davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

Into the room filed four figures, each clad in a sheet and wearing a black mask.
 Close that door! Keep quiet!" commanded the leader in low, tense voice. And then to one of his assist ants, Turn on the light and wrap towel around It."
 This done, Ned and Bert were made to stand side by side. at attention" with their backs to the wall.
 "Hearken, Freshmen, Miserable Worms, Scum of the Earth, Vermin; Hearken to the Orders of the G. O.. H." said the leader in a sepulchral voice. "In case you failed to read these Orders as posted this morning they will now be read to you-so that you will have no excuse for not obey ing them. Hearken"
 Then, in voice that seemed to come from the very grave itself and that sent hot-and- cold chills up and down the spines of the two freshm en, the leader of the Sophs read the or ders, slowly and distinctly.
 Beware, Freshies," he said in con- clusion: "See that you keep these or ders-or the Hot Cat Club will get you, Back to your beds, Beware."
 Then. as silently as they had en- tered, the white clad figures withdrew, and presently the two boys heard them tap-tap- tapping on the next door.
 "what-what is the Hot Cat Club 9" asked Bert, presently.
 Don't know" answered Ned. And holt T +ot
 Same here!' said Bert, fervently. Say, don't mind any of these orders except that darned 'honking' and and I can't act like an automobile to save my life! Can you?'
 "Oh, we'll" whispered Ned in re- ply, T guess we ought to be glad they don't make us carry license tags and headlightsi"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
Ned At Westover: The Lonely Freshman

"Ah! That's better-and don't let 1t happen again." said the Sophomore. with grin, as he turned on his heel and went on.
 Neither of the boys looked at the other Each felt ashamed; and vet. somehow, they began to feel for the first time that they were beginning to be a part of the school life.
 Twice during the day they turned corridors and forgot to 'Honk!" And both times two waiting Sophomores stopped them, sent them back and made them turn the corners again with the proper amount of "honking" to give warning of their approach. It certainly did make them feel foolish particularly when they would "Honk!" loudly before turning a corridor, only to discover that no one, not even an- other Freshman, was in sight!
 But that night, came their first real acquaintance with the G. o. H. Not that they were injured physical ly, or In any way man-handled; for such hazing was strictly taboo at
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

n OBBIE always said his flowers
 had two moving days''-one in
 the Spring and the other in the V the Fall. As a gardener, he wouldn't admit that Timmins, the reg ular gardener, knew 8 bit more than he did. And Robbie just loved to "dig in the dirt" and plant seeds and prune the rose bushes and take his watering can and "give the flowers drink" at the end of a long summer day.
 Somehow, he enjoyed the Fall work" as Timmins called 1t, more than the Spring work" In the Fall there were so many flowers to be dug up and put into pots and carried into the conservatory where. all winter, they would be snug and warm with the sun shining down upon them through the glass panes.
 And Robbie fairly revelled in pack ing the plants with their rich, black soil into the pretty clean flower-pots There were geraniums and ferns and palms, and just lots of other plants, to be dug up from the cozy beds In which they had been growing all sum- mer; and they had to be placed in the pots and then Robbie would put them on his little wheel-barrow and,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

we'll feed her up with new sawdust. Her heads pretty bad. too" Then batting Claire's head ke said: How would you like Blue-Bell to have a new head. one with blue eyes to match her name, the kind that open and shut"
 "Oh. I should love 1t. may I mamma?" she asked turning to the mother who was making signs to the old doctor over Claire's curls.
 Yes. And now we will leave Blue Bell in this capable doctors hands and call for her next week, when she will have had time to get perfectly we'll"
 When they were out in the street Claire turned to her mother and said: "I really believe that is our own dear Santa, and he doctors up dollies just to make the time pass more quickly until Christmas comes Is he?"
 Mamma smiled and shook her head in such way that Claire could think anything she pleased. and it pleased her to think that he was.
 What do you think about him?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

So, each year as the Fall came on, Robbie would say: Well, Timmins, I guess it's about time for our flowers to move back to their winter home, don't you think?"
 And Timmins would grin and re- ply: 'Yis indade, Sor, an 'tis think ing Oi am thot foine summer they've had!"
 The conservatory, you see, was the winter home of the flowers, accord ing to Hobbies way of speaking, and the flower beds in the garden and around the lawn their summer home"
 Always, each Spring and Fall, Robbie and Timmins had that little joke be- tween them. Furthermore, it seemed to both of them at times that the flowers were really like people-for one who really loves gardening and flowers and digging in the dirt after a while comes to feel that his beloved blooms are not merely plants" but living things with personalities and feelings" and affections Which is one of the very incest things one can feel about the green things that push their roots town into the warm, rich earth and their heads up into the sunlight. Don't you think so?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

at all as he had pictured. it, when his father had told him fe short weeks ago that he could go to Westover for his preparatory work for college.
 And now Ned had been at Westover whole week and it seemed a very dreary. unkindly place. Truth to tell, the trouble was with Ned, not with Westover; for he was lonely fresh man." and had not as yet got into the spirit of the school and become a part of it.
 The upperclassmen - particularly the Sophomores, or second-year boys looked boldly at the poor Fresh men and grinned as much as to say You just wait until things settle down a bit-we'll teach you a few things,'
 Fortunately for the Freshmen, they were busy most of the time and had ibut little opportunity to brood over ? their unhappy lot. The military dis j cipline at Westover was strict indeed; and it was in force from the first note of "Reveille" at seven o'clock in the morning until the last note of Taps and Lights Out at ten o'clock at night.
 Ned had been assigned to room with a boy named Bert Landover, who was from his own part of the State but whom he had not known before. { Both of them were somewhat sur prised when they learned that the fur
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

nishings of their room-and the only ones permitted-were two iron beds, one on each side of the room, two washstands, bowls and pitchers, two straight-back chairs, two clothes presses, rug and a plain pine table
 About the beginning of their second week, the boys woke up one morning and were amazed to find glaring post CT pasted on every Freshman's door, on trees on the campus and in every available place of vantage. And, you may be sure, they read them anxious ly: At the top of the poster, which was printed in red and black ink, was hideous skull and crossbones; and below was the warning: ."Freshm en, Beware!"l
 Then, under the heading "Orders!" the following were found:
 Freshmen shall speak to an upper classman only when spoken to. and shall make no remark without adding Sir at the end.
 Freshmen will call out 'Honki Honk!' when within six feet of turn ing any and every corridor in any and every building on the campus.
 Freshmen are forbidden to chew gum.
 Freshmen must not address upper classmen by their nick-names, but all ways as MT.
 "Freshmen are forbidden to sit on the railing in front of McDowell Hall.
 Freshmen must realize at all times that they are the mere dust under our feet-and conduct themselves ac- cordingly.
 Take heed, o ye Freshmen, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest lest ye come into the fury of
 THE G. o. H."
 An hour later, you may be sure, there were some serious, sobered, trembling Freshmen at Westover. Ned and Bert. who happened to be read ing from the same poster, glanced around furtively to see that they were not observed and then looked at each. other and grinned-a sickly grin.
 What's G. O. H. stand for?" in. quired Ned.
 low tone, "but I've heard it stands for Grand Order of Hazing.
 "Shucks!" exclaimed Ned presently. That's silly! Nobody can make us obey such stuff as thati We don't have to submit to 1t and"
 "Sh sh sh!' cautioned Bert. There's a Soph coming this way nowl"
 The Sophomore came on and grinned at them as he passed. ''Do you understand that?" he asked, pointing to the poster.
 "Ye-ee-yes!" answered both Ned and Bert simultaneously.
 "Yes? Yesl" exclaimed the Sopho- more, pretending to be amazed. "Yes -what?"
 Then they remembered. Yes Siri" they answered promptly.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

living" said Andre. throwing his arms about his weeping mothers neck.
 So Perez sailed, on the Santa Maria, on the third of August. 1492. And every day Andre went down to the wharf and gazed out over the broad blue waters, wondering whether his father would ever return!
 August passed-Septembe October. November, December, and then Jam uary crept slowly by. One bleak Feb ruary day, boat sailed into the har- oor. Andre, who had been sitting on heap of logs near the sea jumped to his feet calling to the men as they stepped ashore
 What tidings of the Santa Maria Does my father still liver"
 The men laughed at the eagerness of the boy, and the captain, pinching his cheek, said. "The Santa Maria went aground off San Domingo"- then seeing the look of despair on Andres face he quickly added. How ever no lives were lost. The ship was unloaded and abandoned. and Columbo and your father are now making their way towards Spain"
 On the fifteenth of March. 1493, the Nina dropped anchor off Palos. and there was Perez coming with eager steps to clasp his wife and son in his arms. That night he told them of his adventures. and of the country across the sea, where after many hard ships they had landed.
 He told of the fearful voyage west and of how the crew became afraid and discontented, and of how Colum- bo had difficulty in restraining mu- tiny, He told how finally or the 18th of October sailor aboard the Nina sighted land, how they landed and gave thanks to God. and how the sailors sought pardon at the feet of their master
 Perez described the strange red- men whom they met and had called Indians, thinking the new land was India; and finally. he told of the voy- age home, of the storm which sep arated the vessels, and of the battle with the Trade winds which caused great delay.
 He told how at one of the islands In the Azores they were almost captured by the Portuguese governor, then he happily told how the King of Portugal had received the Admiral Columbo, and bestowed the highest honors on him, ending with his story with the remark And l, Perez, have been magnificently paid for the perils through which I have passed"
 Andre jumped from his fathers knee and stood pleadingly before him. And if the great Columbo should ever return to that fair land. may go with him, may I not, Father?"
 Tn later years Andre did go with Columbo, and then Palos was proud of being the city where Captain Andre" had spent his boyhood.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
one had thought of doing the same

one had thought of doing the same thing sooner. and perhaps, better.
 So 1t was with Columbus brilliant idea of the earth's roundness. and of the plausibility of travelling around it-over unknown seas and through wild uninhabited countries. Every one who heard of his plan poohpoohed the idea as insane and Imaginable; but after the explorer returned from his voyage with evidences of his success and proofs of the correctness of his theories, the people after applauding, began to murmur; Why did we not think of accom- plishing this wonderful feat? Anybody could have done the same with but little thought"
 Aye. there's the greatness of it all! The thought!
 Thought is the foundation of all
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
"Oh, dear,

OOAAAO HI AIAteAS A<eeeAJ, AA~ ss->~ AO ~-- My best dolly fell and broke her head all up."
 Don't cry darling" said mamma soothingly picking Claire and dolly up from the floor, and seating herself in rocker she proceeded to put the piece of dollys head together. "H-m," she said, 'it is quite hurt I'm afraid she will have to go to the hospital to be treated"
 Hospital" exclaimed Claire smil- ing through her tears, T never knew that dolls had hospitals to go to when they're broke"
 Yes. indeed, I know of fine place where dolls can go to be made equal to new. and in short order. too"
 "Oh!" cried Claire excitedly, Tets hurry and take Bell there before her handkerchief into hole in dolly's leg from which the sawdust was pour -rg. I'm afraid she's awful sick Do you 'spose she will die, mamma ?" and big tears again began to flow from the child's eyes.
 Mot at all. dear. the doctor will soon restore her to her natural self Now run and get your hat and we'll start right away
 After a long walk they arrived with Blue-Bell neatly done up in paper, at low brick building with large sign board across the front of it. The sign read: Doll Clinic" and mamma ex- plained that that meant sick dolls would be cared for daily. They rang the bell and queer looking man came to the door to see the little patient.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
X OurPuZZle Corner AS
"TRI-sYLLABIC CHARADE." '"

My first Is quite a stay-at-home, I'm sure you will agree. Morn or eve, whene'er you come, Out 1t will never be. For life or death. for wealth or wage, Man, at my second works, Aye! Even on dread wars grim stage. This work. he never shirks. My third-to each--his own appeals, The one we claim-is best, My whole is what a true man feels, At sighting doubt expressed.
 HISTORY PUZZLE. The following are words of six let ters each. If written one below an- other, their two central letters will spell the name of a prominent per- sonage in history
 i. To digest by heat.
 g. To attract.
 8. To mutter.
 A. Worthy of trust.
 ANSWERS.
 TRISYLLABIC CHARADE-In-Di0 Notion. HISTORY bus. 1. Decoct. 2. Allure. 3. Mumble. 1. Trusty.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

achievement. and Columbus. after years of study, had the thought
 We can hardly imagine the huge ness of the plan conceived by him to travel over unknown oceans, to lands remote and hay Even to us. trip to England on a modern steamer seems a feat, and one breathes freely when one sees land on the other side after seven or eight-day voyage.
 Think of Columbus and his men, with Encouragement of the public, poorly equipped fleet, and only ques- tion mark way off on the horizon to respond to the anxious "wither?"
 October 12, 1492, should be em- blazoned on every American mind and the name Columbus should be synonymous with courage, valor. dar- ing and greatness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
cA Tale of the Sea Tn 1492

his position and then followed many anxious days in Andres once happy home. When poverty stared them in the face Perez said to his little family You remember the Italian Colum- bo, of whom I told u?-Palos has
 been ordered to fit out two ships for
 him so that he may sail to India. He Is having great difficulty in securing
 men for his crew. and I want to go
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

Westover.
 Just about midnight, came a soft but insistent tap-tapping upon the door of their room.
 Bert was awake first. Ned, hey Ned!" he called out in a whisper What's that?"
 Tap-tap-tap
 T don't know-somebody trying to get in,'' Ned called back softly. "I'll sec"
 Tap-tap-tap Then a low voice called out: "Open, Freshmen! Open or we'll come through Open in the name of the G. o. H."
 For moment neither boy moved. Then Ned stepped quickly to the door and opened it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

Claire looked around the room and there she saw large dolls, and small dolls; dolls that could sit up, and dolls that could lie down and shut their blue eyes. While the Doctor was ex- amining Blue Bell Claire and her mother thought this was the cutest place they had ever seen.
 Your dolly surely had a bad tumble" said the man. You will have to leave her for some days and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

~ HERE kindly miller with obedient son; And the father wished follow the advice of every " Now the miller had donkey that he we'll could And they started drive him the market at the But they a who said 70 what husky beast Dear old man, he surely ought carry you at least All right. the miller made reply as he the ass besrode The lad will find jolly fun to follow with the goad A group of women them as they halted by the way; And all of them mortified. and cried "Aack- a-dayl Great ae mother said to think that you should nde And let your darling little son but trudge along beside All right. the gentle miller sad "do hear the lady talk Get up and you shall ride, while myself will walk Some older they cried See example morel There's respect for these days as have said before; To make his poor old father walk the lad nothing loath The animal strong enough indeed o carry boh' Il ride my the miller said. and you shall sit behind; please the honest folk surely yet may 6nd! Then loudly did inquire Is that beast own The miller answered Surely Sir my property aone: Io seems the replied. that certainly you two. Were better made carry him than he 0 carry you The miller said T hadn't thought of hat Lord bless my soul! We'll tie his legs together Son. and sling him pole. I'll take the shorter end of bear the greater weight And everybody shall please in going through the gate But now the population jeered and howled left and right And they upon the bridge the animal took fright Kicked free and falling in the drowned before sight
 In shame the miller home returned
 Said he. "A lesson have learned:
 To please all people have tried
 Pleased and lost the beside.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

H T was all so new and so strange.
 M And Ned Barton was not ashamed
 M to admit-to himself-that he
 . was longing flor home and moth- er." Though there were several hun dred boys in Westover Academy, he had never in all his life felt so lonely. And, somehow, the place didn't seem
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

his father. and hundreds of other men, at work repairing and loading fine wooden vessels. There, too, he would listen to the wonderful tales told by sea captains as they returned from their voyages, and many times he had declared-"I shall be a cap tain, too. when grow up!"
 Soon after, however, his father lost
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
Where They Took Blue-Rell

Claire laughed when she saw him. He had bushy hair and a merry twinkle in his eye. He wore a long white beard and for all the world looked
 just like the pictures she had seen of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

AH, dear!" came in an alarmed
 voice from the nursery, and
 mamma ran in to see what the O trouble was.
 "Oh, dear, oh, dear!" walled Claire,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

west with him."
 Anna and Andre scarcely breathed during the silence that followed. Then they argued with him, and begged their loved one not to go, but when Perez told them that he hoped to gain riches if the enterprise was suc- cessful they consented.
 T will try to help mother earn a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

TWNDRE always said that he was
 the happiest boy in Spain. And.
 indeed he had every cause to I " be. He lived with Perez. his father. and Anna, his mother, in the seaport town of Palos, and every day Andre was taken by his father to the busy wharfs. There he would watch
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
baby need attention ?"

baby need attention?"
 Claire held out the paper parcel to him, he was so gentle that she felt he could help Blue-Bell if any one could I'm afraid she's very sick little child. can you cure her for me?''
 "Oh, yes, that is our business-pro- fession, I mean. We have plenty of sick dolls here, but we expect them all to get we'll in the course of a week"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08

Santa Claus.
 Come in little lady" he said to Claire, shaking her hand, Does your
The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-08
THE FALL GARDENER

feeling very important and very, very busy, trundle them off to the door of the conservatory.
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-08

for it is taken from the governments
figures on the increased cost of ALL
fOOdstuffs.
The foods the wOrkingman eats
beans, for instance-are going up
faster than the average of foods.
Beans have increased in price 20 per
cent from January, 1915, to January,
1916. The government has no fig
Ures on beans increase in four years.
Potatoes increased in price 81 per
cent in the same twelve months.
These wage increases only put the
workman in most industries back
where he was two years ago, when
wage decreases went into effect all
over the country.
AS a matter of fact, considering
the higher rents, fuel and food costs,
the worker who shares in this $64,-
100000 wage increase is actually
getting less than he got two years
ago.
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-08
A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
BY Alfred H. Butler


Grass is growing in the meadows;
BlaCkbiTds chirping in the marsh !;
Frogs are cTOaking in the Tushes,
Grating out their songs so harsh.
PussywillOws are appearing;
Trees beginning to leave out;
Robins by the score are singing;
Spring is here without a doubt.
Farmers in the field are blowing,
Turning burrows long and black;
Horses straining at their labor;
OF such scenes there is no lack.
Brush fires burning by the roadside;
People cleaning up their lots;
Garden patches being planted;
House plants taken out of pots.
Springtime OdOrs on the breezes
Tell of bursting buds and flowers,
Giving little thrills Of pleasure,
Frightening up this world of ours.
-O-O
With a four-horse power engine a
mOtOr-dTiven pillow of English inven-
ton cuts a siX-inch fuTrOw at a speed
exceeding three miles an hour.
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1916-05-08
TO-DAY IN LIMOS HISTORY

May 8, 1767.-Congress took I'M
der consideration a plan for institu-
ting a civil government in the Illinois
country to remedy the anarchy
which had been reigning there,
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-04-12

North A to South A and the first
square in North Seventh.
E. NJ. Haas. secretary of the Com
mercial club, who has been circulating G
the petitions among the property own
ers, reported this afternoon that more
than the necessary three-fourths of
the property owners had signed the
petitions. representing twenty-five
feet of property frontage more than is
necessary to make the petitions legal.
They will be presented to the board
of works tomorrow.
Assurance was given today by AL
fred BaVis, president of the board,
that favorable action would be taken
on the petition and bids be called for
immediately The improvement is es-
tinlated to cost approximately $1,000.
All the cost OF installation will be paid
by property owners, the cost probably
reaching $1.50 per linear foot of prop
erty frontage.
When informed by Mr.. Haas this
morning that the petitions had been
signed by the requisite number of
property owners, Mr.. Bavis congratu-
lated the committee on the success of
the project, which has been under
fire" with the board of works for sew
eral years.