davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-24

Engineer Grove and farmers living
II JhaH Elathead country wanted
sTbo.oo0 this season Indians on the
reservation made such Il strenuous
fight against the reclamation program
however. that only tho teieEraphed in
dorsements of Governor Samuel v
Stewart, President J. NJ. Hamilton Of
Montana Agricultural college. Super
intendcnt Theodore Sharpe OF the In
dian reservation and others saved the
tlathead projects from abandonment
In the circumstances the Flathead
people feel themselves lucky 10 have
secured even one third of the appro~
priatton which tho engineers deemed
necessary. senator II. L. Myers and
Congressman John NJ. Evans have
announced that they viii continue
their efforts to secure the full ap-
preparation, with the support OF the
state Legislature" and the state council
of defense. both Of which have mo
inorlaliZed congress Ia behalf of tho
FIgtheud projects
Probable 1918 Work.
II congress adopts the committees
recommendation. the $685. 900 will be
expended OH extension Of main ditchcs
and latcrals on Camas prairie, in the
west end Of the reservation; In the
MoIeBe valley, in the northeast gee
I ton. and in TIT Post creek division,
which ~ In tho southeast corner Of
the reserve. These extensions will. II
Is estimated. add about 10000 acres
TO tho reclaimed area. Approximately
1900 acres Of this land win receive
water in 1918, Tho whDlr reclaimed
area viii then be $4,000 or 1000 acres
ia cHtcni M Of those Figures arr
estimated.
Storage Reservoirs Needed.
Complete irrigation of This area
/ will not liza rossibie uutn additional
! storage reservoirs have been built,
said Engineer Grove IN diacu-HuI,
/ the pTDbahl" Irugram for 1913 "Wiin
| f1athJp We Cnuld have constructed
! storage facilities in the hiila which
would have guaranteed an ample flow
! Of water in lJla. That w0gh mu4t
now wait . year."
Farmers Patriotic Last Yoar
The tarmcra OF the Flathcad couu-
! try uor" than doubled thaIr cEItt.
| vation area in 1917, but u long drouth
/ ruined the crop In many SECTIONS
This wear the state council If de-
| Tense. In order to encourage the Fiat
! head rancGera to plant another war
| crol, gave GnreAcrFed support to INC
! effort 10 secure @750.e30 aEpr0rri,
alton Objection was offered, however
! b. representatives Of what Superin-
| tendent Theodore Sharp later 60 lied
the disgruntiod class OF our Indians,
and made such plausible arguments hc.
/ Tore the senate committee on Indiar
! affairs thai Senator Myers anuuirccc
that abandonment Of the project was
inevitable. Governor Stewart, Priest,
dent Hamilton, Superintendent Shar,
and others wcnt al orce to the rescue
Of the project, and an appropri
alton OF $2a0Au0 WAS finally recon
mended by the committee
Construction of the Flathead lrojec
IL about half finished. II was be
! gun shortly after the opening of tn
reservation in 1903.
The hearings before the senate COR
q mittee while the Flathead appropr
s alton was under considerat ton deve
3 oped a near scandal. On cross exam
nation George WATSON, an Oregon
Evening star., 1918-03-31

I'm the entire annals of detective sci
ence, from the beginning OF the
world until now, there probably
q never has been another detective
like Shagbark Jones, the Mystery Man.
He never used disguise; he never
shadowed or trailed a criminal; he
never so much as looked like a detee-
tive. But, in spite of this, he won
reputation that extended up and down
the Mississippi valley from st. Paul to
st. Louis Many who read this will
recognize the portrait of the quaint, old
river tramp. philosopher and medicine
faker, and agree with me that he COM
bined, or combines. for he is still at
work, the most remarkable qualities of
simplicity and shrewdness, intelligence
and ignorance.
He is known as Shagbark Jones. and
you will find the name painted on the
sides of his big shantyboat Eurlpldes-
Shagbark pronounced it You re-a-fle-
Dees-which today is floating some
where on the Mississippi.
Three miles above the village of
White Clay the boat came to rest IN a
willow sheltered cove. and Black Pete,
the glossy brown negro crew, made her
fast to a clump of willows, clambered
aboard again. pushed the narrow land
Ing plank ashore and put ms head IN at
the door of the cabin.
Miss Allie, we done landed. he said.
Shagbark's daughter was putting
small paper wrapped cakes of lnfalllple
grease remover into worn valise.
.AIl right. Pete" she answered, and
the big negro Topped himself down on
the forward deck. turned on his stom-
ach in the strip of shade close to the
cabin and instantly began to snore.
In the cabin Shagbark Jones lay fat
l. Il 1lNssr din
sofa. smoking a corncob pipe His bare
arms ankles and the backs OF his hands
were hairy He was the hairtest man
in the Mississippi valley, and the lazlest
and the shrewdest and one of the best
natured. He raised his head and brush
cd the ashes from his beard
Il guess l won't be back afore dark,
dad" Allie said, swapping the clasp
all night somewheres. If l don't get
back tomorrow you have Orlando cut
up some more Infallible and wrap it.
There amt nothing else YOU want to
say afore l go?"
Already Shagbark knew of the MUIR
der at White Clay. News of tragedies
travels by water as rapidly as by land.
As the boat fioated down the river
Shagbark, fiat on his back on the caved-
in sofa. had mulled the matter in his
mind. Allie was going out now to look
over the ground. She was his legs and
his eyes; he was the solving brain.
No, ! guess I've said all I've got to
say Shagbark told her. Find out all
you can and get me a mind-picture of
things and folks, Allie. Take good keer
of yourself"
He dropped his head back on the sofa
again and crossed his bare feet COM
fortably. The Infallible grease re-
mover she carried in her satchel was
but blind. 1t was nothing but com
mon brown soap cut into cubes and
wrapped in a printed slip that pro-
claimed its ability to remove grease
Evening star., 1918-03-31
THE EXPLOITS OF SHAGBARK JONES BY Ellis Parker Baz

imposter listened. and the crowd held
its breath.
He says he don't know. no Jim Dun
ham," drawled Shagbark- He says Jim
Dunham never done nothin' to him.
Henry. what fetched you to White Clay,
anyhow" ".f'
The same silence.
HE says" drawled Shagbark, ~he'd
been doin' some house-robbin' up to
Tenersville and hid the stuff in a dead
kiln whilst waitin' for the thing to
quiet down. He says he hid II there
and some feller come and took il away
and left a note tellin' him to fetch some
money or he couldn't have the stun
back, SO he come to fetch the money.
He says that when he come, the feller
was in the dark in the kiln and when he
come inside, the feller shot him dead, so
he could have the money and the stun.
too,-What say, Henry? l didn't catch
that.
He listened and spoke again.
The kiln where L sgt up the brfckZ
That was the kiln. he says. That was
that. Henry; you was found dead there.
Now, Henry. where is the money you was
killed for?"
Mike Mullarky moved forward in the
crowd. His wife clutched him by the
arm, but he shook her of.
He says" Shagbark drawled, Henry
says it is in a wallet under the charred
wood on the floor of the kiln. Right
under the burnt WOOD ana all henryf
That's a funny place
mike Mullarky pushed forward.
Say" he said, whats the use listen
in to this nonsense? You all know "
amt so. Twenty of US an the sherin
himself scraped that floor with our
fingernails, almost, and there was
nothin' there. tell ye-
shut up. Mike" shouted some one.
Mike be stiIlr' cried his wife. She
was white with fear. She grasped her
a 4rga frcN
away. He pushed her aside. and his
foot struck the upright brick. 1t fell.
1t went hurtling over and over ana
struck the coffin, giving out a hollow
sound Mrs. Mullarky shrieked and
clapped her hands over her ears. She
sank to the ground at the grave eoge.
what say. Henry?" drawled Shag-
bark without emotion. You think
this here Mullarky is a mean cuss!
Muilarky pushed two men aside and
turned to go. i'-->-7.
Henry says" drawled the Mystery
Man, that any feller is a mean cuss
who would kill a man and then throw
a brick at him"
The leap through the crowd that Null
larky made, only to be grasped by
twenty hands. was proof enough that
the Mystery Man had solved another
mystery. Shagbark arose. He held
his hand high for silence. Every one
was on him.
This l say, he cried. the guilty
shall be found out! Remember thati
Remember it. and, ladies and gents,
remember that the grand musical en-
tertainment and anatomical lecture will
take place on the levee each afternoon
and evening at and Z pm. until
further notice"
The next moment the crowd was
rushing pelimell down the wood road
to find the indisputable evidence OF
Mike Mullarky's guilt under the char
red wood on the floor of the deserted
kiln.
Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspapsr
Syndicate.l
Evening star., 1918-03-31
Full of Resource.

A CONGRESSMAN said the other day
~ at a dinner:
Our American resourcefulness and
knack of getting things done is going
to shine out in this war. Look how
our commanding officers deal with the
French hotels that overcharge our SOL
diers! They post sentries at the door
to explain to our men that the place is
out of bounds That soon brings the
hotel to reason.
Were a resourceful nation. An
American girl in Paris once halted her
millionaire father before a jewelers.
shop in the Rue de la Paix and pointed
to tiara surmounted by coronet
Pa, buy me thatn she said.
Buy you that?' her father chuck
led. Why. grille, you've got to be q
duchess to wear that -
The girl tossed her head.
You buy it, she said TIL find the
duke"
Evening star., 1918-03-31

and again. arranging and rearranging
the pieces. For the first time in his life
he had found something that interested
him. Before morning he knew which
Of the men under suspicion were the
real criminals.
When next he learned of a crime
mystery he went up into the town him
self. He could do nothing.
The things he saw and the things he
heard became a clotted, indigestibIe
mass in his brain. He was muddIed
and fuddled; his mind went blind and
sick with it's load: of facts and clues,
and refused to, work. H9 moped for
three days, and then sent Alice into
the town. She returnedi and told him
nothing new, but told him the things
he already knew and hadS himself seen
In an hour he announced the solution.
1t was correct For%success Shagbark
required Alice'S eyes and memory and
tongue. She was the fact gatherer, he
the more than clever<brain. Each re-
quired the other.
Half an hour after Alice left the
houseboat shocking odor began max
ing itself apparent in the boat Or
lando, in the small kitchen at the rear
of the boat, was cooking up new
mess of Shagbark OIL the work in
which he took the greatest pride. Shag-
bark required the oil to be strong in
every detail. He argued that those who
bought Shagbark oil wanted to know
it was medicine-real medicine. They
could get ordinarily obnoxious drugs at
a store-castor oil, quinine, ipecac and
so on-but when they took Shagbark
oil they wanted to. know they Were TAX
ing Something. Shagbark shifted the
air and raised his, head.
'How's she taste, Orlando?" he drawl-
ed She smells dod-gallux fine, don't
she?"
She tastes like Samuel ]. Hades, that's
how she tastes,' piped the thin voice of
Orlando from the kitchen, exultantly,
she never tasted so Etur-nu-el j. Rot
ten since l been maxim her. She's
dandy this time, Shagbark, a Dan-u-el
Evening star., 1918-03-31

the assistance of the young fellow, his
son. Durham had never got on and
never would. He was one of the rum
sodden sort of drinkers; he was al
ways hard up; the night of the murder
he had been in the saloon most of the
time and did not come home until late.
The Dunhams lived in small house
at the down-river end of the village,
and below it was nothing but weedy
flats, except the deserted Mullarky kiln
on the opposite side of the road. a
quarter of a mile down river. Half a
mile or so below this the river formed
pond, weedy and grass grown. with
an inlet hundred feet wide.
She had not seen Jim Durham, be-
cause he had already been taken to the
county seat under arrest. The case
against him, while circumstantial, ap-
peared complete. At first he had only
reiterated that he had killed no one
and that he did not know who had kill
ed the stranger; later he had refused
to talk at all.
At night, Alice said, the big. stodgy
buffalo fish-carplike creatures-often
swan into the pond below the village
to feed on the grass and weeds, and on
the Friday evening when the murder
was done Jim Dunham had taken his
shotgun from it's rack in the kitchen,
saying he was going down to the pond
to shoot buffalo fish. 1t was sport
sometimes favored by the men and boys
of White Clay. This was before dusk.
He returned to the house between 10
and II, his face and hands scratched
and bleeding. and his rough clothes
torn. He was pale and somewhat weak
and did not have his gun.
Mrs. Dunham was still up. waiting
for her husband, and Jim told her a
story no one believed He said he had
gone down to the pond and found the
fish had not run in yet; so he had
thrown himself on the grass by the
road and waited, and waiting, had
fallen. asleep He did not know how
long he had slept, but he had awak-
ened suddenly and found his gun was
Evening star., 1918-03-31

gone. He had thought some one had
picked it up, either in malicious theft
or as joke, and had thought he might
overtake the fellow. He had started
toward the village on a run. 1t had
been dark, and forgetting that Null
larky had recently strung a barbed-
wire around his pottery field, he had
run full into the wire, scratching himself,
tearing his clothes; and the wire, re-
bounding, had thrown him back ward
SO that his head had struch a broken
jug. He showed his mother the raw
wound in his hair. He said the blow
had rendered him unconscious After
he had come to he had returned home
While he was telling his ma all
this" Alice said, Mrs. Mullarky came
over from her house next door"
She had face-ache and tooth ache
and had run over to see if Mrs. Dun
ham had any remedy at hand, because
Mike Mullarky was in bed and drunk
and wouldn't go down to the saloon for
a swig or two of whisky--her favorite
remedy in such cases. She heard Jim's
story-Mrs. Durham made him tell it
again. and she helped wash his wound
and bandage his head. Then she got the
nostrum she wanted and went home
Before noon next dav every one in
White Clay knew Jim Durham had lost
his gun and joked him about it. That
night Mike Mullarky found the body in
hams gun.
Inc ueau man was an absolute
stranger in White Clay. but Jim had
often made short visits in Tenersville,
the big town up the river, and it was
believed he had a girl there. The county
Sheriff was looking this up and believed
jealous rivalry was the motive for the
crime.
When Alice had finished her recital,
Shagbark sat looking at the bowl of
his pipe. turning it slowly in his hand.
Il got to find out three things, Allie" he
g1i n n lon l. Ii c
Jim Dunham's gun, and who was thu
man that was shot and who shot him.
What time was it they found the
body?'
Il was II o'clock at night-Saturday Y
night. Mike Mullarky found it,"
Shagbark closed his eyes. He rubbed
his hand over his face like a man who
is wiping away cobwebs. Then he
asked:
What time did this boys dad come
home Friday night? Was he drunk"
Mighty drunk. his wife says. 1t was
nigh 10 o'clock"
mighty late" mused Shag bark
That was mighty late for White
Clay. l reckon the saloon had closed.
II is almost 10 o'clock now, Allie: was
the saloon closed when you came by?"
CLOSED tight" she answered You
know how towns like White Clay are,
dad Everybody but the loafers get to
bed at or g.
Les, yes. saiu Shagbark, rubbing
his hand over his face again so, now
we know who killed the man, Allie. We
know that now"
DO, we dad?' she asked eas.e~;y.
why, dod- whillux it. Don't saw we
do?' he cried. "Qf course we know!
We amt blind. are we? And we know
he was killed with Jim Dunham's gun.
And Jim Durham was down below
town when his gun was took. He was
down below the kiln. So l reckon the
stranger was coming from that direc-
ton. The man that killed him was ex-
pecting him to come along and went,
Down there to get a first hook at him,
Evening star., 1918-03-31
An Appeal.
MAYOR HYLAN said in a Red

MAYOR HYLAN said in a Red Cross
3v9 appeal in New York:
Whatever we non-combatants can do
for our soldiers seems trifiing and futile
beside what these young heroes are do
ing for us.
Yes, the most generously contribute
ing non-combatant. when he's COM
pared with the fighting soldier, is a
good deal in the position of the lady
visitor at the base hospital
And so you've lost a legr the lady
visitor said to a young patient
Yes ma'am,' said he
Poor dear" said the visitor. Have
gumdrop""
Evening star., 1918-03-31

noon when he gifts hongry. He's get
tin his beauty sleep"
"Aw! go wake him up!' some one
cried. I'VE got a murder here. Can't
you see this womans most crazy?"
Orlando, reckon we burst wake him
up?" asked Pete.
He'll be the most Eturn-u-el ]. Mad
man you ever see in your life if you
do squeaked Orlando. 81 wouldn't
wake Shagbark up for all the money
in the Epluribus ]. Unum-no. sir"
Il will call him. said Alice.
She climbed into the small foredeck
and went inside. Black Pete and Or
lando followed her.
They jes' PLUMB crazy fo' you, boss"
said Black Pete to Shagbark. II never
see a gang so up an comm as what
they is Won't nothn' do but you come
out"
They're primed, Dad" said Alice
TIL tell 'em twenty bott1es-shall I?'
"Yup, Get the oil, Orlando drawled
Sharg ozark.
Alice went outside. She stood on the
edge of the deck
You know Shagbark don't care for
this mystery business. folks she said.
He hates it, it tires him out so. His
business is sellin' Shagbark oil. But
he says he'll see what the dead man
has to say if it don't interfere with
business. If he can sell somewhere
around twenty bottles of oil. dollar a
bottle, or six bottles for S5-'
Shagbark ambled out upon the deck
with Orlando following. Orlando car
ried the box of OIL
Now, folks Shagbark began. He
reached into the box and held up
bottle. Now. folks. this here Shag-
bark oil"
Forty hands reached for the bottle
As rapidly as Orlando could hand
them to him, Shagbark exchanged the
bottles of the vile concoction for sill
yer dollars. In five minutes the box
was empty.
Seems like you fellers ought to
tend to your, own troubles and let me
get my sleep OUT he drawled. You're
too plumb lazy; that's what ails you.
Where is this dead man you're maxim
such a fuss about?"
Come on; well show you!" they
cried.
Shagbark waved his hand at Or
lando, and the cook went inside. He
returned with an astrological chart
(for effec) and the dirty red-cotton
gown covered with stars and moons.
Black Pete slipped this over Shag-
barks head and drew it down. He
slid the landing plank ashore, and
Shagbark walked down it in state. Mrs.
Durham crowded close beside him and
led the way. 1t led through the village
and up the wood road to the top of-the
bluff. The mystery man mumbled to
himself. Now and then he stopped and
listened and then went on again. AS
the crowd turned from the levee into
the village he passed pile of COM
Evening star., 1918-03-31

]. Dandy! She tastes meaner than any
thing I ever tasted in all my Born-u-el
J. Days
On the stove second and smaller
kettle containing the liniment bubbled, but
this was more simple matter. The
liniment was in reality salve, put up
in small tin boxes, and. as it was for out
ward application only, it needed but to
look mean and raise more or less of a
blister. It's composition was simple:
Cooking lard, melted until liquid; five
drops of carbolic acid to give a healthy
odor; one pound of raw ground mustard
and enough common bluing to turn the
mess a sickly green.
1t was late that night when Alice re-
turned to the Euripides. She threw her
valise into a corner and dropped into a
chair.
Orlando. get me something to eat; I'm
hungry. Pete, get a pan of cool water
and wash my feet; they're all bruised up.
Listen. dad, It's big mystery they We
got at White Clay and some folks there
are praying you'll be along soon. Set up
and listen"
Shagbark raised himself to sitting
position on the sofa; and then. while the
giant negro knelt and bathed the girl S
feet with all the tenderness of woman,
Orlando set food on the table. AS Alice
ate. she talked.
Here's a photo of the feller they ar
rested, dad and I'll bet your boots he
mas mantel. She is a nice woman, but
the tired kind. She's sort of luny just
now over him being taken away. Her
husband drinks"
Shagbark studied the photograph
DO they know who the dead man is
YETI" he asked.
NO, they don't He's a mystery-no-
body ever saw him before. They found
him dead in a deserted pottery kiln. a
hole shot in his chest with a shotgun
The shotgun belonged to Jim Durham,
the feller l gave you the photo Of
NO papers or nothing on the dead
man. asked Shaebark.
Nothing like that" said Allie We'll.
l went to town and looked around and sold
two or three cakes of Infallible and then /
went to this Jim Dunhams house and got
his mother to talking. / said to her
'Shueks! your boy wouldn't kill nobody
he'll prove it, [ bet So she broke loose
talking and crying. l pumped her dry
Everybody thinks Jim Durham killed
the feller? asked Shagbark
Seems so. His dad does-or lets on he
does. His name is Mike. Now, let me tell
it my own way. You know what White
Clay is iike-a scraggly place under the
big bluff, with thirty or forty houses and
two stores and a saloon. All the houses
are on the side OF The road toward the
bluff. and on the other side between the
river ard the road, are the pottery kilns y
She described the deserted kiln in
"tiItll InS dS&iu uldH Il1u Deen IOunu.
1t was like brick beehive daubed
with clay, with an opening so low a
man would have to stoop down TO enter
it. On the floor were shards of pottery
and the ashes and cnarred remnants of
the last fire. Under these the body of
the dead man had been hidden
who found him. asked Shagbark.
"A man by name of Mite M Hasry,'' .
said Alice. 1T was his kiln. He hap
Eened to go into ii and found the dead
man"
She continued her story Mike Dun
ham, the father of Jim. was himself the
owner of a kiln, turning the pots and
crooks and jugs and burning them with
Evening star., 1918-03-31
Marriage.

S6M ONT sneer at the Chinese literati
~ and the ancient Chinese litera-
ture."
The speaker was Wu Ching Hsu, the
distinguished Chinese diplomat who re-
Gently spent some time in Washington
on special mission from his govern
ment. He continued:
Our ancient Chinese literature is
wise. Take. for example, one of its
epigrams on marriage. Could anything
be wiser than this epigram:
Marriage is like besieged city
those without all want to get in. and
those within all want to get out"