davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
lChicago Tribune.l


The opening OF the twelve reserve
banks inaugurates, il is hoped, "A new
era in American finance. II the owen
Glass act is not perfect IL represents
a tremendous advance over the vicious
system which had grown out OF civil
war necessities and which persisted
like a latent disease in a sturdy CON
stitUion to break forth in violent
crises whenever resistance weakened.
The curse OF the panic" in its Pc
culiar American form should now be
a thing of the past. We shah not es-
cape recurrent periods of hard
times" but the line of our normal
financial and business enterprise will
not be subjected to the excessive and
unnecessary penalties of rigid and
archaic currency system. The new
reserve plan is basically sound and
provides a means OF mobilizing our
financial resources to meet changing
conditions and even critical emergen-
cies.
The organization of the reserve as
sociations and opening of the twelve
district banks should relieve substan-
italy the domestic credit situation.
There is no doubt that business men
in increasing numbers have chafed at
the checks put upon them by the
banks and have felt that an energetic
revival was obstructed more by bank
ers' policy than any other factor. With
the opening of the reserve banks, with
their ample resources for rediscount,
there should be a general easing OF
the money rate as well as an improve
ment of the psychological factor in
public confidence.
But the great problem for the imme-
date future. is the adjustment of our
international credit relations. To
this difficult but critically important
task IL is TO be hoped the federal re-
serve board will rise. 1t is fortunate
that at least one of its members, Mr..
Warburg. is an international banker
of the highest training and experience,
and ii may be that the present I'M
precedented emergency will inspire
mastery treatment of our information
al credit situation. Opportunity has
given the republic great men in most
OF the crises in her history. Certainly
we have at this moment need for cour-
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

windmills. owing to the German fear
that they will send signals TO the Bel
gian army.
we are therefore face to face with
a fact which has rarelyJ If ever. oc-
CURED in the history of the world
an entire nation is in a state of fam
inc and that within half a days jour
new from our shores
The heartrending distress of Bel
gium is repeated to a smaller degree
in other parts of Europe. The Ouch
ess OF Marlborough has spoken of the
numbers OF women at present out of
work in England. In Austria food
prices have risen beyond the means
of the poorer classes. 1t is reported
that the consumption of horse flesh in
Vienna is increasing rapidly. AS
many as 200 of the animals have been
brought into the market in one day.
And at the end of a report from Ber-
lin of a hard fight near Verdun. is ap-
pended the brief statement: The pop
uIation OF the district is starving.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
Rented Wedding Cake.

There was something wrong with
the cake. the baker said. 1t looked ak
right. and it smelled all right, but his
artistic sense told him it would not
taste all right.
Then fix it up with an extra coat of
icing. and we will keep it for rent
err" said the proprietor.
who in the world would rent a
cake?' some one asked.
Wedding parties" said he. They
want a big cake in the center of the
table for show. but cake of that size
good enough for wedding would cost
more than they can afford to pay. so
they order fine cake put up in indi-
vidual boxes for the guests and use
the brides cake just as an ornament.
They don't. buy it, they just rent it.
Sometimes a cake is rented a dozen
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

Edward Olcott was convaiescent. and
the morning was a marvel of sunshine
There is q delicious feeling about first
convalescence that I fancy is explain
able from the contrast between sur
fering and the relief from suffering
It seemed to Olcott that he was never
so well in his life, and yet It would
have been well nigh impossible for him
to get out of the invalid chair in which
he had been wheeled to the glass in
closed porch of the hospital.
He had not been there long before
an attendant dropped a newspaper in
his lap. Unfolding it, he noticed some
words written in pencil in woman's
hand on the margin. They read:
Dear Patient-I am very sorry for you.
/ hope you will get comfort from this
paper. which 1 intend to put In the box
at the terminal OF the railroad for pa
pers to go to the hospitals. pity you
especially being confined on account of
illness when Thanksgiving is coming on.
Cheer up, On next Thanksgiving Gay
1 trust you will be in condition to enjoy
a fine Thanksgiving dinner.
This communication to an unknown
dear patient was signed with two fnf-
tials, E. A. The newspaper was a
weekly issued at place called Edge
water, some twenty miles from the
city.
"That little note" said OIcott to him.
self, was written by a girl. No one
else would have signed her initials.
The place in which she lives is made
up of residences of well to do people.
I question If in all there are 500 houses.
I shall have no difficulty in discovering
who E. A. is, and I propose to dine
with her next Thanksgiving. / would
do so this year but for the fact that
there isn't time and I couldn't eat
Thanksgiving dinner"
Olcott was a young man of means.
The reason why he was at a hospital
instead of his own home was twofold
first, he was bachelor, without
near relative, and, second, he had been
recommended by his physician to go
to a hospital as the most convenient
place in which to be Ill. Possibly In
his convaiescent state he was especial
" impressible. Be that as 1t may, he
read the paper that had been given
him, conjuring up visions of the per-
son who wrote the message on the
margin. When he had finished the pa
pers perusal he tore off the message
for preservation and future use.
Olcott was at an age when an ap-
probation for the pleasures of social
life begins to lose its edge. When he
was twenty he fancied that he was
courted because of his attracHveness.
Now that he was twenty-seven he had
cop,o RI understand that he was court
ed principally for what his income rep
resented. He had not lived at home
since the death of his mother, when he
was nineteen. His illness, during
which he had been under the care of
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

In the central part of the battle line
not far from Rheims, a French bat
terry was well hidden, and despite a
close search by a German aeroplane,
the position remained undiscovered
for several days. Then German shells
began to drop around it, and shortly
afterwards the major in command
found that white linen had been hung
out right behind his position, ostensi-
bly, to dry, but, in reality, it was plac-
ed there by German spy to indicate
to German airmen the exact emplace-
ment of the French guns.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
Sidelights on the European War

| Correspondence of the Associated Press.
venice.-A news letter from Vienna
| tells some remarkable instances of
| the censorship in the Austrian capital
and pays a compliment to the consid-
Grafton shown to foreigners who are
still in Austria-Hungary.
That the warning from the police
against adverse comment on the mil
itary operations is to be taken SER
iously,' says the letter, "is evident
from the fact that man who had re-
marked casually in Vienna cafe that
the Austrian soldiers were towards,
was promptly arrested and sentenced
to two years imprisonment with hard
labor, with a fast day once a week,
and a days confinement in dark cell
once a month Another man who had
been overheard saying that the Serv-
ians> would be victorious received eX-
actly the same sentence
Newspapers from America have
been held back at the postoffice for
more than three weeks, according to
the letter, and Geographic communi-
cation has proven so difficult that the
people have practically given up try
ing to dispatch messages. For cor
respondence with the soldiers at the
front special postcards and envelopes
are provided, and each man may be
addressed by a code number, but his
whereabouts are not divulged, and the
news exchanged is subject to such
rigorous censorship that only a few
commonplace matters are written.
s'Tt he admitted "a
Vienna informant, that the Viennese,
and indeed the Austrians generally,
have treated the foreigners here, in
Guiding even those of hostile coun-
tries, with great deal of considera-
ton. There have been no demonstra-
lions against embassies or legations
or individuals. In a few instances
Englishmen have been the victims of
some unpleasant incidents in the
streets. but these cases were rare and
of slight Importance. 1t is the rule
to avoid speaking either English or
French, and in that event one may
feel safe from annoyance.
The local official news agency has |
taken it upon itself to remind the |
people that there are over 10000. 900 |
Americans whose mother tongue is !
English, and that in their midst are
living many thousands of Austrians I
enjoying the hospitality of the freest
country in the world. 1t therefore be-
came the Viennese to extend the
greatest courtesy to Americans here.
There are, of course. a number of
young Englishmen and Frenchmen
under arrest to make II certain they
will not fight against Austria Hungary,
but they are being we'll treated. with
the exception of the fact that they
have to sleep on the straw-strewn floor
Of the detention camps. They are al
lowed to correspond in German with
their friends within the monarchy.
The French -governesses
given the police more
trouble than the men. They frequent
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
WANT THROUGHOUT EUROPE

The suffering Of the peasants as a
result OF the war is naturally most Sc
we're in Belgium. There are Unem-
ployed and starving people in every
country OF Europe but the fearful des-
Olation and ruin of Belgium is with
out parallel Hundreds Of thousands
OF non-combatants. who. a few short
weeks ago were jewellers in quiet and
happy homes. are now wanderers on
the face OF the earth. The reports OF
their condition are unfortunately not
exaggerated; the whole countryside
has been ravaged and whole cities,
towns and villages burned. AS the
New York Evening Post reports. Mr.
Whitehouse says: The whole life or
the nation has been arrested. Food
supplies which would ordinarily reach
the civilian population are being TAX
en- by the German troops for their
own support The peasants and poor
are without the necessities OF life and
conditions OF starvation grow more
acute every day. Even where there
Is a supply OF wheat available. the
peasants are not allowed TO use their
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
DISEASE AND POVERTY.

The normal person VIII not sink INTO
poverty. Illness. disease, deformity
and weak-mindedness are subnormal.
David Starr Jordan says: Strong
men seek education and make oppor-
tunity,' and to this might be appro-
priately added: They bring things
about: they make events occur" Weak
men are the opposite of this, says DR..
J.. Y. Hurry in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. Dis
ease is itself not an evidence of physi-
cal or mental strength. Syphilis is a
great cause of poverty, as il is also OF
insanity we were getting along
splendidly," said the poverty-stricken
woman. until nv husband took conf
sumption" And who must be told OF
the great poverty that trails consump-
ton? \ farmer died of typhoid fever
when the mortgage, given in part pay
ment for his farm, was only one-halt
paid off His wife and little daughter
took the disease and survived only fin
ally to fill fuller the slums of city
where she went with the child when
the rich man foreclosed the mortgage.
Yellow fever prevented the French
from building the Panama canal. and
thousands who had invested their all
in canal shares were pauperized.
In Mexico there are thousands who
have been made blind and pauperized
by smallpox. There are al least two
million blind beggars in China, ali
made blind by smallpox. II is only
when epidemics come, when the great
er proportion OF lives are threatened,
that we realize the meaning of sick
ness and disease. The ramifications
reaching we can have but a hazy( idea
of what disease means.
II Is curious to note that. because
of our stupidity. ones very industry
may bring poverty. This is illustrated
by the occupational diseases. Until
very recently society permitted greed
TO force phossy jaw on workmen who
afterward in many instances became
paupers. To rear and protect indus
tries. one product of which is poverty.
is a queer condition. The prevention
of phossy jaw will certainly also pre-
vent all the poverty which might come
from IL.
Cigar makers. printers and tailors
are especially afflicted with tubercu-
losis: and on the pauper records APP
pear the names OF hundreds who have
followed these occupations. A propri-
etor who does not surround his en-
pl>yes with the best conditions oil
health is a breeder OF disease, poverty
and crime.
Feeble-mindedness IS a disease con-
dition and produces a world OF power
~. There Is no cure for feeblemind
edness: il may only be prevented;
and there are only two rational meth
DDS for fits prevention. neither OIL
which society will adopt. And so IL
happens. as we "blunder on through
love and hunger" that the highest ser
vices OF medical science are rejected.
prevention. is disregarded and disease
follows civilization with its ever
lengthening train OF degeneracy. de-
fectiveness. delinquency and depend
ency.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

paid nurses. had made him 80
what might be the tender solla,. .'o'eH
one who loved him. sunarv u
ladies he had met in SOCIETY yong
deavored to make it appea, -. - 20
that they appreciated him for =, - ala
but he believed that any otbs- 1sef
who could give them a bona x l.a
do as well. 'ond
For these reasons be wax a..
TO this person who had a hear, .-as1e'
in an unknown person I'm . , - use
from whom there was search, pa
sibility that she could derive an. p0S
fit. Oene-
She might possibly be old anal,
ly. but be did not believe n. -lae
At any rate. as soon as he v.. %
charged from the hospital he pro,o =,
to hunt her up-that is. 10 she 49,
Edgewater. II not there was =.
much hope Of finding her
When the next Thanksgiyino
came round Olcott had made ~. 40
quaintance of Miss Edith Arro,s :.
Edgewater and had proved BY sscv.
ing a specimen of her handv~,.s.
that she was the person who h,d e.-
tributed the newspaper that he S.s
read as convalescent. Thor -
been no great difficulty in this ana.
had to do was to go to Edgsv,,s.
join a club there, consisting OF vo-,.
men and women, make the scou,,,,
ance Of the residents and look an, ..
girl whose initials were E.
Miss Arnold was, as he had sunnos.s
very young. She was barely eieb,as,
Olcott paid her a great deal of ,,,s-
ton. at which she was naturally A.,
tered. He discovered that her be.,.
was as tender for the afflicted as !.
had supposed. and it was not long \.
fore he had won that heart for him.
self.
All this while he had the pencil nes
sage that he had torn from the nevu
paper in his portmanteau. But he ssu
nothing about it to Miss Arnold. WIN
supposed that their meeting had o.
CURED by chance. Olcott had resolved
when in the hospital that be would eat
his next Thanksgiving dinner with her
and he was working up to that POINT
This, too, was very easy, for a few
weeks before Thanksgiving he asked
her to be his wife, and she accented
his proposition. Under the circum,
stances it was quite in order that be
should be invited to take his Thanks
giving dinner at the Arnolds'. Toward
its close he took from his portmanteau
the scrap he had torn from the news
paper and passed it around the table
1t was easily recognized as Ediths
work. Then Olcott said:
When Ill in hospital tore this
message of sympathy from newsn
per that fell into my hands. vowed
that I would eat my next ThanksgE
ing dinner with the writer, and have
kept my resolve" -
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
At Beginning of a New Era

, age, determination, and sound think
ing to meet both the dangers and the
tempting opportunities created or en-
larged by the European disaster.
BY the first of the year our trade
balance should be well above 100000
900 and that balance steadily will
grow. But the certainty of a heavy
counterfiow of our securities presents
very serious problem which it will
( tax our financial abilities to the full
to meet. II will tax more than the
abilities of officials and financiers. 1t
will tax the spirit of the American in
vesting public. Now IL ever is the op-
portunity for the American people to
| show that the people of their sister
! republic, France, are not their supe-
riors in patriotism and self-confidence.
| Now If ever is ~ opportunity for
! Americans to show that they believe
/ in America and Americans. AS the
French rushed to the payment of the
huge German fine OF 1870, so with less
sacrifice and more security the Amer
lean people might we'll absorb the
sound stocks which foreign holders
will send back. not because they are
intrinsically less sound than they
| were, but because OF their foreign
owners imperative need of liquida-
ton.
Before the war there had been pc
Rod of depression during which even
the best securities sold of without due
cause. But now American investors
! should take counsel Of their hearts
and their brains and not II their liv-
ers. 1t is time for them to ask
whether the United States is a good
investment or not, whether the pres
ent and future of this great country
with it's rich resources and its hundred
million of energetic Americans is
worth betting on.
The question answers itself, of
course, when 1t is put. But Ameri-
cans haven't been putting it.
We shall pass through a period OF
rather drastic readjustment, but the
whole tremendous groundwork of the
national wealth and prosperity is as
sound as the foundations or the earth.
What we need most is a courageous
certainty of this truth and the good
sense to back ourselves against the
world.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

Laying of thousands OF men a fort
night before election and putting them
on again few days after election is a
corrupt practice which no law yet de-
vised is expected to reach. 1t is worse,
says the State Register, than south
ern bootlegging and worse than brib-
cry. Il is a combination - intimida-
ton and purchase. II seems TO have
been worked with great success in
many places this fall.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

! ly over the undershirt in the rear
| This supports the child's abdominal
muscles, renders the spells less of a
strain on him, and prevents possible
| rupture.
Questions and Answers.
Mrs. H. IS. NJ. writes: We enjoy
your health talks very much and dis
| cuss them in the family circle, but
without wishing 10 criticise. we wish
you would feel free to suggest more
remedies for simple conditions than
you do.
Reply-Thanks. When we please,
tell the editors; when we don't, tell
us. If you will send in a list of the
simple conditions you refer to, we
VIII consider your request in future
articles. However, we cannot attempt
to prescribe
l.. ]. c. writes: l am 20 years of age:
stencgrapher. My health is fair, but
am somewhat anaemic. Would you
kindly inform me what is your opin-
ion of eisenzucker?
Reply-It is excellent
w. C.-Personal questions cannot be
answered unless stamped addressed
envelope is included with your letter.
Mrs. w. Fl. B. inquiries: % In what
condition does pericarditis leave the
heart? t2) Is it well for one to work
after having an attack? (3) What
are the symptoms of "a weak heart?
(4) Is nervous heart dangerous?
Reply Pericarditis is an inflam-
nation of the double-walled membran-
GUS sac which covers the heart. Ad-
hesions are likely 10 ochur between
the two walls and interfere with free
beating of the heart. The late re-
suits OF pericarditis depend upon the
character OF the adhesions left be-
hind. The heart may be permanently
embarrassed or apparently as good as
ever. 2. Ask your doctor 3. Loss
of efficiency. 4. Not II il is only dan
gerous.
Ambitious states: ! am a girl not
yet 30. always well. but of late dull,
tired. sleepy. Eat and sleep we'll. but
seem to be lazy. Is IL malaria? Please
give cure. What is good for catarrh |
Reply-We supposed only boys de- |
veloped this complaint at 20. 1t isn't !
malaria. Walk four miles a day with |
low. fiat heels and plenty of room
for your toes to wiggle. Breathe a |
mile deep. II breathing is difficult, |
have the nose and throat and chest
carefully examined to determine what |
causes the symptom, catarrh.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

The Society for the Prevention of
Useless Giving at Christmas has found
a worthy outlet for its benevolences.
Il is turning the tide Of Christmas
gifts into the channel OF employing
girls out of work to make garments
and comforts of other kinds for the
men in the armies in the European
war
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

A contribution TO the reduction of
the cost Of living on a magnificent
scale is proposed in the national abo-
lition OF the $2.O0O.OOO.OOO annual
drink bill. with its contribution of in
efficiency and waste and crime. That
is the standard put up by the Ameri-
can people in the convention at At
Ianta
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18
Nov. Is in American
History.

ISUi-Phnip John Schuyler. ie- 10
the Revolution. died: born TO- .ho
IS24-Franz Sigel. German soiu'e III
became distinguished In the
war, born; died 1902. go
lSSl-George Law. tinancier nn' "a
morer; died in New YORK
1906. .,t5-
lSS6-Chester Alan Arthur s,s,ss
first president of the United S
died: born 1880 .,,hG
1900 Richard Watson Glider ,,s-a.
and editor of the Century
zine, died; born 1913.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

The suggestion of the Council Bluffs
man that the president elected in 1916.
for the good of the republican party,
appoint Taft TO the supreme bench
and Roosevelt to one of the important
Enthusiastically is all right-only the
next president probably will prefer to
continue to appoint democrats.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

The sultan of Turkey had no trou-
BILE in framing up his proclamation 10
the army and navy. He simply took
the stereotyped form used by the mon
archs OF the countries already involv-
ed in the struggle. making such
changes as were necessary to adapt it
TO the Mohammedan religion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

Austria, taking satisfaction out of
the fact that it has been able 10
retreat without hindrance from the
enemy seems possessed of truly
thankful spirit.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

Chicago has just won suit to col
lect an assessment levied during the
worlds fair which has been in the
courts for 81 years before being pass
ed upon finally by the United States
supreme court II would take a long
stretch of the imagination to picture
any stronger argument for court re-
form in this country.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-18

different times. After each wedding
it is freshened up with new coat OF
icing and looks as good as new for
the next occasion. A good renter
fetches about So a wedding. Wash
ington Star.