davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
DUE TO WAR EMERGENCY, BUT
OWNERSHIP IS THE END
The Government Finance Plan Cannot
Result In Less Than Ownership,
According to Many LeadIng
Railroad Financiers

The most gigantic railroad manipula
tion that the world ever witnessed wa
put on foot by recent act of congress
by which the president was authorized
to take over the railroads of the coun
try during the continuance Of the war
The railroads were taken over by the
government Friday at noon.
Secretary OF the Treasury W. G.
McAadoe,' was chosen as director gen.
eral of the combined railroads of the
country. He Immediately drafted
four of the leading railroad men of the
nation and directed them to formulate
plans for uDifying the roads into one
complete system.
The railroad mileage of the country
amounts to 250. QUO miles and the plan
now is to subserve everything to the
immediate interests OF the war. The
board chosen by Mr.. McAdoo has rec
anmended to deny non-essential COM
modities the right of transportation
until such time az the unification of
the roads will enable them t. handle
II without obstructing war tsatije.
1t il understood that q plan Of flnanc-
ing is to be put into use by the gov
ernment that will enable the bonds OF
railroads to be offered to the people
on much the same plan as the Liberty
Bonds. 1t is the plan for the govern
lnent to furnish necessary funds for
equipment and improvments and offer
the bonds to the people with the same
assurance of security as an investment
as the Liberty Bonds. Both the rail-
roads and government leaders claim
that such a course will of necessity
compl,cate matters to such an extent
that final ownership by the govern
ment IS the only outcome.
The railroads have refused the re
euest of the tralnmen for 40 percent
increase in pay and will leave the
whole matter to be handled by the gov
ernment.
1t mas been suggested that one of
the reasons for the government taking
over the roads is to get rid of the
threatened labor trouble. 1t is under.
stood that in the event the trainmen
attempt to strike they will be conscrlp-
ted lust as soldiers are now and thus
the trains will be kept moving.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
'SO4etR FOUND DEAD
BAD WOUND ON THE HEAD AND
NECK WAS BROKEN.
BODY Had Laid Near Railroad Four Days
When Found.--PilIer Rich, Celiaa,
Had Been Discharged for
mental Deficiency"

Friday morning the body of Piller
Rich, Hged 26 years, Cslina, was found
Geaa one mile west OF Creston by the
section men of the Tennessee Ceatral.
Coroner E. B. Jones held an lnque st
and the jury returned a verdict of,
death by unknown cause. The re-
mains were brought to town and pre-
cared for interrment by Bilbrey IL
Philips and shipped to Livingston.
There is considerable mystery con.
nected with the death OF Private Pill
er Rich as 1T is very evident that
! robbery was not the cause of death for
$45 81 cents in cash were found on the
body. On the body were found dis
charge papers showing that he had
been honorably discharged from Camp
Jackson, Columbia, S. G., December
II for "mental deficiency /"
On the body were soldiers shoes ana &
shirt, but the remainder OF the cloth
ing was of q very cheap civilian garb.
no overcoat. A severe scalp wound
had been inflicted on the right side of
the head and a bad cut lower down.
The scalp wound was so severe that q
portion of toe scalp half the size of q
ltha ia.' as;,,i bad been torn loose frcr'
1t seems evident that the body had
been lying where found since early
Monday morning before, for the sect
ion men found a pale blue civilian hat,
with a conductors check, bearing five
punch holes, stuck under the hat band.
At the time the hat was found little
attention was paid to 1t as it was sup
posed that some passenger had lost his
hat out the car window. When the body
was found Friday morning it was 60
yards from where the hat was found.
the head, one hand and shoulder under
water and one hand out, in stream
that ran by the side of the grade. No
hat was near the body when found,
DR.. v. l. Lewis, company physician
for the Tennessee Central railroad,
made an examination OF the body and
found that in addition to the, two
wounds mentioned, the neck was
broken. 1t seemed clear from the po-
sition Of the body that death would
have resulted from drowning had the
neck not been broken.
1t seems that the unfortunate man
was riding IN the coach with two other
men, but when or how he lef. the
coach no one seems to know.
The cause of death very kelly never
will become generally known for it
robbery was at the bottom of 1T the
criminals completely Gov cred their
tracks by leaving on the body the
money that they did.
The remains were brought to town
and turned over to Bilbrey & Phillips
and by them placed in casket and
shipped to Livingston IN response to
a telephone request OF brother of
the dead man to be taken to the home
Of the father. L. A. Rich, Celina.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
EARTHQUAKES.

Eighty per cent of Guatemala City,
Capital OF Guatemala, Central Amer
lea, was destroyed last week by an
earthquake. The buildings there are
all one story because OF earthquakes
and on the first rumble or movement
the people rush from their homes to
the open. The buildings are manly
OF sundrled bricks and wreck easily,
but are not costly to rebuild.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02

The working hours Utclerks IN the
Interior Department Building at WASH
ington have been changed TO run from
8:45 to 4:15 instead of 9 to go. to re-
lieve congestion IN street railway cars
Of the over. crowded capital.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
BLEDSOE-OAVIS.

Mr. Walter BledsOe and Miss Nettie
Davis we're quietly married on Deeem.
Der 3. Rev. Underwood officiating.
The bride and groom are now at the.
Bledsoe home but Will soon 60 to-
housekeeping. Their many friends
with for them long and happy we'd
ded life.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
MANY AUTOS.

The state II buying $4,000 automo-
bile plates for this year.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
SAVE COAL.

January 20 has beer designated as
the day when every coal shovel in the
country is to be tagged with the words !:
"Save that shovel of coal day for
Uncle Sam
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
DEPUTY COLLECTOR.

c. g. Black, who recently resigned
az clerk of the Chancery court here,
has been appointed deputy collector Of
Mternal revenue. with headquarters at
Nashville. HIS duties will take hin
away from home much Of the time.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
HALIFAX DISASTER

In the Halifax disaster of few
weeks ago. there were 1,500 killed.
1000 seriously injured, 1000 rendered
homeless and the property loss was
80, 000, 00O.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02
WEATHER FORECAST,

Snow about Thursday and again at
end OF week. No decided temperature
changes last half of week.
Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-01-02

The heaviest food contracts In the
history of the world have been let rec
emily to Ia of the great packing houses
Of the United States.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
Putting Idlers to Work.

Chicasha, Okla. has found way to help relieve
the labor shortage the farms in that locality. 1t
is possible that the method might be pursued
here with some degree of success, although the local
state employment bureau reports that 1t has more
applicants for farm jobs than it has farm jobs to
FILL and it is also true, no doubt, that the human
material used in the Chicasha plan probably is better
here
The farm demonstration agent in Grady county,
of which Chcasha is the seat arranged with the
chief police and the judge of the city court to give
and iders arraigned. The county agent promised to
use his best efforts to secure Job for every
who expressed a willingness to go to work farm.
Transient Migrants and local idlers alike, were
hesitant in deciding. Given a choice of Jail the
county road of hard farm work at fair they
became enthusiastic "back-to-the-fa farm" advocates
The county agent has an arrangement whereby
the city and county authorities feed these until
they placed farms. And that usually, is very
quickly The agent is in touch with farm labor needs
promising material without delay In day during
the last harvest season he furnished farmers with
SO men, and upon several occasions has furnished
so to IS farm workers in day. These men are
wages agreed upon They leave if they desire
But there is thing they can not do-remain 10
Chickasha, Okla and not work
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

Women to be taken on as rural route mail
carriers all over the country as a war emergency
measure according to information given in the Of
fee of the fourth assistant postmaster general
James L Blakeslee. The first examination to which
will be eligible will take place on April o. in
all sections where there are vacancies and where
men carriers unattainable
This is the first time since 1911 that women have
been eligible for such posts except in rare cases as
substitutes. Previous to that time the service was
opened to them for short time but while their work
satisfactory climatic conditions in the northwest
were such to make it inadvisable to use them gen
orally, and the privilege of examination was denied
them.
There are now in the rural route service 200
women carriers, followers from those early examf-
nations According to the fourth assistant postmas-
ter general who has charge of rural routes their
services have been quite satisfactory and in opening
the field again women his Office looks for crafty
ing results.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
Americas Opportunity to Help.

Every true American must regret that troops
~ the United States are not able TO take more
prominent part in resisting the German drive
though is particularly to blame because we
are not better prepared. 1t requires years not
months TO organize nation war basis, and this
is true under all forms government 1t is felt that
the turning point of the is at hand-a period
when all the vast issues at stake hang in the balance
If America could make her full weight felt
there would be the slightest question of the out
come The decision would be reached much more
quickly and that would saving of perhaps
hundreds of thousands lives and billions of
dollars in treasure mention all the added suf-
fering which a further drawing out of the conflict
involves
The United States is vet ready to employ more
than small fraction of its physical strength against
the enemy. it throw the weight of its fnan-
cal resources into the scale and thus indirectly but
no less surely, help to win the ultimate decision
Yesterday while the guns were pounding in the
greatest struggle the amount and interest
for the third Liberty loan fixed at Washington
and the machinery was set in motion for a drive of
a scope much more vast than the Germans now
conducting in France.
Three billions is the mark set for the loan
and the will be four and onehaf per cent.
It is hoped the amount will be greatly over
subscribed thus showing in terms which the world
will understand that the American people united
and determined to see the thing through, whatever
the cost. The over-subscription will be accepted.
Thus the American people are invited to go far
they wish. The extent to which the loan is over
subscribed will be taken both at home and abroad
as an indication of the earnestness of the national
purpose
In announcing the loan Secretary McAdoo de-
clared that the great happening in
France must fire the soul of every American with
determination to furnish all the dollars and all
the material resources of America that are needed
put end to the execrable atrocities of German
militarism."
Defeat faces the kaiser" he declared Let us
hasten it by asserting Americas mightwth increased
vgor in concert with gallant comrades. I
that the people will respond the third Liberty
loan with the loyalty and enthusiasm that
characterized their support of the first loans"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

decided upon the writing and publication of a COM
pete history the most important achievement pos
sible in honor of the centennial With the coopera-
ton of President Edmund ], James of the University
Of Illinois. who at that time was q member of the
commission a plan for the gathering OF historical
data, the writing of the books and their publication
was determined upon and Professor Alvord was
selected as the editor. The plan outlined and
the details carried out by the publications commit
OF the centennial commission OF which Profess
sor Evarts Of the university is chair
The volumes are of about 13O, 900 words each and
they have been prepared with eye to literary
merits well to historical accuracy.
The wonderful story of Illinois is told it
has been told before and Illinosians will
read it.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
State History in Print.

All six volumes of the Centennial history of Hi
will be off the press within few months
the Illinois centennial commission announces. This
work will be of the great memorials in honor of
the centennial OF the state is being published for
free distribution Libraries and departments
and second edition for sale at actual cost will be
printed from the plates Immediately after the
edition is off the press,
The history is being written by professors of the
University of Illinois the direction of Profess
sor Clarence WaIworth Alyord The preliminary
volume, illinois in 1918" by Scion Justus Buck,
issued last year. The plates have been turned
over a publisher and this book is already obtain
able at cost. Forthcoming volumes follows:
The District and Territory, 167S-1S1S" by Clar-
Walworth Alvord.
The Frontier State. 1s1S-1s4S." by Theodore C.
Pease
The Era Of Transition, 1S4s-1s7O." by Arthur c.
Cole
Tie Industrial State, 187o-1ssS" by Ernest L.
Bogsrt and Charles NJ Thompson
The Modern Commonwealth, 1ss3-1s1s" by
Ernest L. Bogart and John NJ. Mathews
Historians have for years lamented the fact that
there Is no authentic source TO which they can
go for history Illinois. There are a great many
books Illinois history but theE deal with various
phases Of history the field inadequsteiy.
under the actof the Fortyeghth general assembly it
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
TWENTY YEARS AGO.

Millions of dollars were undis-
covered and congress spent whole
afternoons cutting down appropria-
tions for Mud Greek from 500 to
$69575.
Hotels had a bill of fare" and
the menu" with the prices marked
opposite the article was almost IN
known.
All up-to-date young men hal
livery bills"
The butcher threw in a CHUNK
Of liver
Jules Verne had a monopoly on
the submarine.
Cantaloupes were PLAN musk
melons.
Nobody wore white shoes AMI
palm beach suits were in the al
paca stage"
Cream was cents pint and
milk cents a quart. Bacteria
had just taken it's first sip of the
tactical product. and pasteprizatIon
was unheard Of
A sane Fourth of July" had new
er been mentioned.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
Concerning Something Else.

A beach, lying in a great arc OF
glowing Wilderness, bordered of
frothy waves. Beyond the deep,
deep blue of the sea stretching far
away to meet the lighter blue OF
the sky. Palms, theiE lazy heads
hanging in the tropic day; above
the dense dark verdure beneath.
A few houses sleeping. g.
Native huts. And over all the
Great Silence.
Comes churning through the tur-
quoise sea a steamer. Rusty it is,
and laden of the 9dor of coffee, and
of oil, and of the strange rich
smell of the tropics. Dart hither
and thither in it's tumbled wake the
dorsal fins of sharks.
A puff of white steam against the
sky. It's distant whistle. A
boat puts off from shore; another.
The sleeping town yawns,
opens it's eyes, stretches.
The steamer draws nearer. With
propeller reversing it comes to a
slothful stop. A rope ladder is
thrown over the side.
A few words of Spanish yelled
by a disheveled officer at the occu-
pant of one of the boats brings it
alongside. There comes to the rail
a passenger to be debarked He
clutches closely a little oId-fash-
Toned valise- n Aided by help
ing hands. he gihgerly and uncer-
tainly embarks upon the rope lad
der and is aided/into the boat wait
ing there beneath.
footing once again, the steamer
gathers Roadway and slides away
over the turquoise sea. The boat,
with its passenger, is padded to
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

If anyone doubts the unity of purpose of the peo-
pose OF the people Rock Island in connection with
this war let him make some pro-German comment in
connection with discussion of from the front
and loud enough for people about him to hear What
will happen will be enough to convince him, what
his private convictions may be before trying the
experiment. An individual standing in front of
bulletin board the other day showed of dis
erection in the indicated and later he decided
he lucky to get away with nc broken bones
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
In Which Our Hero Begins To
Learn Something, and, Goodness
knows, It's About Time.

Ten minutes have elapsed.
Fresh from the bath, with his
hair still wet, our hero energies
again upon the scene. Attired he
is. and immaculate, and completely
dressed save in one respect.
He has no shoes.
Disdaining our heroine complete
lv. he crosses the room to the bed
side. He looks beneath the bed.
No shoes are there.
To the closet he makes his proud
way. A search reveals only the
absence of foot gear.
With cold dignity he gazes about
the room, even on the mantel,
where once, after a misty evening
but never mind about that now
, No shoes there. No shoes any
where.
Our heroine looks up from her
magazine.
Are you looking for anything"
she asks sweetly-
He eyed her chilly
IF it's your shoes you're hunt
ing for" she continues, Il just
threw them out of the window.
l told you I'd try to think of some
thing" she goes on. Il did. 1t
was that"
Our hero again starts to mutter;
again thinks better of it,. Seat
ing himself on the edge of the bed,
he surveys our heroine whitening
ly.
Il suppose he remarks bitingly,
you think that's funny"
She shakes her beautiful head.
Not very" she returns. But it
was the best l could do in hurry"
Il can't go out without any
shoes on" he continues.
Exactly what I figured" she re-
turns.
n might as we'll be back in bed,
where | was" he declares.
Il wish you were" she says.
Then | could throw your clothes
out, too"
'What?" he cries.
Isn't it strange" she goes on,
that one never thinks of things
until too late"
You're doing quite well enough
as it is" he opines darkly.
You really think SOP she cries
dppl
"Too-eh-blamed WE'LL" he an
swers. He turns.
What are you going to do?" she
queries.
Order breakfast" he replies.
Il wouldn't if l were you," she
advises.
why not?" he demands.
Because, she returns slowly, 81
locked the door and threw the key
out the window. too"
You did," he exclaims.
She is silent.
You locked yourself in here with
me and threw the key away?' he
asks slowly.
Yes, she says quietly.
He eyes her for a long moment.
you are taking a great deal for
granted" he says at length.
+ She shakes her beautiful head.
Not much" she replies. When
one has been through what l have
- And I can always kill myself"
She says II quite simply. He
doesn't believe. of course. He
doesn't know know. as we know.
how, when one sees much of death
one learns so much of life. =
And yet, looking into her eyes. he
becomes not quite SO sure.
Il could" he did not finish.
She mods.
Yes" she says but | still
think YOU are enough of a man to
be satisfied with robbing me-"
Slowly he sits down on the bed
edge. Long and earnestly he
looks at her. How much there
Is in those eyes of hers, ( Until now
he has not noticed But as he
looks. there opens out TO him vast
recesses. The eyes are the win
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

BILL Schmacht, the high mogul
of the composing room, tells US
that one of his lady neighbors COM
planned to him about the fact that
she now had to pay more for her
paper than formerly, and wanted
to know the why of it, With his
usual business acumen, Bill replied
that she was now getting a larger
paper than she used to, there being
eight columns instead of seven. rs
that so,' gasped the lady neighbor,
well l hadn't noticed that before,
although l had wondered why the
paper wouldn't fit under my gas
stove like it used to-"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

FROM the former contributor to
this hunk o. bunk, c. T. r., we re-
ceive a letter stating that every
thing in Fort Worth, Texas, where
he is now located. is very summer
ish. Fruit trees. and flowers in
bloom, and everything. Immedi-
ately after consuming that vivid
description OF the southern climate
We were confronted with a news
item announcing a big snow storm
IN Texas. Well. what would you
think? So did we,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

April promises to go down in American history
as an anniversary second only to July and equally
worthy of being observed with patriotic exercises
One week from Saturday will be the first ami
versary Of entrance into the world war for de-
mocracy and humanity If you have no flag to fly
that date it not too early now to get one Show
your colors
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
IN THE Upper STRATA.

One young man approaches an
other:
Gimme a cigaret"
Other young man complies, hand
ing out his package.
"Huh,-Nebos? o.
NO. those are Pail Malls, I just
carry 'em in that package TO ap-
pear common"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

PRIVATE William ]. Compiler,
who is stationed at an army camp
in New York recently learned that
he had inherited $1,000 from q
rich uncle. Upon Sreceiving the
glad news he stated that all he
wanted was a wife. The eastern
papers printed the fact and as
result Private Comphers is being
swamped with perfumed letters.
carrying matrimonial offers. The
youth is bit bewildered by the
number of the offers. -. He says he
admits having said he wanted a
wife but he didn't want 4 harem. !
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26
ing results

The blasphemous wretch at the head of the Ger
man nation photographed the empress from the west
ern battle front, the Lord gracousy aided US"
This from the military ally worker and side part
OF the unspeakahle suItanthe relentless foe Of
Christianity.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

Don't be in too much of a hurry to blame some
ones carelessness when you broken glass on the
sidewalk street. Like not its presence merely
shows the best of intentions on the part Of some
sober individual who has not yet mastered the knack
of getting strsngle hold the neck of a milk
hottie
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

It isn't hard TO guess why they call it "sneeze"
gas whep/e learn that the scientific for it is
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. And without doubt the world
outside of Germany would like to the originator
of it given a maximum dose of his own medicine
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

Begin now" urges the Illinois Council of De-
Tense, ito store coal for next year" Good idea,
albeit doing so may up the overhead Of the do
mestic establishment considerably. for the buyer
will be obliged to figure in interest the invest
ment.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-26

A FRIEND of ours who knows
about such things declares that the
present affair on the western front
and particularly the bombardment
of Paris, is the biggest shell
game" ever reported.