davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
Chiidren'S Diseases.

The generally accepted belief is that
children are bound to catch them, and
that there is little use in trying to
guard against them. Moreover. most
people imagine that they rarely kill.
There could be no greater mistake.
Whooping cough is one of the great
killers of children. In the United
States alone it destroys the lives of
more than ten thousand small boys
and girls every year. Measles is an
nually responsible for the death of
more than eleven thousand American
children-not including large num-
berS who succumb to the brOncho-
pneumonia that quite commonly fol-
lows it. Not only do those and other
children's diseases take heavy toll in
death, but too frequently they are fol-
lowed by after effects that cripple the
childe on shorten its life. And yet
people say, Its only the measles" or
"Whooping cough dOesn' amount to
anything 1t even happens some
times that a mother deliberately ex-
poses her child to infection, in the
belief that the child can hardly escape
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
JAPAN GETS AMERICAN
TRADE,

Japan manufacturers have captured
the American cotton goods trade so
completely, says department of COM
merce report, that all hope of renewed
American business lies in an entire
change of the class Of good manufac-
tured for Oriental export
/ Ten years, the report declares, has
seen American cotton goods sales
! dwindle in China as the japanese bust
ness grew Now American mills, il
says. hopelessly distanced by the Jap
anese, either must extend their trade
by selling another class of goods at the
expense of England or dismiss hopes
for further Chinese business.
Increasing cost of production in Eng
land. because of the war, the repor
says, has created an opportunity foI
American mills to introduce into Chin;
lines Of cotton goods they heretofore
have not sold. Sheetings and drills
formerly sold, must be left to the Jap
anese and to new Chinese mills, bull
and building. China Tor many year!
has been the largest market for cotton
goods in the world.
/ Tables contained in the report SHOW
that from 1902 to 1913. IL years. tn,
Japanese cotton goods trade in Chin;
increased nearly nine times, while TIT
American trade dropped to onethirC
what it had been Reasons for this
as given in the report, are better sell
ing and distributing methods intro
duced by the Japanese. and lowe
prices for Japanese goods. American
goods. dependent on the quality alon
for their sale, and with no one to pusl
them, were sold in smaller and smalle
) quantities. British trade has remain
ed stationary.
The japanese began, the report say:
, by initiating the American product i
cheaper material. This allowed tn
Chinese dealer wider margin CT prof
: and gave the consumer fabric tina
compared well with the America
cloth
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

and brain. Even then the heart may
continue to beat feebly for time. A
person drowned may be to all appear
ances dead-no heart beat. no breath
ing-and yet be resuscitated if the by
stander knows how to perform Shaef-
fers method of artificial respiration,
which every child can learn in few
moments. Death is a relative term.
No one can say really when life ends,
excepting in our arbitrary fashion of
defining death by the cessation of
heartbeat and breathing.
In the medulla life presides. And
in one little point the very center of
E; life is situated What do We find when
we scrutinize this area under the mi
croscope? We find cells, protoplasm.
Beyond that we can never hope to see
with these scaly eyes of our OF course
there is something beyond that. 1t is
what various people call Allah, The
Great Spirit, God.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
The Daily Story
Member of Fire Engine Co. No. 6-By Esther vandeveer

There was Il fire engine house near
Mr.. Singleton's city residence. and 1t
so happened that the place was an OBJ
ject Of curiosity to his little daughter
Bess. The moment she heard the sharp
ring of the gong announcing fire she
would run to the engine house to see
the horses hurried to their places be-
side the tongue of the machines. prance
impatiently til! they were hooked. then
dash out of the house, followed by the
ragtag and bobtail OF the town-and
Ress
She was six years old when this ad-
miration for fire apparatus. horses and
men first developed itself. and very
soon she was noticed by the fremen
sitting at the doors Of the engine house
In armchairs waiting for an alarm.
One day one Of them offered to show
her the premises. She accepted the In
vitation and inspected everything with
eyes as big as saucers. When she de-
parted she was told to make herself
at home there.
And she did. She went In and out at
her own sweet will. climbed up on the
hook and ladder truck. the hose carts
and occasionally would ask to be put
on the back of one of the horses. One
day when she was ten years old roll
Of parchment was left at her home on
which was written. This Is to certify
that Elizabeth Singleton has been duly
elected a member of fire engine COM
pany No. G." The words were sur
rounded by pictures Of engines dashing
to fires. burning buildings and firemen
carrying women and children down
ladders from the upper story.
This was the proudest day of Bess'
life.
She was on the ladder truck one day
when an alarm came. No one noticed
her till the men jumped on to the
fOotboard putting on their jackets;
then one Of them saw her hanging for
dear life to the rung Of ladder. 1t
was too late to put her down. At any
rate no one made move to do so, and
SIZE WAS CdIIiet 10 Tie IRE. mere WAS
| little to do in quenchins the flames,
/ and since the ladders were not needed
she was permitted to remain perched
high. an object of interest to a gaping
/ crowd. On the return she was put
| down at her home and lectured by her
mother.
| But from playing in an engine house
| she had got taste for going to fire
and from that time forward all efforts
! to keep her away from the former
| failed. One day when the department
/ paraphernalia WAS about to respond
to an alarm one of the men beside thu
truck turned and nearly fell over her
She put up her arms and before ht
| realized what he was doing he had
swung her up on to the ladders.
Bess grew up the pet of the fire com
! pany and was considered a part of it
a part of which the men were yer,
! proud. When she was sixteen all tn,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
FEDERALIZING NATIONAL
z GUARD.

The question Oh liberalization of the
national guard is leading one at the
present time The issue has become so
acute that Secretary Garrison resigned
from the war department largely be-
cause he felt there was no hope OF an
efficient army in the militia and re-
garded his continental army plan as
the only practical solution of the prob
lem That President Wilson is not GER
tain in his own mind that an efficient
army cannot be created out of the mil
tia is indicated by his refusal to make
an issue of the continental army plan
even though he regards it with high
favor.
At the head of those who argue that
the militia can be federalized is Cen
eral Foster, chairman of the executive
committee of the National Guard as
ISOLATION. who quotes from a message
Of President Washington to congress
AS follows: In my opinion congress
has the power, by the proper organi-
cation. disciplining, equipment and de-
yelopment of the militia, to make it a
national force, capable of meeting ey-
cry military exigency of the United
States"
General Foster says that the great
est encouragement with which the
militia has had to contend for A long
period of years has been a persistent
propaganda designed to lessen the
public estimation of the value of the
organized militia as part OF the ma
tional military forces. He quotes Sec
rotary Garrison as saying there is no
legal way that the national guard can.
in time of peace. be governed, Differed
or trained by the national govern
ment; and there is no legal way except
by volunteering. that it can be made
available to the nation in time of war
10 any greater extent than specified in
the constitution, which confessedly
falls short of the necessary uses to
which an army may have to be put in
the event Of war with foreign ma
ton
In the opinion of General Foster and
other high officials OF the organized
militia the militia can easily be made
uto citizen army. The national
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

younger members were in love IL.
her. and the older ones considered 10
something to adore. They raised a ~.
among them to procure marble m,., NJ.
Of her that was put up In the eno,a'
house.
Mr.. and Mrs. Singleton did not cr,..
know what to think of all this-whe.5..
to be proud of 1t or ashamed a, !.
Bessie's associates envied her. har,.-
her bust set up In the engine hor.s
and the friendship of the firemen =.
they had no desire to cling to ~.
round Of a ladder on the way to a A..
However, her parents could not ssn.
rate her from the fire company Ana
gave up their efforts to do 30 D..
about this time she came Of an aye i
see that going to fires was not becor
ing to a young woman and Of her or,
accord ceased all visits to the envtna
house except on state occasions.
When Bess was sixteen her fstho,
was elected sheriff Of the county On.
day murder was committed that =,
cited the indignation Of the ponrlac.
to such an extent that, assuming a ma,
who had been arrested for the mu,.
der was guilty, they proposed to lynch
him. Marching to the jail, thew d..
manded the accused. There was M
adequate defense. and the sheriff took
the man out through back door into
an alley and thence to his own home
Unfortunately the two were seen nv
one Of the mob, and before long they
appeared and demanded the prisoner.
When Bess saw the crowd before
her fathers door and the trouble hs
was in an idea occurreS to her. Sin.
ping away. she ran to tbs engine house
and. with flushed cheeks and out Of
breath. told the 6remen Of the sItua.
ton.
What can we do. boys?" asked the
chief.
Play on them" said Bess.
, Good" cried a dozen voices. and IN
jiffy horses were placed before the
engine, 1t was hauled to the sherin's
house. and suddenly the mob, who
were bowling for the prisoner. found
themselves before stream that
! knocked them down as fast as 1t was
turned from those who bad fallen to
| those still on their feet Within Eve
/ minutes the street WAS cleared.
! The proudest men in the town wers
the firemen. who had found an oppor.
tunity to do a service for their idol
And as for the Singletons. no objec
ton was after that ever raised to be.
going to fires and climbing the walit
of burning buildings If she chose Il
do Sc.
When Bess was married silver tie,
service was given her by her fellow
members Of the fire company. The!
were all invited to the wedding. AMI
when later little girl was born to th'
bride she was made a member by in
heritance Of fire engine company No
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

mo fine or mere money compensa-
ton is an adequate atonement for
such wrongs The commission OF such
frauds is moral crime OF the gray
est character. Your committee does not
consider it as within their province to
draft a criminal statute; but they do
feel under obligation to call the at
tention Of the house to the Importance
of protecting in the future the inter-
ests of the treasury, the lives or our
seamen, and the safety of the ma
ton by appropriate legislation, de-
nouncing as crimes all such acts OF
fraud and deception practlced upon
the government in connection with
armor plate and other material of
war. and making such acts severely
punishable to all persons who commit
them or aid and abet their commits
sion"
Philander c. Knox, general counsel
for the Carnegie Steel Co., who later
became attorney general of the Uni
ted States, and later secretary of state
vigorously protested to President
Cleveland against the assessment OF
any damages. Secretary - the Navy
Herbert reported to congress that 1T
was strenuously and ingenuously ar
, gued by the counsel for the Carnegie
Co." that no right to exact penalties
existed
| Pesident Cleveland assessed dam
! ages of $4,000 against the Carnegie
! Co.. which were Immediately paid The
| fact that the Carnegie Co. defraudet
the government did not appear to i'm
pair in the least its standing with the
navy department.
! Although the armor-plate factory
| had been taken from the jurisdiction
dal itself evidently did not impair The
confidence of the directors of the Car
negie Co. in Mr.. Schwab. for he wa.
made president of the Carnegie Co
Then the Carnegie Co. was absorbed
! by the United States Steel corpora
ton, and Mr.. Schwab became presiden
Of this corporation. Then he went Owe
to the Bethlehem Steel corporation
and since he has been president of tn,
: latter concern it has been charged b,
workmen in the Bethlehem plant tina
frauds were being perpetrated upol
the government, just as they Wer
when Mr. Schwab was general super
intendent of the Carnegie Co.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

.-(Correspondence of The As
ISOLATED Press.)-The number of men
and women in the city of Paris thrown
out of employment by the war was di-
minished from PSI ,435 during the bat
tie of the Marine in September, 1914.
to 79,447 in December. 1915, according
to official figures, gathered from the
number OF unemployed cards issued
to workmen and workingwomen to
entitle them to receive the allowance
to the unemployed made by the city.
The decreasing number of idle work
men is evidence of the revival of nearly
every Partisan industry. The most
| important of all, the textile and
clothing trade in which there were
44,333 unemployed March LIST, has now
only 29,963 persons out of work, OF
whom 2S,569 are women.
| Unemployed" cards were issued to
about 10000 men and women practic-
/ ing liberal professions" The num-
Der was reduced only to 9,347 in March
and 9,317 in December, showing that
the situation of the mechanic, the sew
| ing girl and the common laborer is
better in comparison than actors out
of engagements, artists without Gus
toners, etc.
House servants are the worst off. Oh
about 10000 idle at the beginning OF
the year only $4,000 have found places
This is attributed to measures of econ
omy in some Partisan families, the
breaking up of others and to the fact
that many families have left the city
for their country homes for the dura-
ton of the war
The building trades have come back
nearly to normal conditions since there
are only about 2,437 men of those
trades idle; it is about the normal
figure of times of peace
/ Women so largely employed in lux
ury industries were the most affected
by the war, but they are rapidly find
ing new occupations.
Il am taking the place of my hus.
band who is fighting in the Argonne,
said woman street-car conductor
Before the war | was seamstress in a
big dressmaking establishment" There
are now $50 women taking mems places
on that line. enabling the company tG
double the service of the lines in oper-
alton last spring. The subways have
given places to about fifteen hundred
women. Like the tramway conductors
they wear jaunty fatigue cap that
gives them a military air that everyone
accepts as quite appropriate: they are
doing their share.
| The Paris commission houses lost
4S,570 men BY the mobilization and
took on 27,400 women. mostly wives
sisters or cousins of their modified
employees. Ten thousand women found
places in the Paris postoitices which
have lost 10000 men by the mobiliza-
ton. The six railway companies cen
tering in Paris gave places to about
seven thousand women, while 2.50C
were taken into the principal banks.
The number of women employed in
the national tobacco factories has
doubled, while no less than 10000
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
{EALTH TAI.
William Brady,M.D.
The MeduIIa ObIonqata.

Call it just the medulla and never
mind its shape. 1t is the upper en-
larged part of the spinal cord, the
bulb. about an inch long, and lies up
on the base of the skull just within
the opening where the spinal cord en-
ters
In the medulla are the nerve CELL
tiers which control the most vital func-
tions-the centers of respiration, swal-
lowing, breathing, the vasomotor CEN
ter, centers governing heart action
the sneezing center, the coughing CEN
ter, the center governing the act of
vomiting and others.
In vivisection it is a common prac-
tice to slip slender, probe-like instru-
ment into the medulla and break the
soft substance up. This kills the ami
NAL instantly and painlessly-or with
no more pain than would be caused by
a hypodermic needle.
In this little medulla of man, a struc-
ture you could inclose in a nutshell
INV iNSiuOc. oLuci pal Is Vi lub Drain
are essential for conscious efforts; the
spinal cord is essential for carving
impulses to and from the brain and
the limbs, but life itself requires only
an intact medulla.. The breathing CEN
ter has been supposed TO be the vital
point When it is destroyed the ami
NAL feels no desire to breath. But it is
incorrect to say that death occurs
simultaneously with the cessation OF
breathing. Any normal person can hold
his breath forty seconds, and bv first
breathing just trifie more deeply for
two minutes, he can hold his breath
TWO minutes. One student held his
breath eight minutes, another ten min
utes, by inhaling some oxygen lust be-
fore the test. Probably the nearest
approach to instantaneous death is a
powerful shock through the medulla
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

~Elihu Root, chosen to deliver the
keynote speech at the New York state
republican convention. attacked Pres
ident Wilson, or rather his foreign
policies 1t was not TO be expected
that Root. the partisan politician with
White house hopes still lingering in
his breast, would have done otherwise.
But as a private American citizen Root
admires President Wilson. and knows
deep down in his heart that he has
been right in his handling of the var
ious diplomatic angles of the Euro
pean troubles as they affected the
United States. In belaboring the pres
ident's policies Root did his simple
duty as a republican leader, though
doubtless it was not a pleasant task
fer him 10 perform.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

The chamber of commerce of the
United States has voted a recommen-
dation that the federal government CO.
operate financially with the states in
vocational training at a maximum ex-
penditure of s7.5OO,OO0. This suggests
the question whether we need to speed
up or call slight halt in the matter of
vocational training. 1t threatens al
most to rival the moving picture bust
ness as an absorbent of popular atten-
| ton.
| Of course our boys must have an eye
! to vOcations. They used to have that
! before the vocational instruction was
ever thought Of and they found their
place in the world fairly we'll A GER
/ tain amount of the more practical side
OF the case may come in well enough,
/ however, in the schools, but just how
! far should it go? Should it give color
I to the curriculum or be made subsi-
diary part of it? 1t looks sometimes
/
might become places merely for the
exhibition of skill in the use of the
! trip-hammer, the sledge- hammer, the
| claw-hammer, the tack-hammer, the
hand saw, the crowbar, the adj, the
axe, the Ratchet, the calliper. the COM
pass, the square, the plane, the rule
! the sCrewdriver. the monkeyWrench
the auger and the gimlet.
/ With all going at once it sounds in
| dustrious enough, but what becomes of
sentiment in all this collection? Is it
not smothered or drowned out? Where
do Homer and Virgil come in? Where
I is the fine inspiration the youth used to
get from the noble characters of his
! tory and the works of the classics. How
| do the pupils get a glimpse of the great
masters of science and art? Where are
the boys with swelling hearts to catch
the idea of emulating the noble and
great of earth whose thought has en-
riched the world? What becomes OF
mathematics to strengthen. chasten
and balance the youthful mind?
| On intelligently directed and COM
petently trained industry the material
prosperity and wealth of the country
largely depend. This fact cannot be
too thoroughly inculcated in early edu-
cation but it should not intrench upon
other considerations. While labor and
mechanical skill must ever be honored
and encouraged aspirations in other di-
rections must not be wanting With
out sentiment all would die And in
this busy. rushing, crushing. self-seek-
| ing, grasping age there is none too
much of it, Why should not the ma
tional government at the same time ap-
propriate money 10 inculcate in the
schools nobler ideals, fashioned from
the besN achievements of all ages? We
should not go to the extreme i'll either
direction but preserve a proper bal
| ance If We must have vocational
/ training, with the national govern
ment to help il along. please spare us
! a little of The old time sentiment of the
! schools.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Thinning the RIoOd.

l am informed that one part cream
OF tartar and two parts EPSON salts
dissolved in 20 parts of water, tea
spoonful on rising and at bedtime in
a little cold water. is good to thin the
blood. Is ii true?
Answer-It would tend rather to
make the blood more concentrated. II
would tend to lower blood pressure
which, we fancy, is what people mostly
need when they think they have too
much blood
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

Henry NJ. Pindell, the Peoria editor,
who is in Washington, told the presf-
dent yesterday that the middle west is
for military preparedness, but he does
not favor turning the contract over
TO Wall street munitions magnates,
Mr.. Pindell is one of those who takes
the position that the government
ought to do most of its own manufac-
turing of war materials and thereby
save millions to the government
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16

Commenting on the fact that Speak
er Champ Clark has again become an
active factor in congressional leglsla-
ton. the Washington Star, republican,
says the house needs him because he
is a master of house procedure; his
party needs him because OF Its present
embarrassments in the house, and the
country needs him because the respon-
sibility Of legislation is on the demo-
cratic Darty
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
Fishy Tales.

Car Nicholas of Russia is said to be
very fond of fish of any kind Have
a salt mackerel, Nick.-Charlie Leedy
in Youngstown Telegram
Yes, have our share, Nick. We feel
about salt mackerel as Jack Warwick
of the Toledo Blade feels about cherry
pie. No fish is better than salt mack
erel.-Judd Mortimer in Houston Post
Don't carp, fellows-Jack Warwick
in Toledo Blade.
We smelt this one coming.-George
Stumm in gainesville Telegraph Re-
publican.
But Nick is no sucker.-William Rit-
eel in Warren Daily Chronicle.
It's not right to cod fish in this man
ner, fellows.-William Sturdevant In
Geneva Free Times.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
Daily History Class-Feb. 10.

l49T-Philipp Melanchthon, scholar y
the reformation, born; died 100"
lS12-Henry Wilson. statesman 'i0e
president under Grant tsecohu
term. born; died 1875, in Office
1855 Seizure by England OF Nenezos
Ian territory
1915-Germany offered 10 forego br'
proposed warfare on British iue''
chant vessels If Great Britain
would permit foodstuffs TO reaeh
the civil population of Germany
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-16
One SIipped Over on Ye Ed.

The Free Press wishes to correct
a local item which appeared in these
columns some weeks back. A lost ad-
vertisement was inserted, saying that
Miss Hilda Strobel had lost her hair
roll We now find that this was not in
serted by any authority, some smart
Alec" leaving the adv. on the reporters
table in the Free Press Office and it
was run along with the other local
items by an oversight. We apologize
for the insertion of this adv. and the
next item which gets into the Free
Press without authority will have to
be slipped in mighty cleverly.-Fessen-
den On. j. Free Press.