davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

Secretary of War You will be told that
you had best decide for yourself in what
branch of the service you will be most
useful and then apply in person to the
duly appointed officer in charge of per-
sonnel for that branch. Supposng that
you go first to the Office of Military Intel
ligence, you will be told that until an in
terpretation of the new rule has been re-
ceived it is impossible to say whether there
will be any commissions for civilians or
not. You may send in written applica-
ton, and this will be considered if outs ide
help is needed.
The signal corps will confess frankly
that it needs more officers, and will hand
you printed form to fill out At the top
of the Instructions for physical examina-
tion you learn that good eyesght is Of
especial Importance For officers OF the
aviation section, signal corps reserve
organic disease dsQualifies. Visual acu.ty
determined by Snellen test type. Each eye
IS examined separately from a distance Of
twenty feet. The minimum requirements
are 1920 for the right eye and 1920 for
the left eye, without glasses. Color blind
ness dsquaities."
That's rather tough on man of forty
six. However, if you persist, you'll find
that this branch of the service is inter-
ested in knowing whether you consider
yourself very good, good, average, poor or
very poor In the following games: Base
ball, billiards, boxing, chess, fencing, foot
ball, gymnastics, horsemanship marksman-
ship, motorcycling, polo, sailing, tennis,
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

gas pipes on this page you will get very
good idea of the condition in a frozen pipe.
You will notice in some the development
of the freezing process. The gas is COM
pletely shut off in others. The moment
your gas supply fails the gas should be
shut off at every fixture. This prevents an
unexpected return of the supply which
naturally would remain unligh
"The greater part Of the gas manufact-
ured to-day is carburetted water gas. This
leads some persons to believe, enormously,
that there is water in the gas. In the
manufacture water is turned into steam as
it is passed through anthracite COAL and in
going through coal it is decomposed into
hydrogen and carbonic oxid. Should there
be any steam there undecomposed it is
condensed into water again in conden-
SER Oil is mixed with our water gas,
making a mixture of water gas and oil gas
-carburetted water gas. Coal gas passes
through various processes from the re-
torts, and also through 'condensers'
where the moisture coming from coal is
condensed.
"Thc gas passes through water meter,
water being on the surface of the meter.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
re You Fory-Six? Here Are some Ways You Can Serve

longer be denied trip to France. and if
he gets a leg across the whole body is
reasonably sure to follow.
The War Department has authorized the
statement that in order that younger men
men of between forty-fve and ffty-tive
years of age may be enlisted in the ord
nance department., quartermaster corps,
medical corps and certain branches of the
signal corps. Instructions to this effect
were sent to the recruiting units through
out the country, with the suggestion that
minor physical disabilities be waived And
it follows that men of middle age may be
also considered for commissions
When the meaning of the good news pen
etrated the minds of certain war workers
in Washington there was an immediate
scramble for these "bllets for France"
AS everything in the capital is done in an
orderly and methodical, not to say a leisure
ly, manner, it is too soon to say with what
success the efforts to obtain commissions
for active service have been rewarded. To
quote two isolated instances, one man
with legal training, but who had passed the
half century mark, was offered a place in
the judge advocate generals office, and
the quartermaster corps commissioned an
able bodied young man of fifty-sx. there
were rumors also of possibilities in the
Bureau of Military Intelligence, but as
these were traced to veteran newspaper
men It was thought that had they been
correct the correspondents would have
sought first commissions for themselves
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
A Caterpillar That Builds
a Log Cabin

THE evergreen bagworm may be found
u on several varieties of the trees
from which it takes its name, preferably
the red cedar and arbor vitae. AS q
protective dwelling it makes a curious
bag remotely resembling the case of the
aquatic caddis flies that make homes Of
tiny pebbles and bits Of stick, says Ed
ward F. Bigelow in Boys Life
"a common form of these caterpillars
has the habit of building tiny log cabins.
When the caterpillar wishes to move from
one place to another, it pushes forth the
short end of its body. creeps along and
carries the house with it, Some strange
stories have centred around these interest
ing insects. 1t is said that one species in
Ceylon was believed by the natives to be
composed of individuals who were pre-
viously earth as human beings and stole
kindling wood After their death as human
beings the punishment decreed was that
they should return to earth and build homes
of kindlng wood and ever carry them"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
Navy Receiving Ship Now
a Land Structure

4 n interesting and unusual piece of
"A engineering has changed ship,
which for years has been the floating
home of sailors, into land structure
that will never ride the waves again, says
Popular Mechanics" Which continues:
The vessel so transformed is the Com
modore, which lay at anchor in the Chi
cago River in days of peace. serving as
headquarters for the Illinois Naval Militia.
"Since the outbreak of the war it has
served as a receiving ship for the navy
"Since the vessel was never to be used
for navigation again and was being badly
racked by storms, it was recently decided
to fill in around the hull with clay and
rock. bulkhead made of rock and 40
foot piles, was built close to the boat on
the lakeward side and at the ends, and the
intervening space filled in with clay. we'll
tamped down"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
nne Climate as Good as
~ Another

"influenZa occurs III every part OF the
world, during any season of the year and
without regard to climatic conditions. 1t
may appear in sporadic or epidemic form.
Under what conditions or influences the
disease becomes epidemic is subject of
vide discussion and need not be dealt with
here, further than to say that it is believed
hy some authorities that during the cpl
demic period the specific organism is more
active and virulent tl.an at other times. 1t
is reasonable to as ume that influenza in
some form is more or less constantly
present.
"Outbreaks of influenza extending over
large part of the orld have not infre-
quently occurred-for instance, during 1889
90 1t visited almost every section of the
globe, involving a large part Of the United
States. AS might be expected, this disease
has been exhaustively studied, and while in
vestigators have expressed opinions some
what at variance with each other concerning
its origin and habits there is but little
doubt that it is essentially the same wher
ever it occurs. The term Spanish Influenza
has no special meaning further than to in.
dicate that at some time an epidemic of
considerable severity visited Spain. 1t
may be noted that the disease has also been
called Russian and Egyptian Influenza
ut is rather the complications Of innu-
enza-chiefy monia-which frequently
occur during epidem;cs, that constitute the
serious factor in connection with this dis
ease, although statistics show that influenza
is not very dangerous to life, except proba-
bly, in places where poverty and overcrowd-
ing exist or in some instances where there
are some unusually wet or otherwise de-
pressing climatic conditions.
whether or not influenza and colds are
but different types of the same affection,
and this is not unreasonable to believe it
is evident that their origin is similar, for
both due to the presence of certain in
fectious organisms, and the human being is
the means of infection-through the medium
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

and then have written little pieces for their
papers, even journalistic human nature
having it's weaknesses. AS for me, gave
two entire days to running down the re-
ports of prospective military requirements
in the several branches of service above
mentioned.
Briefly, there is still q chance for elderly
gentlemen-that is to say, men above the
present draft age. Brigadier generals,
major generals, lieutenant generals and
generals are rot in active demand. Colo
nels are more or less drug in the
ket But there is evidence of coming
need OF first and second lieutenants, cap
tains, even majors. Without more subal-
terms officers who have earned higher rank
are kept waiting for their commissions.
But if you really want a comm ssion Oh
man of forty-six, first make sure with the
advice of your family physician that you
are physically fit, and then don't aim too
high. Be modest, for there may be plenty
of fellows possessing your qualifications
and your patriotic aspirations, and there's
a limit to commissioned personnel, even in
an army of 100000. And stand or fall on
your merits; don't try to use a political
pull. There's general order out against the
use of political influence in army matters,
and secure do the gentlemen feel who
to say in closing telephone conversation:
"l'm sorry | can't promise you anything
Senator" and to add on hanging up the
ceiver: damn his constituents!'
Go 6rst, if you wish. to the Office of the
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
T>he Protection That a Healthy
4 Body Affords

I'VE have 'at our command even q more
important means of rejection against dis
ease, and that is the maintenance of
healthy condition of the body. Abundant
proof has been presented that those affected
with certain infectious diseases have usually
a low resisting power as the result of some
form Of disability, excesses of various kinds
or disregard of the rules Of personal
hygiene. While it is true that those in
robust health do not always escape these
diseases, it is largely the protectiou af-
forded by the resistance of healthy organs
and tissues upon which we must depend for
maintenance of health. The study of car
riers' of disease largely confirms this state
ment, for it is found that infectious or
ganisms may remain for an Indefinite period
within the body-particular of a healthy
person in a dormant or inactive state
without producing evidence of their pres
ence; therefore, large part of the popu-
lation is acting s.s the hosts of these germs.
This is particularly true of tuberculosis,
typhoid fever and diphthera, and is also
quite true of Influenza. 1t means that
healthy tissues go far to prevent the ac-
tivity cf these organisms.
There are causes which contribute more
QlreCLly 10 lHuenZa or COldS, such
proper clothing, undue exposure, particular
ly during abrupt changes of weather in the
winter time. Probably nothing acts moro
quickly a contributing cause than wet
feet. large per cent of those who suffer
from these affections give definite history
of undue exposure. 1t is common prac-
tice during cold weather for persons dressed
i'll heavy garments to remain within doors
for large part of the day in superheatcd
rooms, where the temperature frequently
reaches so degrees or more, often badly
ventilated. This is quite sure to render the
body less resisting and surely not in con-
dition to withstand a sudden change to an
outside temperature where the thermometer
registers reduction Of 40 or SO degrees
This is an offence to nature which carries
with it its own penalty.
GAS influenza in some form constantly
exists throughout the civilized world it is
hardly necessary to state that maritime
quarantine as means of protection against
this disease is not justiiablc"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
Functions of Quartermaster Corps

I. Administration - including unusual
ability in executive and administrative
lines, particularly with respect to the lines
of activity of the quartermaster corps de
scribed in the following, and large expert
ence with statistics, planning, Office mum
2. Finance and accounting-including
auditing of accounts, preparation and hand
ling of payrolls of large proportions, and
disbursements of funds for the various
operations of the army.
g. Observation-Disclosures engineering.
architecture, planning, supervision, and
superintendent of large operations, such
as the construction of warehouses, shops.
roads, sewers, waterworks, concrete works,
sewage disposal, garbage disposal etc.
a. Mechanical repair shcps-inciuding
the engineering. construction, supervision
and operation OF repair shops to handle
general repairs and complete overhauling
of motor vehicles of all kinds. tires,
wagons, harness, clothing, tentage, shoes,
and any and all equipment and machinery
used by the army. This also includes the
organization and supervision of the neces-
sary forces of mechanics and artisans en-
gagged upon repair and reclamation work
B. Motor transportation embracing the
purchasing, inspection, delivery, mainten-
ance and operation of motor vehicles of all
kinds.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
Will Your Gas Be Ready
For Fifteen Relow"?

BECAUSE it received 215,385 COM
~ plants of "frozen pipes" during the
three months of December. January and
February last winter, the Consolidated
Gas Company undertakes to explain in
"Gas Logic" just how it happens that H.
Eliminating gas freezes and what pre-
cautions the householder may take
against a repetition of last years dis
comfort. 1t is pointed out that broken
windows and doors of cellars unneces-
sarily expose the gas and water pipes to
the cold and further:
"Where easements are not heated the
service pipes and the 'risers' in the walls
are apt to free.. If you will look care
fully at the illustrations of the ends of
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
1.-TWO Grades-Ordinary
and Refined

"The white crystals which have formed
in the settling tanks are removed by hand
and when dried in the sun on drying floors
are shipped in two-quintal sacks Ia quintal
equals 1912 lbs.) to the various coast ports
over narrow gauge or sometimes gravity
railroads. There the nitrate is delivered to
the buyer alongside of the ship by means of
lighters. 1t is classified in two grades, the
ordinary or 95 per cent and the refined or
96 per cent.
"The nitrate industry in Chile has been
in the hands of the English, Chileans, Amer
leans and Germans, although the latter's
plants are practically all closed down at the
present moment AS far back as 1884 ef-
forts were made on the part of nitrate pro-
ducers to restrict the output in order to
obtain high r prices, and several combina-
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
The Poorer Ground Is
Il Not Neglected Now

Thirty or forty years ago the only
caliches beds worked contained 40 to so
per cent Of nitrate, but since that time it
has become profitable to work much poorer
ground, some of it running from only IL to
16 per cent. At present there is very
large oficina Cor plant), carrying on extern
sive experiments in the hope it will enable
them to work even lower grade calches, rs
we'll as to retreat the thousands Of tons Of
tailings or 'ripios,' carrying very sub
stantial percentage of nitrate.
"The present method of treatment of the
crude product is primitive and wasteful and
eventually will be changed quite materially
The procedure is as follows
"The caliche lies in flat beds more or
less on the surface, and extends to a depth
of from twelve inches to three or four feet
There exceptional cases where this i'm
pregnation extends to greater depth.
at is first broken up with crowbars by
the native laborers and sometimes blasted
by pop shots of black powder which serve
to break the large Jumps into smaller ones
suitable for transportation. When broken
it is loaded into two-wheel mulecarts or
into narrow gauge side dump cars drawn
by mules or oil or coal locomotives
"When the caliche reaches the mill, it is
passed through the ordinary type of jaw
crusher, breaking the Jumps into q size
which will pass through inch or an inch
and a half ring. This crushed material is
then placed in large watts filled with water
heated by steam coils, where the boiling
treatment takes place. After the solution
reaches certain density it is drawn off
and flows to settling tanks where crystal
lizaton occurs and the liquid which re-
mains is in turn drown off to be used again.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

e. Rail transportation - including all
phases of the transporting Of men. ma
terials and livestock via rail Involvinc
relations with railroads, procurement and
capacity of cars of various kinds, routing.
provisioning and the like
T. W ater transportation - including
wharfage, lghtering loading and storing
OF men, animals and sapplics int, e..yS.
and all of the various operations incident
thereto.
8. Supplies-including the inspection.
purchase and delivery Of subsistence sup
plies for issue as ra.ions to troops; forage.
wagons and all articles for their use. horse
equipments, clothing, camp and garrison
supplies. stoves and heating appliances
fuel, engine supplies, stationery, office fur
niture, tools and materials, and supplies
used IN connection with the maintenance
and operation of the water, sewerage ars
lighting sys,ens-
9. Reclamation-includ the salvage
and working over for reissue of CLOTHING
shoes, damaged machinery, scrap metal.
wasted food and materials, the operation of
laundries, disposal of garbage and manure.
and disposition of dead animals.
10. Remount - including judging and
purchasing OF horses and mules, their train
ing, care and transportation both overland
and overseas.
IL Storage-embracing the handliny
shipplng and warehousing of supplies and
materials OF all kinds, including refripsra.
ton.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22

Then you are invited to tell what you know
about accounting, aviation, automobile
driving, automobile repair automobile con-
struction, carpentry, carrier pigeons, cleo
trical wiring, electrical equipment line
construction machine construction, ma
chine repairing, map making mechanical
drawing, photography, still pictures, NOV
ing pictures, radio apparatus, printing, sub
marine cable work, storekeepng, survey
ing, telegraphy, telephone teaching, visual
signalling, and to "statc the job or employ
ment in which you have exercised greatest
responsibility or leadership"
Are you discouraged? ?" mol"
The ordnance officers reserve corps is
less keen about your proficiency in outdoor
sports, but there are FIVE blank lines to be
filed in after the following statement:
Il an a member in good standing of the
following engineering societies. )"
Passing next to the Quartermaster corps,
you receive an entirely new set of appica-
ton forms, and with them a mimeographe ed
description of the functions Of the corps
Read them carefully, and if you find moth
ing into which you fit here, having ex-
hausted the possibilities of the other
branches of the service, take a last look at
the Washington monument, the dome of
the Capitol and board train for home
Thereafter a vision of the benevolent Wis
age of an eminent Philadelphian, recently
deceased. Will mean nothing to you. In
voin his nDliftcd arm with manicured fin-
gers pointing heavenward For you there
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
By kincheloe Robbins

=; T.: .''.' a.. .'. %'' {. '' t, ,'.., ..,
if he has lived wisely and not
700 we'll, has preserved his energy and
strength and added to his mental equip
ment, as he should have done. For such,
@ the words of an eminent Philadelphian
now gone to his just reward, "there is
nope Of course he has been overlooked
oy the lawmakers in Washington, who
''fs' decided that thirty-ope was the limit
ol usefulness for Americans who might be
interested in making the world safe for
humanity. and have lately, as all the world
Knows, determined that all over forty five
must be relegated to the scrapheap. He
mas been overlooked to the point where his
only opportunity was the eXpeditionary
force planned by Theodore Roosevelt and
declined by W Woodrow Wilson. Has he been
sore! Just ask him!
The Swivel Chair Hero has come to the
rescue The swivei chair is not without
comfort, but in times like these it sadly
lacks dignity, and the merry jests of the
non. Joseph Cannon and others who think
mat 5000 officers of the army and navy
are IN Washington because they prefer not
10 go to France have been to the swivel
Guar even as bent pin in the throne of
country schoolmaster. The hero has de-
i"@hded active service and is getting it..
IN the quarterm~ster's department alone
- per cent OF him is physically fit, can no
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
Wounds Stitched by Ants

THE mandibles of ants and of several
coleopterous insects, scarities in
particular, have long been employed in
Asiatic surgery. This usage is of the most
ancient date with the surgeons of India
and is perpetuated in our day in Algeria
by the Arab operators and to some ex-
tent by the Turks in Asia and the Greek
BARRIERS of Syria. According to an Eng
llsh chronological journal, the barber
presses upon the edge of the cut with
the fingers of the left hand and applies
each ant by means of forceps held in
the right hand. The mandibles of the
ant are widely opened, the animal being
In the defensive attitude, and as the in
sect is gradually brought near the wound
it sezes the projecting surface and i'm
mediately forces its. mandibles through
the flesh and remains in this attitude.
pressing the one mandible against the
other with force and consequently holds
the two edges together Then the bar
Der separates the head from the thorax
with snip of the scissors, and the head
with the mandibles remaining in place,
continues its function, while the thorax
and abdomen fall to the ground. The
same operation is repeated with other
ants until at times there may be dozen
pairs of mandibles placed at regular in
tervals, SO that through its whole
length the skin is united by this very
ingenious procedure. The heads are al
lowed to remain a few days, after which,
since the healing has been effected, they
are loosened, and having performed
their Office are henceforth useless
From The Healdsburg Tribune
New-York tribune., 1918-09-22
a$68akha9 The Great Workshop of Science Egzaz7aBH
Call 1t Grippe or Influenza
But Guard Against 1t
TIME closing of Camp Upton to
visitors because OF ITO cases Of
Spanish influenza at the camp

"HE closing of Camp Upton to
visitors because OF ITO cases of
Spanish influenza at the camp
has brought home to New York
an interest in the nature of the malady.
few patients from United States
naval training ship are also corfined
with the disease in the Kingston Avenue
Hospital, in Brooklyn.
For discussion of the nature Of the
ailment and it's cause and effects The
Tribune has appealed to DR.. Alvah Hunt
Doty, for sixteen years health officer Of
the Port of New York. During his term
of office, which ended in 1911, he fought
the disease, which occasionally found It's
way to these shores from Europe He is
an authority on tropical diseases. and
has written much on general sanitation
and mosquito determination. He is now
lecturer on quarantine sanitation at
Bellevue Hospital and medical director
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany.
These are DR.. Doty's conclusions
about Spanish Influenza:
"Infuenza is an acute febrile disorder af-
fecting the air passages and sometimes the
intestinal tract. 1t is believed to be due
TO the presence of specific organism dis
covered by Pfeffer in 1898, although some
writers regard other forms of bacili as
also responsible for this disease. AS inf1u-
enza is frequently and accurately described
in the very early medical literature-par-
ticularly during and after the fifteenth CEN
tury--it is evident that the disease was we'll
known among the ancents.
THE name influenza offers nothing in the
way of indicating the origin ard character
Of the dsesse-it was undoubtedly proposed
and made popular by Italians during the
seventeenth century. who believed that the
affection was due To an influence exerted
by the stars, which accounts for the name
Influenza About this same period the
name ia grippe was suggested by the
French. These names are still retained, al
though they have special or scientific
significance.