davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
.pietureaoue Welcome.

When mayors and city committees
plan welcome homes for the soldiers
there Is bound to be much of a same
ness about the general plan, but Mont
gomery, Ala. put some new wrinkles
into the welcoming of the Alabama
unit Of the Rainbow division that must
have been most inspiring. The soldiers
walked, not between lines of home
guards, but through lane of rainbow
clad girls, who threw bouquets at the
soldiers and over the high arch of vic
tory entwined rainbow-colored ribbons.
A great floral float composed entirely
Of lilies. with the exception of the fig
ures "616" in gold stnrs, told the story
OF those left behind, and as the float
advanced the Chopin funeral march
was played.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
LEARN few FACTS
Writer CritIoizes Modern Teach
Ing Of History.
important Happsnines Recorded With.
out the Events Leading up 70
Them Being Get Forth
Makes Heads epln.

Take English history as 1t IL taught
In an English school. We begin with
Celtic Britain. Enter Caesar and a
Roman host. From wherei We never
learn, H. G. Wells writes In the Satur.
day Evening Post. Who is this Gaze
sar and why did he conner Why did
he goi Why did the Romans not come
again for the better part of a century?
Evidently something much more impor-
tant was going on elsewhere.
A little way on in the story certain
ineXplicably. Whence? Why? Later
come the Danes. The history of Eng
land has the effect of something going
on upon doormat in passage out
side room full of events, with several
other doors. The door opens, the Nor
man kings rush out of the room, con
quer the country hastily, say some
thing about some novelty of which we
have learned nothing hitherto, the Cru
sades, and exit to room again.
From which presently King Richard
returns detected He has been fight
ing the Saracens. Who are the Sara
Gems? We never learn. What be-
comes of them? We are never told.
So it goes on. The broad back of his
tory is turned to England throughout.
Its face and hands are hidden, and we
make what we can of the wriggling of
its heels.
The American story is still more in
comprehensive. An innocent continent
is suddenly inundated by Spanish, Por-
tuguese, French, Dutch and British,
who proceed at once to pick up the
thread of various confiicts-initiated
elsewhere. Someone called the pope is
among the European powers. Colonies
are formed. What are colonies?
These colonies, in what is apparently a
strenuous attempt to simplify history,
break off from their unknown coun-
tries of origin. A stream of immigra-
tion begins from west and east. The
American mind establishes sort of IN
tellectual Monroe doctrine and declares
that America has no past, only fu
ture. From which sublime dream it is
presently reused to find something of
unknown origin called European impe-
rialism wrecking the world. What Is
this imperialism? How did 1t begin?
The teaching of history in most other
countries is after the same fashion.
Everywhere the teachers present more
or less similar histories of passages
and doormats. Great events-the CRU
sades. the Reformation, the industrial
revolution-cOme in with bang and
90 out with slam. leaving no clew,
leaving our poor heads spinning. Is 1t
any wonder If history falls back for
little human touch upon childish anec-
dOtes about Alfred and the cakes, the
peerless beauty of Mary Queen of
Scots, and King Charles and his span
iels1 .......
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Immioration Statistics.

Between 1890 and 1890 the estlmat-
ed number of immigrants was 3SG,9S5.
while the Increase In population from
other sources was 5.322.2 .254 1S3O-4O.
immigrants COAL others 3.602.3Os
1s40-5O. immigrants, 1.S14.257, others
4.3OS, ,166; 1S50-6O. immigrants. $685.
214. others 5,653.231; 1sG07O, immI-
grants. 2,31s.S24, others 4.796,226: +:
1S7O-s0, immigrants, 2,S12,l9l. others
S,2S5, ,221; 1SS0-9O. immigrants. 5,246.
616, others 7.230s51: 1890 1900, immi.
grants. 3,s44.420, others. 9,527 ,9a5 !;
19OO-1O. immigrants. 3.s06.30S, others
1,171.4 .4Os. Until 1856 all alien passen-
gers entering the United States were
classed ns immigrants, hence the fig
ares until this date do not take into
account travellers and are In conse-
sequence inaccurate.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
RED CROSS NOTES

How we'll Uncle Sam thru the
Red Cross is paying his debt OF
gratitude to the men and the fam
lilies of men who offered their
lives in the recent war, is evi-
denced by figures compiled by the
Mountain Division of the Red
Cross in Denver, which show that
in the last month Home Service
workers visited 1875 Colorado
families, giving a total financial
assistance of $10,2O7.74 to them.
But the figures don't tell the
story of what Red Cross Home
Service workers are doing. Fig
ures don't tell of lonesome trips
on rough trails over steep hills
and thru winding canons to car
ry provisions to isolated families !;
they don't tell of painful miles
trudged in the dust under blaz-
ing sun to bring family tele-
graphic word on some matter that
had been investigated; they don't
tell of the discharged soldiers TO
whom advice which saved their
entire futures was given.
The service of these Mountain
Division families ran the gamut
of human woes and worries and
joys. Communication with long
lost soldiers was established. Per-
sonal matters which were caus-
ing trouble or fear were straight
ened out. Disabled soldiers were
told how they might receive pay
from the government while learn
ing new trades and professions.
Insurance which had lapsed and
was believed to stand merely for
lost premiums was restored for
its full value. Little services
were performed with the same
care which was given to big ones.
The local Home Service work
ers of the Red Cross want it
known that they are ready for any
duty at any time. Members of
civilian or military families or
discharged soldiers who can be
advised or encouraged in any way
are asked to consult with the Red
Cross Home Service.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
5000 John Smiths.

The claims and record office of tn.
ministry of labor at Kew. England,
which is now dealing with millions of
forms in connection with unemploy.
ment pay, has electrically driven ac
counting and tabulaiing machinery
Figures are transferred to special
cards by holes punched in certain po
sitions and the cards are sorted by
machine into groups. These groups
then pass through machine which
prints the details from each card on
rolls of paper, at the same time accu.
mulating the figures and producing n
total at any given point.
An alphabetical index consisting of
looseleaf registers of all insured work.
ers. contains 10,0OO.OOO names. of
which thousands are identical. There
are 5000 John Smiths. 1000 John
Browns, 1000 William Browns, 1,3OO
William Jones, 1000 John Macdonalds
and LOCO William Davies.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Mule Objected TO Burden

An observer attached to the First
army had been up for several hours
making notes on enemy infantry op-
erations when he was suddenly at.
tackled by n single-seat combat plane,
says the Popular Mechanics Magazine
The balloon crew on the ground imme-
dlatcly began To haul the hig gas bag
down, but the observer was running no
chances and took to his parachute
This drifted well hack of the lines and
deposited him in the midst of num-
Der of grazing army mules. and right
astride one mule. The mule, not TAX.
ing kindly to the sudden load forced
on him. began 10 rear and plunge,
starting quite n commotion among the
herd, and the observer was rescued
with difficulty from his precarious po-
sltion.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
BY Naval Precedent.

1t is a curious anomaly of the senior
service. says the London Daily News
that an officer who attains, as Lord
JellicOe and Sir David Beatty have just
attained, the rank of admiral of the
fleet, is required by precedent to retire
from active command. The rule may
have been designed to eliminate old
seadogs who had become too ancient
to bite, but II seems singularly foolish
to permit Its application to men like
Jellicoe and Beatty. BY the unprece-
dented rapidity of his promotion, Sir
David has finished his sea career at
the age of forty-eight-in the prime of
his life. The army is free from this
senseless precedent, for the rank Of
field marshal-which is the military
equivalent to the rank Of admiral of
the fieet-was, of course. held during
the war by both Lord French and Sir
Douglas Haig.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Eve Drill for Elvers

The royal air force of England has
instituted an eye drill that has made
many splendid pilots out of men who
would otherwise have been useless. It
was discovered that n large percentage
of men only use one eye AT time, and
in the early days pilots were not test
ed for eve balance. Many men were
then passed into the air service who
could never land correctly. When these
deficiencies We're discovered school
was formed and under nm eye special
ist twice day airmen undergoing the
cure were paraded for eye drill and
taught how to use both their eyes at
the same time. The result was that ~
per cent of the men who would have
been bnd pilots became good ones In
a little while.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
He Is Comma.

"But few short years ago. lay-dees
and gentlemen" said the side show
lecturer, in tones admirably adapted
for declamatory purposes, 1--WE had
here. as our greatest living cu-ri-os-i-
tee. that hideous human horror, the
wild man of the Everglades, who three
times day leaped upon gur-reat
unks of r-r-r-raw and re-e-e-eking
flesh and devoured them with terrible
ferocity and blood-curdling yells. He
was in due course succeeded by the
repulsive freak of nature you now see
before you-the bestial and bristly
bolshevik. He will not work, he
never bathes. but day and night kicks
incessantly, and in the unintelllgble
three-cornered language of his native
land screams denunciations of every
thing in existence. Probably year
after next he will he superseded by
the last pedestrian. white-eyed.
shuddering wretch who will leap IS
feet sidewise If you will make a noise
like an auto horn."-Kansas City Star
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
"New Zealand a Masterpiece"

II was under the impression"
writes correspondent of the British
Weekly, that the U. s. A. mad Sc
cured the copyright of the term Gods
own country and had definitely ap-
piled it to the United States. But l
find that our colonial troops have
pirated the phrase, and are applying
1t unblushingly to whichever corner of
the empire they happen to hail from.
The other day in bus n soldier with
a red band round his wideawake hat
was explaining to his neighbOr how
pleasant 1t was to be going back In a
few days to Gods own country. why.
l didn't know you We're an American
remarked the neighbor in an accent
that left no doubt on which side of
the Atlantic he was at home. who
said l was?' complained the other.
We'll, YOU claimed Gods own country
as your home. and that's America
sure America repeated red-band.
Yes, ! daresay God had something to
do with the making of II. But New
Zealand is his masterpiece, and don't
you forget it,
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
PATHETIC RUINS OF FRANCE
Once Pretty Villages Which Are -
Dead ~ the Rename Of the
Roman Forum.

Most Of the villages Of northern.
France are as dead and cold n the
ruins OF the Roman forum-and not
half so beautiful. Here were no great
architectural splendors. No priceless
art collections. They were nothing
hut plain, humble little hamlets Of
plain. hard-toillng peasants. The
houses were destroyed and the simple,
brave. hardy folks who owned them
were also destroyed. The graveyards
Of the men l had seen at SOissons
row. Here were the graveyards Of
their homes. village after village, as
dead as the men. The only difference
was that the soldiers had been buried
underground while these ghastly mu-
tilated wrecks still remained exposed
to view, writes Elizabeth Frazer in
Saturday Evening Post.
There was more of this kind of
scenery. And more. And more and
more. And at last-so soon does the
mind become sated by mere fiat exter-
nal spectacles of horror-I began to
feel yelling up inside of me vague
irritation against all these grave
yards of gaping, mutilated specters Of
what had once been human habita-
tions for being so monotonous, so,
repetitiOnal, so drably, blankly, i'm
passibly the same. 1 wanted them to
get better or l wanted them to get
worse-or l wanted them to be blotted
clean off the map. Those mutilated
cOrpses of towns, with their stark i'm
mobility, their contOrted postures.
their shattered members lying rigidly
outstretched on the pavement, began
to get on my nerves. They had the
same stiff fiXity, the same grotesque
sprawl that one notes in u human
corpse frightfully mangled by shell.
l had heard of men blown to pieces
in battle and unrecognizable, even
their identification plates gone. Here
were their counterparts In hamlets.
The lieutenant, searching his map,
murmured doubtfully: 1T might be
A or it might be B. It's hard
to say"
These nameless ones / put into a list
all by themselves and called them X.
But presently ! gave it up. 1t was too
much like trying to count the volume
of water in reservoir by means Of an
eye dropper.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Hawley's for groceries.
LUKE McLUKE SAYS

One of the sure-thing bets we
know of is to bet you 100 to that
you can't recall a case in which
worrying over it made things any
better.
After girl gets married she
spends half her time in wanting
what she doesn't get and the 9TH
er half in getting what she does
not want.
Maybe if you could don an eff
fective disguise and go around
and hear the worlds real opinion
of you, your head wouldn't get
swelled as often as it does.
Another reason why judges get
gray hair is because every day or
two $40 girl sues a $40 man for
$50, 1000 for breach of promise.
Arother thing we have noticed
is that the returned doughboy
with the CroiX de Guerre pinned
on his blouse doesn't banker half
as much for the keys to the city as
he does for the keys to a kaif.
The world is growing better.
Modern kids are not expected to
speak pieces for company when
you are invited to a home.
The fool who doesn't know any
thing is likely to learn. But the
fool who knows it all is hopeless.
Don't imagine man is deeply
religious because he has long
face on Sunday. Maybe the poor
fellow is thirsty.
A man doesn't mind sleeping in
ten-foot room. But he wants a
twenty-foot auto to do his riding
in.
A woman may believe that
gambling is sinful. But she'll bet
you that her husband can't get
anything out of the ice box with
out spilling something.
The trouble with the girl who is
built like shad is that if she
doesn't get fat on you she will
get thinner on you.
1t is wise wife who knows
that you can Jolly lot more out
of a husband than you can nag
out of him.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
sunlioht Not Good cermieide.

Sunlight as n germicide proves to he
less efficient and reliable-at least in
temperate regions-than has been COM
monty supposed. In his experiments
In Algiers. NJ. de Laroquette has found
that only prolonged or direct expos
ure to sunlight destroys bacteria. and
that Its action is chiefly confined to
dry surfaces where the bacteria are
fully desiccated. Bacteria in liquids
are affected only by very intense light.
and this only at slight depth. White
light is more effective than cOlOred.
blue being slightly more powerful than
other colOrs. Bacteria are chiefly
killed by luminous rays. and ultra-vio-
let rays have failed to show the bac-
tericidal action so generally credited
them, the ultra-red also being ineffi-
cient. At best sunlight acts only at
the surface, while layers Of fat or
muscle prevent even the slight Ordi-
nary penetration.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
PhIl.teIie History Of The War.

Many stamp collectors like to spe-
cialize. either in some country. or some
especial line of stamps, such as ami
mails, or birds. or even ships. An in
teresting collection could be made Of
war stamps. A collection on these
lines would include all war-tax issues,
all stamps overprinted for use in oc-
cupied territory, issues Overprinted
for the use of expeditionary forces,
and envelopes, etc, bearing the can
cellations from field post offices and
from battleships. Probably the first
war stamps to make their appearance
were those introduced by Australian
troops who had captured German coll
onies In the Pacific. Other early ar
rivals We're the German productions
for use In Belgium. Poland, Lithuania
and Russia. Similar enemy issues
were imposed on the conquered by Bull
garia and Austria.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
HAD GONE WEST"
Pathetic Incident in Hospital
Bombarded by Huns.
Wounded Young French infantry on
Ger Thought He was Going "over
the Top" and In That Be-
lief Passed On.

The head nurse watched the stretch.
or bearers clatter slowly and awkward.
ly down the path and disappear in the
darkness bearing between them a 81.
lent, blanket-wrapped figure. Then
slowly and thoughtfully she turned and
entered the field hospital tent. The
pale little nurses aid, garbed in the
picturesque blue of the American Red
Cross, rose and came to meet her. In
subdued whispers. scarcely audible In
the big vacant stiffness of the tent,
she told the story of any changes
which had taken place in the condition
of the boys who lay so bravely silent
on the 30 tiny cots.
"Bartrand, that young infantry Off
Ger in bed No. 8. with the bad chest
wound-he does not seem right" she
said softly. His lips are blue, and he
sleeps SO much"
Bring your fash" replied the head
nurse, as she led the way over to the
dark corner, where, In a bed separated
from the rest, the young Bartrand lay,
apparently sleeping. Leaning over him
lightly, with a mother touch she laid
her hand on his forehead. The boys
eyes opened, dazedly. and blinked in
the glare OF the aids flashlight. Then.
as with an effort, he smiled
Suddenly the tent flap nearest them
opened. The Scotch orderly entered
reached quickly for the knob that gov
erned the big center tent light and
switched it off. Without word the
aid covered her flash and sprang to
extinguish the desk light, while old
Macdun, the trusty, crept along the
tent wall behind the beds to be sure
that each window was tightly closed.
Overhead there gradually came into
hearing a steady, regularly interrupted
drone. like that of a malignant insect
then fiash-a great roar, not very far
away-and the tent shook like leaf
in the wind. At the first sound of the
raid Bartrand had started, sitting up
right in bed. The head nurse, helpless
in the intense darkness and fearing to
make him more restless by attempting
10 put him down, held him in her arms
Soon, says Modern Hospital, in relat
ing the story, he began to call out or
ders, rapidly, precisely, like a man who
was used to being obeyed. and then
sim louder, with more spirit. until his
voice rang and reverherated through
the open spaces of the tent. "Atten-
ton! = Allons, mes enfants! - En-
avant ~
From somewhere in the darkness
the voice of the aid, a trifle shaky,
said: "He thinks he's going over"
Another fiash-another detonation-
this time nearer The head nurse felt
something warm and wet soaking the
front of her uniform. Then silence
1t seemed for ages. Finally Macdun,
flashing on the light, called out:
"They're gone, the beggars !"
He came over to the bed and gave
one look at the burden the head nurse
held in her arms. Then. taking off his
hat, he held 1t, folded, in front of his
coat.
"fou can lay him down. miss.
think there's just work for me and the
stretcher bearers now. The puir lad
dies gone west"
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Where Allies Got Timber.

Timber was essential to military op-
erations. as carried on during the war
against the Huns. The chief war thea
ter was northern France and timber
was available largely because France
had practiced forestry for generations.
One hundred years ago the south
western corner of France, extending
from Bordeaux to the Pyrenees
mountains was almost as treeless ms
the prairie. and was fringed by sand
dunes which We're constantly In move.
ment, burying fields and houses and
even whole villages. Napoleon called
in engineers and foresters. These
men succeeded In holding the dunes In
place by planting with maritime pine :
and then they planted up the whole in.
terror of the region with the same tree.
During the war this region was the
largest source Of lumber not only for
the French army. but for the British
and American armies rs well.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Someone Is lvlno.

Excerpt of conversation between
Jim Neill and his brother "juicer,"
Pike Ewing of the c. Il. yard. "The
fool kid didn't have sense enough to
let go of the bar he had on his shoul-
der when he felt the floor dropping
away from his feet and. OF course
when the old magnet added the bar
to the under side of the plate II was
carrying down the shop, the kid went
with II. The worst Of It was the
craneman couldn't turn Off the juice
and release the kid without dropping
the plate on top Of him at the same
time, So"
II s'pose they had to let the kid
hang there and starve, huh ?"-Heave
Together.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
Iona.Iixed Lealess Men.

Other conditions being equal. a man
who has lost one leg was likely to live
longer than II he had not lost 1t. and
II both legs were amputated he would
probably live longer still, declared Col
oncl Openshaw, when the princess
royal opened Church Army Hostels for
I.imbless Men at Kensington.
The physiological reason advanced
for his statement was that the henrt
had to carry the blood to the extremi-
ties, and would continue to work long
er II the legs were taken away.
He added that It was demonstrably
true that legless man could he bet
ter swimmer than before his loss.-
London Chronicle.
Gilpin observer., 1919-06-26
SCRIPT CAME BACK
ubrettist Writes Humorously Of
His First Play.
Producer sssminoIy Had Forgotten
All About Work He Preneunesd
"orsat," and Il Was Finally
Returned TO Composer.

II never shall forget" said Bide
Dudley, author, 1.-The first time 1 tried
to write for the stage. 1t came about
like this: J. J. Rosenthal was stag
Ing musical show with the intention
Of taking 1t West. Jake and / had
come into contact often, as I liked his
brand Of cigars. At this particular
time he needed lyric for his show.
We met on Broadway and he gave me
q cigar.
"'Bide,' he said, can you write me
a sOngr
No. l replied.
Good! Jake almost yelled. You're
the very guy I'm looking for. All the
others say they can write me dozens
OF songs. That's the trouble with
them. They're too cocksure. When
you get home tonight write me lyric
on Love Do l get it tomorrow
well, you know, Jake replied,
originally l was telegraph operator
and then grain buyer out in Kansas.
However, if you want to take chance,
I'm game. I'll write the lyric
THAT night l fixed up couple of
verses and the next day l handed the
nnlshed product to Jake and ran. He
phoned me later to say it was great
and that it would go into the show i'm
mediately. 1t did. The show went
broke on the second stop out.
Jake didn't put all the blame on
the song-that is. he said it might
have been something else that explOd-
ed the show. At any rate, he didn't
lose faith in me. Three months later
he handed me an old mOtheaten COM
edy script and suggested that make it
a musical play. l demurred, but he
gave me cigar, and so l went to
work. A widely-known composer call
ed In to do the score, and we labored
together month. Then we submitted
the new musical comedy to Jake.
It's great ne said. Then he threw
the script in his desk and we went
forth expectantly. For whole year l
Inspected the billboards closely, but
saw nothing that would indicate that
Jake had produced the piece At the
end of six months more received the
script in the mail. A man had bought
the desk Mt an auction and found the
play in the drawer. All he asked of
me was that return him the price OF
the postage. l thought that reason
able enough, so he got his stamps
back"