davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
SIDE TALKS

BY RUTH CAMERON.

Not to talk about yourself, your
possessions, your past experiences,
your family, etc, unless directly soli-
cited to do so, and then with discre-
ton and modesty, is one of the surest
and finest kallmarks of breeding.
We were much impressed by a man
we met the other night, not because
of what he said about himself, but
because of what he didn't say.
We were riding in a machine and
he did. We asked if he had a car
and he said mot now" That was all
he had to say on the subject, in spite
of the excellent opening we had given
him. Yet later we found out, through
third person, that he was a wonder
full driver, that he had even driven
in amateur races and that he had just
sold an expensive foreign car.
These facts coming from him
would have been interesting, coming
from third party they were i'm
pressive
What you leave to third person to
say about your possessions and your
importance carries ten times the
weight of what you say yourself.
The cruder people are the more they
about their Importance but about
anything which concerns them They
lack the sense of proportion to realize
that these things are not as interest
ing to others, sense winch education
in its broadest form gives.
Mrs A. hasn't any children, has
she?" a friend asked me the other
day, in regard to a woman to whom
had introduced her and whom she
had subsequently met several times
"Only four!' said I.
why. I never heard her speak
of them!"
or course she never did. She her.
self is an unmarried woman, not par
ticularly interested in children She
never asked Mrs. A. about her family
and Mrs. A. is not the kind of woman
who would volunteer such informa-
ton. She can talk fascinatingly
about her children to those who ask
her about them and who have reason
to be Interested, but she is also mis-
tress of the rarer art of being silent in
| the presence of those who may not be
| interested.
''Tacky' is a word that is not in the
dictionary, but it is the only word ]
know that adequately expresses the
combination of childish egotism and
selfishness that makes people talk con-
| tinually about themselves-(Copy-
| right by George Matthew Adams.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
QUAKER MEDITATIoNs.

IFrom the Philadelphia RecordJ
1t isn't every man who can nail i
lie without hitting his own fingers
We always admire a man who SAYS
Just what he thinks-about other peo-
pie.
To err is human, but it counts
against your fielding average, just the
same
The closer a man gets to the TOP,
the more eager the world is to give
him boost.
You never can tell. 1t isn't always
the big man who looks down on his
neighbors.
All women are addicted to chin
music, and many woman even has a
double chin.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
BED T GMIE TALES
JOHNS FORGETTING.
BY CLARA INGRAM JUDSON

"Johni Will you please go in and
shut the front window and lock it
tightly? L am afraid a storm is blow
ing up, and Mary's bird is right by
the window. Be sure it is locked -
Mothers voice called from upstairs
where she had gone to put little Helen
to bed.
Yes, mother, I will" replied John,
pleasantly, and mother went on with
her work. which kept her so busy that
she didn't come down stairs again all
evening.
I'll get up in a minute" John
said, when his mother called; but the
storm isn't here now, and I'm sure
mother wouldn't mind if l just finish
this chapter before 1 do anything"
So he snuggled all the tighter into his
big easy chair and read and read and
read And SO interested was he that
he never thought of windows or locks
or birds or anything againl
AT 9 o'clock father called him to go
to bed and off he went, without a
thought of his mothers request.
Way in the middle of the night he
was awakened with a crashing sound
Such a storm as there wasl The trees
bent and blew, the shutters banged
and the lightning flashed brilliantly.
Mother and father were both up and
were going around from bedroom to
bedroom shutting the windows and
seeing that everything was all right.
Don't bother to go downstairs -
John heard his mother say; for there
was only one window open, and John
closed that for me this evening"
Instantly he was wide awake. He
close the window? He had not closed
the window He had forgotten all
about it. His little sister Mary's bird
was right by that open window, where
it would get all the force of the storm |,
Something must be done at once.
OF course he knew he could call his
father and that he would go down and
close the window But someway, John
didn't want to do that He wanted to
prove to himself that he could be man.
Iy, even though he had careIessly for
gotten his duty.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

drives its 31,400 tors at the rate of
twenty-one knots. while the $1,000
horsepower of the Queen Elizabeth
drives its 1880 tons at the rate of
twenty-fi five knots. We are told, it is
| sideration. Perhaps not. But it is an
important consideration. and, other
things being equal. it is decisive con-
4; sideration. Superiority of even a sin
gle knot would mark one vessel as
superior to another II they were equal
| in all other respects. Superiority of
four knots is far too wide a margin to
| be overlooked.
1t is boosted that the Pennsylvania
has oil-burning engines, which in
crease her radius of action 40 per
cent for the same weight of fuel over
coal-burning vessels. That may be
quite true. But we must remember
that the Queen Elizabeth and all the
six vessels of its type also have oil
| burning engines, so that we can claim
nothing better than equality with
them in that respect. 1t is said, too,
that the Pennsylvania is the most
heavily protected ship in the world,
with an armor belt 1871 inches thick.
But the Queen Elizabeth and more
| than a dozen other British ships also
have 1914 inch armor, so that in that
particular. also, our best claim is
| nothing more than equality. The
Pennsylvania is not <'-the most heavily
protected" but merely one of the most
heavily.
So in the last analysis this is the
statement of the case: The two ships
are equal in defensive armor, and in
steaming radius. But the British ship
steams twenty-five knots to the Amer
leans twenty-one, ard throws a main
broadside of 17,60 pounds in 15-inch
projectiles to our $500 pounds in a.
inch projectiles. How the Pennsyl-
vania can be the more formidable,
| with ATS per cent inferiority in weight
| of broadside and 10 per cent inferior
ity in speed, is lone of those things no
fellow can find out" at least without
| a more lucid and convincing demon
stration than has yet been given.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

hear from it again. If you fear it, do
not eat it; if you eat it, do not fear it.
Be cheerful at your meals. A sour
countenance will give you a sour stom-
ach.
Praise your wife's cooking-if you
can, conscientiousfy.
If you go home with a crouch, leave
it out of doors where the dog will get
it-then shoot the dog.
The majority of people do not know
how to live until they are ready to
die, and then they are not ready to
die because they have not rightly
lived.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

Considering the number of cabinet
crises she has had, and another one
is impending. Great Britain has done
remarkably well in the great Euro
pean war. The nation whose affairs
are entrusted to the mercy of politi-
clans is sorely handicapped, indeed, in
many ways and especially when big
test comes. The only rule the average
politician knows and follows is to look
out for his own interests first. last and
all the time
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
OUR SHIPS AND SOME OTHERS.

OUR SHIPS AND SOME OTHERS.
Again we boast, says the North
American Review. and it continues:
put into commission. It is the most
powerful fighting machine in our
navy. That, however. is not enough
to say of 1t. We are assured, with in
genious and persistent iteration, that
it is the most powerful in the world.
True, there are others of far greater
horsepower; but the Pennsylvania is
the most powerful. There are others
of far greater speed; but the Pennsyl-
vania is the most powerful. There are
others which carry heavier guns; but
the Pennsylvania is the most powerful.
There are several which surpass the
Pennsylvania in all three of these re-
spects; but the Pennsylvania is the
most powerful. We hope that 1t Is
true.
The Pennsylvania is undoubtedly a
magnificent ship. We wish there were
two dozen like it in the navy But to
the mere landlubber there Goes seem
reason to ask for further proof than a
mere SAY so" of it's superiority over
the several vessels of the Queen Eliza
beth class. 1t is admitted that the
Pennsylvania's guns are of only four
teen-inch caliber. against the Queen
Elizabeth's fifteen. but it is insisted
that the former are of as great range
and as effective as the latter. That
may be, but if so it is very surprising
and puzzling to the layman. If a
fourteen-inch gun is as effective as a
fifteen, then is a thirteen as good as a
fourteen, and twelve as good as a
thirteen, and go on down the scale ?
If so, we shall presently find our
selves declaring. according to one OF
Euclid's axioms, that a two-inch gun
is as effective as one of fifteen inches
similar line of argument applies
to the matter of speed. The 1880
horsepower of the Pennsylvania
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
THE RURAL-sCHooL TERM.

The first problem in the program
of the federal bureau of education in
it's nationwide campaign for better
rural schools is that of a longer school
term, states ]. L. McBrien, school ex-
tension agent of the bureau, in the
first of a series of talks on this sub
ject.
"A school term of not less than $50
days for each child" is the minimum
term, according to Doctor Claxton.
United States commissioner of educa-
ton, which all states with a shorter
term should strive to reach.
The latest data available concern
ing the length of term for urban
schools and for rural schools separate
~ give the average number of days
school was in session during the year
for urban schools, 1S4.3, and for rural
schools. 1877.
For the United States as a whole
the urban schools are in session 46.e
days longer each year than the rural
schools" says A. C. Monahan. the
United States educational bureaus
specialist in rural school administra
ton.
In Rhode Island and Connecticut,
the difference between the urban and
rural school term is 3.S days. while in
South Carolina it is SS.5 days.
The average number of days in the
rural school term in the several states
ranges from 90 in New Mexico to 100
in Rhode Island
Four states-New Mexico, North
and South Carolina and Arkansas
each had in 1910 a rural school term
of less than 100 days, while Florida
had rural term of exactly 1901 days.
But" declares Mr.. Monahan, these
averages do not tell the whole story.
There is much variation above and
below the average. there are many
school districts and even many coun-
ties. where the term for the past year
was not over sixty days
From the reports of the school year
ending June 80, 1915, there were is
rural school districts in Arkansas that
held no school that year; school
| districts in that state with only one
month of school; 60 school districts
with only two months of schools, and
SIT school districts with only three
months of school.
| And yet a great majority of the
town and,scity schools in Arkansas
have a school term of eight or nine
months.
That there are equally deplorable
conditions in the rural schools of
other states is a fact to which atten-
ton will be directed in due time
And this discrimination against the
farm boy and the farm girl in free
school privileges is neither just nor
wise.
Happily. this criticism does not ap-
ply as severely to Kansas as to other
states, as the rural school term here is
trif1e above the average rural term
for the whole country, 1871 days. The
educational laws of Kansas explicitly
provide for a rural school term
throughout the entire state of not less
than seven months, which with twenty
school days to the month makes the
minimum rural school term in Kansas
one of 140 days. And some of the
rural schools in Kansas have eight
months sessions.
But, of course, there is room for
! Improvement in Kansas in this impor-
tant particular and the utmost energy
and diligence should be used in bring
ing it about.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
A SMILE ALONG THE WAY

A SMILE ALONG THE WAY.
Have YOU got a heap of troubles,
Are you feeling mighty blue?
Guess you'd better look around you
Lots of folks worse off than you.
Not so many feel like singing
When the skies are dark and gray,
Lots of weary folks would bless you
If you'd smile along the way.
Sighing's never going to help you
Get the thing you're looking for,
Only makes the days go slower,
Only makes your heart feel sore.
Better make a bit of sunshine,
Help to make some sad heart gay,
And the angels will be near you,
If you smile along the way.
Christine Kerr Davis, in The Peoplef
Home Journal for August
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

Even in far-away British China the
cost of living. or the prices of the
ordinary food products, has increased
a full 20 per cent on account of the
European war. And the question is
as to whether or not the food prices
the world over that have been so in
creased by the struggle in Europe will
drop to their former levels after the
war is over. Probably not, or at least
Tor some time to come.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
JOURNAL ENTRIES

Looking glasses should not be very
popular with some folk.
X y X
A bachelor labors under the disad-
vantage of having no one on which to
blame things.
y - 4
To stand a major surgical opera
ton a person must also be in a strong
financial condition.
\ y X
Is 1t better never to have had them
at all than to possess desirable things
and have to give them up?
= y X
The difference between what q man
actually needs and what he thinks he
needs Is great, and with a woman it's
greater.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

A heart-broken lad who has been
counting lady fair most lavishly and
persistently for four months only to
learn suddenly that she is to marry
another. fellow next week writes in to
inquire as 20 what has become of the
old-fashioned girl who wore her en-
gagement ring. Cheer up, boy, there
may be much better fish in the sea
and many of them
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

lit UP the sky and nearly cent IT,
scamperng back to bed. How he Az
nate lightning and storms and ttun-
der, and all that But he kent bra ueI,,
on. Down the stairs, into the living
rooih ana up to the open window he
the rain was splashing in. on the iittIe
bird even then.
he pulled the window down and
locked it tightly; CROPPED in the coat
Go 1or a dust cloth and wiped IN
ne bounded up the stairs two steTs
room. ~ Aioeher
Mother" he said breatblessIy ar
forgot what you told me about the
window, but I closed 1t now ana ti,e
bird is all right Will Won ni.a... ny
give me, and I'll remember next tiros .,
ana OF course she did.-(Cony-i~t.
Cara Ingram Judson ts'is IL p
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

A special term of the school of
musiSetry of the United States army
for instruction in the use of the ma
chine gun, which will begin it's ses-
zions at Fort Sill. Oklahoma, on Au-
gust 20. will undoubtedly help some.
But what the United States army ap-
pears to need more is an adequate
equipment of machine guns.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
DINNER STORIES

That famous preacher, Father Ber-
nard Vaughan, is the hero of numer-
Gus amusing stories.
Once at Trinity college. Cambridge.
he was asked, as he stood beneath
Holbein's painting of Henry VIII.
what he would do if his late majesty
were suddenly to come to life and
step out of the picture.
II should ask any lady who hap
pened to be in the room to leave it
at once" he answered promptly.
His books are cynical" said Wins
ton Churchill at the Century club.
His books give us depressing view
of mankind They are like the fish
story.
"A mother fish was swimming with
three or four thousand of her Off
spring, when one of them swallowed
a big, juicy worm and-whisk. shot
up and disappeared.
1.-The other little fish had often wit
messed this phenomenon. Now one of
them said:
is it unhealthy to get caught,
mamma?'
oh, no. my dear; far from it,
the mother fish cynically replied. All
our tribe increases so Or 80 per cent
in weight on being landed"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
HOME NEWS WHILE AWAY.

Subscribers of the State journal away
from home during the summer may nave
the paper mailed regularly each day to any
address at the rate of ten cents . week or
thirty cents a month (by mail Only). Ad-
dress changed as often as desired WhMe
out of town the State journal Will be to
you like a daily letter from home.
short time subscriptions, 10 save bOokkeep-
ing expenses
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

Neither has the spider anything on
the persistency of the woman suffrage
leaders in their efforts to smoke out
President Wilson on his stand on the
Susan B. Anthony constitutional
amendment. the one that would ex-
tend national suffrage to women.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

Win some Virgil arise after the
European war is over to sing ade-
quately of the arms and the heroes
of France? Probably not. The task
would approach the impossible.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

So he slipped out of bed, put on
MS slippers and started downstairs
Just then a great flash of lightning
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26
FULL LEASED WIRE REPORT
OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

The State Journal is a member IF the
Associated Press and receives the full day
telegraph report Of that great news or
Eanizatfon. for the exclusive afternoon
publication in Topeka.
The news is received In The State Journal
building over wires for this sole purpose.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

put in the butter. Let it get cold Beat
in the yolks and sugar, flour and stiff
whites. finally the currants dredged
with flour Drop in spoonfuls into the
hot lard and fry.
Cheese Omelet-Two tablespoons OF
butter, a speck of cayenne, three
tablespoons of flour, one quarter cup
of grated cheese, one-half cup of
milk (scalded), three eggs, one-half
teaspoon of salt, melt the butter, add
the flour, and when well mixed add
gradually the scalded milk. Then add
the salt, pepper and cheese. Re
move from the fire and add the yolks
of the eggs, beaten until lemon col
ored. Cool the mixture and fold into
it the whites of the eggs beaten until
very stiff. Pour into buttered bak-
ing dish and cook twenty minutes
in a slow oven. Serve at once.
Peach Pudding4F'il1 pudding dish
most full with whole peeled peaches.
Cook as for canning. Pour off the
juice (there should be about one-half
cup) and let cool. Add to it one cup
milk, three eggs well beaten, one cup
of sugar and two cups flour, with
two teaspoons of baking powder. a
little salt. Beat hard four. minutes.
Sprinkle sugar over peaches. Then
pour batter over peaches in dish. Bake
to a rich brown and serve with cream.
Date Pudding-Two cups brown
sugar, two cups hot water. Let boil
Stir in three tablespoons cornstarch
or enough to make thick. Take off,
add one pound chopped dates and nuts
to taste. Serve with whipped cream.
Ants
A good way to get rid of ants is to
sprinkle pepper where the ants are.
If they are in the jelly, sprinkle some
pepper around the jelly or take a
piece of jelly out and sprinkle pepper
around it.
Sweet Pickle Peaches.
To seven pounds of fruit allow four
pounds of brown sugar, one ounce
ground cinnamon and one Glove in
each peach. Make syrup of one quart
of vinegar, sugar and cinnamon. Pour
over peaches for three mornings heat
| ing the syrup every morning.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-26

MEMBER:
Associated Press.
Audit Bureau of Calculations.
American Newspaper Publishers
Association.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-31
SEWER PROPOSALS


 Proposals will be received by the Paving and Sewer Commission, until Friday, June End, 1916, at z:SO p. m., for the construction of sewers in the following named streets, as per maps and profiles at City Engineers office, to wit:
 Gurdon street; Herkimer Street; Denver avenue; Wade Terrace; East Eaton street. Hawley avnuee; Linen avenue; Capitol avenue; Laurel ave- nue.
 Also for wells or chutes, as follows: Two in Linwood avenue in front of school; one on northwest corner of Worth and Coleman streets; one on Bell street, opposite No. 34 A certified check for five per cent. of cost of work bid for, must accom- pany proposals. The commission re- serves the right to reject any or all proposals.
 BERNARD HEATING, Sec, Room No. 22, City Hall.
 2e- b
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-31

cilities been more intel1igent1y underr stood and in none have so large ex- penditures for port improvement been ndae in the last five years. Cincin- natl and Pittsburgh. the two Ohio River ports mentioned in the report, have long maintained public termin- als and the history or these terminals makes very interesting reading. 2 At Pittsburgh the frontage used for the public terminals was granted for that express purpose by the heirs of Will liam Penn, while the frontage now occupied by the public 1evee at Gin
 cinnati was expressly dedicated to that use in the ordinance of 1787 creating the Northwest Territory.
 The report dwe1ls at some length upon the increasing influence Of the Federal GovernnentSupon port de- veIopment. This is attributed to. the fact that the Government contributes large sums for improving harbors, thus placing in the hands of Congress an important though indirect power. Frequently appropriations for local Improvements are made subject to the performance or non performance of certain acts on the part of the locality Benefited. A marked tendency in river and harbor bills in recent years is to require localities seeking aid to
 contribute toward the expense, or what is more significant, to provide public terminals. In recent years the Interstate Commerce Commission has been given powers, the exercise of which may profoundly affect the de IveIopment of ports in this country. Section s of the act to regulate com
 nleree, ais amended by the Panama Canal Act of August 24, 1912, gives the commission power to establish ! .sphysical eonpectfon between the lines of the rail carrier and the dock of the water carrier by directing the rail lcarrier to make suitable connection between it's line and a track or tracks which have been constructed from the dock to the limits of the right of way. Tor by directing either or both the rail l and water carrier, individually or in \ connection with one another, to con
 struct and connect with the lines of i the rail carrier a spur track or tracks l to the dock..s The commission has
 full authority to determine the terms
 and conditions upon whicH these con-
 meeting tracks shall be operated and
 may determine what sum shall be paid to or by either carrier