davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Is impossible e separate thought from
matter that thinks | assert, with Ba-
con, that all human understanding
| arises from the world of sensations.
| assert, with Locke, that all human
I ideas are due to the functions of the
senses. | assert, with Kant the me-
chanica origin of the universe. and
that creation is natural and histori-
cal process. | assert with Laplace
tnat there is no need of the hypothesis
/ of creator. And finally. | assert, be-
cause of all the foregoing, that form
is ephemeral. Form passes. There
fore we pass.
repeat. 1t was unanswerable. Yet
did he answer with Paley's notorious
fallacy of the watch. Also he talked
about radium and all but asserted that
The very existence OF matter had been
exploded by these later-day laboratory
researches. 1t was childish. | had
not dreamed he could be 50 immature.
How could one argue with such a
man? l then asserted the reasonable
ness Of all that is. To this he agreed,
roacrving, however, one exception. He
looked at me, as he said it, in a way
| could not mistake. The inference
was Obvious That he should be guilty
OF so cheap a quip in the midst of a
serious discussion, astounded me.
The eternity of forms. 1t was ri
diculous. Yet is there a strange magic
in the words. If it be true, then has he
cot ceased to exist? Then does he ex-
list? This is impossible.
| have ceased exercising. As long
as | remain in the room the halucina-
ton does not bother me. But when
| return to the room after an absence
he is always there, sitting at the desk
writing. Yet | dare not contide in
physician. I must fight this out by
myself.
He grows more importunate. Today
consulting Il book on the shelf, ]
turned and found him again in the
chair. This IS the first time he has
dared to do this in my presence Ney-
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04
A Useful Service.

Weather news Is now received regu-
larry by wireless at 270 amateur radio
stations located in nine of the north
ern and western states. In this way
the wireless operator is enabled TO
give his neighborhood the weather
forecast as soon az II La issued.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

saw him today, seated at the desk,
writing 1t gave me quite a shock, be
cause | had thought he was quite dis
PEELED. Nevertheless, on looking stead
lily, I found that he was not there--the
old familiar trick of the brain. | have
dwelt too long on what has happened.
| am becoming morbid, and my old in
digestion is limiting and muttering. !
shall take exercise. Each day | shall
walk for two hours.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

1t is impossible I cannot exercise.
Each time l return from my walk, he
is sitting in my chair at my desk II
grows more difficult to drive him away.
1t is my chair Upon this I insist II
was his, but he is dead, and it is no
longer his. How can one be fooled by
the phantoms of his own imagining !!
There is nothing real in his apparition.
l know it. I am firmly grounded with
my fifty years of study. The dead are
dead.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

II Is getting unbearable. He is a
iack-in-the-box, the way he pops into
the chair. He does not assume form
slowly. He pops. That is the only
way to describe It, l cannot stand
looking at him much more. That way
lies madness, for 1t compels me almost
10 believe in the reality of what ]
know is not. Besides, Authorizations
do not pop.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

FilllFlCNS, ny IbJhllS At mn otS"Nl''
and sternly for several minutes, ] COM
PEELED him to vanish. This proves my
contention. He does not exist. If he
were an eternal form ] could not make
him vanish by Il mere effort Of my
will.
This is getting damnable. Today |
gazed at him for an entire hour before
/ could make him leave. Yet it is so
simple What | see is a memory pic
ture For twenty years | was accuS-
toned to seeing him there at the desk.
The present phenomenon IS merely II
recrudescence of that memory pie
ture-a picture which was impressed
countless times on my conscience.
| gave up today. He exhausted me.
and still he would not go. | sat and
watched him hour after hour. He
takes no notice of me, but continually
writes. I know he writes, for | read
il over his shoulder 1t is not true.
he is taking an unfair advantage.
Query He is a product Of my CON
seriousness is it possible, then that en-
titles may be created by conscious
ness?
We did not quarrel. TO this day ]
do not know how it happened Let
me tell you. Then you will see. We
sat up late that neyer-to-be-forgotten
last night Of his existence 1t was the
old, old discussion-the eternity Of
forms How many hours and how
many nights we had consumed over it 3!
On this night he had been particu-
larry irritating, and all my nerves were
screaming. He had been maintaining
that the human soul was itself form
an eternal form, and that the light
within his brain would 60 on forever
and always. | took up the poker.
Suppose" ! said, II should strike
you dead with this?''
az would 20 on. he answered.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

There are such things as hallucina-
tons. Even as Hooked over his Shout
der and read, l knew that this was
such a thing. If | were only well it
would be interesting. All my life
have wanted to experience such phe
nomena. And now il has come to no.
l shall make the most of it. What is
Imagination? 1t can make something
where there is nothing. How can any
thing be something where there is
nothing2. How. can anything be some
thing and nothing at the same time?
/ leave it for the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 10
ponder / know better. No scholasticS
for me. This is q real world and ey-
erything in it is real. What is not real
is not. Therefore he is not. Yet he
tries to fool me into believing that he
is-when all the time | know he has
no existence outside Of my own brain
cells.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

And yet, explain one thing. Today,
before going for my walk, | carefully
put the fountain pen in my pocket be-
fore leaving the room. | remember it
distinctly. | looked at the clock at the
time 1t was 1912 Yet on my return
there was the pen lying on the desk.
Someone had been using it. There
was very little ink left / wish he
would not write so much. It is discon-
certing.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

My brother was right. There Is an
unseen world. DO | not see it? Am |
not cursed with the seeing of it all the
time? Call it thought an idea, any
thing you will, still II IL there. II Is
unacceptable Thoughts are entities
We create with every act of thinking
I have created this phantom that sits
in,my chair and uses my ink Because
| have created him is no reason that
he is any the less real. He Is an idea
he is an entity ergo, ideas are entities,
and an entity Is reality.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Query: If man, with the whole
historical process behind him, can Gre
ate an entity, real thing, then Is not
the hypothesis Of Creator made sub
stantial? If the stuff of life can create,
then 1t is fair to assume that there
can be he who created the stuff Of
life. It is merely difference of de
gree. have not yet made n mountain
nor solar system, but | have made
something that sits in my chair. This
being so, may / not some day be able
TO make mountain or a solar sys
TEN?
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

The moment 1t was unoceupied, he
took up his residence in the chair. Arc
these his boosted higher planes Of exist,
enee-his brothers brain ana chair Z
After all, was he mol right? Has his
eternal form become so attenuated as
to be hallucination? Are hallucina-
tons real entities? Why not? There
is food for thought here. Some day
shah come TO conclusion upon It,
He was very much disturbed today.
He could not write for had made the
servant carry the pen out of the room
in his pocket But neither could l
write.
The servant never sees him. This
is strange. Have / developed n keener
sight for the unseen? Or rather, does
it not prove the phantom to be what
it is-a product of my own morbid con-
seriousness?
He stole my pen again. Halluclna-
tons cannot steal pens. This is un-
answerable. And yet cannot keep
the pen always out of the room. l
want to write myself.
| have had three different servants
since my trouble came upon me- and
not one has seen him, Is the verdict
of their senses right? And Is that of
mine wrong? Nevertheless, the Ink
goes too rapidly. fill my pen more
often than is necessary. And further
more, only today | found my pen out
of order. did not break It.
I have spoken to him many times,
but he never answers. sat and watch
ed him all morning Frequently he
looked at me, and 1t was patent that
he knew me.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

All his days, down to today, man has
lived in maze. He has never seen
the light | am convinced that | am
beginning to see the light---not az my
brother saw It, by stumbling upon It
accidentally but deliberately and ra-
tionaIly, My brother is dead. He has
ceased There is no doubt about it,
for | have made another journey down
into the cellar TO see The ground was
untouched. broke it myself to make
sure. and / saw what made me sure.
My brother has ceased, vet have | re-
created him. This is not my old broth
er, yet it is something as nearly re-
semblng him as l could fashion 1t. ]
am unlike other men. | am god.
have created.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

through the non-existent substance of
the thing and struck the back of the
chair. Fabric Of fancy, that Is all ii
was. The mark is there on the chair
now where the poker struck. | pause
from my writing and turn and look at
it-press the tips of my fingers into
the indentation.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Yesterday morning when | entered
the study, there he was in the chair
When | had dispelled him, sat in the
chair myself all day. | had my meals
brought to me. And thus | escaped
the sight Of him for many hours, for
he appears only in the chair. | was
weary. bntl sat late. until II o'clock.
Yet, when stood up to 90 to bed, /
looked around, and there he was. He
had slipped into the chair on the in
slant. Being only fabric Of fancy,
ell day he had resided in my brain.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

There is one thing upon which jim
and | were not quite agreed. He be-
leved in the eternity of the forms of
things. Therefore, there entered in i'm
mediately the consequent belief in inn
mortality and all the other notions Of
tie metaphysical philosophers. I had
little patience with him in this. Pains
takingly | have traced to him the evo-
luton of his belief in the eternity
forms, showing him how it has arisen
out of his early infatuation with logic
and mathematics. OF course, from
that warped squirting, abstract view
point, it is very easy to believe in the
eternity of forms
! laughed at the unseen world. only
the real was real. / contended, and
what one could not perceive, was not,
could not be- ! believed in a mechan-
zeal universe Chemistry and physics
explained everything. Can no being
be-" he demanded in reply | said
that his question was but the major
premise of q fallacl0us Christian Sci
ence syIlogism. Oh, believe me, knew
my logic, too. But he was very stub
born. I never had any patience with
philosophic ideallsts.
Once | made to him my confession Of
faith. II was simple, brief unanswer-
able Even as / write il now, | know
it is unanswerable. Here it is. / told
him: 81 assert. with Hobbies. that 1t
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04
By JACK LONDON

A strange life has come TO an end
In the death of Mr.. Sedley Crayden of
Crayden Hill. Mild, harmless, he was
the victim of a strange delusion that
kept him pinned, night and day, in lSs;
chair for the last two years of his life.
The mysterious death, or rather disap-
pearance, of his elder brother, james
Crayden seems to have preyed upon
his mind, for it was shortly after that
event that his delusion began to mani
fest itself.
Mr.. Crayden never vouchsafed any
explanation of his strange conduct.
There was nothing the matter with
him physically or mentally; the alien
lists found him normal in every way
save for his one remarkable idiosyn-
Grassy. His remaining in his chair was
purely voluntary, an act of his own
will. And now he is dead and the
mystery remains unsolycd-Extract
from the Newton COurier-Times.
L
confidential servant and valet for the
last eight months of his life During
that time he worked a good deal on a
manuscript that he kept always beside
him, except when he drowsed or
slept, at which times he invariably
locked it in a desk drawer close to his
hand.
| was curious to read what the Old
gentleman wrote, but he was too eau
tious and cunning. never got peep
ut the manuscript If he were en-
gagged upon it when attended on him,
he covered the top sheet with large
botter. 1t was I who found him dead
in his chair and it was then that |
took the liberty of abstracting the
manuscript. | was very curious to
read il, and have no excuses to offer.
After retaining it in my secret pos
session for several years, and later
ascertaining that Mr. Crayden left no
surviving relatives. | have decided to
make the nature Of the manuscript
known. 1t is very long, and / have
omitted nearly all of it, giving only the
more lucid fragments. 1t bears all the
earmarks of a disordered mind. and va
rious experiences are repeated over
and over, while much is SO vague and
incoherent as to defy comprehension.
Nevertheless from reading it myself,
/ venture to predict that if an ,exca-
walton is made in the main basement,
somewhere in the vicinity of the foun-
dation of the great chimney, collec. I
ton of bones will be found which
should very closely resemble those
which James Crayden once clothed in
mortal fesh.-Statement of Rudolph |
Heckler
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Ny device for dislodging him from
the chair by striking my head is fail-
ing. | have to hit much more vio-
lently, and | do not succeed perhaps
more than once in a dozen trials. Ny
head Is quite sore where | have so
repeatedly struck IT. | must use the
other hand.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

wish he would come back. Why
81, he 20? Who can ever explain It'll
l.ta l"ly now, and depressed with
r.,yn NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by ter
..g~ til;t are of the mind and that put
1t naught all that my mind has ever
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Thank God, he only manifests him
self in the chair. As long as occupy
The chair / an quit of him.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

It is uncomfortable to sleep in
chair. But it is more uncomfortable to
lie In bed, hour after hour, and not
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Here follow the excerpts from the
manuscript, made and arranged by
Rudolph Heckler:
| never killed my brother. Let this
be my first word and my last. Why
should | kill him? We lived together
in unbroken harmony for twenty years
We were old men, and the fires and
tempers of youth had long since
burned out. We never disagreed even
over the most trivial things. Never
was there such amity as ours. We
were scholars, We cared nothing for
the outside world. Our companionship
and our books were all-satisfying.
Never were there such talks as we
held. Many night we have sat UP
till two or three in the morning con
versing, weighing opinions and judg-
ments, referring to authorities-in
short, we lived at high and friendly
intellectual attitudes.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

BY striking the size of my head VIC
lently with the heel of my hand, can
shake the vision of him out of my eyes
Then | can get into the chair; but
have learned that l must move very
quickly in order to accomplish this. Of
ten he fools me and Is back again be-
fore | can sit down.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

We were so happy together. He had
a remarkable mind, a most remarkable
mind, so firmly founded so widely in
formed, so rigidly logical, that it was
not at all strange that we agreed in
all things. Dissension was unknown
between us. Jim was the most truth
full man have ever met In this too,
we were similar, as we were similar
In our intellectual honesty. We never
sacrificed truth to make a point. We
had no points to make, we so thor
oughly agreed. 1t is absurd to think
Mat we. could disagree on anything
ruder the sun.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

conceived. Form is mutable. This is
the last word of positive science. The
dead do not come back This is ncon-
trovertible. the dead are dead, and
that is the end of it, and of them.
And yet | have had experiences here
here, in this very room, at this very
desk, thatRbut wait. Let me put it
down in black and white, in words SIM
some questions. Who mislays my pen?
That is what desire to know. Who
uses up my ink so rapidly2 Not l.
And yet the ink goes.
The answer to these questions would
settle all the enigmas of the universe.
| know the answer. l am not a fool
And some day, if am plagued too deS-
perately, | shall give the answer my
self. / shall give the name of him
who mislays my pen and uses up my
ink. 1t is SO silly to think that could
use such quantity of ink. The serv-
ant lies, | know.
have got me fountain pen. | have
always disliked the device, but my old
stub had to go. I burned it in the
fireplace. The ink / keep under lock
and key. | shall see if ! cannot put a
stop to these lies that are being writ
ten about me. And | have other plans.
If is not trup that 7 have rpcantpd
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

He did continue the argument.
stole up today and looked over his
shoulder. He was writing the history
/ Of our discussion. II was the same old
nonsense about the eternity Of forms.
But as | continued TO read, he wrote
down the practical test ] had made
with the poker Now this is unfair
and untrue. / made no test. In fail
ing he struck his head on the poker.
Some day somebody will find and
read what he writes. This will be ter
rible. | am suspicious of the servant,
who is always peeping and peering,
trying TO see what ! write. | must do
something. Every servant / have had
Is curious about what ! write
Fabric Of fancy That is all it is.
There is no jim who sits in the chair.
| know that Last night, when the
house was asleep ] went down into
the cellar and looked carefully at the
soil around the chimney. IT was UNI
tempered with. The dead do not rise
up.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

Whenever | leave the room to 90 to
bed look back, and there is my broth
or sitting in the chair. And then !
cannot sleep because of thinking of
him sitting through all the long night
hours. And in the morning, when I
open the study door, there he is, and |
know he has sat there the night long.
| am becoming desperate from lack
Of sleep. | wish I could contde in II
physician.
Blessed sleep! l have won it at
last. Let me tell you. Last night
was so worn that ! found myself doz-
ing in my chair. / rang for the serv-
ant and ordered him to bring blankets.
| slept. All night was he banished
from my thoughts as he was banished
from my chair. | shall remain in it
all day. 1t is wonderful relief.
IT is uncomfortable to sleep In q
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

He grows more impOrtunate. Today,
consulting Il book on the shelf, ]
turned and found him again in the
chair. This IS the first time he has
dared to do this in my presence. Ney-
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

He disappeared. I suffered a great
shock. Why should he have disap-
peared? Where could he have gone?
1t was very strange. | was stunned.
They say | was very sick for weeks
1t was brain fever. This was caused
by his inexpicable disappearance. 1t
was at the beginning of the experience
I hope here to relate that he disap-
peared.
How l have endeavored to find him
I am not an excessively rich man, yet
have | offered continually increasing
rewards | have advertised in all the
papers, and sought the aid of all the
detective bureaus. At the present mo-
ment the rewards | have out aggregate
over fifty thousand dollars.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

They say he was murdered They
also say murder will out. Then | say,
why does not his murder come out!
Who did it? Where is he? Where is
jim? My jim.
Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-04

sleep, and to know that he is sitting
IheEe IL the cold darkness.
Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-03-28
Have We Forgotten God "

Crete, S. c.. March 2l.-Editor
kcowcc Courier: How appropriate
at this time is this passage from the
Bihlc--"Oh. that my people had
harkencd unto mo, aud Israel had
walked in my ways
1t seemed to me last night that
God came 10 me and said. "Oh. that
my pcopl" had hardened to me and
Israel had walked in my ways"
Have we forgotten God? | want to
appeal 20 every man and woman to
Join in an appeal that the plaques
may he removed from among us,
that the rain may cease for a season.
that war may not come. and That
terms may he reached without the
killing and suffering and distress Of
war. And pcradvcnturc the Lord
may hear MS. lie heard Moses when
he plead for the plaques to be re-
moved from Egypt, and when Elijah
prayed Tor ii not to rain, and he
prayed again and it raincd. Oh, that
we had more MoSescs and FliiahS,
lRev.) J. W. Head.