davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE
 AWAKES.
The Rescue.

One day the Smith children, Bob- sey, Winnie. and Merton, were play ing with Junior Jones, beside the creek.
 Bobsey's foot slipped and he fell in, Junior jumped in and dragged Bobsey to shallow water. He could not go any farther, so he shouted for help. MT. Smith. hearing the cry, went to see what was the matter. Seeing the boys in the water, he jumped in and brought them to solid ground.
 Bobsey was conscious. When he could stand on his feet he said: fT-I won't won't do it any more!"
 Meanwhile Junior had seated him self on rock, emptied the water out Of his shoes. and was trying them or again, striving to maintain a com posture of Winnie and Mertofl's em. braces and handshakings.
 After Mir. Smith vas sure, Bobse, was safe. he went up 10 Junior ant embraced him. He saw two tear, mingled with the water droppini from his haid.
 Suddenly Junicf took to his heels and ran home as if the constable wer after him.
 MT. Smith took Bobsey home. 1 When Mrs. Jones' came to MT. Smiths they made her face beam b praising her boy. Mir. Smith accom- panied her home. But Bobsey see ing him coming slipped out by tn back door.
 DIANA DoYoN. Age 12.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Written on a Tree Stump

When you are. on "a hike through the woods, step and examine the stlimps of newly felled trees or the. ends of new logs. There IS something written or them, something of interest that every outdoor boy or girl should be able to read. It is written in cipher but is easily read once you master the signs.
 Look closely at the top of a stump which shows clearly. the inside growth of the tree, and you will see that it re- sen1bles the drawing given here. There will be its rings, one inside the other. its radiating lines, its band of sapwood , and its outer bark, and each of these has its own story to tell.
 The RINGS announce the age of the tree. For every year there is ring and all you have to do to know how long the tree has. been growing, is to count the rings. We are told that we may. even find written there which years were damp and rainy, and which were dry, because damp years make a wide ring and dry ones narrow one.
 The rings have something to say < about the points of the compass too for they are usually wider on the north side. That makes the meeting point e the RADIAT1NG LINES nearer the south side than the north side of the tree SO as a rule, we may read the longest oI these lines as saying: aWe are point ing to the North" As with the moss on the trees, however, it is not well to trust entirely to the writing on one single stump; read all you can find then accept the evidence of the great est number.
 The story the BARK tells also has to do with the question, the very inn portant question when you happen to be lost in the woods, of where to look for the north. It answers this by usually growing thicker on the north side of the tree.
 When tree has been sawed off leaving level top on the stump, the signs can be more easily read.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Mr. rrent,s Good Skating.

Earl Trent was an excellent skater. He had won many prizes for his skill. This little incident shows how he used it to good advantage.
 A neighbor of his mothers came in one evening in January to have lit- tie chat. The whole family was seat ed in the room and all were joining in the conversation.
 Mrs. Bowne in the course of her speech told Mrs. Trent about an old woman who had been taken very hl that evening at 6 o'clock. She. said the town physician had gone to con- Vention that was being held in a nearby city and there was no one to go after Dr. Jamieson who lived about seven miles up the river.
 Earl had been on the river that af- ternoon and knew that it was safe ev- anywhere as it could be.
 Silently leaving the room he slipped into his nackinaw and put his leath- CT leggings on and started for the river with his skates slung over his back.
 He reached the river at 'brisk run, and buckied his skates on, and started in the direction of Dr. Jamieson's landing seven miles upstream.
 He started first. giving long, even strokes and sliding with that slight .exertien, then with shorter until he was fairly flying over the ice.
 He reached Dr. Jamieson and told him about fifteen minutes after he left his own home.
 Dr. Jamieson ordered good. hot cup of coffee for him. and while the doctor dressed himself and called for his auto Earl drank the coffee with a relish. f-
 The doctor and Earl started in the machine and arrived just in time to save the old woHan's life.
 For a long while no one knew who went after Dr. Jamieson until Earl. after marrying the old lady's daugh- ter was relating his experiences on skates and told how he, as youth of fifteen, skated seven miles after a doctor to save an old lady's life.
 NJ. RITA O'NEILL. Age 15. . Norwich.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
A Trip South.

My grandfather. John N Gardiner, started south Oct. 1, 1919. He was on the train two nights and one day from New York to Alabama. He reached Milstead about noon and the team was waiting for him. When he reached the plantation he saw negroes every where because they do all the work He saw many things that he had not seen before. But he had been south before when he was fighting in the Civil war.
 He had good time and brought me some sugar cane. cotton. pecan nuts and velvet beans. The sugar cane stays out all winter without freezing and so do the velvet beans. Sugal
 cane is very sweet. I like to eat the juice. They make it into syrup. The velvet beans are planted in the corn 1 field. They grow up the corn stalks They are so heavy that they bend tho
 stalks over. When you shake then
 they sound like a rattle box. The pod;
 are hlaek and look and feel like blacl
 velve- When they pick the corn the. l take off the ears. Then they turn thu
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27

him the peacocks. monkeys and other birds.
 They stayed until the Fourth of July.
 My father took them by auto to Hartford Mother and we children went, too. If you remember it was a very hot day. It was so hot we had to stop and rest under big tree at Andover. Grandfather and l. took walk af ter some water. We found some al 8 well very near where we stopped. While we were getting the water a little girl came along Who was visit ing. her aunt. She invited us to come up to her aunt's house.
 She treated us to ice cream and wa i termelon. Shortly afterwards we started fol home. After spending a very happy day.
 GIVE. ,DoLYN JONES. Age 9. l Norwich.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Hunting Eye Hears the Story of
 the First Thanksgiving
: BY R, s, .ALEXAN NDFR

Some in and have dinner. It's Thanksgiving you know" invited a farmer as Hunting Eye was going by.
 So the, Little Indian Boy went into the kind farmers home and was fed on turkey, mince pies, cranberry sauce, and many other wonderful things of which he had never dreamed in the Grea, North Woods. What is Thanksgiving?" he asked his host.
 Tt is holiday when everybody eats all sorts. of good things.'
 How did it come to be called Thanksgiving?'
 Once upon time all of this coun- try belonged to your people. There were 11oswflite people ill 1t. But fn- ally a band of white men and women
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Glasgo.
An oId.Fashianed House.

One Sunday afternoon my friend and I were wondering now we would spend the afternoon. and we decided to take a walk along a country road As we walked along we discovered a little lane, and our curiousity was aroused, so we followed along the path and found it lead up to an old fashioned house.
 It was dull gray in color. The roof was sunk in in many places and nearly all the shingles had drop. ped off. Many of the window pane were worn and shaky. N | doubt, by the shutters slamming bacl and forth in the wind: and the door weer worn and shaky.
 ] Only half the gate was left. an, that was hanging on one hinge. Ant
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27

T.. The players make this harder by hop ping, li1nping, making faces, and hur- rying.
 Making a Vegetable Game
 With cotton batting, thread, and scraps of bright carnbric or screpe pa per make small models of vegetables. It will be easy to make tiny tomatoes, Fadishes, pumpkins and carrots by shaping them in cotton and then tying the co1ored covering over this. Inside each place a pebble or some other weight. Wind an embroidery ring with orange ribbon and suspend it by the same ribbon from the chandelier, placing a basket on the floor. at quite a distance from it.
 The players stand opposite the ring : and try to throw the vegetables through 1t into the basket scoring five points for each successful throw.
 Making Pop Corn Figures x Pop some corn in as large kernels as possible and let it stand while so as to become tougher and easier to work with. Supply each guest with dish of the. pop corn, a pair of scissors and some of the fine wire that is used in making artificial flowers.
 The fun consists i'll stringing the ker- nels on the wire so as to make quaint and gtotesque figures, people and ani- mals. The pop corn will have shaped itself into heads, bodies, and other forms. It takes just little ingenuity for you to do the rest.
 Boys and Girls Newspaper Serylce Copyright, 1919, by J. H. Millar
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
My Surprise Party.

One day as l came down stairs, l saw my mother making a cake. I asked her what she was making it for.
 She said, it was for supper. I took my doll and went okt in the back yard After a while went in the house. My mother told me to go up stairs and put on nice dress. I went up stairs and put on another dress and came down stairs. My mother took me near the parior door and told me to go in. I opened
 the door. What do you think l saw? IT saw little figures moving all around the table. All of sudden 1 they began to shout. I then knew 1t
 was surprise party. | went in and sat down. These are some of the presents I received: A carriage, a set of dishes, a doll, which
 I named Rose.
 One girl brought me a goat which her father gave to her to give to me 1 I played with him every day and named him Billy Whiskers. | JENNIE STINBACK, Age Ii. : New London.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27

The next fair was Mansfield town fair. entered quite a few things in cooking al some in vegetables. There 1. entered bread in two classes. and got two second prizes. I got first prize on a lunch packed for one; also I got second prize on quick bread. In the vegetables I got second prize.
 Then in the athletics I got first prize in the 25 yard dash. the running broad jump and in the standing broad jump.
 Our school got second prize for the girls relay race, and I was in; this I also. Our school got the largest number of points in the athletic con | test. So we get the banner. I was very much pleased with the psizes ] 1 won this year, and I hope to get more next year.
 LOIS c. SAVAGE. Age 12. Storrs.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
The Neiahbor.a R.by.

Look. Georgel" cried John. T am sure I heard something behind those bushes. The two cousins put down their. fishing tackle and crept eau tiousiy toward the spot.
 When they neared the, spot. they saw a child lyins on the ground close to the bushes. 'e7 z4s
 George said. to. his cousin. "vbat shaii we do?"
 Wen bring him home to your mo- ther,n said John. So they, brought the schild home. Georges mother said the child be- llenged to one of the neightors. They
 went to the neighhor's house. The man and woman were gone. They had 1 gone awstv the night before. leaving Ilhe poor little baby to be eaten by
 some wild animals.
 l The man affd woman were not seen i afterwards. as, ssts l George s mother took care of tho baby until he became q man. He i thanked George and his cousin, who :. were married, and went away. 1 MARY LsMIEUX. 1 Raltip fs5ss.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
-oho, laughed brother Ben. good
 anort
UNCLE JED's TALK TO WIDE
 AWAKES.

= It seems strange to be short of sugar, aoesn't it? How do you suppose the vorlt got along without music for lens Of thousands of years?
 It Is less than 800 years that sugar has been made; and the fine white sngars of today have not been in use 60 years.
 Sugar cane Is sweet grass. and it hred to be produced and chewed as sweet sticks.
 Candy is thought to have been first made in Ceylon. and. 1t takes its name from a city there. about the size of Norwich. named Randy. from which ii was first sent abroad.
 Sixty years ago there were no ice eream parlors or soda fountains. and the kinds of candy were molasses and sticks of a half dozen varieties, like barley, peppermint. sassafras, etc. peppernints and lozenges.
 It was knowa there was sugar il beets as carly as 1905, but it took mal two hundred years to find a way t, extract the sugar from the beets; ant now there are little crimson particle In it. and this is commercially know As rainbow sugar"
 Crude sugar was first known in In asa- A Frenchman discovered ths beets contained sugar. a Germa chemist first discovered a way to ex tract it; and Silesian built the frs factory to make it in cunern. Silesi; nbout 17eo.
 IL is more than probable that whe Eebbuchanezer was condemned to ca grass that he did not find the sweet Trass sticks" as bad as we modern lound the war bread of 1918.
 The chocolate drops and cream bor
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
My Trip to Boston.

On Saturday, Oct. 4, with my mother went to Boston.
 We left Jewett City at 9.25 a. m., ar flying at the South station, Boston at 12.35 p. m. The train was ten min utes late.
 We went to my brothers house in Roxbury. After dinner my brother took me for a ride out to Mattapan
 In the evening we went down town and through some of the big stores.
 In the morning my mother. my brother and I went to church, and in the afternoon my brother took me to Franklin park. We saw some wonder ful animals, elephants. monkeys, bears lions. buffaloes, esquimo dogs, and eamels.s There were all kinds of birds I had a fine time and come back home Monday. MARK c. ALDRICH. Age g. Jewett City.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
The cold ,Basket.

IT was only a fruit dish Of white china with. gilt bands but little Violet admired 1t very much
 One afternoon Aunt Emily came to make q cali and Mamma bought in the dish flied with nice large oranges After everybody had eaten an orange and Aunt Emily had gone, Sister Anna put the dish on the. table. and thai was how the trouble began. :, . Little Violet went out all- alone to play with the cat. She chased him around and around the room, and at ] last the kitten, tired of sport, jumped ed on q chair, and than on the table. Come down! Come down, cried l, little Violet, you must not smell those oranges with your nose. Come down.
 But kitty did not come down, so Violet pulled the kittys tail. dragging Lit backward She did not do it ket, as Violet called it. got in the way-perhaps kitty's paw touched it, perhaps Violet's arm touched it but at any rate the golden basket | was overturned and on the floor in pieces.
 Violet stared in surprise at the dreadful ruin and at the oranges rob ing on the floor and under the stove.
 Who did that? How did it fall ?' thought she. But next moment il came over her that she herself was tc b-ame
 Why, 1 didn't mean to The pretty basket! What win Mamma say, Lit tie Vioiet's eyes were full of tears .11l go tell Mamma I did it. and Tn so sorry. No. I'll tell her kitty did it guess kitty did it. Naughty kitty
 For moment she stood thinking "No, I won't tell mamma anything. won't go into the parlor at all. I'll g' out into the yard and kitty will be il here all alone. so Mamma will thinl kitty did it.
 Violet didn't decide yet what to dc If go in the yard and Mamma find the kitty with the basket and I'm ou tplaying-yes, it'll be a liei I will no tell a lie!" And with that she ran t the parlor, for if she walked she wa afraid she would not go at all. Sh ran every step of the way and sob bed out, 70. Mamma, it wasn't tn kitty; it was me! But didn't mea it at al!s
 And her mother kissed her and sai she knew it was an accident. and sh never loved her daughter so well her life as when she came and tol her the whole truth like a dear, bray good little girl: for the truth 'is bette than all the gold baskets in the worl,
 LYDIA DUGAS, Ag5 F.
 Versailles
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
A Moonlight Skating Party.

Did you ever go to a. moonlight skating party? It is great fun. I gave one last winter There were six boys and six girls present. We had a wonderful moonlight night It was full moon and the silvery moonlight made it seeE1 colder than it really was.
 My guests arrived at 7.30 p. m. and stayed until ten o'clock Each wone a thick hat and a thick. short coat. Of course every one brought pair of skates. There is a large pond at the back of my house, generally known as "Sccfield's Pond" It is rather large and just splendid for skating. We went over to this pond and put OF our skates. Then we started off The ice was as smooth as. glass and one | could skim over it as fast as the wind
 The first game we played was "Snat the Whip" Our leader was & very good skater We played this for { little while and then we played "Fo1 and Geese" This game is supposed to De played on land, in the snow, bu we managed to have g. good time or skates, Next we had skating contests and there was a prize for the one wh, could skate across the pond the fast 1 est. Then we played many othe games on the ice.
 At nine o'clock we came in and hat supper. We had tuna fish salad, mash ed potatoes, cocoa. cup cakes, ic cream and a Jack Horner pie. A Jacl HoFner pie is very nice and large, an, you cut it in slices Tn each slic there is a simple gift, as ring O a thim5Ie. or anything of the sort. 1 After supper we sat around the fir and popped corn. roasted apples an told stories. We had a very good tim that evening. and my guests told m as much when they went home.
 JENNIE LIFSCHITZ, Age IS.
 UncasviIle.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
The Girl That Told an unsrush.

The Girl That Told an uHtruth.
 One day as two girls came walk ing from school, they saw some fow- CTS on the side of 8 house.
 One girl named Alma said to Loret- ta, "Oh, aren't those pretty flowers ?'
 Loretta answered, eAren't they just lovely ?"
 Alma said. T am going to take one" So she broke flower of.
 The woman who lived in the house was %very angry. She came out and said: "Whe broke a flower from that bush?"
 Alma answered: Tt was Loretta. She -gave it to me-" | The woman stared at Loretta and Loretta said: Ne, Mrs. Roy. 1t wasn' me, it was Alma.
 Mrs. Roy said. T do not know which l to believe"
 Then little boy about ten years old came out of the house and said: q saw that girl, with the blue dress take it. And that was the girl who took Iit!" s si4.- Mrs. Roy went and told Alnla,s mo l ther.g gr Mrs. Lee could not believe it. Tha1 her girl would do such a thing. Mrs. Lee sent Alma up to bed with.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Tommy's Thanksoiving Scare.

~Oh dear. I've got 'norful scare; I'm worried stiff,. I am, for fair; Perhaps twill come Thanksgiving
 Day" Come? What will come? Be aisy,
 pray.
 kid
 But you do take the blooming lid on of your sense-pot, and le tout More'n you can spare. you funny
 lout,
 Most every minute that you live. What is it that you've got to give This morning in the way of scares? Speak out. and case your mind of
 eares.n
 "Oh. we may meet a 'norful thing, A chaser, bigger than the sun. Twill bunk into us. spill us off. Just s if we werr ""rrant bun. I read it in a 'stronomy Just now, and Oh, bCe-noo. ooo-hoo, Wha1 ever are we going to do? The censor d keep the news rom us That It was coming. and dear me, 1t just might land Thanksgiving Day, And all of us would have to die. And never taste our pumpkin pie -oho, laughed brother Ben. good
 sport
 Twill be to have the old thing land On us Tbanksgiving Day, just grand Why. twill be like football match. Well be the ball. and how we'll spin Up to the Moon. and stand and grin At dear old Luna. Then light out And visit Venus Cadies first. then
 swing
 To Mars and Neptune. don't you see, As gay and fine as fine can be. Don't you get fussed. young man, at
 ali
 Just hold on tight to this old ball, The Earth, come hunks or bangs . galore
 wen eat our turk and pumpkin pic Thanksgiving Day. though we b'
 kicked sky high, Americans are always fly"
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Keeping Fit for Next Season
BY H. 0. PAGE. Coach, Formerly Quarterback, Uniyersit. nf Hhicaros ---L

BY H. o. PAGE.
 Coach, Formerly Quarterbeek, University
 of Chicago
 The football season is over. But there will be another one next year. Right now is the time to start to get ready for next season Here are a few simple rules to guide you in your be- tween season preparation.
 Have you weakness Eff so sys- ten1atic work will build you up. For instance, if your ankles are weak take daily exercises before breakfast in vari- ous calisthenics during all seasons, and especially three weeks before opening the season get manual of the army setting. up exercises and review them. These teach rhythm and coordination and harden ones physique 50 when the bumps come there is a firm resistance. All football players should spend at
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
The Prizes | Have Won.

This year decided I would send things to the different fairs The first fair to which I sent things was the Springfield fair. sent bread. but l did not get prize on it.
 The next fair I sent things to was the Hartford fair. There got two first prizes. one on quick bread and another on cookies.
 Then I decided to send cooking te the Berlin fair. Sc I entered bread ir both the adult class and the ehildren's class and also cookies in the adult class. I got the first prize on these
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
Our School.

In our school room we have many beautiful things. We have two black boards and cupboard. We have five rows of seats, seven seats in every row.
 I am good in school. The first thing we have in the morning is singing; second arithmetic; third spelling and fourth geography; fifth language sixth history, seventh reading, and after we are done reading we have te correct our spelling. Our teacher is not cross. Her nam, is Miss Oonderdonk. s@
 BEATRICE MARISETTE, Age g. Plainfield.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
My Trip to Hartford.

My Uncle Andrew and Aunt Sarah Jones from Knowlton. Quebec. Can ada, made us a visit last simmer.
 We children thought, our Uncle An drew just about right, for he was so good to Us and gave us such nice time.s s.. &.
 One day he took a walk with me up to Mohegan Park. I wanted to show
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27
LETTERS OK oNAcKNoWLEoeMEMT

Jennie Lifsehitz, of Uncasville = I thank you very much for the prize book yop sent me. read it through the first day I received it. It surely was interesting.
 John Bartok, of Ashford-I thank you very much for the prize book, Tom Slade With the Boys Over There. l enjoyed the book very much. Helen Congdon, of Moosup-I thank you very much for the prize book you sent me entitled, "Jed, The Poorhouse Boy" I have read it and think it is very interesting.
 Emma E. Froemel, of Baltic = I thank you very much for the prize book you sent me, entitled Two Boys in Wyoming" have read it through and found it very interesting I cannot thank you enough for it.
 Edna Weaver, of Providence re- ceived the book, Tom Browns School Days" I think it is very interesting. I thank you for it very much.
 Sophie Gaska, of Jewett City-I re- ceived the prize money you sent me and was delighted. l give you my most sincere thanks.
 Louise Leber, of Plainfield-I am again asking you if I may join the Wide-Awake Circle. I did not write any more stories for some time be- cause I was very busy with other business letters, and also other things; but I am again longing to win books, for they are very interest ing. Many of my friends ask me tc send them books, and of course I do One little girl read The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island" two or three times, she was so interested.
Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-27

many of the pickets were lying all over the ground.
 The garden. which must have been beautiful once, was covered with weeds.
 I wonder if the walls of this little homestead could talk, if they would tell of happy children who ran through the little rooms? HELEN BROPHY, Age 12.