davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-15
T|D|NGS CLASSIFIED ADS

Classified Rates. One cent word insertion;
insertion thereafter 30 81 No advertise
inserted 5
to parties having ledger the office
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-15

Lebanon cannery reorganized and
will be operated by new capital.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-15

Enterprise telephone system haf
been rebuilt and service improved.
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-15
Subscription Bargain.

For a short time the Ashland It'd
ings and Better Fruit one full year
for $3.50. tt
Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-04-15

Phone Job orders to the Tldings.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

live at Belmont there was at the
rear. or south frol of the big brick
house a frame structure, which was
Miss Kepharts schoolroom for day
pupils. This was taken down and
in Its place was built a brick structure
agreeing in its architecture with the
older building. FrolN the Fergur-
sons the property passed by purchase
to Edward B. Mclean of Washington,
the present owner.
X
All around She house of Belmont
are old oaks and cedars, and evil
IDENTIFY those vt the rear. or the south
side of the house, shaded the plot
which was the garden of the girls of
Belmont. The Rambler sat In the
grass at the foot Of one of these old
trees and thought about the throngs
of little girls and the big girls just
become young ladies who romped.
read novels, snapped sweet con-
fdences and dreamed bright dreams
there. Hef jnows that many of them
dreamed a. cavalier clad in mill
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

tory or hunting garb. and was
mounted on horse that would take
a five-rail fence as easily as these
society horses of today brush through
a three-foot privet hedge. 1t is sad,
and yet not altogether sad. to think
of what has become of all these dear
girls who frolicked and perhaps also
studied (but of course not too much)
n this old garden. The Rambler
hopes that the souls of hundreds of
these girls come in sunshine and the
moonlight to wander in that garden.
He knows that thousands of descend
ants of these girls are living. They
are scattered all around the world.
Perhaps many men and women whose
grandmothers and great-grandmoth-
ers attended Miss MERGERS Academy
are reading these notes today.
The garden Is good looking now and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22
Margaret MERGERS Academy for Young Girls

They declined "tuba." "hortus." "bel.
lum" and ager." and corrugated 'amo'
der this old tree some little girl, sweet
heart of your great grandfather. was
saying over and over again the verb
of which a relative pronoun is the sub
ject agrees in person and number with
the antecedent of the relative and
many other things of that sort which
most of US learn only to forget. But
when she went home to Glover View.
Persimmon Lane or Mellilotus Mount
with the prestige OF having graduated
from Miss MERGERS Academy, or as the
saying too often still is. Having COM
pleted her education" she was the
hood.
on the table beside the Rambler
lies an old book. 1t has the mellow
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22
lie Sport.
AMBASSADOR

FRENCH AMBASSADOR JUSSE-
L RAND said at luncheon:
II am delighted with the generous
way your magazine literature now
treats the French. In every war story
a Frenchman is the hero. or else a
French girl is the heroine. And hero
and heroine are made. I fear. almost
too perfect.
"In the past. now. you poked good
natured fun at us.
"An American once told me story
about a shooting trip he made to the
estate of two French brothers in the
Bases Pyrenees behind Biarritz.
"The American guest tramped all
morning with his French hosts, but
no game was sighted. At last. how
ever, rabbit ambled from a chest
nut grove. The American put up his
gun to fire. but one of his hosts
seized his arm and cried:
No, no! Do not shoot, mon ami!
Eat ISIS Gustave. We nevair shoot at
Gustave.'
"rhe American was a good deal as
tonshed, but he said nothing. No
more game was sighted till after
lunch. Then second rabbit was seen
again prepared to fire. But his hosts
dissuaded him afresh with loud cries:
No, no! Eat ISIS Gaby! We nevair
shoot at Gaby!
The American smiled. Now. he
thought. he understood. And in
short time a third rabbit was sighted.
But the American. of course. didn't
dream of potting it. Instead. he lit
cigarette. His friends. however. set
up tremendous hullabaloo.
Shoot, shoot! they shouted. Eat
ISIS Cleo! We always shoot at Cleo!"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

ence to another assistant. She is men,
toned as Miss Lewis. who married
Rev L. b. Minor Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church and went with him
on mission to Cape Palmas, West
ern Africa" In another letter to pu-
pill, or young woman who had been
her pupil. Miss Mercer expresses
some dissatisfaction with conditions at
Belmont and writes that she is think
Ing OF removing to Richmond or to
Baltimore. One Of the little sidelights
which now-a-day reader gets from
these old letters is the deep interest
and affection which Miss Mercer felt
toward those pupils and ex-pupils
each OF them as my dear goddaugh-
ter"
After the death of Miss Mercer in
1886 Belmont came under the owner
chip of the Kephart family. George
kephart was the father, and the chill,
Information of. were Engenia Fen
wick. John Marion. Jasper. Jerome
and Edward. A young ladies' semi
nary and school for girls was still
maintained at Belmont, under the d.
f rect OF Miss Eugenia and the Ram
pier mas met many women in the
Goose creek country who went to
school to Miss Eugenia. Though a
good deal of water has flowed under
the Goose creek bridges since the
kephart- school closed its
doors. Miss Eugenia died only about
orother- In law. washington Mercer,
at Point of Rocks, Md. This suggests
relationship Of some sort between the
kepharts and Miss Margaret Mercer.
out the Rambler cannot now trace 1t.
The Kepharts were Maryland people.
Washington Mercer married sister
OF Eugenia. whose name was Matte.
The Rambler's information Is that
John Kephart, who for long series
OF years was conductor on the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad, is still liv-
Ing in washington. Jerome Kephart,
years before the creation of Okla
homa, went from Loudoun to Indian
territory, While Miss Eugenia taught
school, George Kephart and his sons
ran one of the ancient mills of Goose
creek. kepharts mill stood on the
creek near it's junction with the Po-
tomac. That point is Edwards Ferry,
where thousands of Washington peo-
pie in the course of year make the
passage of the Potomac between
Maryland and Virginia
From the Kepharts Belmont passed
by purchase into possession of Fred
erick Stanton. of whom the Ram
piers information, obtained in the
neighborhood, is that he had been a
Governor of Kansas and member
of Congress from that state. and for
home at 400 New York avenue. A
son of Frederick lives at Herndon.
His name is Alfred Stanton. John
Scott Ferguson of Pittsburgh bought
Belmont from the Stanton family. Mr..
Ferguson spent money freely in re-
storing the place as nearly as pos
sible to its condition when 1t was
the homo of Ludwell Lee. q frieAd
OF Lafayette and a notable revolu-
tionary figure. An addition was built
by Mr.. Ferguson. When he came to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22
Thought 1t Was HouseWork.

A N ordnance officer said at dinner
party:
THE pluck of our boys is tremen-
dous. If you ever hear anything sug-
gestive of funk on the doughboy's
part, you can rest assured that in
vestigation will clear it up.
Like the case, you know, of the
chap who said:
I'd like to volunteer for the in
fantry, but mother won't let me-
What! said a listener. "A big six
1ooter like you, and your mother
won't let your
No said the young man, calmly;
so I've volunteered for mine-sweep-
ing
'Mine-sweeping? Good gracious,
that's more dangerous than infantry
fighting
az know 1t is said the young fell
low, but mother DON'T"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

It must have been a beautiful and de-
lightful garden hundred years ago.
In the enchantment which distance
gives we cannot see burdock, PLAN
tain, thistles. briars and other weeds;
we can see only the roses, jonquils,
lilacs and the bridal-wreath spirea,
No doubt under the venerable tree
against whose rough bark the Ram
bier leaned, there We're rustic
benches in other days. Here on sum-
mer mornings and summer Moons
and summer evenings girls sat. In
this place, melancholy now in its
loneliness. perhaps your great-grand-
mother sat as young girl and fret
ted her dear head over factoring,
graphs. involution and evolution, rad
icales. imaginaries. theory of opponents.
quadratic equations. progression, per-
binomial thecrefn. logarithms
and all the other dry and gloomy hor-
rors of algebra. No doubt she shook her
curls with some vexation while repeat-
ing such bits Of jargon as "the sides
of a plane triangle are proportional to
the sines of their opposite angles"
There, perhaps, girls puzzled their little
heads over the dismal pcrplexities of
Viri Ramoae, Nepcs, Cicero ard Caesar.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

And then thlnk II you can without
pity in your mind and tears in your
eyes of a crowd of little girls. each
one far from home, sitting on hard
benches in high ceiled, gloomy hall,
with November rain beating against
the little square panes or glass IN the
windows and November wind rat
thing and rasping and crunching the
bare branches of those old oaks in the
garden-sitting there and listening
with a pious look on their faces while
tall, grand and solemn Miss Mercer
talked to them for an hour, perhaps
two hours, on moral philosophy, meta
physics, ethics and the "origin of evil
in the free agency of man." Your
great-grandmother' girlhood was not
altogether blossom period of sun
beams. butterflies and apple blossoms.
X X
In an appendix to the lectures is a
long list of books which Miss Mercer
suggests that young ladies should
read. How far her suggestions pre-
vailed with the girls the Rambler
does not know.
Among the religious books which
she would have them read are
Townsend's Chronological Bible, Eng
lish Polyglot Bible. Clarke's Bible.
Butterworth's Concordance. Horne on
the Psalms, Paley's Natural Theology,
Buffers Natural and Revealed Re- r
ligion, Campbell on Miracles, Locke
on the Epistles, Keith on Prophecies,
West on the Resurrection. Lyttleton
on ST. Paul, Chalmers Sermons. etc.
There are twenty-one indigestible
books which she recommends on
Christian morals and metaphysics.
The list of religious books would
indicate that Miss Mercer was run
ming a theological seminary, and that
she would turn those girls into
preachers. But she also wanted them
to be historians, for she urged them
to read thirtythree histories, among
them being 1Iallam's Middle Ages,
Mitford's Greece. Gibbon Rome,
Prescotts Ferdinand and Isabella,
Bancroft on the United States, Jo-
sephus. Livy and Tacitus, Vertat's
History of the knights of Malta,
Dodson's History of the Troubadours,
Molnas Chill, Gutzlaffs China and
Il Dawes Hindoostau she also de-
manded of those dear girls that they
become versed in science, and she
urged on them Higgings Physical
Condition Of the Earth, olmstead's
Natural Philosophy. Whewell's AS
tronomy and Physics. Herschell's AS
tronomY, Turner's Chemistry, Bige-
lows Technology. Mrs. Iincoln's Bot
any, Cleavcland's Mineralogy and
Lyell's Geology.
The biography which Miss Mercer
laid out for those dear girls to read
would have kept them busy until old
age. They would have had no time
for marrying, or for it's preliminary
period of courtship or it's subsequent
period of hardship. She directed
them to read the memoirs of MRS.
Carter. Mrs. Judson, Mrs. -Payson and
Hannah More" She recommends
stiff list of poetical works. and at
the head Of the list she puts the
poems of Mrs. Hemans.
The Rambler, sitting in the grass
and leaning against the rough bark
of that old oak tree in the garden Of
the girls of Belmont. knew that those
girls of the long ago had their leaden
hours as we'll as their golden mo-
ments. He would bet his last pipeful
of tobacco against cigarette that
the rough parked old tree has spread
it's branches over little, girls who
wept from Inconsistencies.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

color and the pleasant odor peculiar
to old books, especially of old books
that have lain on a library shelf for
many years without being touched by
human hands. When the Rambler
took 1t down from it's niche in the
Library Of Congress it seemed to say
to him: Il am very lonely old book;
you are the first man who has called
on me in years; I used to be quite
popular. That was long before thou
sands of these books that crowd
around me were printed-before the
the first of the time-stained pages is
this: Popular Lectures on Ethics and
Moral Obligations for the Use of
School Girls" Over this, in faded
Ink and in girls handwriting, is a
name which appears to be Laura T.
Bachell' or "Bachek." Perhaps she
was the owner of the book, or very
likely the owner of the book scrawled
there not her own name. but the
name of some school chum. On the
next page is printed this: ITO the
Pupils of the Schools of the United
States of America:-Jewels of Your
Country = Precious Beings Upon
lions Rest. To you is dedicated this
Little Offering of Affectionate Re-
spect. BY the Authoress. Belmont.
December, 1897" Then follow 2So
yellow pages of essays in that rotund,
iorid style popular long ago. The
Philosophy; Metaphysics; Ethics; On
the Attributes of God; On the Origin
of Evil in the Free Agency of Man:
Temperance; The Senses Intellec-
tual Powers; Cultivation of the In
tellect; On the Duty of Preserving
Health; Relief in the Scriptures;
Prayer; The Fear and Love of God;
Manners: Love and Marriage; Pru-
dence; Charity and Benevolence: Pa
triotism, and many other subjects.
This is the book written by Miss
Margaret Mercer, and to which the
Rambler has previously referred in
the course of his Goose creek stories.
X X
The Rambler has manifested a ten
dency to dwell on the joyous life of
the girls at Belmont. There must
have been another side to life at Miss
MERGERS Academy. The girls there
were normal girls. They had wisdom
and Stiffness blended in alluring nro-
portions. They. played pranks and
they loved prankishness. They often
giggled at trifles. There were things
Wh1ch they liked better than books,
ana there were many books that thew
liked better than those on 1.-THE origin
Of evil in the free agency of man"
There is no doubt that those girls had
long periods of suffering. The formal
printed lectures of Miss Mercer give
an indication of the quality of the lee
lures which she gave to those girls in
the classroom. in the refectory. in the
dornitory and when she walked with
them in the old garden where grows
the tree against whose rough bark
the Rambler leaned. Think of
crowd of healthy girls today with
their heads full of thoughts on has
ket ball honors, Central versus Tech
or Wetsern. or Georgetown versus
George Washington on the foot bali
neid or some new movie" hero plav-
ing the star role in that great photo-
drama entitled Rescued from the
Swushing Waters in the Dismal
Depths Of Tiber Sewer! Think Of n
crowd of jolly girls today all wrought
up over the coming dance of the Al
pha Beta = Gamma-Delta Fraternity,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22
MERE is one yellow page In the
old little book. Memoirs of
Miss Margaret Mercer" which

THERE is one yellow page In the
old little book, Memoirs of
Miss Margaret Mercer" which
the Rambler did not introduce
In his story of Belmont last Sunday.
That little book was published in
1847, year after Miss MERGERS
death. and the writing Of 1t was prob
ably begun very soon after she passed
away. There is plenty of internal
evidence that the author. DR.. Caspar
Norris Of Philadelphia. had been a
close friend Of the Mercer family.
This Is shown by his interest in Miss
Mercer. his intimate knowledge of her
youth and her career and his ac-
;nants with the N names Of her
time the physician to the family Of
Gov. John Francis Mercer Of Mary
land or to the family OF Richard
6prigg Of Strawberry Hill. West Riv-
or. Nd. the father of Sophia. who be.
was the mother Of Margaret.
DR.. Morris seems to have obtained
some defective information about the
Goose Creek region. In which Is Bel
mont. How he came by the facts or
the material on which he based his
vHVAlaVHc Oh Suc oelhoHV hesSh-
borhood is beyond the understanding
OF the Rambler. who has spent num-
Der of happy Sundays in the century
old homes there. DIR. Morris recited
that Miss Mercer removed her school
from her home, Cedar Park. Md. near
Annapolis. to site near Baltimore.
"undor the impression that in that
neighborhood she could secure more
competent assistants in some
branches Of education and therefore
obtain a still larger amount Of pa
tronage," but. being disappointed in
this expectation. "she transferred her
establishment to Belmont. near Lees
burg, Va. where she purchased d.
tion and had it fitted up with every
convenience for her purpose"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28

by the large number of rlbbers, caps
and books in the Office which are un-
claimed Furthermore, the teachers
land authorities of the school are do
ing all IN their power by precept, adj
monition, and vigilence, in cooperation
with the right minded pupils, to COM
bat any such tendency on the part of
a few individuals to take things not
belonging to them. Where no suitable
locker accommodations are provided
under such crowded conditions as We
have in the high school building, the
problem is large one, and closer CO.
operation of parents was asked for by
Mr.. Schwede.
Mr. J. r. Raglan spoke on the diff
ference between the cost of educating
the pupils in the high school and the
tuition paid by the towns for such
education. He suggested that possib-
ly the legislature might be appealed to
in this matter so as to overcome the
difference. No formal action was
taken.
Motion to adjourn was then carried.
c. w. SCHWEDE,
Secretary of meeting.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28

State of Wisconsin-Circuit Court
for Wood County.
Oftelie & Stondall Land Company,
a corporation, Plaintiff, VS.. C. A. Beebe
and Ella S. Beebe, his wife, Defend
ants.
Notice is hereby given that pursu-
ant to and by virtue of judgment
of foreclosure in the above entitled
action, l, J Z. bennington, sheriff of
Wood County, Wisconsin, will at the
front or north door of the Court House
in the city of Grand Rapids, in Wood
County, Wisconsin or the 18th day
Of April, 1918 at 10 o'clock in the
forenoon, offer for sale and sell at
public auction to the highest bidder,
for cash, the following described lands,
| to-wit; the Northwest quarter (nwA }
of section eleven (1D, the Northwest
quarter (nwA) of the Southwest quar-
ter (sw4) of said section eleven Cd
and the west half WIZ of the South
west quarter (sw1A) of the Southwest
quarter (swA) of said section eleven
an, all being in Township twenty
two (22) North of Range two (2)
East in the town of Hiles, Wood Coun-
ty, Wisconsin,;
Also the South half (s1a) of the
Southeast quarter (seA of section
thirty-four (34) in Township twenty
four (24) North of Range three 60
East and the southeast quarter (seH)
of the Southwest quarter (swA) of
said section thirty-four (34) in said
township twenty-four (24) North of
Range three 80 East in the town of
Richfeld, Wood County, Wisconsin.
Dated February 10, 1918.
J. E. NORMINGTON, Sheriff.
(1st publication Feb. 21, last Mar 28)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28
SPECIAL COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL
rsuing the special courses ((Manual Train

man to vote Yes If in favor of the
resolution and mo" if opposed The
result of the ballot was Yes 90; No
"a; total number of votes cast 1876.
The majority having voted YES" the
resolution was declared adopted
Mr.. L. NJ. Nash then spoke on the
distribution of garden seeds to en-
courage the cultivation of vacant
spaces and incidently to reduce the
high cost of living. He suggested that
seeds might be distributed thru the
schools ard that suitable exhibit may
be planned for and prizes offered lat
er. Those interested were requested
to Sc Mr.. Nash. No formal action on
the part of the meeting was taken.
Mr.. D. D. Conway moved that it
is the sense of this meeting that the
school board be authorized to take
such means as may be necessary to
stamp out petty thieving which occa-
sionally manifests itself in the
schools. Motion seconded.
After discussion by various mem
bers, including Mr.. D. D. Conway
Mr. T. A. Taylor, Mrs. J. j. Looze,
Mrs. Sam Church, Mr.. C. W. Schwede,
and others, during which it was brot
out that such conditions are neither
new nor peculiar to any one institu-
ton, but that rubbers, umbrellas, nit
tens, and gloves were occasionally
lost in other places where large
groups gathered as well as in the
schools. Mr.. Schwede stated that the
Board of Education had had under
consideration means of making abso
lutely safe the clothing and supplies
of pupils, but that it would require an
outlay of some three thousand dollars
($3,000.OO) to provide such facilities.
A large amount Of books and wearing
apparel lost was due to carelessness
by misplacing the articles as shown
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28

At present we have no contagious
diseases among our school children
Made SO home visits up to March Is,
'1917.
The surest means of increasing
community health are:
/ By increasing the health of the
school child, by giving attention to
his physical defects.
p By teaching the child sensible
easily applied lessons of personal
hygiene
8. By carrying these influences of
this health improvement. and health
instruction into the home
The public school should be an edu-
eational center, and also a hygienic
center Of the community.
Plainly, therefore it becomes a duty
of the school department to furnish
not only a healthful school environ
ment, but also health guardianship
over its pupils.
The following spoke on the notion:
Mrs. Guy Nash, Mr.. E. P. Arpin,
Mrs. Sayre, Mr.. George LaBour and
others.
Moved and carried that a vote by
ballot be taken on this resolution.
Voters were instructed by the chair
IN HIGH SCHOOL
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28
GARRISON SCHOOL

The Garrison School was discontinue
ed the present school year. Ali pupils
who formerly attended the school, or
who are now Of proper ace to attend
school, are furnished transportation to
he Lowell or Emerson, depending on
the grades to which they are assigned.
CONTINUATION SCHOOL
The following is a brief general re
port of the four departments of our
Continuation School for this year up
to the present time:
DAY SCHOOL ENROLMENT
All day Commercial School. .....41
| All day Industrial School, Boys. "a
| All d. Industrial School. Girls. .21
Part time Industrial School Boys. 6
Part time Industrial School, women IS
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28
He Can Rest Fine Now.

II suffered greatly from kidney and
bladder trouble" writes F. R-Fair-
bank, So Grand River Ave-, w. De-
troit, Mich. "Had to get up six or
seven times during the night. Foley
Kidney Pills have worked wonders
and [ can recommend them as the best
medicine I have ever taken" Tonic
in action; quick, sure. Sold every
where.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-03-28
REHABILITATION

Latin Course NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1
Modern Classical Course ... 5