davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
ABOUT WEEDS. (By F. W. Barber)


 A common illustration familiar to all men refers to the man who causes two blades of grass to grow where one previously grew" as a benefactor of the race.
 This is true, and applies not only to the growing of grass, but to thousands of other things whereby the race is benefited. The illustra- tion is merely used to denote the fact that the man has added to the sum total of the comfort or pleasure of mankind.
 All of which is as it should be. The progressive spirits that by their la- bors and researches advance the race and add to the fruitfuIness of Moth CT Earth or any of her stores de- serve all the praise given them, and then some.
 But there are yet other benefactors of mankind to whom much credit is due, but whom we frequently over look
 What about the man who causes one weed to grow where formerly two grew? And we use this, too, merely in the sense of an illustra ton.
 Did you ever pause to consider that this old world has an abundance of resources? Ever realize that if the weeds of life were eradicated, this would be paradise? Can you appre- ciate the fact that if all the evil was eliminated there would be nothing but good left?
 Let us begin at home and start weeding out the noxious growths. Let's get the soil of our farm as clear of vicious and useless growths as we possibly can make it. Let this go on until the land literally bios. sons with fruitfulness.
 Then, let's begin on human kind While we are developing the human brain and skill until it seems there IS no limit to it's possibilities, let us search and see if there are not many habits and traits of character that can be topped of with a great benefit to the individual and the race.
 What about the weed of selfish. ness? This is a growth that dwarfs and stunts the human soul possibly more than all others. Who has moi seen the man, full of personal faults and failings, but whom his neighbor'
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
IMMENSE STORES NEEDED TO
 FEED MEN ON TRANSPORTS

An account of how soldiers are fed at sea is given in the daily newspaper published on transport:
 Outside of providing 21O,O0O meals at sea, the mess officers of the ship has very little to do. Very little.
 He Is only called upon to provide, by the regulations, different varieties of food. That's all. Ever try to or- der 1s0 different things to eat? Yet this is the authentic list.
 The food needed to feed several thousand men at sea ranges beyond the glutton's dreams. You get the answer in the ship down below the water line, where 7,290 loaves of bread have been baked in one day, and where you stumble over every variety (from 60,000 pounds of beef to lS2,00O eggs, or compartment of oriek ice cream in a f0-degrees- above zero vault.
 And if this doesn't suit, you can bump along into 49,324 pounds of po- tatoes, HOO pounds of ham and ba- con, 1900 pounds of sugar, 61, ,500 pounds of flour.
 If you can't get a meal out of this you can still fall back on 4,6O0 pounds of sausage, 3,400 pounds of sauer- kraut, 26,000 pounds of apples, l9, soc pounds of oranges, and 4,200 pounds of onions. And this leaves at least l,600 pounds of jam and 9,400 pounds of lime and navy beans"
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
cHEER IIp ANp Go To IT.

Now that the long-looked for rain has come, and the worst drcuth Polk county has suffered is broken, it be- hoves all the people to cheer up and plant as much fall garden and pas ture as the situation will allow,
 Polk county people can reasonably figure on 60 days before killing frost, with a possibility of fully 30 days more. And in the shortest period much can be grown that will keep food on the tables and flesh on the livestock the coming winter.
 For weeks past almost every mail has brought to The Star articles an the necessity of full gardens and pastures. They have told what to plant, how to plant and why to plan but what farce all this was when the earth was dusty from the top on down as far as blows or plant roots go.
 But it's different now. We have fair chance at as long growing season as is usual in some of ouI northern states, and it will be oui loss. and that of our country. if we fail to use it.
 This is the time to cheer up and plant seeds.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
EDMOND cAUGHRoN WRITES.
Believes Education Would Have Saved
 Him From Crime.

Edmond Caughron, serving a sen tence on the state farm at Tucker, writes The Star as follows:
 "To Friends and Loved Ones, and En- emies, if There Be Any:
 Il feel that owe my life and serv- ice to God, and wish to testify of His power to ease troubled mind and give us knowledge of right and wrong, if we will only heed His call. l would now really enjoy being in military service, marching to the front under the Stars and Stripes to fight for Justice. I almost suffered death, and it is easy when you feel that it is for good cause. hope that compulsory education will be en- forced to the limit. If I had only gotten reasonable education I don't believe I could have been pursuaded into such bad company. To those that prayed for me and offered words of comfort in my grief and remorse at such a great mistake, I wish to offer thanks-thanks that cannot be expressed in words. I hope they will find comfort in the scripture: 'Inas- much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethern, ye have done it unto me-
 ''I am spending life inside the pris- on walls, yet am happy-happy be- cause God so loved the world that he gave his only hegotten son that who- soever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life;' and the Son said; 'Whosoever will, let him come and drink Of the water of life freely
 With new resolution, to make my mistake warning to others that may be following my footsteps, l am sending this, hoping it will at least do no harm
 Edmond Caughron"
 Tucker, Ark, Aug. 8, 1918.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

You have heard a good many times that we spend billion dollars for drink. Is that not lot of money! :! Not many persons ever have at one time more than $2O0. Get better idea of this sum by comparison of what it will buy. Let us take the drink bill and compare it with other bills. It is three times as much as we spend to maintain our public schools. 1t is as much as we spend for bread and clothing. It is as much as is earned by all the trade unionists. It is the value of 535.600 workingmen's homes at $3,S00 each, It is twice the capital in all the national banks. It is one-tenth the value of all farm property, including land holdings, ma chinery and animals. It is almost as much as it costs to operate all our railroads. It is twice as much as it costs to run the federal government in times of peace. It is as much as we raised for the first Liberty loan. It is almost twice the value of all church property in the United States.
 What does this billion dollars buy for those who spend it for drink :? What does it buy for our country and the world. You all know what it buys mot single thing of value. Why not cutit out and buy that which builds up and does not pull down? Strength en America by prohibiting the traffic in alcohols.
 Some say "this is my personal iib- erty. If I poison my body I have the right, as well as to say what please and worship as please; this is liber- ty." Yes, we know that the first amendment to our constitution says: Congress shall make no law re- specting our established religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech CT of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and pe- tition the government for redress
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

idolized because he was big hearted and generous None deny his fail ings nor fail to depreciate them. It is simply that the great curse of selhshness has been eliminated from his life, and this overshadows all else. Beside him the little, narrow, selfish nature, whatever its other vir- tues maybe, assumes the propor- tions of dwarf.
 Then, there is the matter of charit- ableness. Who does not know the man of harsh judgment? Perhaps he has all the negative virtures and of the positive ones, too. His person al life may be faultless, but his harsh judgments of his neighbors obscure all these, and whereas his virtues should inspire respect and spectlove, in reality they inspire hatred and contempt. Contrast him with the faulty, though charit- able man, and he, too, suffers in com parison.
 We might go on ad infnitive, but mature in southern portions, nearly ties. Late corn deteriorated except the nothern half
 We might go on an infnitive. but 1t is not needed. Suffice it that there are many weeds in the human char acter that could be plucked out with benefit to the man and his fellows.
 Root out the weeds-then the grass will grow.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

of grievance" Yet in a democracy we cannot do as we please with our bodies. If we are conscripted into war service, we must go, notwith- standing that we insist that our be- lief is in peace and not in war. What does that belief amount to? The chief consideration in democracy is not in single individuals altogether, but the combination of individuals into organizations for different de- partments working for the good of all If each member of the powers, legislative, judicial and executive, are true to brother man they consider his rights, but brother man must sacri- fee rights and privileges also in or der to bring mankind into a com mon brotherhood, make ready the throne for the King of Peace and righteousness. Sacrifice drink with sugar, four and the fireside at home as our soldier-sons have done. Jesus left mother and home in order that that the kingdom of peace, right and good will be established. He, like our sons was young. His age for service was 30. He finished work in three years by shedding his blood for the saving of this world or it's countries. His mother shed as we do for our sons. Our flag, red, is like his blood; white, like his purity; the blue like the sky or veil that separates from mortal vision his spirits home.
 The world must reform and lose all likeness to evil. It viii take sacri- flee to get the true likeness of the new king on His way The old earth is passing away, A new era is dawn ing. Some new-loeks have been intro duced to forever bar the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Our mothers are awake to the necessity of being in- dustrious and helpful. Our sons are allied with the sons of other nations, striving for peace and right. All things work together for the good of those loving justice, peace and right.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Nations Against Germany.

In response to frequent inquiries we give herewith, in chronological order list of the nations that have de- clared war against Germany: Russia France, Belgium, Great Britain, Ser bia, Montenegro, Japan, Marine, Por- tugal, Italy, Rumania, the United States of America, Cuba, Panama, Greece, Siam, Liberia, China, Brazil Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti--a total of twen.y-two. Seven countries have severed diplomatic relations with Germany, as follows: Bolivia, Mic aragua, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica, Peru, Urguay, Honduras. Of the nine and twenty nations thus arrayed against the Hun, seventeen took their stand after April 6, 1917, when tie United States entered the war. All these, with the exception of China, Siam and Greece, are Latin-Ameri- can The virtual unanimity with which the republics of this hemis- phere, little and large, support democ- racy against dispotism. adds greatly to the moral power of that cause, and augurs happily for their future re- lations. The truth is there is world wlde unanimiiy of sentiment and con- viction in this war Only few lit- the nations remain neutral even iu name. The great body of civilization is embattled for defense against the barbarous Hun and his Bulgarian and Turkish hirelings.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
AMERICANS WARNED TO
 EXPECT HEAVY CASUALTIES
c. c. Lyon, Correspondent With Per shing's Army Says We Are to Un-
 derstand What War Means.

New York, Aug. 1.-As the casual ty lists grow heavier, day after day, America begins to understand better what the Great War means.
 The British army has had a com paratively quiet time of it lately, while the German offensive has been directed principally against the French, Americans and Italians around Chateau-Thierry, yet their casualties for the week ending July 26 were more than 12,000.
 America must prepare herself for heavy casualties. Our boys have been in the thick of the fight, and no army could hope to make the dashing charges that ours has without suffer- ing considerable loss.
 Smashing victories such as our American boys have recently won are not won haphazardly or by chance. They are won because the American soldier laughs at death, and has with in him something that causes him to push forward just a little further than caution would usually justify
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
DEMANDS"

From The Southwest American
 A HUN, president of the Bremen Cotton Exchange, has some "de- mands" to make upon the allies.
 He demands" certain concessions in the after-war disposition of raw materials produced by the allies.
 He demands" restoration of the tonnage that remains of the German shipping seized by the allies.
 He makes further demands" And he's doctor" which would ordin- arily indicate a man of more than half-baked intelligence.
 We are pleased to infofmed der Herr roktor that his bloody nation will never again be in a position to make demands" upon any country or group of powers.
 The words demand" and "com- mand" are to be banned in the Teuton tongue.
 Germany will not dictate in future she'll ask permission. She'll not set standards and make rules but will observe the one and obey the other.
 Her power will exist as materially and preteptibly as the eyebrows on a cIaml
 Sine is truly the outlaw nation, but the allied posse has her headed for the rockpile of reparation and atone ment. Already the handcuffs of Right arc on her gory wrists but the ball and chain of Might must be added to completely COW her-and that, is now being attached
 So, let the Herr Doktor take him. self to the madhouse where his ridic- ulous demands" will be in keeping with the temperature of his environ ment.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
VICTORY PIcKINGs.

The Huns are forced out of Fishes, great supply depot, and flooded Vesle river balks retreat. Majority killed, balance captured.
 Germans probably will withdraw to Chemin des Danes before making next stand
 Before evacuating Saponay the Germans tried desperately but vainly to remove several locomotives. Ger man dead and the ruins they had wrought are everywhere
 Three Russian grand dukes, among them Nicholas Nicholaivitch, once commander of the Russian armies, have been executed by the Bolsheviki, according to Moscow adviees.
 Italians give Austrians another setback, taking Hill No. ITS in sur prise attack.
 Washington believes the German armies in the Aisne- Marne salient have been dealt smashing blow and that the scope of the victory cannot yet be guaged.
 Bodies of Germans found in clus- ters beyond the range of the allied artillry indicate the severe punish ment that was inflicted on the flee ing columns by allied aviators.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
EIbert Lee Lawrenee Doing weI.

Ebert Lee Lawrence Doing Well. To The Star, Menu Ark.
 Dear Editor and Polk County Friends: Just few words to you all as l have nothing more comfort ing to my mind to do than to write to my friends, hoping this will find them all we'll and feeling good as do. have just read my last copy of The Star, which I received yester- day, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything. get so enthused read ing it that 1t is almost like being st home sitting on the prch l hope that the rains have visited Polk county be- fore now, for 1 am sure that the dry weather is reducing the crops.
 l noticed in the reclassifcation list in The Star that there were a few cases where the rgistrants were de- pendant instead of having depend ants. l guess that such as these will find the army life hard at first, but il will only be good for them The life has been a help to me. I know, for have only gained 21 pounds since T tfaFt btSH III tfit 0fltlNt ~Out | Ut- lieve that I have gained enough in weight until cool weather, for it ia awful hot and dry here now, for we go out on equitation most every day, and I get so hot and dry that I can hardly spit. So you see it is awful hot and dry here in Southwest Texas, but don't expect to find il so bad in good old Polk county when I get back there, and don't think it will be very long for the boys who are fighting under the Stars and Stripes are do- ing many wonderful things lover there"
 Wishing all good luck and good health, am. as ever, friend to all.
 Ebert Lee Lawrence,
 Reg. Tnfrmary, 306th Cav,
 Fort Clark Tex
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

there's another thing: When Kansas City or Little Rock, for instance, re- ports 100 degrees, that is the temper ature on the top of 10 to 20 story building. and at the same moment, on the street level below it from to 20 degrees hotter This Is not true of such observation points as Mena, where the instruments are within four feet of the ground.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
nun Perfidy Rears Fruit.

From The Fort smith Times Record.
 Hun Pcridy in Russia is bearing more fruit after it's kind" The as sassination, first of the German am bassador in Moscow, and now, tine assassination of the German com mander-in-chief at Kiev, are the natural results of the oppression i'm. posed upon the Russians by those who made with the Bolsheviki trait ors and lunatics a perfidious peace and followed that up with acts of out lawry and spoilation practiced upon helpless people. Germany's perfidy toward the Russians is going to have a reflex action that will prove ter ribly costly, ss well as disappointing to the coterie in Berlin practiced in all guile. That honesty pays" is go ing to be deeply impressed upon all the nations of the earth by the ghast- ly failure of Germany to make dis honesty the standard in individual national and international relations.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Big Packers Indicted on Relocating.

New York, Aug. 6.-Federal in- dictments were returned here today charging the Pennsylvania railroad. Armour & Co, Swift & Co.,, and the New Jersey City Stockyards Com. pany with conspiring to violate the federal statutes which prohibit the glvlng or accepting of rebates. The alleged offenses have to do with the routing of traffic.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Another s7 to cotto. Price.

New York, Aug. o.-Thers were sensational advances, amounting to H a bale, in the cotton market here again today, attributed to continued dry weather in the southwest and to reports that crop deterioration had inspired an active demand by British and continental trade interests.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Killed.

Mir. Vannatta is in Mena at the Dickson Hotel Anyone who has Johnson grass or Bermuda grass or any kind of tree or sprouts win find it to their interest to see him, as he has a guaranteed exterminator and wants ore or two live agents. See or phone me until August g
 Adv. 1S5-2t 32-1t
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
WE ARE wINNTNGl

How we do rejoice over the con tinued stories of the successes of our boys in France-our boys and our al- lies. the French and British, the Cana dians and Australians. Day by day we read of the driving back of the Huns, and of how they are defeated in the air and in the bloody hand-to- hand fighting.
 It is great!
 We have read so often of how the German hordes have driven the arm ies of freedom backward mile after mile; of the devastation of fair lands and the dissertation of all that is dear to civilized humanity-we know how THAT feels, even better than the thrills of victory.
 Of course we know these victories are but steps toward the end We must have many more-we must pay and pay-pay in life and wealth. in labor and sacrifice We must pay a big price the price of victory and of liberty.
 But thus far we have been merely taking back from the Huns the terri tory over which he has driven us.-- our allies-in months past. We have taken no new territory, and are vet Tar from that point. But somehow the hope arises that for the last time. m any great measure, have we been driven by the Huns. In his last effort ne was smitten hip and thigh. and now he is kept moving. and while maintaining orderly hetreat, is losing thousands of men and untold auanti. ties of supplies.
 / The American boys seem to have done mighty fine work. They have thrown their energy into the balance and teaching the Germans. leaders and the herds of fighters, that there is something new under the sun j., warfare
 But we must pay payi The casual " lists will come rolling in, and among them we will find names we know. It is the price.
 But victory is about 10 settle on eur banners-the Hun soon will ter rorize no more. His frightfulness is becoming each day moro of shadow and less of fact.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Preventing Hog Cholera.

Df j. II. Bux or Little Rock. rep resenting the U. S. Bureau of Animal ind,ustry, was here Wednesday to con suit with Dr. C. L. Baker. assistant state veterinarian. and Dr. H. R Setz, ID charge of tick eradication. Dr. bux' special line of work is the prevention of hog cholera, and he works in cooperation with the Stale Extension department.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
soLDIER BoYs FRoM ARKAN-
tBy A. T. Hamiter, vandervoort)

 The boys from Arkansaw
 Are crossing OCT the brine To help to win the war
 Upon the firing line. Patriotic they will be
 Through all the deadly fight; They have crossed the sea
 To the battle for the right. The nations flags their friend, The German flags their foe; Triumphant to the end
 They're stamping out the woe. The dearest homes they've left, In fairy land of roses; The burning bush they saw,
 Like old, faithful Moses. They're true to every call,
 They're brave in every deed These noble sons of toll
 Are just the boys we need. Enlisting with the rich,
 Then marching with the great Now brothers in the ditch,
 Defending ship of state. Their trust in God is great, The nations flag their pride; Their native lands the state That stands by the nations
 side.
 When battles have been done And peace in all the world, The victories have been won With freedoms flag unfurled. May it then be known
 And sung in all the lands That boys from Arkansaw
 Lent strong and sturdy hands. Trained by loving mothers
 To bear the victor's palm, They fought along with others And smote the tyrant down. They crushed the Kaiser's crown, They battered up his "stool," And forged from out the chaos A democratic rule.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
Swivel Chair Officers to Fiobt

Washington, Aug. 1.--All naval of- neers and enlisted men employed in the bureau of supplies and accounts. regulars and reservists, whose duties can be performed by civilians are to be released from shore duty to add To the navy's fighting strength, an order announced todav
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

The rain Wednesday is the heaviest that has fallen in Mena since April 15. From 1 a. m. to 1 D. m. the pre- cipitation was 1.O9 inches, more than twice as much as on any single day since he above date.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

Up in Kansas City recently the temperature dropped down to 106 In some places in Kansas it lowered around i09 and 1I5. Mena's 105 isn't the worst there is, especially with the breezes and fairly cool nights.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08

When your brain is dull and you cannot hold your own in a test of wit among your fellows, it means vour hVer IS torpid and your stomach and bowels full of bilious impurities. To prighten up your mental faculties and make you feel right, Pricklv Ash bltters IS the remedy you need. It clears the brain and braces the bodv
 FrIce $l.25 per bottle. Gunnels Druo Store and Jackson Drug & Furniture " spssisi @gssts Adv.
The Mena weekly star., 1918-08-08
British Schooner Sunk on Canada

Canadian Atlantic Port, Aug. G. The British schooner Gladys J. Hol- land has been sunk by German submarine. The crew landed today at a Novo Scotian town. They said the attack took place yesterday morning.