davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
Hettx Green Changed Faith.

Mrs. Hetty Green, who was frequent
ly called the richest woman IN th'
world and was reared in the QuaA"
faith, accepted the Episcopaiian cFeeO
three years before her death 10 "
buried in the family plot with her nus
band. The story became known II
transfer tax proceedings to determine
Mrs. Green's legal place of abode.
Mrs. Green's attachment" saia %,
of the estates lawyers, ''fOr the piae.
to which her young husband took uS,
as his bride fifty years ago was >
strong that she was baptized into VI,
Episcopal faith few years before nc,
death because she feared she otheF"iN,
might not be permitted to lie alt1'
death beside her husband in the CF"
etery of that church in Bellows FANS
From the New York Sun.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
Business Men Best Farmers.

SIT may be disputed and appear I'M
probable, but it is nevertheless true
that the best farmers are not those
who are brought up on the farm ana
educated as farmers, but rather those
who go on to the farm from other DC
cupations," remarked James Hayden
stockman of Montana, according 10 the
Washington Post. Montana, you may
know, has become an agricultural state
in the last decade. Before that we
were a stock state, and there was very
little real farming done. We have haa
immigrants from all parts of the couh-
try who have gone on to farms. Many
have become rich, because Montana
land is rich agricultural land. InyeSt-
CATION has been made in all parts OF
the country to learn who make tn9
most successful farmers and why
These inquiries have invariably shown
that the best farmers are progressive
men. BY that / mean men who ar0
intelligent and aggressive. They are
doctors, merchants, lawyers, clerks IN"
others. The professional man usually
makes a successful farmer because ~
rule, he applies to farming that Sys'
tematic, orderly intelligence "Ilcp
made him a success in his professor
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
"As a conscious entttys" demand

"As conscious entity?" I demand
ed.
ayes, as conscious entity" was his
reply. 81 should go on, from plane TO
plane of higher existence, remembering
my earth life, you. this very argument
-ay, and continuing the argument
with you"
1t was the only argument. (FOrci-
BILE! Ha. ha comment of Rudolph
Heckler on margin). I swear it was
only argument. l never lifted hand.
How could 1? He was my brother my
elder brother. Jim.
I cannot remember. was very ex-
asperated. He had always been so Oh
stinate In this metaphysical belief OF
his. The next 1 knew he was lying
on the hearth. Blood was running. 1t
was terrible. He did not speak. He
did not move. He must have fallen
in fit and struck his head. / no.
ticed there was blood on the poker.
In falling he must have struck upon it
with his head. And yet l fail to see
how this can be, for / held it in my
hand all the time. I was still holding
it in my hand as looked at it.
1t is hallucination. That is con-
clusiOn of common sense. 1 have
watched the growth of it. At first it
was only in the dimmest light that
could see him sitting in the chair. But
as the time passed and the hallucina-
ton, by repetition, strengthened, he
was able to appear in the chair under
the strongest lights. That is the ex-
PLANTATION. 1t is quite satisfactory.
I shall never forget the first time
saw it. l had dined alone downstairs.
never drink wine, so that what hap
pened was eminently normal. 1t was
in the summe. twilight that / returned
to the study. 1 glanced at the desk.
There he was, sitting. So natural was
it, that before l knew I cried out,
"Jim!" Then 1 remembered all that
had happened. OF course, it was a hall
lucination. / knew that. I took the
poker and went over to it. He did not
move or vanish. The poker cleaved
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
SUPERSTlTI0NS ARE MANY
Seafaring Men, Especially, Have Many
Signs Which Are Believed to Ind,
cate Good or Bad Luck.

Old actors believe the witches song
in Macbeth" to possess the power OF
casting evil spells, and the majority Of
them strongly dislike to play in the
piece.
Some Of the creatures met with at
sea are considered unlucky. If shark
is seen following a ship for days it Is
thought that someone on board is
doomed to die shortly. The birds
known as Mother Cary's chickens,
when they perch upon the rigging Of
vessel, are believed to be the messen-
gers of a storm. Dolphins or porpOises
seen in calm are unfavorable omens
The naming of a warship after sting
ing or venomous things is considered
unlucky.
In Newfoundland the superstitiOus
say that if a ship has a starbOard list
1t is a sign of quick passage; u port
list, it is sign of long passage.
The throwing overheard during a
calm Of old clothes too bad TO wear
which have been saved for the pur.
pose, is supposed to bring q wind.
If the nails of the hand be cut with
a knife or scissors it will bring head
wind.
A vessel which sticks upon the way
while being launched is certain to be
unlucky, in the lore of the sea.
A vessel painted blue is supposed to
be a hoodoo and to bring bad weather
Misfortune to vessel is sure 70 ne
followed by i'll luck to all vessels bear
ing the same name.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

is impossible to separate thought from
matter that thinks. l assert, with Ba-
con, that all human understanding
arises from the world of sensations.
l assert, with Locke, that all human
ideas are due to the functions of the
senses. / assert, with Kant, the me-
chanical origin of the universe, and
that creation is a natural and histori-
cal process. | assert, with Laplace.
that 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
fallaey 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. l had
not dreamed he could be so immature.
How. could one argue with such a
man? / then asserted the reasonable
ness of all that is. To this he agreed,
resetSing, however, one exception. He
looked at me, as he said it, in a way
| could not mistake. The inference
was obvious. That ne 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 strange magic
in the words. If it be true, then has he
not ceased to exist? Then does ne ex-
list? This is impossible.
have ceased exercising. AS long
as / remain in the room the hallucina-
ton does not bother me. But when
| return TO the room after an absence
he is always there, Sitting at the desk,
writing. Yet l dare not confide in a
physician. I must fight this out by
myself.
He grows more importunate. Today,
consulting a 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. New
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
sleep. and to know that he is sitt,,.
there in the cold darkness.

sleep. and to know that he IA a..,.
there in the cold darkness.
1t is no use. shall never be ab,o :
sleep in a bed again. / have triad :" -
now, numerous times, and GU !"
such night is horror. If l Could 49,.
only persuade him to go to bed D..
no. He sits there and sits tbaro
know he does-while stare and sto.
up into the blackness and think oas
think, continually think. of him ~
know that he is sitting here.
The servants think am crazy. Tho.
is but to be expected and it is VIII
l have never called physician.
am resolved. Henceforth this ba,
lucination ceases. From now on 7 sb,n
remain in the chair. shall never leave
it. l shall remain in it night and d,v
and always.
have succeeded. For two weeks
AOb OCCh Hill 4NOA Sildlt 1
see him again. have at last ATTAINED
the equanimity of mind necessary far
philosophic thought. L wrote com.
plete chapter today
1t is very wearisome sitting in
chair. The weeks pass. the months
come and go, the seasons change the
servants replace each other, while 70.
main. only remain. 1t is a strange
life lead, but at least 1 am at peace
he comes no more. There is no etar.
nifty of forms. have proved it. For
nearly two years now have remained
in this chair, and l have not seen him
once. But it is clear that what
thought [ saw was merely hallucina-
ton. He never was. Yet l do not
leave the chair. l am afraid to leave
the chair.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

ertheless, by looking at him steadily
and sternly for several minutes, COM
PEELED him to vanish. This proves my
contention. He does not exist. IL he
were an eternal form l could not make
him vanish by a 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 1 see is memory pic
ture. For twenty years l was accus-
toned to seeing him there at the desk.
The present phenomenon is merely a
recrudescence of that memory pic
ture-a picture which was impressed
countless times on my conscience.
gave up today. He exhausted me,
and still he would not go. l sat and
watched him hour after hour. He
takes no notice of me, but continually
writes. l know he writes, for l read
it over his shoulder. 1t is not true.
He is taking an unfair advantage.
Query: He is a product of my con-
seriousness; is 1t 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 never-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 !
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 a form,
an eternal form, and that the light
within his brain would go on forever
and always. 1 took up the poker.
| suppose" l said, II should strike
/ you dead with thts?'
Il would go on" he answered.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

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, l found that he was not there-the
old familiar trick of the brain. l have
dwet too long on what as happened.
l am becoming morbid, ana my old in
digestion is limiting and muttering. |
shall take exercise. Each day l shall
walk for two hours.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08
A Useful Service.

Weather news is now received res
larry by wireless at go amateur 'a. lE
stations located in nine of the h''-.
ern and western states. In TINS "-
the wireless operator is enaoIsu
give his neighborhoOd the We''-'
forecast as soon as it is issued
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

1t is impossible. / cannot exercise.
Each time l return from my walk, he
is sitting In my chair at my desk. 1t
grows more difficult to drive him away.
1t is my chair. Upon this | insist. 1t
was his, but he is dead. and it is no
longer his. How can onanpe fooled by
the phantoms of his own imagining
There is nothing real in his apparition.
1 know it. l ar, firmly grounded with
my fifty years OF study. The dead are
dead.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

strange life has come TO an end
ia 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 his
chair for the last two years of his life.
The mysterious death, or rather disap-
pe9rance, of his elder brother, James
Ccayden, 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 unsolved.-Extract
from the Newton Courier-Times.
Briefly, / was Mr.. Sedley Crayden's
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
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 toe caI-
tiouS and cunning. never got peep
at the manuscript. If he were en-
gagged upon it when attended on him,
he covered the top sheet with a large
blotter. II was who found him dead
In his chair, and ii was then that
took the liberty of abstracting the
manuscript. l was very curious to
read it, and l have no excuses to offer,
After retaining 1t 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
rlOus experiences are repeated over
aud over, while much is so vague and
Incoherent as to defy comprehension.
Nevertheless. from reading 1t 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-
ton of bones will be found which
should very closely resemble those
which James Crayden once clothed in
mortal flesh.-Statement of Rudolph
Heckler.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

through the non-existent substance of
the thing and struck the back of the
chair. Fabric of fancy, that is all it
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 indentatiNn.
He did continue the argument.
stole up today and looked over his
shoulder He was writing the history
of our discussion. 1t was the same old
nonsense about the eternity of forms.
But as 1 continued to read, he wrote
down the practical test l had made
with the poker. Now this is unfair
and untrue. 1 made no test. In fall
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. l must do
something. Every servant I have had
is curious about what 1 write.
Fabric of fancy. That Is all 1t 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. 1t was un-
tempered with. The dead do not rise
up.
Yesterday morning, when l entered
the study, there he was In the chair
When 1 had dispeiled him, sat in the
chair myself all day. had my meals
| brought to me. And thus l escaped
the sight of him for many hours, for
he appears only in the chair. / was
weary, but sat late. until IL o'clock.
Yet, when l stood up to go to bed. /
looked around, and there he was. He
had slipped into the chair on the in
slant Being only a fabric of fancy,
all day he had resided in my brain.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

My BROTHER was right. There is an
unseen wrEld. Do not see it? Am l
not cursed with the seeing of it all the
time? Call it q thought, an idea, any
thing you will, still it is there. 1t 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 a reality.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

Query: If a man, with the whole
historical process behind him, can Gre
ate an entity, a real thing, then is not
the hypothesis of Creator made sub
stantial? If the stuff of life can create,
then it is fair to assume that there
can be a ne who created the stuff of
life. 1t is merely a difference of de-
gree. l have not yet made a mountain
nor solar system, but l have made
something that sits in my chair. This
being so. may l not some day be able
TO make a mountain or a solar sys-
tenn?
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

There are such things as hallucina-
lions. Even as / looked over his shout
der and read, l knew that this was
such a thing. If 1 were only well it
would be interesting. All my life l.
have wanted to experience such phe-
nomena. And now it has come t0 me-
I 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
nothing? How can anything be some
thing and nothing at the same time?
leave it for the metaphysicians to
ponder, know better. No scholastics
for me. This is a real world and ev-
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 I know he has
no existence outside of my own brain
cells.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

There is one thing upon which Jim
and | were not quite agreed. He be-
lieved in the eternity of the forms of
things. Therefore, there entered In inn
mediately the consequent belief in inn
mortality and all the other notions of
the metaphysical philosophers. | 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 infatuatlon with logic
and mathematics. OF course, from
that warped. squirting abstract view
point, 1t is very easy to believe 10 the
eternity of forms.
laughed at the unseen world Only
the real was real, l contended, and
what one could not perceive, was not,
could not be. l believed in a mechan-
ical universe. Chemistry and physics
explained everything. "Can no being
be?" he demanded in reply. l said
that his question was but the major
premise of fallaciouS Christian Sci
ence syllogism Oh, believe me. knew
my logic, too. But he was very stub
born. never had any patience with
philosophic idealists.
Once / made to him my confession of
faith, 1t was simple. brief, unanswer-
able. Even as 1 write 1t now, know
I it is unanswerable. Here it is. l told
/ MIN: Il assert with Hobbies, that II
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

/ Here follow the excerpts from the
manuscript, made and arranged by
Rudolph Heckler:
1 never killed my brother. Let this
Sc 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
It'll two or three in the morning con-
versing, weighing opinions and judg-
ments, referring to authorities--in
short. we lived Mt high and friendly
Intellectual attitudes.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

The moment It was unoccupied, he
took up his residence in the chair. Are
these his boosted higher planes Of exist
ence-his brothers brain and chair?
After all, was he not right? Has his
eternal form becorse so attenuated as
10 be a halIucinatien? Are hallucina-
lions real entities? Why not? There
is food for thought here. Some day /
shall 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 /
write.
The servant never sees him. This
is strange Have developed 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-
sciOuSnesS?
He stole my pen again. Hallucina-
tons cannot steal pens. This is UNI
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 seer him. Is the verdict
of their senses right? And is that of
mine wrong? Nevertheless, the ink
goes too rapidly. l fill M pen more
often, than is necessary. And further
more. only today 1 founl my pen out
of order. did not bre9k 1t.
I have spoken to him many times,
but he never answers. sat and watch
ed him all morning. Frequently he
looked at me, and it was patent that
he knew me.
BY striking the size of my head vio-
iently with the heel of my hand, can
shake the vision of him out of my eyes.
Then I can get into the chair; but l
have learned that 1 must move very
quickly in order to accomplish this. Of
ten he fools me and is back again be.
fore 1 can sit down.
1t is getting unbearable. He is a
jack-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. I cannot stand
looking at him much more. That way
lies madness, for it compels me almost
to believe in the reality of what I
know is not. Besides, Authorizations
do not pop.
Thank God, he only manifests him
self in the chair. AS long as occupy
the chair 1 am quit of him.
My device for dislodging him from
the chair by striking my head is fail
ing l have to hit much more vio-
lently, and / do not succeed perhaps
more than once in dozen trials. My
head is quite sore where l have so
repeatedly struck it. 1 must use the
other hand.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

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 1t
distinctly. locked at the clock ut the
time. 1t was 10 30. Yet on my return
there was the pen lying on the desk.
Someone had been using 1t. There
was very little ink left. l wish he
would not write so much. 1t Is discon-
certing.
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

II is uncomfortable to sleep in
chair. But it is more uncomfortable to
lie in bed, hour after hour, and not
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

l wish he would come back. Why
Sid he gof Who can ever explain it?
/ am lonely now, and depressed with
grave Observation-Disclosures by ter
rors that are OF the mind and that put
e. naught ~ that my mind has ever
Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-06-08

My 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 dozen trials. My
head is quite sore where 1 have so
repeatedly struck it. 1 must use the
other hand.