davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
May Be Life on Venus,

From what we know of the surface
conditions and climates of the various
members of the solar system, Prof.
Svante Arrhenius concludes that
Venus is the only planet besides the
earth where life is possible. Venus
has a dense, warm atmosphere of high
humidity. With everything dripping
wet, life near the equator should be
luXuriant, though of low order on ac-
count of the uniform climate and lack
of need for specialization but nearer
the poles the climatic diversity is
greater, suggesting more varied de-
velopment. Absence of any at
mosphere makes life on Mercury and
the moon impossible. Mars, too, must
be uninhabitable with a temperature
averaging about 81 degrees C. below
zero and scarcely rising to freezing
point even at noon on the equator,
and its water supply is small.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
FLASH LIGHTS IN UNISON
Fireflies Seem to Have an Understand
ing as to When to Begin
an illumination.

Various observers testify to the fact
that myriads of glow worms very oc-
casionally indulge in synchronous flash
ing with very beautiful effect: 1t is
thought by some that this phenom-
enon is accidental, although in this
light some cases would seem incred-
ible.
John V. Purcell of Washington.
D. c., records that in the town of Co
tabato, island of Mindanao, p. l., a few
years ago there were two trees about
the size Of apple trees and perhaps a
hundred yards apart, and every eve
ming these were filled with fireflies
which flashed in unison, first one tree
lighting up and then the other. There
must have been several thousand in
Sects in each tree, yet the synchronism
was so perfect that rarely or never
did single freely flash at the wrong
time.
"To the best of my recollection the
illumination period lasted about two
or three seconds and the dark periods
lively youch for the accuracy of the
foregoing, for it seemed so strange and
produced so beautiful an effect that |
thought it one of the most remarkable
things in the Philippines, and it made
a deep impression on me-"
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28

away, had failed to catch-the rustling
of some moving figure in the dense
Jungle grass at the edge of the camp.
The major remained perfectly mes
tionless, except for his right hand,
which was swiftly withdrawing his re-
vOlver from its case. Suddenly he was
transformed into action. He leaped
between the two last tents of the line,
to see man confront him for an in
stant. In the light of the quarter
moon the major could not distinguish
how the intruder was dressed. 1t was
evident, however, that he had been
prowling outside the tent which held
Wallace and the child.
Halt! !" shouted the major and the
sentry together, and, as the man drop
ped into the grass, the rifle and revol-
yer rang out simultaneously.
The sentry, shouting to the guard,
came running up. The major and he
searched the spot, but they found no
body.
zone of those id Cuban sneak
thieves!' muttered Major Howard as
he replaced his revolver in its case.
And he hurried away to look after his
men.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
War Boosted
Our Wealth
Americas Greatest Danger Now
Is Pride, a Writer Says

Uncle Sam has become the worlds
greatest captain of industry. Here
are the figures, according to writer
in Omaha News:
We have 6 per cent of the worlds
population.
We own per cent of the worlds
land.
But we produce 70 per cent of the
worlds copper.
We produce &c per cent of the
worlds oil.
We raise 60 per cent of all cotton
raised.
We produce SO per cent of the
worlds silver.
We mine 40 per cent of iron ores
and 20 per cent of the worlds gold.
We manufacture S5 per cent of all
motorcars manufactured, and operate
40 per cent of the worlds railroads.
We grow 25 per cent of the worlds
wheat.
Before the war England was, on the
surface, the richest nation in the
world. At that time the United States
owed $4,O0O,OOO,0O0 to Europe.
Now Europe owes the United States
S1O,OOo,OO0,OOO.
In two years we shall have passed
England as shipbuilder.
All we have to do to go to the wall
is to become a junker nation, with nc
other than material ambitions. He
whom the gods would destroy they
first make mad.
But let's not do that. Let's be SEN
sible and decent and thankful that we
are so fortunately situated. And let's
try to make the best use of our com
bined wealth so that everybody will be
prosperous and educated and comfort
able and happy.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Telescope in California
Is Largest in the World

Another largest thing of it's kind in
the world, the great telescope thar
has been II years in the making, has
been set up at the top of Mount Will
son in California Its mirror required
a glass disk 100 inches in diameter.
13 inches thick and Az tons in weight.
The dome that protects it and the ma
chinery that enables it to follow the
stars demanded the building of new
road and the construction of a spe-
cial kind of motortruck to get them
I'D the mountain. Although this latest
astronomical apparatus weighs 400
tons, it moves without vibration Or
sound by finger pressure on a button.
But what would perhaps even more
astonish. for instance, the ancien.
Chaldeans is that it will do its work
chiefly by taking photographs.-Chris-
tan Science Monitor.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28

had orders to hang him as soon as
Santiago was taken. He did the kind
est thing he could have done to him
self when he got In the way of that
sniper's bullet.
'I'll tell you who the child's mother
was, Wallace, because l was unfortu-
nate enough to know her. She was a
Miss Rennie, Miss Marjorie Rennie,
of a Baltimore family-fine people,
and, of course, with a tradition like
that, she believed in the scoundrel alb
solutely. She came to me twice. The
first time was before the informal trial
held by the department. She begged
me to believe he was innocent and the
victim of a trap. l wouldn't even lis
ten. You know, when a man has to
run down his friend he has to harden
his heart.
"She came to me again, after Hamp-
ton was broken. She told me I had
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Smallest Bird Is American;
400 Species of Hummers::
Only in Western Hemispher

The smallest and most brilliantly col
cred of all feathered creatures are the
humming birds, and of the 400 species
none is to be found elsewhere than in
this western hemisphere, notes writ
er in the Arkansas Gazette.
The largest of these birds are no
more than eight and half inches and
the smallest about two and three
eighths in length. Of these the larg-
est are never seen far north and the
smallest rarely. The ruby -throated
humming bird, called by Audubon "a
glittering fragment of the rainbow"
breeds from the far southern states
as far north as Labrador and winters
from southern Florida to Central
America, remaining with us from May
to October. Its length is about three
and one-quarter inches. The upper
pluniage is metallic green, the male
having ruby red gorget, white coll
lar on the throat and deeply forked
tail of brownish violet. The female
is of palmer colorings. The eggs, new
er more than two, are white and about
as large as peas.
1t is popular mistake that hum-
ming birds feed only on the honey in
flowers. They really for the most part
feed on insects, gathered with their
harbed and sticky tongues from flow
ers and leaves. They are, notwith-
standing their diminutive size. very
pugnacious and will attack birds much
larger than themselves, so that the
English sparrow, with all his vaunted
courage, dare not intrude on their
nests.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Game Laws Summed Up
by the U. S. Government
for the Aid of Huntsmen

To aid trappers and hunters, the
United States department of agricul-
ture has issued Farmers Bulletin 1922.
sI,aws Relating to Fur-Bearing AMI
mails" which is summary of legisla-
tion in the United States, Canada an u
Newfoundland, relating to trapping,
omen seasons, propagation and boun-
ties Under the stimulus of high prices
there is always danger that trappers
will deplete the trapping grounds and
permanently decrease the number Of
fur animals, the federal specialists
say. Regulations and seasons should
he carefully observed, so that the fur
sunply of the future shall not be en-
dangered.
For the fiscal year ended June 80.
1918, the foreign trade of the United
States in raw and manufactured furs
reached the largest total in the his
torv of the country While exports
were only $13,9O3,631, as compared
with SIS, ,729, ,160 for 1917, the imports
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
rom the old mess list" Wallace caii'

from the old mess list" Wallace een,
tinued.
The major, who had been pulling at
his mustache and thinking decpsy'
came to his decision.
"Well, I'll TAXI her on those terms,
Wallace" he said. "The fellow was
bad lot, but, as you say, there may ne
no reason why this little animal should
suffer for his sins. The mother was
decent and there may be something in
that idea of vicarious restitution.
I'll agree, Wallace, if you'll let me take
over the charge of her till the wars
ended. Well enter her on the mess
book and settle a fictitious parentage
on her afterward, and may she never
know her fathers history. By the time
she's old enough to understand mas
cots duties, flirt with the lieutenants,
and plead for the drunks, maybe We'll
have forgotten it ourselves. Good
night, my boy. Take care Of your
wound. III send in that milk and bis
cult and couple of cakes of naphtha
soap, and a porcelain tub with silver
trimmings, for you to make a start on
her in the morning"
He glanced at the sleeping child.
took Marks hand and went quickly
out of the tent. Under the sky he
stood still for a few moments.
1.-THE ID scoundrel" he NUT
tered.
At that instant his alert ear heard
what the sentry, posted some distance
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28

81 had orders to watch for him." he
| said. 'He was to have been hanged
| as soon as we captured Santiago.
That's why he was making for the
| jungle. He was detected and allowed
to escape with his life, but he had
been working as Spanish agent since
he was drummed out of America. His
career ended at the luckiest moment
for him. He seems to have had the
one redeeming quality of affection for
the child, though if he had had par
ticle of unselfishness in him he would
have left her behind him. 1 suppose
she was the only thing he had in his
wretched life"
"Of course there's no palliation."
suggested Wallace "But the man
may have been born good and-gone
downhill."
"He was born rotten" answered the
Major. ''He sold his country to pay
his gambling debts. Cuba was about
the only place that would hold him, I
imagine. And to think that swine was
once in our regiment! Sorry l had to
tell you, Wallace!"
He hesitated a while; Wallace had
not moved; but the child at his side
stirred and breathed heavily. The
majors fists clenched.
"I'm trying to be just to the dead"
he said "But l feel that thousand
years of hell wouldn't atone for that
crime, Wallace"
Mark Wallace looked up. 'Im not
sure that 1 know all the facts about
the case, Major" he said.
1.-THE facts are that it was no sudden
act of fear or temptation, but calculat-
ed, cold-blooded deliberation. We
knew at the war Office that there was
a leakage. 1t had been traced to the
mobilization division, where Kellerman
and were working. Even we were
under suspicion for a time. Then it
narrowed down to Hampton and an
other.
wallace, those months were the
worst time I've ever spent. Hampton
was my best friend, and Kellerman's,
LOU we Spleu Ou HllL-Hdu W.
"Well, you know what happened,
more or less. There was a woman go
between, as there generally is-a fine
looking young woman, little more than
a girl, named Hilda Morsheim. One
of those French German Alsatians,
Wallace. Kellerman got some hold on
her, and she confessed The case
against Hampton was absolutely
proven.
"There wasn't any trial. The fellow
could have been shut up for a good
many years; he had cost his country
millions; he ought to have been
hanged. But he was quietly cashiered
and allowed to disappear. Maybe it
was a foolish move, but we felt the
shame pretty badly and wanted to for
get it. Hampton was let go, on the
understanding that he leave the coun-
try forever. Oh, yes, he assumed the
innocent air quite dramatically. Some
of the war office people believed in him
until the damning documents were laid
before them.
"And he was still somehow in touch
with things, Wallace, and the leakages
went on afterward. That's why We
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Muscular Effort Is Cause
of Nearsightedness, Notes
an Authority on Subject

1t is generally agreed that myopia,
or nearsightedness, is an acquired de-
feet resulting from the elongation of
the eyeball, but it's causation has NOT
vet been determined, the evidence for
the assumption that near work pro-
duces near sight being unsatisfa ctory
DR.. Eldridge Green, writing IN the Lon
don Lancet, advances the Theory that
the primary and essential cause is an
obstruction of the outflow of the
lymph. The obstruction may be pro-
duced by severe muscular effort. e. G..
by lifting heavy weights, when a feel
ing of tension is always felt in the
eyes, which appear, in extreme cases,
to be starting from the head. This
is more especially the cause of pro-
gressive myopia among warehouse
boys, porters and others whose work
involves excessive effort. while with
those engaged in sedentary occupa-
tions the form of exercise taken may
be responsible, e. g., wrestling, rowing.
digging. and also coughing. Thus
when signs of commencing myopia ap-
pear anything likely to increase the
intraocular tension should be avoided.
There is no need to avoid reading.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
TO FLOCK OF GEESE

Ye wild, free troopers of the skies
That ride in wedged ranks the blue
And unmarked roads of Paradise.
Who else but God had tutored you
That wind beset and tempest form,
To buffet you with mighty sledge,
Ye still sweep onward through the storm
With that, unbroken wedge?
Thrill me again, ye serried host.
With that shrill challenge which defies
The strength of whatsoever post
Is set to guard the bending skies
Against such rangers as ye are
That dare with swift and rhythmic
wings
The night unlghted of star
To guide Gods feathered things.
Ye are the joy of being wild,
The sign and symbol of blest
Estate so sweet and undefiled
1t breathes it's spirit undistressed
Adown the heights to which have scared
Since Eden was our deepest sighs-
Thrill me again, ye CLAIMANT horde.
With your wind-ringing cries.
Clark McAdams.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
CHAPTER II.

He stopped, astonished at the way
the Major took his suggestion. How
ard began to stutter, paced the inside
of the tent for some moments, mutter-
ing to himself, and then swung round
upon his heel, facing the lieutenant.
! "Good God, no, Wallace! Whatever
put that Internal idea into your head?'
he exploded. "See here, now! You're
not well enough to talk this thing over
tonight. Some day I'll tell you why
your proposal is impossible"
'@That's all very well, Major. I don't
know what you mean, but if you don't
like my proposition you know what
you can do. I'm quite well enough to
listen to what's worrying you. Dig it
out!"
81 haven't time, Wallace. There's
these stragglers to be sorted out. Not
that much can be done tonight, sup
pose. Sometime I'll tell you"
He swung round on his heel and
made for the entrance, stopped and re
turned.
y
he exclaimed. 81 had thought it might
be as well not to tell you ever. You
don't happen to know who this child's
father was-that man in the tent?"
"What do you mean, Major? Some
settler caught by a bullet, suppose" F"
Hampton" said Major Howard,
grimly.
Lieutenant Wallace sat bolt upright
On the bed and stared at the other in
amazement.
"The man who sold our mobilization
plans to Spain?" he whispered, con-
scious of a sudden terror for the child.
The major nodded. "It's years
since we worked together in the war
Office" he answered, ''and, frankly, !
didn't know the face. You wouldn't
have, would you, after the work that
the bullet had done? One of those
ID dum-dums. But-you didn't
see this, did you?"
He took a purse from his pocket
opened it and shook out three gold
pieces into his hand. THAT was on q
belt about the body" he said. "And
there were some papers-nOt. the ones
we wanted, but enough to identify
him. 1t was Hampton all right"
He went to the tent door and looked
out. "Here, Johnson" he called.
The negro servant appeared almos;
instantaneously within the opening
and stood to attention.
"Could you use three gold pieces
Johnson?" inquired Major Howard.
'Well, sub, I don't know as I'd OBJ
ject," replied the negro, grinning.
"It's part Of a sum that was pafG
to an American soldier for betraying
his country"
"Oh, Lord, no, Major !" answered
Johnson.
'Then do what you think best with
these"
The negro looked at the gold coins
I'm his hand, stepped outside the tent
and swung his arm. The pieces fell
in the jungle grass far beyond the en-
campment. Major Howard SHE'D the
purse after them and went back tC
where Wallace still sat upright on the
bed. He noticed, with a certain grim
ness of spirit, that one of the lieuten
ants hands rested on the child's fail
hair.
"Well, Wallace?" he asked.
"It's damnable."
ave can't exactly make his child
the regimental pet, can weP
Wallace was silent, and the Major
sat down on the edge of the bed be
side him.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28

played false to my best friend and
that I'd suffer for it to the last day of
my life. I've never forgotten that in
terview, and you can guess how it
made ME mad to hang Hampton when
we learned that he was still keeping
up the game from his exile in Cuba.
He must have got quite a number of
confidential papers out of the war Of
fee. That's about all"
''It's enough" said Wallace. "The
girl married him. then?'
$50 much we learned. And also that
pretty close on the fellows track the
last couple of years-ever since the
war became a probability, in fact.
Most of the officers in the regiment
are since that time, but l guess they
all knew something, and kept it quiet,
like you"
Wallace nodded. 81 fancy there's a
good deal of feeling" he said.
"Quite good DEAL" said the major,
dryly. "And 1 guess you'll agree with
me that this makes it-let's say, lit
tie difficult to adopt his child Off
cially?'
"You mean the remembrance would
be too bitter?'
Il mean that that position is the
one and only position that she is dis
qualified from holding, by reason of
BIRTH
"Still," urged Wallace, sit isn't in
the blood. The mother was decent.
Why should that baby be tarnished
with her fathers treachery?'
"It's written in the Good Book"
began the major.
"And there's something else about
Goals of fire, too, Major, which came
as a sort Of revision of the old law.
It's just what we ought to do, because
it's the only way to adjust the mat
ter"
adjust it? Adjust what?' cried
the Major, with sudden passion.
"The whole of that hellish business,
Major. The man was once an officer
crimes have died with him. We want
to forget that such thing could have
happened, and the only way is to leave
him to Gods judgment and to cast
out all bitterness from our hearts.
You quoted Scripture to newell, l
gave you the answer from the same
Book. Let death bring oblivion to the
mans memory. He's left us the child.
Start here. Start fresh. l have the
right to the kid, but what you have
told me makes me feel strongly that
there's a Providence in this affair,
and I'll lend her to you-mark that
word, Major ON that condition or
none"
Major Howard pulled at his mus
tache in agitation. you don't really
mean it, Wallace?" he asked.
81 do. If you want me to let you
take her till the wars over"
st means forgiving that black
guard"
"It means forgetting him and letting
the Judge judge"
"It goes against every instinct. I'd
bring her up away from the regimental
fife. Besides. there are the others"
"Who else knowS?"
"Well, of course, nobody else knows
who the dead man was. The colonel
will have to know. But he needn't
know we've adopted the child. He's
going South after the war. However,
I'm afraid Kellerman knows. He rec
ognized what was left of the face, or
suspected somehow. 1 could tell from
his manner"
81 don't see any overwhelming diff
ficulty in that. You can trust Keller
man?''
The major nodded, and it occurred
to Wallace that he would rather trust
any of the officers than Kellerman. He
had conceived n prejudice against him
which he could not have explained.
"And Hampton's name was erased
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Queer Ideas of Yank SIano.

England, which has a richness of
slang that is surprising to an Ameri-
can, is convinced that United States is
different language from English, be-
cause it is more highly embellished
Being so convinced, English newspa.
pers are picking up and playing"
many new discoveries in the slang
line. Their latest discovery is that
the latest American slang is 81. D. H."
which is a short and curt way of an
swering Il don't know" to the limitless
fool questions asked by rockies in the
army. The first sergeant, it is report
ed. has been shorn of some of his
glory and shortened to merely "the
ton"
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Beauty of INDEPENDENCE

No self-respecting person can feel
that he is quite a man while he is
dependent. When he has become alb
solutely independent he is conscious
of sense of added power, which
nothing else can give. For, response
bility develops ability. Many a boy
discovers himself for the first time
when he is thrown upon his own re-
sources and forced to shift for himself.
So if you long for success, never do
anything through another which it is
possible for you to do for yourself.
For help from without is often weak
ening in its effect, but help from With
in Invariably stimulates.
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
little Johns Wish.

Johns mother objects to quarreling
and fighting among her children. One
day some one described friends
house as having such heavy partition
walls that noise, in one room could NOT
be heard in an adjoining room. John
said 81 wish our house was like that;
then when mamma is in the sitting
room and us kids in the dining room
get scrap started, we could fight In
peace"
The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-03-28
Some Fellows Who Do Net
Get Along Well With Work

Whan you find fellows wearing that
down-in-the-mouth expression and In
quiring for a new job in an undertone
you can put it down that work and
they don't get along well together. The
getting up before breakfast and work
ing between meals gets on the nerve
of great many aspirants of the niclzel
aristocracy. But the plain fact of
the matter is they are just downright
lazy and can't work longer than, 1t
takes to get few small meal tickets
or passage to the next town. There
they hope to fall into a general man
agership with nothing to do but draw
pay. Their chief anatomy consists
in a prominent wishbone which ex-
tends where the backbone ought to be.