davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

world will not permit the average per-
son to linger for so long time in
this paradise of nature, but this fact
need not deter the traveller as one can
gain a fair idea of it's beauties in
few days stay. Trails lead to the diff
ferent points Of interest and those who
are fond of walking are enthusiastic
over the manner in which they are
laid out and marked. One Of these
leads to yosemite Falls-that great
mass of water which In three leaps
makes a descent of twenty-six hun
dred feet with a roar that reverber-
ates from cliff to cliff and shakes win
dows a mile away. The water shoots
over the rocks with an amazing We
llocity and in masses which resemble
a comet with a long streaming tail like
combed silk. The water balls fall
with a kissing sound. bursting when
they are half way down. into feathery
spray and losing their identity in the
mist. Like the Bridal Veil the Yo-
Big Trees.
The big tree section of the 70
semitic, known as Mariposa Grove is in
its way quite as wonderful as the
peaks and waterfalls, for there one
looks upon the great sequoias rivalling
the remotest history in the matter of
age and Incompatible in their growth
and the symmetry of their branches.
One of the trees has been tunnelled
and the coach passes through the
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

trunk, the circumference of which is
about nincty-six feet. Another tree
known as the Grizzly Giant is nearly
ninety-four feet in circumference and
twenty-five people can barely encircle
it's Girth touching fnger-ttps The
first branch Is practically tree In
itself. being ten feet in diameter and
one hundred and twenty-five feet from
the ground 1t still ripens its seed
with unfailing regularity although the
botanists declare that 1t has already
reached the ripe old age of five thou
sand years.
The Yosemite. too, is reverend
Ing ioy to the mountain climber, for
there Half Dome with its glacier swept
sides and lofty Mount Starr King are
worthy the proves of an expert. while
Eagle Rock, Ell Captain, North Dome
and the Three Brothers will keep the
amateur mountain climber busy.
Glacier Point.
The greatest of all trips In the
Yosemite is the one to. Glacier Point.
and anybody who can sit upon the
back Of a trail horse may make the
tourney in safety. Starting from the
hotel early in the morning the guide
leads one through the flower-covered
meadows and into the woods along
a shady trail to what Is known as
Mirror Lake-a little body Of water
nestled at the foot of peak which
lis reflected in its waters with such per-
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

in Spain. Labaree went to the At
lanta Federal Prison for long term
and Emmanuel was sentenced to ff-
teen months in States prison.
Our attention to the new concern
was attracted by the tremendous vol
umes of mail being delivered to It's
palatial suite of offices in Wall street
each day. No mining company in
Business for years was receiving as
much mail as this newcomer, and that
in itself was suspicious Some of this
incoming mail We seized and scanned.
but there was nothing to indicate
just what bait had been thrown
out by the promoters to call forth
the rain of checks and money orders
that were pouring in each day. What
we most needed before we could take
any drastic step was to get hold OF
some of the company's literature and
see its glittering prospectuscs that
proved so alluring. We wrote to some
Of the signers Of the letters we had
seized We told them that we wanted
to get line on the stock they were
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

A mile or more further on the trail
comes upon the Nevada Falls. the
same stream which at this point forms
a sloping falls six hundred feet in
height and in point OF beauty rivals
the Yosemite and Bridal Veil, al
though it is Of an entirely different
type. and is regarded as one Of the
most remarkable waterfalls in the
world. Its leaps are made by twists
and turns. and it swtshes out of pot
holes in Its descent until the water
Is SO cnurned that 1t becomes a mass
Of white foam. Indeed. at distance
the profile view makes the falls ap-
pear like great mass OF snow. Tho
setting OF the Nevada Falls Is par
ticularly beautiful with the Liberty
Cap and Mount Broderick at its back.
The travellers dismount there to give
the horses rest before the climb up
the zig-zag trail begins-an ingenious
| path built up against the side OF the
mountain. Half an hour later Glacier
Point is reached and the tired riders
dismount to feast their eyes on the
rlortes OF miles Of snow-capped noun.
tains.
Standing on the hanging rock at this
point at an altitude Of seven thou
| sand and thirty-two hundred feet
above the level of the valley beneath
one eazes outward toward the high
sierras and beholds a panorama OF
natural beauty perhaps unsurpassed
in the world, for each peak or series OF
peaks rises higher, terrace-1ike. until
the view is lost in the meet of the
mountains and the sky. The MERGED
River may be traced for miles almost
70 its source where like a tiny thread
| of silver it seems to lay upon the gray
rocks or the green mountain sides or
ayen lost now and then as 1t appears
TO minGle with the perennial snow
capped hills. winding its way by leaps
and bounds from It's small beginning
in the lofty peaks far beyond until 1T
reaches the valley, big. rushing river.
bona loolxs down on the Yosemite Falls
ana ri Captain with its Widows Tears
scarcelv visible from this distance.
co,,th Dome looms up In all Its ma
/ ies+v. the Liberty Cap lifts Its mighty
head toward ''its place In the sun
Inc yernal Falls and the Navada Falls
are seen shining in the green gorge
IL inv hut. Late in the
,rternoon as the sun passes over the
mountain's edge its rays bring out tho
beauty and grandeur Of that eastern
,;aw First the entire eastern land-
scape is aglow with the soft. even light
Of the departing day playing upon the
hills and mountains and streams and
snow and ice-a scene Of indescrtbablo
beauty: and as shadows gather one W
one the peaks lose the olaAe % ene Sun
lnnttl some lofty spire Ia fs1s -.-n -ts.
lance gives the last kiss to another
dav and darkness falls over the land
and this is one of the many charms
lof that most delightful spot-the 70.
semitic Valley.
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

There are SO many nimble-
witted sharpers at large that
scores upon scores of them daily run
counter to the Federal laws. especial
ly those spertainlng to the United
States malls. My work as an IN
spector covers an experience OF many
years in which I served my tine stalk
ing outlaws in the Tennessee noun
tains, or tracking down the most -e-
sourceful and cunning of get-rich-
quick artists Of the biggest cities OF
the east.
while I shall devote the greater
part OF the space allotted to me here
in telling of my pursuit and capture
OF the get-rich-duick operators, never
theless. an experience in which l was
made to look 50 cheap. and so
amateurish by three raw. green noun
tain boys remains 50 fresh In my mem
DRY that I can't resist the tempta-
ton to tell OF it here.
had been detailed to investigate
the robbery of post office far back
in the Tennessee mountains. The post
Office in question was fifty miles from
Obion, the nearest town. 1 went to
Obton and learned from JEFF Lowell.
the postmaster. that / would have to
make the trip on horseback and he
volunteered to show me the way.
but we finally covered the distance and
soon got down to all the facts avail
able. There were no tangible clews
at hand. The only threads we could
pick up that were worth Investigating
was the fact that three boys. brothers.
ranging from twelve to sixteen years
old. were living IN a hut far up the
mountain side. None knew how they
lived, or from what source they de-
rived the little money they offered in
payment for the occasional purchases
they made at the country store. They
were orphans and following the death
of ne'er-do-well father struck out
for themselves and built the little hut
in which they lived. Their regulations
were unsavory to say the least.
Boy Ill In His Howell
There. apparently, was nothing by
which the boys could be connected
with the robbery, but JEFF and 1 start
ed out to look them over and then
grill them If possible. After tor
tuous climb up the almost perpendic-
ular and rocky trail we arrived at
the hut. the door of which was ajar.
Opening wide the door 1 entered. and
there huddled on a pile of straw. and
covered by n frayed and ragged
blanket lay a boy. his sunken cheeks.
sallow complexion, dull lustreless eyes
and emaciated form clearly indicating
that he was suffering from the ravages
of malaria fever, SO prevalent in that
district The boy was almost too III
to talk, but we finally learned that he
was the second. or, as he put it, the
'.middHn brother" the eldest and the
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

like a delicate scarf. At sunset the
waters are like a mass OF jewels
formed by the myriads of rainbows.
Just back of the Falls rise the
Cathedral Rocks. so named on account
of their resemblance to the Duomo at
Florence, Italy. These rocks lift their
heads several hundred feet above the
valley.
Ell CAPTAIN. the mighty buttress of
rock which has been SO often COM
pared 10 the rock of Gibraltar, is near
by. 1t Is not a beautiful mountain
but its vastaess Is impressive with It's
vertical front of gray rock standing
thirty-three hundred feet high. A thin
stream of water washes the side OF
the peaks, dropping about eight hun
bred feet like tiny ribbon. This is
known as the Widows Tears. and when
the driver was asked why such
peculiar name was given to the stream
he answered because it only flowed
two months" The Three Brothers.
Eagle Peak and Sentinel Rock, are
passed before reaching the hostelry-
a comfortable house nesting In the
shadow OF THIS massive rock. Those
who prefer camp life will find a. num-
Der of well run tented villages. The
whole reservation Is patrolled by Unit
ed States soldiers who are quick to
put a stop to disorder or vandalism.
Months might be spent in the 70
semitic. but unfortunately the workaday
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

so eagerly subscribing for and asked
them to send us a copy OF the pros
pectus they had received. None com
piled with the request. however. all.
doubtless. fearing that a prying gov
eminent was seeking to seize goose
that gave promise of laying such
rich harvest of golden eggs.
Find Man With A Grudse.
After scouting around for a week
1 found a man who was once in the
employ OF Prince. but had been dis
charged. This man bore a grudse
against his old employer, accusing him
OF having double-crossed him He was
eager to tell all he knew and If there
was any chance of getting back at
Prince and wiping out an old score.
he had no intention of overlooking it.
Did he know anything about this
new scheme Prince was exploiting !?
OF course. he did! 1t was "Salted
Mine" scheme! And clumsy one at
that he told me.
THAT crowd dug a little hole down
in Mexico" this man with the crouch
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

Fortunately. for my reputation as
an inspector. we picked up new clews
to the real perpetrators OF the post
office robbery, arrested them and got
their confessions.
Soon after being transferred to the
New York division I was assigned to
those cases where the mails We're be-
ing used in schemes to defraud. There
were many such cases to be run down.
but none seemed to have the ramifica-
tions of fake mining stock scheme
in which the promoters were on a fair
road to clean up millions unless they
could be checked with sudden pinch.
The company under exploitation
was the Dos Estrellos Mining and De-
Ivelopment Company and those behind
the swindle We're Louis Prince, well
known as THE Bucket Shop King"
IT, Walter Labaree. who once failed
for half a million while conducting
chain of bucket shops; and George w.
Emmanuel. Prince, after had cleared
up the case. jumped his $4,000 bail
and went to Paris where he made a
fortune in moving picture concessions
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

said .~The hole was only about
e,Shteen feet square. but by taking
photoSraphs of the excavation. which
later were enlarged. there was shown
a greatly magnihed view of the dig
gings-
"There were a few photographs of
a aourishing stamping mill in full OPP
Grafton. This mill was represented as
their own, although as matter OF
fact they had never seen it No soon
err were these photographs obtained
than the schemers Incorporated the
Mutual Trust Company OF Mexico,
which company, according 70 the pros
pectuses and other literature guar
anteed the stock and bonds OF Dos
Estrellos Mining Company, on which
the promoters agreed to pay two per
cent. a month, dividends. But the
browning achievement OF the schemers
was an additional guarantee OF the
stock and bonds OF the fake company
by Speyer & Company, OF Mexico CITY,
This name was similar to that of the
| big New York bankers and the lambs
never even took the trouble 10 ma
out that the two concerns hao no con-
nection whatsoever.
This information came so pat and
such aid was further vouchsafed by
NV informant that after verifying It
| in spots, we despatched Post Office
Inspector Hamilton to Taxo. Mexico.
where the bogus mine was located.
while I mounted guard in New orK.
In the meantime I managed to get holo
! of a full set of the literature ana
learned that all and more than my
| Informant had told me was true Mail
was still pouring In on the sW'nolers
land from one OF their office clerks.
twho had succeeding in winning over.
learned they already had taken In
sun, in excess of a million dollars.
a Gigantic Swindlc.
In ten DAYS heard from Inspector
uamilton. Conditions in Mexico he
reported were even worse than we had
feared. The little hole in the ground
hadn't semblance of ore in 1t. and
the photograph of the stamping mill
was that of one belonging to reputa-
HE concern doing business miles dis
tant The trust company had no as
sets, whatever. and its palat1al
Offices consisted of one tiny back
room on the top floor of a tumbled-
down building in an obscure street
With this information at hand we
knew it was time to swoop down on
our quarry. We made our raid la'e
X one Saturday afternoon. we sclzeo
Prince and Emmanuel at their desks
and while we were grilling thetn
Labaree came stalking in. We were
Idumbfounded to see him there, Tor
we had supposed he was employed by
the Ouidbo Gold Dredging Company.
He protested that he had no connec-
ftion with DOS Estrellos Company 9th
err than as a customer. but we deemed
lit safer to take him into custody also.
Later we found he was just as deep
in the mire as the rest OF them ana
his indictment and conviction specify
followed.
More Lambs Are Slaughtered.
A five million dollar swindle is OF
sufficient magnitude to entitle IL 10
mention here. This outfit consisted of
the Burr Brothers and their victims
could be found in every State in the
Union. Our department was lombard
ed with complaints from so many per-
sons that 1 was not only detailed 70
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

,,he case. but was told to got busy a4
once and make my pinches before
many more lambs could be led TO th4
slaughter II was day or fwo -
fore I could get look at their neass-
ture and. as usual. their glttter4nI
prospectuses were filled with rosy
promises. although the initiated could
see cheat and fraud written in every
line. The promoters In this concern
spent most OF their time travelling
about from big city to big city and
that made 1t hard for mo to ascer-
tain the Identity Of all concerned In
the Hood OF profits they were rolling
up eacn day. To make. a clean job
of 1t l wanted to arrest all OF the
principals at the same moment
After providing around for a day or
two. L wormed myself into the good
graces OF young fellow who was
paying marked attention to the young
girl who acted as confidential secre-
tary to one OF the Burr Brothers. This
girl liked a good time. was fond OF
gay little dinners, theatre and supper
parties.
Girl Reveals Secret
| 1t was at one of these little mid
night suppers when the bright lights,
ienspiriting music and sparkling wines
had the effect of loosening her tongue
h and waxing confidential she told her
young escort (my stool-pigeon) that
Sheldon &. and E. II. Burr were In
New York City; Preston Burr was on
the Pacific slope. probably in Spokane.
iand c. II. Tobey. another partner. was
Visiting relatives on a farm In Mich
/ igan.
| In a few hours we had the wires
NJ
fstructed to get after Preston Burr at
Il once In the event of his making his
way towards Portland, Ore. inspectors
at that city were ordered to be on the
/ alert. The latter move was wise, for
/ Preston Burr did jump Spokane for
| Portland.
| An Inspector who went to the Mich
igan farm caught Tobey red-handed,
while we seized e. II. Burr at his
office together with all his books. rec
ords and the correspondence that had
been pouring in on him. thus giving US
I a fair idea of the number OF the VIC
4 tins. We found Sheldon Burr in the
parIor of a Christian Science leader
\ and broke up his earnest conversation
with his fair hostess. The whole OUT
fit was arrested on the same day, and
this we regarded as a master stroke.
The firm had advertised stock in q
fake mining scheme and their pros
pectuses were so attracttvely worded
that the suckers fairly fell over
themselves to get nibble at the
golden bait. In all they sold upwards
of $5o,ooO.ooo for which they received
s5.00o,o0O in cash. They had much
negotiable paper in their safes, many
of the victims having given their city.
suburban or farm homes In exchange
for the stock. All of the principals
were convicted and sent away for
terms they richly deserved.
\ But as long as the world continues
to revolve 1 guess. the get-rich-quick
artists will find victims for their me-
y farious stock. Just offer the average
person something that Is a trifle above
the legal rate of interest and he will
fall all over himself to get in on the
bonanza. sacrificing without further
thought that which has taken years OF
toll and care to accumulate.
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02
Post Office Inspector Tells Of His Thrilling Pursuit
ofThis Brand Of Criminal, Which In Majorltyof
CasesIs GuidedBy the Brains of a Woman
Battling the Lowly Yeggs and Outwlt-
ting the High Brow Sharpers.

youngest having left home an hour
earlier to shoot a squirrel or two for
the days dinner.
Deciding to scout about the prem
ises a little. we emerged from the
hut and had walked only a short dis
tance when we spled one OF the broth
ers approaching. He had seen us
first, all right. for his rifle, although
apparently carelessly carried. was
trained directly at us.
I called to him that we had come
20 have a talk with him about the
post Office affair. and the best thing
that he could do would be to Join US
where we could talk at closer range.
He said he preferred to remain where
he was, but as for the post office rob-
berry he didn't know anything about It
and he would not talk about 1t II he
did BY this time I had managed to
draw my revolver, but the boy was too
quick for me. He slowly raised his
rifle to his shoulder and drew care
full bead on my friend JEFF
You can shoot me as quick as you
damn please" the youngster drawled.
but the moment you raise that gun
of yours I'll blow the top of Jeff's
head or"
The little rascal had US all right, so
it was a case of parley. I suggested
that we discard our weapons and then
sit down and talk like two sensible
human beings. He agreed. SO we
threw our firearms aside.
No sooner had Jef's and my pistol
struck the ground. however. than a
voice. almost in my ear drawled:
Now 'aint all you been here long
enough? Suppose you lights out and
starts for where you all belongs"
Boy In Tree Trapped Them.
JEFF and 1 wheeled around and look
ing directly overhead sp1ed the third
boy perched on the limb OF a tree. a
big rife, Its barrel sawed short. point
ed directly at my head. This young
scamp had been in the tree all the
time and could have blown the tops
of our heads off at will.
No argument was necessary. AS we
moved back the first boy recovered his
own rife and Jeff's and my revolver,
as well. and slowly advancing ordered
us TO stand hands up" Then he
marched US off to a safe distance
where we were again halted. The
smaller boy scrambled down the tree
and mounted guard over US while the
elder brother darted into the hut. He
was out in second. supporting his
ill and stricken brother. He got the
sick boy over the fence and then. call
ing to our sentry. the three OF them
scra mbled off in the underbrush and
that was the last we ever saw of
them. or of my revolver either. for
that matter.
When we recovered from our sur
prise we sat down and laughed until
our sides ached. Those three little
rascals had made us look as cheap as
a pair of plugged nickcls!
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02
A Short Sketch Of
This Beautiful Ma
tional Playground
of the Sierras.
the SlerraS.
Copyright. 1915. by rhe international
SNndicntc.

JEW places in the world present
a. within such a narrow compass
so much natural beauty as the
Yosemite Valley-so much so
that one hardly knows where to begin
or what to say or when to stop revel-
ing about its charm.
The Yosemite was discovered and
named by the Indians. its name signt-
fytnE Big Grizzly Bear" The Red
Men were awed at the sight of its
glacier marked battlements, It's sheer
precipices and its mighty waterfalls.
and they looked upon it with sort
OF reverence Probably the first white
man who saw the wonderful canyon
was DR.. Bunnell, in the Winter OF
1s4e. He was ascending the old Bear
Valley trail from Rcdley's Ferry on
The MERGED River when IAN immense
cliff doomed up apparently to the sum-
NIT OF the mountains" This was the
mighty Ell Captain, one Of the great
peaks of the Yosemite.
Made A National Park.
In 1890 the Yosemite and surround
ing Forests total area of thirty-six
miles in length by forty-eisht in
breadth was granted by Congress to
the State of California as a reserva-
ton, and In 1905 it was re-ceded to
the Federal Government by that State
and became known as The Yosemite
National Park.
The climb is made by easy stages
TO the floor of the valley four thou
sand feet above the level of the sea.
Then all at once the grim sentinels
which stand like guardians at the
entrance come into view and at least
four mighty waterfalls are visible
through the shadows of the pines. All
Nature is alive and the twittering of
birds and the odor of flowers soon
reach the ears and nostrils of the
traveller.
Then the Bridal Veil Fall is
reached. This stream is fully thirty
feet wide and falls n distance of six
hundred feet, then rushes over pile
of rocks and makes n leap OF three
hundred feet more. From one point
of view the break in the stream is
not visible and 1t appears as an I'M
broken fall of nine hundred feet. Like
Niagara 1t has its moods. and in or
4er to see its real beauty 1t must be
VISITED :==ny tin. es-not a difficult
thing to do for 1t is not over mile
from the hotel. 1t derives its name
from the hlmy, lace-like effect of the
water as it is swayed by the wind
which at times makes it resemble a
huge lace bridal veil. while at other
times 1t waves backward and forward
The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-02

its white foam down the dark canyon
in staid, orderly manner and keep
ing the foliage on its sides green by
its incessant baptism. The river at
this point Is about eighty feet wide
and the drop is over three hundred
and fifty feet. "A trail leads to the
top where there is a level plateau
over which the climber may walk in
safety along the river as 1t comes from
Emerald Pool and watch the chang
ing color of the water as 1t leaps over
the precipice.