davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04

dentally, it is a school that is being
studied and copied by far-sighted civic
governments the world over.
When it opened its doors -figura-
lively only, since much Of the instruct
ing is carried on in the streets-slightly
more than seven months ago, John j.
Conlon. head instructor, first organized
classes in street sweeping. Just offhand
one might imagine that no experience
and hardly any brains would be required
to sweep street.
THAT" explained Mr.. Conlon, SIS just
the reason streets never before have been
properly or economically cleaned. There
is not only no advantage but positive
damage. to a community if street clean
ers go through the streets at given
periods and stir up the gern-laden dust,
permitting most of it to fall where the
wind blows it."
So ne taught his sweepers how to han
die broom in such manner that the ml1-
imum of dustwould be raised, to keep AZ
refuse covered after it had been capt
ured by the sweeper, and, above all, to
keep busy all the time they were on duty.
This last requirement, it Is explained,
was a novel one to veteran sweepers who
had found ample time for rest and recre-
alton during the eight hours they were
presumed to be on duty.
My man, he got city position, but ne
work at home" is boast that wives no
longer can make of their white wing
husbands. Although the snow shoveller
is paid approximately 81 day, it is gen.
orally conceded that he earns it.
Superintendent of instruction Conlon
soon learned that numerous assistants
were necessary to maintain the classes
that soon were demanded by his stu
dents. Dump inspectors, drivers. hes
tiers, chauffeurs for tractors, scownen
and mechanics were placed in the spe-
cial classes their varying requirements
demanded. But he insisted on maintain
ing high standard for graduates in on.
der that his institutionmight stand hiG.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04

Every side street in the city should
be given the same attention as Fifth
Avenue and Broadway" he said. Snow
should be entirely out Of the street four
hours after it has fallen
And nobody seemed a bit surprised.
Men were enlisted under the same meth
DDS used in England to obtain the SER
vices of slackers in the army. Posters
bearing the words, Your city needs you.
Join the army of snow fighters" were
substituted for the British posters an
nouncing that Your King and country
need you" The department force was
increased to approximately 5000 men,
and three shifts of $4,000 men each
were marshalled into field service as
snow fighters after each storm.
After the big storm of last November,
when twelve inches of snow fell, it was
found there was a dearth of men for i'm
mediate service. The lure of the NUM-
ton factories in New Jersey and Connec-
ticut had left the lodging houses. that
heretofore had been such a fruitful re-
cruiting field, almost empty.
But the resourcefulness Of the depart
ment was far from exhausted. Every
university and college within trolley car
distance of the city was called upon Tor
needy students who possessed strong
arms. The result was that the requisite
$4,000 men were soon in the field work
ing with shovels, auto trucks, horse
drawn wagons and dredges. When early
morning workers reached the business
district the morning after the snow hac
ceased to fall the big storm was but
memory. Scarcely a sign of it remained
in the streets.
That the supposedly mild modern WIN
ters are snowless is readily disproved by
the records Of both the Weather and the
Street Cleaning departments. The aver
age annual fall of snow in New York and
vicinity is 32.2 inches. During the WIN
ter of 1876 this was increased to %
inches. In spite of this tremendous IN
crease in the fall of snow the mild mod
ern winter" theory was not disturbed
because Of the increased efficiency OF
gasolene-driven Street Cleaning Depart
ment. which removed evidences OF biz
yards as fast as they accumulated IN the
city.
The cost of removing the SHOWS OF last
winter totalled S2.52l,299 But nobody
has been found who considered this ire
mendous outlay of taxpayers money an
extravaganza. The losses incident to
permitting it to remain on the streets
would have been many times that figure.
Should the city, with its present con-
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04
VVTTLLIAM RASTUS JOHNSON
M BROWN, since far famed as

" VILLAIN RASIUS JOHNSON
M BROWN, since far famed as
W ever ready material for vaude-
vile artists, IS reputed to have grown
weary of the charms Of Florida In the
late seventies. Sighting a New York
bound ship, he crept aboard and, clad IN
the scanty costume that Is approved by
a certain class of Florida citizens even
in February, he slowed himself in the
depths OF the hold and awaited develop
ments.
In due season there was a grinding of
chains, rumbling Of ropes, shouting OF
nanv voices, and the slow-acting mind
Of the occupant of the hold grasped the
fact that the thrills of New York We're
at hand. a few minutes later dark
form crept forth wrapped in torn over
ais, a fragment of hat and what had
been pair of shoes when worn by some
more prosperous owner years before.
And the thermometer registered plen-
" degrees below zero! The man OF
many names placed one foot before the
other, dug his hands deep into empty
pockets and was couvulsed by shiver
such as would have been impossible N
the hosuitable Florida climate
"Boo-oo-oo-ool It shore am brisk In
dis town. came from between chatter
ing teeth.
One more step through the falling
snow, and the lower limbs of the visitor
became insensible to pain Still another
and he toppled over into a growing drift,
black icicle.
Halt an hour later, according to the
veracious historians Of the adventures
Of Mr.. Brown. two policemen who passed
that way recognized the dark streak IN
hesnow as a human body and summoned
an ambulance. In the interest OF civic
efficiency it was hurried to the crema-
tory and. after an examination, thrust
iEto the warmth.
Early the next morning a sleepy at
tendant went 10 the furnace with the In
tention Of removing the ashes Of a dull
night Shielding his face from the white
heat, he opened the door, but was arrest
ed by a voice from within.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04

and now. It is the difference between
the random efforts at snow sweeping OF
q handful of laborers directed by
gang foreman and the work Of an army
Of 1000 sweepers. many of whom have
been given special training in the use Of
the implements provided for the pur-
pose.
Before the coming Of the reorganlzed
Street Cleaning Department snow that
fell upon New York streets in the early
fall might be found there by the spring
thaw, covered over with sheets of ice and
frozen slush and encrusted with the
SHOWS and dirt Of the winter. Under the
system that now obtains no snow gains
more than four hours start on the snow
fighters. a night blizzard that hasn't
been removed by the early morning rush
hour is the exception-the disgrace OF
the department, in the estimation of }.
T. Fetherston, its present head.
New Yorks first Street Cleaning De
partment came into being in 1881. j.
s Coleman, the first commissioner ot
streets. obtained the reputation Of a
dreamer and radical by proposing that
organized gangs Of men be sent out
Immediately after every big snow to
sweep it up and dump the sweep
incs into the sewers. When he pro-
posed doing away with the old and time
honored contract system, under which
private contractors were permitted to
hire the men, pay such wages as they
saw fit and exact large sums from the
city in profits, old city officials were GER
tain that the days Of socialism were in
deed at hand.
Previous to that time such street
cleaning as the city had experienced had
been in the hands Of the Police Depart
ment. Police inspectors had charge OF
the cleaning in their districts, and, If re-
ports at hand are TO be accepted as true,
thew found the giving of cleaning cor
tracts highly profltaOle one. twenty
wears earlier the streets were cleaned
whenever a housewife or head ola busi-
ness house decided to take broom or
shovel in hand and engage the accumu-
lated SHOWS or dirt in mortal combat.
When Commissioner Fetherston as
sumed Office in January, 1914, nobody
dreamed of calling him a radical or
dreamer when he suggested such little
innovations as the use of big auto trac-
tors in removing debris and SHOWS from
the streets. the organization of a school
for educating white wings and the eX-
penditure of $4,000 for every inch
depth of snow that fell during the win
ter.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04
WOMAN'S RIGHTS AND LETS

of during
OF the ofd.f
wOmany independence we've
That "ied
I'll and
head think TIL get through
aong
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
HAD NEWS OF
j. S. BOATS
Berlin Papers Published Reports
Before Arrival.
SIMS MESSAGE GIVEN OUT
Admiral Says Mines Planted At En-.
trance Of Port Were First Put
There In Three
Months.
SIMS MESSAGE GIVEN OUT

Washington.-The text of Vice-Ad-
miral Sims brief report on the pres
ence of advance information in Ger
many regarding the sailing of Amerl-
can destroyers to the war zone was
made public by Secretary Daniels. 1t
was contained in letter to the Navy
Department, the Secretary said, and
was as follows:
can interesting feature in connec-
ton with the arrival of the Destroy
ers is the report that their sailing ap-
peared in Berlin newspapers about
four days before their arrival, and also
that a field of mines was planted i'm
mediately off the entrance of the port
at which they arrived the day before
the arrival took place. These were
the first mines planted in that vicinity
during the previous three months"
In giving out the extent, Mr.. Daniels
said that the letter made no further
reference to the matter, and the vice.
Admiral did not give any statement
VI Sp6CuldIlOu dO W hOW ANAAAAA
tains it's information"
The Secretary also made public the
following additional extract from the
letter:
81 am pleased to be able to report
the excellent impression given by our
officers, ships and crew under their
command Our ships made no de-
mands of consequence upon the facill-
ties offered here in spite of the length
of their passage under adverse condi-
tons.
"The commander, when questioned
by the admiral as to when his vessels
would be ready for duty, reported that
he should be ready that night, as soon
as the ships were refueled. This was
apparently a considerable surprise to
the admiralty, who then gave them
four days before taking up active
work. The vessels themselves caused
great deal of complimentary COM
ment, and were found to be well equip
ped for their prospective duty.
speaking generally, the impression
made by our officers and our ships has
caused very favorable comment both
here and in the admiralty"
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
ID. S. COMMISSION
LANDS IN RUSSIA
Will Council the Provisional
Government.
Travelled ON NAVAL VESSEL
Crossed Pacific On Naval Vessel-Ex-
pected To Have Strong lnfiu-
ence In Steadyng
New Regime.

Washington-Safe arrival at Rus
sian port of the American commission
to Russia, headed by Elihu Root, Am
bassador, Extraordinary, was an
nounced in a dispatch to the Navy De-
partment.
The commission left Washington
about May Is, charged with greetings
to the new democratic Government Of
Russia and authorized to pledge un-
stinted aid from the United States
not only in the prosecution of war
against the common enemy but in the
rehabilitation of the demoralized coun-
try. 1t was preceded by special
commission Of railroad experts, whose
arrival already has been announced.
After a final conference between
President Wilson and Mr.. Root, the
Commissioners travelled overland to
the Pacific coast and there boarded
fast naval vessel for the voyage to the
Orient Under the voluntary censor
ment, nearly all American newspapers
refrained from publishing anything
about their departure or the points
through which they passed along the
way. While no German submarines
are known to be operating in the Pa
cific, it was deemed wise to print no
details of the trip until the voyagers
were safely landed.
With Mr. Root were:
John R. Mott, Cyrus H. Mccormick,
Samuel R. Bertron, James Duncan and
Charles Edward Russell, ENJOYS
extraordinary; Major-General Hugh L.
Scott chief of staff of the army, mill
tary representative of the President:
Rear-Admiral James T. Glennon, naval
representative of the President Col.
R. E. L. Niche, aide to the chief OF
staff; Col William V. Judson, military
attache to the diplomatic mission;
aforementioned T. Bently Mott,
military aide to the ambassador
extraordinary; Surgeon Holton C.
Curl, U. S. NJ; Lieut.. Alva D. Barn.
hard, U. S. NJ; aide to Admiral Glen
non; James McKenna, chief clerk and
disbursing officer of the mission;
Clyde S. Stilwell, James F. O'Rourke,
Jay Keegan, Duane E. Washburn,,
Walter w. King and George d.
Gregory, clerks; Sergt. Paul z. Ran
dolph, orderly, and George E. Long,
messenger.
Charles R. Crane, envoy extraordi-
nary; Basil Miles, secretary to the
mission; Major Stanley Washburn,
u. S. A., assistant secretary to the
mission, and F. Eugene Prince, civil
aide and interpreter, already are in
Russia and will join the party at it's
destination.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
PRISON TERM
FOR FOOD BARONS
Amendment to Food Bill Makes
boarding a Felony.
PENALTY Is THREE YEARS
Attempt In the Senate To Modify
Amendment Proves Futiie-Poin-
dexter Insists That 1t Go
THROUGH As Offered.

MISUNDERSTANDING, storage or
destruction of food, fuel or other
necessaries of life to limit supply or
affect prices would be a felony under
an amendment to the government first
food bill adopted in the Senate with
out recorded vote.
Several senators protested that the
privision was too drastic and would
prevent legitimate storing to equallze
markets, but all efforts to modify it
failed. When Senator Fall proposed
that the Federal Trade Commission
be empowered to decide whether stor-
ing is reasonable, Senator Poindexter,
author of the amendment, insisted that
any such change would weaken the ef-
fectiveness of the measure as a
weapon against spectators.
Violation of the section would be
punishable by Imprisonment in the
penitentiary for not less than six
months nor more than three years.
Holding by farmers or others of the
products of land cultivated by them
is exempted.
To PopuIarize Fish.
An amendment which would author
ize the Secretary of Commerce to take
steps to promote more general use of
fish to relieve the food stringency was
offered by Senator Fletcher. 1t would
permit the Secretary to catch and
market fish. A letter from Secretary
Redfield in support of the proposal
was read.
Chairman Gore, of the Agriculture
Committee, asked that the Lever bill,
already passed by the House with the
amendments made by the committee,
be substituted for the similar measure
previously under consideration in the
Senate. This was done and will
facilitate final enactment.
cattIemen To Aid.
The second of the food bills, the
measure to authorize food admins
tration and price-ixing, was discussed
at an executive session of the House
Committee on Agriculture.
Representatives of Southwestern
cattle-growing interests called on Her
bert C. Hoover and pledged their sup
port to the food bills and to the food
administration to be created with Mr..
Hoover at it's head.
Officers of the Wholesale Grocers'
Association also saw Mr.. Hoover and
promised support for the legislation.
The Chamber of Commerce of the
United States probably will take a
referendum vote of it's membership on
| the food legislation.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
MILLIONS Of SHOES
FOR MEN At FRONT
Government Places Greatest
Order in History.
TO COST NEARLY SIT, 100000
Delivery Is To Be Completed Within
Ei1ht Months and Average
Price Per Pair Will
Be $4.85.

Washington.-Cont for 3,45O,OOO
pairs of shoes for the Army and Navy
were awarded through the Natlonai
Defense Council. Delivery is to be
completed within eight months and
the average price per pair will be
S4.S5. The contracts, awarded Oh
competitive bids, were distributed
among 81 firms.
The Army will get 100000 pairs OF
the shoes and the Navy $4,000. The
contracts represent the largest shoe
purchase ever made by the govern
ment. their total value reaching near
ly s17,OcOO0O.
Bidders submitted their estimates
on the basis of options on vast guam
titles of leather secured some time
ago by the Defense Councils commit
tee on supplies, of which Julius 10
senwald is chairman. If they cannot
purchase leather as cheaply directly
the committee on supplies will turn
over the options to them. The main
purpose in getting the options was to
stabilize the leather market against
heavy purchases for government &C
count.
The purchases were made through
the committee on supplies in co-opera-
ton with the Quartermasters Depart
ment of the Army and the Navy
Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. The
Army purchases include three styles
of marching and field shoes. The
Navy buys the regulation black calf
skin high-cut design.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
LANE MAKES PLEA FOR LOAN.
Recalls That Virginia Governor Gave
Whole Fortune To Revolution.

WnOIS fortune % hSVoiutiOn.
Washington. - Secretary of Interior
Franklin X. Lane made a unique APP
peal for subscriptions to the Liberty
Loan when he cited the historic fact
that Gov. Thomas Nelson, of Virginia,
second richest man in the Southern
colonies, gave his whole fortune to
help finance the Revolutionary War.
The Secretary's statement to the coun-
try reads:
cat Yorktown, Va, there is shrine
to which repair the liberty lovers OF
the land. 1t is a simple stone marking
the grave of Gov. Thomas Nelson, who
entered the War for Independence as
a rich man with the exception OF Cen
eral Washington the richest man IN
the South) and died poor man, hav-
ing given his fortune for the support
of the Colonial troops. The stone
bears these words:
"'He Gave All For Liberty
Such men brought liberty to us ana
we now can repay them by lending our
savings for the maintenance of liberty
that government of the people, for the
people and by the people shall not per-
ish from the EARTH"
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
NO LOAN TO MEXICO INTENDED.

Matter Not Even Discussed, Secretary
Lansing Says.
Washington.-Secr Lansing, re-
plying to letter of inquiry from Rep
resentative Tinkham of Massachu-
sets, said the United States did not
contemplate making loan to the
Mexican Government or inducing
American capitalists to do so. The
matter, the Secretary said, has not
been discussed by the State Depart
ment with Mexican or bankers repre-
sentativeS.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09

nearest the feet is at Norfolk, which Is
the largest possessed by the navy and
to which there were recently added
400 beds.
The Solace is the only hospital ship
in the navy, although another has been
authorized and is being built.
OF the 10000 men within radius
of so miles Of the fleet, 1t was said, at
least 10000 are men who have just en-
tered the service, and it was regarded
as inevitable, in view of this fact, that
there should be q certain amount Of
illness in the fleet.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09

In the meanwhile the "round robin"
signed by the sailors on the Solace has
been reported to Admiral Mayo, COM
mander of the fleet, with view to Wig
orous action on his part.
Recently, it was stated. Secretary of
the Navy Daniels with Admiral Palm
er and Surgeon General Braisted Wis
tied the fleet on an inspection trip, and
no complaints, such as were uttered by
the 80 Solace sailors reached their
ears. 1t was explained that within a
radius of so miles of the fleet there
are 10000 sailors, and the hospital
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
Congress Urged To Assess All loath
To Become Citizens.

Washington. - Former Governor
Glynn, of New York, and former Mayor
Fitzgerald, of Boston, proposed to the
Senate Finance Committee war tax
of $100 on each alien in the United
States who has not expressed inten-
ton to become an American citizen.
They SAID such tax would raise $780,
100000. Aliens who enlisted in the
armed forces of the United States
would be exempt. A war tax of $500
on every adult male alien who has
resided in the United States five years
or more was proposed as means of
raising s4OO,000,000 in speech in the
House today by Representative
O'Shaunessy, of Rhode Island.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
THREE U. S. VESSELS SUNK.
All Attacked BY German Submarines
With Gunfire.

London-The destruction of three
American sailing vessels by German
submarines, with the loss of one life,
is reported One of these vessels was
the Dirigo, four-masted ship, whose
crew has been landed with the excep-
ton of John Ray, third mate, who was
drowned when the small boats were
being launched.
The Francis NJ, a schooner was at
tackled by gunfire on the morning of
May IS, according to report from
Cadiz, given out today by the Ad-
miralty. All the members of the crew
are at Cadiz.
The schooner Barbara was attacked
by gunfire of German submarine at
9 O'Clock on the morning Of May "a.
All the members of the crew were
landed at Gibraltar.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
MORE AMERICANS TO FRONT.

Ambulance Section Under Albert M.
Hyde, Leaves Paris. {.
Paris. = Ambulance section, No 26,
of the American Field Service started
for the front under command of AL
bert M. Hyde, of New York, Harvard
man. The Field Service counts upon
the arrival of 240 recruits this week
and as many as this number or even
more each week. thereafter.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
WILL LOOK INTO CONDITIONS
SURGEON General BREASTED Is Now In.
vestigating Affairs at country's
Naval Recruiting Stations.

Observation-Disclosures by the out
break of scarlet fever and measles at
naval recruiting stations on shore and
at sea, and by the conditions reported
to exist on the hospital ship Solace,
Surgeon General BREASTED of the navy
will make an investigation of condi-
lions.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
JIU JITsU HAS PLACE IN WAR
Canadian Soldier Explains 1t To Off
GERS Training Camp.

Fort Sheridan, Ill.-Jiu jitsu's place
in modern warfare was explained to
students at the officers training camp
he e. The instructors were Samuel
Allison, of the Sixteenth Canadian
Scotch Higlanders, and Elwood Smith,
of the Princess Pat Regiment. They
explained how, in hand-to-hand fight
ing, pressure on a nerve may render
an opponent unconscious.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
TO LET CENSORSHIP DIE.
Administration Leaders In Senate
Abandon Fight.

Washington.-Adm man.
ayers in the Senate decided to let the
newspaper censorship section of the
Espionage Bill die with the House
vote of Thursday against it. The Sen
ate conferees expect to drop the hard
fought section out entirely and bring
the bill before the Senate for final
passage containing only the undis-
puted provisions.
Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09
AMBASSADOR GUTHRIE BURIED

Japanese Envoy Attends Ceremony At
Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, Pa.-The funeral of Geo.
w. Guthrie, American Ambassador to
Japan, who died at his post in Toxic,
took place here Thursday. The Japan
csc Government was represented by
Ambassador Sato, and the American
Government by Breckenridge Long,
Third Assistant Secretary of State;
Col. Henry H. Ludlow, of the army,
and Capt. Charles B. McVay, of the
navy.