davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
KNOKE
WRITES AGAIN.
SAILOR Writes Brother From PhiIa-
delphia. Had Big Time There
When Peace Was Declared.
DON'T KNOW WHEN
HE WILL GET HOME
Don't Know What They Are Going to
do With the Sailors. Possibly go
Over to Take Soldiers Home
Philadelphia, Pa.
Nov. Is, 1918

Dear Brother:-Received your let
ter few moments ago at about 3:30.
Lester got the mail and asked him
If there was any for me, and he said
no and started to open it for just for
a Joke, and began to read down a
string, as / expected a letter, but
hardly from you yet. am fine and
dandy, so is the navy, because they
moved us in barracks again now
There isn't anybody in tents any
more. 1t was getting cold in the tents
not bad in bed, but when we get up
in the morning and sit around with
out any heat it was pretty cold. am
in a brand new barracks and am not
on guard anymore. They put us in
general detail. You know naturally
they wouldn't have use for many
armed guards in peace times. Thera
were about 600 A. G.. put in general
detail yesterday, all of Camp Sims
/ have no idea what they are going
to do with us now, kick us out, and
tell US to work for living, or have
us help get the soldiers across the
pond again. Well / guess it will only
be a few days before we find out. A
bunch left here yesterday and went
south and | also heard that bunch
went back to the lakes.
Talk about card games. By heck
Bowman beat me two games of pitch
the other night.
So Albert was gassed. That seems
to be what the Germans used lor.
I have heard of lot of fellows who
were gassed. You hayen't heard Of
anybody killed nave you, that ss ~
mean, that, you were acquainted
with? Yes l guess the, war is over
this time sure. They sure had time
in Philadelphia when it broke out the
first time. Up by the city hall near
the liberty statue there sure was 2
crowd. wasn't there, was on duty,
but l heard about it.
Hettern and Belle Hunter, coup
le of girls that am acquainted with
were there and they started walking,
and couldn't stop, they had to keep
going for about two blocks, so !
guess there was some crowd. | ex-
pect it will be while before every
thing is fixed up over there yet.
The school nam must have shook
the table when you wrote 1920. Ha.
Ha. Well / must close.
EDWIN r. KNOKE.
General Detail Barracks Ala,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
Ask Father If This Is True.

In these days of high cost Of living
the following story is not without a
decided point. ,ead s,s1
The teacher of primary class was
trying to show the children the diff
ference between natural and man
made wonders, and was finding it
hard.
What, she asked, do you think is
the most wonderful thing man ever
made?
A little girl, whose parents We're
obviously harassed by the question of
waysiand means, replied as solemniy
as the prorarbial judge:
A living for'.sis family.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11

Mistakes will happen, but the diff
ference between good man ana
poor one is that the good man Is al
ways on guard. /.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11

''Can yo~, beat it," asks the Burl-
ington Gagetts4. mr.. McAdoo resign
ed as secretary OF the treasury be-
carsS he coald not make a living.
and Mr.. Baruch\ is reluctant abopt
taking the job, because he has too
much money"
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
"Water Bucket Race y New Pas
time for Sailors

The navy department of the7ce-
mission on training camp activities
has devised a new sport for the sail
ors.
The water bucket race" is the
name of the new pastime. Every par
ticipant covers the course with buc-
ket half filled with water balanced On
his head. The man who finishes with
the most water in the bucket is the
winner.
Walter d. Powell, in charge OF
athletics in the Sixth district ct
Charleston, N. c., is the Inventor OF
this thrilling game.
Members of the commission de-
clare 1.-The race is invariably frausht
witn amusing accidents.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11

Some married people do not get
well enough acquainted with one an
other-others too we'll.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11

rifiemen wear device consisting OF
a pair of rifles crossed on wreath.
Tlie pistol experts badge is similar,
but ,smaller; it is pair of pistols
crossedon a wreath. The marksman's
badge is a plain bar. On the bars OF
all these medals the meaning OF
them is printedin good plain letters
-''marksman', expert rifieman,"
or whatever 1t may be.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
IOWA CORN YIELD
387,612,OOO BU.
Only 23 Million Short Last Year
Quality Better Than in 191.
KANSAS AND
MISSOURI SHORT
All Other Crops Fair Except Apples.
Pears and Grapes-Sorghum 80
Gallons Per Acre

Ihe November crop report for
Iowa issued by Frank S. Pinney,
Iowa field agent for the United
States Department Of Agriculture,
estimates the total yield of corn for
Iowa as SS7, 7,612,OO0 bushels, COM
pared with 410,700,00O last year
average of 365,013, 200 bushels. The
average yield per acre is SO bushels,
and the quality SO per cent. Through
out the United States the average
yield per acre is 24.2 bushels.
Northwestern Iowa produced about
an average yield of 42 bushels per
acre, north central Iowa 81 bushels,
northeastern Iowa AZ bushels, north
central Iowa 46 bushels, southwest
ern Iowa, AZ. Drought cut short the
crop in west central Iowa. Practical
ly all Iowa corn is fit to crib.
Potato Yield.
The average yield Of potatoes is
72 bushels per acre with a total
yield in this state of 9,64S.000 bush
els compared to 13,110,OOO bushels
last year, and ten year average of
11,24S,000 bushels. Statistics indi-
cate that 20 per cent of the Iowa po-
tato crop this year was grown for
market. Northwestern Iowa produced
about So bushels per acre, north CEN
tral SO, northeastern 100, west CEN
trail 45, central so, east central 20,
southwestern 80, south central so,
and southeastern 20. Prolonged
drought accounts for the low yield
in southwestern and southcentral
Iowa.
The average yield per acre of buck
wheat this year in Iowa is 10 bush,
els compared with ~ ebashell lat.
year. The ten year average is 15.4
bushels. @
The Apple Crop.
In the report on the apple crop
only that portion which enters into
commercial channels is considered.
A production of about 10 per cent
for Iowa is equivalent to about S3.-
60e barrels of commercial apples. A
freeze during the time apple trees
were in blossom and heavy hail
storm the latter part of May practi-
cally ruined the apple crop in south
western Iowa.
The yield, quality and production
of other crops follows:
Sweet potatoes, SO bushels per
acre, quality 80 per cent; flax seed,
IL bushels, quality 90 per cent;
clover seed, lao bushels, production
SIS per cent; pears, production 25
per cent, quality 80 per cent; grapes,
production so per cent, quality IS
per cent; sugar beets, condition 95
per cent; sorghum, 80 gallons per
acre. 5>
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
Writes His Parents Letter and
incidentally Tells Them to Send
Him Some Sweets as They
are Awfully Scarce Over
There
IN AN AMERICAN
ARTILLERY CAMP, NOW
Says They Made the Trip to Camp
in Two Days via Their Hob
Nails
Somewhere in France
Nov. 3, 1918

NON. u, IJlo
Dear Father and Mother:
Your good letters numbered 1, 2
and A came just the other day. You
have no idea how much good they
did me. Mail from home means more
to us than any other thing. AT the
same time / also received three let
ters from my family" | enjoyed
the clippings from the Line'O Type
immensely. When you write to me
put stick of gum in the envelope,
sweets of any kind are most awfully
scarce over here.
! am enclosing the mailing stick
er which you are to put on my
Christmas package. Full directions
are printed and so explicit that no
mistakes can be made. You can filk
my package with bars of sweet
chocolate and If there is any room
left, why, put in a couple of packages
OF Wrigley Spearmint. Sweets are
llOI " bc lSiC 1hu VIC tShio"e
really miss them. l won't ask you to
make candy, for, from the reports
we get, you people have less sugar
than We have, besides this letter may
not reach you until the 10Th. We are
no longer in the little French Villige
which ! described to you in a pre-
yious letter, but are now in an AM
erican artillery camp, the name
makea no difference and doubt
that l could spell it. We made the
trip here via hob nails in two days
and | did not have nearly as bad a
time as had anticfpated.sI UNDER
stand that we are to draw such parts
of equipment as are needed at this
camp. expect that while am here
that / may run across some one that
/ used to know. 1t would be strange
If j didn't in place that is as large
as this is.
The first night of our hike we
slept under shelter tents in a field
covered with real and green grass,
that made a regular bed. A drizzling
rain came down all might, but that
made us sleep all the better. Russell
and / bunked together as usual. l
don't know what l would do ii We
were not such good friends.
1t seems most awfully good to get
good American cigarettes and tobac-
co again. The French weed is an in
.yention of the devil. don't blame
the French soldiers for cumming
T.fags" from the Yanks. While we
were billeted in the village We were
issued little tobacco, but that did
not last long; hereafter | am always
going to carry reserve rations OF to-
bacco Write to me as often as you
can, both OF you. will answer your
htters when l can. That's alright
isnit? am still we'll and happy and
cohteAted,. and the Spanish fiu' has
not lhitNhe yet and don't think 1t
win Much love from
Your affectionate son,
Corp. ALLEN L. WELLS.
Battery d. 126 u s. F. A.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22

d ECENTLY letter came to us
IL that brought a concrete example
of world wide. age-old foolishness.
The writer, a girl was speaking of
Z young man.
He was teaching me to SWIM" she
said. and ! almost drowned"
To get a real man-siZed estimate of
the man who tries to teach a girl to
swim. or the girl who let's him. ask
the life-guard who patrols the beach.
have seen supreme scorn, but have
never seen supremer mingled feelings
than those of life.guard who had
Just put the boat up on the shore after
bringing in a couple who had been
engaged in a giggly sort of a swim.
ming lesson out beyond their depth.
Did you see those fools?" the guard
said. And that was all, but ii was
enough. We knew he did not say
more because the little one-act drama
out in the rolling surf was such an
old, old story.
CWIMMING is glorious thing.
~ And girl who knows how cannot
count her riches But-there Is inst
one way to learn and that is in a
couple of feet of calm water. where a
beginner can always put one foot on
the bottom in case of necessity. If q
young man is perfectly willing to
forego his own mornings swim in
deeper water, stick close to the shore
and patiently put a girl through her
strokes, all well and good. There is
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22

much spotted with mud I'll show
them my license if they say anything,
There was a high, wild scream. Lucy.
IN her attempt to keep up her umbrella
against the gale. had been rushing along
umbrella forward, and had bumped the
point Of IT into somebody's stomach.
claimed as she stepped hurriedly aside.
i really did not mean TO. i"
Her words ended in "A lit,le gasp Then
her head went up. and she started con-
fusedly to turn and hurry Her arm.
however, was held as in a wise.
Well, | say. grille. that was a pretty
little jab you Just gave me. ! thought
for minute some German had me stuck
for sure" low, deep voice said pleas
antly. and pair of laughing eyes look
ed down inlo hers.
Il cannot stop one minute. have to
catch that train, and II am going
away from here Lucy breathlessly fall
tered as she tried TO wriggle from his
grasp. But he pulled her gently toward
| nearby shelter. This was an old but
! tect people waiting for cars from the
rain and snow. One-half was for this
! purpose and the other half was inhab-
/ tied by the timekeeper.
II say. you're a bit obstinate today.
/ little one" laughed Chester Price, as
/ he gently pushed her inside the shelter.
II did not say you could take hold Of
my arm and take me in here" flashed
tap with aer boot
You did not need to tell me could"
| he said seriously. You are such a
silly child. Lucy; such a child. You
| are going 10 France. eh, and all TO avoid
me. Now. sh--your mother has told me
all about it. She must have guessed the
| trouble"
oh what did she tell?" whimpered
You hate me. don't you. Lncy? Tell
me you hate me-" he whispered play
fully.
There was no answer Lucy's head
had fallen on her breast and her fin
gers played neryously with the end OF
her coat.
Il did not mean to be cross with you
II | offerded you. viii you forgive me?
give you oh, Chester, ! thought you
did not love me; l." she burst into
tears and wept on his breast
II do love you, girl" he said, with
all my heart | love you" and their
lips met in a kiss. There never was
such girl :"
Il was going to become a Red Cross
nurse" she said, as she glanced aTchlS
at him, with twinkle in her moist
eyes.
"Yes. | know. Lucy. do you think
you wo~d ever make a capable Red
Gross nurse? Now, own up"
MONO" and her eyelashes fel
under his gaze, II guess / would only
be in the way OF the Red Cross" shs
add shyly, ana Chester Price held heI
close.
\ ur~. Av~osxp. Co>u aI~fr Nns,~l~<f~
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
MRS. ROWLAND was somewhat tC
I v,

MRS. ROWLAND was somewhat to
blame for Ruths attitude Mothers
are SO often wrong in bringing up their
girls TO do nothing. to have no definite
ambition. Mrs. Rowland was a gentle.
dependent woman. youthful-lool<ing and
little vain. Ruth was her lodestar
and nothing the girl ever did was wrong
Ruth knew well that II she confided her
fears TO her mother, Mrs. Rowland
would find way out. and that night at
dinner Ruth promptly brought up the
subject.
Mother. I've been thinking. and do
YOU know I don't believe am doing my
bit"
Bobby. he careful not to overturn
that glass of milk" Mrs. Rowland OBJ
served, an eye on her small son. Then
she turned to Ruth and smiled Her
very smile had something of ridcule in
It, What is it you think you ought to
do DEAR"
Serious work of some kind"
DO you want to do serious work."
NO. not particularly" confessed Ruth.
much happier if ! did Mother. do you
think we are taking the war too
'iCh,ly?"
You mean we women of the country.
or just our little family group"
Il mean here at home. Oh. mother:
don't want to be Stacker. but it's so
hard to really feel for the Belgian wom-
on when they are so far away. and when
things are going on so naturally here
at home Mother do you think | ought
to feel less happy? Do you think it's
wrong for me TO hate to give up my
pleasures?" Ruth had had it on the tip
of her tongue to ask if it were wrong
to hate to give Jack up. but she stopped
Just in time. Things had not reached
such a personal status between the
young people, that is as far as Mrs.
Rowland herself really knew.
"rt seems to me-" Ruth went on, that
the women who give up their husbands
and sons so easily have a quality that
I lack never knew | lacked it until
lust lately. mother. but do feel a diff
ference somehow. ] either notice things
that never did before or else there's
something ChanEeu ABOUT me.
IL don't think I'd worry if | were YOU,
dear If the time should ever come
when it would be necessary for you to
make sacrifices. don't think you would
regret having been happy and contented
as long as possible" Which advice was
very good advice and unusually canny
! for a mother who was not supposed tC
| read between the lines.
Later in the big. dim liVing-room
curled up in a corner of the davenport
| Ruth listened with wide eyes to Jacl
Bonds news The fact that he hat
something to tell her was obvious from
the moment he had arrived, and that h.
rather hated to come to the point wa
very pla in to be seen.
Jack. you're keeping something from
me-" Ruth said, finally, with feminin
! intuition.
Jack laughed unComfortably and the
hesitated for a moment
The girls face whitened as she waite
for him to speak.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
Shall She Marry or Wait?

Dear Cynthia-As am steady reader
of your paper and you have given others
advice, have come to you. | am young
girl eighteen years of age. considered
rather gcod-looking. have been much In
the company of young man one year
my senior since March. 1917. and ! love
him dearly and think he loves me. have
decided to marry him. His folks are salts
fed and everybody in my family Is tavorably
Inclined but my mother. She desires me 10
wait until the war Is over. What would you
advise me to do? UNDECIDED.
My dear you are very young and your
mother knows you better than i do.
There are very many things to consider
in the matter and, as you both are so
young, the reasons against stand out
more than those for entering into the
married state. You owe your mother
a certain amount of consideration in the
matter and had better listen carefully
to her reasons against it. If you feel
that you really cannot do without this
young man, marry him, but 1t would be
wiser for both to wait
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
THE YOUTHS WHO TEACH
THE GIRLS HOW TO SWIM
Nine Times Out of Ten They Take Their Pupils Out Beyond
Their DepthThere Are Plenty of Giggly Squeals but
u Dro,oning Is No Laughing Matter

no earthly reason why he should not
make good teacher. But most young
men are not willing to do this 1t is
big game they are after, and their
arms yearn for deeper water. Then.
too il is fun to have a girl splash
around out there, depending on your
manly strength. And so the invitation
oh, come on out here; | won't let
you drown"
The pity of IL is that young men
have let girls drown-not without a
great battle for their lives, of course.
But even expert swimmers are not
equipped with a knowledge of how
to save people from the water. This
is a science all in itself Lifesaving
is life.Suards job.
TT SEEMS such a pity that girl,
L however lighthearted and giggly
she may be about other matters. should
he giggly about something so vital.
She goes out beyond her depth when
all that stands between her and never
coming back is some youth who has no
more common sense than to allow her
to come out with him.
The girl who knows how to swim Is
very sensible in the water. She knows
her own limitations 1t is the girl
who has never taken the trouble to
learn that makes life miserable for
guards. 1t really behooves her 10
learn in a sane and sensible way. or
TO stand the opprohrium Of the 9TH
ers' and stick close to the shore.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
Neither Is Correct

Dear Cynthia--I am a young girl and
have not gone out much heretofore. l
would like to be informed which is more
proper. whether girl should take the
young mans arm or he take hers. Difer-
ent persons have conflicting views on this
matter. VIII you please answer this in
your helpful column of the EVENING PunIic
LEDGER B. II.
Don't be surprised when I tell you
there IL nothing to have conflicting views
about in the matter for neither is proper.
1t is considered bad form to let man
take your arm while walking with MN
and bad form for a woman to take a
mans arm. Only when the pavements
are slippery or woman Is lame and
needs support should mans arm be
taken and in that case the woman should
take his arm, not, the man hers.
Customs govern these matters, and
just as years ago it was considered cor
rect for a lady to take gentleman s
arm while out walking, now 1t Is con-
sidered very provincial and persons OF
good breeding do not do It,
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
Reyiyinq a Romance

Dear Cyntbls-I am girl twenty-five
years old and what you would call good
looking and from a very nice family. When
was but fifteen years o;d my aunt allowed
me to keep company with very smart
refined gentleman at the age OF seventeen
years. We went together two years and
learned to love him. when suddenly I told
the stage Ny friend did not seem to like
Il very much. but being so young and
aunt. did not see this friend ,fer Ave
other man man but but him went, back TO my
friend Of bis he had not seen for i've years.
of a girl he had fallen in love with. a Red
Gross t worker and from h sv very WTell-to-do
She then got angry. He teisphoned her ask;
for tonight. They aid, not ses one anothe,,
me that p'S he % has too m"cn pride to even even anu an.
Sone hS rs @ Sr Il sSe esG him
,hI, The phone he would hsnE up on her He
write me-; Ic said he would i T wanted
friend, friend 81, If S;s X9g were were in my place GO on
caring lot lnlS man NJ n .
would wait and see If the young man
writes to you. That will best prove
whether he cares to renew his friend
ship with you. Since he Is not engaged
to the other girl there is no reason why
YOU should not carry on correspond
ence with him. OF course, If ne has
given you the impression that he is truly
in love with the other girl and that it
is truly pride which keeps him from an
swering her letters. I would make W
my mind to forget him. Time will be
the best test. Let him make all the ad.
NanrnG
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-22
SURFABOUT BEADED BAGSTESTED RI
A MAID AND TWO MEN
The Story of the Girl Who Was Left Behind
By HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
ayes, they looked me over today

"Yes. they looked me over today ne
said lightly land found me wanting
| "Wanting?" And the color began 10
| come back to her face. wanting, what
! do you mean?"
ITS just technicality, but 1t counts
against me-" he went on. TheyNe
turned me down"
| "Then. that means yon won't go
across" Ruth said. slowly. "oh. Jack
! That "Oh, Jack'' spoke volumes, ana
the man leaned forward quickly and
| caught the slim hands that were lying
in her lap.
Then you don't mind?"
Mind. mind? why should ] mind?
It's nothing you can help. on, JACK,
perhaps it's wicked to say 1t, but I'm
glad. glad"
Ruth whispered the last words against
Jacks throat. At last he was certain
| that she cared.
"Of course. | wouldn't have kept you
home for anything" she said finally,
smiling through her tears and patting
| his check with one slim hand. She felt
an unspeakaGle relief, sensation OF Sc
| curity that since her conscience had be-
gun to prick she had ceased to feel. IL
| was almost as If Jack had been snatched
from the brink of the grave ana given
| over 10 her for safe-keeping, and the re-
action from worry and unrest was al
most too much for her But, Oh, jack
| she whispered, "how can any woman
who loves her man send him away to
! war;"
Ard Jack could not answer her that
question. Scott Raymond. with his
| hopes and his dreams. might have awak-
| ened another love in Ruth. love more
turbulent and less easily appeased,
love not quite so safe. Scott Raymond
might have been able to answer that
question of hers, too, and, having an
swered it. to bring peace to Ruth's heart.
But Jack Bonds love was all Ruth
wanted now; her doubts and her fears
| would have to be explained later when
Life and Fate and Experience had tried
, what they could do.