davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
MINERS URGED TO
COBACK TO WORK
President Promises Confer
ence for Adjustment Of
Inequalities.

Washington. President Wilson,
through the United Mine Workers of
America, Friday appealed to striking
mine laborers of Illinois and Indiana
to return to work.
Inequalities in the existing wage
scale-held by the strike leaders to
be the cause of the walkOut which
closed most of the bituminOus mines
in the two states-may exist, the pres
ident said. He added that he could
not recommend correction Of any in
CAPABILITIES until the strikers returned to
their jobs, but that when they did he
would invite the Joint scale committee
of operators and miners to meet for
the purpose Of adjusting any such in
CAPABILITIES.
The president telegraphed his ap-
peal to the United Mine Workers of
America after he had studied report
on the ScoaI situation submitted by
Secretary of Labor Wilson.
Reports of strikes Of mine laborers,
particularly in Illinois, the president
said, had been received by him with
a feeling of regret and SORROW" He
declared that he vas distressed not
only because failure to mine coal in
accordance with the terms Of the ex-
listing contract would result In suf'
fering during the coming winter, but
also because "the violation of the
terms Of your solemn obligation i'm
pairs your good name, destroys the
confidence which is the basis OF all
mutual agreement and threatens the
very foundation Of fair industrial re-
lations."s
Pointing out that the United Mine
Workers constitute the largest single
labor organization in the world, the
president said mo organization could
long endure that sets UP its strength
as being superior to its plighted faith
or its duty to society at large"
In compliance with the wishes Of
President Wilson, John L, Lewis, presi
dent of the United Mine Workers Of
America, will issue a mandatory order
instructing all miners now on strike
in Indiana and Illinois to Immediately
return to work, so as to permit the
normal operation of the mines, it was
announced at miners national head
quarters in Indianapolis Friday.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07

came In found my bed neatly made.
While I awaited her arrival | busted
myself with studying anew the differ
ent rooms in the apartment, hoping
ever to find some new clue to the
methods by which the anonymous
notes had been delivered. | went to
the back of the house and looked out
of the rear windows. An ornamental
ledge of stone, perhaps eighteen inches
wide ran along apparently on the level
of the flooring. Any agile person
might easily have crept along it If
they dared risk falling six stories to
the ground, but there was no means Of
access to it save from either my bed
room or the sitting room or from the
corresponding rooms in the Bradford
apartment. Certainly no one from my
apartment had been Tipping mySteri-
Gus notes into the other apartment.
Could the converse be true? Was
there some unbalanced person in the
Bradford family who was doing 1t?
Could it be one of the servants, or
possibly Claire Bradford? She always
had been Eighty, according to her sis
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Measuring Our Universe.

Astronomers are inclined to believe
that our universe with its 3,OOO,OO
stars is after all but part Of space
and that other universes may lie be-
yond. Attempts have been made to
measure the size Of the sO-called uni
verse, but opinions differ very widely
as to It's dimensions. 1t is difficult to
measure it by using so small unit
of measure as mile. If we take the
speed of light which travels $4,000
miles in single second, for compart.
son we will begin to some faint
idea of the dimensions. Light speed
ing along at this rate will travel in an
hour 69,6GOO00 miles. 1t is estimated
that it would take light 10000 years
to travel across this space. Some as
tronomers even believe that 1t would
take ten times as long or 100000 light
wears. The mind can scarcely grasp
the idea that beyond this universe lie
even greater voids.-BOy's Life.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Sunset CoIors,

The gorgeous sunset cOlOrS are due
to the red light which Is transmitted
through the cloudy sky and is the re-
verse Of the blue of the sky. Water
is apparently blue in itself when one
looks through a sufficiently long layer.
If, however, there were nothing to re-
feet the light back, the water would,
of course look black and certain lakes
do show exactly this phenomenon. If
there is q small amount of rejecting
particles the water looks blue. With
more suspended particles certain
amount of yellow Is sent back, and the
water becomes green. In the tropics
the water is an intense blue, except
near the shore, where it becomes an
almost equally intense green.
The water of the RhOne where it
flows out of the Lake of Geneva is
blue. while the Rhine of StrasbOurg
is green, and we find that the Rhine
contains 70 per cent more suspended
calcium carbonate than the Rhone.
Sometimes the water in swimming
tank will be green. This is due to sus-
pended solids in the water The same
effect can occasionally be obtained in
q porcelain-lined bathtub. The clear
brown brooks that one finds in many
places in New England owe their color
to the presence Of brown material of
the nature of tannin, so this would
really be a pigment color and not a
structural one.-Scientific American.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
JONAH MERELY A M0UTHFUL
Monster Fish Recently Caught at Mi,
ami, Fla. Could Have Accommo-
dated Twenty Prophets.

Was Jonah swallowed by whale2
According to the biblical story it was
a fish Of this nature that entertained
the prophet in its interior for three
days and nights, but the limited size Of
the whales throat precludeS the posi-
bility Of its swallowing a man,
However. there was caught at Mi
ami, Fla, recently. a fish that could
have lunched on 20 Jonahs without
suffering the slightest pang of indiges-
ton, and among the many persons who
have seen the fish are Clergymen who
nave formulated the theory that it was
really Il fish of this species that swal-
lowed Jonah,
Here IS the way this denizen of the
deep shapes up in the way Of dimen-
Sional figures: The net weight Of the
fish, when caught, not including its
last meal, was 10000 pounds. Its liver
alone touched the beam at LOO
pounds, which is about the weight Of
hefty bullock. From end to end It
measures 45 feet, which is equal to the
combined length of eight normal men.
At the thickest part the circumfer-
ence is % feet 8 inches.
One Of the most impressive features
Of the fish is its month, which IS 80
inches wide and 43 inches deep. In
side Of the mouth is q tongue 40 inches,
and it has a multitude Of teeth much
smaller than a babys. Nobody has
ever attempted to count these mOlars
The tail resembles the Caudal append
age of an airplane and measures 10
feet from tip to tip.
But big as the fish IS, 1t died in IN
fancy. Scientists who have measured
It's CartiIaginOus formations say they
are far from developed and that had
this monster attained full growth 1t
would have been two and a half times
as large as it is now.
According to the scientists Of the
Smithsonian institution the animal is
a Whale-shark, and is the first speci-
men of it's kind that has been captured,
They state further that it Is an inhabi'
tant of water of 1900 feet depth, its
hide of sufficient thickness to with
stand the most enormous water pres
sure, and its eyes, which have no lids
and consequently were never closed,
indicating that it dwelt as depth
where eyes are of no avail.
The Smithsonian scientists believe
that it was thrown up by some subter-
ranean volcanic disturbance which in
jured its diving apparatus so that 1t
was unable to return to its natural
levels and that thus disabled it strayed
, beyond confines fixed for the mon
sters of the deep.
Capt. Charles H. Thompson Of Mi
ami, caught the fish while cruising for
tarpon off Knights key, Florida
New York Independent.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
CHAPTER v.
uncle Rufus

| was determined to let the diSap-
pearance of the jewels alone until I
had found some way of getting the
Bradfords out of their troubles. The
key to the mystery surely lay In the
notes that had been found on the floor
in both apartments. If ] could discov-
or how the notes had been put there
and who put them there, | would be
on the trail of the miscreants.
The placing of the notes indicated
the necessity of a confederate in the
apartment house. Could it be that
one Of the employees was in league
with the pIOtters? Was one of the
Bradford servants betraying them?
Was my aged great-uncle in hiding
somewhere, playing malevolent FRANKS
on us? How had that note gotten in
TO my own apartment? Nobody had
access to the place but myself-yes,
and Mrs Burke, my great-aunt'S trust
ed old laundress. l determined to re-
turn TO the apartment and lie in wait
for her until she came in to do up
nv room. In the week that had
lived there | had not even laid eyes on
her. although each evening when ]
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Send Large Force Against cantu.

Nogales, Ariz.-The federal govern.
ment of Mexico will send all the
troops necessary into Lower California
to subdue Governor Cantu, who is re.
ported in revolt against the De La
Huerta regime, General P. Elias Gales,
Mexican secretary of war and marine,
said Saturday. Forty thousand men
will be sent to Lower California, he
said, "if that number is required to
subdue Cantu. Cantu must and will
be forced to recognize the federal gov.
eminent"
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Nelson and Barbara
agree to meet frequently.
(TO BE CONTINUED
GOOD IN ARGUMENT
Many Men of Note Have Set 1t Down
as a Useless Form of
Rickerinq.

Lord Fisher, not arguing, Of course,
with his opponents, but just telling
them, renewed a discussion with the
remark: sit is only fools who argue"
Something of the sort has been said
before. In Plutarch you find:
"Euripides was wont to say, silence
was in answer to wise man; but we
seem to have greater occasion for 1t In
our dealings with fools and unreason-
able persons, for men of breeding and
good sense will be satisfied with reason
and fair words"
Jonathan Swift wrote:
Argument, as usually managed, Is
the worst sort Of conversation, as in
books 1t is generally the worst sort of
reading"
James Russell Lowell gave this adj
vice:
There is no good In argument with
the inevitable. The only argument
available with an east wind is to put
on your overc0at."
In Samuel Buffers Notebook, which
holds much common sense, is an entry
to the point:
Argument is general waste of time
and trouble. 1t is better to present
ones own opinion. and leave it to
stick or no, as it may happen. If
sound, it will probably in the end
stick, and that is the main thing"
If you are still fool enough to argue
don't let the other fellow do so. Re-
member Mr.. Godkin's penetrating
warning that hearing both sides con-
fuses the mind"
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07

ter's description. Had her troubles
unbalanced her to such an extent that
she was playing mysterious hysterical
pranks on all of us?
l sat down at my uncle's desk. The
pigeOnhOleS Crammed full Of papers
caught my eye. Under ordinary cir
cumstances 1 would have hesitated to
examine them, but now felt no
ScrupleS. Old Rufus had warned me
that there was some mystery about
the place. The pearls had strangely
disappeared | faced the accusation
of having stolen them Surely | was
entitled to examine anything and ev-
erything in my efforts at solving the
mystery.
Pigeonhole after pigeonhole l exam
ined without result until at last came
to a little leather-covered diary.
read. it with interest, noting that 1t
was for the present year and that the
last entry had been made only the day
before he had departed for Maine.
About six weeks previous to the pres
ent date l found this amazing entry
Heard whispers last night"
A week later there was another en-
try, whispers again" There could
be no question as to what he meant.
The ghostly noises that had been heard
by both Miss Bradford and myself had
been heard by him, too. No wonder
the old man had been SO terrified
Other entries in the book recorded
hearing the whispers at intervals OF
about one week.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07

me twice. They may think that you
and are friends and that you were
there in the park purpoSely that first
time"
Even So" / replied, "that doesn't
explain this"
pulled from my pocket the note
| had found on the floor Of my bed
room and showed it to her.
"Where did you get that?" she
gasped in establishment.
Last night l heard footsteps and
whispers. thought at the time /
was dreaming. This morning l found
this note on the floor"
you heard whispers" she cried ex-
citedly. whispers that" seemed to
come from up near the ceiling"
II thought I heard them. wasn't
sure"
II know, she said, shuddering.
"rve heard them-twice."
We looked at each other despairing-
". We both of us realized that we
must be surrounded with some potent
evil forces working to accomplish our
ruin. The motive in the anonymous
letters that Miss Bradford had been
receiving had plainly been blackmail
But what was the motive in my own
case? Why had someone stolen the
CASTOR pearls and then in an anony-
nous letter to me spoken of the theft?
wondered, too, if the successful at
tempt to discredit me at my place of
business had not originated from the
same mysterious source.
Was my great-unCle Rufus to blame?
The suspicion Of him rose in my
mind and would not be downed. l re-
called the unusual pretext on which
he had sent for me after having paid
no attention to my existence for near
ly q year. / recalled his curious warn
ing and that of his aged wife. re-
membered that they had insisted on
leaving the jewels behind against my
urgings, and that they had been in.
sistent on my having the combination
of the safe. Could it be possible that
they also had some grudge against the
Bradfords, their neighbOrS. and in
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
nYoU HEARD WHisPERS?"

SYNOPSIS Circumstances having
prevented Spalding Nelson, clerk,
from joining the American forces
going to France, he is in a de-
spondent mood when he receives
an invitation to dinner from his
great-uncle, Rufus Castor. On the
way to the house he meets, under
neculiar circumstances, young
Girl, apparently in trouble, to whom
he has an opportunity to be Of
slight service. She lives in the same
apartment building as Rufus Gas
ton, and he accompanies her to the
house. Castor and his wife are 60
ing to Maine for a trip and want
to leave Nelson in charge Of the
aDartment. He accepts Castor
and his wife tell their great-nephew
of mysterious noises Whispers
which they have heard in the
house. On his way to the Castor
apartment the next Sunday Nelson
again meets his accidental &C
ouaintance Of a few days before,
barbara Bradford. She urges him
not to allow the fact Of their be-
ing acquainted TO be known. At
the apartment Nelson meets the
guperinteudent, Wick, and instinc-
lively dislikes him. In a wall safe
he finds a necklace of magnificent
pearls. worth q small fortune.
Next day Nelson finds the pearls
have disappeared from the wall
safe His first idea Of informing
the police is Not acted upon be-
cause of peculiar circumstances.
He has been discharged from his
position without adequate eXplana-
ton or reason. and feels himself
involved in something Of a mystery
He asats to conduct an inyesti-
CATION himself. That night Barbara
signals from the window of her
apartment, which is opposite his,
and they arrange a meeting for
next day In the morning he finds
q note in his ROOM asking him why
he had not informed the police Of
the loss of the jewels. Barbara
tells Nelson her sister Claire had
some years before made a run
away marriage with an adventurer.
from whom she was soon parted,
and the marriage had been an
nulled. Claire is engaged to be
married and someone knowing of
her escapade has stolen documents
concerning the affair from the
Bradford apartment.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Maiden Lanes Fame In Peril.

Maiden lane, in the heart Of the
New York business district, may lose
It's identity If the diamond and jewel
nv and allied trades there decide to
move uptown.
Great increase in rents recently
caused the tradesmen to appoint q
committee to consider a proposal to
shift the entire trade center. This
committee, 1t was learned, has recon-.
mended several new sites and can
vass will soon be taken on the propo'
sition. More than Is leading firms,
including large manufacturers, are
said to be considering moving.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07

all the Castor jewels which had been
deft in my custody are gone"
Not stolen" she cried. 1.-THE Gas
ton pearls"
YES" I replied, "the pearls, too"
"Why, they are worth two hundred
thousand dollars, at least What have
you done about it? Have you notified
the police"
"No, as yet l have told no one Of the
robbery but yourself"
why not? You must notify the pO-
lice at once"
| heSitated. 1t was hard to explain
my actions without telling her the
whole miserable story, without admit
ting to this girl on whom was most
eager to make the best Of impressions
that | was a young man out Of pO-
SitiOn, discharged in disgrace. Yet
she had given me her confidence. It
was only fair to her and to myself
| that there should be no secrets be-
tween us. | began at the beginning,
| told her of my coming to New York
and how | had seen my great-unCle
Rufus only once or twice. l related
the departure of Roller and Birge for
the war front and told her how eager
had been to go with them. even
went into detail as to the reason l had
not gone with them, my debt to the
mother.
She did not seem greatly interested
in the first part Of my narrative but
when I began telling of the PROPOSE
ton the GastOns had made to me and
of the mysterious warnings each of
them had separately given me, could
see her interest kindling.
There is something wrong in that
apartment house." she explained. 1--WE
have had nothing but trouble ever
since we lived there. l wonder if
there is anything in the theory that
evil deeds make bad karma, which
spreads its effects all about. I know
feel there is a sinister atmosphere
about the whole place"
I'm beginning to feel it, tOo," l said
bitterly.
1 told her then of my unexpected
aud unwarranted discharge without
explanation the day before.
How do you account for it?' she
asked perpIeXedly.
you must have some enemy, some
malicious person, who has spread
sNHe terrible tale about YOU"
II haven't any enemy i'll the world,
l replied, yet even as l spoke there
flashed across my mind the maleyOlent
glance the scar-faced man had giyer
me in the restaurant a few evenings
before.
81 wonder" said Miss Bradford
thoughtfully, IF the same people WHIT
are trying to blackmail us are not try
ing to involve you with us In some
way?"
"Why should theyT"
"They may have been watching an(
have seen you enter the house witt
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
oxYuen Device Tested.

Because of the possible disastrous
failure Of an airman's oxygen supply
apparatus at great attitudes, the
United States bureau of standards has
devised a reliable method of testing
the equipment in the laboratory. All
the conditions Of high-altitude flights
are accurately reproduced, says Pop
ular Mechanics Magazine in an Illus
trated article appearing in its July Is
sue Decreased pressure is obtained
nv incloslng the equipment in bell
iar connected to an air pump.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
Malaria and Quinine.

Many cases Of malaria" are really
ouinine poisoning. The amount of qui-
nine administered is often large, and
the smaller doses are continued for
too long. In consequence, a condition
of debility is induced, which, as its
cause continues, also persists. Such
is the conclusion of Drs. J. Cowan and
R. Il. Strong of London. All drugs.
they say, are of little value If attention
is not paid to rest and, next, to pro-
lection from the sun and chill.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
A SOFT. VELvETY SKIN

should be the ambition of every W0m'
an as there is nothing so attractive
as a fair, smooth skin. Neither soaps
nor powders can give this. Thou
sands of southern women know from
experience that Tetterine will quickly
rid the skin of its diStiguring pimples
and blotches and give it that bright
clear appearance so much admired.
Tetterine is sold by druggists or sent
by mail for SOC. by Shuptrine Co..
Savannah, Ga.-Ady.
The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-08-07
CHATTER lV-Continued.

"Oh. no, she must never know. Dad
did not want her ever told anything
about it. We talked it over, Claire
and |. and decided to put a personal
advertisement in the papers. 1t sim
ply said, Liberal reward and no ques-
tons asked for return Of important
papers. wv
"Were there any anSwers?"
Eyes and no. One morning there
was a second note"
Delivered like the first"
"Yes, found it, too, on the floor
Of my bedroom. Here it is"
More amazed and perplexed than
ever by the growing ramifcation of
the plots of the thieves that seemed
to involve US both, took the paper
and read:
"Ten thousand is our price for the
papers, Pay it or you'll never marry
Thayer."
did you go then to meet the man
In the park?
Not until after l got a third note,
more threatening than the first and
second. Claire and l talked it over
aud over, trying to think who could
have taken the papers. We only keep
two servants now, Sarah and Mary,
and they both have been with us since
we were children. It could not have
been either of them. They think as
much Of us as our own mother does.
DO you suppose the man that she
married may have learned of your
fathers death and have returned from
France to try to blackmail her.?
Eve thought of that. The notes did
not come from him. They do not read
as If Frenchman wrote them"
"WhO could 1t be?" l said more to
myself than to her.
"Ihen there was another note" she
went on. 1T demanded that Claire
wear a red CarnatiOn and meet the
writer In the park and bring ten thou
sand dollars. That was the time
hrst met you. Your presence must
have frightened them off, for we had
no more demands until night before
last
did you have ten thousand with
You that night first met yon?"
She shook her head.
I'VE haven't ten thousand dollars
IN the world. Outside of our furniture
md our Jewels and our motor, we
have very little. If all the bills we
owe wtge paid, we'd have almost moth
Ing at ALL"
what did you propose doing when
you met the manor menY
i didn't know. | was going TO try
10 plead with them to give me the pa
pers' would have promised anything
10 have gotten them back"
But the man-the MCKNIGHT
have harmed you"
She smiled incredulOusly.
Hardly. There was little danger
0t their attacking me there in the
park so near the avenue with peopIe
constantly passing, and besides. I car
ried this"
She reached again into the pocket
o. her habit and brought forth a
NclouS-oOklng automatic.
1T was Dads" she said. HE
ought me to shoot with it. though |
aOnt think either of us thought then
mere would come time when might
need f."
What did the last note say?
Here 1t is"
ms was written and folded as the
v.nefs had been, on the most ordinary
N'nu Of writing paper. It read:
Unless we get the money Wednes.
nay Fhayer gets the papers Thursday
!" wedding then for yours. Same
hench at six.thirty."
what can do about it?"
y 90 in your place. suggested
oh' no, couldn't permit that"
u, Let me explain l fastened to say
L.
"a IN this mystery as deep as yoU
s' Only last night I discovered thai