davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

emerge upon pinnacle, high above
Nyack, which nestles by the river far
below US. This view has been held in
reserve for us, and surpasses anything
we have yet beheld. In the distance the
Ramapo mountains are obscyred almost
entirely by the haze but the
waters of the Hudson are the bluest blue,
and the walls and turrets of Tarrytown,
across the river look almost medieval.
though. of coursee in this. we are de-
ceived by the haze and the distance. But
the view is such that the customary ex-
CARNATIONS of appreciation are slenced.
/ have seen practically all of the most
beautiful scenery in the world Qn the
movies) but never have ! gazed upon
any scene that is the superior of this
the Hudson, the hills. the cities lying far
beneath us--all seen from the very PIN
nacle of the highest of the hills that rise
about. Have you never felt that which
you could not put into suitable words
and phrases? Then view this country
from the spot / named, and feel with
me beauty of nature which an attempt
ed description on my part would almost
desecrate.
On our return trip through the hills,
going over another route, we pause for
a few minutes at Camp Bluefields. This
is the summer camp for girls. held under
the auspices of the New York Y. w. c.
A. The girls live in tents-and boomers.
They are all over the great place. and
each face is clearly an outpcturing of
the happiness that Is within the heart
below it. They are working girls. as
rule, and they come up here for two
weeks, at cost of about 1915 a week.
including board and all other expenses.
1t must. indeed, be a temporary heaven
to them. by contrast with the sweat
shops in which many of them labor.
At Orangeburg we see the preparations
for the annual Rockland county fair.
They are not pretentious-a few tents. a
few flags. and certain early arrived ex-
hibits But they are Rockland's best. and
Rockland county is not unknown as
producer.
Through Spark Hill we go Il think
they said Spark Hill, though they may
have said spark plug'D and after a
bit pull UP In the heart Of Tappan.
Tappan has much Of historic interest.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

past summer (you and I, G. RI but never
have we driven along way so fair, SO
so inspiring, as this.
On we go in the direction of Nyack.
We have crossed the state line again.
and though on the west shore of the
Hudson, we are once more in the state Of
New York But look. There to the right
of US. the Hudson has disappeared. A
thin haze obscures the far away shore.
and it seems We are gazing either at the
Atlantic ocean, or some immense lake
1t is in reality, the same old Hudson,
but at this point, it reaches width OF
about five miles, and is referred to not
as the Hudson river. but as the Tappan
Zee.
Those, or many of them, who have not
travelled up the Hudson as far as Tar
rytown. which lies just opposite Nyack.
do not know that this wonderful r1ver
is a veritable Zee" at any point, but
there 1t Ii. spread out before us. dotted
with white sail here and there. but
altogether different from the busy water
thoroughfare it becomes as 1t approaches
the New York harbor.
bit farther south, along its western
shore. are beautiful homes built almost
upon the edge Of the giant palisades.
each commanding view that Is indie
scribable in it's beauty and grandeur. The
road Is sheltered by trees and even as
we think that this would be fine coun-
try for the holdup men. we behold two
men ahead of us. attired as cowboys,
waving frantically for US to stop So
1t has come! We slow up and stop just
as we reach them, but perceiving that
we are obeying orders. they have turned
their backs upon us, and are gazing In an
opposite direction.
At last they turn to us again. 60
ahead. they command. I'VE We're right
In the middle of a scene and we were
afraid you would break into IT,. And
then we realize that Jersey Is the home
OF many active members OF the clan of
movie" and that our supposed holdup
men. were but two Of them. warning
us to keep out Of the movie" then In
the process of manufacture.
Inland We 80 once more. and altar devil
GUS turnings and much climhing-for here
the country II mountAinous-we guddeuly
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10
Washington, D. c.

in this whole territory, including the
Indians, less than 100000 people, and
they are scattered over country one
fifth as large as the whole United
States
Indeed. l cannot see how there can
be big opportunities for farming here
until there are fixed industries that
will warrant a resident population.
The opening up of the country by the
railroad will bring in many new miners
and placer settlements will spring up
and be abandoned Just like these VII
lagos on the Yukon. If great dredging
operations like those near Dawson be
undertaken. or low grade quartz min
ing properties like those of Juneau be
found, the country will need men to OPP
crate the plants. The discovery of cop
per mines or tin mines might produce
like result.
The comparisons of Alaska with Nor
way, Sweden and Finland do not take
into consideration the enormous popu-
lation on the other side of the Baltic
sea and their nearness to the British
Isles. Siberia has large areas of wheat
growing territory. and wheat will bear
expectation. 1t has thousands who are
engaged in dairying and there are solid
butter trains, which. In times or peace,
carry butter and cheese across Russia to
the ports of the Baltic. where they are
shipped on to England. AS long as we
have such vast areas of dairy lands in
the states it will be unnecessary to de-
velop dairy industry here except for
the local market. AS it is now, the
dairy markets. of Alaska are supplied
from cans. Condensed milk and con-
densed cream are served everywhere,
and, strange to say, some people like
the condesed milk better than that
from the COW. Indeed. 1 have heard
men who have acquired the canned
cream and canned fruit taste say they
intend to stick to 1t In preference to
the real article. They make me think
of the newsboy who. during his fresh
air week in the country, refused to
eat the new-laid egg. When asked
why, he replied: Il don't like 'em.
They amt got no taste and there amt
no smell"
After leaving the experimental farm
our steamer crossed the river to Ram
part. This is another of the abandoned
cities of the Yukon. 1t was once log
cabin metropolis, having 1000 inhabitants
and being one of the chief gold mining
centers. Then the placer deposits played
out, and the crowd rushed to the klon-
dixie and later to Fairbanks Today the
place is practically deserted. Many of its
log houses have been cut up for firewood
and others are falling to pieces. Some
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

the situasion and get his name the papers. This
frequintly brings hard feelings and makes strike
gennerelly unpleasant. OF corse strike gives the
ordinery laborring holiday SO he can go fish
Ing and mingul round equal TURNS with the walk
ing dellgate and make speeches in the lodge
moves the dred of having to pay an incum tax; IL
It lasts long enuff he becums redused in sircum-
stanses and the waste line and gets down to point
where he is forsed to live fifteen sents and his
relasions per day OF corse, theere air times when
labor must assurt itself or sink. We do pretend
to know emmy of the inside reesuns for the CRATE
strike which is upon us, or which has been SO
narrowly avurted; but we do know that theere is
reesun why emmy question cannot be arbtrated and
settled fairly and squarely without dragging in lot
of nnosent peepul and make them suffur along with
those who bring suffurrngs upon themselves.
There ought to be way to take capital and labor
by the brow of the panallons when they give notise
of strike and butt There heds togethur until they
promise to be good. For menny yeers capital op-
pressed labor-theere is no room for doubt about
that-captal had the whip hand and willing dis
possion, so labor got 1t in the neck and on EVERY
luther exposed spot. But labor has found out that
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

day while he accommodates job lot Of much needed
rest in ordur that he will DC abu to stand the fssca
strain of signing the pay roll.
Emmy how it may be socialism anarky what
you air pleased to call it, but the folks who suf
fer the most by nasionel calamity like gigantck
railroad strike involving all the roads of the nason,
ought to have sum say in whethur theere is to be
strike or not. bunch of hard heded myunaires and
labor leedurs whose love for each uther is such
tuching site that it reminds of the affectson
Roosfe has for the Kysur may be the parties direct
ly inturrest but at the time the plain peepul
in with loud splash when it Gums to the ulti-
mate cost. Labor the railroads and the rail-
roads the pubck-the publick, everyone con-
ceeds Gums thru with the mazuma in ampul sums for
the survace 1t gets frum the railroads, and the rail
roads ought thru with whatever is necessary
for the labor gives them in ordur theere may
be inturrupsion in sed survacebut that the rub
side seys that the pay is adequate and generus;
the uter side seys that it is not and that ends IT,
Now it ought not to end 1t. The peepul ought to be
abull under the law at this juncure to step in and
say-"We air interested in this scrap and we'll be
the judges to which Of you boneheds air in the
rite" That is exactly the mashinery the President
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

are in as good condition as when they
were built, but they are abandoned ard
empty. You can see the old stoves lysng
outside them.
Among the cabins of this kind Is the
one where Rex Beach lived during his
stay in this part of Alaska. 1t is a one
story shack made of slabs and boards.
1t has rude door. and over this hangs
a pair of white caribou horns from a
beast that may have been shot by the
novelist. There is pile of wood outside
the cabin, lying just as it was when
the last occupant left.
l am told that Rex Beach came here to
mine gold. He failed to find the precious
metal, but he unearthed the lode of human
interest stories and tales OF adventure
that have delighted us all. The -.istory
of his stay at Rampant is prosaic The
only story 1 can hear of him relates to
an Indian woman who, according 20 the
custom of the country. had three straight
blue lines tattoed in ink on her chin. Rex
Beach had bought some fish of the squa W.
and wanted to find her to get another
supply. He was asked to describe ner
He said:
Il don't know her name. but she car.
ried her head in the air. She is short
and dirty, and has her house numbet
marked on her chin. 1t is Ill"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

made with IS hills of each kind. The
sprouted hills had yield of 2S0 pounds,
while the unsprouted ones produced only
1853 pounds. Potatoes are also sprouted
by being placed in the attic or in any
warm room. / would suggest that any
one who wishes to compete with his
neighbors in raising early potatoes might
try the same method.
The season is so short here that many
vegetables are started in hot beds. This
is SO with cabbages and cauliflower. Peas
are set out In the open, and they mature
so well that the farm raises much. of its
own food. Lettuce and radishes also are
grown with success.
AS to seasons, the warm weather lasts
less than three months. In fact the NUM-
Der Of days between frosts are only 50
or 3d. Frost is liable to occur as late as
June 1. and there are killing frosts al
early as the first week in September. Mr..
Gasser has kept table Of the freezing
dates for five years. and this shows that
there were on the average about 90 days
between the late spring and early fall
frosts. Such frosts affect potatoes and
buckwheat. but do not injure the harder
grains. AS to winter, the thermometer
occasionally goes down to 81, ~ and even
more degrees below Zero but it is the cold
Of the summer only that affects the
crops.
TIL work of this experiment station is
not like that of an ordinary farm. The
crops are not raised to be sold, although
enough is produced to feed the stock. Its
business is to test grains and plants and
to find those best adapted to the country.
1t does great deal of cross-breeding and
produces new grains and new plants. and
especially legumes that will benefit the
SOIL
During my stayiI have looked over the
crops now growing. They come from all
parts Of the world. was especially In
terested in the various kinds of alfalfa.
Mr.. Gasser has now in the ground yell
low lowered alfalfa that has been i'm
ported from Siberia. 1t grows wild there.
and it promises to do very well along the
Yukon. The plants shown me are about
two feet in height and they have bright
yellow flowers. They differ from the
common alfalfa in that they have smaller
leaves and their stems are more slender
and more diffuse This variety has never
been winter killed at this station. Mr..
Gasser Is now crossing it with the Grimm
alfalfa which is almost as hardy.
One of the great troubles of farming in
this part of the world Is that there are
no Indigenous legumes in the country
of sufficient value for culture. The land
needs such plants for live stock. and also
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

271,00o farms. It's annual crops amount
in round numbers to something like
100000 bushels of oats, 1900. 900
bushels of rye, 100000 bushels of
barley and 100000 bushels Of po-
tatoes 1t produces 100000 of g.:
0oc,0oo bushels Of turnips and about
100000 pounds of flax and hemp.
That country has now more than l.
100000 cows, and it ships 36,0O00O
pounds of butter a year. 1t has more
than 100000 horses, 100000 hogs and
more than 100000 sheep. It's population
is more than 100000. and of these So
Der cent live on the farm.
There are parts of Siberia that lie in
the same latitude as the valley of the
Yukon. Among these is the cultivated
valley of the Amur, that produces mil
lions of bushels of oats. and has hum
dreds of thousands of horses, cattle and
hogs. The mean summer temperature
there is about IS or 66 degrees Fahren-
heit. t 81
The agricultural experts from whose re-
ports these figures are taken state that
their lowest estimate of the available
farming lands in the Yukon-Tanana re-
gion is 100000 acres, and in this they
do not include as much at 25 per cent of
the uplands. lying north of the Tanana
river. They do not take in the vast area
of the Yukon flats, where they say that
farming is possible, and they omit about
30 per cent of the 1000 square miles Of
the lower Tanana bottoms.
At every stop on my way down the
Yukon'I have seen small patches of Gull
tivated land. Every log cabin has its
garden and nearly every miner his
patch of potatoes. Just outside Eagle
photographed a field of 16 acres Of oats
which is now in head 1t will be cut
for oatshay and will have a feeding
value of 500 and upward per ton. Tho
owner is John B. Powers. the deputy
United States marshal. He has farm
near Eagle, where he has 40 acres in
oats, from which he will cut this year
rs tons of oats-hay. Mr.. Powers keeps
is head of horses, and he runs pack
trains from Eagle into the mining dis
tricts that lie so or so miles back from
Yukon. He tells me that good draught
horses are worth $1,000 pair, and that
pack mules bring $500 each
At Circle City there Is Swede, Nels
Rasmussen, who keeps seven horses for
draying and hiring. His charge for a
saddle horse is 81 per day. 1t would
cost him $120 a ton to bring in hay from
outside and he has farm which pro-
duces all the feed he needs. have al
ready described agricultural conditions
farther up the Yukon near Dawson
am told that the same sort of farming
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

to fertilize the soil. Alfalfa will do this
and it is now only question of raising
enough seed to meet the demand. Alfal-
ia is not cultivated so far north as this
anywhere else upon earth.
As we looked at the alfalfa, I asked
Mr.. Gasser whether the soil was deep
enough for the crop. In the United
States our alfalfa roots sometimes go
down many feet Here they would be
stopped by the glacial ice bed. which is
less than a yard from the surface.
'.They stop at the ice," was the reply.
"and the ends of the roots freeze off.
However, the roots spread out above this.
and by cultivation the ground thaws
deeper and deeper
Il asked Mr. Gasser If he thought farm
ing could be carried on successfully in
Alaska He replied:
Yes, but at first the farming posi-
bflities will be determined by the de-
mands OF the local market. and these
are very limited. Later some things
may be raised for export. Our pota-
toes are excellent and our vegetables
more palatable than any grown in the
states The quick growth of the short
hot summer makes them sweeter and
juicier. Our turnips surpass any grown
further south. and we expect that some
day all the turnip seed of the United
States will be raised in Alaska. We can
grow lettuce, beets, beans, peas and
carrots. and I believe we shall be able
to raise many kinds of berries. l have
just gathered my first strawberry crop.
1t came from that patch" And here the
farmer pointed to half dozen straw
berry vines. There were a few berries
on them, and the. prospect for any
thing like strawberry crop looked
thin. Mr.. Gasser signaled the house
and a. man brought out the strawberry
crop 1t consisted of dozen red ber-
ries half filling teacup. One OF the
ladies' Of our party picked up berry
and was about to sample 1T when the
farmer gently took 1t out Of her hand
and told her that he wished to make
a photograph of the crop for the agri-
cultural department. His plants have
now gone through two winters and
this small yield Is considered triumph
al there is no record Of strawberries
having been grown so far north be-
fore.
Mr. Gassers remarks as to the local
market of Alaska should be kept in
mimi by all who think Of coming to
the territory to engage in farming. The
prices of all things here are high. but
the demand is so limited that an influx
Of settlers would soon bring them be-
low the cost Of production. There are
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

that were erected in the days that you
and knew not, and here and there we
pass an old -bellum negro cabin.
still inhabited by old ante-bellum negro
aunties which (and who) would do justice
to some of the old estates that lie not
far out OF Nashville, in both q northerly
and southerly direction.
Drawing nearer to the Hudson's Jersey
shore, we glide into Alpine on Hudson.
In spite Of the hyphens, this is a strictly
American settlement. 1t is, in fact one
Of the prettiest places you will find in
this part of New Jersey. Magnificent
homes peep at us through the tfess here
and there, and lawns that look like a
metropolitan edition of Birmingham $
beautiful South Highlands are upon all
sides
In front Of one Of the handsomests OF
these splendid homes we draw rein-that
Is. l should, say-wAll. whatever you do
to stop fivver, The place Is called
THE Columns' for very obvious. CO..
lcnial reasons, and Is the home Of Mr..
ana Mrs. willard Thompson. the latter
being the daughter Of Col. F. w. Hopkins,
who is well known here. ana the grand
daughter Of Deacon 9. v. White at
one time known as The Napoleon OF
wall Street" This. you will readily see.
is title worth having. THE Little
Corporal may have conquered a few
armies. won innumerable battles. and
all that, but what would the real Bona
rarte have done had he been forced to
engage Wall street In battley
At Mr.. Thompson's we actually change
cars. parking the flivver and distributing
ourselves among the luxurious seats of
the big Hudson limousine. to become the
guests of Mrs. Thompson on the rest of
our drive For have not said we were
uncertain Of our route? Therefore. in her
we find good company and guide as
well.
Onward again, under the new and i'm
proved conditions. Northeast lies the
macadam trail. and soon we find our
selves Swimming along splendid road
way, with the Hudson in full view at all
times II this highway be called other
than tho River Road can go no rea-
son for It. we have taken several beau
tiful ana interesting drives toGethse thEa
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

a more or less minimized municipality.
.noush quile "en nno"n' III spite o.
that fact. IT Is good to look upon. but
does not attract us sufficiently to make
us linger within ITS city limits.
Another stretch OF pretty country and
wealth Not, perhaps, such as New
Rochelle. Larchmont etc. but neverthe-
less abiding place OF men-and women
VINO are well supplied with social NUM-
uons. " boasts pretentious homes,
beautiful location and very marked de-
gree OF popularity.
1nrousn HisnWooo ana INTO Ienafly
We 60. me last named town Is SO
caiied Tor no special reason that Is
nIoaoiy aover.iseo. re5naps' Dy USING
+ho,shs !, di, ~ s.tant,. TUG ns lne
tnouknt 20 avert the attenton OF pros
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10

suddenly there is noise as of many
falling Alabama pines. Crash! Bang!
The waters under us swirl and churn
we lurch forward in our seats, OUT
faces painted white by fear And then
glance around and we are surprised,
dumbfounded by the wonderful calm
that prevails aboard. There is for.
ward movement by the crowd and gaz-
Ing out ahead we discover that the
ferryboat has merely Slipped into
her pier. striking and grinding against
the great poles upon either side, which
creak and groan in agony and resent
ment However. it is an agony which
they undergo with a wonderful regu-
larity, every 20 minutes of every day
This is soon followed by the clank
OF chains. the turning OF iron wheels
the opening of gates-and our. flivver
Is FREQ to roll forward upon Jerseys
shore. We find ourselves at the base
Of a great incline upon the crest OF
which is Palisades amusement park.
an Institution which, in spite OF the
fact that prohibition reigns within It's
gates, is one Of the most popular places
of its kind around Manhattan.
Here Is great, artificial lake. FILLED
with bathers. At one end OF this lake,
the water for which is pumped up from
the salty Hudson, is great machine
creates waves similar to those OF the
Atlantic ocean. At the other end OF the
lake is a beach OF real sand. and upon
this the artificial surf rolls up and
recedcs constantly. In other words, we
behold many bathers enjoying real
surf bathing minus the shark and 9TH
err dangers. including too powerful un-
dertows. etc
This. though. IS merely zen PEASANT"
We pass 1t by and travel onward
on the high--reaching. after traversing
roadways that are hardly up to the
standard set by upstate New York.
highways. the little town Of Morse
mere. Morsemere, though It is quite an
attractive little Jersey township. Be-
yond II We lind ourselves already fall
Ing victims TO the charm Of Jersey In
the days OF early autumn.
Thep W. roll Into and through Loeniav
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-10
Most Musical Town in America

Boston? New York? Chicago? No,
none of these. The September Wom-
ans Home Companion says
1T is Lindsborg, Kan, country
town of only 1000 inhabitants. Linds-
borg has a big band. a symphony or
chestra of 60 pieces. which plays tho
same class of music as the Boston
Symphony and the New York Philhar-
monte orchestras, male chorus. a
children's chorus with several hundred
members, a Musical Art society, which
specializes in operate works; but
Lindsborg's greatest glory is its Ora
torio society of nearly 600, to which
whole families belong. and which gives
annually remarkably fine rendition
of Handlers Messiah
This inspiring record Of musical
good deeds was begun some 35 years
ago by Carl Aaron Swensson, who came
to Lindsborg as pastor of the little
church in the newly formed Swedish
colony there. He was a young man
with a vision. He wished to found a
college for the youth of his people, and
to give them also great music for their
daily life. Both dreams came true. DR..
Swensson, aided by his devoted wife,
built in Lindsborg a college which now
has an enrolment of nearly 1000; and
the story of his musical organizations
was briefly told in the first paragraph"