davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
THE TELEPHONE FRANCHISE.

In their open meetings, at least the members of the city council have indicated their determination not to pass the proposed telephone franchise without careful considera- tion, based upon their desire to see that the city gets it's rights in the matter
 A franchise for a public utility is matter of importance to every resident of the city, and if the members of the council continue to as they did last Wednesday night it Is certain that there will be no cause for complaint
 It is the evident intention of the council to play fair with the tele phone company, which has it's money invested here while, at the same time, it Is guarding the city's rights. It is understood that members of the council have been seeking the ad- vice of other interested citizens re- garding the features of the new franchise, and certainly this is a wise and commendable action, for 1t indicates the intention of the city lawmakers to act with discretion.
 The new franchise provides for a reduction in prices in business telephones and in extensions. Other wise the rates are about the same as those now in force. Whether the rates suggested are proper must be determined by the members of the council. after taking into considera- ton local conditions and expenses, and then comparing them with the rates and expenses of the Outside towns of similar size. To do this properly takes some time and effort. and has been the cause of the slow work in the matter that has been done by the council up to date
 The fact that the old franchise would soon expire seems to have been overlooked generally by the people reporter for The Citizen was present at the meeting of the council a week ago Monday night. when the communication from the Fairbanks Telephone company was received, asking for new franchise, but through an oversight the matter was not mentioned in last weeks is- sue of this newspaper.
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
/, ; . . . o , . . . .
THE CROAkER.

. (, ., ; {, '> ' /, . :, :. (, ; , <, (, Once on the aidge of a pleasant pool. Under the bank where twas dark and
 cool, Where bushes over the water hung, And rushes nodded and grasses Jest where the crick flowed outer
 the bog, There lived grumpy and mean ole
 frog, Who'd set all day in the mud and
 soak And jest do nothin' but croak and
 croak. Till a blackbird hollered. 'I say,
 yer know, WFat is the matter down there be-
 low? Are you in trouble. CT pain, CT what?" The frog sez, Mine is a orful lot; Nothin' but mud and dirt and slime For me ter look at jest all the time. It's a dirty worldi" so the old fool
 spoke. "Croakity-croakity croakity- y-croak," But yer lookin' down." the black
 bird said; Look at the blossoms overhead. oOl5 at the lovely summer skies. Look at the bees and butterflies; Look up, ole feller. Why. bless yer
 soul, Yer loOkin' down in mus'rat hole," But still with gurglin' sob and
 choke, The blamed ole critter would only
 croak. And a wise ole turtle, who boarded
 near, Sez ter the blackbird. Friend, see
 here: Don't shed no tears over him. fer he Is lowdown jest cause he likes ter He's one CT them kind CT chumps
 that's glad Ter he so 'rable-like and sad I'll tell yer somethin' that ain't no
 joke. Don't waste yer sorrer on folks that
 croak."
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
Lord and Peasant
 Depart For War

When the steamship Senator dock ed yesterday morning among the first passengers off were Lord William Percy, of England, and William Scheid, of Germany, says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer The picture of royalty and peasantry, prompted by patriotism. hurrying to war was a novel one to the passen- gers.
 Lord Percy is the fourth son of the Duke of Northumberland, He holds a captains commission in the Royal Grenadiers. So anxious was he to join the colors that he left on the first overland train for the East. Lord Percy left Seattle last spring for the North on the United States revenue cutter Bear to hunt the spectacled cider duck, but when the wireless carried the news that war had started in Europe he was put of at Nome.
 MT. Scheid is a German, of peas ant stock. 45 years of age. He has been gold hunting in the North for number of years and when war broke out was engaged in placer mining in the Ruby district. He quit work and embarked on the first boat for the lower river.
 A sharks egg is one of the oldest looking things imaginable. It is un- provided with shell. but the con- tents are protected by thick. leathery covering. almost as elastic as India rubber. The average size is 2x2A inches and it is almost jet black
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

most critical time in history. and may have caused us 10 be a party 60 tiis unjustilled slaughter that is going on beyond the Atlantic
 Here is what Canadian news. paper. the Vancouver World h. say about some of our foreign d.y lomats in the present difficulty iu Europe:
 Few things have been more marked in the European situation than the efficiency of the United States in diplomacy. Ambassador Gerard in Germany has won inter national plaudits. Brand Whitlock in Belgium has endeared himself to the world for his humane interpre- tation of his duties. MT. Herrick in France has proved himself a patriot ic. fearless representative in more ways than in the mere routine of office. Ambassador Page in Great Britain has assumed unusual duties and has carried them through with splendid executive skill Minister Van Dyck is giving a fine account of himself at The Hague. These are few of the men who hold the Stars and Stripes up to the world in foreign lands"
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

ed the cry for aid was heard around the world. and contributions came from all civilized lands These con tai of s6.O00 900. and i, was this prompt relief that kept the homeless refugees from starvation, and disease.
 Since that time. San Francisco has done everything in its power to show its appreciation for the help and sympathy 1t received from the rest of the world.
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
AMERICAN DIPLOMATS.

While we are giving President Wilson and Secretary Bryan due credit for their tact and diplo- macy in handling delicate interna- tional questions during the disturb ed conditions in Europe. we must not forget that much of the credit is due to the diplomats who are rep resenting the United States abroad
 If the American diplomats had not been naturally good statesmen. they would have endangered the neutrality of this country in the
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
School Children Are
 Becoming Careless

That the tendency of the pupils of the public school is to be ab- sent from classes, or to be tardy, is growing, is the announcement made by Superintendent F. X. Kar- Ter in his report to the school board for last month.
 After showing by his records that the children are endangering their own welfare by their carelessness, Prof. Karrer makes an appeal to the parents to cooperate with him and the teachers in the matter of obtaining more regular attendance.
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
COULDN'T GET IN.

In letters to friends in this city. Henry T. Rowbottom formerly at tached to the local radio station. tells of his intellectual attempt to enlist in the British navy last sum- mer After he was discharged from the U. 8. signal corps. Rowbottom went to England intending to join the navy, to which he had belonged once before, only to find that he would have to wait for an indefinite period of time on account of the long list of applicants ahead of him. He is now at Valdez and his Fair banks friends believe that he will rejoin the signal corps at that point.
 OLD PAPERs FOR GALE.
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
PRESIDENT WILSON'S AGE.

President Wilson celebrated his 5Sth birthday last Monday, and this fact opens the way for some ideas about the age at which men should retire from active life
 In two years from now President Wilson will have reached his 60th year, and if Prof. Osler's theory should be followed out. he would then be chlorotormed, Instead of that, however, President Wilson about that time will be a candidate for reelection 10 the Presidency. or at least the political campaign will have ended by his 60th birthday and 1t will be determined if he is re- elected
 That Prof. Osler's theory about old people is wrong has been dis proved thousands and thousands of times. Indeed. men often have only reached their mental prime at 60 years, and others are more vigorous mentally at E years of age than the average man is at 30
 It would be a dismal thing to look forward to if one were to be forced to retirement at given age. re- gardless of mental and physical con. dition. Prof. Osler said that man should be retired at 40, and that at so he should be chloroformed. Few of our really great men would have accomplished much if they had been retired at 40, for usually the great est accomplishments of a mans life is beyond that age. The constitu- tion of the United States prevents man from becoming President until he has reached his 35th year
 The youngest man ever to take the Presidential chair was Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42 years of age President Jackson was 61 years of age when he entered the White House, and stayed there for eight years. No one will say that Presi- dent Jackson was an incompetent at the time he took office. or that Thomas Jefferson, who was also 61 years of age when he was made head of the nation, was unfitted by age for the position.
 W. H. Harrison, who was elected President in 1S40, was the oldest of all the Presidents to enter the White House for the first time for he was 68 years of age.
 There have been 2S Presidents of the United States Fourteen of these, or just half of the total num- Der were 55 years or more when 1 first elected. It is interesting to note, too, that out of the 2S Presi- dents the country has had, g were 50 years or more when first elected. It seems that the mind of man does not follow the same laws of nature that apply to the physical being, for the person who remains healthy in mind and body evidently grows stronger mentally until ex- treme age is reached However, this does not apply to the person who loses physical vitality prematurely early.
 It is probable that President Will sons mind Is more active today than at any previous time in his life, and that the results of his reasoning now are more perfect than ever be- fore That he is a man of great mental and moral strength is al- ready proved.
 While on this subject, the fact presents itself that ambition for self-improvement tends to strengthen a persons hold upon existence The man who settles down to q routine without any hope of improving his condition is to be pitied, for fate will certainly condemn him to an un. satisfactory ending
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
About Some Folks
 Well Known Here

A number of Fairbanksans will be interested in the following article, clipped from a recent issue of the Seattle Post Intelligencer, because it deals with several people who, in times gone by, made Fairbanks their headOuarters. Casper Fisher will be well remembered for the reason that he was then as now, interested in amusement enterprises. 'The big guy with the white suit" is Dan Gleason who formerly officiated as the manager of the pool parlors at Halls Book store. Edgar Webster is the well known Seattle insurance man. who has made several trips to Fairbanks In the more recent years.
 The article was written by Ken meth c. Beaton. in "Ye Towne Gossip" column and is as follows: INQUIRE LOOKING for cash" SAID CASPER FiSHER OF THE Hippodrome. w AM"
 SAID l. ITO CASPER "CASH.
 'IS MY middle name" AND IN a minute. IT WAS all over. AND NEXT Tuesday night. AT THE Hippodrome. AT FIFTH and University PM GOING to give IA DANCE.
 AND I'M going to run it. MY OWN way. AND THE big guy. WITH THE white suit IN THE middle Of the floor. CAN HAVE a night off AND IT'LL be so cents. FOR 4 couple TO GET in
 AND AFTER that. IT'LL BE 10 cents. FOR A dance.
 AND WHEN it's all over CASPER FISHER WILL TAKE all the money AND PUT it in sack. AND PACK it over TO THE P.-I. office. FOR THE Christmas fund AND WHO ever heard. OF JULIUS SLATER. REFUSING TO give up WHEN THREATENED? WANT $25. FROM JULIUS. AND THERE'S Edgar Webster HE TOOK me out IN HIS automobile. LAST NIGHT. AND | nearly froze WANT something from him AND JIM SHEEHAN OF THE American Radiator Co. HE PUT little radiator IN MY room. AND EVERY morning. HAVE to light matches under it. TO GET 1t warm AND FREDERICK CHARLES JOHN.
 STONE AND NEWTON PosTEN. AND J. WARREN GOULD. AND BEN BRIERLY. AT THE Washington Annex THEY ALL hate money. DO THEY not? THEY DO not HATE to do this. AND I'D hate to tell everything THAT l know. ABOUT THESE fellows. BUT 1 have to-. BECAUSE C. HARRISON GREEN. THE P.-I. Santa Claus. KEEPS NAGGING at me. HE'S A Canadian, AND HE makes me sick COME ON boys! n THANK YOU.
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
FAIRBANksAN KILLED.

Word that Ben Bigelow, who last summer was attached to the local signal corps force as a telegraph operator, had been killed in an ac- was received in Fairbanks during the past week. The informa- tion received was meagre. but 1t is believed that Bigelow met his death in a train wreck near Kansas City,
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

Japan's 1913 foreign trade was val ued at $678,222.146. Imports. $363.- 256.960
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

AFTER Judge Bunnell has made all his appointments, there will be little left to interest local politicians
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04
Justice of Peace
 Proves A Diplomat

LATHROP. Mo.-Home grown di plohacy diplomacy of Simon Bickel. mayor and justice of the peace of Lathrop-paved the way out of a delicate little tangle involving the majesty of the law in Lathrop.
 Lathrop is the assembling point for horses and mules awaiting in spection before shipment to Europe for use in the British army A Brit iSh horse buyer, who is a colonel in the English army was arrested for riding on the sidewalks. When he was taken before Mayor Bickel he pointed out that he could not plead guilty, because if convicted the law of England would require him to go immediately to London for court martial.
 Bickel took the case under advise 'nent. He gave this Solomonic an sWer to the question: Let sl0 fine be paid without Col. Hassels' knowl- edge and without a plea being en- tered. Bickel in turn would head off any court martial by giving the colonel a paper exonerating him from any crime. And so it was arranged and the fine was paid by represen- tatiyes Of the horse and mule firm having contract with the British government.
 The pretty pupil-teaCher was talk ing the geography lesson. and was finding the density of one or two of the scholars rather more than she could cope with. She was Ques- tioning them on the peculiarities of British seaports, and at last she pointed to Liverpool on the map and asked:
 Now, boys, why is the river at Liverpool always thick?"
 Dead silence Then suddenly something popped into Willie smiths mind and his eyes twnkled
 Please. miss" he said, because the quality of the Mersey is not strained"
 Ceylon produces about six million bushels of rye yearly
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

THIS is the time of year when absent-minded people will insist on dating their letters year behind the time
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

JAPAN seems still to be anxious 10 get into the active part of the war in Europe. The only trouble with that country seems to be that it is suffering with a bad case of "swelled head"
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

Ceylon produces about six million bushels of rye yearly
The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-04

IF the money being spent in kill ing off good men in Europe could be utilized for the poor and needy in those countries at war, everything across the Atlantic would certainly have different appearance
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18
SKINNEY'S FINISH.

Being little short of material this
week we asked the devil to write us a
short article against the use of slang.
He did. Here it is:
''lf there is anything that gets our
Nanny it is the use of slang. Some
guys spill so much of that kind of
dope that it is hard to get wise to
their spiel. Kids should be put next
by their parents that slang is on the
Fritz and should ought to be cut out.
IT l had kid that couldn' It put over
straight stuff | would wallop the lin
ing out of the lobster. Skirts are
shines, proper, when it comes to slang.
They think that mercy, and 1 should
say not are real tough The boss is a
dish of prunes when it comes to slang.
ne baWls me out to a fare ye well and
1 am IN Dutch from the time / come
on the job till haying time in the even
ing This is the first thing l have ever
wrote and if it don t show up in the
rag | will know it is flivver proper.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18
IOWA EDITORS GO TO SCHOOL,

Iowa S weekly newspaper men are to
have short course all their own at the
Iowa State college, March Is. 10. %
This short course is not to be social func
ton, but place where country news
paper men can come together to study
their special problems and work out
some solution for them with the helm
OF practical men. Instruction will deal
with important phases of agriculture. as
1t is the big industry in every Iowa
weekly newspaper man S community.
~ having some idea of modern agri-
culture, he can publish n newspaper to
ut his field and promote the commuu-
ity $ progress, as well as devotion n
Held OF business now generally neglec
ted.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18

Children S frocks change much less
in comparison with the styles of their
elders, but this Spring finds the short
wasted frocks much more popular than
the long wasted ones, although the lat
ter have not become passe, by any man
ncr of means. The short wasted frocks
are very becoming to the small child
and to the petite girl, but for the tall,
or very plump child, the long wasted
models are much more becoming.
The Dutch styles are very much the
vogue for the small girl. These have
plain, but full skirts, usually of one
color and blouses of white, very short;
the skirts are usually fastened to the
waists with large buttons. These have
been called the Florence Dombey -
dresses probably because some enter
prising wholesaler wanted to get a
Dickens name for a small girl to cor
respond with the boy s ''Oliver Twist -
suit
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18
WOLFE AFAVORED
SPRING FABRIC
Trimmings Of Worsted Embroidery on
Tulle and Chiffon
BLACK VERY POPULAR
GAL ONE

GAL ONE ............. ......... .................
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE last
month has proven that Paris is not
mapping. The couturiers have supplied
fashions for the waiting Americans
despite depressed conditions, and their
openings have been almost as gay as
ever. / say almost, for one cannot get
over the atmosphere of grief which en-
tiers the place when one sees the sup
pressed sorrow on the face Of sales.
woman or model. The manneauins
themselves are not less gay, but it is
often forced gaiety.
The gowns show less change than
heretofore, but what they lack in var.
iety they make up in artistry. The
couturiers have had no heart for the
bizarre, and therefore have improved
upon what they have had
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18

with the sde-closing of the skirt, is
both neat and attractive. A high col
lar with a turnover of white shows the
latest within in collars Notice the sim
pie belt of the same cloth, even to the
|cloth-covored buckle.
One of the odd and quaint novelties
in evening frocks is made with floun-
ces of white tulle edged with pink
worsted embroidery. 1t is unusual, to
say the least, and very effective. This
worsted embroidery is used on chiffon.
net, silk and voile Silk frocks have
embroidered flowers at the waist, on
the end of sashes, as border to a
hem A blue frock which | have recent
" seen had fringe around the bottom
of yellow and-blue crewel fringe.
In Europe mourning reigns; it is sell
dom that one goes upon the street in
Paris, London or Berlin without pass
ing more people in black or black and
white, than in any other color. This,
OF course, causes black and white to
be favored here. The new silks show
stripes of black and of white, with a
white flower thrown in relief against
the stripes. Black suits are made with
vests of wide-striped silk.
Checks and stripes play large part
in the trimming of many of the Spring
gowns. stunning suit which | saw
not long ago of blue wolfe was made
entirely over blueand white check
silk, the check being almost an inch
square. A frock of black chiffon was
made over a flounced underskirt which
| had each ruffle finished with a band of
striped black-and-white silk an inch
and half deep, the stripes running up
and down.
The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-03-18
LAUGHING AT TROUBLE.

Build for yourself strong box,
Fashion each part with care;
When it 8 strong as your heart can
make it,
Put all >ouI troubles there.
Hide all your sorrows in it,
So the world will never dream half
Build for yourself a strong box,
Then sit on the lid and laugh!'
There is a whole sermon in that
little verse. l suggest that everyone
act upon its advice mt once!
No trouble in all the world ever
became one white more endurable
through being whined over and com
planned about. And no one ever be-
came bit more endurable to friends
by sitting about and singing the saga
of his woes.
The popular individual in this
rather selfish and materialistic world
of ours is the one who can bring
something desirable as his contribu-
ton to society. And there is no con-
tribution that is more welcome than
a cheerful, even disposition that has
the effect of sunshine ready to dispel
any clouds, however lowering.
But, of course, you cannot radiate
sunshine if your heart is leaden
lump in your bosom and your mind is
intoning refrain of misery. If YOU
have troubles and are thinking about
them ever so little, you are bound to
reflect bit of your mental process in
your conservation. And if you have
troubles and brood over them they
will enwrap in a cloud of gloom
to you and anyone who is unfortunate
enough to come within the radius of
your murkey atmosphere.
And You will get reputation for
being ''wet blanket for all JOY that
won t be the least of your troubles!
SO now suppose you consider the
architectural suggestion with which
we started out!
" Build for yourself strong box".
1t can he done. just use grit for the
flooring, and for the sides invincible
determination not to give in to anv
more feeling of Encouragement or
hurt. Clamp the corners with the shin
ing steel of hope that things will take
a turn for the better.
There is no reason why people
should known of the woes that attack
you. The worlds sympathy won It
help you to endure nearly so much as
will your own refusal to suffer. And
the worlds half sneering pity will
only make YOU pity yourself for hav-
ing become an object of pity! So you
see there is another definite gain in
having your woes hidden away in that
strong box.
AS for sitting on the lid and laugh
lng-that is not quite so easy. But it
can he done. Do it first to hide anv
trace of suffering from prying eyes,
Soon YOU will come to fool Yourself
and presently you will be laughing
not as an exercise in gaining strength
of character, but because laughing has
come to be the natural expression of
your cheerful nature.
Take my word for it, this can he
done. Try it now-today --Beatrice
Fairfax.