davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

"Why keep on working in the
engine room? Well, it's nothing
magnificent; but it's useful, and
like it. The company treats me-
well, and next voyage, I hear, tn
the chief engineer is going on
vacation and I'm to have his place.
$50 you intend to keep on work
ing as an engineer, no matter how
we'll your books sell?"
"Why not?"
You hear a lot about the "call
Of the sea-" Here was a living
example of the force of it. A writer
of note who had startled every one
by the suddenness of his rise, and
still holding tenaciously to his old
calling, unable, somehow, to let 20
Of it.
In "Casuals of the Sea" are sew
eral passages touching on this ages
long lure of the sea:
"The ship takes on an Importance
you cannot conceive YOU
become a part of her. You hear,
in the night watches, her voice as
she labors onward, the little init
mate complaints of her fabric. ="
A man came in just then to sum-
mon the assistant engineer of the
Turrialba on job in another part
of the ship, and I was left alone
for a few minutes in the stateroom.
In general this tiny cubicle was very
much like that assigned to any other
assistant engineer on a vessel in
coastwise trade. At one side was
the berth, built high off the floor
against the wall. To the right was
a small washbasin, and in the CEN
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

have moments when he realizes that
youth is slipping away from him.
The job on which he was called
away took only a few minutes, and
the assistant engineer then had a
tew moments of leisure in which he
talked freely about himself and his
work. He had spent much of his
youth in North London, the native
heath of the characters in "Casuals
of the Sea" He began to write
fiction when a boy in school, without
selling any Of it, and he recalled
with dry smile "a novel of gigantic
length which he had penned when
still in his teens
His mother apparently had, tried
to divert him from the ancient call
ing of his people by putting him in
school in London and encouraging
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
n Last Will and Testament That Will Stick

TO the community at large. The
courts would be cleared of a great
burden of needless litigation and
vast amount of bitterness would be
avoided in families if every man
screwed up his resolution and actu-
ally made a will.
Despite the fact that grave perils
follow the failure to make a will,
only about half of the persons who
leave property sufficient in extent to
Justify their making such document
actually perform this duty. Of
course, those who neglect such a
precaution have their estates ad-
ministered with quite as much reg
ularity as if they had made will
and appointed an executor. But
there Is always sad difference. The
difference is that in the cases where
no will is made the estate seldom
If ever passes to the persons in the
same proportions as it would if a
will had been left There is always
and ever the total absence Of the
testator's mind back of the distribu-
tion Of the no-will estate. If you
make no will you are neglecting q
privilege which no other person in
the wide world can perform for
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

simple. see signs every day which
show me that the best legal minds in
every community are alert in deal
ing with the subject and anxious to
impress upon everybody the personal
and civic duty Of a soundly drawn
villa duty extending to every man
and woman with a mite of property.
The average will of our time is not
we'll prepared, not even many Of
those covering large estates. This
applies to all classes of wills-those
drawn by the tectator himself, with
such aid or assurance as he may de-
rive from printed will blank. such
as unthinking stationers sell for a
nickel, or perhaps by some sample"
will, copy of which he may have
had brought to his attention.
Perhaps he will model his will aft
er that of his Aunt Mary. This last
method is followed a thousand times
a day and is responsible for a good
many of the badly prepared wills
AS noted before, only small portion
Of the lawyers appear to have suf-
ficient powers of penetration to en-
able them to comprehend the future
and to prepare a document which
will be likely to meet all possible con-
tlngencies. The defects which get
into wills are of both omission and
commission. Most of these could
readily be noted and corrected by a
good lawyer if he had been consulted
in time.
Usually these fatal defects are in
the very plan of the will itself. Eas-
lily obviated, they so frequently cause
bitterness and strife that the break
ing of wills became a convention, a
staple background for the plot of
novel, play and story. There is no
hatred equal to that engendered by
the contesting of a defective will, or,
perhaps, the legal contest over the
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

plain his treatment of this charac-
ter. 'And for the rest, ! have al
ready said that marriage need not
necessarily be happy ending"
McFee has written two other
books besides "Casuals of the Sea" :"
"Aliens," which was published sew
eral months ago, and "Captain
Macedoine's Daughter" which is to
be put on the market soon by Dou-
bleday, Page & CO. 1t took him five
years to write "Casuals of the Sea-
and only twenty-eight days to finish
"Aliens'
"'Casuals of the Sea was a cas-
ual' sure enough" said McFee, land
wrote bits of it from time to time
when on shore and at sea. After
finishing it it remained a casual for
a long time, the editors consistently
refusing it, One publisher said that
if there was one subject which l
SnOuld avoid IN writing book 1t
was the sea
1T took five years to write Cas-
uals of the Sea because it deals
with very complex theme, whereas
that of Aliens is comparatively sim
ple.'
McFee brought large pile of
manuscript back with him on his
last voyage. All of this, done in
longhand, had been written between
8 and 1890 o'clock at night, the
period set aside by McFee for his
own use.
An extraordinary feature of Nc
Fees fidelity to the sea and his en-
! gineering job is the demands they
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

important subject throughout the
ages, McFee thinks wedlock still a
very uncertain experiment. The
fact that he himself is standing at
the very threshold of matrimony has
not shaken his confidepce in this
view. But Of one thing he is GER
tain:
Marriage is not necessarily a
happy ending, whatever be the case
in fiction or the movies. Wedding
bells do not insure eternal bliss, any
more than the carpet slippers at the
freside are the hallmark of unend-
ing felicity.
"The novelists> are to blame for
the contrary felton," said McFee.
Morality and Happiness
McFee said another thing while
on the subject of marriage and
women which deserves setting down.
In "Casuals of the Sea" there is one
character, MINNIE GO0derlch, VINO
alone achieves what the old-style
novelist would characterize as hap
piness, although she, of all the prin-
cipal characters, perhaps least de-
served it. That is to say, she mar
ried, and settled down to peaceful
life, after having been the mistress
of several admirers. Her father
and brothers, much more worthy
than she, endured suffering, disease
and death as their lot.
apart from the demands of SEN
timent, there is no reason why the
immoral woman should not be as
happy as the moral woman re-
marked McF'ee when asked to ex-
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
How to Make a Will

Perils there are, too. and in vast
number, in making a will Perhaps
nothing that can ever be said or
written will hasten the day when a
greater proportion Of the persons
who should leave a we'll ordered,
we'll planned testament rs a guide
to the administration Of his estate
will do SO. TO those who give heed
to such matters-to the thoughtful,
forward looking person-some gen
cral advice, founded upon rather
wide and long experience, may be
given which will, if needed, lead to
wider performance OF this i'm
portant but much too often neglect
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
WilliamMcFee, Who Wrote 'Casuals
Of the Sea, Sees No Reason
For Quitting Work

best works Of Dickens and Conrad
McFee's expression is pleasant, and
once started, he spoke with the
f1uency Of the cultured Englishman
which was incongruous in itself
when taken in combination with his
oil blackened uniform, his rough.
ened hands and his constant inter
ruption of the interview to discuss
with some caller technical details
of machinery connected with the
ship.
What do you do it for?" I asked
with the directness Of the American
newspaper man developing the high
lights Of his story.
"This, you mean?" indicating by
a gesture his apparel and his en-
ployment.
Eyes"
cit suits me. like going to sea.
L was born on a sailing ship home
ward bound from India. The shi;.
was the Erin's Isle end was bull;
by my father at ST. John, N. B
Ny father was master of the ship.
He was sailor, and his father be-
fore him was sailor. All my peo-
pie have followed the sea, even my
mother, who accompanied my father
on his voyages. It's in the blood
| suppose: 1 like it,"
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
A Few Don'ts

Here are few terse but loud-ped-
al Don'ts for laymen willmakers:
1. Dom make your own will;
you may not, most likely do not,
know how.
2. Don't use printed will form
and don't copy the will of another
and make it your own.
3. Don't trust the work of making
your will-the most important un-
dertaking of whole lifetime-to
person not lawyer.
4. Don't. after the will is executed.
make insertions, cross out words or
make any such changes. If changes
are to be made have a new will or a
codicil prepared, and by the same
lawyer, if possible, who prepared
the original will
D. Don't put your Will under the
carpet or in an old trunk in the attic
- Nt4tN4 " .SS illtc IL amer It's eXpCU-
ton. Il is an important document
and viii be wanted after you are
gore. Leave it where it can readily
be found without a topsv-turvy hunt.
s. Don't make your will in anger.
Make it when you are "of sound and
disposing mind; when, so to speak,
both your feet are on the ground and
your head is level.
7. Don't rest easy on the will ques-
ton if person other than a lawyer
has prepared it. 1t is certain to be
full of flaws if prepared by an un-
skilled hand.
Remember, you are not laying the
plot of a tragedy or romance. You
are making a document which is to
dispose of your property after you
are gone.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

may be on the passing of very rich
man. IF ever you wonder at such
carelessness, you have only to look
into yourself for the reason. The
making of a will brings up the idea
of ones own passing. Every ones
instinct is to avoid the thought; to
postpone it. Always tomorrow will
do for the making of will. And
some tomorrow is too late. Lawyers
themselves have fallen before the
same impulse and have left estates
in tangles that represent anything
but an example of orderly legal
array.
At the same time, it Is another
deep, human instinct that leads to
the amassing Of property. One in
born idea Of man is to lay by some
thing for his ething
for their protection after he is gone.
1t is this primary instinct which lies
behind every accumulate of wealth.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
Not a Typical Author

Tho man in jumpers left, leaving
us alone In the room. A rather tall
man Ia McFee, with steady blue
eyes and rather angular features.
Try az we may, we cannot help
beng Influenced by appcaranccs,
and / found myself fighting tc
reconcile this worl stained inTvid-
nal with what had been my mental
pietures If the author whose books
sAsS 4 startling similarity 10 the
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
His Views of Feminism

1T is an amusing and significant
phase of the masterful woman's
mentality" he wrote, chat she de-
sires to idealize the male and look
up to him at the very time she is
sitting politically on his head"
"I'm afraid of being murdered
really if I express my views on
women in politics." went on McFee.
abandoning the paper and going
back to the former method of the
interview "But | can't stomach
mans accepting woman as supe-
rlor being. | am not convinced that
the gradual increase of political
power among women is good, even
for the women themselves. l can't
follow the mental processes of the
man who regards with equanimity
these political activities. But the
thing that has impressed me tire
mendously in America is the silence
with which the men accept the sit
uation; you can't even get them 70
discuss it any more, and they seem
to take what is going on as an act
of God.
Gas I see it, a woman's idea OF
legislation is to forbid something
She never constructs. Stop it
Don't do it! Verboten. That is he,
conception of doing her part in the
national life"
Naturally one holding such views
also would have independent idea.
about marriage. For all that has
been said and written about this
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
The Lawyers Best Friend

The lawyer may look on with sor-
row, born not alone from the loss of
a small fee. He knows what will
happen later, for, after all, Is not the
lawyers best friend the man who
draws his own will, or has the notary
public do it? He knows only too well
that the courts will some day have
another will regarding which much
testimony will have to be taken; an
other family will be torn with envy
and strife.
But believe the situation will i'm
prove. 1t surely will when more
people realize the cause of the pres
cnt trouble, for with this understood
the way to effect relief is really most
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
One Defeats the Other

Strange that the two SO often de-
feat each other. SO often the prop
erty, laboriously acquired, is care
lessly left prey to wrangllng heirs
and goes, perhaps, in manner the
least desired by the man who had
acquired it. A poorly drawn will or
none at all means defeated hopes
for the deceased, very often a fine
chance for the crook and the de-
signing to rook the estate where the
wealth has been acquired honestly
and fairly in the sight of all men.
No matter how modest "A man s
estate, he should never fail to make
win, and it should be carefully
drawn and explicit He owes it to
himself, to the heirs he means to
assure Of his help, and he owes it
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

one that is open to various construc-
tions caused in the first instance by
improper drafting and preparation.
Such situations are veritable apples
of discord
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

point the interview had been con-
Quoted in the usual fashion, with
my putting down the notes as the
author answered questions, but here
he drew a sheet of paper to him
and wrote in longhand a short para
graph of what he thought of the
woman in politics.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

WILLIAM McFEE, au-
~ thor of "Cosuals of the
Sea" and other books. At the
left he is seen at his job in
the engine room of the
steamer Turrialba, 1Uhile at
the right he is stealing q
moment to 5ot doaU11 an idea
that has come to him
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
icks to His Greasy Job in Spite of Fame; T0a1k
Author of "Best Seller" Still an Engineer -

ter the roll top desk, at one side
of which was a typewriter.
His Private Library
Above the desk was small
wooden rack containing some books,
"Plutarch's Lives" Samuel Pepys'
Diary" "Tales of My Home Town."
by d'Annunzio, and several volumes
on marine and engineering topics,
such as "Know Your Ship" "Oil
Fuel" etc.
McFee is thirty-eight years old,
and admits he is beginning to feel
old. A man is very likely to feel
that way, he thinks, after passing
thlrty-fve. At least he is apt to
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

him to work on land, but the expert
ment was short lived.
When seventeen years old McFee
obtained employment on "what we
in England call local paper" and
conducted humorous column, for
which he was paid So month. This
being inadequate to his needs, he
got what he calls an "office job" and
worked at this for some time, but
soon got "fed up with it."
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
"Disgraced the Family"

"1n England if you hold a SUBJ
ordinate post you have security, but
also obscurity," he said. "You can
not get ahead easily. One of nv
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
By John Davis Anderson

LT E left no will"
- Every newspaper
H. n reader knows how Of
ten that line occurs. il
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
By Arnold Prince

TINE great ones Of the earth
sometimes consent to step
off their pedestals and don
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27

SOmetlmeS consent TO step
off their pedestals and don
for a little while the over
alls of mediocrity. The famous man
shakes hands with the locomotive en-
gineer or jumps off the platform to
greet the "boys" who have come from
the old town to greet him. Some
times he kisses the little girl who
brings him flowers as a token of ap-
probation from his fellow citizens.
But usually these lapses are tenn
porary. After the camera men have
departed, or the election is over, the
overalls are laid aside and greatness
climbs back into the Pullman, re-
lieved that the ordeal is over.
New-York tribune., 1920-06-27
Because He Likes 1t

Yes, butt.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-26

last week granting tho government
unusual powers for dealing with an
emergency such as might grow out of
the strike situation. He moved the
second reading of the measure.
Newspapers Of this city continued
hopeful, for the most part and ex-
pressed relief that the National Union
of Railwaymen had decided to defer
calling a strike. Such action, it was
understood, would not be taken before
Wednesday, whatever might happen.
The labor conference, which was called
by the parliamentary committee of the
Trades Union Congress, will meet on
Wednesday, and there are indications
that railway strike, even if eventu-
ally called, may be rnther half hearted.
1t WAS said that until ballot of the
workers had been taker the attitude Of
j. H. Thomas, secretary of the Ma
tonal Union OF Railwaymen, would GER
tainly influence large number of the
members. In speech delivered Sun
day Mr.. Thomas, while expressing sym
pathy for the miners, warned his audi
ence of the dangers of strike, which
he said he realized might lead to the
downfall of all of u.s." He declared
he was firm in his determination not to
lead such strike
New-York tribune., 1920-10-26
w omen Cheer
Miller as He
Assails Sn1itl,
Judge Criiicizes Stand of
Governor on Beer Bill
and Declares Dry Law
Must Be Enforced Here
Forty Ministers
Candidate Says Opponent
Still Is Making Promises,
but Doesn't Fulfill Them

Nathan L. Miller, Republican candi-
date for Governor, made his first cam
paign speech to women voters of this
city yesterday afternoon at the Hotel
Vanderbilt 1t was the second of four
New-York tribune., 1920-10-26
Mrs. ellsworth
I'll ears Suffrage
Attack on Senator

Nine speakers attacked the record of
Senator James W. Wadsworth on pro-
gressvc and welfare measures at
rally of ant;-Wadsw0r forces at
Cooper Union last night arranged bv
the Womcn's Nonpartisan Senatorial
Committee.
Friends Of Wadsworth, as we'll as his
foes, crowded the entrance lobbies, dis
trlbuting literature. Samples of the
pro Wadsworth leaflets were forward
cd to the stage and turned over to
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, president
of the National American Woman Suf-
frage Association, who took up the
points OF his defense one by one and
contradicted them.
In defense of the Senator's failure to
vote on the child labor bill it was said
in the leaflets that he was in France
at the time OF the vote. Mrs Gait re
sorted to sarcasm here and begged her
audience to guess whether Mr.. Wads-
Worth'Wcuid have forgotten to arrange
a PAIR on woman suffrage had he gone
20 France when 4 vote was pending Oh
that subject.
"They say We are spiteful mean and
petty because we oppose Wadsworth
now on account Of his anti-suffrage
record she said. Il say that | would
oppose Wadsworth today even had he
been q friend of suffrage because he
has always been opposed to democratic
processes of government"
Miss Mary Garrett Hay, who presid-
ed. and the other women speakers, Mrs.
frank A. Nanderip, Mrs. f. Louis
Slade and Dr.. Katharine B. Davis,
called attention to the fact that they
were enrolled Republicans, fighting a
light within the party.
I'll thank nobody to call me a
Democrat,' said Miss Hay, who was
chairman Of the National Republicans
Women's Executive Committee before
she sacrificed her position to lead the
" adsworth fight. 81 want to say that
| am going to vote straight Republic
can ticket with the exception of the
candidate for the Senate'
Mrs. Wadsworth in Audience
There was mucA excitement .amonc
tho suffrage leaders who filed the plat
form seats when word was whispered
shat Mrs Wadsworth wife of the Sen
ater and her sister. with Mrs John T
Pratt, were in the back OF the hall
leW IN thc audience heard the news
however, and the pair left early.
Frank Morrison, secretary of the
American Federation of Labor, spoke OF
labor's dislike for Senator Wadsworth
John Shillady, of the Consumers
League, and Canon William Sheafe
Chase, Of Christ Church, Brooklyn, also
spoke against him
New-York tribune., 1920-10-26
Cobb Criticizes Officials
Refuses 10 Dismiss Chauffeur
Whose Car kiIIot, NSau

When Magistrate Cobb was requested
in Jefferson Market court Yesterday to
dismiss for lack of evidence the case
Of Vito di Giacomo, twcnty-one years
old, a chauffeur, of Ill Mott Street.
charged with homicide in connection
with the death of Fastina Nentora,
sixty years old, the court ignored the
request and held Giacomo in bail of
$1,000 for further hearing October 81.
Magistrate Cobb criticized the legal
department, the police and the medical
examiners office for lack of "co0pera-
ton declaring that magistrates were
being burdened with too many cases
in which evidence had not been prop
ery worked up. Assistant District At
torney Hogan was instructed to pro-
vido Witnesses for the hearing.
New-York tribune., 1920-10-26

the special session of the Legislature
for not enacting proper housing legis-
latlon. He declared it adjourned after
1T did only that which was absolutely
necessary to carry it over to October l.
The Governor then discussed his well
fare program in detail He created a
general laugh when he said:
Judge Miller said he was for real
welfare and what do you think he con-
siders real welfare? Real welfare is
the election of the full Republican
ticket. That means the housing situa-
tion can wait and all other construc-
tive measures can wait. The Republic
can candidate is in favor of an exocu-
tive budget at Washington, but in the
same breath he objects to the budget
at Albany and he offers no explanation
of that -