davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
WILHELM is LOSING

Chicago is to have season of Billy
Sunday sermons and trail hitting, be.
ginning next Sunday. The evangelist
comes back to the city where he &C.
cepted Christianity at mission re.
vival meeting some three decades ago.
And he chooses field which offers
vast possibilities for reform. Chicago
has been suffering an epidemic OF
crime which has alarmed even the
complacent Chicagoans and their com.
placent police force. Before they were
awakened to this situation they
passed through a siege of remorse
and self chastisement because they
had elected as mayor man who
could not get his ideas of loyalty and
Americanism straight.
Sunday is making q double figh:
now. Without letting up in the least
in this war on Satan he has coupled
with that enemy another-Kaiser Will.
helm-and in his sermons he puts his
lurid vocabulary to a daily test in an
effort to fay the German ruler more
viciously than he scores the devil.
He has just concluded a series, Of
meetings at Washington. and the gen.
eral verdict there is that Satan and
the kaiser finished the race for con.
tempt on even terms. The evangelist
has been fighting sin for a quarter Of
century or more and has spent less
than a year in his offensive on the
German ruler. At this rate Satan
should find himself several grades
nearer responsibility than the kaiser
when the last of Sundays sermons at
Chicago shall have been delivered.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
Children's Evening Story

horns" or ear-tufts, such as some OF
the other owls wore; and his great
pale face, with it's black eyes, made
him seem very wise and solemn.
In spite of the mild. questioning
look upon his face whenever any one
surprised him in the daytime, Solo
mon Owl was the noisiest of all tho
different families of owls in Pleasant
Valley. There were the barn owls.
the long-eared owls, the short-eared
owis-but there! there's no use of
of them that could equal Solomon
Owls laughing and hooting and
shrieking and wailing-at night.
During the day, however, Solomon
Owl seldom had anything to say-or
if he had, he was quiet about it. One
reason for his silence then was that
he generally slept when the sun was
shining. And when most people wero
sleeping, Solomon Owl was as wide
awake as he could be.
He was night-prowfer-if ever
there was one. And he could see .
mouse on the darkest night, even II
it stirred ever so slightly.
That was unfortunate for the mice.
But luckily for them, Solomon Owl
couldn't be in more than one place q
time. Otherwise there wouldn't
have been a mouse left in Pleasant
VaLey-if he could have had his way.
And though he didn't help the mics,
he helped Farmer Green by catching
them. II he did take a fat puIIee
once in while, it is certain that he
more than paid for it.
So on the whole Farmer Green dI1
not object to Solomon Owls living in
his vood-lot.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
THE TALE OF SOLOMON OWL
Soaring Johnnie Green

When Johnnie Green was younger
it always scared him to hear Solomon
Owls deep-toned voice calling in the
woods after dark.
hoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo, to-
whoo-ah!" That weird cry was enough
to send Johnnie Green hurrying into
the farmhouse, though sometimes he
paused in the doorway to listen-espe'
cially if Solomon Owl happened to be
laughing. His "haw-haw-hoo-hoo,"
booming across the meadow on a
crisp fall evening, when the big vel
low moon hung over the fields of corn
shocks and pumpkins, sounded almost
as if Solomon were laughing at the
little boy he had frightened. There
was certainly mocking, jeering note
in his laughter.
Of course, as he grew older.J ohnnie
Green no longer shivered on hearing
Solomons rolling call. When Solo
mon laughed, Johnnie Green would
laugh, too. But Solomon Owl never
knew that, for often he was half a
mile from the farm buildings.
A "hoot OWL" Johnnie Green termed
him. And any one who heard Solo
mon hooting of an evening, or Just be-
fore sunrise, would have agreed that
it was a good name for him. But he
was really a barred owl, for he had
bars Of white across his feathers.
II you had happened to catch Solo
mon Owl resting among the thick
hemlocks near the foot Of Blue
Mountain, where he lived, you would
have thought that he looked strange
" like a human being. He had no
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
UNSELF1SH JOY

st. Paul Pioneer Press: The state
Of Alabama is leading that section OF
the sunny south in kicking up It's heels
in unrestrained JOY over the final set
Element of the selection Of Muscle
Shoals Chat is the way they spell it)
for the governments $60,000,O00 nitrate
plant The president signed the Dill,
sent the pen to the congressman most
prominent in engineering the deal and
Alabama is convulsed with jubilation
accordingly.
It might be different If there were the
least evidence that the joyousness grew
out of the feeling that Uncle Sam was
getting ready, on an immense scale, to
fix atmospheric nitrogen for joint pur-
posesof munition making and fertilizer
production. But there is no such evil
dence. The strictest search through the
printed expressions Of patriotic Ala
bamians and their neighbors leads tc
the conclusion that every whoop Of the
JOY is over the fact that the fabulous
sum Of $50, 5000 Of the public money
is to be spent in the sovereign state oil
Alabama Patriotism may be pardonet
for even freak expression. but this
seems more like a rejuvenated rebe
veil over a larger than usual grab a
the public purse.
How we do pour out the money il
these war expenditures! There was thu
armor plate plant which will mean {
similar cause for rejoicing for Yves
Virginia when $4,000, 900 or $4,000. 0ot
go into Charleston. The south is doint
quite we'll, thank you, with these grea
government enterprises: but 1t ha
been a long time since the south ha
occupied the saddle seat. Once it seem
ed understood that il the nitrate plan
went south, the armor plate establish
ment would go north. but the plan
were changed: and now Charleston
also gets one of the big powder factor
les Of the government and Tennessee
falls heir to the other.
There is no sense in being sectiona
in these affairs and we do not mean L
be- Other things being equal it matter
! little where these big institutions ar
located, so long as the purpose is full
served and there is no play of politics
But there is no escaping the amuse
ment Of the antics of Alabama and b.
| the same token there is no escaping tn
conclusion that if this great nitrat
plant had been located elsewhere an
Muscle Shoals disappointed. the Who'll
| state would have risen up and de
rounced the whole expenditure as
piece of needless and unjustifiable ex
tAxaGancA xAt -, d. ~ = 1noA
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
SOME VICTORIES

The following is from the De
Moines Capital:
The allies are in need of vic
tories. The collapse of Russia has
given great encouragement to
Germany But here are three vic
tories which might be won in the
United States:
Senator La Toilette can be ex-
PEELED from the United States SEN
ate, and that will be victory num-
Der one.
The congressional charter Of
the German-American alliance
could be repealed. That would be
victory number two.
The state of Wisconsin can
elect a genuine patriot to the
United States senate. That will
be victory number three.
These victories would inspire
the American people as no other
events could inspire them. But
these victories will not come
along unless the American people
are more awakened than they are
just now. It is apparent that the
country is settling back into
spirit of unconcern which charac-
terized conditions in 1916 and
1917.
A fourth victory that might be VOL
may be suggested here:
The Nonpartisan league could be ex
PEELED from Iowa by patriotic, cou1
ageous action on the part of the gov
ernor and the defense council o
which the editor of The Capital Il
chairman.
The spirit of unconcern" which
these constituted defenders of low;
have exhibited in the face of the Non
partisan leagues campaign and thei
failure to take the smalles
step toward discouraging the Dol
shevik invasion of Iowa by the sam
socialistic, ruinous forces which hay
done so much damage in Minnesot.
and North Dakota offer sufficient proc
of the accuracy of the closing sen
tence in The Capitals editorial. Pos
sibly that sentence was written as /;
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
WHEN oATHs DON'T COUNT
(From Wednesdays Daily.)

(From Wednesdays Daily)
The majority of the passengers
who got off the Rock Island passenger
| train arriving at Ottumwa last night
were bootleggers. Each was laden with
whisky, smuggled into the state and
into the city in open violation OF the
laws. Men and women who CHANGED
to be at the union station identified
the bootleggers easily. Some of them
are well known characters about town
who have had no legitimate means OF
support for many years.
OF course there was no effort on the
part Of city or county officials to ap-
prehend them. They could have been
arrested in body, with the evidence
| In their possession-some of 1t in their
persons.
Similar pilgrimages are Of common
occurrence. Railroad men and en-
ployes at the station know the boot
leggers and comment on their obvious
assurance that they will not meet any
police interference.
It does not require even modicum
Of ability as detectives to apprehend
these leeches who openly conduct a
lawless trade and proclaim themselves
enemies of their community, of their fel-
low citizens and Of their nation. 1t
does not require courage, even, to ar
rest and punish them. 1t requires
nothing but regard for official oaths
on the part Of the men who are sworn
to enforce the law.
But it does require just that.
While men who disregard their SOL
emn oaths are elected to office, the
voters must expect laws to be treated
with contempt.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
FLoRIs

Ira Conner moved into the property
vacated by Mr.. and Mrs. Ernst.
Mrs. Ida Wilkinson moved from her
farm Saturday to keep house for her
uncle, Wesley Thompson.
Warden Bolivar and family moved
this week into George McVeys prop
|erty.
Miss Clara Bell Of Eldon was an
over Sunday guest at the Mrs. Emma
Wilkinson home.
Ed ROUGH of Purcell, Kan, spent
from Saturday until Monday with his
parents Mr.. and Mrs. Jos. Rouch
Miss Olive McReynolds closed a
very successful term Of school at Dun
vile Friday.
Ed Parker left Monday for his home
at Hickory Creek, Mo-, after a sew
eral days visit at the home Of his
brother, DR.. w. w. Parker.
Mrs. Charles Harvard was an Of
tumwa visitor one day last week.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lands Greiner were
over Sunday visitors with relatives in
Ottumwa.
T. A. Wilcox moved Monday from
the D. w. Hastings farm to John Par
retts farm north Of town.
The ladies of the Christian church
will meet at the home of Mrs. Emma
Wilkinson on Thursday afternoon OF
this week, at which time refreshments
will be served. Everybody cordially
invited to be present.
The Spider Web club" will serve
war time supper for the benefit OF
the Red Cross in the basement of the
Baptist church Saturday evening,
March 9. Everybody especially in.
vited.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
LITTLE BENNY'S
NOTE BOOK
BY LEH PAPB
, >>>>>> o

was late for skool yestidday o.
account of not getting up wen I WA
called, and l wawked in about 10
minits after 9 trying to look as II I
was serprized at being late, and Mn
Kitty sed, Benny Potts, have you .
satisfacktry excuse?
Yes mann, sed.
Well then bring a note frum your
mother this afternoon or elts stay an
hour after skool, sed Miss Kitty.
Yes nam, sed. And wen I went
home for luntch asked ma to rita
me a note and ma sed, Ill do nuthfng
Of the kind, it was your own fault for
not getting up and it will do you good
to be kepp after skoo1.
Wat good will it do me? sed.
The matter is ended, sed ma. And
started to wawk back to skool and
I met Pubs Simkins. and we started
to wawk along together, and l sed,
Hay. Pubs. do me favor, will you.
rite me late Excuse and sine 1t Mre.
Potts.
Sure, got a peece Of paper? sed
Pubs. Wich felt in my pockets and
found peece, not being a very
eileen peece. and Pubs leaned it up
agenst wall and rote on it, Deer
Miss Kitty, Please ixcuze Benny foe
being late this morning as he he'd .
Site attack of Indigestion witch at
feckted his stummick, Respectively
| yours, Mrs. Potts.
Don't you think she will know the
diffrents? sed.
No, that's a peetch of note, sed
Pubs. And we kepp on going to
skool and gave Miss Kitty the note
and quick went to my sect vile she
was reeding it, and she sed, Benny
Potts.
| Nam? sed.
! You will stay 3 hours after skool
this afternoon, I have little werk
haff to do and shell be glad Of kun
piny, sed Miss Kitty.
So she must Of moo the di6r111a
N d1a.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
MAKING GOOD

Americas soldiers have had their
first experiences with the Germans and
have come through the test, as all
America knew they would, with a
record Of courage. bravery, resource
fulness and genuine Yankee grit.
They are true sons of their fathers,
these boys in khaki who have gone
across 5000 miles of ocean to defy a
veteran, well-trained army in a for.
eign land.
First a group Of American engineers
fought their way out of Gordon OF
Germans. Then Merle Hay and his
comrades battled to death and ia
deathless glory against overwhelming
numbers Of the enemy. Then scores
and hundreds OF Americans got into
the thick of the fighting, both as at
tackers and defenders, and their
bravery received unstinted praise and
formal acknowledgment from the
French. whose brilliant exploits in the
greatest of all wars has won the whole
worlds admiration.
We knew they would make good
but the assurance that they have
made doubly good is priced none the
less because 1t was expected. Theirs
are the spirit and the determination
which, when the two great forces
along either side of that far-flung bat
tie line shall come to grips for ulti
mate mastery of the field, will supply
the strength and the heroic manhoo:
for the decisive blow.
The struggle Of the giants is NOV
ing toward its final round. Perhap.
the decision will be postponed through
another interim Of winter inactivity
but before that time comes the super
ior morale of the Americans will tel
in favor of the forces of right And il
1919, when Old Glory floats in Europ,
over millions of khaki-clad fighter.
from The States. it will be the sigma
and the symbol of the knockout puncl
Which Will send militaxiam and autos
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
cOLLAPSIBLE RUSSIA

Russia's capacity for collapses
seems inexhaustible.
Early in the war the Russians gave
Germany and Austria a genuine scare
by obtaining running start and occu-
plying some of the enemy's eastern
|strongholds. Then the Russian Often
Isive collapsed, and the Teutons re-
claimed cities much more rapidly
than readers of war news could learn
to pronounce the names of the battle
fields.
! Then the government Of the ROM
anoffs collapsed, under the pressure
and enthusiasm of the revolutionists.
Since that time it has been dull
month that has failed to bring some
sort Of collapse in Russia. The prime
characteristic in each instance has
been that the collapse has carried
some advantage for Germany and
Prussianism and that despotism, mil
itarism and autocracy which the long
haired theorists Of Russia declare
they are fighting "to the death"
The bolsheviki, having made mess
of their efforts at government, made a
worse mess of their negotiations for
peace. Having voluntarily disbanded
the remnants of the Russian armies
and halted the manufacture of NUM-
lions, they set about the business of
arranging a peace with the one gov
eminent of all those in the world
which depends for its strength entire
ly on armed force.
| No one but socialist could have
possessed the child-like ingenious.
ness that distinguished the Lenine.
Trotzky combination at this stage OF
their collapsible career. They framed
set of high-sounding peace terms
glorying in their obvious inability To
enforce them, and when the German
war lords rejected them their authors
declared there could be no peace on
any other basis.
Then the practical, unimaginative
Hun began his systematic invasion oil
Russia and kept it up until the des
perate bolsheviki were ready to &C
cept peace on any terms to escape an
limitation. Indeed, today's dispatches
indicate that the invasion continues
despite Germany's agreement to hall
her armies when the Russians accept
ed her terms.
! or course, Germany's demands grew
more drastic as time went on. and tho
peace which the Leninists have &C
cepted contains every concession the
grasping, covetous German mint
could conceive.
The collapse OF the bolshevil
movement" in Russia will turn man!
of the jobless agitators toward Amer
lea, and it is high time now that Amer
lea should close her doors agains
such immigration. Many of the indi
viduals who have been holding mino
positions in the Ienine regime ar.
former American residents, like Trotz
ky. Naturally, they will think o
America when the German occupation
,of conquered Russia presents then
with the necessity of working as
means of avoiding starvation.
uniteA- States immigration OFFICIAL
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08

many's position is unanswerable argu'
|ment against any sort Of peace by
agreement or any other arrangement
for a cessation of hostilities which
could leave Germany in control of the
territory she holds today.
British socialists, as represented by
Arthur Henderson, propose early peace
on a basis of no annexations and no in
IDENTITIES, with federation Of nations
and a general disarmament thrown in.
They propose to obtain such an ar
rangement without prolonged fighting,
doubtless by the simple expedient of
informing the kaiser that nothing else
will do. This was tried by the boil
sheviki, but without success.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08

should adopt for their watchword the
declaration which the Italians made
when they set their heels in Latin soil
behind Venice and announced, "They
shall not pass" America has enough
bOlsheVism now.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08

Mamma-O, BERTHE, here you a1e
again all covered with mud from head
to foot
Bertram Tin tears)-It isn't my
fault. was walking on a plank when
Willie Meigs gave me push, and over
u went
Mamma-Well, what are you crying
so about? Is it painful to be covered
with mud?
Bertram-No, it amt; but l thought
that il came in laughing you would
whip me. i.
my DEAR" said the banker to his
only daughter. Il have noticed young
man in the drawing room two or three
evenings each week of late. What n
his occupation?"
He Is at present unemployed, faith
er," replied the fair girl. dreamy, far-
away look in her big, blue eyes, 'bak
he is thinking seriously Of accepting
position of Life companion Of yo,lna
lady Of means"
When you were In musical comedy
you we're known as Miss Tonsils. No1
you're in grand opera you are Madame
Tonsils. How's that?" quizzed tn
new interviewer.
TITS this way" was the explanatinR
'Now I'm welded to my art. Then
merely had q husband to support"
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08
DINNER STORIES

The children In the first grade were
asked to write composition, chouo-
ing their own subject. This was little.
Jimmy's piece: A chicken is vefyi
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-08

arge bird. 1t can't ny because It haD
SO many feathers. It has threa tpae
pointing to the east and one 10 tho
west. 1t has point on its face which
it eats with"
Evening journal., 1918-04-20
nGNa eT1n sCnnnI.

CHESTER, Pa. April 20,-when Prof.
George W. Gulden. principal OF the
Chester High school, and 800 students
assembled. they saw IN large letters OF
red on the big fence surrounding the
building the words. $1,000 wasted" and
representations OF skull aud cross bones.
The sketch was reproduced at several
places.
At one end Of tho athletic field the
dauber Of paint marked these words
This fence cost $1,000 and we're at
war" Further on was a red sign an
nouncing: 1--WE have no athletic field.
The fact that 1918" appears IN sew
eral places on the fence leads many "a
the conclusion that a member OF the
1918 class painted the inscription.
One year ggo a public subscription
campaign was conducted 10 obtain fund,
Tor q permanent athletic field Severa
thousand dollars was raised, but s, hal
not been spent.
Evening journal., 1918-04-20
Eat pOTATOEs-sAvE WHAT.

Is there anyone In Delaware who does
not know:
That there Is a big surplus OF poia-
tocsi
That the Southern crop viii soon add
30 the surplus3
That farmers were asked last sum-
mer 10 plant. and they dld1
That the surplus IS waiting custom
ers7
That potatoes Will take the place Of
wheat7
That unless our wheat goes % the
armies abroad the boys ia the lighting
line must try 70 win the war on empty
stomachs3
Europe does not need 10 share our po-
tatoes. They arc too bulky 20 ship Of
this time when ships must be saved
for troops and the most essential and
concentrated foods. Therefore the besl
form OF patriotism IS TO eat our bumpe'
crop and make Il help save wheat
Evening journal., 1918-04-20
Hiss N 'EbWAIN Wins
LIBERTY BOND ESSAY
MisS Mundy Second and
Miss Scott Third in Wo.
mems College Competition
MUCH INTEREST
AMONG STUDENTS
pecial to THE EVENING JOURNAL.


NEWARK. April 2O-The three stu
dents Of the Women's College who re.
Gently won prizes Of so. si5 and $40 in
Thrift Stamps for the best essays on
{ subjeot OF: "Why ! should buy a
lserty Bono have been awarded their
.Zos. There Is much general inter
y II the essays that won thess prizes
a7 Gb0us al1ty students competed In
Tee oontesi. Tht p7,ze winaera wore
Miss Dora McElwlln, fra; Miss Emily
unoy, second, end Misc Annie Scott
l.rd.
gao essay of Miss MoElwE!u. win
nr ci ttiN FIRST pTizn follow,
NY nanc % Miss Ay6yege Young Wom-
90 81 America end ln a few sentences
want TO tel you Wig must buy
e Bond today:
IN the first place. the paroaass Of
q Liberty Bono s. G 5000 FauUd in
r'gimenl. Uncle Sflo hsg toe heal Sc
ut1ty 10 the world l,g RESOURCES oud
dlt beggaT description. There h 10
.tttory in buying O dcegneUt stamped
With the United Stslas Ees, Payments
are arranged according 30 the c5nve-
nienco or the purchase. lrs.Rliments
can be made per week. per mouth per
three months. Ia short, ! eau pay whcI
and how much ] want 10. IL ] need the
ACTUAL cash. anybody or any bank will
be only too glad 10 buy my bond. The
rate Of interest appesls % me also, AS
per cent I wonder wha. rate OF IN
terest the Kaiser would charge II he
got q chance 10 mail his war bin 20
usl Bonds are Buy-wsys 90 Berlin
and ] want TO have a share IN The cost
Of that trip.
There Is a bigger. deeper reason than
mere investment securities 10 my buy
ing a Bond Lifo means liberty 60 me.
] know that millions Of earnest-heaIted
men and women ere In chains today be-
meath the tyrants foot. Their souls
are being squeezed out as We press
liquor from grapes-to tho .ast drop.
Each hour means fresh horrors. fresh
atrocities. No laws are reckOned as
such; God s forgot.en. Honor has
taken wings and flown. To be & woman
in a town captured by the Huns Is 20 be
IN hell This whole war Is q cursed
plot to enslsve the entire civilized
world. 70 make vassals Of men and
women who love their liberty as only
our Lord loved mankind. Liberty Is
a holy fervor that burns IN our hearts,
your heart and mine; 4 burns until It
scars. And I think. What II I-were in
Belgiumf in Servia7 in Polsnd3 in
Northern France3 Because I live In
America, am not a woman Just the
same and love liberty Just as much ?
buy a Liberty Bond to keep the Huns
from our shores and 70 free my sisters
across the sea from bondage, my sis
ters who have steadily kept the home
fires burning" Tor almost five years.