davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
The Daily Story
The Elopers' Curious Pursuer-By John Y. Larned

road we TUX the shortest. tina. -
through Devils canyon. "a
1--WE was joggin' along in the -.
yon, takin' our time and thinkjn, nh.
a tame runaway match we was hav,s.
when we hearn behind us what Conn.,
ed like low thunder. Mandy lowed !.
was thunder, but somehow 7 ald.'.
think It was. In few minutes -,
made up our minds that it was a n.
rent comm down the canyon. Tbero,.
been cloudburst up in the rn0untain.
and the food was on the way in an.
direction.
"Mebbe We wasn't skeered, 'rh..
was no outlet from the canyon I'm
there was break in its perpendicul..
side miles below where We was IA.
canyon wasn't an average of nora,s
twict as wide as the road, and when
a good, healthy clOudburst come davn
the food was from ten to forty FOO.
| high, accordin' to the width Of n.
walls holdin 1t In, and it come like a,
express train.
"Mebbe Mandy didn't put On all n.
power, and mebbe we didn't aha.
along that canyon like cannon han,
But we couldn't git On as fast az TIA
food, and we knew that il We d.dn,,
reach the break below before the ".
ter reached US we was goners. Thu
! froItbla -r-ac rra nor1fGy,f+ b..
time, the road was so crooked 7,
wasn't long before the head of .ba
water was in sight | looked hack
just in time to see 1t strike one side OF
the cliff where there was a turn {,
the canyon 1t was like. the head Of a
tremendous sea serpent, ffngin' m,
logs and stones, sometimes a whole
tree, agin the rock, as much as to say.
Git out Of the way Don't you seq
I'm tryin' to git them lovers aheadr
1T was the worst sight I ever see
wouldn't let Mandy turn to look at
it, for she had the wheel, and IL she
saw it she'd likely collapse. EVER
, time there was 3 turn we had to slow
up. But the flood had to slow up. too
and in that way we gained on it va
turnin' faster than it. About a mila
above the break we was runnin'. for
the canyon was purity straight and We
knowed it was nip and tuck with III.
Down this mile we cavorted, thu
head of the food hollerin' at US and
THROWN logs at US to stop US, but We
kept right on. When we had about
quarter Of mile to go to reach the
break I began to calculate II we'd
have time to climb the incline leadin'
out of the canyon. I looked back, and
it seemed that the devilish thing was
right on to u.s.
"When we got to the break and the
rise we had to slow up bit for the
turn. The flood passed us. but threw
tree at US, missin' US by about a
yard. Then we was safe"
81 see" remarked the curious man
you was chased by rollin' water
Have another segar"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

with a host of specialists and techni-
cal experts specially drafted for the
purpose, under the craftsmanship of Sir
H. A. Walker, head of the London and
Southwestern lines.
Our policy of control writes
member of the committee, has been
not to supersede the normal manage
ment of the roads, but to coordinate
the whole of the railways of the coun-
try through several groups into sin
gle system available for all emergen-
cies. The general rights of the public
are protected by various special acts
of parliament.
The general staff controlling this
complex fabric of railways is so divid-
ed that it is in session a hours Oh
every day of the week. In an instant
by single order from this nerve cen
ter, we could turn every locomotive
and car in Great Britain out OF prl-
vate use to respond to emergency &C.
mands of the war Office.
"As have said, the lines are group
ed, mainly along sectional lines. and
to correspond with the immediate re-
quirements of army and navy trans
port Each section is in charge OF
, officials selected from the STATS OF the
roads represented in the group, with
suitable army representation"
The demands of the war office nave
fallen differently upon different lines
In some cases ordinary traffic has been
largely demoralized for consideraole
! periods. while other roads have been
scarcely affected. In single month
the Great Eastern, for example, ran
! $40 special military trains with 2p'eec
cars. The Great Western in the same
month ran 1900 special trains on war
| business.
The Southwestern system, however
has had to carry the greatest burden
of traffic. The experience of the SCUM
African war had taught much OF vaiae
/ to the officials of this road. aad ths'
were foremost in organizing the e'hei
lines for the present war, The snoi
nous number of troop and suppe
trains which this system has opsfs1e'
successfully has been revelauoA
even to the war Office officials ~
/; times, the rails from London 10 tA'
coast have been occupied by almos'
continuous lines of trains, ruhhias
just as close together as safety woa'-
permit. ordinary train service pe'as
/ sandwiched in wherever the demanu'
OF the military left the slightest Open
ing
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

posed method Of promoting labor dis
tribution would be INSTRUCTED"
With the limited power at its dis
posal the department of labor has
struggled during the last year to
mitigate the unemployment situation.
1t has set up federal employment Of
fees and through them, out of $4,000
applications for work received be-
tween May and October, it found
places for $1,000 workers. This left
$1,000 workers to whom no jobs could
be offered. Thereupon the department
set about the task of trying to find
how useful work could be created
for workers. This resulted in the
suggestion that the public lands still
in federal ownership should be retain
ed in that ownership and should be
thrown open to the use of the I'M
employed under government supervi-
sion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
REPUBLICANS NOT A UNIT.

1t seems to be taken for granted by
all the newspapers of the country
which are enlisted in the preparations
list campaign that solid republican
vote In congress for the huge expan-
sion program will more than compen-
cratic side. What these may be is
of course problematical. At least one
republican will be found in opposition
to the raid on the treasury in the in
terest of the war trust. Without vio-
lation of confidence we feel that Mr..
Champions letter may be given here
. Lapeer, Mich, Nov. Is, 1915.
Hon. W. W. Bailey, NJ. c.,
Johnstown, Pa.
My Dear Mr.. Bailey
l have just read with much inter-
est the editorial, The FIfty-And
Others appearing in your paper of
the 18th. While | do not recall hay
ing received any inquiry from you, I
have, during the time | have been in
congress, voted against the radical
army and navy increase program; and
l am firmly opposed to the more radi-
cal program which it is sought to
carry through the coming session OF
congress with so much hurrah and
hysteria. If anyone is interested in
my attitude, you are entirely at lib
erty to tell them.
1t may be that our admirals and our
generals, our armor-plate manufac-
turers and our powder makers, and all
the tribe Of munition sellers, our
Plattsburgh amateurs who see in the
future a military title in reward for
a week or two of arduous military
service in the news columns, and ou1
paid secretaries and publicity experts
fed by all the swarm of defense
leagues and clubs and militaristic
agencies, are delHded by their owl
mouthings into believing that the
American people, at this late day, de.
sire to take up the same incubus Of
militarism which has so long burdeneC
the nations of Europe and today. is
rushing them to destruction. Sucf
may be their delusion; and, so far as
the sentiment Of my district is con
cerned, l am satisfied that it is {
delusion.
So loud, so widespread and so gen
eral has been the clack in behalf O
preparation for war, and in the mali
by those who, for one reason or an
other, would have had US at war be
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED

real solution for the problem of
unemployment has at last been sug-
gested in a government report. The
department Of labor has the honor of
having offered the solution. 1t is not
the old one of bringing the manless
job and the jobless man together, but
is the radical and fundamental sug-
gestion that opportunity and the man
be permitted to meet.
Regarding land as opportunity the
suggestion offered Is that the govern
ment's unused land be opened to the
use of the unemployed. Then in
order that the unemployed may use
the land, it is proposed that the gov
eminent appropriate funds TO be
loaned to the unemployed and that
the agricultural department supply
experts to direct their efforts. Finally,
it is suggested that any unearned in
crease in the value Of the lands thus
worked shall inure to the unemployed.
The department points out that home
stealing is no solution of unemploy-
ment The homestead law is good 81
far as 1t goes, but it does not meet the
immediate needs of the man out of a
Job. The rapid concentration of land
ownership and the increase OF ten
antry show, says the department, that
there is something wrong with the
present method of land disposal; also
The large tracts Of land which are in
private ownership unused.
The secretary OF agriculture has
reported that of The approximately
one billion acres IN private owner
ship, over four hundred million acres
Of arabic lands are unused. The land
tenure should be so regulated says
the department, as to insure the occu.
pant the entire product of his labor
irfation OF land values must be pre-
vented. For wherever Initiation o.
land values might enter IT., the pro.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
Selected by Tavenner

To The Readers of The Argus:
The Argus has generously agreed to permit me 10
make regular contribution under this head to use the
space as if it were my am left free to make my
selection where will, whether it is timely or I'M
timely; to search the highways and the byways for
what may impress me as interest and value to the
people
/ assure my readers shall try to make the most OF
the opportunity. To do must forget that party lines
exist and will, just as wish it might be practical for
them to exist and that the principal issue on cleo
ton day might be- not whether candidate belongs to
this that political party but whether he is willing to
the Of the people the few who exploit
them.
In other words my idea is to submit information or
thought that would give to the world if l myself
edited newspaper, the only mission of which was to
serve mankind; to do this and nothing more
When personally write the contribution, will sign
it, and when present the thought and work of others
will indicate. CLYDE H. TAVENNER.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

A St. Paul parson is quoted as ad-
vising a conference of his ministerial
brethren in this fashion: The Chris
tian pastor who performs the rites of
the Christian church over the body
of an unbeliever is guilty of hypoc-
risy. Military funerals are for SOL
diers, lodge funerals are for members
and Christian burial rites are for
Christians. A minister of the Cos
pei is not an undertaken" Let's see,
what was that old line in the poem
Something like this: Alas, for the
rarity of Christian charity" etc.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
SCHOOL CENSUS.

The school census for Illinois in
1915 shows 2,433,S33 persons under
the age of q years. OF these, 1854
$40 were between the ages of 6 and 81
years This indicates that there were
77S,963 children under 6 years of age.
There were enrolled in the public and
private schools 1,263,046 for the year
1915, or 1853 per cent Of all persons
between these age limits were in our
institutions for detectives, or GRIMM
ais. as well as those who have entered
higher institutions of learning before
they were q years OF age, we should
find that there was only surprising
ly small percentage of our population
between the ages of and 81 not ac-
counted for.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
,EALTHTA
AAG,=lI
William Brady,M.D.
As 1t Seems to Be.

A good many letters from readers of
this column ask us to base an opinion
or advise a suitable diet or tell what
should be done for some such trouble
as this:
/ am young girl of %, and
for long time l have been feel
ing run down and poorly. l work
in an Office where the ventilation
is not just what it should be. |
was told my trouble is nervous
ness, and advised to take various
medicines. But after several ex-
periments l still feel as badly as
ever. l have a little catarrhal
trouble in the throat, and some
times a slight cough, but my
lungs seem to be all right; there
is no pain anywhere ! have lost
IA pounds in weight. My back
aches some, but my kidneys seem
to be normal. Won't you please
suggest something to help me?
The young lady-like all others
who write in that vein-labors under
q misrepresentation. Her letter details
some vague symptoms which might
mean any Of a dozen or more things.
1t tells absolutely nothing upon which
an opinion or any advice worth writ
ing could be based.
Note that her lungs seem to he
normal, and her kidneys seem nor
NAL, too. Why do they seem so?
Perhaps because there is no pain in
the chest, and because the kidney
functions do not disturb the patient
Well, tuberculosis is painless in its
early stages; kidney disease causes
no disturbances which the victim
would attribute to the kidneys-it
causes general i'll health or digestive
disturbances, or headaches or anemia
or loss of weight-Bright's disease
we mean.
Yet because these organs seem
normal the young lady eliminates
them from the case and expects us
to do so, TOO. Imagine how much
good-or rather harm-a doctor
would do by undertaking to advise
anyone on such insufficient knowl
edge OF the condition present.
! We are aware that we have beer
able to render some little help t,
readers through correspondence witt
them and with their physicians anc
| dentists. We are glad that this il
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
LEAP YEAR.

If the girls take advantage Of their
leap year prerOgatiye, Rock Island
MAY lose some of its notorious bach
elors before another 12-month rolls
around Here are some sentiments
gathered during the week:
H. NJ. Schriver-"Of course, it would
be rather awkward to be asked by
girl to marry her, but l would not
want to say positively what my an
swer would be until gave the party
of the first part the once over
W H. Dart-Really, have been so
busy | haven't had time to give the
question much thought, But there are
a lot of bachelors in this town that
ought to get married. They all have
my blessings and best wishes, and l
might send them a sack Of flour to
give them a start in life. | wouldn't
insult them with dough, but then the
-four"
Gus Tegeler-"It's positively shock
ing to think of a girl proposing to a
man. However, | have a swell car
with seats for two, and We aren't go
ing to have this terribly cold weather
forever"
H. O. Rolfs-"I'm spending most Of
my time in Port Byron these days, but
trains reach there not infrequently,
and if any of my lady friends have
kind words that they wish to commu-
nicate they are at liberty to blow a
two-cent stamp on me. But as to
marriage, | have always felt that a
man ought to be at least u before
contemplating such long step, with
the accent on the long,
Jerry WEIGHT am still able to
take care Of my furnace in the winter
and NOW my lawn in summer, and
therefore am not in pressing need OF
a helper in my home, and a wife
should be all of that However,
have not entirely abandoned the idea
of marriage, but l am not expecting
any rush of candidates during the
year. What would l say if a nice
young woman should ask me 10 be
her husband? Why, that's none Of
your business
! J. II. Pender-"I am altogether toe
youthful to talk Of marriage. Ten OF
fifteen years hence possibly | would
listen to a girl if she proposed to me
but not in 1916"
| W. o. Negus This leap year
Well, first | heard of it. Guess II
have to brush up a bit. l dare any
girl with a million dollars to make me
proposal Of marriage"
L. F. Cannon (Uncle Joe)-"Mar.
riage is such a momentous question
that | prefer not to discuss it unit
after the war in Europe is settled"
W. p. Mullane--"Old stuff YOU
| know We have had other leap years
and | have come through, not flatter
ing myself by causing the inferenc,
that I have been asked-but you'll oh
serve that ! am still padding alone
It's a beautiful thought, molassese(
with romance and sentiment; but, lis
ten to me, when am in the market II
! get out my faithful little two-seate
and light my lantern and hit the trail
Charles d. Rosenfield- doinj
Broadway. Talk to me after tn
J lights go out"
M O.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

so. We eagerly welcome the oppor-
tunity to do good where we feel that
it is good.
But we wish to protest once more
against such letters as that quoted.
1t is a dangerous thing to trust
to a diagnosis made by long distance
communication, and still more risky
to follow treatment based upon such
diagnosis. If you have any ques-
tions upon which you desire infor-
nation that we can give, put them
to us. But do not ask us to tell YOU
what is the matter with you. Do
not expect us to do by mail what no
doctor can do-even in his private
oftice-diagnose the trouble without
examining the patient
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

Il hearn, Jim, that when you got
married you run away with the gal"
$50 did,
Big cbase?"
You betr'
Gals old man after your
NO"
"BrotherT
NO"
"Mother?"
"No."
Another fellerT
mo"
at wasn't bar was itT
"No; it wasn't any kind Of a man or
beast-nothin' Twin"
what was it, then, II It wasn't
alive? Couldn't nothiD dead git after
you Did it ketch you:"
at come pretty nigh ketchin' us"
"Two legs or four:'
mo legs at all; it rolled"
"You must a been runnin' down
HILL"
mo; we was runnin' on pretty nigh
q dead level"
WAS you on foot or a-hossbackT'
Neither; In an automobile
81 don't know nothin' that would roll
after you except seal"
81 tole you it wasn't alive"
well, what was it,"
Gimme a segar and III tell you"
The curious man produced the cigar.
Jim lighted up and told his story.
That was the way he got his tobacco;
he excited some mans curiosity, then
gratified it for small consideration in
the shape Of weed.
Mandy and I done our courtin' out
in the Rocky mountains. Mandy was
fond of ridin' hossback till she heard
of what they called in them days boss
less carriages, and as soon as they
come to be common in the east she got
her father to send for one for her.
1t didn't take her long to farn to run
1t, though she got spilled several times,
and the machine had to be sent down
10 lOi ltpolio chNCI Il WIN.
We'll, when | come courtin' Mandy
her dad had jist struck vein turnin'
out 5000 to the ton of ore, and it
wasn't to be expected that he would
look at galoot that hadn't 200 cents
to ton of gall. Mandy didn't see 1t
in that light. She argyed that her dad
would be rich and she could afford a
poor husband. The ole man jist tole
her that the next time l come round
I'd git the contents of his gun.
There didn't seem to be nothin' to
do but for me and Mandy to light out,
and we did The ole man was away
at the time, and we didn't have nothin'
to do but put our buds in the auto, git
in ourselves and chug-chug away. 1t
was hot day, with clouds lookin' like
a mans coat that had passed through
a mowin' machine. We was goin'
down to a settlement in the foothills
to git married, and, since it looked
like rain. instead Of takin' the longest
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

fore this, that I supposed, before l
came home in the spring, that my atti-
tude was opposed to the general SEN
timent of the people. During the few
months l have been home, | have been
discussing this question in public
speech and personal conversation with
the people of my district; and l have
been immensely gratified to find that
the people of this district, at least,
have not been rushed off their feet
by the historical propaganda of the
militarists; that they still believe that
the great mission of this nation lies
in ways of peace; and that it's safety,
as we'll as its opportunity for the full
fillment Of its destiny, lies in the main
tenance of a peace, rather than war
footing.
With best wishes for you personally,
| remain.
Yours very truly,
LOUIS C. CHAMPION.
This letter, like number of others
which have reached Congressman
Bailey recently, was altogether
unsolicited. 1t seems quie i'm
probable that Mr.. Champion is alone
among republican members of the
house in the attitude he assumes and
in the determination to which he gives
voice. Political responsibility does
not rest upon the republican party in
the matter of plunging this country
into a stupendous orgy of extrava-
gance, but there are republicans like
Mr.. Champion who realize what such
an orgy must mean to the great toll
ing masses that will be called upon
to foot the bills and perhaps to fight
and republicans who do realize the
meaning of it all will shrink from
sharing even indirectly in the re-
sponsibility attaching to those who
shall saddle huge added militaristic
burden on the back of labor.-Johns-
town pa Democrat.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

The bitterest antagonists of Presi-
dent Wilson are those who denounce
him for standing for the interests OF
the United States as opposed to the
interests of any belligerent in the
great war. If his political opponents
hope to make campaign material out
of this issue, they are welcome to do
so. No one thing could strengthen
the presidents hold on the affections
of all genuine Americans so much as
a campaign on this very theme.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

St. Louis Republic: Champ Clark
will not run for governor. OF course
he won't He is invaluable to his
party and the administration where
he is. and when duty calls he has al
ways answered in his place. The at
tempt to make governor out of the
kind of a speaker of the house Of
representatives Champ Clark is was
the result of an impulse whose zeal
was not balanced by discretion.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
Jenny Lind and the Trill,

Jenny Lind after years of steady
practice believed that the much covet-
ed trill was for her an impossibility.
She practiced hours a day, but was
unable TO accomplish the feat. One day,
thoroughly discouraged, she was sit
tmg IN her garden when all at once
she looked up into a tree. Above her a
bird was trilling. She at once went to
her piano and through some magic or
power OF imitation began the trill and
from that day never had any further
difficulty.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
WHY WE ARE NOT PREPARED.

AT least hint as to what has be-
come of the staggering sums appro-
priated for preparedness is to be
found in the fact that four firms
which have enjoyed practically a
monopoly OF the large army and navy
contracts have received since 1887
orders aggregating s175,OO0,OO0, and
have been paid for their wares from
20 to so per cent more than the same
could have been manufactured for in
government arsenals and navy yards.
CLYDE H. TAVENNER.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
kidney Trouble Never Causes
RnnEaaha


is backache, dull, deep-seated, al
ways present, symptom of kidney
trouble?
Answer-1n all our hospital and
private practice We cannot recall
ever having met with backache due
to kidney trouble.
Her Joints Crate.
Can you explain what causes nv
knee to CRATE when l go up and
down stairs or turn in bed? My
hands feels the grating too.
AnsWer-Elther loose body in the
knee, or overgrowth of the synovial
membrane, lining the joint. If it
doesn't cause pain or disability, ig-
more it,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-07

The republican presidential nomi-
nation appears more uncertain now
than at any time since the subject
became one of uppermost considera-
ton. The favorite sons just now are
having their day, but the probability
of any one of them being nominated is
slight. There is a spreading sentiment
that the Moses" is yet to make his
appearance.