davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1919-08-31

wages. Now you agree to pay me s65.
Therefore, you have known right along
that was worth more to you than $40.
Consequently, / quit"
There were other changes, due to
"restlessness," but always for the bet
ter. In no instance did restlessness
cause the youthful Raritan .adventurer
to take a step backward. The fire in
surance business was booming and all
of the companies were prospecting.
More companies, indeed. were needed.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen-and so he shall
be called from this point onward, in
asmuch as he Is about to become an
organizer and n capitalist-saw the
need as soon as anybody.
BY his foresight and by his laborI in
which latter field he was helped by a
friend and former schoomate, the
Manufacturers Lloyds was founded.
1t consisted of twenty-one underwrit-
ers, each of whom paid in $1,000. In
the cases of Mr.. Frelinghuysen and
his friend the money was borrowed.
Here, then, begins the constructive
and brilliant career of Joseph s. FIRE.
linghuysen as n creator and consolida-
tor of fire insurance corporations. His
capital, It should not be forgotten
was 1,00O-borrowed The twenty one
men. grouped together, made money
from the start. =. They gained CONTROL
one by one, of other companies, the
Globe, after a battle being their ear
lest acquisition.
This latter corporation has a surplus
to-day of nearly 100000 and assets
to the value of $32,0OO,O00. Mr.. FIRE.
linghuysen's interest in the company is
very large. Also he owns substantial
interests in n number of other similar
enterprises. When he took up politics,
however, he retired from the active
management of these organizations.
Politics always had an attraction
for me-" he said, land ! was pleased
when elected to the Senate of New
Jersey. over which body | was twice
president Our school laws and school
system were in tumble of confusion
and undertook the work of improv-
ing the situations New laws placed
our school system on a sound basis.
That done, was made president of
our State board of education.
Il have always lived on a farm and
now have $50 cattle. The daily pro-
duction of my dairy is 1000 quarts of
certified milk. 1 Joined the grange
years ago. For a long time I have
been president of the New Jersey
Board OF Agriculture.
my acquaintance. therefore. covers
the whole State. When l decided to
be a candidate for the national Senate
at once sent tiers to our 2k00 Re-
publican city and county committee
men. l told them of my decision One
hundred and nineteen of them sent me
replies that were satisfactory. I had
known all along that the organization,
as it was called. would oppose my
nomination.
Let the people decide was my
The sun., 1919-08-31
By JAMES B. MORROW.

r TAVING grown specially wise by
practice. although scarcely 10
= = years old, Joseph Sherman
Frellnghuysen did not answer the adj
vertisement by letter. He went him.
self.
Wanted" the newspaper notice
read, ian office boy of good character.
Cigarette smokers need not apply.
Address box 3o3s. city post Office"
Wearing his new ulster, the story
Of which will be told later, Joseph g.
Frellnshuysen. blue eyed. blond haired
and having the short nose that Ia
commonly the symbol of courage, ap-
peared at tho delivery window OF the
New York post office promptly at Z
o'clock the same morning.
"who," he inquired OF the man he
found there. "has box 303s2"
"The rules" answered the man.
prohibit me from answering your
question"
Whereupon the youthful Joseph
Frelinghuysen crossed the street and
purchased two five cent cigars. Re-
turning to the post office and holding
the cigars so that they were visible
he remarked, pleasantly and conf
IDENTIFY, as was natural to him then,
as It is now: who, did you say, has
box SOSS?"
1.-THE Continental Insurance Com
pany." replied the man, concurrently
with the act of transferring the gra-
tuity to an upper pocket in his vest.
Soon thereafter ]. S. Frelinghuysen
entered the Office of the insurance COM
pany in lower Broadway. He was met
by a dark complexioned parsonage,
wearing black clothes, whose dignity
of manner and gravity Of countenance
caused the unsophisticated Joseph to
mistake him for the proprietor,
whereas he was only the janitor and
a mulatto in the bargain.
There were preliminaries toward
negotiations which were stopped when
the ianitor said: Mr.. Moore, the
president, is the man you must see."
So Joseph Frelinghuysen sat down
on a bench and watched the door for
a matter of two hours. You adver-
tised for an office boy" he said, when
Mr.. Moore came in.
How do you know" asked Mr..
Moore, whose face was austere and
whose eyes were cold.
II was so informed at the post
Office" the shrewd but guileless youth
replied.
Lesson in Geography.
Mr.. Moore appeared surprised. He
took the boy into his own room, how
ever. "How," he asked, and his words
were quick and sharp, would you
find tire greatest common denomi-
nator?" Joseph told him. And how
would you find the least common null
tiple?" And Joseph told him that also.
where is Jacksonville"
"In Illinois," Joseph answered.
The sun., 1919-08-31

The only breach De Forest had COM
mitted since let out was his failure to
report to his parole agent regularly.
However, technically this is a viola
ton of parole and prisoner can be
taken up for 1t.
The officials told De Forest the
prison was quarantined for an cpl
demic of diphtheria inside the walls
and that there was an embargo against
any more prisoners coming in. I'm
not afraid of that" he remarked. He
tried TO persuade the warden to admit
him. but owing to the ban he couldn't
The officials told De Forest, however,
If he insisted upon being recommitted,
that he could go to the village lookup
In Ossining and put up there over
night. Then If he didn't change his
mind he could return to the prison
the next day and guard would be as
signed to take him to Auburn prison.
De Forest didn't seem to be particular
about which prison received him so
long as he could find accommodations.
SO after night In the lookup he
walked back to Sing Sing, got an es-
cort and left for Auburn. Last heard
from, he was still soJourning there.
or the many odd happenings at Sing
Sing nothing is more strange than the
story or William Shipsey, known as
1.-The man who came back" The old
love for Sing Sing overcame him flf-
teen years after he escaped, so he ap-
peared at the prison entrance on the
morning of May 8. 1888.
On September 5. 1873, Shipsey with
Henry Lee, chronic Jail breaker, and
William Riley leaped aboard a south
bound Hudson River Railroad freight
train and escaped. Detective jackson,
who had been IN the prison serving
only few months. knew the trio and
he flashed an alarm out over the prison
telegraph wires which he operated.
For years Jackson, who made it his
business TO see that convicts stayed
In Sing Sing until the State told them
they might go or else hunted them II
they escaped, kept up search for
Shipsey until he was forgotten.
When Principal Keeper James Con-
naughton greeted the stranger he ex-
planned that he was once a prisoner
there but had run away. Il am tired
The sun., 1919-08-31
Now and Then Sing Sing Convict, Far From E
Ortner Not First to Refuse to Leave
Place of Gloom at End of Term
One Man Declined His Pardon
and Had to Be Elected and
Carried to the Train
Bv EDWARD T. KAVANAUGH.

er." He put on the ears and eye
lashes. Not a detail was overlooked.
So the keepers, peeking through the
lattice in the top of the door of Nc
Allister's cell each hour to take the
count. were easily deceived. Instead
Of McAllister. what they saw, with his
familiar bushy crop OF hair, was only
stuffed image. They counted it all
night long in mistake for the burglar.
while he got far away before his alb
sence was discovered.
McAllister's fight illustrates to what
lengths a prisoner will go in order to
get out of Sing Sing. In striking con-
trast a very few others have made
A Voluntary Prisoner.
Ortner, now a voluntary prisoner,
was received May 20, 1917. for an in
Discriminate sentence OF from two to
four years for assault in Queens coun-
ty. District Attorney Denis O'Leary
prosecuted the defendant for having
struck Alexander Gross. an associate
employed in a mill in Whitestone. L. L.,
with a three pound weight The injury
left Gross bereft of his hearing. As it
was Ortners first offence Judge
Humphreys was somewhat lenient in
passing sentence.
Under the indeterminate sentence
statute a prisoner may apply for pa
role II there are no marks against his
prison record when he has finished his
minimum term. He must sign the ap-
plication blank and agree to comply
with instructions given him while on
probation.
There is also law which allows
every prisoner, If he performs his
prison work properly, a reduction OF
three months from every year OF his
sentence. Ortner, who IS a tireless
worker, was therefore entitled to have
six months struck off his sentence. In
other words, he was eligible'for parole
November 20 of last year.
When asked to file his application
for parole, Ortner frowned upon the
suggestion. 1.-THE Judge said at least
two years." said he, land I'm going
to stay two. I'll sign nothing" War
den William II. Meyer tried to explain
the compensation law which took six
months off his term, but Ortner was
ob6urate. The warden let him stay
where he is.
So when he had served his two
years Warden Brophy advised him to
Sign up" for release and go before
the parole board. Appearance before
the board, the warden explained. was
only a formality.
a
den informed him That II he refused
10 sign his parole application and APP
pear before the parole board he would
have to stay the maximum four years
The warden couldn't influence him.
The sun., 1919-08-31

as to what to do. Finally the warden
sought legal advice. Counsel ruled
that the pardon, whether Meeker as
sented or not, ended his penal servi-
tude; that every hour he stayed after
the papers reached the warden he was
imposing upon the State of New
York.
So after Meeker had overstayed
two days Warden Brush changed his
tactics. He no longer coaxed but
ordered him to leave. Still the stub
born eX-convict stuck fast.
After another consultation with
counsel, Brush learned that he could
use all necessary force to make
Meeker be on his journey. So the
spare guards were quickly modified
and instructed to introduce gymnastics.
Carried From Prison.
Meeker showed fight. but was
quickly overpowered, lifted into a
conveyance and hurried to Sing Sing
depot. The prison had supplied him
with n ticket to Fishkill. but as the
train pulled in Meeker tried to re-
trace his steps and go back to Sing
Sing. The lone guard left with him
spoiled his plan. The keeper, to make
certain Meeker got we'll away from
the States prison. accompanied him
to Fishkill.
There he placed him aboard a ferry
boat and waited until it pulled out
into the Hudson and took the pardoned
offender across the river to Newburgh.
Meeker had been in Newburgh only a
few hours when he created n fuss in
a boarding house. The police had to
take him In tow, but after few ho"~s
in the lookup he was released again
and went his way.
Henry De Forest, who had served a
term in Sing Sing for manslaughter
and was paroled. is another offender
who. after release, applied 70 be taken
back. He had completed his mini
mum sentence, received in Duchess
county. and been forgotten about.
when he turned up Unexpectedly at
the prison entrance one day last
March.
81 got into a little trouble" said De
Forest, "and I'm anxious to be taken
back here"
The sun., 1919-08-31

Wrong" snapped Mr.. Moore. tits
In Florida"
'But the one I mean Is In Illinois. 1"
said Joseph, either In the arrogance
OF his ignorance or the assurance of a
knowledge that was beyond dispute,
Mr.. Moore eyed the youth for mo-
ment and then consulted a gazetteer
that lay on the top of his desk. Jack
sonville. Morgan county, Illinois," he
read. Population 3,o00.'
WELL" said he, somewhat YEARLY,
come back Tomorrow.
But don't l get the job?" Joseph
asked, In a tone that denoted both dis
appointment and wonder.
Come back tomorrow" and Mr..
Moore motioned him toward the world
beyond.
Out In the street Joseph Freling.
huysen thought of cousin who was
an officer of the Lackawanna Railroad.
Why" said the cousin after Joseph
had told him Of his experience of the
morning, 81 know the secretary OF the
Continental Insurance Company. He
Is friend of mine. I'll give you q
letter."
Inside Of two hours Joseph Freling-
huysen was again at the Office OF the
insurance company The secretary
read the letter. "Come with me-" he
said. and I will recommend you to
our president"
"Mr. Moore" said he. "this is Joseph
Frelinghuyseu, the cousin Of one of
my best friends. He would like a
place with us as office boy. hope
you will employ him"
Slowly Mr.. Moore looked up from a
paper on his desk and saw the youth
who had given him geography lesson
earlier in the day. He hesitated for
an instant. you are hired" he then
said with an energy that he had not
shown before.
Now n Senator.
Thus came into the fire insurance
business one of its greatest leaders
and organizers. This young man be-
came the president or director of a
dozen companies. He bought little
concerns and merged them into large
ones. Always. however, his home was
in New Jersey. To-day he is a Senator
from that State in Congress.
Joseph s. Is the fourth Frelinghuy-
sen to be elected to that office. The
other three also were natives of New
Jersey. whittier had come from Holland
in the year 1920 the Rev. Theodorus
Jacobus Frelinghuysen, d. D., founder
of the family, a classically educated
man and a minister Of the Dutch Re-
formed denomination.
He liz one of the greatest divines in
the Anne rican church." said the cele-
brated Jonathan Edwards of the Rev.
Theodorus Jacobus. OF the five sons
in the second generation of F'reling-
huysens all were ordained to the Dutch
Reformed ministry and their two SIS
tiers became ministers wives.
And Senator Frelinghuysen is an
elder in the same church. He is a
direct descendant of Frederick Freling-
huysen (the grandson of Theodorus
Jacobus), who served in the Cont
mental Congress at the age Of 21, and
who at the battle OF Trenton as a Cap
tain of artillery shot and killed Col.
The sun., 1919-08-31

Prison Secretary Daniel ]. Hickey
worked over him. So did Nicholas
Sohatzel. the deputy warden; Father
William E. Cashin, chaplain, and Dr.
Amos o. Squire. prison physician
They all advised, urged and even
coaXed him to sign his. application and
leave prison. But Ortner withstood
the combined pressure Of the whole
prison force. "I'll not sign anything,
said Ortner. Neither will I agree
to anything. I'll stay right here until
1 can go out without doing either.
I'm willing TO stay the full four
years. I'm perfectly contented. l get
my meals regularly have a place to
sleep and I'm as well off here as
would be on the outside. There is no
use Of arguing with me. I'm going to
stay right here"
So Sing Sing still has the star
boerder," as the prison populace has
dubbed him. on its hands. Warden
Brophy says that Ortner. who Is a hui
man dynamo OF energy, does the
work of four men," He is employed
in the construction gang and relishes
hard, laborious toll. For his cover
time" service he is rendering the State
Of New York the stubborn toiler re-
ceives the munificent sum of cent
and a half per diem. Unless he
changes front about signing a
parole blank, Sing Sing must keep
him twenty-one more months. If he
still persists in staying then the
prison officers will resort to force and
throw him out.
Gus Keffalas, another prisoner for
whom Sing Sing has charms. was re-
leased year ago. In private life Gus,
whose right given mama is Costa,
was a burglar. He was caught plying
his trade in Brooklyn and in 1910 was
given ten to fifteen years.
Keffalas was paroled in August.
1918. and secured employment as a
general utility man on the farm OF a
novelist In. Tarrytown. A few days
after he had been freed, Warden
Meyer received a letter from Gus
pleading to be taken back to his old
quarters.
Once turned free he became home
sick. He had been in prison more
than nine yeers and felt lonesome for
The sun., 1919-08-31

writer that appeared to border on
affiuence."
Often, in explaining episodes in his
life, Senator Frelinghuysen would say
to the writer: II became restless"
Temperamentally and physically he
belongs. to the Theodore Roosevelt
type. But he is a handsomer man
than was the Colonel. His very short,
white hair crinkles over his brow and
his close cut, reddish brown mustache
gives an agreeable balance to his sun
burned face.
When he says that he grew rest
less" he means that, as he viewed his
The sun., 1919-08-31
Senator Frenghuysen Began Office Boy Right the

ALSO I should like to say, looking
at to-day rs well as tomorrow, that
this country is corporation ridden.
Concentration has gone beyond rea-
son. Necessaries have become too
dear. In my opinion we should turn
to cooperation as a means of ending
some Of the evils that cause dissatis-
faction and unrest. Community buy
ing. directly from the producers of
food. would cheaper the cost Of living.
II can see no reason, for example,
why local cooperative slaughtering
houses cannot be established in cities
and large towns. Farmers in every
community then would be encouraged
to raise cattle. sheep and swine. Mea4
would not be shipped hundreds Of
miles. The Industry would be free
from monopoly. Prices would be low
cred. AS 1t is there are too many
profits between the man who produces
and the man who consumes.
Before the war we grew and made
more of certain items than could be
sold in our own markets. The surplus
found an outlet in other countries
Once we are again on a peace basis.
our surplus will be greater than ever
before. 1t must be disposed OF at a
fair price. Therefore, our foreign
trade has become one of the most i'm
portant subjects of the day and de-
mands the thought and labor of our
wlsest men.
Bread and butter, no matter what
the orists and philosophers may say, Is
tho big question of human existence
We are better brothers to one another
IL we have food in our cellars and
clothes on our backs. We may be less
eloquent when that happens about the
uplift and the millennium that, no
matter how fondly coaxed, seems to
hesitate before 1t dawns, but we ac-
ccmplish more in our own homes and
the world at large.
1.-THE man who goes to his family
with ham under his arm and a bag
of flour on his back has the elocution-
list beaten clean out of his boots. 1
believe in philosophy and lovely songs
by the wayside but not until after the
days work is done. Speaking from
experience, warbing and web spinning
never got me anywhere.
Then, 1 am thinking about pro-
hlbltion. 1t Is the law and should pre-
vail. Personally, over in New Jersey,
was sort of quiescent about the mat
ter But one Of my political adver-
saries made an issue of wine, beer and
whiskey and other intoxicating fluids
and manmuvred me into a sort of a
defence of such iniquities. l whipped
the Anti-Saloon League twice, when It
came to my opponents support, and
that, simply as an achievement, fs
worth some mention at this point. .
"Once in the Senate, however, I
changed my attitude and voted for
prohibition on the ground that its re-
suits would be wonderful, economit
cally. And so they will be, in my
opinion. a temperance nation can beat
tipping nation any time.
I'm the world contest that is at
hand, we shall need to attain the high.
est possible degree of financial and inz
dustrial efficiency. Alcohol will not
help u.s."
The sun., 1919-08-31
Got His First Position Insurance Company Office After Scoring
Answer boy Wanted ADJ by Mail and Giving the President Les
sonMan Who Carries Home Ham Beats Philosophers He Says

Rail. commander Of the Hessian mer-
cenaries.
The Frelinghuysens who were not
preachers were lawyers, and most Of
them were educated at Princeton Uni
versity or Rutgers College. my fam
lily, however, were land poor" said the
Senator to the writer, 'and conse-
quently I left school at the age Of IS.
answered newspaper advertisement
and obtained a place at a vinegar fac.
tory In New York. Ny father lent me
s16, but spent 80 for Communication
ticket, and so had but SO left.
My wages were 81 a week. At the
END OF the first week, feeling more like
capitalist than l have since, paid
my father " and spent the other 81 for
fruit, which took home to my mother.
THE vinegar makers were foreigner,
and were not what would be called
model employers. They had hired me
as an Office boy, and SO after several
months, when they directed me to
clean those national instrumentalities
described and ridiculed by Dickens in
his American Notes and which are
made OF metal or pottery and some
times of wood, with sawdust as an ad-
tunct, I withdrew from the vinegar
business
Not that 1 felt above performing
such a duty but that 1 was engaged.
in the first place, to do something else.
Besides. 1 could see no opportunity
Tor advancement in that particular
branch of a. necessary industry. / re-
member that l had 81 when threw
up my job. 1t was December. but 1
had no overcoat
Also / recollect how cold the
weather was that winter in New York.
l answered advertisements and made
many personal calls. Then one day l
saw ulsters hanging in the show win
dows OF Rogers, Poet & Co. 1t seemed
to me that l would look bet and l
was certain that l would feel Better if
l had an overcoat
Il went into the store and said: My
name is Joseph s. Frelinghuysen and
live at Raritan. New Jersey. 1 would
like to huy an ulster, like those in
your window that are marked 81, but
81 Is all that l can spare at this time.
If you will trust me for 80, I'll take
one
There was some consultation and
the clerk sold me "a coat which, with
the collar up. reached from my heels
to the top OF my head have had
many transactions. large and small.
but that one, as look back, gives me
more satisfaction than any of the
rest"
Ii was the next morning that young
Joseph Frelinghuysen bought the two
scent cigars, opened diplomatic re-
lations with the mulatto janitor and
twice entered the presence Of the pres
ident of the Continental Insurance
Company. which corporation. it is well
to state, agreed to pay him s25 a
month, "a sum-" he observed to the
The sun., 1919-08-31

own case, he was not moving fast
enough. While an office boy for the
Continental Insurance Company he
Qualified himself to solicit business and
to survey and appraise risks. Another
company. Observing his activity and
measuring hts usefulness, promised
him SOS a month. He had been ad
vanced by his employers meanwhile
to $40.
The Continental promptly met the
new figures. 81 can't work for YOU
Joseph Frelinghuysen said. But for
the chance offered to me by other peo-
pie you would not have increased my