davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
CUSTOMS IN LIBERIA.
A Land Where Mothers Teach Their
Young to Bite and Slap

Young to Bite and Slap.
An amusing Incident is related by
Amanda Smith in her experiences as a
missionary in Liberia. LIN attempting
to gather the little children together
for a day school she made a chart Of
few of the letters of the alphabet
and hung it upon a tree. Needing
pointer, she picked up a stick and, APP
preaching the chart to teach, was sur
prised to see all her children running
away pellmell. They knew nothing
about the use of the pointer, but be-
lieved that the stick meant beating.
"A stick is put into children's hands
here almost as soon as they can crawl,
and they are taught to beat instead
of to pat The mother is pleased when
her babe learns to slap her and bite
her, and she continues the battle for
his sake This means no disrespect.
He is learning to be WARRIORS
learning to be brave. At times | have
been bitten hard by these warlike little
ones because they misunderstood my
European ways. But no child ever
attempted to bite me a second time.
My reception of his act was so differ
ent from that OF his parents that he
didn't care to continue the battle.
"Fear> often prevents a ready re-
sponse to our efforts to carry on school
work among these children" she con-
tinues. in one village it took three
years to persuade the people to let
their children come to school. NO
they said, our children must not learn
the white mans art. If they know
such things they will bes taken for
soldiers by the government
again. superstition holds the chill
dren back. If a boy or girl who comes
to school gets sick or dies the whole
school breaks up. Is not that proof
enough that our gods are angry? the
parents ask. Then the missionary
must win the children back again.
every interesting are the schools
under native teachers Often lacking
the proper supplies pupils have to
write their lessons on fresh banana
leaves with a whitfield stick to take
the place of pen and penholder and
the juice of a wild tomato plant for
ink Banana leaves shrivel up in a
day, and the lessons cannot be pre-
served unless they are constantly re-
written. A bench serves as both seat
and table When the pupils write their
esso.=s they kncoI on the ground and
use the bench for a desk"-New York
Evening SI::l
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
Queer Story Of q Battieshin,

Graft i'll Russia is on such naively
vast scale thai it becomes grotesque
Tie Russian representative of for
eign shipbuilding concern told of a
battleship which he personally de-
signed for the Russian government in
1905 The plans were accepted. the
steel contracted for, an army of work
ingmen assembled at Odessa and in
the course of time it was reported that
the battleship was ready for launching
The governor of the province person
ally broke champagne bottle over
her. bow. and month later she put
to sea on her trial trip Then news
came that the battleship had sunk
somewhere in the Black sea- Some one
was suspicious. An investigation was
ordered. and it developed that the
battleship had never been built at all
metropolitan Magazine.
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
PAGE Z

Mrs. Rogers and baby, Helen, re-
turned to Chokio Friday evening after
an absence of several weeks.
Mrs. Cassidy and children returned
to their home in Minneapolis after
spending the last three weeks at the
home of E. H. Townsend.
Mrs. Pete Gohman and daughter
Lucille were Morris Wis itors Tuesday.
Ben Marty was opera ted on for ap-
pendicitis at the Grac eville hospital
Monday evening.
Miss Louise Olson returned home
the first of the week after spending
the past north at Redfeld, S. D.
Her sister, Mrs. Hugh Gilday and
baby came with her for a visit with
her parents.
a guest of friends in town Tuesday.
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
Weinand Retires

j. A. Weinand has disposed of
his harness and shoe stocks and an
nounces that he has retired from busi-
ness in Alberta. His announcement
came as a surprise and leaves the Will
age without harness shop. Mr.. Vein
and is spending the week at Tintah
where his mother died recently and
where he is assisting in the settle
ment of the estate. Mr.. Weinand
and his family will remain in Alberta
for the present or till he can secure a
suitable business location elsewhere.
He feels strong desire to go to Mon
tana,
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
PEPPERTON

| Oscar Hoyer called at VIM. Bach S
Sunday.
VIM. Gausman was in Morris Mon
day on business.
Sundays rain has spoiled quite
few Joy rides which were planned for
Sunday.
|. Miss Martha King of Morris, is
staying with Mrs. F. E. Andert these
days.
Rev. Hirsch left for Parshall, N.
D., after holding quarterly services
in Pepperton Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. w. Claus returned to
Minneapolis after visiting for over a
week at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
H. Heick.
Frank Andert repaired the Pepper
ton company engine to have it in first
class running order when they start
threshing.
Rev. and Mrs. w. j.. Gammelien
and Rev. Hirsch and Frank Bach we're
entertained at the home of VIM.
Gausman and family.
Misses Ella and Elva Gausman
drove to Morris Saturday afternoon on
important business The roads were
not very bad, they said.
The heavy rains Saturday and Sun
day delayed field work for some time.
Several planned to start threshing
the middle of the week. Moving
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
CHOKIO

Mrs. A. L. Bragg was in Alberta
Friday.
Mr.. G. Hoff was a Morris visitor
Tuesday.
Stephen Burt was a passenger to
Morris Tuesday.
Mrs. Ed. Johnson, Of Duluth, ar
rived Saturday evening for visit at
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25
A Giddy Girl,

us your daughter of a practical turn
Of mind?'
NO; she is very frivolous. Wants to
take cooking lessons instead of per-
fecttng her game of bridge" - Ex-
change.
Morris tribune., 1916-08-25

might be a little risky or soft places
for fear of getting stuck.
Luck seems to be not very good at
the Heick home lately. George has
an attack of appendicitis and Mr..
Heick is also on the sick list.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
Secrets of the Moving Pictures.

1t takes a certain amount of time
to affect the eye. You do not see
things instantaneously. If you move
q lighted cigar in dark room very
rapidly you see what is apparently a
continuous curve Of light.
The motion pictures reproduce move
ments faithfully for the same reason.
Before the eye has chance to see
picture in it's entirety new picture Is
flashed on the screen. The pictures
appear and vanish at the rate of six
teen a second, in other words, SO rap
idly that the effect of continuous mo.
tion is produced.
Advantage is taken Of this to pro-
duce very curious and unnatural ef-
fects; for example, an old building
tearing itself down, hole digging it.
self in the ground, skyscraper grow
ing up from foundation without the
aid of human hands. The camera op.
orator has simply taken picture OF
the demolition of the old building and
the construction Of the skyscraper at
the rate of perhaps one an hour, but
projects them all in twenty minutes
Popular Science Monthly.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
When East Meets West.

An amusing illustration of the mod.
esty of the Chinese in matters OF
dress is given by Elizabeth Cooper in
her new book, "The HARM and the
Purdah."
when one Of the imperial princes
was en- route to England" she writes.
"he attended his first foreign dinner
in Shanghai. About twenty-five Of the
guests were English and American
ladies', dressed in their most elaborate
gowns, which means extreme decol.
lete.
'The attaches of the prince had
tried to prepare his highness for the
sight he was to witness, but they had
evidently underestimated its startling
qualities because when the prince ar.
rived and gave one amazed look at his
hostess and the line Of waiting ladies'
he was nonplused.
He looked pitifully for his inter
prefer, and not receiving aid from him,
put down his head, shut his eyes, and
bravely stumbled around the room.
cropping blindly for each lady's hand,
as he had been informed that he
should shake hands with them"
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
THE ORIGIN OF SURNAMES
Those Most Familiar Were Taken
Originally From the Occupations
Of tho Holders.

Once upon a time given names
were the only names in use One was
Tom, Dick or Harry, and that was
all there was about it. Our present
surnames arose from the nicknames.
Thus Tom the Taylor became in time
Tom Taylor, and his descendants
used Taylor as the family name. The
most familiar of our surnames were
taken from the occupations Of our
forefathers, as Smiths, Bakers, Brew
ers, etc. Many men, moving to new
towns, had the name of the place
from which they had come fastened
upon them. Others took names like
Pope, King and Bishop, from playing
those parts in plays. Hogg and Ba-
con are simple. Purcell developed
from pourcel, meaning little pig. Gait
and Grice are old dialect words of
the same meaning. Tod meant fox,
Fitchie was polecat, and so the keen
student of language traces the begin
nings of our names in the old dialects.
Some of the nicknames were original
ly distinctly uncomplimentary, as See
ly for silly, Cameron for crooked nose
and Kennedy for ugly head. Grace
developed from gras or fat.-Ameri-
can Boy.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
Gold.


Gold Is not considered q ccrnmo.
dity in the ordinary sense of the term,
but Is the basis on which the values
of commodities are determined Its
value does not fluctuate, but Is uni.
versally fixed at $20.66 2-3 ounce or
its equivalent. It's price, however,
fluctuates as in the case of premiums;
its value Is stationary. hence the term
premium. The difference between
the fluctuation of that and the pur.
chasing power of gold may be simply
illustrated as follows: That while It's
value remains stationary, pre- MUM
would serve to reduce its purchasing
power, to be added to its cost, bat an
advance in the price Of commodities
would operate to reduce the purchas-
ing price Of gold, taking one dollar
as a unit. For instance, dollar will
purchase an article whose price CO.
incides, but II an advance in the CON-
modify raises the price of that par
ticular article to $1.1o, the purchasing
power of gold would necessarily be
reduced proportionately; or, again, In
times of adversely, commodities are
cheap, the supply invariably exceed
ing the demand, the purchasing power
Of gold would then be greater than in
times of prosperity when the supply
does not meet the demand and higher
prices for commodities result There
Is no difference in the cost Of penny
weight of gold today from what it was
ten years or more ago.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
Meant Well, But

Viscount French of Ypres often tells
an amusing story about French re.
view that he attended a good many
years ago.
General French AS he then was
attended the mems dinner in camp one
day, and as he puffed on his cigar he
noticed that 800 young Frenchmen had
nothing to smoke whatever.
Accordingly, he sent to his tent for
three boxes of Havanas and these were
quickly distributed among the troops.
A rare treat, truly.
To show their gatitude the soldiers,
without consulting with their ser.
geants, lined up in two files, marched
toward the English general, and, rails.
ing their right hands to their caps and
holding their lighted cigars in their
left hands, they shouted as with one
voice:
''Vive la Russia!"
They had mistaken the Uniform
Washington Star.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
SALESMAN WAS BADLY STUNG
But prospect" Who Knew Just What
he Wanted In an Automobile
Lost Out.

'T want to buy car" said Felix
Spatter, according to the Louisville
Times, "and 1t must be a car that
combines reflex starter, duplex
finisher, radioactive cylinders. Heuf-
fledoffer spark plug. hot air reverse
my dear sir, have you had your
lunch?" beamed the salesman.
why, no, /"
well, lunch with me, and we'll talk
It over" said the salesman, and they
repaired to Beanery's eatery, the most
expensive place in town.
After the two had consumed re-
past Of Philadelphia scrapple, Denver
gage pudding, San Francisco honey
comb outlets, Springfield fritters and
Des Moines rhubarb pie. they each
drank a quart OF champagne, and the
auto salesman footed Q dinner bill OF
$3.50.
"Now we'll talk autos" he said.
Felix Spatter waved his hand.
Il won't insist on all these provi'
sions now" he said genially. They're
only things have heard people talk
about, anyway, and I don't know the
first thing about 'em. All I'll do is in
sist on my original intention Of not
paying more'n $40 for q car"
Excusing himself, the auto salesman
reached under the table, and picked up
one of the empty champagne bottles
and sent 1t tinkling musically into .
nillion pieces against Felix spatters
solid ivory head.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22

one OF those disappointed, for In in
telligence and fortune Burton was
most eligible party.
The boys at the club were fond
of jokes and the arrival of the month
with 20 days in 1t favored their
wicked designs.
Now, then, you want to rush the
program hot and heavy" was the
4 decision Of Ned Walton, tireless mis-
chief maker and therefore the plot to
give Burton a period of misery was
set in motion.
"A young lady called twice. sir"
was the announcement of his landlady,
two evenings later, when Burton came
home from the office.
He colored and fidgeted. Visits from
young ladies comprised a proceeding
to which Burton was an utter
stranger. He could not even recall
where recently he had joined company
with q member of the opposite sex
so far as a single block ON the public
streets.
"Er-that is strange. Leave any
name? All. perhaps my sister from
Smithville."
ooh, no, sir-I know her." disclosed
the landlady. "She was yelled. Your
visitor was young and graceful and
acted very anxious to see you. 1t
struck me she was quite mysterious.
And when she left noticed she Joined
two other ladies in the street"
Witnesses" gasped Burton to him.
self. IF all the crowd tell about the
outlandish exercise Of the leap-year
privilege by the female sex this
year is true, | fear | am going to be
the object of some annoyance"
For three days Burton did not 60
home to dinner. For three evenings
he went without a light in his room
and barricaded the doors. His ''veiled
lady visitor" did not appear again,
however. He began to feel relieved,
when letter reached him.
Its pages were delicately scented
and the handwriting was exquisitely
dainty Its sentiments were burn.
ing, processing "the ardent admiration
of longing soul seeking life ideal"
and finding 1t in him. 1t promised
further epistles, it suggested that he
wear a pink carnation in his coat the
next day, in order that his correspond
ent might know that her continued
attentions might not be distasteful to
him.
That especial morning Burton but
toned up his coat tightly and reached
his Office by unfrequented byways
He stayed away from the club, he had
serious thoughts of taking vacation.
When one day a bouquet was deliv-
cred, he decided that affairs had
reached the limit. He was SO dis
turbed he decided to take day Off.
Burton made for the outskirts,
craving for a days solitude In the
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
MADE GOOD ON DEFENSE
Argument That Would Not Appeal Il
All Won Verdict From Jury In
the Mountains.

Tango had penetrated the country
and every preacher in the neighbor
hood had had his fling at 1t. They
still preach hell-f1re and birthstone In
the mountains, and more than one de-
linquent was made to shiver under the
fiery exhortation of the ministers. But
when 1t was noised about that Colo
mel" Phil q member and pillar of the
church on Goose creek, had danced the
tango at the festivities on Beaver fork,
It seemed to the good folks of the com
munity that the bottom had fallen out
of the religious world.
There were too many witnesses to
permit of denial. 1t seemed almost
certain that Colonel" Phil would be
churched (which is local ecclesiastical
for expelled). In his distress the colo
mel hunted up the best lawyer In the
country to defend him before the
church board.
IF you had only been drunk"
groaned the lawyer, 1T would have
been easy. No one would church you
for little drop O. good liquor"
II was drunk" vouchsafed the colo
mel.
The lawyer was smiling when he
went before the church to argue the
case. 1t was the shortest defense on
record.
Gentlemen" he said, I'VE concede
that my client danced the tango Yes.
sir, We concede 1t, but he was so drunk
he didn't know what he was doing"
He won the case.-New York Satur-
day Evening Post.
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
BEF ORE THE TROUBLES COME
Why II 10 Easy for Housekeeper to 30
Pleasant In the Early Morn
ing Hours.

II was the first thing I noticed In
the office of the busy mana little
square of pasteboard with this state
ment: "Be pleasant until ten o'clock
in the morning and the rest OF the day
will take care of ITSELF" Probably the
thing that made 1t strike In at my first
glance was the fact that it was after
ten, and had come to ask favor OF
q busy man, a writer in the Indianap.
oils News says. II he stayed pleasant
only till ten o'clock / wasn't certain
of the successful outcome of my ven.
ture, but when he entered the little
room / saw at glance that his early
morning attitude toward life had not
yet worn off. He was kind, courteous,
gentlemanly, and | shall remember
him as living up to his motto.
But would 1t work under all condi-
tions? I'd hate to say that 1t isn't
true-the statement that If you're
pleasant until ten o'clock the rest OF
the day will take care of itself-be-
cause the man who said 1t is gone, and
can't argue the question with me, but
can say that maybe he hadn't tried
It out in all trades. Take housekeep-
ing, for instance! Nearly any house.
keeper can be pleasant until ten
o'clock, for it is after that time when
things begin to happen. Who ever
heard of dinner burning before 10 a.
m? Agents don't usually begin to
ring the doorbell until about that
time. Usually the telephone calls be-
gin to come in after ten, notifying you
that you must make your number Of
church calls Immediately, get some
one to help with your table at the next
church supper, be sure to attend an
important committee meeting, be at
the next club meeting without fail.
/ etc.
II unexpected friends or relatives
are going to drop in for dinner it will
be after ten o'clock. The postman
brings all your bad news after ten.
The afternoons bring more agents.
and callers, welcome and unwelcome.
The baby has the collie in the after
noon, IL he's going to have 1t at all,
and the next sized one is cross if he
fails to get his nap, and the older ones
come tramping in from school with
muddy feet, noisy voices and empty
stomachs. Then the man of the house
may put In call for hurry-up sup
per so he can get to an important lodge
meeting on time. In fact, it seems
that all the nerve-racking brain-fag.
ging, back-breaking hours in the busi
ness of being homemaker come after
ten o'clock in the morning.
Maybe some day we will get started
being SO very, very pleasant early in
the morning that it will be like sliding
down a steep hill, Impossible for US to
stop-but some of us will have to have
q right smart push to get us started
Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-06-22
THURMONT FREDERICK COUNTY, MD THURSDAY JUNE g. Is


him and quickened his pace. His
blushing glance had caught sight of
faded lady Of uncertain age waving
her hand at him and calling his name.
He feigned not to hear. He saw her
throw light wrap over her shoulders.
He saw her run out of the front door.
"Gracious!" gasped Burton, Il do be-.
lieve she is going to follow me. Yes,
she is, and leap year-say! she may
be the one who sent me those fiow-
ers."
In desperation Burton edged off the
street A row of bushes protected
him How was he to know that Miss
Celia Dempster was simply seeking
from him a contribution to the town
relief fund for the poor?
Then as he glided through the open
doorway of a great barn and realized
where he was, Burton flushed to the
roots of his hair Why! he had in.
vaded the precincts Of the Morton
home, and Ruth Morton was a very
dear name to him, although he had
even Ruth herself, who would have
been pleased to learn the fact.
Twice he had been Ruth's escort to
town entertainment. Then he had
been too bashful to CALL Often he
had thought of her. Now he lodged
back farther into the barn Ruth,
four of her little sisters and brothers
accompanying her, were making
straight for his retreat
why, Mr.. Burton!" exclaimed
Ruth, and she looked really pleased,
though flustered, as she came upon
him-'is this your long-looked-for
CALI"
'Er-why, yes" declared Burton in
stumbling tones, feeling that he was
acting like a Ounce. THAT is, l.
well, I'm taking a day off and you
see, sort of putting in the time"
(which you can do to decided ad.
vantage to u.s." chirped the sprightly
Ruth. Myself and this brood have
about ten bushels of apples to pare
and cut for evaporation. You shall
w III IL yOu
please me? 1t will be delightful"
declared Burton.
"Then come, sir, you must be
aproned like the rest Of us!"
What a thrill pervaded his sensi.
tive being as Ruth tied big kitchen
apron around him! What a novelty
to be seated amid the gayly chatter.
ing group, doing his share Of the
work!
Then there was a grand lunch, then
a ramble in the orchard. Mrs. Nor
ton insisted upon his staying to tea
and then there was moonlight, and
feverishly delicious critical moment at
the garden gate, his own face close
closer to the charming one OF Ruth
What ever possessed him? What
put new courage into his timid soul?
What irradiated his being as, after
blurting out all the story of his fears
and his hopes. he found in Ruth truly
loyal sympathizer.
Love, love, love!-it drove him, bold
as lion, to the club that evening.
His fellow members stared. There
was a new Burton revealed. He
bore his head high. There was happy
smile on his face.
Got you yet-the leap-year pi.
rates?" questioned one of the group
who had driven Burton into par.
disc.
"Oh, yes" answered Burton, and
there was cheer and joy in his tones.
"One of the fair ladies has. Only she
didn't ask me. Tell it to the world
that | am the happiest man 1t holds!
I'm going to marry"
Miss Dempster?"
"Not on your life! but charming,
lovely, incompatible Ruth Morton!"