davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12

that it carries with it an atmosphere of other
whereness."
The touch OF Patience's individuality is eerie,
but not spooky While her note is religious
it is so in a large sense. Her faith is too
large for dogma or doctrine. Broadly she pro-
claims spiritual democracy attainable else
where from present conditions, as the butterfly
evolves from the chrysas. Her description
Of the realm from which she speaks is not ma
terialistic 1t is difficult to condense all she
says, but one gathers that where she is there
is life untrammelled and unconditional. There
is boundless knowledge and there is union
with the divine without the humiliation OF the
individual
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
By William Marion Reedy.

THE city Of St Louis appears to have at
present patron SAINT other than the
1nonized King Of France Her name
Patience Worth Everybody here is talk
nc abou, her. No one has ever seen her. On
TIE evening Of November the Papyrus Club,
a organization Of local writers and artists,
gzvs dinner in her honor at which there
reTs a5o guests The menu was decorated
VIII quotations from the words and works OF
nosnce Worth, and local celebrities made
tsetaes about her and her message The
Hns Of Der has spread abroad even unto Bos-
"a where Professor Morton Prince, an emf
heat Psychologist, erstwhle of Harvard Uni
'sfsity' investigated her, with little satisfaction
70 himself and less 70 Patience herself
Some say she is a spirit Others that she
= hgrnent OF the subconsciousness Of another
'N'y' Literary folk are Of the opinion that il
S'eant matter who or what she Isl her utter
~'eS are wise and tender and beautiful. Some
hoid that Patience Worth IS the greatest lit
cay genius St Louis has yet produced, bar
'"S no one in the writing game in that me
uopolis
''e'e Is the story Of Patience WORTH About
years ago Mrs. John Howard Curran, wife
e former Commissioner Of immigration
~ Missouri, and Mrs. c. Edwin Hutchings,
''''' ior local newspapers, started TO amuse
'N'el'es with a ouijs board while their
''sno' played pinochle. At FIRST they OBJ
w nom The board nothing but few SEN
sometimes coherent and often other
'Se. Then these communications beearo,
- nteihgiols. Az first il seemed as if there
s.as ' '"o' or even tfgee, intelligenees en-
''mg 70 irnpart information from some
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
SHE WAS A PURITAN.

So far as we have been able to learn Pa
tience Worth says she lived somewhere upon
the eastern shore OF this country. She was
Puritan She has expressed hatred for the
Indians She has intimated that she helped
build stockades against them, that she has
chewed sheepskin to make wads for muskets
Once she was asked if she had been captured
and killed by the Indians. Her reply gave her
interlocutors fash of horror. II was: Nay,
worse"
She describes herself here as not tall but
short; eyes brown; she wore cap with a
crown and with ribbons on it, in her face there
were lines caused by sorrow and not by laugh
ter She says that a tree rises out Of her grave
ard that one man now living, OF her blood but
not OF her name. knows all about her.
None OF the investigators has been able 20
locate the date OF Patience. She described
herself once as russell" meaning Round
head. She has given contemptuous and scorn-
ful descriptions of Cavaliers. The name oil
Worth is quite common in records in Massa-
chusetts and in Virginia. ! asked her once
TO give me some song she had sung at home
or in the chapel or meeting house, and she re-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12

parallels and short stories and epigrams-al
with peculiar personal quality, thoroughly
consistent with everything in the records and
evidently the expression OF personality thor
oughly at one with itself in all It's multfarlous
manifestations There are in manuscript two
complete works of literary art; third one is
in process Of communication. The first is
play in six acts, called Red Wing 1t is a
drama located somewhere in England, or per
haps in Scotland, about 300 years ago, or may
be earlier 1t is a complete play, the characters
clearly differentiated, intensely individualzed
and thoroughly consistent in every changing
situation Of the drama. The setting OF the
scenes reveals wonderful clearness Of visual
ization. The description of the settings is as
minute as the like feature in the work OF
George Bernard Shaw, although not so pro-
fuse The characters come and 60 without
conflict and the story works out logically and
consecutvely to beautiful conclusion.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
Admirers Give Dinners i'm Her Hon
or, Yet None Is Able TO Answer
Simple Query. Who Is She?-
Her Remarkable Quips
Of Conversation.

The language is like no written language
with which any student OF English literature
is familiar II is Patience's own. The locu-
tons are peculiar to herself II is very hg-
urative sometimes symbolic. The parable is
a favorte form OF expression with her. Her
style is continuous stream OF metaphors and
SMILES None OF her figures is tar-tetehed
For her the visible word wildly exists, and
all her illustrations are drawn from nature
with very poignant simplicity.
When we come to the Sorry Tale" we get
away from this so-called early English style
and VIC fall into a measure which has graver
and grander sweep and a more sonorous
rhythm. For purposes Of convenience one may
call it a Biblical style. but one should not be
held too strictly TO that description or deh-
milton.
So far as any one has yet discovered there
is nothing like this story. at least in English
literature There is no evidence of its deriva-
tiveness from the New Testament apocrypha.
The old morality plays have been searched tor
some clew to the origin OF the story, but
they have yielded nothing. "A Sorry Tale is
an intensely personal expression of the per
sonality called Patience Worth, as it reveals
itself both in particularities and in general
tiles through her other recorded utterances.
This is the marvel of all her work. To one
we'll versed in literature the reading OF it re-
vesls echoes Of many things; but no one has
yet been able. surely, to lay finger upon any
plagiarism OF any one particular writer.
PATIENCE IS A POET.
Last February Mr.. Casper Yost published
in The Globe Democrat" on four successive
Sundays. number OF poems, parallels, prayers
and short story or two as coming from
Patience Worth. These examples of her work
and many others Mr.. Yost has shaped into a
book TO be published shortly after the holi-
DAYS by Henry Holt & Co., of New York.
The poetry is not rhyming poetry, but 1t is
richly rhythmical For comparison to it we
must turn to such writers as Walt Whitman,
Edward Carpenter or some of our contempt
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
Leta's Prayer.

Vast blue above, wherein the angels hide!
And moon, His lamp o lovel And, cloudfeece
white,
Art thou the wool to swaddle Him.
And doth
His mother bide upon a star beam
That eadeth her to thee2 ! bless Thy name.
And pray Thee keep my sire to watch tull we'll
His flock; and put song in every coming day;
NV Tina's COO, and mothers song at
Good night sweet night know He watcheth thee
and mel
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
NIB Paf!snre " orths

\, Irving perrO7 las ,ee' her or
h., voios, an m liring person
NS-' iii; but in S. LoE;5 dinHcr' arc
q c;n,n in her honor, scientists are
5 r,-s,;ino her and artistir circles are
o., her entlps;astic s-rloonr, 'oEe
a 80. spen going 50 fzy az 70 say that
-. the greatest Literary geniHS Ger
n.,Y.stsd in that city
n, !, not 70 strange IN UieT, Of tAe
- tIat Patieaos Worth has dictated
81 LoHi, rO-n@1 about 100000
-, Of Literature phinb Is az re'naTE-
~. u, 70, it, quality as lis form, the latter
- that Of cent Ties long past,
TI,o.ob the humble rscdlsEs Of oEij0
80 hitherto regarded a. toy, me
=. r;,,n 70 the lcorld q n00el, pldy,
80 norm, and countless 6lsc0TTses or
s,g5,op, philosophy, ar rid other mat
40. Furthermore, through the 0Til1
Soc,d skr w1u oonncTss at cny tif1e 1rlth
..v m, and upon any Sabiert, neTsT b.
80 a loss for comment az reply-
=. he, denonStrationS Of the Literary
-. ,h ranges through the centuries
SSasoa,,.tlv knouing no limits as to tine
osS mace. She Eprd in AnnTinG IN Co
i,n;al times, she tells inqHlrcrS, bit 8
,on,l ,hs Is n0zp debating concerns the
Tim, Of Christ. and the most crncting OBJ
,,,7er has failed to find any historical
i.sceuracv in her depletion OF that age
and II, people. She transmits poems ~
Scotch dialect os easily os in aHg other
medium, altho oh her unique ~conuersn-
tional" language remains constant
Patience North speaks to the uoTLd,
from 5rhat she calls ~z0nLl-leSS conn
try." through Mira John H. CHrTHr- y
sppears that she began communicating
nth rortals 7cithout any preparation OF
solicitatioa on the port Of MrS CE7rH1,
rho Das using the ouiiG board purely
far amusement zchcn Patience began to
talk" to her.
"The personality calling Itself Pa
fsrce Worth" has aulascd nearly cncry
one zyho has seen revelations Of H.
Scientists are puzzled by It and cautious
,5itors haze not only discussed Il at
lenqth but haze printed much Of the ht-
narg outp Of THIS mysterious source
4 book BIZ Patience n orth soon u7u DC
mblished by Nc5c York company, and
current periodicals Of ST. Lollis are Cir
ma heady prominence to her 19ork
Taliam Marion Rcedg, distinguished
itrrarv critic and editor Of "The Mir
ror," tells in the follozeing article az
mach about Patience Forth as mag be
knoun at present IF any one Is unlike
10 to be taken in By chicaHrry in such a
connection it Is Nr. Rcedy- He has de-
pOted many years of brilliant life to
fighting and exposing fraud in all forns-
Be- religious inclination, by education
and By reason Of his natural mental en-
dOTment, he . az nearly proof against
deliberate deception as any one rho can
come into contact 9th Patience U0rth-
BE giue, mere facts, and nothing else,
concerning the supposed communications
from the spirit Of a zoonan zcho passed
eentrris ago through the change ne
kncz a. death
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12

some OF the high quality that we hnd let us
saw. in the work OF Thomas Hardy.
To pass from the reading OF "Red Wing
and "Telka" to another work now being re-
ceiyed is as much OF leap as, for example,
that which we must make between DAVID
Copperfeld" and The Tale of Two Cities"
Indeed. it is a much longer leap, for this third
tale-which Mrs. Curran calls "Panda, but
which Patience Worth calls "A Sorry Tale -
deals with incidents in Bethlehem and Jeru-
salem under the reign OF Tberius at the time
of the birth OF Christ So far, about eighty
thousand words of this tale have been taken
down Ii has heen communicated IN sections,
in sittings at the home OF Mrs. Curran and IN
various friends houses in ST. Louis. IN the
city OF Washington and in Boston.
No matter when or where Mrs. Curran sits
ar the board with another person, after the
usual conversational pleasantres and few
special inquiries and answers on subjects IN
which the inousitors think they have posers
for Patience there comes pause and then
some such sentence as this: Bake thou the
loaf or "Set thou aweave." and then straight
away, without any hesitation whatever the
story reels of in sections ranging In length
from three hundred to three thousand words.
This story is told in language which Stimulates
somewhat remotely the language OF the Bible
SHORT WORDS USED.
The language in Red Wing" and in Telka
has no Biblical favor whatever. In those pro-
auctions the speech may be loosely called
early English" Seldom do we find word OF
more than two syllables. The language is OF
no particular past time. 1t is made up OF the
simplest root words that have been used as
far back as the time of Piers Plowman and
earlier but it has no Latinisms or Norman
isms. Many words archaic, obsolete. or linser-
ing in particular provincial localities appear
As they appeared they were looked up by
students OF philology, and never once has
word been found used wrongly.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12

rary writer's OF Tree
verse. But the like
ness is far from
close. There is no
imitation in Pa
tience Worth's lit
erary output. 1t is
much simpler than
either Whitman or
Carpenter. not at all
complicated by mod
ern forms Of thought
or expression. II
remains always what
we call archaic, al
ways highly fgurs-
tive, often appar-
entity obscure, but
easily clarified by
taking a little
thought. It is al
ways full OF pictures,
and no matter how
gross the subject
matter in which she
works there is
thrown over il an
indescribable but not
the less definite
spiritual glamour or
over-soul. l don't
know that / can bet
ter describe the Pc
culiar quality Of this
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
CORRECT LOCAL COLOR.

In addition to this play there has been
taken down a novel entitled "Telka.' While
the play runs to about sixty thousand words,
"Telka" stretches out 10 about eighty thousand.
"Telka" is a story of life in England ABOUT
two hundred years ago, and it is thoroughly
correct in all its local color. The characters
have a reality which is hard TO describe be-
cause the author does not describe them; they
describe themselves thoroughly in their ex-
preston and in their action.
Particularly colorful and racy OF the SOIL
are the descriptions OF the domestic life OF the
lower classes. Many OF the scenes OF Ieika
arc set in the kitchen or in the barnyard' and
the realism Of them is strikingly honest with
out descent into any of the disgusting details
10 which so many OF our modern realists re-
sort for their strong effects. Telka is
beautiful story. and it moves with remark
able swiftness through scenes Of humor and
passion and pity to an ending which has in 1t
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12

under and over the
SIN Among these
investigators h ave
been Ex-Governor
Charles p. loharon,
a distinguished oru-
inal Ia yer; Profes-
sor George E.Payne
professor OF psy-
cholory in the St
Louis Teachers Col
lege; Casper S Yost,
managing editor Of
The Clobe-Dem-
ocrat"; many emf
nent medical and
lie G al gentlemen.
professors at Wash
ington University
and indeed people
Of all kinds and dis
tnction that may
be found in a COM
munity the size Of
St Louis All are
agreed that the COM
municShonS tn ey
have seen tran
sclbed from that
board constitute a
b 0 dy of literature
absolutely unparal-
leled in the history
Of such manifesto
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
:. She Spirit or Mortal?-E1er Output
Through Ouija Board Amazes
Writers ana Puzzles the
Scientists-Allt the Centu-
ries Her Field.
ries Her Field.

realm beyond the world TO the two ladies
Then one day the pointer on the board in re-
Spouse to questions as to who wished to speak
spelled out P-a-t--P-a-t, and the ladies in
CURED if it was an Irishrnan who had some
thing to say, when the reply came in the mega
tive. A little later the pointer on the board
spelled out the name Patience Worth. From
that time til now the intelligence calling it
self Patience Worth has continued to pour
forth stream Of the most remarkable quality
of literature that has ever come over the ouija
board
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
WHAT THE OUIJA BOARD is.

The ouia board IS a board about two and one
half feet by one foot The letters Of the alpha
bet arc painted upon it in two concentric semi
circles, and the numerals from one to zero ap-
pear on a straight line beneath; in the upper
left hand corner appears the word nay and
IN the upper right hand corner the word yea
The messages are spelled out By means OF
snail triangular shaped pointer resting upon
three legs, shod with felt to prevent rasp:ng on
or scratching the board. At this board sits
Ms. Cur1an with anybody who may be in
terested enough TO st with her. The site
rest their fingers upon the triangular pointer
and then it moves about among the letters
spelling out words with a marvellous rapidly.
The operations are conducted in a parlor
fully lighted Mrs Curran is not blindfolded
Anybody present is at full liberty to make any
Investigations the situation may suggest or
to ask any questions. 1t makes no difference
at what time Mrs. Curran and her vis-a-vis sit
down TO the board; the pointer begins to fash
about and messages are received from Patience
Worth. These messages are taken down by
Mr. John Howard Curran and preserved in
record which now extends to nearly 100000
words
Some OF the most distinguished men and
women Of intellect in the city of St Louis
have sat around and at the beard and have
Questioned Patience Worth on every question
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22
From Nor days uaHs.
Entertain ST. Paul Friends.

Mr.. and Mrs. N. IL. Griffith. 1902
South Front street. entertained Sat
urday evening in honor Ct the lat.
ters' sister. Mrs ~ :. Roberts and
son. Meredith. Off ~. Paul, who are
here TO attend the graduating cxer-
c!ses at the high school. today. The
evening was spent in games, and
music. after whhrhJtefreshmrnts were
served. =
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22
Entertained at Cambria

Mrs. Edwin Lewis and Mrs. VIII,
lam $. Evans gsyeh very pretty party
at the home u the latter. Thursday
evening. January fourteenth. in honor
Of Mr.. and Mrs. David J. Lewis, who
were very recently married.
The dining room and sitting room
were tastily d~faorated in pink and
white using saruations, smilaN, and
ropes Of crepe paper.
Over fifty guests were present and
at eleven s'rIOck n three course
luncheon was served.
At one O'Clock the guests departed
wishing Mr.Fand Mrs. Lewis It long
and happy iifef Of success IN their
new home al sioux Pass. Montana.
The out or town guests were Mr.
and Mrs. Morris l.. Jones of Lake
Crystal and Mr.. L.oor Jones of But
tcrnutt.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22

'AAAoSNsls diiN Ut SAslNSlN a
hitch or Il jar. the agreement made
between the Consumers Power com
pany and the city officials wac
made a matter Gf formal record by
the city council this morning.
Resolutions were passed approving
% reductions that the companv
had granted. and providing for the ad
v"rtisinG for bids on the street light.
ing and the furnishing OF electricity
for the city pumping ana other
items that had been previously
agreed upon. II is already known
''st what the company will bill OF
the jobs. The bids are to be opened
on the morning of February /. at
the cUunch meeting.
The ordinance to repeal the dol.
lar gas ordinance. which was passed
last May. was given its first reading.
This is right in line with the gen
cral agreement.
Another ordinance. re-enaCting the
part Of that ordinance which pro-
yides for a gas inspector. was also
given its first reading. There are
some parts of this ordinance to-
which the company objects. These
will be considered when the ordi,
"ance comes up for its second read
ing a week from today.
Mayor A. G.. Meyer formally pre-.
scented the agreement that had been
made between the city council mem.
bers and the Consumers Power COM
pany. II was formally approved by
the unanimous vote of the council.
Councilman A.. G.. sLaack stated
that he and Councilman Gerlicli went
10 Chicago On Friday. where they
conferred with Arthur s. IIucy. pres.
dent of the Consumers Power COM
psny. Mr.. Lack said he did not
wish TO take from the other council
members and the mayor n credit
that was due to them for the splen.
did fight they had made on behalf
&c the city and its people. How
ever. he stated that the visit that
he and Mr.. Gcrlich made 10 Chicago.
lad resulted in the company giving
the city $1,000 to cover the expense
e litigation: also the granting of
the free use of the company's two
wells by the city water department.
and the reduction of the minimum
monthly electric bill for any one
to 80 cents. The company
lad been willing to grant 75 cents
before that. The old minimum was
n dollar.
A. II. Pau. Jr., attorney OF be-
i'alf of the company. said the use
-: the wells was no part Of the
formal agreement. but he wished to
state orally that the city might
draw on the wells as 1t wished for
the city water There were toe
many complications I'm the way Ia
make it practicable to give formally
this concession.
Councilman Bradley remarked thai
the city water system already had
connection with these wells.
Councilman Lack privately stated
that he and Mr.. Gerlich had gone
TO Chicago at their own expense.
Formal Proposition.
Following is the formal PROPOSE
ton OF the company. which the
council approved:
In reference to the controversy
between yourselves and Consumers
Power company, involving rates nov
charged by us. we beg to state that
for some time past we have beer
earnestly en~deavoring to arrive al
q solution of the difficulty which
will be satisfactory to the citizens
OF Mankato. We desire to continue
the friendly relations that exist and
feel convinced from long experiences
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22
Agreement Reached
Between City And
Consumers Co.
Mondays Daily.


Summary or agreement be-
; tween city council and Con-
. sumers' Power company, as
formally adopted today:
Net gas rate, s1.oo per
thousand feet. Estimated
saving, 5000 per year.
Net rate on electricity, 81
cents per kiiowatt hour. Es-
timated saving, $4,000 per
year.
Minimum monthly electric
bill reduced from 81 to 50
cents per month. Estimated
annual saving, $500 per
year.
New price per arc light on
street. $50 per month. Annual
saving, 1925. This was pre-
viously granted.
Reductions all to take ef-
feet on January I, 1915.
Consumers Power company
to dismiss action commenced
by IL in the United States
district court.
City council to appeal dol
lar gas ordinance.
Company TO furnish cleo
tricity for White Way at
three cents per kilowatt hour.
Company TO furnish eIe:-
tricity for pumping at the city
water station at one and one
half cents per kiIowatt hour
and TO install machinery.
which will cost 5000 TO
$1,000. 10 be Sold to the city
for 81. Pumping at present
done by steam st a cost Of
sfo.2a per day. Saving Of
twenty-five per cent, or s2.57 ,
per day, equal TO s93s.o5 per
year.
Company to give the city
free use of two Of its wells,
IN oral agreement.
Company to give the city
$1,000 on account Of expense
the city has been under in
the legal fight.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22
Married IN 81, Paul.

Mrs. Anna. Mundwiler, daughter of
Mrs. Catherine Schroeder of this city
and Mr.. John Freeman. were united
in marriage ut st. Mary's church In
st. Pait On January 9Th at seven
o'clockb mass, Rev. Father J. Zach
man officiating. Miss Carrie Schroe-
der of this city, a sister of the bride.
was maid of honor. and James Boyle
Of st. Paul was best man The bride
was attiredbin a tailored suit OF navy
blue ahroadeloth. and were q black
velvet hat adorned with piumes.
The maidh of honor a black
velvef suit. Mr.. and Mrs. Freeman
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-01-22

will be at home ut All East 10th
street, ST. Paul. The bride Is well
known in this city. and her friends
cnite In best wishes for the future
happiness of bride and groom. u
Pleasant Surprise.
Miss Amelia Olsen was very pleas
antly surprised last evening ut the
home OF her parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
Sievert Olsen on Fourth street by a
party of fifteen friends who came to
assist in celebrating her birthday
anniversary. The time was spent
N playing progressive gam s.
and with musical selections. after
which Mrs. Olsen served n dainty
lunch. The decorations i'm the parlor
and dining room were a pretty ar
rangement of pink carnations and
foliage.