davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
OUR FIRST WAR SONG.
It Was Written by Billings, a Tanner,
In Revolutionary DAYS,

III neNoIutionafy DAYS.
We have many patriotic songs in this
great country of ours, but no great ma
tional war song. Who will be the one
to write it? The first war song written
In America was really hymn and was
sung by the colonial troops during the
Revolutionary war. 1t was composed
and written by a tanner named Will
liam Billings, who lived in Boston.
This hymn, the first evidence of dis
tinctly American music, has a ring
which not little sets out the spirit of
1917. The first verse Of the war song
will indicate its general character:
Let tyrants shake their iron rod
And slav'ry clank her CALLING chains
We fear them not; We trust in God,
New Englands God forevermore.
When Billings wrote his war song he
evidently thought that the most impor
tant part of the country was New Eng
land; otherwise he might have included
the whole land among those who trust
in God. This war song has been
brought to public attention by DR.. NJ.
L. Bartlett of Des Moines, Ia, who in
forms us that Billings worked out his
harmonic problems on a piece of leath-
er, just in the same way that Lincoln
ciphered on the back Of a shovel.-New
York World.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Speculation and GambIinq.

1t has often been asked if man can
speculate in the stock market without
any one losing in the event of his max.
ing profit.
On the floor of the New York Stock
Exchange l once traced 100 shares of
Steel that passed through the hands
of nineteen spectators in a single day.
Each one of these nineteen bought and
sold them. and each one made money.
1t is idle to say that some of these
may have lost what they might have
made, because that involves us in
double hypothesis. Actually each one
profited, and actualities are what count
in speculation as in every other form
of legitimate business.
This incident illustrates one of seven
reasons why speculation is not gam
bling.-William c. Van Antwerp in
New York Sun.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Cedar Log 1880 Years Old.

The durability of cedar is well known
A large cedar tree. probably thrown
over by the wind, was found by wood
choppers in Washington state without
any marks of decay In, it. although a
tree which was standing astride the
log had $50 annual rings. The woods
men found the log SO sound that they
determined to cut it up into shingles
for the market What story that log
could tell If it could speak-of the long
procession of people that came upon
the stage and departed during its life
Of between 1000 and 1000 years!-Los
Angeles Times.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
A Bankers Advice About Billie Tha.
Applies to Life at Iaroe

The president offa ban,; when asked
by a young clerk how he could Gistin.
guish the counterfeit bills from the
good said, Get familiar with the ..,od
bills and you will recognize the bad
bills at sight"
Here Is vast volume of general Wis
dom summed up in q single sentence
This homely advice applies not only to
the detection OF counterfeit money. but
with equal force to the detection of
counterfeit In all departments of life
The man accustomed to handling
only good corn. good potatoes. good
diamonds. has no difficulty in detecting
the faulty. He does it intuitively.
Even without recognized thought he
fixes upon the fault. The skilled egg
Gambler passes good eggs before the
light with rhythmic rapidity that is
amazing, but an imperfect egg instant.
ly breaks his routine and interrupts his
process. To the trained musician. ac-
customed to high grade work, false
note comes like stab of pain.
In any occupation or line of endeavor
any man fully engaged In doing the
right thing will have no difficulty in
recognizing the wrong. Right and
wrong are as far apart, as unlike. as
day and night, and he that is most ac-
customed to the light is quickest to
note the shadows.
There is only one way to know the
bad, the imperfect, the false, and that
is by knowing the good, the perfect.
the true.-Christian Herald.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Contrasts and the Eve,

Lecturing on THE Effect on the Eye
Of Varying Degrees Of Brightness and
Contrast before the Illuminating En-
gineer society recently. DR.. James
Kerr of the public health department
of the London county council referred
to some effects which may be surpris-
ing. Having to examine long lists OF
figures in black type. he tried to facili-
tate his task by drawing vertical and
horizontal lines III red ink, but the diff
ferent focusing of the black and red
strained his eye and gave him head
ache, which did not trouble him when
all the figures aid lines were either
black or red
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Bomb Dropping Balloons,

The first bomb dropping balloons
were humble enough and equally fu-
tile. Balloons had been used in war as
early as the siege Of Maubeuge by the
Austrians for observation purposes.
The first talk of bomb dropping was in
1872, when the Russians were said to
have a huge balloon for that purpose,
but nothing was done with it. In 1S47.
however, the Austrians. when attack
ing Venice. sent up paper fire balloons,
which were to drop bombs into the
town. But they forgot to allow for con-
trary air currents. The balloons got
into such current and, drifting back
over the Austrian lines. bombed them
instead of Venice.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
The PeriIous Ace.

If a man is going to commit crime
during his lifetime the chances are
that he will do it at the age of twenty
nine. 1t is curious fact that stats
tics have shown that man is more dan
gerous at this period of his life than at
any other
The general supposition is that men
have attained the highest development
of their mental and physical powers at
twenty-nine. and they are supposed to
be able to distinguish between right
and wrong and to realize the conse-
quences liable to follow the indulgence
of either.
Next to the age Of twenty-nine the
greatest number OF criminals have been
aged twenty-one, twentyseven or for
ty-fve years. I-ondon Answers.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
LIKE INVERTED RAIN.
Luckily For the Aviator, He Was Out
of Range of the Drops.

of Range of the Drops.
1t will be- easily understood, writes
G. G. Grey in Tales of the Flying
Service" that before bullet that has
been shot straight upward begins to
fall there must be a point where it
stands dead still and that for the last
part of it's upward flight it travels very
slowly. One officer of my acquaintance
told me, after some months of war,
that his most curious experience was
when once. and once only, he discov-
cred the exact extreme range point
He was flying along quite peacefully
on bright, sunny morning at an alti-
tude of little over 5000 feet, without
worrying about anything, when sud-
denly he saw something bright dart
past the side of the machine. He be-
gan to look about him and saw, a
shade below him and a trife to one
side, a whole stream of little bright
things glittering IN the sun.
Then he realized that he had lust
struck level that happened to be the
extreme vertical range of machine
gun that was making uncommonly
good shooting. Other bullets from
rifles and ether machine guns also
flashed into view as he flew along. and
when his eyes caught the right focus he
could follow the slow, topmost part of
their movement for a considerable dis
tance. at looked" he said .'just as if
1t We're raining upward" and the phe-
nomenon was so novel that he quite
forgot for time that the "raindrops'
indicated that he was unpopular with
some one below.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Death Warninq,

Oliver Wendell Holmes recorded his
protest against the custom of telling
person who does not actually ask to-
know that he cannot recover. As that
loving observer OF mankind asserted, Sc
must every one who knows whereof he
speaks assert that people almost al
ways come to understand that recov--
cry is impossible. 1t is rarely need
full to tell any one that this is the case.
When nature gives the warning death
appears to be as little feared as sleep.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Websters Portrait.

Daniel Webster once sat for his por-
trait to G. P. Healy, and the senator S
remark when he surveyed the complet-
ed picture became one Of the artist $,
favorite anecdotes in after years. ~
think" said Webster as he looked q.
his counterfeit presentment, that is q
face l have often shaved"
Healy found Andrew Jackson a dis
agreeable and unwilling subject" and
he compensated himself by painting
Old Hickory with absolute fidelity to
nature, not glossing a single defect.
The portrait gives jackson an ugly.
savage and pallid face
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
One of Them Did.

AS good a real kid story as you've
probably noticed for awhile is related
herewith: The four-year-old son was
having lunch a,3ne with bis grand
mother. AT his proposal they agreed
to play father and mother" He was
the father. and she was the mother.
After the few words of grace he bent
father and said. We'll. mother. and
have the children said anything cute
today y|'-Philadelphia Star
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
The Ship of State.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier once took a fall
out of Sir Charles Tupper. for years
leader of the opposition. and Sir John
Macdonald. Bantering them on their
self praise for their own political serv-
ices to Canada. ne admitted that they
had sailed the ship of state fairly sue
cessfully. adding: ''Sir John was at the
helm and supplied the brains, while Sir
Charles supplied the wind. His blow
ing filed the sails. s."-Toronto Globe.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Sound loqio.

Mamma" said five-year-old boy
the other day, aren't there any other
senses 'cept hearing, seeing, feeling.
tasting and smelling"
mo, my child" answered the mother.
1T is usually considered that these five
are enough"
We'll" said the little one, with an
air of deep conviction, 81 s'pose talking
would be called sense if there wasn't t
80 much nonsense about it"-Pear-
sons.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Civ;ng Ii a Name.

The doctor treated me for week
for a cold" complained the victim bit
terly. land now he sends me bill for
$50. Highway robbery. that's what
it iSv'
I'D call it pillage." suggested his
idiotic friend, with an explosive giggle.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Medical Etioue cite.

Medical etiquette, instead of being
kept up, as people so often imagine, in
the interests of the doctors, is main
1t is the public. not the doctors, who
would suffer most were it done away
with.-IIOndon Spectator.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Mean Revenge.

Brown sent me brick by parcel
post but got even with him."
What did you do?'
Passed the word along to a number
of agents that he was figuring ON TAX
ing out more life insurance"-Detroit
Free Press.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20

All travel has ! ;itivantagcs If the
passenger visit; setter countries ia
may learn 70 imp.1r" 1is own. and IL
fortune carries hi'i' "a worse hs ma
learn to enjoy bis own .iuhHS''n.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Established a Record.

"What did mother say when you
proposed to her. daddy?"
'She hung her head and was silent
only time have ever known her to be
silent for several minutes. Detroit
Free Press.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Waste of Cash.

MY wife is afflicted with a wasting
disease"
wasting disease
Eyes. She has bad case of shop
ping habit. Boston Ira nscript.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Aunty's Criticism.

First Painter-I've Just been showing
my aunt around. Most amusing. In
variably picks out the wrong pictures
to admire and denounces the good
ones. Second Painter-Did she say any
thing about mine? First Painter-Oh.
she likes yours. London Tit-Bits.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
What They Were Doinq.

"Whut wuZ 81 an his wife a-doin'
when you stopped at their farm awhile
ago, Ecker"
"Oh. a-hemmin' an a-hawin'"
"Hemmin' an hawin?"
yep. She was hemmin' a apron, an
he was hawin' at the mule FLORIDA
Times Union
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Sufficient Reason.

Are you an art connOisseur?
"Yes," replied Mr.. Sumrox. although
should never speak of myself as
such"
"Why notp'
Because I'm not absolutely sure ]
know how to pronounce the word."-
Exchange.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Discouraging.

I'm always first at the office and
have been for a long time"
Anybody noticed it YETI"
"Only the janitor. He says that
won't get me ything."-Exchange
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Permission.

Fond Mother-My son. did your ia
ther forbid you learning to smoker
Young America-No, ma. When l ask
ed him if I might smoke he said. "Not
muchr'
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
The DIAGNOSIS.

Doctor-Your daughter. madam. is
suffering from constitutional inertia.
Fond Mother-There. Poor thing. And
her pa declared she was simply lazy
Baltimore Americon.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Embar.assinq.

DO you ever see the president?"
asked Willie of his uncle. who lived in
Washington.
"Yes. nearly every day." was the re-
ply
"And does he ever see your" queried
the little fellow.--Chicago News.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Size of IL.

"Send me a ton of coal"
"What size?"
"Well. 1000 pound ton would suit
me, if that's not asking too much
Life.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
SenaitiNe.

Dcntist-We must kill tho nerve nf
that tooth. Patient Then viii =" o,;'
of the room. l'In too tender i,Yarted =.
witness it.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20

A good action is never lest. 1t is =
treasure laid up and guarded for TIE
doer's need. Ca idarnu.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
a Matter of POLICY.

''There's only one thing ever do for
policy's sake"
What's that?"
PAY my premiums"
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Sympathy.

The drying up Of a single tear has
more of honest fame than shedding
seas Of gore--ByrOn.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
Love and a canalboat.

Why is 'ove like canalboat? Be
cause 1t is an internal transport.-Lon-
don Mail.
Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20

He hath a poor spirit who is not
planted above petty wronRs--Feltham
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
REPEAL ORDINANCE
CITY AUTHORITIES MAKE VACcL
NATION OPTIONAL.

No more compulsory vaccination in
Oskaloosa. Responsive to complaints
and objections to the activity of the
city health department in the vaccina
ton of school children in compliance
with the city ordinance the city Couu
Gil Monday evening repealed said or
dinancc and henCefOrth if a child does
not care to be vaccinated against
small pox it does not need TO be vacci,
mated.
The council does not go 50 far as to
say shall not" be yaccinated and the
safe guard is still open for those who
care to employ it. In other words if
the child wants small pox, let HIM
have it. If you desire your children
protected, you know the means. It's
not compulsory but it's up to the III,
Gividual
Health physician, b. e. Roberts OBJ
jected to the repeating of the ordi-
nance, thought the city was taking a
backward step in multiplying the order,
but the council were not disposed to
take his advice The vote for the re-
peal of the ordinance was unanimous,
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
FRIENDS IN NEED
NEIGHsoRs 'eATHER AND SAVE
MR.. HooVER'S CROPS.

Herman Hoover who was hit by an
automobile few weeks ago sustain
ing a broken leg, has been helpless
at his home northeast of town and
his farm wark was suffering because
he could secure no one to help him.
Labor was not to be had in the
amount necessary His crop of hay
would be lost unless heroic measures
were adopted and that is what was
done by company of his neighbOrs,
hose living about him and the neigh
bors of the Modern WoOdmen of Os.
kaloosa, of which organization Mr..
Hoover is a member. They organ.
lied a force of workers, gathered At
the Hoover place one day last week,
cut his twelve acres of timothy, raked
and stored it making two large stacks
each thirty feet long. The graft
tude of the owner, his feeling at the
acts of the BOYS" is something not
to be expressed in words
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
HIT WITH A CRASH
AN AUTOMOBILE ALMOST De-
RAILS A STREET CAR.

An automobile owned by w NJ
Novak collided with a street car at
the intersection of Second avenue and
Market street about $50 o'clock on
Monday evening. The auto ran into
and under the street car, tore off it's
fender and entrance step and did 9TH
er damage. The street car was lift
cd up and some witnesses thought it
would be turned over by the motor
car.
The street car was moving north
on Market street and the auto, trav-
cling at good rate, attempted 10
pass ahead of the car. The driver.
seeing the auto was not going to
clear, tried to turn north into Market
and he went into the street car with
a crash.
The auto was not much injured
aside from bent axle. Fortunate
ly for all concerned, no personal in
juries occurred.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
PAVING IS WANTED
BOARD OF EDUCATION ASKS II.
S. IMPROVEMENT.

0skaloosa school board members
appeared before the city council at
regular session Monday evening 20
ask for pavement around the Hign
school building. They ask pavement
from Market street east to connect
with the B avenue pavement at Sixth
street. They also desire the pave
ment of First street from A avenue
north to c avenue.
No petition being filed no acton
was taken by the city council. The
matter was not even ordered to In
vestigation.
Matter of the pavement of the
alleys in the block east of Third street
between First and Second avenues
was held open for further investigt-
tion.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
CHASE AF TER A JAG
EXCITING EXPERIENCES BY THE
POWESHIEK SHERIFF.

Knoxville Journal: Last Saturday
morning about nine o'clock as Sheriff
e. d. Lamb of Montezuma, or some
one purporting TO be that parsonage
was bringing an inebriate by the
name of Campbell to the Knoxville
hospital by auto, the patient" sud
denly made dash for liberty near
the Worth Gregory home and escaped
into the J. w. Worstell corn field.
The PCweshiek county sheriff, so
it is alleged by those attracted to the
scene, became perfectly wild with eX-
Citement, yelled like an Indian and
fired several shots in the direction
taken by the man. The noise at.
tracted Worth c. Gregory and his son
James, who were directed by Sheriff
Lamb to bring guns and help capture
II desperate" who had just escaped.
Sheriff Cronkhite and City Marshal
Neill, were also called and told to
/, bring guns. The Powcshiek county
official also informed the sheriff and
marshal that the man who had just
escaped was a desperate criminal"
The man was soon rounded up by the
searchers, Mr.. Gregory being the one
who made him come to tow by lev
cling his gun squarely on the man
and demanding that he surrender.
After the man had been turned
over to Sheriff Lamb it was learned
that he was only Jag" and not
of the law.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
MET SUDDEN DEATH
SON OF GEORGE cRooktIAM
FORMERLY OF oSkALOoSA. b..

George Crookham, who is mention
ed in the following article in the
Knoxville Express, is former resi-
dent of Oskaloosa, having been EN-.
for several years. The Express
says:
Capt. George Steunenberg is here
visiting with friends. Capt. Steun.
cnberg is retired army officer, but
is not able to get entirely out of the
army work, Lately he has been in
San Diego, Cal, where he has been
drilling recruits. He says that he
left the army entirely too soon, for if
he had stayed he would be major
some time in the near future. Carl
Jones and the other Knoxville men
who have been in the army for some
time, will probably receive commits
sions as majors soon. After a few
days visit here with friends he will
probably return to California. Upon
his arrival in town yesterday morn
ing, Capt George Steunenberg re-
ceived a telegram which had been
awaiting him several days, 1t was
from George l., Crookham, in Cald-
well, Idaho, and brought the sad news
that Mr.. Crookham's son, Horace, had
been killed in fire accident Thurs
day, No particulars were given.
Horace was boy of about seventeen
years. Capt. Steunenberg says he
had been working at moving pic
ture show and lie thinks that he was
probably killed in "A explosion Of tho
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
YOUNG LEADE Rs
ONLY ARE WANTED
GENERAL. PERSHING so RECON-.
MENDS TO WAR DEPT.
IOWA OFFICERS ARE CUT OUT
General Allen and Colonies BARLEY
Hyatt and Bennett, Ranking Off,
GERS of Guard, May Not See
Service, in France.

Des Moines, Aug. 6.--None of the
present Iowa colonies of the national
i-uard will see service in France, and
either will General n. A. Allen OF
{ adar Rapids, commander of the
Iowa division, if the war department
fellows out recommendation re.
ce.yed from General Pershng in
France, according to Washington adj
vices.
General Pershing is understood tC
have cabled the war department not
to send to France any officer in com
mand of regiment, brigade or division
who is more than As years of age.
This would eliminate from foreign
service all of the Iowa colonies and
General Allen, and would also result
in sweeping promotions in both ma
tional guard and regular circles. II
acted upon by the war department il
also might result in the appointment
Of regular army officers to command
practically all national guard units
of a regiment or more.
Iowans Over IS.
General Allen and CoIonels Bart
ley, Hyatt and Bennett, the Iowa
ranking officers, are all past As years
of age.
Pershing said in the message to
the war department, according to
Washington reports, that from per
sonal observations at the front and
from conferences with British and
French officers that he is convinced
that the older men cannot stand
the eXacting work which will be de.
manded of them by the coming cam.
paign.
Ii the war department approves
Pershing' ;request, ii will necessitate
an altogether new detail of officers
for the higher commands of the
American army in France. 1t also
will shelye great number of Off
GERS who had looked forward to act
i've service, particularly command
ers of national guard regiments.
French Retired older Men.
The French army, soon after the
battle of the Marine. began the policy
of retiring altogether, or detailing to
staff duty in Paris, brigade, division
and corps commanders who had
reached fifty.
Marshal Joffre discovered that men
fifty and over, while they had more
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09

f. w. Glaze, having position on the
Public Library Board. was not eligi-
BILE to appointment to the new Board
of Fire Commissioners. Hence the
mayor appointed c. Yer Ploeg, and
appointment was ratified by the
council.
New sidewalk was ordered along
the Second avenue side of the Stand
ard Oil Company property, the old
Congregational church lots.
Contract for a deed between James
Oliverson and the City of Oskaloosa
for property on First avenue west,
the City to take 16a-foot alley there
from was authorized.
First of the month claims list was
allowed and payment authorized.
The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-09
MAS BUSY SESSION
THE CITY COUNCIL HAD MANY
THINGS TO LOOK AFTER.

Oskaloosa city council met in the
rst of the month regular session on
donday evening and up to the time
adjournment at II 80 O'Clock p. M,
rad accomplished considerable bust,
hess, routine and special, although
10 reports of officials were offered
or filing. Gustafson of the Fifth
ward was absent.
Announcement was made of the
resignation of Professor Case of
Penn college and his leaving the city
will create vacancy on the Library
Board of the Oskaloosa Public Lii.
brary. Appointment of the mayor
to fill the same will be made later.
Attendance of Chief of Police James
Lawrence at the annual state meet.
ing of the Iowa Chiefs was author
lied
City Treasurer H. l.. White was
granted immunity for placing fire
fund bonds as collateral for loan of
100000 to meet expenses of the new
pumper. All of the city fire truck
bonds have not been disposed of, and
the treasurer had to have the money.
f. A. Forse was exempted from
road work.
Resolutions were adopted granting
leave of absence to Clifford C. Carroll
and Homer Stanley. firemen, for
United States Service with the Iowa
Ammunition Train and holding open
their places against their return,