davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Dermott news., 1916-09-21

The efrrontery of this special agent, you would quite naturally conclude, was ridiculous You approve of the sort of courage that makes man willing to tackle almost any big task, but you also recognize the limitations of the individual. David with his slingshot had an obvious chance of success 1T he could make a scratch shot and land on the coco of Mr Go Hath he would win. But Special Agent Billy Gard sallied forth nonchalantly against the whole army of Philistines, apparently without even a slingshot.
 The Fhilistines in this ease were 1ypitied by the customs crowd of the port of New York That crowd was ring within the administration ol the affairs Of that greatest oi EatewaFs that had built up a system for divert ing q million dollars q year frelG the pocket Of Uncle sam and appr0priat= ing the money to itself. For twenty five years the men of this inner circle had steadily streaetheu.d their pasi- tions, their hold upon those in author ity. their power to shake down i'm. porters. There is great influence 10 be wteldcd hy million dollars l year In the hands ef willing spouders
 The development of this condition ,t affairs uas based primarily upon tue fact that positions in the customs service are depouGent upon lutfties Tho men who built up the system of customs graft had secured tha.r ap. peiatmeuts heeaHse they had political influence. They aftervard used fbat influence and put their easy money back Of IL rhs.r power grew. It appointments more important than their own. even 10 the coileetorshiP ttsclf II made | possible for them to bring about the removal of any small. ,r official who seemed to stand in their Nay Meu nat ia the r.ag learled to atuk at many th'ne. Chat they saWz When m culssar5 of the crooked CTS. .oms crowd went to m importer, even shere he was honest. it came to be suowu that it was wise to listen 70 my proposal made Thus did the ma :hiAe gather force.
 Just one example of the workings f tho sss. em An Italian named Cos clio was an importer of cheese. He gas successful eutorprisiug and ,onest merchant. One day he received
 large shipment from Italy. upon which le expected to pay a duty of lO.0O0 Tho cargo %as uuloaded and -eighcd hy the customs representa- Ives, That night aG emissary of the ing called upon the Italian merchant. ,le showed the record of weights for he cheese cargo. According 10 this ecord Costello would have had 10 pay
 duty Of but $500o It showed but alf tho weight in cheese that had ac- ually arrived.
 We save you 5000" said the pokesman We expect you 10 d. tde the profit"
 "But l believe in dealing honestly nth tho government" said Costello. 1 have always done so and have ,rospored."
The Dermott news., 1916-09-21

My tip to you, said the go-between, is to do as the weighers fuggest. They could as easily charge you over weight as underweight Besides. you will save much money'
 The importer. q foreigner thus ad- vised by representatives of the gov ernment of his adoption. took Che tip and thereafter protjted through this official corruption and shared the duties thus saved Costello received most of his goods as part of what Were known as Mediterranean ear goes" cheese, maCaroni. olive oil The government was afterWard found to have been losing an average of $2u- o00 on each Mediterranean cargo that came to port.
 The ease is typical The represen- tatives of the government practically forced the importers into these deeep- tloEs. The customs service and com mereial New York became permeatod wick this sort of fraud
 Henry L. Sumsan vas appointed tinted States district attorney in 1909 and determined To clean up these GUS. tons frauds William Loeb Jr. was collector of the port. and of the same miad The two meu got tHejr heads together and considered ways and means. \ biz cleanup followed and in bringing il about the work of Detec- tive Billy Gard played q most impor- taht part
 This young special agent WAS told to ee cut and master the detail Of New York customs. a service that was new to him. to come to understand them 90 well that he could place hls finger en the points where things We're seirE wrong. to pick out the men in the service who were corrupt 10 get his information in such form that it would h. admissible in court evidence and so strong that it would insure eouylc- tons He was to do aH thIs in the face Of the uufrieudlint ef the sery- lee h. was 10 study despite all the stumbling bloss<s that would he put in h's way. in opposition to the dominant political machine of the port. in the face of lack Of any special knowledge of the service. Young Gard accepted the assignment with a grin.
 What are you doing on the customs cases" District Attorney Sumson asked three weeks later
 Going to the baseball games.' said Gard
 T hadn't noticed any cargoes being unloaded out that way" said Sttmson. How long have you been fam
 Just a week" said the special agent. Never attended game be fore in my life l sit in the nice, warm sun of the bleachers to the right among the fanatics. have learned to keep score card al ready
 Aud such were actually the facts. To solve the riddle of the customs frauds Agent Gard was working hard at the task of becoming a baseball fan
 Two weeks he had devoted 10 the docks. During the first of these weeks i he had gone from wharf to wharf and
The Dermott news., 1916-09-21

Agent Gard had selected the right man OToo.e. af first tmjd in his fear of the ring became au enthusiast over the taHk of Weedl1g out the graft. The dominance et local p0uu- clans had uo teSrers for him with Washington at h5s back. The value of all hc had learned m eleven years 1T the scales was maae-s5 supplement The lack of customs experience on the part of the special agent. His ac- QUa.utance With the customs force in the port made hs information iuya,u- ab,a So enthusiastic dtd he become rha, he missed tarce ball games ia succession and went past four Saturday nights without AHs customary tussle With the spirits that bring forgettui- ness
 OToole confirmed much of the list of shor' weight employees that had been made up. or fhs derelicrons of many of these he had personal knowi- edge With their methods be was entirely familiar and was able to point the way toward the establishing of guilt SO it would be admss. ble as evi- dcnCe and would secure convictions.
 That an individual weigher may re- port short weights it is necessary that his associate at tbe scales a checker, should share in his deccpuons for the checker Is d witness of the record of the scales In the celebrated short weight cases Of the sugar scandals, the checker had steel spring like d corset stay that he thrust into the mechanism of the scale and retarded it. thus resulting iu a showing of short Veiaht But in the case Of the Mediterranean careoes the fraud Was le.s dls.uIsed The scales were al- lowed to record the proper weight. tg' the werFher and the checker in coiIa-lor. divided the agure by two in sett..r st down. The system was both simple and effective It worked for twenty-five years.
 Gard consulted With OToole upon tbe ady.saHlty of using workmon lhlgt tao docks as informers. The u,i.lrr thought this could be done and knew a number of men who might bee SO used. A laborer, for instance, working about the scales. was able to see the amount that the beam regis ter q at given times lie could easily remember the big numbers, those that represented the thousands of pounds, until he had a chance to set them down He could thus get a rough rec ord of the weighing of given half day This could afterward be com pared with the figures of the weigher. A pretty close check could thus be put on the given suspects.
 By such methods fairly clear cases were obtained against given weighers and checkers. After much information was gathered certain guilty men would be selected who would be given chances to tell all about their knowl- edge of the frauds. These men would be given immunity. Thus would few of the guilty escape punishment; but thus, also, would the government learn all the details of the frauds that it might be able to provide efectually against them.
 Special agents were set to watch every suspect, to learn his manner of life, how he spent his money, whether he could be trapped on the outside. When the government needed the con- fession of a given man he would be called upon and talked to in some sucn manner as this:
 You. as checker. worked with
The Dermott news., 1916-09-21
THIS IS A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS
 MENn

there Is nothing to live for Yoa per. form yoar small duties WIth great eo.d in the back of your niHd HHere is no stage setting that makes .he petty play seem worth Vhiie Ihe oalS relief ts III occasional Saturday night when you forget
 1he special agent began 70 realize that the Weigher was starting ou Bis tri-u,ekly fling lt also began to be evident Chat he was Of Che order of in ebt.ates Vho indulge H dgbaaeh af selfpity as an accompaniment to their hquor.
 ~tt always seemed to me. said the special agent. that man eoH.a be come so absorbed n his work that II would fill his whole life Particularly should this be true when he has a task SC important as yours
 Mother of Nary," exclaimed the Irishman. Become absorbed in watching bunch of thieves always at work? Would you like 10 spend Sour declining years in sitting idly by and watching your employer and bene- factor robbed e'
 Why do thjso" said Gard Why not lay the whole thing before the right authority and do q worthwhile rieee of work in cleaning up the serv- iceo"
 Yes. and be broken and thrown in 10 the discaiI to starye.s Was tho re- ply T have seen too many of Jhs-n Sc up against the gang. Noue of il for O'foole'
 Just one tip will give you said the woisher after hearing the snectal cents argument in favor of lending his aid to showing up the frauds If Euu Will examine the records of Ncd-
 ssraaean c.~zocs you NH Ind taat during the past ten years, such Car- goes have regularly ben about twice as heavy when handled hg certain 3eiehers as when handled by others Tho men whose records show these earaoes alWa1s lIbt ara tbe ereehs. Those who show them heavy ara hen- est. The solution Is merely q matter of mathematics.
 Nth tAis s,mieoutdeDce the agent couteLted himself He continued to 70 to the baseball games. but mot OToole only casually Ia the mean dme the records of WeiEhers were be- .nE examined In a week the figures were complete They showed these men divided into two groups that Here t... a,., rt ,,.t,N ,.l.t{gp r., tNa t,.af tr hts of cargoes. The group chat weighed light Was the larger.
 X few days later Gard saw 0aTooIc after ball game. He told the weigh CT that District Attorney Sumson wanted to see him that night at the federal building, that the district at- torney aas under great obligations to him for the tip to examine Weighers records and wanted to thank him
 "O'Toole," said the district attorney that night, this is a time when the government needs the aid of honest men. Ne know that men who would clean up customs graft have. in the past. come to grief But this is not now true. l have taken up your case with the secretary of the treasury himself That official asks me to in- form you that. in case you aid us in cleaning up this situation. your place will not only be made secure but that you should figure that the service will be remembered in the light of your future interests. We know that your record is clean. We want your help. Are you with us?"
Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-01-27
Fred C. Strickland Evangelist

The time has come for our evan
&c SIN to be coupled with knowledge.
II the Gospel Of Jesus is not to ap-
ply " this ~se, why ald He come at
ali!
We have been flattering this age,
when it needs repentance and saliva
ton.
The only way to prepare to meet
thy God is to get ready to live His
life here.
Fill your life SO full OF the love Of
God that everything else is crowded
out.
Don't 60 gazing in the sky to find
God. He is nearer than hands and
feet. -.
Any genuine religion must rest up
on "a foundation Of justice, love and
peace.
What good does it do the world to
be smart, if we are only bigger devils
for it?
It's living the life, it's the mould
ing of God-like character that saves
man.
Love is SO simple that child can
understand \. and the sage demands
This. is an age that worships force:
sut This spirit is bringing the world
to It's doom.
There is no way to come to Jesus
except to take upon yourself the kind
of a life he lived.
It is not difficult to belive the mes
sage of Jesus; don't see how we can
help believing.
Nobody has to die to go to Heaven.
nobody has to die to go to He'll. They
/ both start here.
II we ever get the thought Of the
| constructive power Of love, we can re-
build the world.
Insomuch as you have love, you
| ave Christ, and insomuch as you
have not love, you have not Christ.
When the common people refuse to
~ht. do yo. uthink the Kaiser Will go
and have it@out with the Gar?
| Unless the..t truly Christian people
| AXE upon themselves the Leadership
| f the race, our nation is doomed.
! Why should my work out among
I :, be called hold and your work out
among your fellow-men be called
secular?
Ii 1t is wrong for you to go out and
ett4e your personal troubles BY brute
force, it is wrong for nations to 90
[ the same. s
refuse to have a private belief
when l am in my study and differ
mt belief for the public when stand
the pulpit
! The only man want to give gal
I yanic shock is the one who says the
Kingdom cannot come and that His
will cannot be done on earth as 1t is
The world is never saved from the
top crust Of society; it is always
saved from the struggling common
life beneath. The common people
still hear Jesus gladly. :
Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-01-27

announce through the columns of the
Majority that we are soliciting aid for
the striking miners of the Sunday
Creek Coal company in the Hooking
Valley, throughout Sub-District No. 5
of District No. 6.
The history speaks for itself inso-
far as the Hooking Valley Miners
are concerned, owing to their many
battles for justice, and when this
fight of the Sunday Greek Coal Co.
will go down in the history it will
again mark the tragic page of coal
company who has so stubbornly OPP
posed the just demands of the Mine
Workers.
Our presence in Eastern Ohio Is
indeed very highly appreciated by our
fellow brother miners, because they
still feel the aftermath of their own
struggle that lasted for fourteen
months and was won that had no
parallel in the history of the labor
movement.
These brave veterans of Eastern
Ohio we'll remember the suffering and
hardships they themselves and their
families had to endure during their
struggle, therefore they are respond
ing cheerfully for. the cause: of the
Sunday Greek striking miners being
guided by the motto "That friend
in need is a friend indeed"
Myself 6nd brother Robinson wish
to state in behalf of the Sunday Creek
striking miners that we will follow
the example of the seasoned veterans
of Eastern Ohio, and will continue on
our struggle with their assistance un.
til our efforts are crowned with sue
cess.
In conclusion we desire to say that
we thank the Sub-District officers for
the help they have extended to us,
and also the following Local Unions,
No.s16O9, 2159, 1862, 2735, "A. 215O.
245 and 13, and also the business men
Of Bridgeport, Ohio.
Fraternally yours,
J. w. WHEATLEY.
Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-01-27
strickland Eplsrams.

II we had enough faith. we could
shake the world.
God doesn't want you on His job:
He wants you on your job.
THE greatest poverty we are sur
|fering now is poverty Of spirit.
There IS an INNER and an outer
aaIvafion and they both come at once.
II II cannot be done why did He
teach us to say THY Kingdom Come.
Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-01-27
Sunday Greek Miners
Soliciting Strike Aid

Bridgeport, Ohio, Jan. "A. 1916.
Editor the Majority,
Wheeling, w. Va. 81.
My Dear Sir & Bro
It is indeed q great pleasure to my
self and brother James Robinson to
Evening star., 1916-08-27

COMPANY POLICE; BELONG TO
A Substitute for French lBri@r.

a ND now the good old pipe" has
"A been affected by "the war" The
French brTer. one of the most popular
of pipes, is made from the root of the
white heath of "bruyere," which has
become so scarce since the beginning of
the war that American pipe 1nanufac-
turers have been forced to seek sub
stitute.
The substitute proved to be our own
mountain laurel. which is similar in
appearance to the French brie-. The
availability of this wood was discov-
ered> at the forest products laboratory
of the Department of Agriculture.
where it is reported that. while the
mountain laurel burns out more quickly
than does French brier, it is otherwise
equal to the imported product.
Experts are trying, Furthermore. to
overcome the quick burning out of the
laurel root, and have succeeded to an
appreciabIe extent in finding harden
ing process
French briers are made from the root
Of the white heath only after they have
been put through several processes"
After being cleaned and sawed into
blanks they are placed in hot water
Evening star., 1916-08-27

and simmered for twelve hours. some
times more. 1t is this process that
gives them the rich coloring SO desir-
able in the finished pipes.
The importance of the brier can be
better understood when it Is realized
that in 1915 the value of the blanks
shipped. to this country was almost
100000. In addition, a large number
of finished pipes were imported.
The use of our mountain laurel for
pipes was first discovered through the
sale of large quantities of the root from
one of the national forests, which were
bought for that purpose.
The recent purchases of lands by the
government in the southern Appalach-
ians opens up large possibilities in this
direction. as the laurel grows in that
country in practically unlimited guam
titles.
The blooms of the laurel are noted
for their delicate beauty, and visitors
to the mountains claim that the thick
cts of laurel. or pink beds" as they
are called. form one Of the attractions
In that region. Ohcials of the forest
service have said that no sales Of roots
will be made in localities frequented by
tourists or where they will mar the
beauty of the landscape
Evening star., 1916-08-27

chief business is the keeping of order and
the punishment Of crime.
But how can you keep track of the
people in such a large territory, Mai.
Noodle? Your whole land Is wilder
ness and for more than half of the year
it Is all snow and ice"
I'VE manage to know pretty well
where every one is all the time" was
the reply. We have regulations by
which every hotel and roadhouse is re-
quired to keep a daily record of all
who stop there. The arrivals and de-
partures are reported to the police, and
this is so in the towns as well as in the
wilds. Every hotel in Dawson has a
full list of its guests on the page of
the hotel register every morning. This
is so of those who have come days Or
weeks before. If they are still in the
hotel The register shows the name of
every person in the house; and l may say
that we know about where every man in
the territory sleeps every night.
I'VE get reports of all the passengers
who go up and down the river. and
from every telegraph station they pass
on the way. When steamer leaves
Evening star., 1916-08-27

brings the robber to prison or the mur-
derer to the gallows.
The mounted police have made many Of
the trails of the far north. They cut the
first road through the wiids to the Yu-
kon at the time of the gold discovery,
and they have opened up the Rocky
mountains to prospectors. In their ex-
piorations they sometimes erect houses
along the trails and leave supplies of pro-
visions for other travellers who may come
after. They have a station on Hudson
bay which is made of houses shipped there
in pieces. and the police there give re-
ports on conditions prevailing about the
bay and as to how the natives are treat
ed. They have steam launches to patrol
the bay, and they 90 up the rivers in
canoes and across the country with
sledges and dogs.
Mai. Noodle tells me that the Yukon
force is scattered all over this territory.
Said he:
We have one constable stationed 500
miles up the Porcupine river from Fort
Yukon. Aisaka. We have one on Her.
schel Island, in the Arctic ocean, and
another at Fort Mcpherson. which is
Evening star., 1916-08-27
Washington's Crab Supply.
CONTINUED from Second Page.)

value of her crab fisheries. The blue
crab-red after it is cooked-which is
most familiar to the American dinner
table is not the only interesting men,
Der of this crutacean family. nor in
deed the only edible one.
The Pacific coast provides crab
which is much larger than our blue va
riety. and though it is not so extensive
ly fished for. it produces catch which
is almost as valuable as that of Mary
land. Every one knows the little
oyster crab. with the thin shell and the
weak legs which spends its life within
the shell of an oyster for protection.
The fiddler crab is an interesting va
riety which accommodates itself to
both land and sea. It lives in large
colonies in holes in tropical seashores
and Is called a fiddler crab because its
pincer is SO enormously developed that
it gives the crab the general shape Of
a violin. The hermit crab. like the lit
tie oyster crab, avails itself of the pro-
lection afforded by a. mollusk's shell.
and it usually inserts its body into
some snail's cast-on abode.
A crabs. body is very queer devia-
tion from the OF dina FISH and mol