davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
They Destroy Community Spirit
in Rural Districts. =
That Is Complaint Made b;
Reno County Farmer.
TOO MUCH WIRE VISITING
Neighboys Do Not Get Together
as They Once Did. =
w. T. Adams Visits State House
Officials Today. :

The telephone has destroyed the old
fashioned neighboFhood visiting in the
rural districts, is a complaint which
w. T. Adams, a Reno county farmeEs
made today to state house Officials
Adams. who is one of the pioneer
farmers of the southwest country. told
state house officials and visitors that
the telephone had knocked the hos-
pitality out of the rural communities
Of the state. Sc
''I used to know every man, woman
and child in Reno county" Adams
said. Now know only q small per
cent of the people. The reason Is
telephone visiting. We used to visit
Sunday afternoons and the community
spirit was far above the standard Of
today. The farmer now uses the teie-
phone and his automobile and the old.
sociability of the farming districts -
gone" =
Adams is visiting at the home OK
L. J. Pettijohn, secretary of state. He
is a modest sort of farmer and tina
mere fact that he looks after 1,s09
acres Of land-all his own-isn't re-
garded by Adams as a really big task.
"Yes. wheat is pretty good" said
Adams in answer to a question. IN
ought to make 15 or 20 bushels to the
acre-maybe 20 in my country"
And Adams has only 500 acres OF
growing wheat--wheat which Is worth
just a little more than 50 bushei at
Dodge City.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

1t amt pleasant to contemplate, as
the gray begins to show in the hair,
the disregard that old folks is held in.
It's the Injuns, amt it, that sets their
aged people up on pedestals, so to
speak,-makes them the high muck
amucks, and has all the younguns
stand around and reverence them and
take orders from them?
But mebbe it's the fault of old folks
, that they get to be regarded as nuis-
ances. Mebbe if they was a mind to
they could be SO nice that they
wouldn't be considered as Unnecessary.
Old folks amt, as a rule, pretty to
look at. And that's the thing that
saves many a young person as amt
got another thing to recommend her.
You can sort of put up with a nasty
temper eff the person that has it can
perk up her mouth to look sassy, and
has got long eye winkers, and a skin
| like peaches and cream.
| But when the person that 1<s got
the temper, has got a screwed-up
mouth, and wrinkles, and skinny hair,
and mebbe no teeth to speak OF, 1t
amt SO easy to overlook the unpleas-
antness. And that's why it behooves
US to act SO pretty that folks amt
agoin' to notice whether We look nice
or not.
! Theys different kinds of old folks,
| just as there's different kinds of young
folks, only they amt SO much excuse
| for it, if you know what mean.
| They's some one said oncet, that the
| Lord give you the face that you're
born with, but that you make the one
I that you die with, yourself. I'm a
thinkin' that there's a whole lot OF
truth in that.
I'm not just talkin' this to old folks
neither. You pretty young people,
male and female'd better take it to
| heart.
| They's the woman who don't be-
| lteye in nothin' nor nobody, that's got
| lines about her face that you just nat
urally hate, and you'd go block
outen your way to avoid her. Well,
| la, you'll not believe me, mebbe, but
oncet she was likely as pretty as they
/ make 'em, with rosy cheeks and
| crink1y hair and eyes that want in
] nowise squinty. But she'd a sarcastic
} tongue, mebbe. Folks may have
| thought it was cute in her, and she
| couldn't noways resist using it, just
SOS she'd get a reputation for being
smart. 1 reckon if she'd known she
was goin' to develop into a mean OLD
woman that nobody'd ike, she'd a cul-
| tivated sweetness, instead of sourness
An mebbe the old fellers that bores
, you to death was right entertaining
| onct. but got the habit OF thInkln thdt
what he did and thought was of more
| importance than what other folks did
| That was just form of youthful sell
, fishness, but when you see what it's
| become, it makes you wish that he
had been a mite more interested In
| other folks. Then mebbe life would
a. been a little easier for him now.
There's just lots of different kinds
of old folks in the world. and body s
! got a chanct to choose what kind he'll
| be-can't nobody choose for him
neither MA JIMKINS
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
CHICAGO CRIME WAVE
1O5 Homicides in City Since First of
the Year Reported.

Chicago, April 19.-Chicago is in
the midst of a crime wave, attributed
by Chief of Police ]. j. Garrity to ''un-
avoidable post war conditions"
The<crime record here to date listed
1O5 homicides since January 1. hun
dreds of holdups and burglaries and
many more minor crimes. Unem-
ployment, return of eX-convicts en-
boldened by army service, a slacken-
ing of morality for some returned SOL
diers and the crowding together here
of many nationalities were points in
Garrity's explanation of conditions.
He said there will be more law
breaking, instead of less. in the next
few months.
"Chicago's record, tho appalling, in
my opinion is no different from that
of any other large American city,"
said Chief Garrity. ''Since the sign-
ing of the armistice there have come
home scores of criminals, ex-convicts
and thugs who are returning to their
old haunts after being permitted to
join the army. With the factor of
unemployment and the massing of
dozens of nationalities in the narrow
limits of city. crimes will not de-
crease, but will go to unbelievable
heights. That is true of the larger
cities in the whole country. 1t is an
unavoidable postwar condition"
Following the murder of 20-year-
old Bertha Mcmillan by a jealous
ioNeF ana tne PROBABLY fatal shooting
of 10 year old druggist by a youth
fuI bandit. Chief Garrity today was in
conference with his SO police captains
IN efforts to make plans to cope with
the situation. In addition to the
shootings, the last two days have seen
$s4.O0O bank holdup. murder of a
watchman by four negro robbers,
scores of minor holdups. sluggings and
purse snatchings
OF the los killings-which include
| 80 deliberate murderers. besides many
cases of maRslaughter and homicides
sixty three mysteries still BATTLE the
police. Guilt was established in Only
forty-two cases.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

he fell forward into the spring and
was drowned.
When the nymphs came to remove
the body to the funeral pyre, they
found no corpse, but in its stead the
white flower we call the Poets Mar
cissus. 1t came at once into the favor
of gods and and men and was plant
ed everywhere over the world.
Pluto used it TO entice Prosperine
to hell. or else to SO dull and drown
her senses and those of her attend
ants that her danger was not seen.
This flower also starred the brows of
the Fates, and when the dead went
into the presence of the gods of the
underworld, they carried crowns of
Narcissus that those who mourned
had placed into their white hands
when the last good-byes were said.
At eventide,
1 saw as in trance. Narcissus there
Lean to his peerless semblance, yearuins
eyed,
And heard sad Echo's sad impassioned
plaint.
Fraught with the COLOR of her long despair.
Fall like. distant meteor, fleet and
faint"
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
Legal Revolution Has Transformed
North Dakota Into SOcialistic State

Bismarck, n. ID, April 19.-The
Sixteenth general assembly. after hav-
ing turned the constitution of North
Dakota inside out in order to lay a
foundation for the most radical eX-
pertinent in state socialism yet under
taken in America, has adjourned. The
Sixteenth assembly was largely COM
posed of farmers, elected by members
Of the Nonpartisan league, a farmers
political organization. to carry out the
program of that organization. They
did as they were hidden. Opponents
have claimed that the league majority
went further than it was asked to.
There may be some minor dissatisfac-
ton with measures not considered a
part of the league program, but the
rank and file of the farmers seem well
satisfied with the major bills.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

commission selects locations and ap-
points heads for all of the other league
enterprises, utilities and industries
The commission is responsible to no
authority save the people, and its own
powers are unlimited. 1t may appoint
president for the $3.50, 100000 Bank
him the next, with or without cause.
The governor and any one other mem
Der form a quorum for the transaction
of business. The governor may veto
any act of the other two. members.
Financial Center Created. es
Then there is the Bank of North
Dakota bill, creating a financial CEN
ter, which is to be repository for all
public funds of the state and its minor
civil divisions. including the munich
palities, repository and fiscal agent for
all state enterprises and reserve agent
for North Dakota's 700 state banks.
The industrial board selects a presi-
dent for this bank and directs how
it shall be conducted.
For ten years. North Dakota farm
ers had fought for terminal elevators
and state-owned flour mills. They
have them with a vengeance in the
State Mill and Elevator association
bill of the Sixteenth assembly.
Where the farmer ten years ago was
afraid to think of asking for $780,
600 to finance his elevators, today he
calmly proposes to bond the state for
$5,000,000, and not only to build
elevators, but distributing agencies
on the ucer-to-consumer basis in
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
War Tax Collected ON Tickets
of Soldier Committee
COId-BIOOded Railroad Man Did
Not Explain Things.
TAX WAIVED FOR OFFICIALS
Lieutenant Colonel Parsons,
However, Was a Busy Man.
Besides, There Were Brass But
tons and Other BOthers.

After all a soldier is only human.
Today the state of Kansas knows
that.a man in uniform can't remefn-
ber everything There are times when
even an officer in the service of His
Excellency the Governor gets excited
and overlooks few details. Only this
detail threatens to cost the state of
Kansas $21.09.
Lieut.. Col. Harve Parsons. recently
out of private life and freedom of the
newspaper world, probably wasn't ex-
pected to remember everything any
wear a real military outfit and lot
of brass buttons and shoulder straps
and decorations. Officially Lieuten-
ant Colonel Parsons is a high ranking
officer when called into service by His
Excellency. He may wear trousers of
life. But once called out as Aide to
His Excellency, Parsons is expected to
look like the livery of a Riverside
Drive millionaire.
Aide Does Aiding.
Maybe it was all just a bit confus-
ing to the new lieutenant colonel
this being an oSsifer in the service and
an Aide to His Excellency means that
the Aide does aiding. In other words
His Excellency is to be removed of all
the bothersome worldly things like
calling q JtLney deOTSS anu AOI
the ice water laddie. So in view of
his official responsibility, Lieutenant
Colonel Parsons was sent to the depot
to buy a whole flock of tickets to Moo
Yawk for the reception committee that
| is today travelling eastward-at state
| expense.
| A cold blooded ticket agent failed
to hand the new lieutenant colonel the
| information that upon a proper show
| ing, the government removed its IS
per cent plus" war tax for tickets
bought for and by persons in state
service and on state business. And
Lieut. enant Colonel Parsons, being Few
/ and thinking of Broadway and brass
buttons and trying to remember all
| the admonitions he had received fror1
his excellency, was most excusable in
| forgetting the one little detail of the
trip. So he dug up funds for all the
| itickets-war tax and all-and hurried
back to the state house that the party
might not be delayed.
May Get Money Back.
And today there is a war tax OF
some $21.09, which the state may Ie-
cover under great difficulty and thru
the use of much rel tape and explain.
ing to the powers i n Washington
Anyway, newspaper man in uniform
and with a rank and title and much
braid and many brass button.
shouldn't be blamed for forgetting q
few details. Or. look at it the Other
way. After all, $21.09 isn't an exces
sive mount for the state to pay fol
the failure of an officer to remembe
all the details his excellency, the gov.
ernor, had recited.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

state VIII Build Homes.
There is also a State Home Build
ing association bill under which the
state undertakes to build a home to
cost not more than $1,000 or to buy
a farm for not to exceed $4,000 for
any citizen who has 20 per cent of
the purchase price to pay down.
Back of these institutions is
100000 bond issue for the Bank
of North Dakota. The bank may buy
are bought, or sold, furnishing the
$2,000.0O0 capital required by law,
the bank may begin business.
Until January 1. 1919, $4,000
formed the constitutional bonded
debt limit of North Dakota. Today,
due to constitutional amendment
initiated by the league at the last
general election. the sky's the
limit" as one of the leagues own
legislators has put it.
Assessments on New Basis.
The Sixteenth. assembly produced
much other legislation which would
attract attention in ordinary times.
There is a re-classification of property
which assesses farm lands. railways
and other utilities and bank stocks 100
per cent of their true value, instead of
so, as heretofore: meaning that il the
assessments are honestly made. the
farmer who paid $40 last year for
this year. There is an income tax
law, specifically eXempting revenue
from farm mortgages, which in this
state aggregates around s379,G 100000,
and the policy revenues of insurance
companies, but assessing all other in
comes over $1,000 for single and
$4,000 for married folk all the way
from II of 1 per cent to 10 per cent.
The assembly enacted workmen's IS
; compensation law which seems to
embody most of the tried features of
older acts with some new ideas in
cluded. 1t prohibited any woman or
minor from working for less than 81. SO
per day or more than eight hours a
day.
1t revolutionized the educational
system of the state by abolishing the
state board of regents, the board of
education and the board of control
and concentrating the duties of all OF
these commissions in a board of ad-
ministration, to which the state super
intendent of public instruction, an
elective official, is made subordinate
The assembly appropriated and lev
led for the ensuing biennium about
$8,00O,000, as compared with slightly
more than $4.0O0,O00, which covered
expenses for the last two years. II
made possible an increase in taxes
levied for all purposes, state and local
| from $19,000,000 to $29.000000.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
THE PoETs NARCIssUs.
The Greek Legend.


This old legend is familiar to all.
The flower is with us still, and just as
beautiful as ever. Narcissus was the
name of a seemly youth who won the
love of a fair maid named Echo. But
he did not love her in return. Sad
and long were her days, and she called
often to him. but to no avail In her
despair, she faded to a voice, and you
may hear her calling sadly to him
from the hills in the waste places of
the earth.
But the youth, as a penalty for
breaking her heart, had his punish
ment. It is a punishment often in
fIicted upon human kind. One day he
caught sight of his own reflection in
a spring of water, and he was lured
back to lie on its brink for hours, ad-
miring and worshiping the face he
saw there. He would not eat, neither
would he sleep for love of the image,
and he worshiped so ardentiy that he
died of sheer weakness. Some say that
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
SWITCHMEN FOR |. OF N.
Resolution Encpra:ng Wilson Cove
nant Sent to Senator Capper.

Members of the Topeka Switch
mems union are for the league of ma
tions as supported by President Will
son. In answer to a request for an
expression of opinion made by Senator
Capper. the Topeka union has sent
the junior United States senator from
Kansas the following resolutions:
Hon. Arthur Capper, L. s. Senator:
In answer to yours of April Ind inst, in
reference to the attitude and opinion of
the members of our union as to the pro-
posed covenant of the League of Nations.
which will soon be presented to the United
States senate for ratification. enclose here
with a resolution adopted by Topeka
America, at their regular meeting held on
April 10. 1919
Whereas. The war now brought to vic
torious close by the associated powers OF
the free nations of the world, as above all
else a war to end war and protect human
rights; therefore be it
Resolved. That we. the members of To
peka lodge No. II, Switchmen's Onion Of
North America. in regular session assem-
bled, do most sincerely approve the adop-
tion of the covenant of the League of Ma
tions. as set forth by President Wilson
without amendments. as we believe that
such league would aim at promoting the
liberty, progress and orderly development
sf the world: and be 1t further
Resolved. That we favor the entrance
may be adequate to safeguard the peace
the allied nations Be ii further
Resolved. That copies of this resolution
be sent to the president Of the United
States. the United States senator represent
ing the state of Kansas at Washington
u. c.. the speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives and the Hon. wm- II. Taft oi
the League of Nations to Enforce Peace
at 13e West Forty second street, New York
Also that copy of these resolutions be
printed in the Switchmen's journal and in
the press of Topeka. Kansas.
WESLEY L. BOYDSTON. Secretary, At
jefferson Street, Topeka
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
How Assembly i'm
North Dakota Has
SOcialized State

Creates state bank with re-
sources of $150,OO0,O0O to finance
state-controlled enterprises.
Bonds state for $5,0OO,000 to
build flour mills and grain ele-
vators.
Adopts state income tax running
up to 10 per cent.
Undertakes to build homes or
buy farms for every citizen.
Removes constitutional provision
establishing a state debt limit. To-
day "the sky's the limit"
Prohibits any woman or minor
from working for less than $3.50
per day or more than eight hours
per day.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
200 Go Every Week.

Now then, according to the guess"
of employees of railroad ticket offices
in Topeka, about 200 Topekans go to
Kansas City every Saturday afternoon.
Twenty-Five dollars and sixty-eight
cents multiplied by 200 is $685.. Also,
it is estimated, about the same num-
Der of people make the trip every
Saturday in automobiles-week in and
week out-as by rail. Knock off
sass from the total budget of the
man who goes by rail-gasoline costs
money-and after admitting that an
automobile can make the trip cheaper
than railroad fare, the budget, ap
proximately, is about $50. Multiplying
by 200 again gives another total of
$4,000. 1t is also estimated that as
many persons go to Kansas City dur
ing week days on trains as on Satur-
lures for these of course would be
$22.6S each or $3.50 for ALL About
100 Topekans go to Kansas City every
-week to "spend evenings" it is esti-
mated. on railroad passes. Fare de-
Quoted, a budget of $3.50 each is al
lowed. which multiplied by 100, is
$1,S50. All the grand totals added
together make about $16.922, Topeka
money, to the credit of Kansas City
weekly. There are fifty-two weeks in
a year and fifty-two times" $16,922 is
$S79.944, the aforementioned sum of
u Httie less tnan nlllnon dollars that
Topekans should have no reason to
spend in and on the way to Kansas
City after July /.
Prohibition to Topeka will not mean
Just this little less than a million
either, according to Topeka business
men. A whole lot of the inducement
for ''shoppers'' will be removed from
Kansas City, and Topeka promises to
get a great lot of Kansas trade that
now goes farther east Without m1,eh
exaggeration. some statistician ought
to ''figger' that this will add another
million to Topeka's Golfers yearly
why not?
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
SACRIFICE.

Dear little mothers with temples so gray,
Think when the day Is done,
God SO loved the YOrid that he gave
His only begott6n son,
That all might be saved and have lasting
life;
A dream that has ne'er been completed:
You gave your SONS. ah motherfng ones,
That the enemy might be defeated:
And tho they are missing from troops
homeward bound.
You must look to the God above
For mercy and comfort, who has never
failed
Nell Scribbier.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

These measures provide, first, for
state Industrial commission to be COM
posed of the governor, the, attorney
general and the commissioner of agri-
culture and labor, all leaguers, as is
every other state officer except one.
This is the parent of the leagues en-
tire economic plan. The industrial
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
DID THE COP SEE
A GOOD MAN DIE?

Chicago. April 19.-"Want to see
good man die" asked George Dada
of Special Policeman Thomas Nc
Carthy.
Sure" said Mccarthy with a smile
Here goes" Dada grabbed the Of
ficer's revolver and shot himself thru
the head.
Police today were trying to deter
mine Dada's reasons for suicide
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
Put Off Strike Again.

general harbor strike scheduled to
start at 6 a. m. today has been post
poned another twenty-four hours
while Mayor Hylan confers with
parties to the dispute.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19

London newspaper suggests that sthe
Prince OF Wales be allowed to choose for
himself a British wife or an American
1t says the choice of an American wife
would cause unbounded enthusiasm on
both s'des of the Atlantic
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
State win Build Homes.

any of the large American centers or
in foreign countries.
The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-19
How Money Flows.

by putting these figures down in
~ this table is set forth:
Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-07
DIVISION 3,
YesterdaY'a Results.

Yesterdays Results.
Meyers Bearcats, 20; Walnut Hill Mer-
chants, 0.
Riverview Cubs, IA; Deer Park Ram
Wi Vinton on Cub. forfeited to Krus Park
Sluggers.
Herbert Farmer, the crack To-
year-old southpaw of the Meyers
Bearcats, leaders of division 3 of the
Omaha Bee Junior Base ball asso-
citation, is probably the happiest
youngster in Omaha today and will
be for some time to come, as he
performed a remarkable feat yester-
day on the base ball field by regis
tering the first no-hit-no-run game
thus far this season in the associa-
ton.
Besides denying the Walnut Hill
Merchants any hits or runs, he sent
18 of their star batters back to the
plate via the strikeout route, while
his teammates landed hard on J.
Hughes and D. Dagnelin. The final
score was 20 to 0.
Farmer, who is a little fellow, has
pitched great ball thus far and is
practically responsible for the many
victories won by his team.
Bert McAuliffe, star hurler for the
Dorcas Street Stars, nearly pitched
a no-hit game against the Leaven-
worth Merchants Juniors, but Ma
thcws, with thre men on bases in the
third round, cracked out two-bag-
ger and sent in three runs. The
Stars won by E to 4 score. Nc
Auliffe struck out IA men.
The other games in division 2
were of the forfeit order, the Omaha
Bee forfeiting to the Farnam Candy
company and the Slogrs Juniors to
the Omaha Taxi.
Although Louis Semerad, former
manager of the Riverview Cubs,
who are in second place in Division
8, sent in word that his team had
disbanded and would withdraw from
the league, this report was untrue,
according to Charles Brown, who
was appointed manager. Semerad
has been released and the Cubs will
remain in the league for the re-
mainder of the season. Yesterday
morning they defeated the Deer
Park Ramblers by a IA to 6 score.
In Division l, the Superbas took
revenge for the 13 to 3 defeat hand
ed them by the West Dodge Dairy
at the opening of the season and
yesterday defeated their rivals, 10
to ]. due to the great pitching of
McEvoy. By their victory they are
tied with the West Dodgers for first
honors. Other games in this loop
were as follows: The w. o. w. de-
feated the Charles Street Mer-
chants, IS to l, and the Locust
Street Merchants won from the
Fort Omaha Merchants, IA to 9,
while the Kaiman Insurance Co.
won a forfeit game from the R. A.
MS.
The twilight game between the
Omaha Taxi-Leavenworth Mer-
chants scheduled for tonight has
been called off and will be played at
later date.