davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Versailles.
Cora's Christmas.

Dear Uncle Jed: I thought I would keep my promise and write about our Christmas entertainment.
 We had our Christmas entertain ment Thursday evening, Dec. 21, 1916, at half past seven.
 We had selections on the grapho- phone for twenty minutes. Then we sang a welcome song. We all had rec itations. Twenty in all, also dia- logues, pantomimes and more songs.
 After we got through speaking and singing we unloaded the Christmas tree. Our teacher, Miss B. M. Stan dish, hung one for each game or book, a horn of candy, and a Christ mas card and an orange.
 The teacher passed candy around to the visitors.
 I had eight presents besides what the teacher hung on the tree for me.
 We had forty visitors.
 Auntie gave me a big doll, uncle gave me a pair of shoes, a. cousin in Rhode Island sent me a book, and one of my neighbors gave me q bottle Of perfume and a little friend gave me a pair of embroidery scissors.
 I hope every little girl in the Wide Awake Circle fared as well as I did.
 CORA C. CARPENTER, Age 3.
 Columbia.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
THE WIDE AWAKE CIRCLE
BOYS ARD GIRLS DEPARTMENT

learning, and how vain is art, but as it guides the life and mends the heart.''
 We cannot have Knowledge without having to pay the price. The price is the mastery of language and it's proper application to ourselves and to life.
 Now, Wide-Awakes. learn to love knowledge and do not forget that nc ten years in life are so important as the ten school years in which you may fit yourselves to make your way to be the supporters of every good work and every good institution.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
POETRY.
The Story of Dot.

You may pr4te about your high-bred
 chicks,
 Since they are all in stock; Gone u for Plymouth Rock, Buff OAcNin, Leghorn and the rest, Too nunNerous to name; Bu., while ! live I'll sound the praise Of one old-fashioned dame; Her comb stood high above her head, Her eyes were round and bright She was all black except her tail, And that was almost white. We called her Dot she was so round, And looked so like a ball; Twas common in those days for
 chicks
 To have no name at all, The hen that lays the golden egg Is the busy hen, you say; Dot sang and scratched from morn
 till night,
 Scarce took the time to lay. She was the first to leave the roost. And left it with a whoop: She never heard of bumblefoot And would have laughed at roup. She never saw a poultry show, Nor wore prize ribbons gay; But simply sang and laid until She laid herself away One day I heard Dot cackle loud, And I, quite full of glee, Ran out to get the fresh-laid egg To bake cake for tea. On peering down into her nest, Imagine my surprise There lay two eggs as much alike As your or my two eyes. Now what's the use of pure-bred
 chicks,
 Are we keeping them for fun? When chickens long ago laid eggs, And two instead of onei Go prate alsDut your thoroughbreds, And tell of eggs they've laid: But here's to my old fashioned hen, That could lay them in the shade.
 -Mattie B. McGliney.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
MILT MULLINS MUSINGS.

Rein bad aint what 1t is krakt up to
 be by gum i aint reel awful bad but
 aint no saint neether ner no wings is
 onto me ner nun of the fel1ers that are all what jake moony calls 1 hundred
 per sent in1xorrigibbel. but with a chanct to keap owt of jale mebbe. he
 sez me and jack horner Is purty shure
 of going to jale or congras with
 chances bowt eequil but i sez i'd bowt
 as lief maflk it ja1e fer thay don't
 seam to be no respek for congrassers
 the way peepe1 talk sayin thay are all beleeve aint so.
 rekon will have to tern sum good CT rite kwick be caws things is gettin so in over streat that thay will have to put on a extree cop and mebbe sum
 detektives to watch things the way 1 they are going and don't want en to think that i got ennything to do
 with it even if did see em tern mister ways the grosherys potatoze all over the streat and even if do no hoo l rung most all the dore bells on won side and then skipt and then cum back and tyed strings acrosst from wellers dore mob to jaksons dore bell and from 5acksons dore mob to wellers l dore bell that them felIers ,wuz ringin each others bels evry time they
 lookt owt and wuz both mad as blazes
 wen thay found the strings.
 Thay awt to node it wuz not me
 caws wuz rite there wen thay wuz lookin owt and cussin but old weller he sed he rekont had sunthin to do with it and sez hoo me no sir aint tide
 no strings ner nutin but did not tell
 him node hoo done it and that i giv
 the signal fer em to skip and lay low
 wen old weller cum owt to hunt en
 and thay had to hide good and proper tell you or hede a had em by gum and then thay wood uf told and give
 me away. ennyway thay sort uv sus- peiSt me and i got to behave sum for a
 vile. MILTON MULLINS, AingeL
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
The Redheaded Woodpeeker.

The length of the woodpecker is about 3-4 inches. They range from southern Canada to the gulf coast and from central Montana, central Colorado and central Texas to the Hudson and Delaware. Generally resident, but more or less migratory in the southern parts of it's range.
 This strikingly marked and readily identified woodpecker is common in some localities and entirely wanting in others which apparently are equally well adapted to the birds needs It's habits are a combination of wood becker, jay and hycatcher. and catch ing insects on the wing is a common habit.
 The redheaded woodpecker eats nearly twice as much vegetable food as it does animal; but the latter includes many destructive insects. Greatly to its credit, it eats both species of clover beetles, the corn weevil, cherry scale and r year cicada. It eats corn on the ears and attacks many kinds of small fruits, including Strawberries and apples. It sometimes robs the nests of wild birds of both eggs and neStlingS.
 It does some damage to telegraph poles by boring into them to make nests.
 WILLIAM L. DUKE, Age 16.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Carl's Christmas.

Dear Uncle Jed: On Friday, Dec. p, 1917, we had a Christmas tree at our school. A great many people came and we spoke pieces to them. After that the teacher unloaded the Christ mas tree and I had book, box of pencils. and Q game.
 The next day I went down to Mir. Russefs and cut a cord of hard wood. It took me day and half to cut it.
 On Monday we had a Christmas tree at o'clock and I had a sweater a game, a hat. harmonica, a half dol lar. a cake of soap, two boxes of cho- colates. and a box of pencils.
 The next day I wert up to Pomfret and stayed there two hours Then I went home, ate my dinner and slid down hill.
 On the next daysI sawed wood and did my chores: and the next day I shoveled snow and made vaths.
 CARL LAWSON, Age 12.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25

day, pass along the icy sidewalk step ping very cautiously.
 The sidewalks are very slippery be- cause when the snow melted it froze very quickly.
 Here comes a rather stout man, shivering in his heavy overcoat- He must be sorry that~he did not wear skates today for he can hardly stand At last he does fall and with great difficulty gets up again, shiverss grunts, and slides on.
 There is a woman so covered in her furs that her face can hardly. be seen. Still everybody shivers and everything freezes.
 KATHERINE GORMAN, Age IF.
 Versailles
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Moosup.
The Adventures of Darby.

Dear Uncle Jed:-I am writing you a story about Darby my chicken. Dar- bey is one of a clutch of six chickens that were matched early in the fall. The mother stole her nest and when she brought home her chickens ma ma told me could have them.
 I forgot to put them to roost one night and when I went out the next morning to find them there was poor Darby with the other chickens playing in the pond. A great thunder storm came up which quickly filled the pond with water. There was a little high patch of land in the pond and the
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
coino to Have q victroIa.

Dear Uncle Jed: Our schoolhouse is white on the outside and yellow on the inside. There is also a tall, white flagpole with a>pretty flag on it. On one side there are two pretty maple trees.
 There are two halls, one for the boys and one for the girls. Inside we have three blackboards. There are g. seats, but only IS pupils. The stove is in the north corner of the room.
 We had q school fair last fall. We had q Christmas tree the day school closed. I received a string of pop corn, a box of candy. and a box of writing paper.
 We are going to have a Victrola at school. My sister and another girl went around Monday and Tuesday night to see if they could raise some money. They did, and our teacher is going to take the money and pay the man.
 DORIS L. GRANDY, Age 8.
 Yantic.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
The Spot That Hurts

]. Nany of the most intense body pains
 are of local origin and can be quickly believed and overcome by "A single application of Min- AX1 lard's liniment. It is best A$1rS& flor sore, strained, lam K&M5A muscles, stiff neck, lum- XVI "A 'bago. sciatica, rheumatic THEN /W
 pains, backache. stiff joints, d,E VI t1IeS inr fses aea1nf and sDqans DrFnias ttch 1es
 instant healing relief; is creamy, anti septic, free from injurious drugs and stainless to flesh and clothing. Surely try this wonderful 1iniment and see how quickly it brings soothing relief. It never disappoints. Get bottle today.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

Willie Cotter of Scotland: received t.e prize book mailed me. It is very interesting. I thank you for it.
 Laurence Gauthier of Brooklyn: That certainly was a fine book won last week I had gotten interested in the details and I could not leave it alone: Tom Taylor at West Point Many thanks for the book.
 Katherine Hickey of Montville: Please accept my thanks for the prize book I received entitled The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches.
 Helen Aberq of Taftville: I thank you for the prize book you sent me. have read it and I found 1t very in- teresting.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Has a Long Walk to School.

Dear Uncle Jed: We had a Christ as tree at school and a few presents I received were a box of candy and a pencil box.
 At home I had a box of domfnoes and a suit of clothes.
 We have a long walk to school in the morning My brothers and sister go with me.
 I like to read the Wide-Awake stor- ies in the Norwich Bulletin.
 am in the sixth grade in school
 CHARLES HOPKINS, Age 14. Brooklyn.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Katberine,s Christmas Vacation.

Dear Uncle Jed: I will tell you about my Christmas vacation. We got out of a Friday. In the school we had a Christmas tree which was trimmed very prettily.
 and filled them with candy ana pop corn. The day before we had the time we drew names and whoseveT name we got we had to buy a present for them, so every child got a present
 Santa Claus gave out the presents and it was much fun to have a Santa in school.
 We are having a weeks vacation but we are not having very good weather Sunday and Monday five or six girls went skating and they came for me We had lots of fun.
 CATHERINE COONEY, Age II.
 Baltic.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
A Fine Christmas.

Dear Uncle Jed: We had fine Christmas tree at school. The exer- cises were at half past one. The par ents were invited and we spoke pieces. Then all were given a present and a box of candy. And soon after we went home for our vacation.
 I had a Christmas tree at home. Christmas morning when I got up 1 looked in my stocking and found a pair of fur mittens, a necktie, pair of stockings, a pair of armIets, and a story book.
 When I had looked at all my things went out to the barn, did all my chores and then I went into the house to eat my breakfast.
 LAWRENCE NUTTALL, Age II.
 Pomfret Center.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Sadie Had B Presents,

school had a lovely time. All the scholars spoke pieces, then we all had presents given to us. I received a picture, a. box of candy, and a book as a prize in arithmetic. After a jol- ly hour or so we went home.
 For Christmas I went to my Aunt Alice's house. She had a Christina S tree. We all had dinner, then we had the presents from the Christmas tree. I had thirty-three presents. There were books, shoes, stockings dresses, candy and ever so many things.
 SADIE GORMAN, Age g.
 Brooklyn.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Ru.ss for .euns wr.,.rs.

paper only, and number the pages. ?. Use pen and ink, not pencil. 8. Short and pointed articles will be given preference Do not use over 2S0 words.
 4. Original stories or letters only will be used. 5. Write your name. age and ad- dress plainly at the bottom of the story. Jed. Bulletin Office.
 Whatever ycu ars-Be that!
 Whatever you Eay-Be true!
 Straightforwardly act,
 Be honest-in fact,
 Be nobody else buS you"
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Cold.

Icei Ice! Everywhere! Jack Frost has been at work. He has decorated the window panes and the snow has covered the trees and the ground with a beautiful white. fluff blanket.
 On the street everybody looks un- comfortable although most of the shoppers are warmly dressed with heavy coats and furs- Icic1es are sus- pended from the roofs of the buildings and the people are warned of the dan ger of the massive pieces of ice which fall quite frequently. The few people who to their dismay have found it necessary to be out this freezing cold
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
What Sort Will You Be?

It is we'll for you boys to make up your mind now what sort of an old man you would like, to be.
 If you keep your eyes open, for you know there are a, good many kinds, and you may be pretty sure that the selfish. disagreea1ble ones started out as selfish, Adisagreeable boys. If you would like to be that sort of old man that everyone would rather go around the hAck than meet, some of you have only to keep on as you are go- ing.
 i11saS
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
One Summer Day.

Dear Uncle Jed:-One day in July when it was very warm we decided to go huclsleberrying. It was about two o'clock when we started When we got in the huckleberry lot we found a good place which made our pail half full. We went further on and found another place which filled our pails.
 As were walking on we-came to a spring. We were very glad because we were thirsty. After we got a. drink we started on our way home. We took the wrong path and found ourselves in the midst of the woods. Then we came to a fence which we had to climb over. We kept on walking and all at once we saw that we were com ing to the end of the woods. When we came out our dresses were torn and we were very tired.
 We went home and never went hUckleberrying after that time.
 ALFREDA DURR Age 12.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
His Vacation in New York.

Dear Uncle Jedi am writing you about my Christmas vacation. I am grade at Fishers Island, N. Y. And we had two weeks vacation for Christ mas and I enjoyed it very much as I spent a week in New York at my aunt's home. She has two young boys and she had a Christmas tree and 1 enjoyed it very much to see the young sters so pleased with it. On Christmas S night I took them to the moving pie lures and they saw Mary Pickford in Hearts Adrift.'
 I sailed for home on the 27th of December and stopped at my grand mothers in Connecticut and spent two days there and received many presents. Finally I reached home and found all well.
 FRANK O'CONNOR.
 Fishers Island
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Williams Presents.

Dear Uncle Jed: I had g. very nice Christmas at school. We had a Christmas tree and all spoke pieces.
 My brother. Archie, came with my mother and spoke piece, although he is not a regular scholar. I received a box of paints and a box of candy on the school Christmas tree.
 At home we had a tree Monday. Early in the morning we had our pres ents. I got a baseball mask. mitt, 8 bat, ball, pencil box and many other things.
 hope you had a merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. WILLIAM VALENTINE, Jr., Age 8.
 Pomfret Center
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
The Best Speaker.

Dear Uncle Jed: have been read ing some of the Wide-Awake stories and I like them very much.
 This Christmas my schoolmates and had a Christmas tree. It looked so pretty that I could hardly wait until we had gone through our pieces.
 It was showing that day so there were not very many presents. We be- gan to speak our pieces at half past two. After the pieces the gifts were distributed and I received a box of candy and a little pendant.
 There was a little girl at the tree, Miss Mary German and when it was her time to speak she got right up and said her piece well. I thought she said hers the best of all.
 SUSIE HOPKINS, Age H.
 Rrooklvn
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
My Uncle Huqh,s Horses.

Dear Uncle Jed d:| want to tell you about my uncle Hugh's two big horses one black and the other white. They are very gentle. Every night I go lead them into the barn.
 He calls the black one Topsy and the white one Nell. Nell has a sprain- ed foot and had to be sent away to get a rest.
 Uncle Hugh has another horse. He calls him Tom. At night he lets me go up to the hay loft and throw down hay to them. l like to feed them, so am glad when Saturday comes when ] can stay long with him.
 JAMES F. LOOBY, Age :.
 ;ota
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
: Camping.

Dear Uncle Jed: One day five girls planned to camp in the woods. We stayed three days. We could go fish ing as we were near a river. I had to be the cook and keep the tent so l could not go fishing.
 On the following day my father came and looked for us. After looking for a few hours he found us. He told us to pack the things. He said that my aunt arrived in the morning. After an hours work we were all done. My father helped us pack and in an hour and a half we reached home. My aunt was in the door.
 The rest of the girls stayed awhile. We played games and sang.
 It was about supper time and we ate A Hearty one/for we were hungry. We went to bed right after supper as we were tired.
 ALICE GREEN, Age 13.
 NersailleS
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25

three pigs and they got their hair
 burned off.
 After while the people started to go home. We got home at half past one in the morning. but I saw another about a half mile away, MT. Fred Wheeler's barn. PAUL ID. DEWEY, Age iS. Stonington.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
LETTERS TO UNCLE JED.
My Christmas Vacation.

Dear Uncle Jed:-I'll tell the Wide Awakes about my Christmas vacation.
 The twenty y-second of December school closed with a Christmas tree. First songs were sung and pieces were Said.j Then some boys distributed the presents. After the presents were passed out candy was passed around by the teachers. After this happy time we went home.
 . Our Christmas vacation lasted a little over week. We had a lot of shopping to do for this time of the
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25

chickens all got on top of it when they saw the water coming in.
 I took my old raft to go to their rescue when Darby bravely swam out He gets along very well, now. The only fault is he fills his mouth too much while eating.
 Ever since that we call him Wise Darby.
 WILLIE GOPHER, Age 10. Scotland
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
She Spoke at the Methodist Festival.

Dear Uncle Jed: I hope you all had happy Christmas. I had a few Christmas presents: three handker- chiefs, a crocheted necklace, a half file, a plate. a string of beads, two sachet bags, and money.
 I went over to the Congregational church last Saturday night to the Christmas exercises.
 I spoke a piece down to the metho- dist church I go to. This piece was Christmas Eve.
 l wish you all a Happy New Year.
 ALICE KINNEY. Age II. South Coventry.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25

year. I didn't have very many visi- tors but I had one little visitor and that was my brother. As couldn't go out and play with the other chill dren stayed in the house and played games with my brother.
 Sometimes I went to Norwich with my mother couldn't have any sports out of doors because during
 nearly all my vacation I stayed in
 the house with my brother. IDA FREEMAN, Age 1o
 Baltic
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
A Funny Present.
A Trip to BrattIeboro.

One summer I was down to my aunt's in New London
 One morning she asked me if I would like to go to Brattleboro
 I said ''Yes," and wanted to know where it was.
 She said in Vermont.
 So we took the train to Brattleboro When we reached there we went all over the city and we stopped in a store and I got a postcard which ] sent to my mother, but did not put my name on it, so she did not know who it was from, as she did not know any body in Brattleboro.
 When my uncle and aunt and l reached New London I was very tired although I had 8 nice trip and hope to go there again
 MARION LARSEN, Age 10.
 Norwich
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Brooklyn
Georqe's Christmas.

Dear Uncle Jed: We had a beauti- tu1 Christmas tree here>at our school in Pomfret. The presents .were given out at o'clock. I had a pencil box, candy, an orange and a game. - We had a Christmas tree at home, and web all had presents. I had six presents-a sweater, a pencil box, a game and a box of candy.
 GEORGE LAWSON, Age 10.
 Pomfret.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25
Helen Had p Presents.

- Dear Uncle Jed: We had a Christ mas tree at school. I received a pie ture I had two pieces to speak. We had company at school.
 We had a Christmas tree at home We did not put the presents on it. ] got twenty-two presents. They were a pendant, bracelet, four ribbons, foui pairs of stockings, one picture from home, candy, pencil box and lantern etc.
 HELEN CAFFyREY, Age s.
 BrOQklyn.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-25

Had An Edison Talking Machine. Dear Uncle Jed: On Christmas da,