davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Press., 1918-02-07
RUSSIA TO RECLAIM. DESERT
Good Pasture Lands Are Destroyed a3 the Rate of One Hundred Theus-
 and Acres a Year. $, ].

The shifting sands of Astrakhan and the measures taken by tFe Russian government to deal with thih problem form the subject of memoir by I. c. Firstov, published In Petrograd, obe serves the Scientific American. Ted million acres of the province in ques- ton are covered with shifting sands formed during the nineteenth century and subsequently,. These sands have been spreading at the rate of 100000 acres a year, the result being the trans formation of good pasture land into g. barren waste. The principal cause is over grazing; f1ocks and herds are kept so long in one place as to result in the complete destruction of the turf. Poor agricultural methods are also respon- sible. About the beginning of the pres ent century the government took meas ures of control and reclamation, and between 1904 and 1909 an area of about 46,O00 acres was brought under culti- walton. In 1913 special service was ordered to deal with the question. The province was put under the charge of chief forestry officer and divided into six districts, in. each of which a subordinate official was appointed to, superintend the work. At the time of writing good progress has been made In planting soil binders and growing herbaceous crops, but it was still prob lematicai whether the province was adapted to the establishment of for. estS.
The Press., 1918-02-07

may in time and good byei good. byel"
 Gently he brushed the. earth over the cherished red car, as though he were shutting from sight and memory the most sacred memento of his first love experience.
 Don't oh, please, don't"
 Ned Dawson lifted his eyes to gaze transflxed. Airline had burst through the fralI foliage. She was at his side, timid, though resolute, flushed and pale by turns, the ring of real pathos, In her mellow accent, the glow of true love in her bonny eyes.
 "Why, Arlinc," stammered the poor fellow. 'sYou here !'
 T followed you," voiced Airline in ; wild flutter
 And ran away from me that night. of the husEtng bee, and let the other fellows kiss you, and not me. You. did not run away from them.'
 Because I did not love them-can't you see?"
 "But-you-tlid-
 She covered her burning face. with. both hands and kept 1t from tell-tale view. In muffled tones she sobbed. put: z"
 "YOu won't go away from home?'. s "Pll stay here all my life, if you tell me to-" he cried, and his soul seemed. lifted to the heights. 'f' .
 ''You didn't kiss me at the husking; bee" yhiSDered Airline Gshuf-n x
 "I may now" and her lips, not her cheek, met his in true love submis- sion. Y
The Press., 1918-02-07
LIVE CHIEFLY ON TURTLES.
Residents of Small islands of Coass; of ceyIon Find Plenty of Food : Near at Hand. esH

A correspondent of Ceylon journal gives some interesting information; about the turtles on the coast i1r the neighborhood of Jaffna, in the north of the island, which are said to be in., numerahle. They are of three speciess called sea, milk and pariah turtlesit1'e- spectively.
 The ordinary, or sea turtle, is gener- nlly large in size, and is met with everywhere at sea around Jaffna Two tiny islands, called Iranativu. are liter ally swarning with the creatures. r.:
 The islands themselves are sterile and always exposed to inundation :, the: inhabitants are poor and ignorant of agriculture. and live chiefly on the tul>. ties. They use the shells of the large ones as seats. <.
 In the town of Jaffna the ordinary turtle is always procurabIe, and is a favorite article of food with the peo.;; pie. The milk turtle is small in size and is to be found only in wells and banks. It is not ap article of food ex- cept with the poorer classes. The pariah turtle has high back, and a. shell which somewhat resembles that of the tortoise. It is found in marshes and ditches. It is not an article of food, but is highly valued by native medical men, because its flesh and blood are supposed to be panacea for ailments peculiar to children,
The Press., 1918-02-07
EARLY MAN FIGHTING ANIMAL
Ancestors of Present People Were Called Upon to Face Beasts That
 Inhabited Plains and Rivers. s-}}t

The first houses were caves. Early map was fighting animal, and had % contend against the huge and ferod- Ous beasts that infested the plains aud rivers, observes writer. His dwelling naturally had to be place of security as we'll as a habitation. Caves were natural and artificial, the latter being hollowed out of solid. rock by rude flint instruments. Most of them were f0rm- ed in the sides of cliffs and among high, rugged hills. sa
 To those early ancestors of ours, tho primeyal men and women who secured as one would think, but scanty shelter and protection from these stone cavb and holes in the rock, we apply ths generic term of cliff dwellers.
 They were entirely ignorant of agEl- culture, and subsIsted by hunting and fishing and on the natural products they found growing in wild state j.. What Is very remarkable, at ouR very doors can still be seen the typical houses and ha1diwork of those pre-hia-. toric tribes In the caves of the LancOa river in southern Colorado. These, in most instances, are as we'll preserved as when their ancient occupants des serted them perhaps 10000 years ago. When inhabited they were reach. ed quite frequently by notches cut in the rock, and at other times rope lad ders must have been used.
The Press., 1918-02-07
JONES HAD A POOR MEMORY
Husband Blamed Wife for Not Turn ina of Gas in StcVe-Forgot He
 Shut of Meter. ..-

Speaking at dinner, Senator George W, Norris of Nebraska referred to the beauty of having q good memory, and fittingly related this story:
 At eight o'clock in the morning one day last summer the Jones' took trunks, grips and sultcases, and hustled for the railroad station. Twen- ty minutes later q taxicab dashed up to the Jones house and out jumped Jones.
 What's the matter, old man" asked a kindly disposed nelghbor. "Forget your railroad tIcket?"-H
 "No," answered Jones, showing symptoms of peeyIshness. ''AIy wife left a kettle of water boiling on the gas stove. Didn't think of it until we reached the station. You can always depend on a woman to have a mem- ory like that"
 So saying, Jones unlocked the door and hastened into the house. In about two minutes he came out again with his features puckered into a peculiar twist.
 "How did you find it?" cheerfully asked the nelghbor. Sizzling to beat a locomotive, suppose"
 "No," guiltily answered Jones, '1 had forgotten that I had turned the gas off at the meter"
The Press., 1918-02-07
rhat eore oe a Bond Parent.

Of course, you have bright young ster who says and does amusing things, asserts a writer.
 But all children do.
 Your child has not monopoly.
 If you wish to be classed with the worst of bores, continue your constant eulogy Of all that your child says or does. eS.-
 If, for instance, some other child said or did what your boy or girl does, would you think it so excruciatingly funny?
 Every bright, healthy, intelligent child is delightful in the unfolding.
 To each fond father and mother the particular angles of understanding, as they come to light, are most interest ing.
 But the youngster is chiefly interest. ing to yourself.
 You see traits and characteristics in the light of what you know you are yourself. That is what makes 1t sound so funny
 How about the mean little tricks that your own child has and that you cannot get away from? They all have them. too. Do you tell these things? No.
 Then your. wonderful tales are mere ly another form of bTaggadOciO. How abont it2
The Press., 1918-02-07
RED cRoss AssIoNS
 WAR WORK TO 0cHooL0.

Schools in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which have been en- listed for war work in the Junior Membership and School Activities De. pertinent of the Red Cross, have been asked by the Atlantic Division of the Red Cross to make 56,O0O French and Belgian refugee garments.
 This iS the first definite task to be assigned to school children enrolled in the Red Cross Junior Department. It Is the result of an appeal from Red Cross representatives in France who cabled that thousands of home less and helpless women and children there are in need Of warm garments.
 Work upon these garments has been allotted through the school commit tees of Red Cross chapters. The or. der must be completed in three and chapters have been asked to report to the Junior Department on February 10 the portion of the d. lotment then completed.
The Press., 1918-02-07
pUDDLEs, A CAT FISHERMAN
Simulated Skill of His Master, and En- joyed Diving in and Fetching
 Out the Dosfish.

The English naturalist, Francis Buckland, once told story of a fish srman of Portsmouth, England. whose .at. Puddles. enulated fin his peculiar way the fishing skill of his master. Quoting tho fisherman. Mir. Ruckland said:
 He was the wOnderfuIlest water cat as ever come out of Portsmouth harbor, was Puddles. He used to go put a-fishin' with me every night. Cold nights he would sit in my lap while I was a-fishln' and poke his head out every now and then, or else I would wrap him up In the sail and make him lie quiet. He'd lay down on me when was asleep, and If anyone come he'd swear q good one. and have the face off lem if they went to touch me. And he'd never touch a fish, not even lit- tie teeny pout, if didn't give it ts him. was obligated to take him out a-fishin', or else he'd stand and yowl and marr till I went back and catched him by the poll md shied him into the boat. and then he was quite happy.
 When 1t was fine he used to stick up at the bow of the boat and sit a. watchin' the dogfish. They used to come alongside by the thousands at 6 time, and when they was thick all about he'd dive in and fetch 'em out. damned in his mouth, just as if they was a parcel of rats. He looked ter rible wild about the hend when he come up out of the water with the fish in his teeth. ..-..aa#.
 I larnt him the water myself. One day, when he was kitten. took him down to the sea to wash him and brush tke fieas out of him. and in d week he could swim after . feather or g corll.-Youth's Companion
The Press., 1918-02-07
BIG WATERFALL IN ICELAND
Dettifoss Most Striking, Larger Than Any in Europe-Scenie Wonder of
 the Frigid Country.

Dettifoss, by far the most striking than any in Europe, is we'll worth q visit, hut it involves some very Iong rides. The writer says the Christian Science Monitor, starting from the northern part If HuSayik, tGuS Ovct two days to reach it. stopping at night at two farmLouSes on the way. and making a detOur ro sec the wonderful volcanic valley of AShhyr@l. The jour ney westward tn Myvutn from tue fall over deScrt land, occupied about ten hours.
 The fall lies on the Jokullsa. q @la- eial river that rises in the Vlnujo- kull range In tue south, aud flowing northward. falls into the Arctic sea. Parallel to the river lies a deep rift like q dried-up river bed; and this has to he crossed before the traveller can stand on the brink of the chasm where the river takes it's leap 200 feet down. There is curious crack in mId-stream and over 1t the sundered waters are hurled in wild confusion, again min gling and losing themselves in clouds of spray. The eolumnar basalt on the far side can be discerned through the mist, every pillar tipped with moss, while the near side Is also green and velvety. The walls of the ravine be- ing perpendicular. to descend Is inn possible, and the bllndlng spray pre-. vents a long stay near the fall, which Is best seen at point lower down the river. The upper fall, a quarter of an hours walk higher up, with flf- teen feet of a drop. seems a mere cas- cade after the principal one.
 The whole region bears witness to the "strife of nature" On the far side of the river stretches a desert marked with dull red clnder heaps, and crater vents like huge black csul- drons, snow-capped hills closing in the weird landscape. From the cavernOus depths in the foreground rises the ceaseless moan of the waterfall, so re- mote from human habltatlon. and i'm pressive in it's loneliness.
The Press., 1918-02-07
Eyeryihino in I&s Place.

Mrs. 1T. had just employed a new maid, fresh from the old country. She asked tho girl to take the baby out in the haby carriage. Gunhilde was de- lighted. She had. never seen baby before and from her articulate joy one might think that she had waited for this moment all her life. Mrs. Fl. was pleased to sec that the girl wassso will- ing. The baby was wrapped up and they started. Two minutes later Mrs. 1T. looked out of the window and her face froze with horror. Instead of rolling gently down the sidewalk the way baby should her child was being plloted majestically down the middle of the street in the midst of autOmo- blIes and delivery wagons. From Gun hilde's expression one could see that she knew that her carriage was better than any coach on the avenue.
The Press., 1918-02-07
RED GROSS BUYS
 MILLION. AND HALF : ARMY. SWEATERS
SUPPLIES SENT ALSO TO MEN:
 IN NAVY. lIA1
system of Distribution Prevents Waste and Duplication, At-
 IantiC Division Announces.

r. Nearly one million and a half of sweaters have been purchased for training camps, according to the Btu reau of Military Relief of the Atlan- tic Division of the Red Cross, which has charge of the distribution of sup plies to the enlisted and conscripted men in the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
 About 100000 of these sweaters were bought in the last month. Sixty thousand helmets were also pur- chased, many of which have not yet been delivered because they are held up by the present traffic blockade. The need for sweaters among the American fighting men is increasing, and the American Red Cross is buy. ing fin rthe open market almost the same quantity of knitted garments as is now being made by the women vol unteers in, the Red Cross
 Camp, Dix, Camp Upton, Camp Mills, Camp Merritt, Camp Vail and the aviation fields are within the juris- dictiOn of the Atlantic Division. Be- sides these camps, the Division sup plies Madison Barracks and Forts Hancock, Wadsworth, Hamilton, Jay, Wood, Totten, Tilden, Schuyler, SlO- cum, H. G. Wright and Terry.
 Red cross Men at Campo.
 At these stations, including some miscellaneous giving and in addition to 90,OOO Christmas packets, the Red Cross has distributed 52,378 sweaters, 19, ,0O9 helmets, g, ,4S0 maflers, 3S,624 wristlets, 52,747. socks and 3,679 com fort kits.
 It has also given to the Navy 13,610 sweaters ,7,744 helmets, 9,075 muf- flers, II, ,640 wristlets, IA, ,62O socks and 8, ,167 comfort kits. This makes to. tai of articles distributed by the At lantic Division. last month 66,19R sweaters, 27,65S helmets, 62, ,464 muf- flers, 50,273 wristlets, 07,867 socks and 0,S46 comfort kits.
 The Red Cross Field Director has come to be the main solution of the great problem of distribution for the American Red Cross. In every trains ing can0p in the Atlantic Division there are Red, Cross headquarters with director and sometimes sever al assistants. From here whole units of men are fitted out with complete sets of knitted garments, which are sent out by the Division in response to hurry calls.
 In the larger camps supply of five or six thousand sweaters Is kept on hand to meet emergencies. In the forts where there are no Red Cross field directors the distribution of Red Cross supplies is made by the com manding officer.
 k "It was early evident" said John Magee, Director of Military Relief for the Division, "that to prevent waDUe and misuse of material our distribu- ton must be made In a systematic manner We therefore adopted the plan of fitting out units as whole. The commanding officer canvasSes each company. He allows only one outfit to man. On inspection day he checks the articles. in the same man. ner as material issued by the War Department"
The Press., 1918-02-07
Editor Of ThompsOnyille Press Receives
 Pro-Gernaan Threats.

Al meeting of the Connecticut Editorial association, held in New Haven on Monday. the association pat itself definitely on record iu sappot of strong American editorial policy for Connecticut newspapers, without fear of cheap pro-German threats, when it adopted a resolution of sup- port and encouragement for O :. Freepsn of the 'Thompsonyillo Press. - who has received threatening letters as 6 result of preaching ont. and -out AmaFicanism. It WAS made known that Mr. Freeman has received thrse threats, the last of them within 4 week Mir. Freeman published in his paper an editorial of true Ameri- csBism, and the following morning a note was found on the door of the Press" office, decorated with skull and cross bones and a drawing of bomb, and bearing the words, 'Not everybody approve. " Attached was . clipping of tho editorial. Mr Tree. man did not appear particularly wOr- rled about the matter as he told it to his fellow editors. Membe of the assnciation, after hearing the tory, promptly passed the following resolu- fIon
 Tn view of the fact that our fel- low member, Q. S. Freeman, editor of She 'ThompsoDyille Press. loyal American and good DewspapAr man. has had shaken at him an imitation of the iron hand of German frightful- ness heoauss of his exposure and con- dsmnation of pro-Germauism in his community. "Resolted, That the Connecticut Editorial association here. by registers it's entire approval of ths course Mr. Freeman has taken aud it's unq0ali6sd confidence in him. and gives its assurance of any and all sup port it is aSla to give ip such action as he or anS other member may deem 1t adVissble to take for the upholding of Amegicanism and the orippliDg of any of its enemies who may show their hsails within the reach of our iu@msmsa7
The Press., 1918-02-07
Rust pIssoIver.

An Italian Inventor has patented method of cleansing iron and steel from rust. By his process the metal is made the cathode in a phosphoric acid electrolyte. It is claimed that this acid, unlike others, dissoIves away the rust without attacking the solid metal, and also tends to prevent subsequent rustlng. The electrolyte is made by adding 10 parts of phos- phorie acid to 90 parts of water, or by adding a 10 per cent solution of sodium phosphate to 10 per cent of the acid. A temperature between 59 and 70 degrees Ceutigrade is recon mended.
The Press., 1918-02-07
ENGLISH HELD MANY FEASTS
Oyster Festival, White Bait Dinner, Fish Pie and Sausage Repasts,
 Among Former Celebrations.

There Is scarcely an old city or vil- lage in England that formerly did not have an annual banquet of some sort, designed to advertise the particular products for which the place is fam ous, observes 8 correspondent. Col chester had its annual oyster feast, which was given every October, usu. ally at the beginning of the month. But that was a comparatively modern festival. Much more ancient was the yearly white bait dinner at Greenwich, which at one time was almost as great a social event as the dinner given by the lord mayor of London.
 The fish pie dinner at Gorleston, near Yarmouth, had as It's guests each year 65 fishermen, with the lear at the head of the table. The number at the table was strictly limited to 65, except the vicar. and was never more or less. At Yarmouth. the home of the far-famed Yarmouth bIoater, the annual herring dinner was quite an event. The menu consisted entirely of herring of all ages from infant sprats to grandfather herring, prepared in many different ways. PeterbOrough's sausage dinner was given every year by the mayor and corporation of the town, and every variety of sausage known was served to the guests. An other famous 'Ifeed' was the venIson dinner given at Farnham by the bishop Of Winchester.
The Press., 1918-02-07
Personal Tax Notice.

All persons resident in the town of stafford, conn on O. L, l. 1917. and liable for the payment Of personal tax 0f two dollars for Bi ate and town exrenseS in lieu of & poll or miltafy tax, are h reb notined the same will Dc due on Feb. [, 1918. for the pdtpoNe of FecfivinK said tax, either in person or by mail, will % R.. each day during February. On Friday. Feb. ], will be at the store Of H. NJ. Jenkina, Ntaf- ford. rom 10 a m to p. m. on saturday, from 10 a. m. 10 D. m. on Tuesday. Fob. c, at the post office, Staifordv He, from n a m, to . D m, on Tuesday. FNb lg, nt the store of e. M. Harlow, V est stafford, from II Q. m. to2p m.
 All taxes unpaid after one demand haE been made, either in D. rsOn or by mali, are liable to lccLor Of Personal Taxes, Staffofd springs, conn. ll0uIe ]. Box 70. LannAry 10. l0lh.
The Press., 1918-02-07
F,uiplno workinu oirl.

At Bolod Filipino girl with two years training can earn p cents 6 day weaving pillow covers, table runs ners, or dress material, says the Chris tan Herald. The food she ests costs Q cents day. She not only earns money for herself and family in addi- ton to taking a complete academic course, but one-half the proceeds from her labor, turned into the school fund, has already provided the school with Q fine photograph, good collection Of records, and the instruments for ten- piece striDged orchestra, which turns out music that would compare well with the best that graduates from q, New England finishing school could d.
The Press., 1918-02-07
RED cRo0S DEcENTRALIzg8
 NATIONAL SUPPLY SERVICE,

The decentralization of the Red Cross Supply Service has just been completed. This service has been di- vided into two departments-the Red Cross National Clearing House and the Bureau of Purchases.
 Mir. Clyde A. Pratt, formerly execu- tive secretary of the War Relief Clear ing House, has been appointed dlrec- tor of the National Clearing House, now situated in New York city. The Bureau of Purchases Is under the man. agement of Mir. w. Fl. McLaren.
The Press., 1918-02-07
0ISTRICT OF STAFFORD, ss. Pro

IV bate Court, Feb uar 1918.
 Estate of George w, Crawford, late of UniOu, in Said district, deceased.
 Upon Inc application of the eXecutnT, praying that an order may be granted 10 sell inc real estate of said deceased, as by said application fully appears, 1t 1B
 Ordered, That said application be heard and determined at the Probate 0fiice, in Stafford, tn said District, on the 10th d,y of February, A. D. 1918, at 10 o'clock in the fo enoon ana that notice be given to all persons interested In said estate, of the pendency Of said application, and the time and place of hearing thereon, by pub fishing the same once in some newspaper hav- Ing circulation in said district, and by posting copy thereof on the public sign-post in the town of Union, in said dis rlct
 RuBkItT IT. FISK Judge
The Press., 1918-02-07
RED eaoas IN scHwAs HOME.

The home of Charles M. schwab and the town house of John D. Rocke- Teller, ST., in New York city, are among the latest additions to the list of prl- vate dwellings where Red Cross aux
The Press., 1918-02-07
WARNING.

The Board of Keller Of the town of stAnord will be in session on Friday. Feb iFt at the vesiTy Of CongregSti nal church. 1" est sLaNord . Satnrday, Feb 9d, a nrmen'a room, Borough Hall Monday, Feb 4th, nt Town Ha I. tRnord and Wednesday. Feb g0th. at FiremenR room. Borough all. StaffOTd Rprings. each day from m. to 4p m tO hear all persons clafrtnR to be a0Rrtevcd by the doings or the asseasors and appeal to such boaid for relief
 It.ALDEN. ! Board
 H. A 0LAZIKR,b of
 r. l. UPHAM, J RelieL stanoTd, Conn, Jan. 14th, 10 6
The Press., 1918-02-07
hIsTRICT OF STAFFORD. ss. Pro.

A/ pate court. FeD 7, 1918.
 Estate of Nyra Converse c, late or StafTord, in said district, dcceaSi q.
 The eXecutOr having exhibited his administra- t1oA account with said estate to this court for allowance, 1t is
 Orders d-I hat the 18th day of February, A. D 1918, at o'clock in tho forenoon, at tn. Probate office in Stafford, be and the same is assigned for a hearing on the allowance or said adminis- tTatlon account, and this court directs the ex- ecutor to cite all persons interested then in to appear at said time alt place, by publishing this order once in some newspaper having a circulation in sa'd district, and by posting a copy on the public sign poSt in the town of StHf. ford, where the deceased laSf dWelt
 RObkRT K. FISK, Judge.