davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
SEVERITY IN THIS PENlNcE
Hindu Pilgrims Make Long Journeys
With Most Extraordinary Method
of Locomotion.

An extraordinary Indian peniten-
tial pilgrimage takes place every
year. invariably on a Tuesday, usually
in the first half of May. The penance
consists in the Hindu penitents
measuring his length on the ground
from his home to the temple often a
distance of many miles.
The penitent throws himself on the
ground at full length. and with pots
herd On stone, makes mark within
reach Of his fingers. Upon getting up
he sets his feet on the mark, repeats
the process, continuing to do this, with
alternate rising and prostration, to the
end of his journey.
The dress worn during the pilgrim
age is exceedingly scanty, as the pill
grimage takes place during the hot
test season of the year. If the journey
is likely to take two or three days,
the penitent may halt at night for
food and rest, in which case he sets
up some mark to show where he left
the road, and resumes his journey
from that point on the morrow. Only
men are permitted TO perform the
penance, but women and children are
allowed to accompany them on foot,
supplying them with food and tanning
them with punkahs made of palm
leaves.
Upon arriving at their goal the peni-
tents present their offerings in money
or kind TO the attendant priests, who
utter a few words of benedictiOn.
Every few years there are deaths from
exhaustion and exposure during the
pilgrimage, but the enthusiasts are
never Observation-Disclosures. News.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
A DEFECT OF GOVERNMENT.

In the business world action on
vital matters is always prompt.
Hesitation often creates greater peril
than positive errors. When bust
ness men have a big question to
settle, they give their earnest
thought to it, do the best they can,
and go ahead. And they come out
better than if they dallied and doubt
ed.
But government action does not
have this capacity for clear cut act
ion. There are long delays, lodging
of responsibility, and political jock
eying. .,
The harm done can be seen in
such a matter as the peace treaty
and League of Nations. The country
wanted prompt action either one
way or the other But now the mat
ter has apparently gone over until
after election, perhaps until a new
president comes in.
Thereby the worlds unsettlement
is prolonged, economic readjustment
is delayed, and the United States is
held up to contempt for its vacillat-
ing policy. Also it is failing to do
it's share in settling the world, and
thereby appears in the light of a
Stacker.
The delay may prompt some ter
rible catastrophe. The lack OF a
settled policy may result in bolshe-
visit revolutions in several countries.
1t will encourage Germany in the
idea that the allies are disunited.
She will be melted to block the peace
settlements.
The fundamental difficulty is the
requirement Of a two thirds vote for
ratification of treaty. This has al
ways made it difficult to get treaties
ratified, and many very necessary
and beneficial ones have failed on
this account. This is a country of
majority rule. A two thirds vote
enables the minority to rule the
majority. This is contrary to the
American theory of government, and
should be modified to permit the
majority to rule.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
THOUGHT KANGAROO A BIRD
Naturalist With Captain Cook Misled
by Remarkable Speed Displayed
by Australian Animal.

| A naturalist who accompanied Cap
tain Cook on his famous voyage
around the world mistook for bird
the first kangaroo he saw.
This is not likely to surprise any
body who has seen kangaroos Id their
native wilds, for their leaping pow
ers are so wonderful that at full speed
they really look as if they were flying.
A scientist, speaking of this matter
to the writer, said: II CHANGED to
come across two Oldham kangaroos,
huge creatures, in the Australian
bush, and measured the leaps of one
of them. Thirty-two feet the tape line
showed for each jump, taking it from
toemark to tOemark E
1T is marvellous to see one of those
great marsupials streaking across
country In immense bounds, literally
throwing itself into the air with its
mighty hind limbs, and hardly SEEM
ing to touch the earth In it's flight"
q
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
GREAT POET LOVED TOBACCO
Tennyson's Devotion to the Fragrant
Weed Can Only Be Described
.,.. as Intense. raj

Tennyson's passion for a Tong pipe"
is well known. The story that he
never smoked the same pipe twice
can be dismissed, for, like all smokers,
he detested new pipes. He enter
tanned the liveliest hatred of Flor
ence because he could not get any
decent tobacco there, and on this ac-
count promptly returned home. Carlyle,
describing Tennyson, said: Smokes
infinite tobacco" His devotion to the
herb became so intense that literally
he could not exist without it. On one
occasion, at soiree of the Royal So
ciety, he declared he must have pipe.
A friend said he should smoke up the
chimney of the library or on the roof.
TennysOn chose the latter, and with
his body thrust half way through the
skylight pulled away in peace, de-
scending in quarter of an hour
greatly refreshed. Wherever he went
he must be allowed to smoke. Ac-
cepting an invitation to visit Glad
stone in 1875, he wrote: "As you are
good enough to say you will manage
anything rather than lose my visit,
will you manage that l can have a
pipe in my room whenever / likeT
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Magic Stones Get a New Bed.

Tradition tells that miracles Of heal
ing were performed by "St. lillian, in
the Scottish highlands. by rubbing on
the suffering man or beast certain old
water-worn stones. These stones, or
stones OF that description, are still
carefully preserved In the island mill
OF KILN, at the western end of Loeb
Tay. Lord Breadalbane, the owner,
has leased the old mill for hand-loom
weaving factory; but the lessee binds
himself carefully to protect the relics,
and to give the public facilities for
viewing them.
On Christmas eve. as on every
Christmas eve FOR centuries past, the
stones In their niche of the wall were
provided with new bed" of reeds,
straws and other wrack brought down
by the mountain torrent of the River
Dochart and left stiSnded on the
rocks. The bedding must on no ac-
count be picked by the hand Of man.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
GREATEST OF ALL VIRTUES
Gratitude Means Recognition of
Amount Of Good Which Has Been
Bestowed by Others.

Gratitude means that memory has
come to the aid of purpose, and that
praise is reinforcing prayer. Craft
tude links the past with the future, the
debt incurred with the duty to be per-
formed, the service received with the
service rendered. The question,
"What ought we to do for others?"
cannot receive proper answer until
pains have been taken to weigh and
value all that others have already
done for us. Benevolence is largely
an affair of memory and Of the graft
tude that memory inspires. The
benevOlence that is most beneficent
does not begin, as some moralists seem
to think, In a desire to do good to
other people, but in adequate recogni.
ton of the enormous amount of good
which other people have done to our
selves. Nine-tenths of what we have
to give is a gift bestowed upon us,
and only when this is realized does
altruism rest upon it's proper ground,
or feel the full force of the motives
which impel the individual to the
service of others. Divorced from
gratitude, all the social virtues would
shriyel.-L. p. Jacks.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Alexandria Modern City.

Alexandria, founded by the world
conquerer, Alexander the Great, is an
Egyptian city that is eager to lose its
connection with the far away past and
become completely modernized. Fate
favors this ambition, for the Won
ders that Cleopatra knew have
been eaten by fire or swept away by
the sea. Alexandria is a City Of trade
and fashion, dominated by prosperous
Europeans too deeply absorbed in the
stock exchange to be even vaguely in
terested in the romantic side of their
city.
Except for a few visitors who have
read little history and are wildly in
quisitive regarding CleOpatra's palace
and Pompey's pillar, the ruins of AL
exandria rest peacefully, unphoto-
graphed and unchlpped by souvenir
hunters. One thing against the popu-
larity Of Alexandria's ruins Is their
scantiness. For the most part. they
consist of a few carved stones and
some sites"
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
FREEPORT

Esther Olson of DEBORAH was a
Sunday guest at the Walter Mailman
home.
Mrs. Geo. Rock of Minneapolis was
an over Sunday visitor with rela-
tives here.
Lloyd Logsdon was up from Mo-
mona and spent Sunday with his
parents.
Mrs. G. H. Kirkland went. to Cres-
CO Friday for several days visit
with Mrs. H. A. Kline.
Mr. Strand of DEBORAH was a Sun
day visitor at the Halvorson home.
Ed Youmans and son from near
necorah were callers in this vicini-
ty Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Glen Sheetz spent
Sunday with the latter's parents,
near Waukon.
Mrs. Emma Snyder returned last
week to her home near Pith Mimi.
after spending two months with
friends and relatives here.
Harold Jagerson is visiting re-
latives in Springfield at this writ
ing.
Mr.. and Mrs. R. H. Stewart ard
son Earl or Decorah We're Sunday
visitors in our village
o. II. Stevens of CrescO was a
Sunday visitor at the Dickinson
home.
School closed Friday for the sum-
mer vacation.
o. A. Jagerson and son Roy are
painting at the Alfred Blegen home
in Pleasant,
There will be basket social at
the Yeouman hall Friday evening
May %. Proceeds to be used for
church purposes Ladies are request
ed to bring baskets. Lunches will be
served to those not bringing bask-
cts. ~ -
There will be church services here
next Sunday at 3 p. m. conducted by
Rev. Wells of DEBORAH.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
WEAR DEAD HUSBANDS SKULL
Andaman Widows Carry Grewsome
Relic for Full Year, and Then
... Take Another Mate.

Widows in the Andaman islands
mourn on the death of their husbands
by detaching the jaws of the dead,
placing the heads on a platform in a
tree for the birds to pick. then clean
ing and ornamenting them with shells
and wearing them on their backs for
year, even while working. At the end
of the year they are free to marry
again.
The widow has warrior picked out
for her by the chief, and he is uSu-
ally accepted by her at sight. Then
she goes to some lone spot, buries her
beloved skull and returns, to the camp
to feast and dance. She soon, how.
ever, returns to the skull and spends
week in praying and fasting in its
company, after which the skull Is un-
earthed and brought to the village,
where 1t is stuck on a pole and made
to look on at a scene of feasting and
dancing. When the marriage cere-
mOny is over the skull is buried some
where and forgotten.
The dead man is Of no Importance
TO the tribe. At the banquet the
people gorge themselves and whirl and
dance like mad things TO the sound Of
the yemnga, native Instrument, until
they drop one by one from sheer ex-
haustiOn.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Achievement Follows Work.

A reasoning age demands respect
for the person of offers no matter
what the sex or social station. It's
folly for man to imagine that he Is
strangely destined to rank above his
fellows. You may be on the road to
power, but that will result from fitness
rather than from any endowment Of
divinity. The old idea that nature be-
slows exceptional gifts upon certain
individuals is pretty much fiction. It's
nice for the gifted but rather hard on
the common, ordinary chap. But ex-
perience shows that achievement is a
matter Of work and not of gift. The
world Is daily awarding prizes to those
who dare to toll to the limit for the
sake of winning place. Men who rise
to remain leaders are those who fit
themselves to hold high station.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
LOOKING THE FAMILY OVER
Woman Writer Made Some Suuses-
tions That Are Worth More
Than a Passing Thought.

A suggestion by Celia Caroline Cole
in the Deineator, on how to live in
accord with others and eliminate the
jangles offered the following as one
item. In solving the problem she said /:
IF you'd step out this minute from
the habit of looking at your family as
the family and take new look at
them as human beings, individuals,
struggling, dreaming, failing just as
you do-oh, yes, this applies to your
father and mother, too; they're not
things especially equipped just be-
cause they happen to be your father
and mother; they're trying even hard
er than you are to do something and
be something-look at them, the whole
family, as people you can do things
for, but they needn't do anything for
you so far as you are concerned CHATS
their affair), people you can learn
from, every one of them, blessed,
brave, marching hoping human beings
cropping into life and trying to find the
right road to walk on. And then take
a look at yourself and see if you are
the kind of person you'd like to have
for a best friend, and why not. Take
a walk in the country every now and
then, where there are hills or moors
or wide fields if you can get them
something patient and serene and
strong"
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
"Strad" Violin Poor Investment.

From a contemporary we learn that !:
"Ceryetto, an Italian musician in Lon
don in the eighteenth century, is said
to have received a number of Stradi-
varii violins for sale. He was instruct
ed to ask "A (S20) each for the violins,
but failed to sell them at this ex:
orbitant price, and had to send them
back to Italy. With these same vlolins
selling at the present day from $4,000
to $4,000 each, this seems almost in
credible, but we must remember that at
that time Stradivarius was not known
as the premier violin maker of the
world. However, 1t would have been
a very poor speculation for anyone to
have bought the violins at even that
nominal sum at that time and boarded
them away for his heirs to sell at the
present day. The sum of $40 invested
at compound interest at that time
would have amounted to far more than
$4,000 at the present day, Such Is
the power of money to breed If kept
steadily at work at compound in
terest."
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
HOLY WELLS SPREAD DISEASE
italian Pilgrims Resent Attempts to
Prevent Their Using Polluted
? Pools They Hold Sacred.

: Benares, the city of 1000 temples,
is also the city of holy wells. A pill
grim in Benares can put in busy day
making the round of these landmarks
and complying with the ceremonies
prescribed for those who would drink
from them.
Only the devout Indian pilgrim
would care to drink of the sacred
wells, for custom says that flowers
must be flung into them as peace of
ferings, and these decayed floral of
ferings tend to make the water unfit
for drinking. The British govern
ment did clean up some of the most
holy and popular of the wells in the
Interests of sanitation But the Hin
Idus were not pleased. They come
hundreds of miles to enjoy the bene-
fits of the holy water, taste, scent and
all and they do not care TO have it
tampered with.
The most holy of the wells is the
Well of knowledge which stands near
Benares' most ancient shrine, the
anu otNiu " w 49,
dwelling place of very important
god. The most mysterious is the.
We'll of Fate. Any one who looks
into the Well of Fate exactly at noon
and fails to see his shadow is said to
, he doomed to die within six months.
OF course, if the silent prophecy is
unfavorable, the spirits can usually be
bought off by offerings at the temple,
conveniently near by. .;"'
In another well a snake god lives
and still another is dedicated to the
spirit of healing. Pilgrims not only
drink of the water of this, we'll, but
also battle in it to make sure of the
waters power being transferred to
them. Half million pilgrims tour the
holy wells of Benares every year and
drink enough Of the water to stock up
their systems with the germs of every
disease known to India. 49,.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
CAVE-MEn N MANY LANDS
Some OF Their Dwellings Are Net
Without Fair Standard Of
Modern Comfort.

Troglodytes, cave men, living In
their cave dwellings, are TO be found
in Mexico, the Canary islands, in the
Crimea, as well as in Spain, France,
Italy and England, according to Har-
old j. Shepstone, in the Wide World
Magazine. The Italian troglOdyte
dwellings at Bari are little more than
houses which it has been found simpler
to cut out of the soft rock rather than
to go to the trouble of collecting build
ing materials.
The chief headquarters of the Span
ish trOglodytes is the village of Bur-
gasOt, near Valencia. Their dwellings
are practically entirely beneath the
ground. Many of these dwellings have
been recently eXcavated and offer a
fair standard of comfort, often haTing
a handsome palsl tree in front of the
entrance.
Throughout the whole of Crimea
there are endless SUGGESTIONS of cave
dwellings, but the only ones still in
habited are in Inkermann, name
which itself means cave castle"
There are vast holes and coy rooms,
with lodges of stones which were
doubtless bedsteads in prehistoric
times. There is also wonderful cave
church, fitted with columns, choir loft
and elaborate sarcophagi The altar
and the cross are of so unique form
that antiquarians are unable to con-
meet them with any known sect.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
River Changes Its Course.

There Is only one season of the
year when one can visit Angkor Tin
the interior Of Cambodia, French Indo-
China), owing to curious phenome-
non known nowhere else in the world
the fact that the river Ton-le-Sap
flows inland part Of the year and then
turns and lows outward, in the oppo-
site direction, for the remainder of
the year. At such times as 1t flows in.
land. during and following the rainy
season, there is water enough to float
steamboats,. When it flows outward
1t completely drains large lake that
forms part Of the river bed and leaves
the lake dry except for small trickle
down the center.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Because Of You.

Because of you, is the world any
better Off? Because-never forget-it
Is because of you that great many
things i'm this world are as they are.
Because Of you are there more
smiles than teSRs?
Because of you. how many people
are going to be glad that this day
came around?
Because of you, is the contribution
to human character enlarged? Are
there people of bigger vision. finer
ideals, broader sympathies and more
tolerant opinions-because OF you?
Would things slack up little If you
were to go away-but then grow in
power and widened usefulness through
the influence you left behind?
Because of you, is there more beau
ty in human association and more zest
for enduring things? Is the day bet.
ter off and are you glad that it came!
Milwaukee Sentinel.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Anatomy Among the Aneients.

1t has been pointed out that the
statues and plaques carved In stone
and wood to be seen In the Gizeh mu-
scum prove that the priest mummifiers
of Memphis 5000 years ago possessed
a profound knowledge of anatomy. Sci
ence, therefore, as LOckyer remarked,
Is as old as art, and they have adj
vanced together.
Another remarkable fact In this con-
nection is that excavations In Italy
have brought to light scores of finely
finished surgical instruments for GER
tain operations, which are In almost
every particular Of form like those
reinvented in modern times and used
by the most advanced surgeons Of
today.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Oldest Confection-

The greater part of black licorice is
derived from Spain, where 1t is made
from the juice of the plant and mixed
with starch to prevent it from melting
I'm hot weather. The licorice plant is
a shrub that attains a height of three
feet and 1t grows wild where its roots
reach the water. II fiourishes espe-
cially on tie banks of the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers.
Since the valley of the Euphrates
contained one of the earliest civiliza-
tons In the world, the probability is
that licorice is about the oldest con-
lection In the world, and the taste
which the boys and girls of today like
so well was enjoyed by the young.
STEERS of three thousand years ago.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Why Ocean Waters Are Never Still.

The surface waters of the ocean are
In constant motion under the infiu-
ence OF waves, tides, currents and
drifts. Waves are vertical oscillations
caused by the winds. Tides resemble
waves in their motion, but they owe
their origin to the attractive force of
the sun and moon. The horizontal
movements of the surface waters are
known as drifts and currents. A drift
is a general movement under the infiu-
ence Of the VIVID, but slower and more
changeable in direction than current.
Inclosed seas have circulatory move
ment because the water usually differs
In density from the ocean.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Word Of Advice.

"Mr. Jobbles," said the head of the
firm, 81 notice there's considerable
item for meals in your expense ac-
count"
"Er-I was entertaining customers
and prospective buyers. sir"
"All right. I'm not complaining, but
hope you will bear in mind that we
are selling tractors and no lady of
the chorus ever buys tractor
Birmingham Age-Herald.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
THE MOST

No organs Of the human body are so
important to health and long life as the
Kidneys. When they slow up and COM
mence 10 lag in their duties, look out!
Find out what the trouble is--without
delay. Whenever you feel nervous,
or have pains In the back--toohe up
at once. Your kidneys need help. These
are signs to warn you that your kid
neys are not performing their func-
tons properly. They are only hair
doing their work and are allowing im-
purities to accumulate and BIO convert
ed into uric acid and other potsonss,
which are causing you distress and VIII
destroy you unless they are driven
from your system.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Sound Advice.

Some young fellows think that 1t Is
Smart" CLEVER" and sign of brav-
cry to drive near the edge of preci-
pice; to spend what cash they have
freely; and to be good fellow and
take the risk someone else urges upon
them. This is the sign of inexperi-
ence and lack of real business knOwl-
edge and experience. Play safe. Keep
clean. BE strong. Be true, and you
will never regret it.-Exchange.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
Two Church Destinations.

The word protestant" includes
many churches, the Protestant Epis.
cOpal and the Methodist Episcopal
among them. The word protestant"
came into use at the time of the Ref
ormation both In England and on the
continent. 1t stood for a protest
against the Roman Catholic church.
The name is not particularly signifi-
cant at this time when all of the
churches are drawing closer together.
Brooklyn Eagle.
Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-06-02
First EXPRESS Company.

The first person to enter the field
Of transporting articles Of merchandise
by express carrier was William Fred
erick Harnden of Boston. He made
his first trip from that city to New
York on Feb. %. 1899, having only
enough to fill an ordinary valise. In
a few months he employed two car
riers and extended the service to Phil
adelphla.