davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
FOR THE CHILDREN
How the Swallow
Was Caught

It was a warm evening near the
close of summer when father and
Fred went out for STROLL in the mead
ow to watch Rover, grandfathers
shepherd dog. drive the cows up the
long lane from the pasture to be milk
ed. The weather had been dry and
fine for several days; and all the tiny
insects that are found in such num-
bers in the country were flying near
the ground where the air was warm
est. The air seemed to be thick with
them.
Circling in and out after the flies.
bugs and midges were hundreds OF
swallows, whose nests were fastened
in long rows beneath the caves OF
grandfather's barns. Because the IN
sects were down near the ground the
swallows flew there, too, for they
were getting their supper. Each pretty
bird had its mouth wide open as It
swept swiftly about. Every second or
two their bills would close with snap
as they seized and swallowed mos
quito or a little unsuspecting gnar
still keeping on the wing.
Father and Fred forgot Rover and
the cows as they watched them. the
swallows flew so close that ones wing
brushed Fred's ear, and another saved
himself from flying squarely into RAIN
ers face only my making quick up
ward turn.
"Once when l was little boy and
lived here in the country, SAID RAIN
er, 81 came down into this same mead
ow just at shutdown, and what 40 you
think? l caught swallow! no" 10
you suppose did it?'
81 don't know" said Fred greatly IN
terested. "How?'
WELL" said father, 1.-THE swallows
were flying just as they are now, a.
most Dumping against me. SO tooK
off nv hat and waited-like th1s-and
when one came near-see!-1 mace
swoop with my ACKNOWLEDGING
said father. much astonished, I've
got one now!" His face showed more
establishment than Fred's.
Fred danced about In a circle WINE
father gently thrust his other hand In
to f. hat and took out the poor trem-
bling little bird. -,
"Haye YOU hurt him, father?" asked
Fred his tender heart stirred to SYM
pathy at the prisoners fright.
"No." said father, looking half
ashamed, 81 don't think 50; and really,
NV boy. I didn't mean to catch him;
was as much surprised as he was,
am sure. It only happened once De.
fore in all my life. How strange tnat
this one should fly into my hat as !
was telling you about the other! Way
he he's the great-great-grandson OF the
first one caught" .,.,,
He showed Fred the beautiful
mic head and shoulders of the little
cantiye. and each stroked him gently
with one finger. ~
Then father opened his hand. For
second or two the swallow sat perfect
" still on the palm, not knowing ne
was free. Suddenly he seemed to as
cover that no one was holding him,
and with a twitter he darted away ana
was lost to sight among his countless
companions in the air.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
A Lancaster, Mo-, Junior
Writes Her First Letter
Dear Junior:

Dear Junior:
My father takes The Ottumwa
Courier and | like it very much. |
thought I would write a short letter
to the Junior page as | had never
written before.
1 went to school all winter except
FIVE days when the weather wouldn't
permit. School commenced the sec.
ond week in September. My studies
were reading, history, arithmetic,
grammar. geography and spelling. My
school closed March with nice
dinner brought by the parents of the
district I like to go to school very
much My teachers name is Wallace
Wilson from F'loris, la. | take music
lessons of Mrs. Drake, Lancaster, Mo-,
every Saturday.
Leona Mae Ballew, Age 10.
r. 4. Box Is. Lancaster. Mo-.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
The Magpie's Scholars - BY
VeOla Allen - Her Great
Grandmother, Aged
ZIG, Lives Here

Long ago the maybe was the only
bird that knew how to build a nest.
She called all of the birds together
to teach them how to build a nest.
Mrs. Maybe sat on bough and began
to tell how she built her nest. First
she chose tall tree and then she took
some sticks to high branch, wove
them together which made the bottom
of the nest and then plastered them
inside with mud and lined it with soft
grass.
Then she took more mud and sticks
to make the dome to 60 over the nest
to keep the little ones out of the rain
and ever since then the magpie has
been building her nest OF mud and
sticks and covering it with a dome.
The eagle builds it's nest on the
highest cliff of mountain, bobolink
and the lark build their nests in the
tall grass of meadow.
The oriole hangs her nest from little
twigs at the end of long branch. Inc
whip-poor-will is so lazy, she does not
build any nest. She lays her eggs in
a hollow on the ground or on a log
The owl does not build any of her
own. You can find her eggs in a crow
or hawks old nest.
The robin and the crow both build
their nests between two big branches
without any dome over it. The swal-
lows their nests under banks,
roofs = caves of open barns. Not
any of u, birds agreed with Mrs. Mag
pies building of her nests. They did
not any of them want to go to as much
without even thanking Mrs. Maybe for
showing them how.
Dear Editor: This is my first letter
am little girl ten years old. MY
parents take your paper and l always
love to read the Junior page as there
is so much interesting reading In II.
have one sister and one brother. MY
little sister and I 10th go to school
but little brother is only two years old
My great grandmother lives In Of
tumwa and she is one hundred and six
teen years old. I often go to see her.
+ send you enclosed with this letter
bird story of my own.
Yours resnentH"lly,
Veola Allen, age 10,
Abba, Iowa, grade 4
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Helen Scott Santee on the
Birds

. tho manv different kinds OF
h,rda 10 the sparrow, the name OF a
large group Of finches which nave N
oonera1 a brown plunlage streaked Will
5Iack The small English house spar
row was brought into the United states
about 1859 and as they are so marry
and increase so rapidly they are .hs
most numerous Of birds, out ing ~. ~
am going to write about Is called the
n,hita throated sparrow. This Is beau
Ami bird whose sweet songs are heard
~, The morning while he is building ms
nest II was one of this kind OF q plro
NAT huilt his nest in an oak tree whose
branches reached out close to PEG
room window. In this room lived Ut
tie invalid boy whose parents Weio
very poor and his pleasures very rare.
Each morning ne would look lor ms
little feathered friend and who knows
hnt what this little songster realized ne
was helping to cheer sad and lonely
1;fe such companions did they become
that every morning the boys little
friend nerched himself on branch
near the window and chirped and sang:
Eft one morning he missed MS Pct
names and almost fond caresses' TOT
the little boy had passed on to petter
home where we hoped the songs "
birds like this one especially, Will pAeho
with the songs Of angels.
am teaching my little brothers TO %
always kind to the birds, for think
almost as much Of them If not the same
as a little brother and sister. My MOTH
err reads us many stories among Wmcn
are a great many bird stories, and we
are always more interested in these
kind of stories. will close as l an
afraid my story is getting too long.
Helen Scott Santee, age y,
D,o;rie Ava Oftumwa Iowa,
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Rosebud Park on the Birds
Has a SiXteen-ROOm
Bird House
Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:
think we all like to hear something
about the dear little birds. Some
mornings on my way to school can
hear the cardinal singing. 1t is beau
tiful bird and stays with us all winter.
They come near the house and pick up
bread crumbs we throw out for them
to eat
Summer evenings we hear the
screech owls. One likes to get among
the branches Of our elm tree near the
kitchen door and when he starts his
weird song we throw sticks and clubs
at it. My sister and like to go tramp
ing through the woods in the spring
time to gather flowers and that gives
us a chance to hear the different birds
sing. The sparrow, thrush and robin.
If you listen you can hear the different
sounds in their songs. In the woods is
a good place to get acquainted with the
birds.
If we hear little wren we want to
see it. It's fun to watch them build
their nests and watch the mother BIRD
teach her babies how to fly. We nave
five vineyards and when the grapes are
ripe the sparrOws come by the dozens
and from the looks of the punches OF
grapes | think they must have feast.
think I wrote about my bungalow
bird house to the Courier Juniors last
summer My father made bird house
with sixteen rooms and a perch at each
window. AS soon as it is painted we
will put it on small pole under shade
tree. l hope only wrens will build in 1T.
Wrens and canaries are my favorlte
birds
Rosebud K Park age II,
1916 n. Elm ST., OttumWa, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Lucy Myers Sends in Her
School Composition,
''Unlucky Arithmetic
Book"

Dear Juniors: ....
am sending in a school composition.
The name Of it is the unlucky arlth-
metic book.
Once upon a time there was a little
girl ten years old. Her name was Eva.
She was taking examinations in ar1th-
metic and could not get one example:
The teacher went out Of the room ana
told her she would be back in half an
hour. Eva saw the arithmetic lying
on the teachers desk. She knew that
the example was already worked out IN
the back Of the book. She rose ana
crept softly to the teachers desk ana
copied the sum- Just as she had 1t cop
led the teacher came in, and asked her
if she had got it. Eva said yes. me
teacher looked at it and said, yes, dear,
correct. Now you may go home. Eva
put the book under her dress. When
she got home her brother was building
a bon fire in the garden. She threw 1T IN
the fire when her brother was not look
ing, Eva could not eat any supper ana
could not go to sleep that night, She
was so worried. She wished she had
not taken the book. AS she went to
school the next morning she met her
friend Nellie and told her the whole
story. Nellie told her to tell Miss Max
well. When the two girls went In the
school room Nellie gave Eva a little
push toward the teacher Eva said:
"Please, Miss Maxwell I took the book
and copied the sum and I've burned the
book"
The teacher said MY darling, I knew
you took the book. I was passing by the
window and saw YOU"
Eva said: Il will never never do such
a dreadful thing again. for l was pun
ished severely"
Lucy Myers,
Lin, I
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
''The Robin a Beautiful
Bird" SAYS Violet HultZ

The robin is a very beautiful bird.
1t comes early in the spring. 1t is
very sweet singer and is useful to the
farmer for it eats the worms which
destroy so many crops
Some people dislike the birds be-
cause they eat a little fruit, but they
do it only to keep themselves alive.
But they pay for it in many ways.
1t must be very dreary for those who
are deaf for they cannot hear the
sweet singing of the little birds.
This world would be a very dreary
place we're it not for the birds. Many
a sad heart is made bright by listening
to their sweet singing.
1t is a sin to destroy their nests or
to take their life which is SO sweet to
them
We should scatter few crumbs in
winter for the birds when they can
not find anything to eat and it will
encourage them to stay near our
homes and their sweet songs will re-
pay us for this little kindness.
Violet Hultz, age II.
r. F. D. 1, Ottumwa, la.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Vera GOOdman's Grandma
Has Many Beautiful
Birds

Dear Juniors: l am interested in the
stories in the Junior. This is my tlrst
letter. My grandma has taken Inc
Courier for years. She is old and taxes
delight in reading all the news and the
children's stories in the junior page.
would like to get a bungalow blrd
house, | am lover of birds. | have
three young canaries. four weeks old,
yellow with black topknots all alike,
Their mother is sitting again on nVe
eggs.
| have a Norwich female, deep yell
low, also a Manchester cappy canary:
These are imported from England anu
cost a good price to get them: we gov
ours from a bird store in Phlladelphla
two years ago. My grandma has thirty
five. Now how many girls can tell the
different kind Of finches.
I get my grandma's bird DOCK ana
read about them. There is the gold
finch, green finch, bull finch and char.
finch wild canary, Yorkshire ana
, Scotch fancy, Lancashire, Belgian, Gin
namon and brown linnet. The Lizard
and siskin birds are not very pretty
but are noted for being fine singers.
| have told enough about canar1es:
7 have two fine red birds. We got
one in a cage this winter while IL
went in to get some seed. We closed
the door on him. They are fine singers
and whistlers. One we call Chick, the
other Jack.
I live in Agency with my Grandma
Holmes near the school house and go
to school,
, have not been tardy all winter nor
absent, I will be nine years old IN
May.
I hope the editor will like my first
letter and give me a bungalow blro
house for premium. Good bye ana
success to the Junior girls and boys.
Vera Goodman. Box 10
Agency, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Mabel Truitt of Drakesville
Sends in Bird Composition

Dear Juniors:
I thought l would write a composition
on birds:
The wren can make a comfortable
home out of nything-sttcks, mud
grass roots, strings, rags, and feathers
are put into it, and what ever the ma
terial is the wren is always pleased
with it, In this nest are laid half
dozen or mere flesh colored eggs
thickly speckled with a color few
shades deeper.
Their voices may still sound harsh
talking to their enemies, but will be as
full Of love for their families
The cowbirds are the only one known
as that are too worthless to build a
home Of their own and to care for their
own children.
The father cowbird does not look like
a worthless fellow as we see him IN the
pastures with his kindred.
He wears coat of glossy black re-
fleeing many colors in the sunlight.
The mother bird instead of building a
nest and bringing up family OF her
own, lays her eggs In the nest OF some
other bird, usually one too small to
throw the egg from the nest.
She flies about among the low bushes
where the little birds build, and when
she finds one Of the little home makers
away from her home she leaves an egg
and flies off.
The beggar child Is larger than the
other bird babies and it will get most
Of the food that Is brought to the nest.
Then as he scramb!cs about the little
ones are often smo+tered.
AS he grows larger on the food which
does not belong to him the rightful chill
dren in that home will, one by one,
loose their lives.
The little mother. not knowing that
her grief has all come through her
kindness to the stranger will go on
feeding it until it leaves the nest, and
after, for this lazy adopted child will
never work until he Is compelled to DO
so. The COW bird has no music In his
voice.
Birds are a blessing to this earth
because they kill the insects which
would 1njure our trees, crops etc.
One day when my sister and I were
picking blackberries we found nest
with the small birds and two large
birds.
The large birds we're cow BIRDS We
took some grass and made nest on
the ground for we thought some bird
might claim them.
Mabel Truitt, age 10.
Drakesville, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Bentonsport Junior on the
Birds
Dear Junior:

Dear Junior:
love the birds and | like to throw
out crumbs to them and see them eat
The little snow birds are such cum
ming little things.
Before the snow you will see them
fly down and peck on the ground
There will be several in bunch. They
don't seem to be afraid. If you throw
crumbs out for them they will fly
down and eat them.
The robin is a very nice bird also.
Last spring there We're two robins
that came to our corn crib and built
their nest just over the door. I saw
them building their nest They build
their nest of dry grass, sticks and
mud. When l would go in to get corn
the mother bird would fly off her nest
and sit close by and say "Quit, quit,
until she learned | would not harm
her. She would then sit on her nest
while I would get my corn. For sew
eral months they live on cherries and
berries of all kinds, but while they
eat the fruit, they destroy lots of in
sects that would destroy the fruit. TIE
robin and the blue jay are the first to
make their appearance in the spring.
Some times the blue bird comes so
early that he goes back again.
I don't think much of blue jay for
he is so cruel to other birds He RODS
their nests of the eggs and kills young
birds when he can.
Van Byers, Age 9.
r.. Bentonsport, Iowa.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Leora Mae Dawson on a
Little Ottumwa Wren

Dear Juniors: ~
am very much interested in the III
tie bird stories I am great lover Oh
birds and everything else IN nature llle.
One time when we lved up heal
Ottumwa there was little wren maze
a nest in the side Of our house ana one
dav we heard a racket among the blrds
and when we went to see what the
matter was there were several spar
rows trying to keep the little wren
from going into her house to feed her
little ones. 7 think the sparroWs are
very naughty birds when they rob the
other birds. ,,.,o
Last summer papa brought in a little
crippled dove I tried to take care OF II
for few days and when | let IT go
again it stayed around in the orchard
ali summer. There were so many turtle
doves that made their nests IN the
cherry trees and apple trees.
One day last summer while | was out
swinging 1 saw my kitten have little
yellow bird. ran and took 1t from the
kitten and put it in little box, cut
holes in the box for windows. 1t was
a very tiny bird and In the evening
mamma and ! were out In the yard ana
heard it's mother calling FOR IT, SO
mamma put it away up In the tree anu
we suppose it's mother came and got IT,
but lust before dark there we saw that
naughty bad kitten with it again. We
gave the kitten good whipping and
I cried and cried over the loss Of the
little yellow bird.
I found a little crippled wren one day
out in the yard and brought 1t In and
made house for it but next day had
to make q grave for It, have little
cemetery in the corner Of our yard l
have two little birds and little jack
rabbit buried in it. I would IKE very
much to win zone Of those little RED
bird bungalows.
Leora Mae Dawson, age Z,
Valley Falls KanS.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
ALL ABOUT PRIZES.

We send cut prizes within two weeks
after tt" names of the winners are
published.
II any Junior has ever failed to re-
Gceivc prize after his or her name ap-
pears in this paper, it is because the
wrong address has been given us.
When we say wrong address we especi-
ally refer to inc "lplete addresses. All
city Juniors should put their street
number end all Juniors living in the
country should put their box number
or failing to have box send in their
parents names.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Kitty Wisdom
KITTY WISDOM.

KITTY WISDOM.
Pray tell me, Pussy Kitty,
Tell me, will you not,
Why you always curl up snug
On the only sunny spot?
Pussy. mewsing, answered,
81 choose the sunny spot
Because I think it wiser;
Now tell me, dear, why not?
perhaps as you grow older,
And wiser, too, you'll not
Fail to make the most, dear,
Of every sunny spot!'
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Mary Susan Evans of Keo'
sauqua, a New Junior

Dear Juniors:
am a little girl years old. ! have
never written to the Junior page.
I have one brother and one sister.
Their names are William and Nellie.
MY Uncle John takes the Courier. l
like to read the Junior page and Mutt
and Jeff and Petey Dink.
My studies ere reading, arithmetic
and language and spelling and writing.
1 Mary Susan Evans, age 8,
KeosauQua. Iowa
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
Marvel Gookin Very Much
Pleased With Her Prize

Editor Juniors:
will write and tell you l received
NV fountain pen and thank you very
much for it. thank you very much 1or
being SO kind to me
I was very much surprised When
looked to, So. 80 was awarded tho
prize and I saw my name.
Thanking you again for the pen,
Marvel Gookin, age IL,
Charlton Iowa, r. No. j.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
SEVEN RULES FOR THE JUNIORS

" j. Use CIIe SIIV VI lIle paper UIIIy
2. Write neatly and legibly. using
ink or sharp lead pencil.
g. Always sign your name in full
and state your age.
A. DO not copy stories or poetry and
send us as your own work.
5. Number your pages.
6. Always state choice of prize on
a separate piece of paper with name
and address in full.
l. Address envelope to The Courier
Junior.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
One Junior Sends in a Draw.
ing of a Turtle Dove
Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:
| am sending you a picture of the
turtle dove The dove is the bird
that Noah sent out to see If the flood
had left any dry land, so think we
all should love the dove.
(Forgot to Sign NameD
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
THE COURIER JUNIOR
Published by
THE COURIER PRINTING co.
Ottumwa, Iowa
MATILDA DEVEREAUx
EDITOR
JUNIOR BIRD HOUSES.

Dear Juniors The little Courier Jr.,
bungalow bird houses are ready 10
seno out to the winners, when the olrd
contest closes, and the judges make
Il selections.
\ bird in this world has some
d perform We are sure that all
tn, .,tniors will want to try for the
cute little Courier Junior bungalow
I:rd houses. The words Courier Jun
ior" are painted on the slanting roof OF
these little bird houses.
i hesc little houses are built ike
bungalows with rorches on the front
OF them. They are painted in bright
co!ors, some have green roofs, some
have red. All of them have little Win
COWS and nice little doors where the
birds may 60 in ard out whenever they
went 10. h,si-e there is lots of room
for buil1ilg nests where the feathery
tribe may make their homes.
10 win these Courier Junior bird
Lc ..es the j II ors must write some
re id cries. Tha. is. tell lis about
th5 dlfye l. d la its and why
tho, efc :, ! NJ 10 this earth. The
ocrttEt VII close March 81.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20

These boys have been telling their:
)playmates some very thrilling stories
since they stepped off the German:
cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich at New
port News last week. They are the,
sons of Captain Kiehne Of the Amer
lean schooner William P. Frye, which:
was sunk in the south Atlantic in
January by the Prinz .Eitel.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
CO POSITIONS WANTED.

We invite all the Jun iors to send in
sci oi compositions each week. The
WI tiers I'm select prizes from among
the following articles: Roller skates.
! cox, souvenir spoon. beautiful doll,
l., { work basket, box Of candy, let
ter paper. marbles or string of beads.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
SEND OUT POST CARDS,

We are sending out post cards to all
the JrnisTs alter their letters or s;or-
les are published.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-20
WANT LETTERS.

Ne Want the } niors to write some
veerv irte~e ii g letters. ''newsy' let
ter Some Ct the Juniors can write
to Ill If pare.t Other Juniors might
ils as II ueh t'ey We're visiting
so,ne big ci Y. The reward for the
hes. Ire " II be 4 fountain pen or a
TO O. Ia ter rapcr and envelopes.