davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

within two feet Of me, the ugly ven
omous thing was writhing in her hair.
1t threatened at any moment to fall
down upon her exposed shoulders
we had just come out from dinner.
what is it?" she asked, starting to
raise her hand to her head.
"Don't!" l cried. "Den't!"
"But what is it?" she insisted, grow
ing frightened by the fright she read
in my eyes and on my stammering
lips.
My exclamation attracted Kersdale's
attention. He glanced our way care
lessly, but in that glance took In eV-
erything. He came over to US, but
without haste.
"Please don't move, Dottie," he said
quietly.
He never hesitated, nor did he hurry
and make bungle Of 1t.
"Allow me-" he said.
And with one hand he caught her
scarf and drew it tightly around her
shoulders so that the centipede could
not fall inside her bodice. With the
other hand-the right-he reached
into her hair, caught the repulsive
abomination as near as he was able
by the nape Of the neck, and held II
tightly between thumb and forehnger
as he drew 1t from her hair. 1t was
as horrible and heroic sight as man
could wish to see. 1t made my hesn
crawl. The centipede, seven inches
of suuirming legs, writhed and twisted
and dashed itself about his hand the
body turning around the fingers and
the legs digging into the skin and
scratching as the beast endeavored
to free itself. 1t bit him twice. saw
it-though he assured the ladies' tnat
he was not harmed, as he dropped
it upon the walk and stamped 1t INTO
the gravel. But / saw him in the
surgery five minutes afterward' with
Doctor Goodhue scarifying the WOUNDS
and injecting permaganate Of potash
The next morning Kersdales arm was
as big as a barrel. and it was three
weeks before the swelling went down
All of which has nothing to do win
my story, but which ! could not aVoio
giving in order to show that JACK
Kersdale was anything but a coward
It was the cleanest exhibition OF gri'
I have ever seen. He never turned q
hair. The smile never left his lips
| And he dived with thumb and fore
/ finger into Dottie Fairchild's hair az
gayly as If It had been box OF salteo
almonds. Yet that was the man
was destined to see stricken with feal
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

turned OF an immense amount Of
work, and he sang and danced and
put flowers in his hair as immensely
as any Of the idlers.
He had grit, and had fought two
duels-both political-when he was no
more than a raw youth essaying his
tiTst adventures in politics. In fact,
ne played most creditable and cour-
ageous part in the last revolution,
when the native dynasty was over
thrown; and he could not have been
over sixteen at the time. / am point
ing out that he was no coward in or
DER that you may appreciate what hap
pens later on. I've seen him in the
breaking yard at the Haleakala ranch,
conquering four-year-old brute that
for two years had def1ed the pick OF
Won Tempsky's cowboys. And 1 must
tell Of one other thing. 1t was down
In Kona-or up, rather, for the Kona
people scorn to live at less than a
thousand feet elevation. We were on
the lanai Of Doctor Goodhue's bunga-
low. l was talking with Dottie Fair
child when 1t happened. A big cent?
pede-it was seven inches, for we
measured 1t afterward-fell from the
rafters overhead squarely into her
coiffure. confess, the hideousness
of 1t paralyzed me. couldn't move.
My mind refused to work. There,
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

Hawaii is a queer place. Every
thing socially is what Imay call topsy-
turyy. Not but what things are cor
rect. They are almost too much so.
But still things are sort of upside
down. The most ultraexclusiVe set
there is the missionary Crowd" 1t
comes with rather a shock to learn
tbat in Hawaii the obscure, marytr-
dom.seeking missionary sits at the
head Of the table Of the moneyed aris-
tocracy. But It is true. The humble
New Englanders who came out in the
third decade Of the nineteenth cen
tury, came for the lofty purpose Of
teaching the Kanakas the true relig-
ion the worship Of the only one genu.
inc and undeniable God. So well did
thew succeed in this, and also in civil
izing the Kanaka, that by the second
or third generation he was practically
extinct. This being the fruit Of the
seed Of the Gospel, the fruit Of the
seed of the missionaries (the sons Of
the grandsons) was the possession Of
the islands themselves, Of the land,
the ports, the town sites, and the sugar
plantations. The missionary who
came to give the Bread of Life re-
mained to gobble up the whole heath
en- feast.
But that is not the Hawaiian queer
ness l started out to tell. Only one
cannot speak of things Hawaiian with
out mentioning the missionaries.
There is Jack Kersdale, the man I
wanted to tell about; he came Of mis-
sionary stock. That Is, on his grand
fathers side. His grandfather was
old Isaac Kersdale, Yankee trader,
who got his start for a million in the
old days by selling cheap whisky and
sQuare-faced gin. There's another
queer thing. The old missionaries and
old traders were mortal enemies, You
see, their interests contiicted. But
their children made it up by inter
marrying and dividing the islands be-
tween them.
Life in Hawaii is a song. That's
the way Stoddard puts 1t in his "Ha-
wall Nel:"
Thy life Is muslc-Fate the notes prolong!
Each isle q stanza, and the whole a song.
And he was right. Flesh is golden
there. The native women are sun
ripe Junos, the native men bronzed
Apollos. They sing, and dance, and
all are flower bejeweled and flower
crowned And, outside the rigid mis-
slOnary Crown" the white men yield
to the climate and the sun, and no
matter how busy they may be, are
prone to dance and sing and wear
flowers behind their ears and in their
hair. Jack Kersdale was one Of these
fellows. He was one Of the busiest
men ever met. He was several
times millionaire. He was a sugar
king, a coffee planter, rubber pi
oneer a cattle rancher, and a pro
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22
SUBJECT SOON DISPOSED, OF:
Young eIrPs Terse oomment on Youth,
Short and Very Much to-
the POlnA.

They were young, and happy and
we'll dressed When, they climbed ON
the car, two men rose to give them
seats. They had "a great deal to talk
about, and their, conversation. was.
very, interesting in, its absolute disre-
gard of things serious and important.
and its apparentl satisfaction with IT.
self the Indianapolis News, remarks
Very few conversations are entirely
satisfactory to themselves There
may be a lack Of understanding or
symptoms Of being bored ON the one
side, or limitation of expression. or.
tiresome garrulity on the other side
There was perfect understanding. no
limitation Of expression and nothing
to be bored about in this particular
conversation. And it was very easy
to understand. Perhaps 1t would not
be fair to tell about everything they
said, and 1t was nohOdy's business
anyway. 1t really was what they did
not say that was important and worth
telling. The one in, the midnight blHe
suit trimmed in monkey fur was talk
ing about somebody, very properly =
young man.
"He writes the cFaziest letters" she
said, "alI about war and politics" And
the other one, who had on a plum
colored broadcloth-plum is q very
expensive color this year and there-
fore very poDular-the other one
shifted and took out her vanity box
and mirror to see that she had smiled
none of the powder of her nose.
"Oh, well, she replied, he's just as
happy as If he had good sense"
Truly, It was a marvellous way Of
disposing Of things like politics and
wars, and so reasonable and satisfac-
tory method to them that 1t made
the rest of US, who were reading the
papers and wondering what on earth
We we've going to do about everything,
feel vary much ashamed Of the young
man who wrote the crazy letters and
a little foolish and ashamed Of our.
selves.
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

turning away to walk down the wharf
with Kersdale.
She was a beautiful woman, and she
was pure Polynesian. From my mea-
ger knowledge of the race and its
types l could not but conclude that
she had descended from old chief
stock. She could not have been more
than twenty-three or twenty-four Her
lines and proportions were magnih-
cent, and she was just beginning to
show the amplitude Of the women Of
her race.
1T was a blow 10 all Of us." Doctor
Georges volunteered. "she gave her
self up voluntarily, too, No one sua'
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

Lay the whip into thems Doc you
hearF Lay the whip into .theml"
They'll break, sirP the driver re-
monatrated.
/ Let them break" Kersdales am
swered. qI'Il pay your fine and square
you,with the police. Puh'it.toothems
That's right. Faster! Fasterl
sand l never knew, never knew.
he muttered, sinking back;in the seat
and with trembling hands wiping the
sweat away.
The carriage was bouncing, swaytng
and lurching around corners at sucha4
wild paceas to make conEersationninl-
pOssibles Besides, there was nothing
to say. But l could hear him mntteTr-
ing overland over:
"And / never knew! never knewi"
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22

moter of three out of every four new
snIerprises launched in the islands.
ne was a society man, a clubman, a
yachtsman, bachelor and withal as
handsome a man as was ever dotted
upon by mammas with manageable
asughters. Incidentally, he had fin
,aned his education at Yale, and his
lead was crammed fuller with vital
statistics and scholarly information
,e'Cncerning Hawaii Nei than any other
SANDER / ever encountered. He
The Southern herald., 1915-01-22
kaav

II would like to go on the stump
this campaign" said the candidate, Z
wish could acquire flow Of Ian,
guage"
why don't you try stepping On 4
tack2" advised the friend Z
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30
ADVANTAGE OF SUDAN GRASS
Heavy Yielding summererowlna Plant
Of Sorghum Family-Three or Four
Cuttings Yearly.

Sudan grass is a heavy yielding,
summer.growing grass Of the sorghum
family. II resembles johnson grass
very much, except that II has not the
Objectionable root stalks and hence
is not a pernicious weed. according to
Prof. s. F. Morse. superintendent Of
the agricultural extension service OF
University OF Arizona College Of Ag.
riculture and State Leader, United
States department of agriculture.
However, Il crosses with the Johnson
grass freely, and some fear has been
expressed that the seeds resulting
from such a cross might produce a
grass which would be fully as objec.
tionable a pest as Johnson grass. I'm
der irrigation. or where the water sup.
ply Is limited, sudan grass will yield
three or four cuttings during the sum.
mer, giving from three to six tons OF
dry hay per acre, However, In feed
ing value II is not equal TO alfalfa. and
II is very probable that the amount Of
water required to produce a heavy
crop. alfalfa would not only give a
better feed, but also would be bench
cial TO the soil Instead of somewhat
detrimental as Ia sudan grass. For
a given amount OF water you will prob
ably get a somewhat larger yield OF
forage per acre from sudan grass. but
this is rather Offset by the superior
qualities OF alfalfa, as indicated. On
the other hand sudan grass is more
alkali and drought resistant than al.
falfa. Under dry farming conditions,
where a quantity OF forage produced
with a minimum amount OF moisture
Is the main object sudan grass
should prove an excellent crop. As
a feed for best results II should be
balanced with alfalfa or cowpea hay
or %cottonseed. Sudan grass must be
planted every year; II may be planted
after all danger OF frost Is past, usinI
eight or ten pounds Of seed per acre
broadcast or drilled.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30
SAVING THE soil MOISTURE
Time to Begin Operations Ia as Early
In Spring az Land Can Be Worked
Without Damage.

II IA always difficult TO be saving as
long as there is an ample supply Of
anything. This Characteristic OF hu.
man beings results In the loss OF
enough moisture every season TO pro-
vide for the needs OF much greater
crops. so far as that essential is con
cerned.
Tho time 10 begin saving moisture
is as early in the spring al the soil
can be worked without doing damage
to II. The millions Of acres Of fall
plowed land viii be found with a crust
over the surface as soon al the now
melts. The way 10 lose moisture Ia
10 permit this crust 10 remain on the
plowed ground until the oats are sown
and spring blowing done. This is the
first Of May in most cases, and many
times ten days or two weeks later.
The way to save moisture Is TO break
the crust with a disk or harrow and
thus produce a loose soil mulch. There
is scarcely a man who would think OF
permitting his field Of corn to remain
crusted over during the four or I'VE
WANhn Nhbh AhAAANaAAhA hAhAAuA ny -
ours, yet there are many who permit
a crust to remain on their corn ground
for almost an equal length OF time be-
fore the corn is planted.
The cornstalk and stubble lands
which are to be plowed in the spring
are other places where the disk can
be used with great profit as early as
the condition OF the soil will permit.
Not only will the disking Of these
lands save moisture which would 9th
erwise be lost before blowing, but II
will also p%ulverlze the surface so that
when turned under It will form a bet
ter contact with the solid soil below
the furrow slice. In order that the
moisture in the lower soil may rise
into the soil cut OF by the pillow. II Is
essential that the furrow slice At
closely upon the solid soil beneath
This is impossible when clods and
coarse soil are turned to the bottom
Of the furrow.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30
TWO SYSTEMS OF FALLoWING
Ore Plan Permits Only One Crop Of
Wheat Being Grown In Two Years
Other ls for Fodder.

The necessity OF carrying over moIs
ture from one season to assist the
cron growth Of another has led to the
practice Of bare-fsllowing.
Two systems are followed; the first
being termed bare-fallOwing. IN which
the land IL plowed as soon as convent
ent after the crop Is harvested. and
left bare until wheat Ia again sown
the following season This allows OF
only one crop being grown In two
years
Another system is that which pro
vides for a fodder crop and a whe,t
crop in two years. After the wheat Is
harvested It is preferable to stir the
stubble as soon rs possible, cheaply
and economically. The land remains
until February. when Il Is piowsd aud
sown with rape or barley. or both In
conjunction. These are fed on By
stock until August or September, when
the land Is thoroughly piowed and left
fallow until March. when It is again
plowed prior to seeding to wheat In
April
This system is satisfactory as re
CARDS the wheat crop. but not so FOL
the fodder crop. which has to depend
upon the rains that may fall after the
wheat IL on and throughout III
growth Under dry conditions. TO en-
sure the fodder crop. Ave or 81,
months bare-iallow should precedt
sowing
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

ngerent is duly expected to become tongue-ied with confusion and expiate
his display of temper by humbiy asking the pardon OF the house.
This courty tradition received a violent setback. however, the last time
the mace was used in response o a riot call Private John" Allen a on
that occasion the center of the mtxup
Don't hit me with that dam fool bird" he said, when the mace was
waved over him.
Another time a sergeantatarms charged down upon a struggling crowd
OF congressman who were trying 10 terminate a long drawnout wrange by
assault and battery. When the bearer OF the mace reached the scene he
stood there like a schoolhoy who had broken down in the midst of a recna
ton, wondering what was o come next.
What do do now? he asked, in a stage whisper.
Bang the buzzard on his iead" advised a member, 10 whom the mace
was n 10 more than a slapsick. Ever since then the mace has been known
as the "buzzrd"
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

as should have toured them, because there have not been the same kind Of
facilities to care for travellers which are found in Europe, where the tourist
trade has been catered to for hundreds OF years, INT where IN many places
It is the chief source of Income of the people.
Secretary Lane believes that many thousands OF Americans will travel
in this country during the coming season and following years who have
heretofore spent their money in Europe. and that the national parks OF the
West and points in Alaska, with their scenic wonders, win be the places
sought out by large numbers OF American tourists. The work OF reorganiAng
the system OF caring for and developing the national parks is % going on.
and in the near future It is believed that most Of the American parks will
have facilities which will rival Europe for completeness in providing for
tourists.
Mark Daniels, the California landscape engineer, whom Secretary Lane
secured al the general superintendent of the national parks, is now working
on plans for recognizing the system of Management and lettering eondt
tons generally in all OF the great government reservations which are under
the department OF the interior
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

than there was on its deck. He told
the truth.
Only one boat vas swung out on It's
dRvits by the crew Of the Philadel-
phia; It could not have held by any
chance more than a dozen or fifteen
people; II was swung out a long tire
before the war zone was reached.
Why2 No one knew. Il Is as much
OF a puzzle today as II was the day that
the orew swung the lifeboat over the
water.
II has been said Of other voyages
that passengers on ships passing
through the Irish sea at night did not
go TO bed, or II they did, they turned
in with their clothes on. There was
only one passenger on the American
liner who stayed up all night through
the Irish sea, and he was a jolly, old
retired naval officer who hae served
his time and who could not get over
the habit OF staying ON watch. This
old chap must be seventy-hve years
old. but he showed up at the breakfast
table shining. roster and more gen
orally wide-awake than any compan-
ion passenger.
The night before the Irish sea was
entered an Englishman who was play
ing bridge and side talking about the
matter OF stewards tips said;
Perhaps the only steward we must
tip will be the one waiting on Davy
Jones"
England a Solemn Place.
This word from the Britisher was
about the only one heard from a mar
suggestive of any dread possibilities
from the sailing OF the war-zone sea.
The women, as | have said, kept on
the subject OF the war and Of danger
from start to finish. About an hour
before turnlng.ln time fifteen or TWEEN
~ OF the woman passengers gathered
in a corner Of the so-called social hall
and conferred together. There was
one woman in that throng Of whom
had the presumed right to ask ques-
lions. I inquired concerning the ma.
ture of the conference. and my answer
was, mo matter"
4 Aphha RAh AaNNAt ho"tfEt SO 49,
women in solemn conclave had agreed
that 1t was safe to go to bed and to
turn in attired as they we're ordinarily
attired on sleep occasions, and ito
pass the danger by" and with it all
thought OF anything except a safe
landing on the morrow.
One man | can say who was going TO
sleep with his trousers on and with his
shoes exceedingly handy, turned In
wearing the usual habillments Of the
night, and tried. not altogether sue
c~essfully, to Danish thoughts of sub
marines and to WOO sleep after the
ordinary coaxing manner.
Liverpool was reached early In the
morning-the sea and its submarines
we're behind, but the war In its Other
aspects was In front, and n knew II
the instant that foot was put on land
England is a solemn place, and shows
it in the step and In the faces of the
people, A solemn plaee-apd so mus
be Germany and France and Russia.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

accountable for Its safe return. the
ancient bugbear of refractory mem
bers. which came down from medieval
parliamentary bodies, is a long piece
Of silver mounted on ebony, at the
business end Of which Is a silver
globe. Surrounding the globe. with
his talons firmly clutching the North
pole, is an American eagle.
Whenever a member becomes un.
ruly the sergeant-at-arms is supposed
to stalk solemnly down the aisle and
CONFRONT him with the mace. The bel.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30
rabby Adopts Wndosts.

silver Lake, ore.-A pair OF baby
bobcats. whose mother was killed by
F, r. Bass, have been adopted by o
big tabby cat on the Bass homestead
south OF Arrow. When the tiny wild.
cats arrived at the Bass place the
feline at once picked them up. cat
fashion. and carried them TO her bed,
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

related to war equipment. What he
Is interested in is the preparedness
on the part OF the government TO han
die properly the tremendous tourist
travel In America, which is expected
TO be one OF the results OF the great
war.
In the opinion Of the interior de-
partment officials and others who are
familiar with conditions in the nation
al parks OF the West these great
natural show places have never been
visited by as many American people
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

the aone OF FIRE, and to dlscomnt the pilots Of aeropanes dying alt The
engineer depot at Washington barracks. where the experiments are being
conducted, has taken Of the appearance OF a fireworks factory, Not only
is the engineer corps experimenting with every type Of light producer that
It has been able TO obtain from foreign countries, but 1t IS testing out quite
a number Of American inventions That work VIII continue at Washington
barracks until some time IN October when all of the searchllghts and light
producing devices will be shipped to Texas, where a battalion Of engineers
will try them out In the field.
Il IS not proposed by the secretary OF wa. TO purchase a large quantity
Of searohnghts and fireworks. but according to his instruction. the officers
viii develop types OF aearchHghts and Ishtproducing devices that can be
produced By ANAL changes in standard articles OF this character that can De
purchased in the open market In the event OF war the country would de-
pend largely upon private concerns 70 furnish that class q equipment TOR
the army
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

CapItHIH OF inc WHTIIHE UNuNtFIu0 m
Europe, was indicated In revelations
that reached this city from New York.
The report received here tends
to confirm rumors that have been
ahoat since the beginning Of the war
that each OF the warning nations main
tains In the United States a secret
information system through which
representatives OF the allies, assisted
by a welLknown detective agency
gather military secrets for transmits.
sion 10 the headnnnrters of the de.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

Elizabeth, n. J.-Andrew + Hughes.
aroused from sleep by on earthquake,
as he supposed. found a big auto truck
embedded In his house.
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30

hMN HN hAMg Ahh navy hhFE bNNA
using Searchlights, and in the Russo
Japanese war they we're employed by
both armies, but not until the Euro
pean conflict did they become such
important auxiliaries OF an army.
Searchlights and star bombs have
become absolutely necessary to meet
the constant night attacks by armies
In the various theaters OF war. 5eareh.
lights are not only used to detect the
movements OF the enemy. but to blind
troops when they are charging across
The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-04-30
Mace Of Lower House Goes to the Repair Shop

= HE mace, the historic symbol Of authority in the lower branch of congress-
i is % be repaired before the next house meets It has been sent to New
York in the custody Of a deputy sergeantatarms, who will be held strictly