davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11
USt Week Of School Turns Memories Of Elders Back Days When
Boy Pupils Wore Gu9ha Waists Bobbed GASP

fers." showing proper distain Of the
butterfly; the boy who Will proba bly,
be senior class president. swinging
along with conscious power-au the
whole young world on its way to
school.
And it's a modern school. we'll
built, carefully designed good to
look at. equipped for the many diff
ferent phases Of our system OF edu-
cation. There are we'll ventilated
and we'll lighted class rooms for
academic subjects. long rows of type
writer's. adding machines and comp
tometers for the preparation Of fu-
ture business men, complete Kitchens.
art rooms. printing Establishments.
and shops, all having their PLACES in
the schools of South Bend.
Remembers Squeaky Slate.
The reporter remembered her
first day at school She had sat at
a desk and written many wobbly
as with a squeaky slate pencil on
a new slate. The reporters young
est brother came home from kinder
garten 10 tell how he sat on a little
red chair at littl, table for four
and drew pictures with crayCns and
cut animals Out Of paper
Yes. things are different" she
murmured again.
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11
nv MARGARET ID. FRESHIlBY.

kkD EAR me! How times have
changed" Grandmother said
Il sighingly just day before yes
terday.
YES. sir times have changed"
agreed father.
well. things aren't just Ike they
used 10 be-thank heaven!" Muir
INJURED the reporter who liked 70
think she was very modern"
All three were gazing out the
window watching the struggling line
OF children or their way to school.
Four regular days OF it-books all
slowed away. lessons assigned. even
The traits OF the new teacher dis
covered and carefully catalogued-
Shis had been their program for the
last week. While some vehemently
voiced their reluctance 10 return TO
abe old routine. all experienced that
lnslstent little sensation which, on
being put into words. means. sort
OF nice to get back anyway"
others. however. were entirely
new at the game. The youngsters OF
five and six who started out to brave
new worlds In the way OF kinder
garten no doubt felt very differently
about H. Pride and eager anticipa-
ton were evident on their faces,
they had reached the grave age Of
accountabiIty-Jhey were "g0in' 10
school" Timid lassles. gaily array
ed in their cunning new Bingham
dresses and curious lads IN Oliver
Twists or new blue sailor suits were
escorted by older friends wlo real
lied fully the weight OF their respon-
sibflity.
Modern Children, Modern school,
older children 100. were IN line:
serious faced maids not yet arriv-
ed AT the "giggly' age. and othcrs
- quite as demure and gigEly as could
n desired. boys just beginning TO
realize their capabilities eager 20
"snow on" an abashed couple OF y
or 18. walking 10 school together AID
being made decidedly uncomfortable
by a nischeviOus group that trails
inst behind them. slng-songing,
Sgarold's got a CURL! Harold's got
a gurit" a plain faced girl with
-fasses. carrying a great armful OF
hooks. thus labelling herself a
Serfnd." wlo walks always by her
SELF silently adoring the handsomest
Aoy IN her class. blase high school
Students who are finding out how
much more they know than the "old
folks" the high school butterfly IN
all her hufiness surrounded by her
nurneroug admirers. sunburned and
tanned girls in middies and "scuf-
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

does not own foxes or have some in
terest in them directly or indirectly.
There are over 1900 ranches on the
island or about one ranch 10 every
Go people. Many ranches are very
large, having in captivity hundreds
of animals.
All War-Rich Can't Buy Them.
A large number are what
are termed Kitchen ranches, "
where one or more pairs Of foxes are
kept just outside the kitchen door
and fed the scraps from the kitchen
table. From all these ranches $500
pelJs were produced in 1920. only
about $500 being sold in America,
the remainder going to European
countries and South America. which
allows for a distribution Of one sill
yer pelt to every $4,000 Of our pop
ulatioh. There are not enough silver
pelts available TO supply even our
reputed 10000 new war millionaires
with one pelt each.
AS there are always two sides TO
every question, so there are also two
sides TO the fox business. Not all
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

At the risk Of being late, she stop
ped on her way to work to talk to
the railroad Waterman who always
said "Howdy do" 10 her.
do you remember your first day
at school?" she asked
We'll, no! Not the first day.
Tibet was about sixty-five years ago.
But I remember the school. I start
ed in the primer class. We had
long benches with no desks. and we
kept our books piled right beside us.
When it was time TO recite our les
sons we went up 10 the front and
sat in a row on another bench. The
teacher had a chart on the board
and he would point TO the letters.
We would all say them. if we knew
them. We had a man teacher dur
ing the winter and a lady teacher
during the summer. We only got
out Of school during July and part
of August.
Boys Wore Bingham Waists.
What did we wear? Well. the
boys all wore gingham waists and
wool pants. Then we had gingham
coats
Bingham coats?" gasped the re-
porter.
MY, yes" continued the watch
man. "They were made just like
other short coats only they fitted
tight and buttoned ali the way up
in front"
The reporter. as she hurried on.
tried TO visualize a satisfactory
coat, but she gave up in despair,
murnuring once more. Things are
different"
Later she asked another friend.
Mrs r. B Harris the same question.
Il studied with my father for
some time" said Mrs. Harris. Eve
were living in a Michigan lumber
camp and the country was still very
wild. I was about II or Is when ]
did go to school and then I had TO
go through a deep wood. Some
times l would encounter a deer or.
more frequently. a snake. I had TO
cross a small stream which often
sweued considerably. Many times
crossed on a floating saw log. The
school itself was a log cabin and
Ehere were only a few pupils"
Was Graduated With First Class.
Mrs. Harris came 10 South Bend
early enough 10 be graduated with
the first class ever given High school
diplomas in the city.
The first county seminary was
built in 1916 at cost OF S1.516.
The ST. Joseph Valley Registrar said
in a September issue. This building
on the north side OF Washington St.
vest OF town. is rapidly nearing COM
pletion. 1t Is OF brick. two stories
high and IS 10 be surmounted by a
cupolz."
The building. from which the
much Wanted cupola was knocked
BY lightning in "A. grew too small
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

unusual happens. the mothers says
"krrr-rt," which means Run for
Shelter!" and they have learned to
obey so we'll that they scurry for the
den, tumbling over each other ~
their haste. and never think of dis
Obeying.
Pups for breeding stock are fire.
quently sold before they are born
and those for pelting are kept until
December or until the fur is prime.
Foxes are extremely hardy, requir-
ing no shelter of any kind except for
the female, when the pups are born.
There is no weather cold enough in
this country TO drive them to the
shelter of their artificial dens, which
are wooden boxes with four or five
inches OF insulation material inside
to make them good and warm for the
pups.
Worn BY Royalty.
For three centuries and more. sill
yer fox pelts have been the most
priced and most valuable of all furs.
Ever since the monarchs of England
fitted ships for expeditions to Canada
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11
ROyabS Reference for Rare and Aioac Rewards Fur Results in
Romantic Ranc11g Reap Rich Silver Fox Farm Buchanan

much comment and were sold far
one-haf 20 two-thlr5s more tha-
any Of the wild pelts offered. The
small fur dealer is usually familiar
with the efforts OF some farmer ba5
20 raise sNunks or coo1e ln captivity
in most cases in unclean and made
Quate quarters and with mo means ol
supplying the kind OF food they need
It costs about sac a year -1 feed
fox II he is fed the kind az food zee
quired 10 produce good fu- bur
skunk or a coon Will eat as much as
a fox.
There are several FOX ranches So
Kentucky and similar attitudes. au.
the fact that there are more rancho
in northern Indiana and Michigan
than ir all the remainder 0f -de
United States and Canada tazerler.
with the exception Of Prince Edward
Island. would seem 10 indicate that
fox ranchers consider This good
section for their business. The woods
here abound with red foxes and the
fox ranchers OF this section claim
they can produce better furs than
in some sections farther north. Many
northern skins are coarse and
shaggy. The northern pelts are usu-
ally larger but not so beautiful
Many OF them are too large for mun
and neck piece. which is the way
they are usually worn.
Beauty. Not Size, Counts.
The qualities that make silver fox
pelts valuable are texture and
beauty, not size. II IS claimed that
quality In silver fox pelts depends lG
per cent on climate and go per cent
on the strain OF foxes and the care
and food given them. A strain OF
foxes that has been in the habit of
prod. ing poor furs. Will produce
poC4 furs even II taken 10 Alaska. a
family of foxes that has been in the
habit Of producing good fur for gem
erations viii continue 20 produce
good furs almost anywhere, accord
ing to Mr.. Spanord.
Mr.. Spafford is not a bit alarmed
about anyone stealing his valuable
treasures Several 45-pound man
traps are buried about his prem
ises. and TO step on one OF them
would mean the thief would be se-
curely held until ne would be re-
leased by an officer Of the law. Then
too. the foxes themselves afford their
own protection. They Will allow a
stranger TO approach just so FAR and
no farther. Armed with teeth of
needle-Hke sharpness, an angry lox
could In a short time discourage any
attempt one would make 60 carry
him away.
Has Had Many Animal Pets.
For many years Mr.. Spaford was
on the LyCium chautauoua circuit
az an artist and cartoonlst He has
written and illustrated many stories
/ Of life in the Canadian woods lac
/ has tanned and made pets of such am
imals as Canadian offers. fishers.
| skunks. (deodorized) and red foxes
1 For years ne raised red foxes until
/ he learned that a much greater
financial return could be gained from
the same amount Of labor by raising
the silver variety.
Al present he divides his time be-
tween his fox ranch and visiting
other fox ranches 10 judge. offer ad-
vice and give his opinion regarding
the value OF silver foxes
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

and women. even very old women.
wore their hair short. We thought
nothing about it then; it seemed
perfectly natural.
How times have changed" said
the reporter TO herself.
Had Essay on just Beyond"
Il remember our graduating ex-
ercises," continued Mrs. Harris. I'VE
had them in the afternoon and every
one in town was present. gave the
salutatOry in Latin and then some
one asked that I repeat il in Eng
lish. SO I did. The only boy in the
class gave the valedictory and the
other two girls read an essay and a
poem. I also had an essay on the
subject Just Beyond" 4 have
laughed many times since then at
some of the things I said. I had a
new white dress, plainly made, but
with a train-the first train 1 ever
wore. One Of the girls wore a blue
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

When the war came on and the great
fur houses of Europe closed their
doors for the first time in three cen
turtles, the speculation ended sudden
ly and the industry became what it
is now and always should have been,
a purely animal husbandry PROPOSE
ton.
The climate Of Michigan and
northern Indiana is considered ideal
for the propa cation of foxes. More
than half the silver fox ranches in
the United States are in this section.
which maintains more than IT'S sep
arate fox colonies. 1t is claimed
that the climate is colder here than
on Prince Edward Island, the win
ter temperature of which is moder-
.ated by the gulf stream, but IL is
warmer here in summer. This little
Canadian province has a population
about equal TO the city Of South
Bend. a Crescent-shaped piece of land
about Is miles wide and 13S miles
long cradeled in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence. on this island there is
scarcely a man, woman or child VIII
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

and in 1872 was torn down and re-
placed by the county seminary and
High school"
Prof. Benjamin Wilcox, the first
principal, was, according 10 Mrs.
Harris. a splendid instructor who
worked untiringly for his school.
Girls Wore Bodied Hair.
1--WE all dressed plainly" she went
on, "and all the girls wore white
aprons. Most of the dresses were
made of calico-but calico was good
then. One day one Of the girls ap-
peared at school wearing a black
SILK dress and a gold watch Prof.
wilcox asked her to remain after
school. and he then asked that only
plain clothing be worn to classes.
The younger girls all wore calico
and had their hair in two braids
tied at the end with a narrow rib
bon. Many OF them had their hair
bObbed. Indeed, many older girls
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

litter would be all reds and II would
require several generations OF care
full selection to produce a pure-bred
silver fox.
Mated Early; Death Only Divorce.
Foxes are mated early IN life. and
they never get a divorce. They are
given a name and registered much
after the same fashion folks do, with
the one exception that no two silver
fox families have the same name.
Mr.. and Mrs. Inkspot are the only
Inkspots in existence until one or
both die OF old age. or are skinned
and made into a muff and neck
piece for some fair lady. II keeps
somebody busy inventing names for
foxes.
But here's the sad part. Some OF
these beauties. with their beautiful
brown eyes and ears so alert, more
beautiful alive than their pelt will
ever be, are destined TO give up
their lives and luxuriant coat in De-
cember, when the fur Is prime. 70
make some lady happy. because the
exacting breeding requirements OF
the keeper will not permit any fox
with even a slight defect TO remain
alive.
"A perfect fox" anyone would say.
but the keen experienced eye Of the
breeder detects defects that are not
apparent 10 the uninitiated. But the
killing Is human on this ranch. Hy-
drocyanic acid gas does the work in
stantaneOusiy,-p ainlessly.
Have Alternative Diet.
What do you feed them ?" is a
question all visitors ask. To this
question Mr.. Spafford replies in per-
feet alliteration:
"Muskmelon. music and musk
rats"
Foxes like muskmelon, leaving
nothing but the rind. They are very
fond OF music, especially orchestra
and vocal music. and the phono-
graph is often moved TO the window
during meal time for their edifica-
ton. They are also very partial to
! Wuskrat and rabbit meat. A fire.
quent fox ranch ration is corn fakes
and milk, (Yes sugar on II, too.
sometimesD. eggs. graham bread
and milk, fruit Of all kinds. beef,
| tripe. etc. comprise the menu.
But " Teddy and his fox pals
never fail 10 show their apprecia-
ton OF food that they like nor their
contempt for food they do not like,
and their contempt is often express
ed in a certain unmistakable and
very effective way.
Family of Two TO Six Puppies.
/ Another question that most visi-
tors are interested in is how big a
family Mr.. and Mrs. Silver Fox will
have.
According to Mr.. Spafford, just one
family may be expected in a year and
from two to six puppies comprise a
| family.
Silver fox pups when born, which
is usually in March or April, are
about the size of young kittens. Their
eyes open when three weeks of age
and when 80 days old usually come
co the mouth of the den looking for
whatever the outside world may have
TO offer them. This adventure is fol-
lowed by wider explorations from
day 10 day and in six weeks they are
running and chasing each other
around the pen, but when something
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

lessly for our secretary 70 discover
his loss. but he walked calmly uI
70 the front Of the room. took some
papers out Of his pocket and read
in It's entirety. our paper for that
week. including an account OF the
attempted theft Of the Bazaar. he
then invited the disappointed and
rather dazed CIeophlcs 20 look over
the papers that they had taken from
his desk. They found these TO De
various useless old essays. This e
just one example OF the things we
did. We got rid OF our excess energy
then In literary activities OF this
kind instead OF IN athletics as sta
dents are more apt TO do today.
Spelling Matches Athletic Enough.
II was considered rather indeLcate.
especially for the girls, 20 be- toe
athletic. OF course the boys played
ball and "anti-over," but we thought
that a great deal OF physical ezer-
else was a sign Of sluggish mental
activity.
Our frequent spelling matches
were a furtherance Of this tdea, and
there was also keen competition I'D
them. At frequent intervals we
were lined up and Prof wilcox
would pick words az random from
the speller. This meant that .yc had
10 spend considerable time with The
dictionary IL we We're not 20 undergo
the ignomy Of being sent % The foot
OF the line. u was considered
greas honor II one could get % the
head and stay there for a time
we thoroughly enjoyed tniusz
Ike this. but we had few parle=
too. They were not nearly SO num-
erous as parties are now. and thy
usually were candy-pulls. OF some-
thing on that order. Eu- don.-
think we didn't have splendid times.
we had just as much fun as rhc
young people OF today, only % was
a different kind.
Girl OOurted By Boy WITH Beard.
I'VE also he'd what you now call
eases" One girl IN our class was
being courted by an older boy 90
school; and although u was no-
common. this boy, for some reason
or other. wore long flowing beard.
Needless 20 say. both the young peo-
people were teased increasingly. the
beard coming in for its share OF the
fun.
Things have certainly changed "A
lot since went 20 school. but / be-
lieve the people are just the same"
The reporter thOughtfuliy return
ed 10 the office.
Il guess that's right she unused.
Il think 7 was as much interested
and excited when I made wobbly
'a's'' on a slate as Odra- Harris ,yas
when she stood IN line and spelled.
and she probably en1Oyed herself
5us1 IS much as the yOungs-er who
started 10 school last Tuesday. draw
ing pictures with oolored crayOnE.-
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

pelts approach the prices described
In this article. There are silver foxes
that bear the same relation 10 pure
bred foxes thar the razorback hog
does 10 the porcine prize winners Of
the corn belt. The difference IN the
values OF pelts IS not because of diff
ference IN size but because OF differ
.ence In beauty. Silver fox pelts like
Pequin gowns are sold for their
beauty and not for their avoirdupcls
or area. IN order TO secure some
.semblance Of certainty in the buying
of foxes. Mr. Spafford has evolved
the "Spafford Silver Fox Question
aire," composed of 100 or more dia-
grams, questions and scores which
are now used by many buyers OF the
better class Of foxes.
Silver fox pelts are seldom imi-
tated because 1t is next TO Impossible
TO do so with any degree or success.
The silver hairs are peculiar. The
tip IL a beautiful glossy black fol-
lowed by a band a quarter Of an inch
wide, the color OF a new dime. then
a broad band Of black and next 20
TIE ChAAA q SAdAA b4AC SNAAAN inns AA4AI
the color Of a maltese cat.
Favorite of Dame Fashion.
Should you have stood on Fifth
av., New York, last Easter you
would have seen the fashions Of the
world displayed and incidentally mil
lions of dollars worth Of silver fox
skins being worn. Vision this scene:
A young lady descends from her
limousine TO the curb on Fifth av.
wearing on her person apparel 10 the
value OF $4,000. The man on he
street may be carrying his coat on
account Of the heat, bun the young
lady is protected by a fur around her
neck, silky, glossy and as black as
night Many Of the guard hairs have
near the tip a little band Of the color
of silver. II is as though Jack Frost
had commanded all the talent Of his
delicate fingers for this last touch Of
beauty.
Had the young lady been able TO
find furs more beautiful Cor ex-
pensive) she doubtless would have
had them. Every glistening silver
point is worth its weight in dia-
monds The fur itself is worth sew
eraI times its weight in gold. Il is
the elimination of natures artistry
in furs. 1t is the fur, until recent
years, worn only by queens and en-
presses. 1t is the silver fox.
1t is said a trapper from Medicine
Hat who usually caught a silver or
two each trapping season was inter
ested in the passing show, and know
ing something of fur values, COM
puted the values of the silver pelts
that passed him on his side Of the
street in a. given time and with his
tablet and pencil he recorded each
passing silver pelt and its appraised
price. After an hour of this he
found that values in silver fox pelts
had been passing him at the rate OF
/ $4,000 per minute.
CapdVes as Good as Wild.
II is a common mistake among
fur dealers to claim that good furs
cannot be produced in captivity. The
large fur dealers. many OF whom
/ have gone TO Prince Edward Island
and have visited Michigan ranches
10 investigate. know better. When
Charlie Dalton sent his first domes-
| tic pelts to London. they excited
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

TO acquire few silver pelts for roy
atty these pelts have commanded
high prices. and if the northern
trapper could get one silver pelt for
his seasons work he felt well re-
paid.
A history Of fox farming" as It
is sometimes termed. is filed with al
most as much romance and as many
thrills as the gold mining Of the
west. The industry was started
about 80 years ago by Charlie Dali
ton. a trapper boy OF Prince Edward
Island. Canada. Dalton is now a
multi millionaire and he is now Sir
Charles Dalton Of the Canadian par
Lament. He made all his money, it
is said. from foxes. He sold one
ranch for $625,O0O. The industry
remained a secret in the hands Of
Dalton and a few others until the
gentleman's secrecy was broken in
1910. When 1t became known to the
public il at once entered the specu-
lative stage. This continued unuI
1914 and foxes sold at the fabulous
prices Of $4,000 to $4,000 per pair.
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

silk taffeta and we all wore the
badges of our societies. We had two
societies then, the Cleosophic and the
EuglOssian, and every Friday after
noon we gave a program, the mem
bers Of each club vying with the
other 20 excel.
Some Practical Jokers. Too!
Competition was nearly always
at feVer heat, and If the members
of one society got an opportunity TO
play a practical joke on the other
club they were sure to seize it, I
remember one time when the Cleo
sophics planned to steal our copy Of
the Euglossian Bazaar, a paper that
We wrote up at intervals and which
was read at the exercises Friday aft
ernOOn. IT was taken care Of by our
secretary. a boy of about Il, whom
we had chosen because Of his wit
and humOr. One Of the Cleosophics,
however, came TO us and told about
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-11

the plan 10 make away with our
Bazar-yOu see, a really good Cleo
sophie couldn't see a mean trick like
that played without doing something
TO help us out. We told our secre-
tary Of the plot and advised him TO
be very careful OF his papers. But
Friday he went out 10 recess. leav-
ing the Euglossian Bazaar, tied up IN
It's ornate cover and blue ribbons. In
plain sight in his desk Needless 70
say, II was gone when he came back,
but he said nothing about Il.
CIcOsophiCs Fooled by Secretary.
THAT afternoon the Cleosophics
had difficulty in suppressing their joy
at the surprise that was in store for
their rivals. The program progressed
and the excitement. restrained as il
was. grew more intense after each
number. Finally the reading Of the
Bazaar was called for. The whole
tribe Of CIeosophics waited breath