davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
MOHAWKR|VER
CREATES HAVOC
BYSUDDEN RISE
Hundreds Driven from Homes
BY Overflow
THREE LIVES ARE LOST
River Rises Foot an Hour, Delaying
Railroad Traffic and Causing Dam
age of Million Dollars.

Albany, June 12-The Mohawk riv-
er and its tributaries, swollen from
continued rains, yesterday caused
property losses reaching a million dol
lars
Farmers on horseback saved three
hundred and fifty families by galloping
through Oriskany valley to give warn
ing that three big dams south of Oris.
kany Falls had burst.
Three persons are known to have
pershed in the neighborhood Of Oris-
kany Falls.
Three boys encamped near Utica
are missing and may have drowned.
Barge canal structures worth mil
lions of dollars were jeopardized, and
fifty-foot section of the canal wash
ed out near Utica.
In the Saquoit valley. near Utica,
railroads were washed out, residential
sections and business district inun-
dated and business stopped.
Throughout the Mohawk valley loss
es Of horses and cattle herds are being
reported.
Amsterdam was threatened with in
undation when tons of water burst
over the banks OF its big reservoir
back in the hills after having washed
away a twenty foot section of the walls
at midnight.
In West Utica, scores of families
were taken from second story win.
dows by police and .firemen in boats.
Oneida is half Inundated Industry
ceased early yesterday in most of the
big plants, the floors OF which were
covered with from six inches TO two
feet of water
Railroad traffic on the main line OF
the New York Central and the West
Shore is being delayed by the foods
The Central tracks near Forst John
son were covered with water when Old
Forst creek choked the big culvert
under the railroad and trolley tracks
at that point and swept out over the
banks, carrying away the embank-
ments in several places.
At most places between Utica and
Schenectady the waters of the Mo-
hawk rose at the rate of foot an
hour but little damage was expected
to result at Schenectady.
The machine gun company of the
Second regiment, stationed at General
Electric Athletic park. Schenectady,
was flooded out at midnight, flood
of water covering the tent floors, so
the sixty men moved to regimental
headquarters on high land.
Albany probably will not experience
any great food, weather bureau Off
.cials predicted The waters of the
Hudson are rising slowly. but il is
pointed out that the flood waters of
the Mohawk have great areas to
spread over before they reach Albany,
which probably will save the low sec
tions of the city from damage.
Not a little of the damage in the
central section of the state will come
as result of crop losses on low lands
near the river, which have been plant
ed as a part of the nation wide cam
paign to increase the food production
of the country.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
FLAG DAY EXERCISES
Will Be Held Thursday Evening by
Local Elks Lodge

Bennington lodge of Elks will hold
their regular flag day exercises in
the rooms of the lodge on Thursday
evening. June IA, at SIS o'clock. The
program will be as follows:
March orchestra
Introductory Exercises Officers
Prayer Chaplain
History of the Flag
Selection, patriotic Airs" Orchestra
Altar Flag Service Lodge
Elks' IL O'clock Toast Esquire
Song. "Auld Lang Syne" Lodge
Elks' Tribute to the Flag Liberty"
Closing Chorus. America" Lodge
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
LEE STATUE UNVEILED
Memorial, Surmounted by Statue OF
Confederate General, Accepted.

Gettsburg, Pa. June S.-A memorial
surmounted by statue of Robert E.
Lee, was unveiled on Gettysburg bat
tlefeld today in the presence of many
confederate veterans, who had come
from their annual reunion at Wash
ington and also many Grand Army of
the Republic veterans.
The memorial erected by the State
of Virginia to her soldier dead was
accepted for the government by WI
liam Ingraham, assistant secretary OF
war.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
HOSPITAL UNIT
REACHES SOME
PORT|NFRANCE
Composed of $50 Men and
rs Women
RECRUITED IN CHICAGO
Americans Enthusiastically Wei
coined by PopuIace When They
Reached French Soil.
RECRUITED IN CHICAGO

London, June 12.-An American
hospital unit has arrived at Some
port in France" it was officially an
nounced today.
The unit consists of $50 men and
70 women and was organized in
Chicago. The Americans were en-
Enthusiastically welcomed upon their
arrival
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12

Utica, June 1.-The greatest rain
storm in twenty-five years caused i'm
mense damage throughout this section
today. Rain began to fall at o'clock
this morning and in few hours the
Mohawk and the dozens of streams
which feed it were at food heights
The rain ceased late this afternoon
and clear weather promised for tomor-
row is expected to bring about nor
NAL water conditions.
Three persons are known to have
perished in this district One of these
was Mrs. William Huson, sixty-five
years old, widow, of Oriskany Falls.
She was in her bungalow when a great
wall of water rushed down the valley,
tearing out three dams. Her home was
carried half mile. and she drowned.
Albert Palarsznaski aged twenty
five, and John Conklin, aged thirty,
Ontario and Western railroad employ
es, ran down the tracks ahead of the
big wave but were caught Conkling
grabbed floating tie and was saved
but his companion drowned.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
CONTROL FOOD IN GREECE
France Lands Troops to Enforce
Regulations.

Paris, June 12.-France has decided
to control the food situation in Greece
it was officially announced today.
Troops have already been landed
and arrangements have been made
for the distribution of crops.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
CHARLIE CHAPLIN READY
Laugh-Maker Registers and Doesn'
Claim Exemption.

Claim Exemption.
San Francisco, June S.-Charlie
Chaplin is ready to 90 to war and
take chance at making the Germans
laugh themselves into defeat.
He was telling today how he regis
tered
''Claim exemption" the registra-
tion clerk asked him
Net me-" was Charles rejoinder,
81 haven't defect except my walk
and If l exhibited that, they'd only
laugh"
Charlie waited TO get registration
card No. 13 in his precinct, but was
nosed out.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
FIFTY ARRESTS IN MINNESOTA
]. w. w. Officials Threaten Strike
r Unless Members are Freed.

Duluth, Mimi, June 81. w. w.
officials on the Guyana range have
ordered members employed in ore
mines there to quit work until mem
bers arrested on charges of not regis
tering are released according to ad-
vices here. This is the result of 80
arrests at Crosby, Mimi. Authorities
are said to have instructed mining Of
ficials to hold up pay of men of con-
scription age who cannot show regis
tration certificates.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
AMERICAN STEAMER SUNK
Two Loaded Boats from Torpedoed
Petrolite

Washington, June 12-The Ameri-
can steamer Petrolite has been sunk
by submarine according to a con-
suIar dispatch received by the state
department today.
Ten members of the crew in one
boat have reached shore in safety.
Two boats are missing.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
FORTY-FlFTH ANNUAL

Association of CONGREGATIONAL
Churches and Ministers.
The 45th annual meeting of the
Bennington county association of
Congregational churches and minis
ters will be held at Dorset on Wednes-
day. June 13. Each church in the
county is asked to send as many dele
gates as possible. The program is as
follows:
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
WEATHER FORECAST

For eastern New York and western
Vermont, overcast weather tonight
and Wednesday.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-06-12
ESPIONAGE BILL AGREEMENT
Measure Now Ready For Signature
of President Wilson.

Washington, June 12.-The senate
conferees today agreed on the Greg
ory espionage bill.
The measure is now ready for the
signature of President Wilson.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01
SIGNAL SERGEANT
 HENFORCES THE LAW

Immediately after President Wilson broke with Germany, a man not in sympathy with that action. while st-
 ting in the Tavern restaurant at Ne
 mana, called the chief executive very vile name. at the same time remarking that someone ought ito get him." First Class Sergeant Chester E. Mulkin, op- orator m charge of the telegraph office at the new railroad town, immediately stepped up and with one blow to the jaw. knocked him from the chair in which he was sitting and followed this up with more punishment. He then made the slanderer kneel on the floor of the restaurant and, before the crowd of diners, apoligize to the President and all present for making such a remark. After receiving the beating the man was in such a nervous state that he could not collect his thoughts sufficiently to word the apol- ogy. so Sergeant Mullln dictated it, making the man repeat it after him as he worded it. The sergeant then warned the man that he would do well not to repeat any such utterances In
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

of fighting in Russia or France I'm tired of the guns and their rattle, I'm sick of the sword and the lance. 1 would that each bloodthirsty ruler, for whom countless soldiers have died, were given ten days in the cooler, and told to beak rock, on the side.
 For when to the stores I go shop ing, to purchase some beewax and pie, the merchants began their stale yawping. "The wars sent the prices sky high! These pumpkins last year we were selling at seventeen roubles the peck, but now if you buy, you'll be
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01
WALT mAS0n'S IDEAS
 0N HORRORS OF WAR

securing the sea, 1 get two cheroots for nickle. where always before got three.
 Gee whi2, I am weary of battle! I'm weary of hearing you tell of men who were butchered like cattle, and showing the place where they fe'!. I'm tired of your tales of the trenches. of ambush by tarn or by tor, for al things from roosters to wrenches, aro higher, because of the war l don't buy as much for dollar as lately l bought for six bits! go without necktie or collar; what wonder Pm
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01
GUNNER SANKEY
 VERY HARD TO KILL

he lay for dead for twenty four hours bleeding from the back of the head and left arm.
 After his twenty second trip to the operating table the army discharged him on pension.
 Sankey's left hande is useless, and he limps from the hip wounds. At the base of his skull there is a silver patched up body 124 stitches have been taken. One doctor told him he pension of $6.25 week, believes it.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

smelling out four times that money, by heck!' .4
 l would that the kings and the princes who manage the juggernaut car, the captains, and all of those quinces, were treated to feathers and tar. Because of the carnage and slaughter, because of the wrangling and strife, l can't buy new shoes for my daughter, I can buy a lid. for my wife.
 Because of the fighting c'er wonder, because of the idiots fray, the people who butcher and launder are raising the prices each day. Because the old
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

P WAR NEWS-Inrlst your name now on tho subscription list of the Nugget and keep posted on the war.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01
SEWARD BREAKS UP WHIST GAME
 TO PURCHASE THIS TERRITORY

taries are scattered about town"
 Never mind that" responded Sew ard If you can muster your lega- ton together before midnight you wil. find me waiting you at the de- partment, which will be open and ready for business"
 In less than two hours afterward light was streaming out of the win dows of the state department, and apparently business was going on as at midday. By 4 o'clock Saturday
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

w. Stewards story, of his fathers purchase of Alaska from Russia for the United States in 1867, as tod in "Reminiscences of a Wartime States ma and Diplomat"
 On the evening of Friday, March 29, Seward was playing whist in his parlor with his family, when the Rus sian minis 1T was announce'l.
 .! have a dispatch, MT. Seward, from my government by cable. The
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

sion. Tomorrow, if you like, will come to the department and We can enter upon the treaty"
 Seward, with smile of satisfac- tion, pushed away the whist table. saying:
 Why wait until tomorrow, Mir. Stoeckl? Let Us make the treaty to. night" ct n
 But your department is closed. You have no clerks, and my secre-
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

the future, or he would put him where he belonged" Az a result of the &C., ton of Sergeant Mulkin a greater care is being exercised by those inclined to onous, says the Fairbanks New Miner, which reports the story. and also, as a result of the fracas, Sergeant Mulkin
 has become quite the hero of Nenana.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

throwing some fits?
 For peace, with the rest, l am praying, and while l am playing l groan; I'd set al. the armies to hay I'd send all the cruisers in harbor, with guns, to wate'y grave, when charged me two bits tor shave.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01
International sNews Service.

International sNews Service.
 LONDON, April 30.-He Eo,un teered on the third day of the war and in a few weeks was in France, a gunner in the royal field artillery he fought at La Base, Givenchy, Plug street, Festubert, Ypres three times, Neuve Chapelle, Dickebuseh, Kemmel, and Hill sixty.
 He was shot in the left hand and piece of scrapnel at Kemmel, gas- sed and hit in the forehead by schrap- mel and shot in the hip at Ypres, and also knocked over twice by Jack
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

morning the treaty was signed, seal ed and ready for transmission by the president to the senate.
 There was need of this haste in order to have it acted upon before the end of the session, now near at hand.
The Nome daily nugget., 1917-05-01

You should keep posted on the war and into national and local news of the day by subscribing for the Nome Daily Nugget, $200 per month.
Evening star., 1917-03-25

territory. and that Russia could take it
or leave It.
De Stoeckl capled TO ST. Petersburg, OBJ
at the price mentioned. signed the
treaty. collected the money and signed
an informal receipt, not hundred
words in length, whereby the United
States acquired a territory larger than
the original thirteen colonies.
R?2croft, in discussing the treaty and
the sale. says: THE circumstances
when led to the transfer are still sup
posed by many to be enshrouded in
mystery. but | can assure the reader
that there is no mystery a bout il. In
diplomatic circles, even so simple 4
transaction as buying a piece of ground
must not be allowed consummatiou
without the usual wise Winks, whis-
seemly haste with which the treaty was
consummated and the reluctance with
which the purchase money was after
ward voted by Congress adds to the
pertinence of remarks of the time.
The mistruSt as to the expenditure
of public funds was not dispelled by
the report of the committee on public
expenditure published in Washington in
February. 1859. Moreover il was Well
known to all American citizens that the
President OF the United States or his
representative. had no more right to
use the public money for the purchase
OF Alaska without a vote of Congress
than had the Queen of England to de
Evening star., 1917-03-25

the teachings and disease OF civiliZa-
tion in reservations.
In 1867 there were few who held thiS
opinion, and not one in u hundred. even
of those who were best Informed, be
lieved the territory TO be worth the
purchase money. II better known to-
day, it's resources are 10 better appre-
ciated. and there are many Who Sttii
deny that, apart from fish and 1ur-
bearing animals. the country has any
resources.
THE area Of ALASKA is greater than
that of the thirteen original states OF
the Union. while its coast line. includ-
ing bays and islands, is greater than
the circumference of the earth The
Island of Unalasha is almost as far
west of San Francisco as San Francisco
is west OF the capital of the United
States: while the distance from the
former city TO Fort st. Michael is
greater than to the city of Panama.
II was this very iEacCeSsibility and
isolation that led Russia, at the eNpira =
ton of the third charter of the Russian
American Company, seriously TO enter
tain the idea of parting with this vast
territory-this. and the debts contract
ed by the company. FOR which the Rus
sian government was liable Long be-
fore the Crimean war the question OF
placing Alaska under imperial rule had
been asitated in st. Petersburg. but il
was decided that the expense of pro-
teCting the great stretch of land and Of
maintaining there the costly machinery
of a colonial Russian government was
not justified by the returns of which
the future gave promise.
Moreover. Russia realized that IN the
not very far distant future she would
have need of all her resources. gathered
compactly. to struggle with England
for the supremacy of central Asia. AL
ready the Russian government was
deeply in debt. Another struggle would
mean that she would have to spare
men, munitions and all manner Of re
sources to protect her Alaskan colony
Evening star., 1917-03-25

his arrival at Washington and, on
March 2S, the Russian minister re-
ceived from Secretary Seward a note
offering to add 100000 TO the price
of S7.000.00o previously mentioned in
private conferences between de Stoeckl
and the Secretary of State.
1t was this additional sum which
later caused such disturbance in Con-
gress, it being charged that the money
was added in order TO soothe certain
persons who considered themselves in
1ured by the sale of Alaska and to OBJ
tain newspaper publicity. and approval
of the purchase. The fight over the
purchase price was long and acrimoni-
Gus, ending in a congressional inveSti-
cation of the purposes to which the
money had been applied and final rati-
fication of the treaty by the Senate.
In the meantime, however. the pur-
chase of the territory had been con-
summated and the treaty signed. early
on the morning of March 80, 1857. 1t is
notable that this treaty stands unique
among those entered into by the United
States, on account of the paucity of
correspondence which attended it. There
was almost no written communication
between Seward and de Stoeckl. The
former stated that the United States
stood ready TO pay S1.2oe,0oo for the
Evening star., 1917-03-25
" ~ :crSrs .eHEr1 FIFTY Aco.

tions of alaska and that Russia would
then he in a position to place a value
upon this colony.
This investigation revealed that the
capital of the Russian American Com
pany. which. at that time. meant of the
entire territory. amounted to only ST.
400, 900, and that the greater portion
of this sum was represented by securi-
ties which would not bring anywhere
near their original value if disposed of
at a forced sale.
In view of this fact says Bancroft.
1T is not improbable that a renewal of
rhe offer of s5,00o,000 might have been
accepted" But the civil war kept the
attention of the American government
centered on important questions near
er home.
Immediately after the civil war Rus
STA entered into communication with
the Hudson Bay Company with re-
spect to the granting of i charter. sim
liar 10 the one formerly held by the
Russian American Company, in Alaska.
It is interesting to note, from the
correspondence of the time. that. had
this English company returned IA
vorable answer to Russia. it is proba able
that at this time Alaska would have
been one of the important British col
Onies. pouring her Hood or gold ana
silver into the Golfers of the king. But
the Hudson Bay Company appears not
to have made any satisfactory answer
to the Russian overtures. and thus
England lost her opportunity to add
this vast territory to the British pos
sessions.
In February. 1867. when Baron de
Stoecki was about to return to wash
ington. he was given authority by the
Archduke Constantine TO treat for the
sale of the territory. Negotiations TO
this end were At once opened upon
Evening star., 1917-03-25

with the probability that she would
lose all that she had there invested.
When the Russian American Com
pany. therefore. declined to accept a
fourth charter. even when guaranteed
by an imperial ukase, something had
to be done with the territory IN order
10 save it from the Erasping hands or
some other powerful nation, and RUSSIA
ecogniZed the fact that It were much
better to cede the land to the United
States--a republic with which she was
on friendly terms than to have 1t
taken away from her by force
II is difficult TO determine the precise
date at which negotiations for the
transfer were actually commenced, but
it was discussed informally at Wash
ington as early as 1853, and in 1851 1t
was understood in kadiak that the
cession would take place at an early
date. but the outbreak Of the civil war
nut an end to the negotiations at this
time.
In December. 1883. Senator G"ln OF
California held several interviews with
the Russian minister. in which he stat
ed unofficially that the United states
would be willing to pay as hlgh as
$5.Uo0.000 for the territory. Lewis tass.
Secretary of State under President Bu-
chanan, also stated that the President
was in favor of such purchase, ana
the Russian minister was requested 10
sound his government on the subject
before the matter was made the sub
ject of cabinet discussion.
Some months later Prince Gortschah OF
replied, stating that S5,00o,000 was en-
tirely inadequate for the purchase OF
- territory so large and so valuable
but adding that the Russian minister
of finance was about to make an ex-
tended inquiry into the financial condl-
Evening star., 1917-03-25

fruit il is Of extraordinary beauty. III
color it is as lovely as the fairest rose; :;
i'll form incomparably quaint and ele
CANT; in line simply exquisite. Singly
in either view. in any stage of it's
growth. il is suggestive of numberless
adaptations in form and pattern. In
mass. by itself, or in combination with
its iustrous foliage. it suggests as many
more.
But perhaps its unique distinction
is to be found in its promise of useful
ness in the realm of our new building
material, concrete. To initiate in this
mOlLlable material Sculpt
Evening star., 1917-03-25
BOOKS RECEIVED.

THE "ANESHA": Being the Adventure.
of the Landing squad of the ..Enn-
den." Ey Captain leutnant He'll
muth Won Mucke. Translated bN
Helene :. White, Boston: Ritter A
Company.
ANERICS\ WORLD Policies. Ey
Walter r.. Weyl, author of The
New Democracy etc. New York:
The Ma milan tuHpanN.
TuE PRESIDENCS: Its Duties. IL.
Powers. Its Opportunities and lta
Limitations. Three lectures by Wit
liam Howard Taft. New York:
charles Scribner's Sons.
HOW WE ELECTED LINCOLN: Per-
sonal Recollectiona of Lincoln and
Men of His Time. BY Abram J. Dis-
tenhoefer, a campaigner for Lncoln
in 1860 and a Lincoln electof IN
lsSA New York4-Harpes l. Rrsz.