davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
4 Curious Letter

The letter, which brought tn
White family into the mystery. AM
caused u great stir in the neighbor
hood, runs as follows:
Mrs. Dansey: I rnde mis-
take in getting tho s0rong kid, but
as never con got an opportunity
Of getting tho Write boy, ,chy,
I'm going TO hold on TO this boy.
He looks good TO nte.
~ ON going TO raise him on q
form until he is the ago Of going
to school and then ON going to
educate him.. Nosc, don't ,corry
about tho boy, as I svill hnve him
,oest Of tho Rockies in fve days.
He is a s0o,,derful little chap and
al~eoay love him
"No,c the combined Private de-
tcctive agS,,cies ,vill not apprehend
mo as I have his hair dyed and am
oil readv 70 b on my t0ay. When
you receive this Tkl be on or close
TO tho Mississippi River. con
gire him a bettcr home and moro
brilliant future than you. So rest
easy and lot destiny have It's woy.
ana, sincerely. ono that will be
real father to tho boy. J. P"
P. S.-"He Is ,ni,,e by ristaks. y
Chief County Detective Wilson
and his assistant, Benjamin Nuss-
baum, attach little Importance tc
this letter. They say it is written
in woman's hand disguised rs a
mans. Scores Of letters have
reached Mrs. Dansey from seers
spiritualists and people who think
they have seen the boy. The detect
ives have run most Of these to earth
and found their theories and ideas
to be equally futile. The mother her.
self prefers not to open any Of the
letters. She does not believe that
when word Of the return Of her boy
comes. il 1t ever does, it will come by
mail.
She has issued a statement that Il
being distributed broadcast, appeal
ing to the mother instinct and asking
for the return Of her only child
Buly's photograph coca along with 1t.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
What Happened to Billy Dansey?

, deerfields. The school children vol
unteered Of their own accord to do
what they could and every day
bands Of them went rowing around
with all the eagerness Of youth.
Services were held in the First
Presbyterian Church and prayer,
were offered for Billy's return. The
Town Council voted $1,000 reward
Dior the return of the boy alive.
The theories advanced about the
disappearance of the boy are as fol-
lows:
/. That Billy got lost in the
| woods or swamps.
2. That he was kidnapped in
mistake for Charlie White.
8. That he was picked up and
borne away or else killed and
buried by the kidnappers.
4. That he was run over BY q
car and that his body was dis
posed OF IN some way.
Clues are now limited to the fol-
lowing: Tiny inprints on the sandy
soil leading as far back as an old
irrigation ditch; the finding Of a
wilted crimson dahlia lying near the
ditch; the letter saying that Billy
was taken In mistake for Charlie,
and breathing a spirit Of revenge
toward Mr.. White; the story Of a
local woman that she had seen two
rough-looking men leading along a
little boy. Bloodhounds were used
and they trailed Billy's scent as far
rs the irrigation ditch.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
The Secret OF y MNa1ki119 Y q
People Like You
Getting people like
method en..an.l

surged through me- And felt the urge to put it into
action.
Within month was getting remarkable results.
had suddenly become popular. Business of i'm
portance who had formerly given only passing nod
of acquaintance suddenly showed desire for my friend
ship. invited into the most select social circles.
Peopleeven strangers-actually went out of their way
to do things for me- AT FIRST | was astounded at my
power men and women. Not only could I get
them to do what wanted them to do but they actually
pated my wishes and seemed eager please me.
One Of our biggest customers had grievance against
the firm. He held off payment of big bill and
switched to Of our competitors. | sent to
him. He met me like cornered tiger A few words
and Gained him. Inside of fifteen minutes he was
shovering with apologies. He gave check in
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

oanscy. was sumyf1oned from town.
The villagers came to help. By
night time every one within radius
Of miles knew that child had mys-
teriously disappeared and scores of
volunteer scarchers were securing
he surrounding territory. 1t was
sevcral days before organized par
ties set out to search tho woods and
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

the air Of an automaton, almost az
II her arteries were frozen. She
has exquisite composure, but talks
as II she were a fatalist: that it was
foreordained Billy would disappear;
that he is bound to turn up again:
and that no mad rushing around or
keen searching will avail to bring
him back. She Is silent and in
scrutable as the Sphinx and no
marks Of the intense suffering she
must be undergoing are visible out
wardly. The detectives say she
battles them. Apparently she In Of
the proud, reserved type that re-
ssnts the searching scrutiny Of the
law. the press and the public.
"Why should my life be metIcu-
lously examined like this7" she asks
In her level, passlonless tones.
What has all this to do with Billy?
The notoriety is intensely unwel-
come to me. 1t is unnecessary. The
child has disappeared. have no
enemiea. Someone has picked him
up by mistake. He will be returned
to me In Gods good time. Who.
ever took him would not dare to
como back with him now. But
have absolute faith. lie and think
about him at night, but | know he
Is not dead. He will be given back
to me. No one could be 10 cruel a.
to keep him.
Couldn't Walk Far
''He was such q dear little chap,
very cha.ty and fond Of hanging
around me IS | worked. He was
very keen about being in the coun-
try and liked playing with "Tarley,"
the little White boy next door. Il
cont believe for a moment that he
was lost. He was heavy on his feet
and could never walk far, so it is
ridiculous TO suppose that he wan
dered away and got lost In the
swamp.
"I'm sure this was meant to hap
pen. Perhaps because we were too
fond Of the boy. may bs vengeance
that We cared for him 80 much.
II only he'd be returned to US safe.
we arc perfectly willing not to ask
any question: At lrst ] couldn't
year To think Of him wandering
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

full payment. another big order,
and promised to continue giving
us all his business.
/ could tell you dozens Of
similar instances, but they all
tell the same story-the ability
to make people Ike you. believe
what you want them to believe.
and to do what you want them
to do. I take no personal
credit for what | have done.
All the credit I give to the
method Peters told me about.
We have both told it to lots of
our friends, and it has enabled
them to do just as remarkable
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

NCE in q while. before It 1,
old enough to help itself
~ somebody's child vanishe,
mysteriously. This 4,
tragedy Of the direst kind. It 1.
more exciting to q countryside than
a murder, q robbery or q divorce,
Every one helps in the hunt, be.
cause every one knows how q
mother feels about the loss Of hc1
ALPHABETICALLY II he Is tho only
one.
But not in years has q lost baby
caused more excitement than three
year-old Billy Dansey, Of Harmon
ton, N. j.. who vanished AS com.
pletely on the morning Of October
as If the earth had opened and
swallowed him. No single clue Of
any Importance has come 70 light,
Detectives who have worked night
and day on the job confess them
selves baffied. The theory that the
child was kidnapped seems to be
generally accepted, but the posi-.
biljty Of his being dead in the
swampy regions or doerfields no,
far from his homo IL also mootsd
Tho Scene
Hammonton 's a sleepy country
town lying hxK way between Phila.
dslphia and Atlantic City. It does
not get up until 9 o'clock in the
morning and it goes to bed about
10 o'clock ordinarily. but the las,
two weeks II has been moro OF lesa
awake all the time. Tho disappear'
ance Of Billy Dansey has been q
ninc-days' wonder and the search
goes on with unabated vigor. Not
child Is At large Ia tho place
Mothers afraid that thcir youngsters
may share the fate Of Billy are
keeping the little ones inside o,
watching them increasingly wher
they play In the yard.
The Dansey house lies ahou,
three quarters Of . mile from the
town. IL is q plain wooden. two.
story building closs to the roadside
with nothing very remarkable Rbou;
Il save its proximity 70 the marvel.
ous fields Of dahllas owned BY
Charles White, y near neixhbor. II
vas among the dahlias that Billy.
bobbing head WIS last seen. The,
rival the autumn wuods In their
blaxs Of color. Deep er!mson. rua
sst and yellow, they grow IN splsn
did rows that stretch far back intx
the bush. They are cultivated b,
the Whites for marketing purposeA
Stynnsers
The Danseys moved = Harmon
ton from Pittsburgh about nv,
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
Ins Oa"'ey Home. On the porch Hercules Dansey s
0y grandfather, and Mr.. Estee Dansey bobys mother

weeks ago. % that they arc absolute
Rcangess in the neighborhood. They
now speak Of leaving because Of the
uhvsleome nesoriety that has come
- them The father u = small. thin
man who suffers from asthma and
took over the farm in Hammonto
ooplng that his health would improve
With the outdoor life. He was for
faerly employed by ono Of the wes-
'sfn railroads a. traffic manager in
10 Pittsburgh Office. He has bean
prossyate much Of the time since the
child disappeared. The mother.
Stella Dsnsey. b an enigma 10 Ill
"no have come Ia contact with her.
omAu. slight. fair and pale. she has
zone about her household dutie.
WITH unruf!ied csmposurs, has not
o1oken down ~ al, believes firmly
her child viii be returned to her.
ana shuns the barrage of publicity
ana curiosity which has been turned
aosa Asz. Shs walks axsunA with
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

around In the cold. wet swamp untll
! became convinced that he was
kidnapped. and that he was alive and
we'll l am 70 sure ha In not dead. +"
Reli9ious
Mrs. Dansey appears 70 be Of a
religious turn Of mind. She prays
for Billy's return and reads her
Bible frequently through the day.
She works to keep her mind occupied
and goes out for an occasional run
In their car. Every day she follows
Billy's trail back into the woods, not
that she expects anything to happen.
but because 1t gives her some com
fort
Tho little house seems very empty
and forlorn. There are all the signs
Of . child about 1t, without tht
actual presence Of tho little one
Empty shoes that make no patter
Ing noise running up and dow
ssaaxA Toys haaped untidily. jus.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
Pctersl-sureIy il could not be Peter,
Why. this fellow Peters was only branch-ofhce

nETERSl Pctersi-surely il could NOT be Peters,
Why. this fellow Peters was only branch-ofhce
salesman. =. . Personality Why, he was
only Ave feet four inches hgh and had no more per-
sonalisy than mouse. Stack him up agans. big man
and he would look and &C, Ike an Office boy knew
Peters well and there nothing to him. nothing at ALL
January the FIRST came and Peter, assumed his new
duties. All the boys openly hostile him. Natu-
rally felt very keenly about it. and did not exactly
go out Of my way to make things pleasant for him
not exactlyl
Bu, opposition did seem to bother Peters
He went right on with his work and began to make
good. Soon noticed that, despite my feeling against
him, was secretly beginning admire him. He was
winning the other boys too 1t wasn't long before
all buried little hatchcts and palled up with
Peters
The funny thing about it the big hit he made
with the people we did business with. never saw
anything like it. They would come in and write in
and telephone in to the 6rm and praise Peters to the
SKIES They insisted doing business with him. and
gave him orders Of size that made us dizzy to look
at And offers Of positions why. Peters had almost
as many fancy-6surc positions offered TO him a.
dictionary has words.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
By Ishbel M. Ross

fh1 Is tho mystery Of Blu Don
ssy. as IL stood late Lost reek.
ahsu il sesnsd tA0& Gheyu scas NO
prospect Of solvtnc i.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
Billy Dansey, Who D.aqpeared From Hanaronton H. and
His AYotker

as he left them, His mother will
not touch Billy's toys, for she wants
him to find them just tho same
when he comes back. There In his
great, big drum that does not give
out g squeak, his Teddy Bear, whose
heady eyes look sadly out for the
master that doeE not come; his old
tin soldier that waits patiently for
tho return Of Its Little Boy Blue"
and the pretty Kewpie who, though
Billy'a best beloved. laughs with alt
tho Joy she had when he blow her
a kiss as he wandered out before
9 o'clock on tho morning Of his dis
appearance.
But aside from hls parents, Billy
missed most Of all by Jack, the
aithful terrier who first gave tho
varning that he WAS gono, and
farley" White. his playmate, who
vows that Billy was '1osted in the
woods and Gated by the bears."
Charlie does not believe he will over
seq Billy again and he II very sad
about It, Tho two boy. look somc-
What alike and one Of tho theories
= that Billy was kidnapped In mis-
take for Charlie by an enemy Of the
latteTs grandfather. Edward II.
White. The fact that Billy Dansey
was on tho White property at the
timc Of his disappearance has given
como color to this superstition, fur
ther strengthened by q letter re-
ccived by the Danscys saying that
Billy was we'll and that he had been
taken in mistake for Charlie. ~ the
writer wanted to got even with the
grandfather. Little crsdence Ia now
placed In this theory.
To Play With ''Tarley"
Billy would have been three years
old In December~-a stocky little
chap. with fair "bobbed" hair, light
blue eyes. slightly crossed. and
rather heavy on hls legs" When
he announced that he was going
over to play with Charlie on the
morning of tho 9th, his mother
Creased him warmly. for II was an
xtremely cold day. He had o.
eadcd blue rompcrs, q little brow
weatcf, black shoes and a peaked
'ascball cap. He left his mother
iusy at her household tasks and
added over 70 "Tarley's." Mr.
I'd Mrs. Charles White were gath
sring dahliaA They greeted Billy
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
Lay Of the Land

Tho surrounding country is thickly
wooded and ha. soft, marshy spots
here and there. The land is essen
TALLY sandy in nature, with a yield
ing surface. Immediately back Of
the dahlia fields Is a dense wood
where the leaves are falling every
day and piling themselves up In heaps
high enough to conceal the bodies of
many babies. They arc settling in
the hollows and swirling Into the
hooks and crannies which abound in
this bushy belt. There is an un-
healthy fungus growth in the
marshy spots, where toadstools
flourish and briars interlace. 1t is a
wood in which 1t would be easy to
loso ones way. The deerhelds lie
beyond. They have shallow bogs
rnd a mArshy surface. II would take
a long time and many men to scour
them completely. The search is 60
ing on every day in this area. As
much Of the water as possible Is be-
ing dragged. An aeroplane, flying
low, WAS used to take a birds eye
view Of the region Buzzards have
been seen on two occasions lowering
over the marsh. The night of the 9th
was extremely cold and the surmise
is that il the child was actually lost
1t would have died Of exhaustion and
exposure within twcnty-four hours.
The possibility Of the child's being
held for ransom is remote, as the
Danseys are In quite moderate CTR
cumstances. Little is known Of their
past and piquancy has been added TO
the case by the fact that they are
utter strangers In the neighborhood.
The parents are emphatic on the
roint that they had no enemies in
Pittsburgh and that there could be
no motive in taking the boy from
them.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

w 7HAT could not get into my mind was how
w little. una.surnins. ordin.ry-to-look-a, chap
like Peters would make such an impression
with evcryone-especially with influential men. He
seemed to have uncanny influence over people
The mastery Peters of today was an altogether diff
feren. man from the commonplace Peters | had first
met years ago. could not figure it out. nor could
the other boys.
One day at luncheon l came night out and asked
Peters how he did it. ] half expected him to evade.
Blu, he didn't. He let me in on the secret He said
he was not afraid to do it because there was always
plenty Of room at the top.
What Peters told me acted on my mind in exactly
the way when you stand on a hill and look
through binocular glasses at objects in the far distance
Many things could not before suddenly caped into
my mind wih startling elearne.. A new sense Of power
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

DUT you want to know what method used to
do all these remarkable things 1t is this: You
know that everyone does not think alike What
one likes another dskes What pleases ofends an
other. and what ofends one peases another. Well.
there IS your cue. \ ou make an instant hit with
anyone if say the things they want you to say and
act the way they want you to act. Do this and they
will surely Ike you. and believe in YOU. and will 90
miles out of t1eh way to PLEASE YOU.
You can do this easily by knowing certain simple
signs Written on every woman and child ara
signs as clearly and as distinctly though they were in
letters foot hgh which show you from one quick
glance exactly what to say and to do please them
to get them to believe what you them TO believe,
to think you thnk-to do exactly what you want
them to do
Knowing these simple signs the whole secret Of
getting what you want out Of lifeof making friends
of business and social advancement Every great leader
uses this method That is why he is a leader Use il
yourself and you will quickly become leadcr-nothing
can stop you. And you will want c it for no other
reason than to protect yourself against others
WHAT Peters told me at luncheon ha, day hn.
w Ce Dr. Blactord's Reading Character at Sigh
did This is how learned to do all the remarkable
things have told you about
You have heard of Dr.. Blaekord. the Master Character
Ansy'' Many will not employ wi'hou, hr,t
getting Or BlacEford him Concerns such West
nghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company Baker Vawer
Company Scott Paper Company and many other. pay Dr. Black
'"'se onpuo ices 'o a'V'ec on dealing with human nature
So the demand for the that Dr. Blae kford
could not been FIJI all her engagements So Dr. Bsekford
h., has explained the method simple sevn-ie..on entitled
Reaing Character At Sight Even halfhours reading of this
remarkable will sight nature and
power over people which viii surprise you
Such confidence have the publishers Dr. Backfords Coua
Reading Character Sight ha, they will gladly send TO
approval Send money Merely eli in and mail s
coupon The complete will you instantly. .p-
proval all charges prepaid. Look thoroughly See if i
lives the claims made for it, you do no, want to keep IL
hen return it, and the Transaction closed And you decide
TO keep surely willhen merely remit Five Dol.r.
In full payment
Remember take risk you assume 40 obligation The
entire course goes you approval You've everything to gain
nothing TO lose. So mail the coupon NOW while this re-
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26
7 OU know just what happen. when news of thi,
sort gets around the Office. The boys go, to
nc kn, the man araone, 4l.....l...

picking the man among themselves They had
the choice all narrowed down to two mcn-Harri,on
and myself That the way felt about it. too
Harrison big enough for the job and could un.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

A LII the office was talking about it and we were
~ wondering which one of us would be the lucky
There was important job to be hlled-as Assist
ant-tothePresident. According to the general run Of
salaries in the office. this one would easily pay from
$1,000 to $4,000 year.
The main requisite. we understood it. was striking
personality and the ability to the biggest men
in their Offices. their clubs and their homes on basis
Of absolute equality This the Arm considered of even
Importance than knowledge of the business.
New-York tribune., 1919-10-26

People tco,tId CONS IN and ,orifc
IN and telephone IN and rrofss
Peters TO the sktes he ,oa.s
shotocred uith Offers Of fancy
foAre positions.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-19
The Home University

Jeering at correspondence school
courses in bricklaying and piano-playing
has become one of the most popular of
our national pastimes. The idea that any
body could learn anything without sit
ting in given chair, in proper silence, in
the personal presence Of duly licensed
and degreed pedagogue has been laughed
at by most properly regulated mortals,
with habits for thoughts and conventions
in place Of theories. Especially was the
collegiate mind shut against such
proclamation Of the academic idea. For
due cerebration there must obviously be
examinations, class sentiment and ivy on
the wall.
All Of this makes it particularly
praiseworthy Of Columbia to announce
the undertaking of "home study" in
connection with it's extension teaching.
The courses will not lead to academic
credit or degrees" it is expressly an
nounced. This is right and proper, GER
tainly until the experiment is thorouehly
tried out. But certificates will be issued.
and there is no reason why, with proper
experience and testing, these courses
might not achieve recognition and
standing second only to the sacred "aca-
demic" training.
The factor of interest that the home
student brings to his work is something
which educators are but just beginning
to appraise at its true value. Theo-
rcticaly the personal contact Of the
classroom holds an immeasurable ben
eft which ought to make the personally
attending student intellectually better
educated than the self-taught home stu
dent. But the working out is often
quite different, A between tho loafn1
New-York tribune., 1919-07-19
Fire the Shot!
To the Editor of The Tribune

10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: / cannot agree with you in stating
that the President was right in vetoing the
agricultural appropriation act for the pur-
pose of killing the repeal act passed re-
Gently. You are wrong in saying chat it
harms nobody"-this daylight saving act.
1t harms the farmer
If, as you say, "the complaints of the
farming population can all be met by
simple readjustment of the schedules for
milk trains" why have those schedules not
been readjusted? They have been run
one entire season and we'll into the second
since March 81. Is there any more like
lihood at present of their being changed?
No; because the farmers have demanded it,
If organized labor had demanded anything
done it would have been arranged at once,
but the farmers interests have been ignored
by this Administration from the first.
1t is time for the farmer to make his
appearance on the stage. I have read some
where of a place called Lexington, where
some farmers gathered one April morning
and "tired the shot heard round the world"
When the farmers organize, as they are
beginning to organize, there will be some
thing doing. MILO w. CONE.
Moulton Me-, July Is, 1919.
New-York tribune., 1919-07-19

freshman with his mind full Of the
running track or the baseball cage and
only an eighth of one ear needing the
lecture and the home student bending
his every energy to the business of get
ting ahead in life, there is no question
which will absorb the more education
out of a course.
England is experiencing strange dis
covery of adult education in "Pelman-
isn," a much advertised system Of men,
ory and general mind training. The
idea is in the air. Our America has
been the creator of endless home
study, some intelligently, some stupidity
planned. That expert educators in a
great institution like Columbia, with un-
told resources for organizing and
planning and conducting home courses,
are entering this field is an excellent
sign. 1t is new vein of education,
barely touched. There is no telling how
much solid ore of true mind develop
ment it may ultimately yield.