davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

newed, with violent language and
threats on the fathers part, she left
the room and started upstairs.
He pursued her, continuing the
quarrel, and something that she said
so .angered him hat he struck or
pushed her, causing her to step on a
pet cat which was at her skirts, so
that she fell down the stairs and broke
her neck.
The house remained untenanted up
to a few years ago, when 1t was con-
verified into office quarters for business
purposes, and put into thorough re-
pair throughout. This must have dis
couraged the ghosts, for nothing has
been heard of them since.
The White House Tenants
Where ghosts are concerned, the
most effective means of exorcism
seems to be substantial repairs. Thus
in former days the attic of the White
House was said to be haunted by the
phantom of President William Henry
Harrison. who died in the Executive
Mansion. 1t was then a lumber room,
used for the storage of discarded
pieces of furniture, trunks and mis-
cellaneous junk consisting largely OF
gifts contributed by patriotic but mis-
J guided citizens. All of this stuff was
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
simply pull up the ladder.
Zuni Life

The interior of the houses is
enough to drive a sanitary expert in
sane, for when the writer entered one
the family was at dinner. the food
being set out on the floor. There was
a beef steak in the center and a half
grown cat was helping herself to one
end of it while the family looked on.
Over in the corne in the fireplace a
woman was boiling bread in corn
husks while in another place a young
girl was grinding corn between stones.
Outside the door a woman was win
moving meal and offering pottery for
sale. The Zunis make excellent pot
terry but as few visitors come to the
pueblo they are compelled to sell 1t
to the traders. They also make beads
with a peculiar drill using coral, sea
shells and matrix turquoise. The inz
strument is a curious wooden affair
with a sharp nail at one end and is
whirled in the hand like a drill. Ger
tain of the Zunis are excellent silver
smiths and make much of the silver
jewelry, which finds its way to the
tourists at the big hotels along the
Santa Fe.
One OF the curious things noticed
are many eagles confined in odd look
ing plated cottonwood cages, passing
a miserable existence awaiting the
time when they shall be sacrificed
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

of two days. An altar vas set up in
honor of st. Joseph and decorated with
greens. Certain men and women of
the tribe dressed in costumes, danced
up and down in front of the altar to
the music of a tom tom, each of the
dances expressing thanks for a full
harvest. over in a little house near
by were the displays of sewing, pot
terry and basketry with the Indian
agents as judges. Over at Taos st.
Geronimo Day is always celebrated
on September 30th with dances, races
and games. Crowds of both Indians
and whites come from far and near
and the day is like a picnic.
Zuni Dances
In some of the other tribes, such
as the Zunis. there are rain dances
during which the dancers are sup
posed to pray for a cessation Of the
drought. The dancers come on the
plaza grooming as If in great pain.
and are almost naked with their
bodies painted purple or blue. They
wear brilliantly colored silk trousers
and moccasins in which matrix tur-
auoise are embedded. Their neck and
arms are covered with beads while
over their faces ire hideous masks.
One is known as the Mud Head and
his mask is most uncanny resembling
the head of a deformed wolf. He
walks at the side of the dancers and
beats a rattle. Another man beats
continuously on a curious shaped drum
while the leader of the procession
and sprinkles bits of 1T on each OF the
plazas. At the first sign of rain the
dancing ceases In the evening the
people of the Pueblo gather all kinds
of food together and the dancers throw
1t to the Indians who gather on the
housetops. Like the whites they are
always present when something is to
be given away and the entire Pueblo
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
70 5/2aNSNZCNG@
(@v2axw &R2Sw[ASc

turns out. A large number of melons,
rolls and corr boiled in the husk is
thrown to the people. who gather
about the plaza. Zuni is by far the
most interesting of all the Pueblos,
as these Indians a so many fra
ternities and each one has a special
dance. 1t would take an entire book
to describe these dances which are
interesting in many ways, but especial
ly to the student in Indian history.
The great Pueblo Is surrounded by a
fence made of sticks held together
with hardened mud or adobe, but
there are a number of entrances and
the visitor Is free to enter.
/ The Zuni pueblo is 40 miles from
Gallup and the trip can be made in
an auto. and the visitor may spend
the night with one Of the white trad
ers who lives just outside the reserva-
ton. There is a church on the plaza,
but 1t seems to be deserted for al
though there are missionaries nearby
and a fine Indian school only four
miles away one soon decides hal the
Zunis are confirmed pagans except
when it is to their interests to appear
Christians. The streets are filled with
disreputable looking stray dogs who
bark and snap at one with their nee
dle-like teeth and give the visitor a
decidedly uncomfortable time. This
is not only true of Zuni but Of all
pueblos Of the Southwest, and no res
ervation is complete without its stray
razor backed hogs, scrawny chickens,
- 1@-1 a
stiff club is useful where the stray
dogs are concerned and they will run
away yelping at the sight of it.
The entrance to the apartment is
made by ladders and the effect Of
these from a distance is like a wilder
ness of masts. The ladder is the only
means of entering the home. and when
the residents do not want visitors they
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

men there on permanent exhibition.
Guides point out the brass star set
in the floor to mark the location of
the seat of John Quincy Adams, who
"a member of Congress for nineteen
years after he relinquished the Presi-
dency) was suddenly taken i'll there.
and died in one of the rooms adjoining
the chamber. But visitors are more
interested in the weird acoustic effects,
the slightest whisper uttered (for in
stance) by a person standing on a GER
tain stone being clearly audible to an
other person standing on another stone
clear across the hall.
Imagine the same place in the gloom
of night. The white marble statues
Of great men, ranged around the walls
seem to g~esticulate with outstretched
arms and to point with ghostly fingers
Strange echoes respond to the slight
est sound.
But this is by no means all. The
footsteps of a person walking across
the hall at night, when all about is
silence, seem to be closely followed
by other footballs: and the latter. odd.
ly enough, appear to move just a lit
tie faster, as if on the point of over
taking. The individual thus pursued
instinctively looks around. but sees
nothing. 1t is a very curious phe-
nomenon, and has never been salts.
factorily explained.
One is at liberty to give credit or
not to the statement of a member OF
the Capitol police. who made formal
AFFIDAVIT that, on a certain occasion,
entering Statuary Hall at midnight, he
beheld the entire House of Represep'
tatives of 1S4S assembled as II for
law-making purposes phantom leg
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

ready to pick it up. The men grab
the snakes from a bag and do not
know the kin they are getting. TO
be sure there are publication rites in
the secret kivas the night before, and
the dance is preceded by the drinking
of an emetic by all of the Snake men
and by violent vomiting over the side
of the mesa after the dance is over.
The white visitor is rather glad to get
away, but he is always curious to
know why the Hopis are never bitten.
So far as known there has never been
a man to suffer, consequently 1t is sup
posed hat they have an a~ntidote, for
there is positively no attempt to ex.
tricate the fangs or in any way to
render the reptiles harmless.
The United States Government some
time ago refused to allow a moving
picture OF this dance to be shown. but
his seems to have whetted the ap-
petite of the average traveller to view
the ceremony and the crowds became
larger. so it nay be that this order will
be rescinded this year.
The Hopis are splendid basket max.
ers and Nampeyo, the most famous
maker OF pottery Is Oh tuO IlOpl lIlDe-
Her pottery is by far the best burned
and the most dainty in decoration and
naturally brings the best prices.
The Hops also do excellent weaving,
but their blankets do not compare
with those of the Navajo. who are
classed as a tribe of non-pueblo people.
There are any number of pueblo tribes
scattered through the Southwest, and
each and every one is worth a visit. The
only difficulty is that they live many
miles from the railroad and one must
travel over highways that could hard
ly be called roads, according to the
Eastern standard as to what constt-
tutes a road. In almost any month
of the year one may find ceremonies
given in honor of the patron saint OF
the pueblo. and therefore CLOSED over
with christianity, but about as un-
christian as it is possible to make
them. However. many of them may
be looked upon as dramatic weird
pageants with gorgeous coloring.
These pueblo people are unlike any
others in the world and their manners
and customs should interest he people
OF our land for 1t must be remen-
bered that these old tribes OF the
Southwest are "the original Ameri'
cans"
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
Van Ness Mansion

A few hundred yards to the south
west OF the White House there stood
only a few years ago the historic Van
Ness mansion, formerly the home of
Marcia. daughter of old Davy Burns,
whose farm covered a large part of
the land on which the City of Wash
ington Is now built.
Burns sold his farm to the Govern.
ment. after a quarrel with General
Washington that has become histor-
ical. His daughter, a beautiful girl,
chose from many suitors John p. Van
Ness, a Congressman from New York;
and it was she who, in 1926, built the
mansion. 1t cost $4,000, and was con-
sidered a marvel of luxury, the furni-
ture and even the m~antlepieces being
brought from Europe.
Marcia died there six years later.
During the latter half of the nine
tenth century the house, ~unoccupied,
fell into decay. 1t was given over to
the bat, the owl. and the spider; and
behind and beneath the bare walls
and floors ran the iconoclastic rat,
whose tooth, like hat of time, deveurs
all things soon or late. Naught re-
manned except a naked ruin, which.
as one might guess, was reputed to be
haunted. The ghost of the fair Mar
| cia. so people said, fitted about it al
night. carrying a spectral candle in
her hand.
Statuary Hall
The most famous of all haunted
places in Washington, however, is the
Did chamber Of the House of Repre-.
sentatives at the Capitol. 1t is familiar
enough to visiting strangers, being
known in these days as Statuary Hall,
because of the effigies of bygone states
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

thrown out when the house vas re-
built in the reign of the Roosevelts,
the space being converted into serv-
ants quarters, and the specter has
ceased to prowl.
The White House, however, still lays
claim to two other ghosts-one of
them that of a woman, wearing a cap
of antique pattern and a garment re-
sembling a lace shawl. h is sup
posed to be Abigail Adams, the first
mistress of the mansion, who took up
her residence there in the autumn of
1900. Not at midnight is she seen
las is ordinarily customary with
~spooks), u just before daybreak,
when she glides slowly along the wide
hallway which extends lengthwise
through the middle of the White
House. She always moves from west
to east, and. when she reaches the
closed double doors that give entrance
! to the East Room. she passes through
them as If they offered no obstacle.
and vanishes.
There are always watchmen on
guard at night in the White House,
and it is they who tell of the ghosts.
The other one is the spectral simula-
crum of Abraham Lincoln. which APP
/ pears to haunt the stairs that former
ly led from the first floor to the Execu-
tive business offices over the East Room
quarters which have been recon-
structed into bed rooms for guests.
The martyred President is never
seen elsewhere than on these stairs,
and invariably he is going up. 1t is
impossible to mistake the tall, awk-
ward figure and shambling gait. When
he reaches the top step, ne looks
around, smiles sadly. and disappears.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

INTERNATIONAL oynulcdLe.
! found in the great Southwest, and the
name has tenaciously chung to them
ever since. They are nominally Cath
olics, but they still cling to their
ancient feasts and signs and u gov
eminent has very wisely not in
tterferred with these dances on GER
tain days, which do no harm whatever
and preserve the early tradition of the
tribe.
Agricultural Fairs
For centuries they have made pot
terry and baskets, each tribe having
its own special style of pottery and
weaves of basketry. The men are
great sheep raisers and are agricul-
turists in general going out from the
Pueblos in the early morning and re-
turning at night. The women usually
make the pottery and baskets besides
keeping house and preparing food for
the men. The Indian agents ncou
age all kinds of work and there is
great rivalry among the tribes. For
The past three or four years they have
held agricultural fairs at the various
IPueblos where cattle, vegetables and
needle work, besides pottery and bas-
kets, are on exhibition and prizes are
awarded. They are generally held at
Ia time of the year during which a
feast day occurs. This gives the In
dams an opportunity to do some OF
their special dances and Is always
sure to draw large crowds. The In
dams come for many miles in the old
prairie schooner wagon and camp
along the way spending sometimes two
weeks in coming and going. Last
year one was held at Laguna during
the feast OF st. Joseph and the dances
given on the plaza were unique and
kept up during the entire afternoon
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23

CUpyrISHI, 10lo, LIT
UR great Southwest is a never
ending fund of interest and in
struction to the traveller who
" seeks knowledge Of the ways OF
the early Aberisines of our country.
In many places these Indians have
advanced in the arts of our civiliza-
ton so as to farm as we farm, using
the most improved agricultural imple-
ments for that purpose, yet, in many
respects. they cling to the old customs
of centuries ago and tribal dances
and tribal ceremonies are maintained
with all the trappings and ornaments
of long ago.. These dances are far
more interesting and attractive when
they depart from many of the harrow
ing details which must have char
acterized them in the olden days.
Undoubtedly the Indians of the
Southwest were the first apartment
house builders, for as far back as the
sixteenth century they lived in five
story adobe houses. many OF which
were large enough to give apartments
TO the entire tribe-each family having
from one to five rooms
AT Taos and Zuni, where the largest
Pueblos exist, upwards of a thousand
indians reside-at Taos in two apart
ments and at Zuni in one.
In the Hopi country there are V
eral; at Laguna there Is n and at
Acoma a huge Pueblo is built on the
Top of a rock about four hundred 1eet
Above the Painted Desert. They are
the most important of the many tribes
hho have these adobe apartment
houses in Arizona and New Mexico.
Name Spanish
The Spanish name PUEBLO" was
Implied by the co~nquistadores to the
Native village communities. which they
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
First and Largest Apartment House Builders The Fa'
nous Snake Dance Agricultural Fairs Popular.

Copyright, 1919, The International Syndicate.
Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-23
The National Capital Has
Some Real Spooks, At
Least So the Tales Run =
White House and Capitol
Both HOnOred.

G9 ~
HERE has never been in this
country a dwelling so authentic
ally haunted as the old Octagon
House, which still stands at the
corner of Seventeenth street and New
York avenue. in the city of Washing
ton.
This was the mansion, considered
rather magnificent in its day. which
was occupied by President Madison
and his wife, Dolly, as a temporary
residence after the White House was
burned by the British. in 1914. In
deed. as it turned out, the fair Dolly
was obliged to hold her court there
up to the end of her husbands term.
Built by a man of wealth, one Col.
Tayloe, it is very curiously planned,
its shape being that of an octagon,
while in the middle is a circular hall
into which all the rooms open. In
the rear is a large garden, Swallowed
by trees, with a brick building which
formerly served as quarters for slaves.
During the latter part of the last
century the house fell into wretched
disrepair, for the reason thai nobody
coulu De to occupy it, on
account of the ghosts alleged to haunt
it. There were strange and alarming
noises, voices and even shrieks heard
in the night. Ghostly faces were seen
at the windows, by people passing by,
and lights moving from window
to window, though the dwelling
was empty of human occupants, as
ascertained time and again by bold
policemen who ventured in to make
search for supposed intruders.
According to the stories told by
tenants who lived there for brief
periods, until frightened away. the
spectral phenomena seemed to have
a special connection with the stairs
winding around the circular hall.
Thence appeared to come the mysterf.
Gus voices in dead of night; and there
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
WET GROUND TO DELAY
TRANS-0CEAN FLIGHT

ST. JOHNS. n. f. April S.-Indica-
lions we're today that the Sopwith air
plano with which Harry q, Hawker
and Lieutenant Commander Mckenzie
Grieve. British aviators, plan to cross
the Atlantic, woAd not be able to start
on April s as planned, The ground in
the vicinity Of their hangar at Mount
Pearl, a few miles from this city, is
stu soaked from the winter snow and
early spring rains and several days Of
sunshine will be necessary before 1t is
dry enough for a machine to rum over it.
The airmen and their assistants were
busy today assembling their plane. Nffhe
fuselage was uncovered and made ready
for the reception OF the wings, which
have not yet been uncrated.
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
TYPHOID ABOUT ENDED.

The typhoid outbreak in Memphis
seems to have passed, as only two
deaths and four new cases were re-
ported Wednesday.
The city health department attributes
the sudden falling off in the number
of new casas to the general antityphoid
vaccination. The small number OF
deaths that have occurred so far is
attributed to the mild form OF the dis
&lse, . majority Of the cases being OF
[tta paratyphoid type
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
VICTIM
SENT TO HOSPITAL

Jack Howell, young lumberman, %
North Third street, was not aware he
was a highwaylnan's victim shortly be-
fore | O'Clock Thursday morning until
he was passing an alley opposite the
New Lyric theater on Madison ave-
nue.. Before Howell could pull back a
negro. emerged from the shadows with
a knife draw back in his other hand.
Hand me over yoh money right
now growled the negro, supplement-
resisted and was badly cut and then
robbed OF $53. He was sem to the
hospital and the negro escaped.
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
DANIELS AT ROME,

ROME, April S.-Secretary Daniels
arrived here yesterday and was met by
American AMBASSADOR Thomas Nelson
Page and Vice admiral Delbono, Italian
minister of marine, He will remain
here until Monday and will confer with
Italian authorities on Italy's after-the-
war problems, particularly coal tonnage.
He will be a guest at dinner at the resi-
dence of Ambassador Page today. and
Vice admiral Delbono will give a dinner
In his honor Friday. Secretary Daniels
will go to Naples Monday, remaining
there only n or two days. 1t is prob
able he will leave for Venice Wednesday
next,
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
MEMPHIS DOCTORS WILL
ATTEND STATE SESSION

More than a score of Memphis ply
sllclans expect to attend the annual SEES
sions of the Tennessee State Medical
society. which viii be held in Nash
vile, April 8, 9 and 10. More thar a
score OF papers on various topics will
be read by physicians from West Ten.
nessee, the bulk of which will be pre-
scented by Memphis doctors. The meet
ing 10 the 6Sth annual convention OF
the association.
banquet will be featured the sec
ond night. More than half a hundred
topics OF technical nature will be pre-
scented during The three days. Many of
who have just returned from service
abroad.
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
Thin PEOPLE
or MEMPHIS

Bitro- Phosphate should give you a
small, steady increase OF firm. healthy
flesh each day. 1t supplies an essen
tial substance TO the brain and nerves
IN the active form In winch 1t normally
occurs in the living cells of the body,
Bitro-Phosphate replaces nerve waste
and creates new strength and energy,
Sold by Washhurn- Lyle in Memphis
and ali good druggists under definite
guarantee Of results or money back.
adv.
The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-03
SAYS JAPANESE
CANNOT SECURE
MEXICAN LAND
Gen. Aguirre Definitely AS
Serts Nation viii Not Per-
NIT laps to Acquire Hold
lngS in Lower California,

MhAlCo CITY, April 3. Blythe As.
soelated Press. Tin Lower California
mere are various foreign enterprises.
among which are one or two Japanese
70 "hieh have been given concessions
TOT the exploitation of certain na+,,r,,
'~eSouFces IN various places. but mona NJ
'neih mas been permitted. nor viii ho
permitted, to acquire tracts pf 1ond -
S"use the constitution prohibits this
"ltely' Is a statement made NV
zen Amado Aguirre, under-secretarv
Vi a~sFlcuiture and development,
for Naturahy there has been a resneot
which 1e compahlesR holding CONCESSIONS
WhlGh nave always Compiled with tbs
r ropnani OF their contracts, but some
Land 'I non among them the Mexico
tracts nullified for NOT baving o ~
p1eu WIN all their provisions, These
concessions will be duly and laaaIT,
n~quldated. Those interests which 6avss
aree holdlngs will be Obliged 10 divide
imam $500 acres" 9'e" hiore
zen Aguirre declared the government
naa NOT and would not allow foreign in
teIests 10 obtain lands in Lower Cali
lorna and pointed out that article xxvii
OF the constitution prohibits FOREIGNERS
rom holdlng lands within so miles of A
an9n'ier ana ~ miles of a seacoast. He
sald that under these provisions IA
cause of the geographical situation of
lower California it would be virtually
impossible for foreign interests 10 se-
cure any considerable tract, even in the
interior, because of the narrowness of
the peninsula. -
Regarding concessions held by for
GlEnHrE tha TYnAnN-
that among those holding fishing rights
were both Japanese and Norwegians,
put he made it plain that no foreign in
terests held rights to land along the
coasts. ~
Discussing a purported interview with |
nm on March 20, Gen, Aguirre denied
It's accuracy. In taking up this inter.
view at length it was pointed out that
u was stated that Concessions were
ully authorized, but the provisions of
the constitution" which, he said, alb |
solutely robbed the first sentence
stating Japanese corporations have
been granted concessions to exploit ag-
ricultural lands in Lower California of
any meaning. He said that this would
cause alarm, since the geographical con-
figuration of Lower California inc con-
stitutional provisions regarding zones
barred to foreigners absolutely pro-
hibited large holdings.
"Ine undef-Secretafy declared, now
ever, that the dispatch was incorrect in
that the only concessions granted were
five-year permits to conduct fishing
operations, which permits allow no land
or port holdings. Gen. Aguirre stated
that when asked regarding the reported
concessions by George T. Summerlin,
ad interim charge at the American en-
bassy here, he informed the American
diplomat of the facts substantially as
given in his statement quote above.
- |
HABITUAL CONSTIPATION CURED
IN IA TO 81 DAYS.
"LAX-FOS WITH PEPSIN'' is a spe-
cially-prepared Syrup Tonic-Laxative
for Habitual Constipation. 1t relieves
promptly but should be taken regularly
for IA to Il days to induce regular ac-
tinn II Stimulates and RnrulatAs Naru