davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
TRAWELETTE
Merchant Ships.
by NIKsAH.


1t is bit of blue water; somewhere
on the Atlantic coast. The dawn
breaks back of a low-flung shore; the
white morning mist curls up like
smoke and slowly disappears. A west
ern shore-line darkens shade by shade
until it stands out gray against the
violet distance. A slow swell rocks
them as they swing at anchor-a scat
tered fleet of waiting merchant ships.
Half the flags of the world are here,
but never a flag is flying. Weather
worn and dim with salt, the flags are
painted stark and huge on the red and
gray sides. Here is the flag of Nor
way, with the nations name big in
Morse. and much it will help her if
she meets a U-boat in the far sea-
lanes Here are Swedish. Danish,
Dutch and Spanish, bIazoning forth
their neutrality to the indifferent
dawn.
Here is a great gray freighter with
out a flag. She carries what is better
nowadays. Look closely at the raised
decks, fore and aft, and see like a tiny
toy against the cold morning light, the
thin lines OF a gun. British, PROBABLY.
French or American perhaps; she asks
no mercy and expects nohe, knowing
the foe. but she will fare forth bear
ing her cargo and taking her chance,
ready to fight or to flee as the sea-
gods rule.
These are the types Of them, and
tney are repeated over ana over. Great
blunt bows they have, tiny ports,
cargo-masts standing upright like
leafless storm-racked trees. over it
all, from bow to stern, stretches the
sagging strand of the wireless, reach
ing into the emptiness for the news.
of half a world
Who will write justly the tale Of
their service, those merchant ships?
Blunt and bluff and unlovely, they
are the heroes of the great sea-war.
From the dark days of April, when
sixty or seventy went to their name
less graves in a single week, when
was there a merchantmen that could
not sail for want of a crew? They
are hard breed, the men of the mer-
chant marine, but theirs is a hard and
bitter task. There is honor enough
for the warships who convoy, to leave
bit over for the nameless men who
work the burden bearers of the sea.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

wears" laughed Lieut.. Conant, AFTER
the rnuch-looked-fo introductions had
taken place. "Freckles here USED TO
be a hornely little midget with freckles
the size of her eyes, and now-iooA
at her." .;.r.
dimples mingling among the color.
.sT,ook at all of u.s." she exclaimed
to hide her confusion, forming
complete blockade that is against all
the rules of hotel liberty"
They all moved aside and mustered
into couples for the next maneuver.
Lieutenant Conant and Nancy quite
naturally, being from Lincoln, formed
a division of their own, while quite
naturally and for an even more Won
derful reason, Lieutenant Drake drew
his forces about Nora.
She would have taken up her knit
ting, but he prevented it.
There is no one knitting for the
navy" he said, casting glance at the
absorbed Nancy and the navy officer.
1t was scant look, for he hated to
take his eyes, for even short time.
from Nora. TT wouldn't be a fair
game of war to finish that scarf
while the navy is under fire"
Nora laughed softly. THE Purple
Iris is closed for the season, you
know" she said.
You heard out bet?" The lieuten-
ant had a splendid color for the NOM
ent. Then suppose you heard
other things?'
Nora nodded. She wished she might
get under cover of her knitting, so
swiftly was the battery of love being
turned on her.
That the army and navy had both
fallen for matrimony was more than
evident to any one caring to reason
out coming events.-(Copyrigh 1917
by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.}
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
LETTERS OF
TWO WOMEN
Bread on the Waters.
BY ZOE BECKLEY.

New York, Monday, the Sth.
Maize my dear:
You tire right. I made rather
mountain out of a molehill. AS tho
to point the moral to your letter comes
the sequel of my encounter with
Pauls ''poets" Maizie, I was a pig
about those poets. l didn't know be-
fore how innately conventional l am
Just because they looked poor and I'M
kempt, 1 set them down as undesir-
ables. In my heart of hearts wished
Paul hadn't liked them so much. and
logged tho-l home to our sweet little
flat and put them to bed in my pink
kimonos and things. And Paul sensed
how 1 felt. $50
He didn't say much. He rarely crit
icises me. On the contrary, he sees
virtues that I don't possess: idealizes
me and makes excuses even when
myself grow, exasperated with my
faults. But he was hurt all the same,
May, and tried to make me see how
really fine those men were and how
they had more character and more
idealism and more soul color" than
than-well, men like c. J., for in
stance, with whom 1 suppose in my
inmost mind 1 was comparing them.
And today something happened
that brought this htome to me. The
man Aafaelo, the one who is a waiter
at Petrozzi's, sent me the most ex-
quisite verses that he said were in
and our, "belongingness.' 1t was not
cheap. florid poetizing, May: it was
wondrous fine thing. And it was all
handwrought in old script, in colors,
on japanese paper in sort of book
let that the other one-the wiId-look-
ing one called Ludovic de Halcera
with the compromised finger nails
hand made. 1t seems he is employed
in a book bindry or something.
As 1 held the lovely thing in my
mr. lie f01f he hot
my face. / felt small and stupid and
ashamed and false and undiscerning
felt as I used to feel when Paul
and I were first acquainted and
had an awful sinking of the heart
whenever I thought about his Jew
ish blood and the circumstances 1
pictured his people in; and then
found out how stupidity wrong I was
how fine were his mind and heart
how much more used he and his
people were to the worthwhile
things in life than 1 was. How su-
perior his culture and how high his
ideals were compared with minei
And, May, suddenly 1 saw those
Fostering poets" in quite a new
light. I've felt a bat awed ever since
And more determined than ever to
make myself worthy of Paul and his
kind-the kind of people I once used
to sniff at and perhaps pity.
And this isn't all, dear. Paul came
home tonight with a job for me! You
know 1 left the old place as Talbot's
secretary go by the board when 1 fell
i'll, and haven't tried for anything
since. But I'm perfectly we'll now,
and have been looking round
Well, one of PauIs associates at the
international Magazine" needed
secretary and Paul suggested me for
the place. The pay is less than 1 used
to get at old Talbot's, but the work
will be lighter, and oh, so much more
interesting. I'm scared to death to
highbrow job like that, May, but
Paul says he knows can make good,
that he'll help me if necessary, and,
Maize, I'm going to try it! This stay
ing home and doing nothing has worn
me to a fragile.
Lovingly -flutter
KITS
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
HELP US OR WE SINK.

The railroads have sent out the S.
o. S. call. The cost of railroad oper-
alton is growing. The present equip
ment, especially motive power. is in
need of repair and replacement. Lo-
comotives are wearing out; there is a
scarcity OF cars; terminal facilities are
inadequate. In answer to their appeal
the government is planning to take
over the operation of the roads.
The country will not shrink from
government operation of the railways
if it has to come as a part of the bust
ness of making the world safe for de-
mocracy. Railroad management will
itself not shrink from it, tho it would
like the chance to demonstrate that
the railroads can, if they are freely
permitted to do so, operate the lines
with the fullest amount of service to
the government and the public. But
if they must be hampered at every
step, they would doubtless prefer gov
eminent operation.
We have already had a complete
demonstration that if the railroads are
going to be held responsible for their
business, says the Boston Transcript,
they must be allowed to run it, mas
much as the people are certainly not
converted to the doctrine of public
ownership, we may look for more free
dom for the reads than they have had
for a good many years, when the
spasm of war is over.
What the Buffalo News believes is
a better solution of the problem is a
government loan to the roads.
We have loaned our allies govern
ments money for constructive pur-
poses, says the News. Why not loan
a billion dollars, say. to our railroads
This money might be advanced to
the railroads and spent under govern
ment restrictions and regulations the
purpose to which it may be applied
being specifically stated.
We must have immediate results
and immediate relief. This loan
would. we believe. be such a measure,
inasmuch as it could be applied at
once and the funds be made available
for the betterments necessary to the
free movement of military supplies
coal, foodstuffs and merchandise.
Increased freight rates will natural
ly have to be allowed to provide the
interest charges and a sinking fund
established.
1t seems to US that this loan will be
the quickest and most efficient and
effective solution of the railroad prob
lem.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
THE SEARCHLIGMT
Latest News from the Fields of
SCIENCE, EDUCATION, INVENTION
The Hungry Mole.

A Scotchwoman has just announced
the results of an interesting series of
observations on the common mole
The most striking point to the lay
man is the inordinate appetite of this
tiny creature. A mole will eat its own
weight in earthworms in twenty-four
hours. An ordinary man eating in
the same ratio would require $50
pounds of food a day. If the human
race were constituted like the moles
Mr.. Hoover's task would be hopeless
from the outset. One of the moles
which was a subject for study weighed
four ounced and devoured 100 ounces
of food in a single month.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
THIS Is TUBERCULOSIS WEEK.

More than 100000 churches and
other religious organizations are ex-
pected to observe tuberculosis Sun
day. this year making the eighth an
nual observance of the day. War SER
mons on the tuberculosis problem are
to be preached everywhere. Two Sun
days, December 2 and 8, were desig-
mated by the National association in
order that the churches might choose
the one which would best fit in with
their program of service. These
dates come at the beginning and end
of Tuberculosis week, which is con-
Quoted under the direction of the Ma
tional association. For those worship
ing on Saturday, December has
been set aside.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
ON SPUR f 4E MOMENT
BY ROY X. MOULrON

War Bills.
Do you ask me whence these missives,
Whence these boresome dunning letters !?
Listen, child, and 1 will tell you
From the butcher at the corner
And the grocer and the baker
And the cheerful old shoesmaker;
From the milkman and the iceman,
From the gink who peddles water.
From the teacher of our daughter
Who is taking music lessons,
From the life insurance agent,
From the hale and kultured plumber
Who fixed up our pipes last summer,
From the pastor, from the tailor,
From relief movements hundred,
From electric lighting experts,
From the telephone collectors,
From the highways and byways
Come these very prompt epistles
With velocity of missiles
Hurled with aim that is unerring.
And the mailman, tagged and bending,
Meath a burden that's intending,
Lugs to our daily letters
With the fronts that are transparent.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
GLOBE SIGHTS

from the Atchison Globe.1
A good sport is generally a fool
sport.
A lot of people known as being
queer are merely stupid.
Expect to have your good manage
ment referred to as good luck
Your anger, of course, comes under
the head of righteous Indignation.
Crying over your mistakes is a bad
plan, but laughing over them is worse.
Most artists models are enough to
give almost anyone an artistic tenn
permanent.
There is something wrong with the
man who goes through life seeking
vindication.
Instead of lying in bed they have
made many persons go over to the
neighbors and lie about it
Corn shuckers are apt to feel only
corn shuckers work hard And in this
respect we are all corn shuckers-
Talk to any man long enough and
he will tell you of some great man he
knew when the great man wasn't
much.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

The German method of evacuating
a town in Belgium or France is de-
scribed by eye witnesses of the pro-
ceeding as follows: First the popula-
ton is assembled in some hall or
some neighborhood. under guard.
That means everyone-men, women
and children, rich and poor. Then
the German officers go through the
houses and pick out such things as
they care for-pictures, objects of art,
musical instruments and the like and
these things are carefully packed and
sent to Germany. Then the private
soldiers are sent in to loot, and cloth
ing, furniture, carpets and hangings
are taken and sent back to Germany.
Afterwards the houses are stripped of
woodwork, rough furniture and any
articles that may be of use in the
trenches for fuel or other comfort,
and finally, as fast as a house is
stripped, a chunk of dynamite is
placed in the center of the building
and the place is wrecked.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
HOUSEHOLD HINTS
Sweet Potato Bread.


Make sponge the same as for other
bread.
Boil one goo d-size[ sweet potato
for each loaf Mash soft with potato
masher: put potatoes into the sponge,
using same amount of flou.. as for
other bread.
Knead all together, make into
loaves and bake.
Making Good Mincemeat
With the conservation of sugar that
is now being so strongly urged, honey,
corn strip" maple or brown sugar
may all be used in pace of white
sugar in making mine, meats, There
are a number of recipes for preparing
mincemeat, from the richest-which is
rather costly-down to the green to-
mato mincemeat and the vinegar
mock mincemeat. Both of these in
expensive substitutes are excellent
and, if properly made, will give a
delicious pie filling at very SIN IL cost.
Altho cooked beef has generally
been used as the basis of the com
pound, beef tongue is really to be
preferred. Boil the tongue until ten
d It, chop finely and use in the same
manner in which you lave used beef.
1t is also best, when making the
mincemeat from the more costly
formula, to prepare quantity, as it
requires no more fuel and but little
more time and labor to prepare six
jars than are needed for one. Either
veal or lambs tor que may be substf-
tuted for the beef. If economy must
be closely considered. plain boiled
mutton will form no mean substitute.
Homemade mincemeat is always to
be preferred to the very best varie-
ties that can be purchased. As
cleaned raisins and currants can now
be bought by the package, the work
of preparing it is greatly simplified
Exact proportions or weight should
be used in the making. altho in the
matter of spices. sweetening and other
favoring the individual taste may be
followed.
New England Mincemeat-Mix to-
gether two pounds of cooked tong1Ie
and one pound of fresh beef suet
both finely chopped; four pounds Of
Baldwin apples, that have been quar-
tered. pared and cored before chop
ping; two cupfuls of thick honey. one
small cupful of molasses, one quart Of
cider. two pounds of raisins. seeded
and cut into pieces; one pound and a
half OF currants, quarter pound of
finely shredded citron, a Quarter of a
teaspoonful OF paprika. salt TO taste
and two ounces of minced candied
lemon peel.
Turn into a kettle, add half a cum
full of liquor in which the tongue was
cooked and simmer for about one
hour and quarter Half an hour
before it is cooked stir in half a ia
blespoonful of mixed ground cinna-
mon and mace, one grated nutmeg
half tablespoonful Of powdered
cloves and one pint of boiled cider
This is rich and delicious mince-
meat, the recipe for which has been
In use Tor over 100 years.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

ways well to ponder over. the name
business, and perhaps look it up in
who's Who" for it may be a house
hold word, and to betray ignorance
of the fact would be most unfortu-
nate.
Brains are indisputa bly, having their
innings in the business of government
Above the grade of stenographer,
mediocrity has become almost rare
enough to constitute a distinction;
and whatever mistakes may be made
certainly cannot be blamed upon it.
Questions on the above or any sub
ject upon which the reader desires in
formation, should be addressed the
Topeka State Journal Information Blu
reau, Frederic J. Haskin. Director,
Washington, D. c., with a Scent
stamp enclosed for reply.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

The famine in pennies recently re-
ported from various parts of the coun-
try is the more surprising in view OF
the fact that the Government coinage
OF one-cent pieces has been much
larger in recent years than in any
earlier period of the history of the
country. A compilation by The Ma
tional City Bank of New York shows
that more than one billion one-cent
coins had been manufa ctured by the
government and distributed to the
people during the last dozen years. In
fact the out-turn of one-cent pieces IN
the last decade forms one-third of
the total since the beginning of our
present form Of government. The
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
FIXING THE BLAME.

The coal administrator has declared
that there is a scarcity of coal due to
lack of cars. The Railway Age Ga
zette comes right back with the dec
laration that the coal situation is due
to the fact that coal producers of the
United States have displayed a sordid
selfishness, a want of business capac-
ity and a lack of patriotism. The rail-
ways. foreseeing the course of devel-
opments, continues the Gazette, organ
lied themselves to meet the countrys
transportation needs during the war
within five days after war was de-
clared. The coal producers have not
properly organized themselves to meet
the country's need for fuel. The rail-
ways, in spite of the seriousness of
their labor situation, have succeeded
in keeping their employees sufficiently
satisfied to avoid interference with
their operations. except in a few spo-
radio cases. The coal producers have
shown such want of fairness, idipIo-
macy and capacity in dealing with
their labor that month after month
the reports of the United States geo.
logical survey have shown that mines
all over the country have been work
ing to much less than their capacity
because of labor troubles. The rail-
ways have been obliged to go on rem
dering their service for the same rates
that they had before the war, but dur
ing the five months ending with Aug
ust they handled 16 per cent more
freight than in the same months of
last year and in the months from May
to October they transported Is per
cent more coal than last year. The
coal producers, on the other hand,
succeeded in getting the government
to fix prices for coal vastly higher
than any ever known before the con-
ditions created by the present war;
but in spite of these high prices they
have exerted themselves sufficiently to
increase their production only about
10 per cent.
Having failed to meet the require
ments of the situation the Gazette
continues, the coal producers are en-
gagged in the familiar practice of
crying stop thief The National Coal
association, an organization formed
To increase the output
misinformation rather than the out
put of coal, is issuing frequent state
ments intended to fix the blame for
the failure to secure adequate produc-
ton of coal upon the railroads.
But the reports the coal producers
make to the United States geological
survey, taken at their face value, dis
close very different situation from
the statements being given out for
public consumption.
During the eight months since the
United States entered the war, the
railways have not only handled a vast
ly larger coal traffic, but a vastly
larger traffic of every kind than they
ever did before. and yet during at
least three fourths of this period re-
ports of the geological survey have
shown that most of the failure of the
mines to secure their theoretical full
time output has been due to causes
other than car shortage
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

Crusade and Christendom is once
more knocking at the gates of Jerusa-
lem and probably for the last time.
When the Holy Land shall come under
the domination of the British as it
now seems destined to do, it will be
turned over to the Jews whose ancient
home it was and there they will once
more find national abiding place.
Thus viii a point on the cycle of
events return to its starting place.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
The Prize Pest.

I try to live a simple life in quie-
tude and peace, but spite of all that I
can do my daily woes increase; my
gentle heart is rent with pain, my bos-
ON filled with care and silver streaks
begin to spoil the auburn of my hair.
What is it makes me utter plants so
foreign to my soul? What makes me
lie awake at night and madly toss and
roll? What is it robs me of my joy,
the joy I'm longing for? 1t is the
bonehead who comes in and blabs
about the war.
He comes to me at divers times and
works in sundry ways. He fills my
nights with pale distress and ruins
half my days. He makes my Utmost
soul revolt. He makes my think
tank tired. I fire him, but the repro
bate he will not long stay fired. Oh,
for lodge, a little lodge in some vast
wilderness where armchair experts
do not live. A home like that I'd
than roll in sordid pelf. The bore
who talks about the war is worse than
war itself.
The government informs us that
the pennies are very scarce and they
are the very things Mr.. Rockefeller
has always advised US to save
Even at that, the pennies will prob
ably never be scarce as the two-dollar
bills.
Those who are familiar with the
mining-camp architecture of Broad
way believe that Broadway looks
much better with the lights out un-
der the new order, than it did before
A Piker.
Oh, what has become of the old -fas hioned
Villa,
Who used to get killed every day.
That dead -or- aliver We sent Pershing after
hD an hn Inst do nj
How awful he seemed, this chief of the
bandits,
When were immersed in his game.
But since the crown prince and his Huns
have got started
The Mexican terror seems tame.
'Twould take the @whOle output of his rebel
mint
For villa to get his name mentioned in
print.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

The plain fact is, says the Atchison
Globe, that this is the greatest country
in the world in which to try to accu-
have ones being, in which to worship
in compliance with ones conscience,
in which to rear a family free to the
advantages of liberal education. and in
which every loyal citizen is eligible
and unfettered to the enjoyment Of
great and glorious democracy.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

banks statement on this subject shows
that the number of one-cent coins
manufactured by the minis of the
United States from 1893 to the end of
the fiscal year 1916 was 2.So4. 100000.
while the number issued in the last
one billion.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
WHAT R0OVER SAYS

Great Britain normally raises
about one-fourth the grain necessary
for her bread, and France about one
half War has greatly changed this
situation, besides cutting off much of
the imports from Australia and In
dia- The burden of feeding the huge
armies and much of the civilian
population is thus thrown upon North
America. In addition to the obvious
manner of increasing the supply,
which is sowing a greater acreage,
the most good can come from reduc-
ing the use of wheat to the minimum
in the menu wherever possible"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01

The announcement that hard sur
faced road connecting Topeka and
Dover will be built next year is one
of the best bits of local news to ap-
pear recently. If we can't have trolley
connection with neighboring towns we
can at least obtain automobile con-
nection