davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

INACTS will be fighting on the side of the
4 Eastern railroads when, next month. they
go before the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to renew their petition for freight rate
advances. If before they could make a
strong showing, they now can make
brilliant one. Their case is substantially
fortified.
a year ago the main difficulty that con-
fronted them was the high cost of capital,
resulting from unsatisfactory net returns.
That is the main difficulty today; but mean
time the cost of capital has mounted even
higher Not only have net revenues dwndled
because Of a shortage in import and export
traffic; not only have interest, in general,
traffic. not only have interest rates, in gem
eral, risen hut market for the sale of new
securities is now non-eXistent, while upon
the reopening of the New York Stock En-
change foreign holders of American rails are
likely to flood the market. Higher freight
rates point the obvious way out of this
dilemma,
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

ruler. To them he was an earth-God.
Some folk think that the profound "a
spect which is paid big man is born so,sIs
of the superior ability he possesses. He cas
do things that cannot do. He can SWAY =
mob whereas lack the power to change az
mind of single individual. Hence he \.
well entitled to my reverence.
l have Just read an intensely interestIr.
account of one of the country's stronsaas
public men. 1t was not proven therein fbst
he possessed exceptional ability. LAT
But 1t was proven that he never broke hi,
word. "'s
And that is exactly what earned for ~.
ancient Chinese rulers the terrible fear ons
worshipful respect existing among their ann
jects. N'
Among us are innumerable corrupt ron
who assume leadership in public life. Good
folks view their ascendency with fears ~
to what the world is really coming to. search
far enough and you'll find the reason for
their power. 1'r
In the obituary of most every unprincin,oa
man of power you will find q haclsneyed ',IJ.
never broke a promise"
Perhaps he only made few. But tb.
number does not count. II the old Chineso
emperor had only guaranteed the dailv an
pearance of the sun and nothing more, ths,
would have been quite sufficient to kaen
MIN on the pedestal of reverence and fear.
THE IDEAIIST
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Tragedies of the Commonplace

TIME great dramatic moments of life do not
i ordinarily take place in earthquakes and
shipwrecks. Nor are the tragedies of normal
existence confined TO milion-dollar thefts
sudden death and bloodshed The great
American play must deal with problems that
confront every man and woman" declared
Miss Helen Ware the other day through the
columns of this newspaper Miss Ware cited
the domestic debacles which result from
travagant living al being the basis for mod
ern tragedies of Shakespearean calibre
The time has assuredly come when the Sc
rious dramatist should eschew medieval
romance and tragedy for the even greater
romance-and tragedy-of present-day life.
How can the imbroglio Of 10th century
kngdomette compare with the colossal drama
of our national finance and commercial war
fares? The great drama. the trenchant mu-
steal comedy, the apropos slletch-satire must
DEAL If it be in the spirit of the times, with
themes familiar to everyday life, intimate
to every man and woman as knives and
forks, soap and water, neckties and hairpins
1t Is the small things Of life that are of
prodigious Importance. A fly in the coffee
may poison the nectar of love. II is not i'm
possible by any means to imagine the bland,
ComplaCent husband, addicted 10 his evening
newspaper, whipped to a truly ShaSespearean
thirst for murder by the bridge or euchrc
obsessed wife pestering him nightly TO play
a game. The egg cooked a minute too long
daily and the neglected laundry persstently
lacking buttons might readily bring a bliss
full couple TO the divorce court, and the want
of kitchen or general economy drive
exasperated husband to the saloon, the club
or the use of a concrete club, or even murder.
One of the leading suffragettes in America
was goaded 70 desert her spouse, and thence
to become an exponent Of miltancy, by her
husbands failing 10 agree with her in regard
10 the rights of labor unions, Certes,
comedy material worthy Of a modern Ars-
tophanes. or the highest flights Of Bernard
Shaw or George Cohan!
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
New Words in An Old Language

WHEN, in his study of science, a man
w achieves something which is new to the
world, it often happens that his name is
attached for all subsequent time to the dis
covery which he makes or the theory which
he formulates The name Of Copernicus thus
becomes adjective in reference to the
Copernican theory. The name of Darwin ac-
quires a suftiX in discussions of Darwinism
The name of Pasteur is perpetuated in a
verb 1t IS likewise In philosophy, in politics
in religion with such terms as Hcgelianism
Ltncolnian statesmanship Christianity \
man who makes a great contribution to the
worlds thought and the worlds history rep
resents some idea or principle or achievement
which is so dstinctively his own that perhaps
the language appropratcs his name for its
special purposes
Sometimes however, there IS nothing com
plimentary in this pathological recognition.
To speak Of a Machavellian proposal, for in
stance, is not to praise either the proposal
or MachiavelN The Eerrymander is not itself
In good repute, though the word has a def
mite and useful meaning Another word Of
similar origin, one which is we'll understood
all over the country and even elsewhere, is
Penroseism So much for future fame!
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

VXTHEN men OF the stamp Of Mckinley and
w Dingley wrote tariff bills there was no
doubt Of the countrys devotion 10 the prln-
Cple of protection. The nation wants pro-
lection now, but thinks and rightly thinks
that Penroseism is too big price to pay for
r.. Pennsylvania can pauperze the party in
the rest Of the nation II It wishes, by elect
ing Mr Penrose, but nowhere else do men
believe that progress can be made by back
stepping. An ambassador 20 Washington
who represented motley elements OF organ
tied corruption instead Of the people Of
Pennsylvania might talk loud, but he would
talk vainy in the Capitol There is a Chinese
wall between the millions who want protec-
ton and protection itself That wall is PEN
roselsm, and until - Is battered down the
free traders viii continue their experiment
tatlons at Washington.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW

The pleasing information comes from WASH
ington that the pork" hunting Senators nave
been repused, and that the S93,GOOOOO river ana
harbor bill viii be reduced probably mucn
as one-half. by cutting out of it all "questlon'
able items both new and old. President WI.
son has apparently once more proved himesh
a much acuter politician than he has been com,
monty credited with being. He does not ave"
in that atmosphere of academic alOofness from
common things that some have hastily believed
him to- It's good politics" right now TO GU Sls
the padding out of all public payrolls ln0
people aroused as never before to me ga
ccssive cost of a lot of what has passed ly l
government I'm this country.-Chicago Hera'@
In nghting against the rivers and harbon
bill as it came to the Senate, the hibuslers,
although they Republicans, have reaH
been doing valiant service for the Democrats
Nothing would have constituted such W.
ncrable point of attack against the dolhiIas'
party in this falls campaign as an old-lasH
toned rivers and harbors bnl-New York E'e"
ing Post.
If Senator Burton and those acting with hlln
can defeat the rivers and harbors bill or l%sg ny
a heavy reduction OF the appropriation wv
will render a great service TO the couh.IS
and also to the Democratic party.-lndla""p'
lis News
If President Wilson is to become the watenI
dog of the Treasury" he viii find good os-'
of watching necessaTy.-Washington star
WAR AND THE ROYAL INVOCATION
Blame not the Christian faith for this O'''
war;
Christ never spoke a word that made II Ils"'
To murder men in bitter hate
And turn sun-lit world to darkest HsI|
w. ]. /
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Spending Money on the Wrong Things

71HE Municipal Court has made one record
L which is not likely soon to be broken:
its extravaganza has become a standard of
measurement. Not content with the lux
urious quarters now assigned to It, It wants
n building Of its own. The acquiescent Com
mittee on Finance has provided in the loan
bill the sum of 100000 for this purpose. 1t
would be fine thing for Philadelphia to
have a new public building, or several of
them, and when some of the constitutional
restrictions OF the citys borrowing capacity
are removed it might he good policy to build
them. But just now there are far more exi-
gent needs for all the cash available 1t Is
very obvious that sound business policy does
not dictate in oil instances the financial
program of Councils
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
A Professor Describes a ,Machine"

A Professor Describes a Machine"
DOssIBBY Professor William Mlrigan
Sloane in lecturing before German stu
eminent in the United States" had Penrose-
ism In mind when he said: Where the or
ganizatlon Of party is known as the ma
chine both place and money bribery abound
and the slime of the serpent is on every po-
ltical and social institution because It Is on
the hearts of the men and women concerned,
the people who set up and work the whole
machinery of life. The fountain cannot rise
above its source except by artifce; there are
times and places where party machinery be-
comes so foul that It Is clogged and stopped"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
TO Al Lovers Of Fair Play,'

JNOR a good many years Prof. Hugo
l. Mueusterberg has been a welcome So
journer in this country His Interpretations
of American life from the dual standpoint NJ
a German and Il psychologist have been most
interesting and valuable We know him as
"ProfessoT Mueusterherg Of Harvard" and
wish a long duration Of his mhassadorship.
lie has Just published a new book called
"America and the War" and dedicated 1t
"to all lovers Of fair play" In II he de-
clares that the American people have formed
their opinions concerning the European war
with the unanimity OF sheep. He says that
their anti-Germau attitude Is akin to the
American penchant for lynchIng and that It
is the product OF uto-suggestion, Induced
and fostered by colored news from England
France and Belgium. Popular ignorance is
the cause of this hostility, Professor AIuen-
sterberg implies that sympathy with Ger
many is the outcome Of education and
culture.
Whatever may be the faults OF American
public opinion. this attack on It Is not likely
to further the purpose Of the book. More
over, It probably would surprise Professor
Muensterberg to know 10 what extent
readers Of war news in this country have
taken into account the sources Of il. II is
an American habit In forming opinions to
consider where the information comes from
When President Wilson told the Belgian
envoys and cabed the German Emperor that
the Government in Washington would not
attempt to render judgment on the ques-
tions that had been presented to him he was
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
FROM A JOURNALIST

To Tie EHltor OF The EtehIHD LodDer:
Sir-Beng a former newspaperman, I feel
impelled to write you my congratulations after
carefully watching your issues for the first three
days of publication. The physical appearance
of the paper commends itself, it seems to me.
above everything else. The news is presented
not so that the reader may read, but that he
must read
To catch the eye of the reader Immediately
is one thing demanded from afternoon
paper. This you have been able to do. Tile
generous use of pictures, which seems to be
your policy, almost needs no comment. Pictures
to most persons convey more lasting impress
sion than almost anything they read. and when
the public the pictures, the paper will Is
theirs FRIEND.
Philadelphia, September 16, 1914.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
The Primaries a Vain Hope

From the Milwaukee Sentinel,
one benehcent feature of the direct primary
is that il closes an argument. Ii Roger q
Sullivan We're the nominee of a Democratic
state convention a protest would mount 10 the
skies from Metropolis to Belvidere against such
betrayal of the plain people. In this case the
plain people seem to have done it-Chicago
Tribune,
No doubt. But "close an argument" When
did direct primary ever close an argument?
Wisconsin has had much experience i'm that
line. The sum OF ii is that the very peODIe
who invented the direct primary as the one Way
to secure an unarguable verdict are always the
very ones to 60 on arguing and kicking and
TRYING to upset the verdict every time N goes
against them. They doing 1t now.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Mt. Pleasant. Pa, September 10, 1914.
INTERESTS OF PEOPLE THRoTTLEp

To the Editor OF the Evening Ledger:
Sr-Permit me, q reader of your publlca.
tons, to express my observations of the sentl.
ment of the people of this community.
The non-partlsan judiciary and the uniform
primary acts rapidly educating the people
in favor of independent political action and
non-partisan voting You will recollect that
the latter act provides that voter is entitled
to n party ballot where he has voted for a
majority of the candidates of that party at the
preceding election These acts can have no
other effect than to place the best interests Of
the State and county before the people at
future elections.
The interests of the people of Pennsylvania
throttled by the fact that almost all our
largo daily papers are controlled by politicians
that are inimical to the good government Of
our State and counties.
DON G. CORBETT.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
PASSED BY THE CENSOR

TTNHE visit to this country OF a special Bel
i CLAN Embassy recalls the time spent in the
United States by Ii Hung Chang, Chinese
statesman and admirer Of General Grant.
1t was his devotion to the memory of the
American General which nearly precipitated
International complications between the then
Celestial Empire and old Erin. Ii arrived
In New York city and, according to the
bylaws of his native land, was not permit
ted to touch his silt-clad feet upon heather
foreign soil. So, wherever he went regal
carpets were laid, or the old gentleman was
carried In Sedan chairs.
1t was so when he visited Grants tomb on
riverside Drive, New York. Stepping from
his carriage, he entered waiting Sedan
chair. -Four husky Irish policemen stepped
forward, red Of face and i'll at ease. For a
moment they hesitated one or two essayed
to speak, but emotion overcame them. They
grasped the handles and New York wit
messed the amazing sight of a Chinaman
carried to anything but a patrol wagon by
four Irish polcemenl
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA

TTTHEN read few days ago that two
w lots of the Girard Estate in the vicinity
of Third and Porter streets had just been
sold by the city for more than $4,000, 1t
instantly occurred to me that that was only
a little less than third of the total value Of
the realty owned by Girard in old Passyunk
township at the time of his death.
Girard was one of the first men here to
realize the worth Of realty as an investment.
There had been land spectators before him
in the field, of course, but he was cautious
and, unlike Nicholson, who, at one time, had
an ownership In about one-slxth Of the State
Girard for the great part, had his holdings
in Philadelphia. His ventures outside In
cuded his coal lands in Pennsylvania, which
are still very profitable, and other land In
Louisiana.
He left to the city for the support Of his
wonderful college for orphan boys some of
the most valuable land in the central part
of the city. It Is true that pieces of this
property owing to the changes of business
centres, are not now profitable as they
once were, yet those properties in the neigh
borhood of the river as Girard understood,
never can cease to be of value so long as
we have any commerce at all.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
VIEWS OF READERS
ON TIMELY TOPICS
Contributions That Reflect Public Opin.
ion on Subjects Important to City,
State and Nation.

To the Editor Of the Evening Ledger.
Sir-As an Independent Republican, inter.
ested In having honest men elected to Office
and the standard of my party restored in Penn.
sylvania, am writing to commend your oppo.
sitlon to Penrosesm. BY so doing, through the
agency of your excellent paper you render a
great service to the citizens of our State Ths
antt-Penrose sentiment Is very strong through
here in Westmoreland County, and only by tha
elimination of Penroseism can our party hons
to return to its once high standard.
S. ovERHoLT.
Mt. Pleasant. Pa, September 10, 1914.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
THE IDEALIST

The Emperor Of China assumed terrific
obligations. Among them was the absolute
guarantee that ne would make the sun come
up each morning.
1t is not matter of record that the sun
ever failed to put in appearance. But therein
lies the reason for the immeasurable faith
which the people of the land put in their
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Oh. Pshaw!

TX. f. Shaw, new Chinese Minister, arrives with
five children and a retinue of twenty-seven."-
Newspaper item.
Poor Persia mourns her awful loss,
The Shah no longer rules as boss.
He's in this land, read. beCuuse*
CAnd here for rhymes we're forced to pause')
He represents the land of Heaven
OF family (and servants) there are 27.
Hurrah for China and its Shah,
Who Of five children is the pa!
.Pronouncs TO rhyme with boss"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
"Intelligent and Forcible"

From West Chester (Pa) Daily Local News.
Two issues of the Evening Ledger of Phia.
delphia have appeared, and in all its many
features 1t demonstrates that skilled newspaper
talent Is employed in its making of an evening
newspaper for the people. Its l6 pages rehee'
all the news of the world that Is worth reading,
and its every department, notably those for the
home circle, the ladies', the sporting folk, -
carefully considered with much elaborateness OF
detail.
Edtorialy the Evening Ledger is intelligent
forcible, independent and educational.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
lie


We walked into barber shop to have our
luxuriant curls denatured, diminuted, singed,
massaged and otherwise maltreated. The
barber went to work with a will and scissors.
He clipped and combed and clipped. He
spoke not. Then he brushed off the eXpur-
gated hair, combed what remained took off
the towel about our swan-lile neck; paid
him and walked out. Strange? Most as
suredly, for he never even once, much less
oftener, raised mirror behind us and asked
whether the cut suited aesthetic
Ideas.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

speaking officially, but he reflected the gem
eral sentiment of the American people in,
favor of neutrality of thought as we'll as Of
speech and action, so far as such neutrality
Is consistent with mans respect for his
own intellipence
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

Somewhere between heaven and earth Is
suspended Mohammeds stepping stone"
unless the Moslem legend is inaccurate. Ac-
cording to this source when Mohammed
mounted the beast, AL Borak, on his ascent
to heaven, the stone started to follow him,
whereupon the prophet laid his hand upon 1t
and bade It stay where 1t was. Hence, to
this day, true believers may see it suspended
on high
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

THE FUNCTION OF A NEWSPAPER

To the Editor Of tho Evening Ledger:
Sir-The true function of newspaper is serv-
ice to the public l believe that you are sincere
in your opposition to Mr.. Penrose, and believe
that the forceful editorials which have appeared
in the Evening Ledger, and those which be-
lieve shall come, will contribute to marked
degree in bringing about his defeat in Novem-
ber. Keep up this service! w. II. X.
PHILADELPHIA. September 16 1914
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Well Leave This Entirely to Our Readers

Correspondent, writing on n letterhead of
the mental detention room of n local hos
pital asks whether the following could be
called a poem:
GIVE credit whom it due is
To the whiskers of Ham Lewis"
We would NOT call 1t a poem; what we
really think of 1t shall go down into the dark
and dank grave with mortal remnants.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

What it the scientific name Of the small
creature who Is running your fruit this
year," asked Mrs. Dobbs
1T has no scientific name" replied Mrs.
Blobbs. "But il is vulgarly known as Jimmy
Dobbs."-Washington star
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
CURIOSITY SHOP

The Field Of Forty Footsteps-acc to
the legend-was a meadow in old London, on
whose site the British Museum now stands.
1t was also known as Southampton Field.
During the Monmouth rebellion two brothers
espoused opposite sides and fought duel
on the meadow. Both were slain and. accord
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
Generosity

Mr.. McNab ito urchn)-Whats the mat
ter laddie?
Jrchin-Pve lost my 'apenny!
Mr.. McNab-Aye dinna grieve. Here's q
match to find it.--LondOn Opinion.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

DY that strange perversity of human ma
ID ture that sometimes affects men of great
ness, Girard desired to be remembered as
a mariner instead Of merchant, although
as the latter he is, of course, better recalled.
1t may not be known that Booths greatest
ambition was to be a comedian, yet 1t is as
a tragedian that he became famous. On the
other hand, his brother-in-law, John S.
Clarke, who was a comedian of the buffo
type, believed he had failed in life because
the world would not accept him as a trage-
dian. Napoleon at first desired to achieve
fame a novelist, but if he did not achieve
that position, he succeeded in providing at
mosphere for countless pieces of fiction.
feel sure that Philadelphians are likely
to forget the mariner in Grard in the great
ness and far-sightedness of the man of bus
mess. GRANVILLE
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

"Yes, I may say I have an ideal hus-
band"
IAN Apollo for looks, a Chesterfield for
manners" rhapsodiZed the girl.
"Those things don't count in husbands.
my dear. Mine stays fairly sober and brings
most Of his salary home."-Pittsburgh Post.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

The title of Prime Minister was not
officially conferred, but was given In banter
to Sir Robert Walpole. On February IL, 1712,
he said in the House of Commons;
Having invested me with a kind of mock
dignity and styled me a prime minister the
Opposition imputes to me an objectionable
abuse Of the chimerical authority which they
only created and conferred"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
His Preparation

Have you had any experience in the
movies"
"Oh. yes, sir I was for ten years with a
furniture van."-Baltimore American.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21
A Purist
Western

Western Visitor (accosting citizen Can
you tell me a good place to stop at?
Citizcn-Certainly, Just before the "at."
Good day sir-Boston Transcript.