davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
WHEN I GROW TIP.

Our grocer's clerk comes every day,
Though why he should cannot say,
For mother mostly orders beans,
And soap and mustard, salt and
greens,
And tea and starch, and lard and rice,
Not much of anything that's nice
Such food for some folks may seem
best
But scarce excites my interest.
when | grow up, my grocer's clerk
Will very seldom need to work:
The butchers boy I'll ask to call
Just once in spring and once in fall.
I'll have the candy boy call twice
Each day, and sometimes even thrice,
Mornings it will be best. Judge,
To order caramels and fudge:
At night box of chocolate creams.
To make sure of pleasant dreams.
! mean to have the toy shop man
Stop just as often as he can.
Now toys grow tiresome soon. you
know.
And then ones friends do break them
so,
Heigh no, What bliss will fill nv Gun
When | grow up. When | grow up!
ANON.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
The Daily Story
A Soldiers Easter Morn - BY M. Quad

cried ont as the bullets whistled OYER
their heads or plowed up the ground a,
their feet. We fought from behind the
stone walls, from behind houses aud
stores and barns and sheds We stung
the pursuing enemy at every turn and
left his dead on every rod Of the open
streets. By and By, as we fought sin.
Civ or in groups and when our dead and
wounded were everywhere, there came
the order
"To the church. To the church.
Rally on the church,
Some one led the way-all Others
followed. ON the crest Of the Hill vas
the old stone church, built long before
any one dreamed Of fratricidal war.
For half an hour peace reigned. The
enemy vas gathering mp the wounded
friend and foe alike and carrying
them into the quaint old houses to be
cared for by the frightened and sob
bling women. For half an hour, and
then the truce was broken and carbines
veleyed and the bullets thaddea
against the heavy doors and few In at
the windows and we're buried In the
walls and ceiling, beam and joist- We
fought back-we FILLED and wounded.
An hour went by and then there were
only thirty Of us living. Surrender
would have been honorable but no one
thought OF surrender. Ry and by the
sun went down and darkness fell.
Some rested while others fought Oh.
but as We rested and fought there was
a feeling Of awe over all. Men uttered
a shrek as the ballets struck them
cried out Just once. Then the awe Of
God came upon them and they we're
silent, or II they wept and prayed We
did not hear them. Until midnight 40
one slept Then came silence and
peace and men fell down and closed
their eyes and forgot war and its hor-
rers and dreamed of happy homes far
away.
Then the impatient enemy made a
sudden rush upon US In the darkness,
and In an instant war had returned
and death was stalking abroad again
1t was a fesce attack, but we repealed
1t and sank down once more. and when
our eyes opened again daylight shone
In at the broken window. Harki 1t
is the bell above US ringing out glad
notes Of Easter morning. In a little
room to the left Of the altar is a man
pulling at the hope. We stare at him.
And when he has pulled the rope
hundred times he comes down and
tears the haricade away from the
doors and throws them wide open. say
ing never a word to us-we raising no
hand to restrain him
Christ Is risen! Peace on earth and
good will to men,
And SO 1t was peace and good will
Hands were held out to us-heads were
uneovered-kind words were spoken.
Two hundred men lay dead and wound
ed-half OF them our own. /
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08

A young woman was in run
down condition" whatever that may
mean. She admitted slight cough.
Some Of her sputum was submitted to
| miscrpscopial examination. The re-
port from the health department lab
oratory was "poSitive'-that is, tu-
bercle bacilli, the germs of consump-
ton, were found in the specimen. Two
months later, she states, it was exam
ined again, by a doctor, who reported
that there were only six bacilli in it, y
which he believed three weeks of
treatment would overcome.
We needn't go further with this
girls history. She wrote to ask
whether lung trouble" and weak
lungs are the same as tuberculosis
of the lungs, and whether tuberculosis
and consumption are the same disease
In the first place, it signifies moth
ing whatever, as to the stage or degree
of tuberculosis. whether one bacillus
or a countless number of bacill are
found in the sputum; the number
present in any given specimen is pure
ly circumstantial. Advanced cases
times, and the earliest or incipient
state OF the disease may be present
notwithstanding large numbers of ba-
cilli in the sputum. The older doctors
we're misinformed if they believed the
number of germs signified anything.
In the second place, weak lungs
and lung trouble" are vicious sub
terfuges, Either the physician who
makes such near diagnosis is ineom-
petent to give an opinion or else he is
deliberately suppressing the truth
and today he is not justified in the one
sin any more than in the other, for
recovery from tuberculosis depends
upon prompt and frank recognition of
the actual presence of the disease and
the consequent adoption OF a mode of
life which will permit restoration to
health.
tuberculosis is consumption recog-
nized tby the better diagnostic skill
OF modern medical practicel in the
stage before marked wasting occurs,
before the body begins to be consumed
by the high fever of the later stage.
Either the condition, the run down
after grippe" bronchitis, pneumonia.
measles, childbirth or other disabil-
ity, the "anemia," the dyspepsia, the
pleurisy, the cold or the unidentified
attack OF fever, Is tuberculosis or il
isn't. Young adults and youths should
give themselves the benefit of any
doubt as to the diagnosis. by adopting
open air life anyway Whatever the
outcome, open air living is healthful
The time when tuberculosis OF the
lungs-or any other portion of the
body-responas most promptly to
open air, sun baths, plain food and
rest Is when the question of diagnosis
Is still undecided
Nine out of ten cases OF pulmon. nv
tuberculosis nowadays recover-that
Is nine out of ten eases diagnosed
honestly. The disasters occur when
run down conditions" weak lungs"
and catarrhal trouble in one apex" are
ohered IN lieu OF an henest admission
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08

We who held the south end Of the
bridge-a picket Of hundred men
were cooking our suppers when . sen
try fred his mIsket 10 give the alarm.
and next moment we caught sight OF
horsemen on the turnpike beyond the
bridge.
Fall in. Fall inp' shouted our Off
Ger In wild excitement.
Up on the hillside a thousand men,
women and children looked down and
held their breath and felt the blood
Jingle to their finger ends. They could
see the long line stretching back for
half mile-60O men to 100-apd,
though they were our enemies, they
felt pity for US,
STEADY. now. and fire low"
There was a crash and roar OF
iron shod feet as the first squadron
struck the bridge. and then hundred
Jets Of fame leaped forth to meet the
troopers, and hundred bullets led the
jets. Down went horses and men
down In one great heap Of dead and
dying which other horses could not
leap overland We rose up and swung
our hats and eheered Up On the hill
side men turned pale, women wept and
children cried out In horror at wars
spectacle We heard the enemy's bu-
giles blow the order to retreat and dis
mount and then we looked to our off,
GERS for orders to fall back.
Hold the bridge to the laste' had
been the order TO the captain, and he
meant to obey to the letter.
The smoke of our volley still foated
lazily over the town when we heard
the tramp, tramp, tramp Of soldiers
footsteps on the finty road. and be-
| tween the chinks Of the barTicade We
saw lines of dismounted men coming
forward at swinging pace. A mo-
ment later it was double quick, and as
we opened scattering fire they reach
ed the heap of dead and dying and
made barricade Of it. Fiye-ten-f1f-
teen minutes Of sharp firing, in which
! three or four men were killed On both
sides, and then the enemy swarmed
over the barrtcade and charged. The
long, narrow bridge was like tunnel.
They were crowded together, and our
bullets could not go astray. A crash Of
musketry-a great puff Of blue black
smoke-and then all was silent-all
but the sobs Of women and the walls
of children on the hillside. 1t was war,
but only a skirmish. The living and
unhurt regained shelter Of the BARR
cade, and ten minutes later the enemy
was crossing at the fords above and
below, and We were being fired on
from IN front and on both tanks.
Then the order came to fall back.
There had been hundred of US at the
bridge Only seventy retreated up the
hillside, sullenly, grudgingiy and FIR
ing as we went and the noncombat-
ants scattered to right and left and
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
AS FOREIGNERS SEE Us.

President Wilson's foreign policy has
met with criticism in this country
which, while not tustifable, has raised
doubts in some minds if President Will
son has taken the course that would
meet with the approval of history.
There is not the slightest reason for
entertaining such an opinion. So far
/. as the real facts are known the states
. men Of this country who are not ami
, mated by political rancor approve of
the presidents foreign policy. Presi-
dent Taft may be cited as an illustra-
ton Of this fact
In foreign countries statesmen and
diplomats as a rule, if not unanimous
ly, agree that MIR. Wilson has exhib-
tied great wisdom and broad states
manship in dealing with the foreign
complications which the European
war has created.
Thomas Nelson Page, United States
ambassador TO Italy, who arrived here
on leave of absence last week, when
interviewed. said that neutral diplo-
mats abroad had told him Mr. Wilson'S
policy would go down to posterity as a
model of diplomacy in times of stress.
The ambassador was asked if he had
heard of President Wilson's last note
TO Germany.
No he replied, "but whatever it
was l am sure l approve of it, for it
must have been the right thing. /
cannot discuss diplomatic matters
abroad, but | can say this, consider
ing every bit of the criticism of Presi-
dent Wilson and his attitude. | must
say that his foreign policy has been
the soundest, surest and wisest that
could be followed. and that will be the
verdict of posterity. AS a matter of
fact, feel almost that l am speaking
for posterity when l say that.
81 nave heard ministers and am
hassadors Of neutral countries abroad
tell me that they felt American
diplomacy to be on the highest posi-
bic level that could be reached. And
have had more than one tell me that.
Personally, l think President Wilson's
policy has been sound and brilliant
"Of course he has been criticised,
but one must be a student of history to
understand that Lincoln and Washing
ton stood the same kind Of criticism.
have read quite carefully President
Lincoln's foreign policy, and know the
contumely that was heaped upon him
as well as on Washington by certain
persons President Wilson is going
through the same thing"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
An Eight-Hour Day for Trainmen.
(By United States Senator Robert M.


(By United States Senator Robert NJ,
La Follette.l
In the second session of the 59th
congress made long fight for To-
hour limit as maximum working
day for trainmen. Senators opposed
to the measure resorted to a protracl-
ed flihuster to defeat it, That legls-
lation was in the interest of talrer
treatment for the men and greater
safety for the travelling public. Like
the opposition of the steamship com
panies to the seamen'S bill, 1t illus
trates the blind greed of corporate
monopoly in resisting every measure
to secure decent and humane condl-
tons, reasonable hours, reasonable
compensation for employees, and an
utter disregard for the lives of pa
irons whenever it interferes with
profits
The 16-hour law for trainmen al
forded some small measure of reaief
where it's provisions were observed,
but it has been shamefully evaded
The reports of the interstate COM
merce commission for the year end
ing June 80 show that there were
PSI, 1872 cases where 16 hours of con-
tinuous service was exceeded by train
and enginemen. Each violation If
wolves crew of five men, hence more
than half million were compelled to
work more than 16 hours in continu-
Gus service last year. Five thousand
were on duty q hours and 500 were
were forced to remain on duty In
nerve-racking train service more than
IS hours continuously.
The railway employees are engaged
in public service. 1t is the business
of the public TO redress their wrongs
Reasonable working hours for train
men lie at the foundation of safe and
efficient service. Il is the most fun
damental basissfor the slogan, Safety
First"
For the first. time in history the sew
eral railroad hrotherhoods are unit
ed organiAation-400,0 900 strong-ask-
ing for an eight-hour day and time
and half pay for overtime.
! This is a reasonable demand. The
railroads are very prosperous. Their
employees are entitled to a fair share
in this prosperity. The bureau of rail-
way economies, speaking for. the rail-
roads, announces that the net opera
| ting income of the railroads of the
| United States for November, 1915, as
compared with the same months for
five preceding years, increased 45fper
| cent.
With the increased size Of engines
and length of trains and the improv-
ed devices for handling freight, labor
costs the railroads less now-even
though they pay more wages-than i,
| did 20 years ago. The labor cost for
an engineer per ton mile unit was
one and six-seFe1Eths times greater in
| 1890 than in 1918.
| The railroads claim, as always, that
| they are entitled to all this gain; but
| they are not They are public ser
wants. The court lhas determined they
are entitled to fair return on the
money invested.
| They are receiviE 6 much more than
fair return on the money invested
They can afford to divide profits with
| their employees.
| Nearly all the leading trades and
industries have adopted the eight
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
Selected by Tavenner

hour day. When the struggle was on
the employers almost universally con
tended as the railroads are now con-
tending, that the shorter day you'll
be ruinous. But experience demon
strates that the shorter workday
makes for efficiency and increased
output of better product. ms IS
especially true in all occupations OF
continuous concentrated EFFORT under
exacting mental and physical strain.
Extra pay for overtime is conceded
in most Of the great lines of indus
try.
Some eighteen railroads are nov
working their employees on an eight
hour basis, with extra pay for ever
time These roads are prosperous.
Many railroads have been wrecked
III the last decade through dishonest
financial operations The New Haven
is notable example.
These roads have net suffered loss
through shorter hours or better pay
of employees.
A thorough reorganization of rail-
road operation upon the sound basis
| the business within a reasonable
working day will make for higher eff
cheney, greater safety and less delay
| in train operation.
An eight-hour statute, with extra
pay for overtime, will make the law
self-enforcing.
! The railroads are circularizing the
| farmers, arguing that because farm
| labor is performed with no limit to
| the hours of service, railway employees
require no statutory protection.
| This is cunning appeal. But the
farmer will not be caught by it. He
knows that the elementary reason for
| limited hours of service lies in the
character of the service. The train
men are employed in a business of
great hazard, severely eXacting in the
draft which it makes upon certain
| mental and physical functions. The
| engineer. confined in space scarcely
larger than coffin, grasping throttle
| and lever, his eyes fixed upon the
track ahead, mind and senses alert,
concentrated for hours without relax
| alton or change, exhausts his vital
/ IOi1ED III 1893 tudii IdlL thC tl1iI tbdt
they would be overtaXe6 by another
occupation where the conditions are
wholly different. So, in a measure,
with the fremen, conductors and
brakemen in their respective lines of
labor and responsibility.
The companies also contrast the
wages of railway employees with the
amount paid for farm labor. But the
farmer knows that he feeds and
houses his farm hands, while the rail
way employe must pay rent and main
tain his home, besides buying all his
own meals in the eating houses and
railway hotels along the run, making
heavy inroads upon his earnings every
month.
And, finally, the farmer understands
as the public does generally, that bet
ter pay for 400, 200 railroad employees
means better homes for their fami-
lies, better opportunities for their
children, and, indirectly. a measure
of increased prosperity well distrib-
uted over the country.
The demands Of this body of 400,-
600 industrious, efficient, intelligen,
men should be granted without con-
test. The great masses of the people
are behind them.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
PREPAREDNESS CATCHING.

There is something about the secre-
tary of war job that breeds enthus-
Iasm for preparedness almost immed-
lately. Every secretary of war, or sec
rotary of the navy, who has ever held
the portfolio has, sooner or later, de-
veloped into an ardent advocate of a
better army and bigger navy. Root,
republican, and Garrison. democrat,
went into office knowing comparative
" nothing about the army Before
they had more than got their desks
cleared for action these two men were
each convinced of the sincerity and
carnestness of the experts in their de
partment and that they knew what
they were talking about and each be
came, in his way. q staunch leg
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
islator for a better bigger army.

islator for better, bigger army.
Whitney, democrat, and Tracy, re-
publican, knew nothing of the navy
when they entered office, and Daniels,
democrat, knew, if possible, even less
Whitney, after a year in Office to i'm
hibe the spirit of the navy began the
building of our present navy and his
successors since then have spent their
energies in furthering the work.
When Newton D. Baker was made
secretary of war there was consterna-
ton in the ranks of preparedness ad
vocates, Baker was a pacifist of pro-
nounced type, belonging to dozen or
more pacifst organizations and had
strongly expressed himself against in
creasing the size of the army. He
has been in Office now about two
months and a few days ago, speaking
before the American Publishers, asso-
citation, he made one of the best
speeches in favor of national defense
and preparedness that has been heard
in a long time. And he has since fol-
lowed that speech by an interview in
which he boldly and fatty advocates
a regular army of half million men
and a reserve of the same number as
the only fitting preparation for nation
al defense that is consonant with our
national dignity and our national dan
ger.
Mr.. Baker, like Root and Garrison,
has been given glimpse of American
defense from behind the scenes. He
has viewed our army at close range
and has seen that what appears to be
a solid rock from the foyer of private
all the defects of organization and OF
training, that the army officers have
successfully hidden under the mask Of
efficiency, and has been shown the
difference between the stage jewels o.
American defense and the real gems,
for which we have paid but which We
have not received.
Baker, Garrison. Root and each
secretary of war the nation has had
since Washington appointed Knox to
the office has been an advocate of a
bigger and better army. These men
we're not jingoes, they were not in the
pay or Influenced by manufacturers
Of munitions nor hypnotized by the
military members of their STATS; they
were plain, hard headed, clear think
ing, patriotic American citizens,
prompted to their attitude by know
ledge gained from a careful study OF
the problem at close range"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
GREATEST HOTEL CITY.

The greatest floating population"
of any city in the world is that of New
York. Last year saw approximately
5000 900 transients come and go from
the metropolis of the western world,
which now claims rank as the largest
city on earth.
A floating population of 100000
mea MS that if each of these visitors
remained in town only "a hours there
would still be more than two hun
dred thousand strangers in New York
every day. it is estimated that twice
that number of transients are in the
city at all times. Hence there is al
ways a city within a city; that is, a
constantly changing city of nearly a
half million people moves into New
York and becomes a distinct part of
that larger city's life.
It is this transient city within city
that supports, as every New Yorker
knows, the Great White Way with its
theatres, restaurants de luxe, cabares
and roof gardens. 1t is this vast army
of visitors, too, that makes New York
the greatest hotel city in the world.
There are hundreds of fine hotels,
thousands of lesser degree and nearly
a hundred hostelries which can be
| Jumped together as the best hotels in
| the world.
| But the army Of visitors still de-
mands more room and there are al
ways new hotels under construction or
being planned. A new hotel to cost
S., 1000 900, one to cost 100000, and
one to cost s15,o0o,o0o, the latter to
be the largest hotel in the world, are
all being planned for the heart of the
city now.
The $15,o00,o00 hotel is TO be called
The Commonwealth. 1t is to be a CO.
operative hotel-club with 10000
! shareholders as members. Most of
them will be occasional visitors to
New York, who desire to own their
own Club home" there. Charles H.
lngersoll. who made dollar watches
| famous, is president of the company
which is to erect and operate the no.
| tel. HOggson brothers, originators of
the single contract building method,
have been given the contract for the
erection, decoration and equipment of
/ the hostelry.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08
WITH OTHER EDITORS

has had another vision of the yellow
peril. Because the Japanese ambas-
sador took occasion to protest to the
state department against certain feat
ures of the proposed immigration
measure now pending in congress, the
spectre OF war with Japan is raised
The facts are that the house blunder-
ed in going out of its way to offend
japanese sentiment in the measure
and that the senate proposes to strike
out the offending passages-which
may be done with no weakening of the
bills efficiency The real yellow peril
in the United States-both as concern
ing its relations with Japan and other
powers-is the yellow press, actuated
by cheap partisanship.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08

that we don't know and are unable tc
determine just exactly what the con-
ditioR is.
Contagious and Injections.
Please explain the difference be-
tween contagious and an infectious
disease. In which class is measles:
Is burning sulphur in the room after
measles sufficient fumingation?
Answer-Nowadays there is no
practical distinction. All contagious
diseases are more OF less infectious
ttransmissible) by means of human.
animal or insect carriers. Burning
sulphur in the room is no insurance
against any disease. In fact. it is mis-
directed effort, since it does not affect
the escaped convalescent, a possible
carrier of the infection, or persons.
animals or insects which may have
entered and left the room prior TO The
fireworks.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-08

It seems that Sheriff White, of
jackson county, has refused for the
sixth time to promise to conduct the
legal execution of a negro condemned
TO death in the manner contemplated
BY the law. For this reason the gov
ernor has reprieved the negro two
months. AS a means of bringing the
sheriff to a realizing sense of his duty,
it might be well for the governor to
remove him from Office. if such power
is lodged with him. If this official is
setting himself distinctly against the
enforcement of the law in its true
spirit, he has no business filling any
public office-much less one so direct
ly concerned with the peace OF the
community as that of sheriff.