woman OF China-Nildred Vertrees. /
Woman or Africa-Edna Osborn.
Woman OF India-Frances Hebel.
The Hindu WidOw-Ivel Bowers.
The Child WidOw-Emma Galloway
The Woman Of Korea-Nabel Leth-
erman-
The Woman Of Japan-Lois Yer
trees.
Duet-Alice Thompson. Lois Yer
.rees.
Remarks by superintendent, Mrs.
D. a. Hebel.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08

drove sharpened timbers into the bank
Then he removed six feet of the sand
and drove in another arch of twelve
foot timbers, removing six feet mort
of sand. This process he repeated I'm
til he had space enough to begin the
masonry As fast as the masonry was
completed the space above 1t was
filed, leaving the timbers in place.
He pierced the bank with the cheap
est tunnel ever built. which now
stands as firm as on the day 1t wa
finished
He was asked whether there was
any suggestion of the structure adopt.
ed by him 10 be found in the books on
engineering.
NO" he said. cit came TO me In this
way: was driving by the place
where the attempts were made and
saw that a colony of swallows had
made their homes in the bank. II oc'
CURED to me that these little engineen
had disproved the assertion that tns
sand had no cohesion. AS every svaE
lows home is n self sustaining tunnsl
without masonry. I thought that py
extending their method I could con-
struct a larger tunnel. The bank swat
low is the inventor: I am simply ~
imitator Boston Post.
All the news all the time-The Arsas
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Woes of an Old Time Writer.

High among unconventional writers
stands William Prynne, London jour
nalist in the days when there We're no
journals, days when bulky pamphlet
took the place OF a letter to ones ia.
vorite newspaper. Prynne published
about 200 of such pamphlets and Is
said to have averaged sheet OF print
a day throughout his life. And he
worked in quilt cap coming over his
eyes to shield them from the light. and
stuck at his table all day. being served
with a roll and pot OF beer every
three hours. And he reaped the re-
ward of his literary efforts in the
branding and pillory and ear cropping
that every political writer risked in
that age.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
MEAT INJURIOUS
TO THE KIDNEYS
Take tablespoonful of Salts if Back
hurts or Bladder bothers-Meat
forms uric acid.

We are q nation of meat eaters and
our blood is filed with uric acid, saws a
well-known authority, who warns us to
be constantly on guard against kidney
trouble.
The kidneys do their utmost to free
the blood of this irritating acid, but
become weak from the overwork; thew
get sluggish; the eliminative tissues clog
and thus the waste is retained in the
blood to poison the entire system.
When your kidneys ache and feel like
Jumps OF lead, and you have singing
pains in the back or the urine is cloudy.
full of sediment or the bladder is irri-
table, obliging you to seek relief during
the night; when you have severe head
aches nervous and dizzy spells, sleepless-
ness, acid stomach or rheumatism in bad
weather, get from your pharmacist about
four ounces of Jad Salts; take a
tablespoonful in a glass of water before
breakfast each morning and in a few
days your kidneys will act fine. This
famous salts is made from the acid of
grapes and lemon juice, combined with
lithia, and has been used for generations
to flush and stimulate clogged kidneys,
to neutralize the acids in urine so il is
no longer n source of irritation, thus
ending urinary and bladder disorders
Jad Salts is inexpensive and cannot
injure; makes a delightful effervescent
lithia- water drink, and nobody can make
a mistake by taking little occasionally
TO keep the kidneys clean and active.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Blood Tonic Has
important Meaning
Puts the Right Sort of Vim
Where Most Needed.

To tone the blood means TO enable 81 TO
throw OF accumulated impurities. 20 in
crease the red corpuscles and 10 put the
blood making organs into such active cOndi-
tio1 as TO produce that conscious sensation
Of what We feel as health.
This e the logical eject Of using the
famous blood purifier. :. =. 8.
Half the people you meet complain OF
weary muscles. stasnant brain, tangled
and just quit Most Of these people have
been using nervines that pasmOdicslIy nare
up the nerves only 70 die down again.
de they must. AVOID nerve stlmuiants-
Bear 10 mind that this worn-out feeling Is
Que 10 poor blood. 20 bacteria In the water
you drink: 20 the multiplying II destruc-
Tive germs in the blood faster than they
tan b. overcome BY the white corpuscies:
AID 20 what q known - autO-tOxeu1ia. that
rendition where the reunus or Impure blood
tcculnulates faster than 10 can be replaced
- The red aTteriai blood.
= :. > has long been famous a. q blood
the Irritating pOisOns that infest the blood,
T. Of fhe very Important thing 10 Know
You can get = = x ~ any drug store
bet take no other so-cailed blood purifier.
- :. = T. purely q vegetable product. /
ana you VIII make great mistake 10 have 4
some snth uslast palm on q mercury. arsenic ]
~ fOdide OF potash preparation that may
- you frFeparable harm
s. :. s. f. prepared By The Swift Specific
%. 535 Swift Bldg. Atlanta Ga and n
'Ou have sny deep seated or obstinate blrozt
rOuble. write 10 their Medical Dept fOs
rec advice. IL will be worth your WhilS
AdyeTtlseDsnL
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
A Smoke Puzzle.

zone day on approaching our fac
tory" writes an American engineer in
Cuba, II noticed a great cloud of
smoke. oily and black. rolling out OF
the chimneys and blotting out the sur
rounding landscape. / went to the
boiler room and gave the flremen n
good dressing down for allowing so
much smoke to escape, telling them It
was throwing money away and that IL
they could not fire better l would have
to discharge them.
81 thought no more OF it till the next
morning. when. on entering the engine
room. found the chief mechanic tubi-
liant over some joke. He told me that
the chief fireman, n negro. had come to
him with tears in his eyes and had
said: Mr.. u. says that we must not
let the smoke go out the chimney; IL
we do he will discharge us. Now. IL the
smoke cannot go out OF the chimney.
where can we put itr"-Power.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Sound In a Eoa.

IL has often been noticed that on
wet and foggy days sounds are heard
nj a greater distance than on clear.
fire days. II was Tyndall who ex-
planned the reason for this. He no.
ticed that the distance at which the
sounds OF foGhorns. whistles and shots
could be heard varied from day TO day
from two to twelve miles. The cause
OF this difference is found in the de
gree OF homogenelty OF the air. On
foggy or snowy day the air may be
perfectly homogeneous; this permits
sound to travel a great distance. IL
clear weather the air may be composed
OF vertical layers OF differing consist
ency, and the sound waves are re-
fected from the surfaces of the layers.
Probably they are also refracted in
passing through the several layers.
Currents OF warm ascending air form
in one place and currents of cold de-
scending air form in others. Thus the
atmosphere may be very transparent
OFFICIALLY and very opaque acoustically.
New York World
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
BURIED UNDER PAPERS.
Between Litter and Fires Life In De
Quineey's Home Was Lively.


De Quincey's greatest extravaganza
grew out of the morbid value he set
upon papers and their not being dis
turbed. He was in the habit of accu-
mulating these until, in his own
words. he was showed up" which
meant that when matters reached such
an extremity that there was not a
square inch OF room on the table to
set a cup upon and no possibility of
making his bed for the weight off pa
pers gathered there; no chair which
could be used for its legitimate pur-
pose, and the track from the door to
the fireplace, always kept open until
the last. was completely obliterated so
that he had not even place in which
to set his foot-then De Quincy lock
ed the door upon his paper treasures
and turned elsewhere. At his death
there were at least a half dozen such
places 'papersd" by him and being
maintained at no small expense.
Such a thing had been experienced
as his actually .'papering" his family
out of house. but in later years his
daughters learned how to guard
against such q contingency.
De Quincy usually spent the even
ings with his family, who looked for
ward to these hours with much pleas
ure. Upon the arrival of the newspa-
per he would render the news in his
own quaint manner, questioning the
various members of the group about
him and Illuminating the various sub
jects touched upon with a wealth of
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08

memories. good stories or human ex-
periences until the happiest flow of
real conversation sprang from the cir
cumstances OF the moment.
He was not tranquilizing compan-
ion for nervous persons to live with,
as those nights were the exceptions on
which he did not set fire to something.
1t was a common occurrence for one
of his daughters to look up from her
work and to say casually, Papa. your
hair is on fire., to which he would re-
spond casually, rs it, my love- and a
hand rubbing out the blaze was all the
notice taken.
On one occasion. when the maid
rushed in to announce that Mr.. de
Quincey's room was on fire. he hasten
ed to the rescue of his already snow
ed up" apartment. refusing all sug
gestions that water be poured upon his
treasured papers. Armed with
heavy rug he disappeared into the
burning room determined to conquer
without water or perish in the attempt.
while the members of his affrighted
household trembled for his safety out
side the door. locked to prevent the
abhorred water from being poured in.
Presently, after occasional bursts of
smoke and very strong smell of fire.
all were assured that the danger was
ovec, the victor emerged triumphant
ly from his fight with the flames, and
the dreaded element having been sub
dued for the evening all retired in a
state of thankfulness.-From Caroline
Ticknor's Hawthorne and His Pub
Usher"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Aonoetv In Golf

The sooner a boy, or a man for that
matter. learns TO live up to the motto
Honesty is the best policy" In golf.
as In other things. the better for him.
There is no game which gives com
petitor n better opportunity to cheat.
But for that very reason there is no
game I'm which the cheat. when dis
covered. as It usually is sooner or later.
is looked upon with greater contempt
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Miss Nancy Lane

Little Miss Nancy Lane was one of
the flower girls at the Wilson-McAdoo
wedding in the White house on Thurs
day. She is the daughter of Secretary
of the Interior and Mrs. Franklin X.
Lane.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08

Norway has IA tree planting soci-
cites. The first was founded in 1900.
and since then 26OOO.OOO trees have
been painted.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Neckwear.
Collars.

Fancy striped collars are all
the rage; great showing of them
mere. English cutaways or
semi-close fronts. Soft collars
In fancy madras and silk, Csc
and SOC.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08
Shirts.
Underwear.

Special showing OF athletic
unions in crepe, soisette, cotton.
in every style at 81. Others I'D
to So. interviewer hose in the
new colors, three grades, 25c,
Csc, soc.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-08

All the news all the time-The Argus
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-13

than 20 70 any inland garrison. Those
women hen Jay the debts, exacting
state secrets as the price OF their
timely assistance.
Abduila, therefore. might only be
one OF these hangers-on. Kim cstab'
lIshed connections with Mile. Balni'
aux's household and loon ! had the re-
quired information. He brought me
letters and scraps OF paper that Mile.
Balniaux's dark skinned servants had
stolen for him. lie supplemented
this by conversations that the ser.
wants had overheard and told TO Kim.
All this showed me that more by good
luck I had stumbled upon the hotbed
Of the prime 10 OF the whole IN
trigue, Mile. Balniaux. There was
not the slightest hope OF intimidating
or buying over this particular lady'a
allegiance. ! had to learn exactly who
was substituting her Vaccinations
and there was no possibility Of obtain
ing the clue from her.
A Search for the Accessible Person,
| must ind the accessible person
among her intimate friends. From
time TO time ! had seen her with a
pretty little dark-haired girl who
danced in the Folies Arabiques. !
learned her name was Cecilia Coursan.
I began 20 frequent the Folies, a kind
OF cabaret crowded every night with
Turkish officers. Admiration was no
longer a delight to her and she &C.
cepted II with a wooden smile.
The Folies Ia quite dlssimllar from
its European or American prototypes,
by reason OF It's oriental atmosphere
Most OF the year round Il IL conducted
In the open. Picture a large court, the
center OF which Ia covered with price.
less smyrna carpet. Seated around on
little dlvans and silk cushions are the
principal native performers, Neulah
girls wearing the teasing yashmak
covering half their faces although the
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-13

rest OF the figures are visible through
gauzy Damascene shawls. The Euro
pean performers. dressed In the latest
and most startling Paris creations, hirt
and filter among the audience-seated
around on dainty handicapped BAN
boo tables. inhaling, in the case OF
Madame, a dainty Reggie" or II Bey
or Ehendi. a Tshibuk or Narghile,
gravely drawing on the amber mouth.
piece and slowly exhaling the per
fumed smoke. The gorgeous officers
uniforms, mostly a vivid red. blue and
gold the picturesque flowing robes
and b~urnouses, with here and there
4 six-toot stalwart silk trouseTed Al.
bantam with gold and silver inlaid dag
gers and pistol thrust In his sash.
make a picture reminding one OF the
Scheherazade.
Observing that everyone was bent on
spelling this popular little houri by
emphatic admiration, ! made myself
conspicuous by a peculiarly British
stony Indifference. Nor war | wrong
In my tactics, The piqued little dancer
was not to be ignored.
One night she approached my table
and challenged me In French. at which
l gave a noneommittal smile. | pre-.
tended that | did not know French.
Then she tried Indifferent German and
l looked az her with puzzled blank.
ness. Finally she spoke "a me IN a
piquRnt English aid ] answered. She
spoke English extremely we'll and Il
developed that she had been a chory
phee az the London Empire. lei
the acquaintance grow l%eisurely.
Forget NY Play Acting.
One night ] found her In a ne OF de
spondeney. over a quarrel with he
friend, Mile. Balniaux, My SUFFERING,
getting effective, / was Just beglnnlnt
to ply her with questions when
Turkish ohlcer full OF cognac wal
dered by aud dropped a remark to he
r in French. II went against the graf
y for thone swine TO cast inuendoes 4
a white woman, and. forgetting m
play acting, told him his comment
were uncalled for and advised him I
draw In his horna a bit. After a uttl
Muster 10 which ! angrily replied 1
y French, he disappeared, and, as / 81
down AZ the table, Cecilia WIS lOokln
az me with a queer smile.
Il thought you did not understan
French, she said. Il observe you Ia,
q q pretty good Partisan accent" The
v the fun significance OF my blund,
Ie came 70 ne and l felt like the class
% capricornua, meaning goat. she 49,
y q was tired Of the Folles that nlgl
% a suggested q drive. I called
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-13

earreta and as we we're driving down
The boulevard I said to her;
"Is this existence always PLEASANT
Il II not as II was with hat omcer'
often unendurableg"
she replied in a bantering tone, my
half hiding a hurt undortone.
"Tm getting used to A." she said.
"A Turkish pig is no worse than an
Enrlieh cad or a German boor'
The typical. philanderlng broadway
mr. BOND street masher makes the
psychological mistake Of undertaking.
the innate sense Of decency inherent
in @ woman Gentle courtesy
and manners impress a courtesan py
reason OF the novelty. The inverse
IA often useful in dealing with a pam
pered society woman.
am Confronted With Human
Situation.
Much to the annoyance OF the Turk-
ish officers. I often thereafter took the
pretty Cecilia away from the Folles,
after her performance. for a drive. and
| began TO compare her small conn
dences with certain bits OF informa'
ton that Kim had given me. knew
or | could pretty well guess. that she
was O staying In CoRstantinople.
enduring the insults Of those Turkish
officers, simply for the money she could
earn as a dancer. Then made my
second dramatic play for confidence
suddenly stopped going TO the Foiies
| suppose It was rather lonesome In
Constantlnople and a man who wat
not a Turk was a novelty.
One afternoon she sent for me and
| vas confronted with a human situa
ton which l must In this narrative
OF secret service operation treat a'
impersonal though It Is full OF pa
thetic implications. I found her will
her luggage packed.
why haven't you come TO the Folie'
lately?" she demanded with n pretty
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-13

air OF bossing the situation.
told her my work at the hospital
had made heavy inroads upon my
time.
oh" she began, tapping a little
boot impatiently on the floor; then,
after a pause, II have to leave for
Paris, Well?"
That Is most fortunate"
is that all?"
TO say anything more would be
painful, ma cheTe Cecilia"
But there Is no need OF our being
blue. Why not make the occasion a
happy one? Why not come along TO
Paris?"
She looked up at me with an i'm.
pudent little smile.
MY dear little GIRL" ! said, II am
no man OF means and ! cannot 20 cad.
ding about Europe. Besides. | have my
work here. | will be busy at the hos.
pital for another month"
"You Ought to Be Valuable 20 Certain
Men In Paris"
That seemed TO displease her. She
looked at me carefully. unconsciously
her man~e changed. She became
somewhat appraising. II seemed AZ
though a different woman was speak,
ing.
Franz" she said. "a man like YOU
ia wasting his time pctterlnR around
a hospital with your evident knowledge
OF the world and people. With youy
education and travels o ought 20 he
very valuable 10 certain men back IN
Paris"
felt what was coming, but I aakad
her to explain. She did so and from
her received a tentative offer 10 ente,
Inc French secret service. I had dIm
Guilty In mastering the muscles Of m,
face to keep from b~etrayinR M,
laughter that WIS almoat ready !,
break out Very gravely l asked hel
70 tell me more about secret service
Proudly, Cecilia showed me letter,
mat she had received from Paris
From the addresses and the aIsra
lures thus learned the indiyiduaIs 4,
direct control OF the system that Voc,
undermining German influences y,
uAine demi-mondaines such as MIs
kainiaux. 1 gathered that cecaI,,
Soursan Wal oniy a gO-between 81,
Miis. halnlanx In making her report,
70 ths French government. 1 asIs'
~ some questions, exclaimin,
mendously. -" VIZ
! pretended TO BE- particularly s,v
! ious 40 70 what pay / woniS ~
. were 10 come 70 an unSaS. 1919
~l'a "her friend In Paris" she asaara.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1914-11-13
Prellmlnarles.

After an eventual trip to constan'
tlnople. ! took preliminary quarters In
the BraaSerie Kor, q quiet. aecond-rate
hostelry on the Rue osmanly. went
TO an u-npretentious place 90 avoid at.
tracing any particular attention. Had
I put up at an expensive hotel there
would Immediately have been queries
about me. Who 10 this atrnnEerl Tie
seems TO have money. II y isn't MS
money. whose money Is be spendingy
Il is not we'll TO inyite q Turks aun'
plcion.