davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

~\HE gravel pit that adjoined
 8 John Mason's farm was not
 thing of beauty nor did it have an atmosphere Of romance. It was just gravel pit, that was all.
 But John Mason was beginning to think that it was something more more than a gravel pit-possibly the rendezvous of desperadoes and band its, or the place of buried treasure or the headquarters of a band of gam blers, or perhaps
 Well, it was a matter that he could speculate about endlessly, and the more he speculated the deeper he sank into the mire of mystery. And he had very good rason to speculate, very good reason to wonder and to be curious and interested. A few nights before he had happened to look out of the kitchen window and observed faint fickering light over in the direction of the gravel pit, and then, another light, and another. It was apparent that there were providers over there, and that they were searching for something, or were burying something. Mason couldn't imagine what purpose could bring men to the gravel pit at this time of night. He watched for several minutes; then, suddenly, the lights disappeared, only to reappear again two or three hours later when Mason was preparing to retire, and he had taken one last look in the direc- ton of the gravel pit.
 Mason wondered, but he decided to i forget it, and go to bed. The follow ing morning he went about his chores as usual, and the pressure of daily du-
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

-ie nave the courage to gsa there! lie wanted to run away.
 Then he went to the postoffce ana wrote letter to his bankers and when he turned away after mailing 1t he old familiar way.
 whats happened to me?" he growled as he strode along towards the office of Amos Clark the old lawyer who was the guardian of Jim my's blind sister. He was going to have it out with him.
 He found the gray old man at his old walnut desk.
 "Sir." he abruptly began. CT am Tom Henry. I was a close friend of Jimmy Archer. He gave me mes sage to his sister. have been there. to be very +ha-I<fr11 that she couldn't see me as I am."
 The old man, had turned in his chair and adjusted his stee1-bowed glasses, and was rerarding Tom Henry with very intent look
 "What's wrong with you, son?" he asked. Ca
 "Prettv much everything" replied Tom Henry.
 "hnd what have vou been doing?"
 Wasting the little good that was left in me-"
 "You are pretty hard on yourself" said the old man. "You see, I know
  what know is good. I'm inclined to give as much credit to it as to your own preiudiced estimate"
 "1'm a vagabond. a wastrel, an iGler."
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13
AC "&I ~udue some men and l.
 unmade others. Tom Harrison


 unmade others. Tom Harrison
 Henry had gone into the con- Hlct a fine, big, clear-skinned young sler. and now he was back a shabby, Eough-spoken, rough-mannered. quick femperad wanderer.
 He had just finished his medical studies when the call came. Over there they would have drawn him into the hospital service, but he preferred Ine excitement of the firing line. He was a good soldier. a very good soldier. but he never sought promotion. It came to him, however, lieutenancy, and then a captaincy. But before this he had come across James Archer. From the very first they were friends. and the friendship grew closer week by. week. They were together in the little group that secuted over no-man's land one rainy night and were caught in. sudden surprise rush of the Ger man line. Tom woke up in a German prison and his first thought was of Jimmy. He found him there, and from that moment began to plan for their escape. They tunneled under the wall and one dark night got through. a half-dozen of them. and had a heart breaking time crawling away from Observation.
 Tom recovered rapidly. but Jimmy had been too hard hit in that long struggle for freedom. After the armis- tice Tom secured his own and Jim my's discharge from the service and took his ai1ing comrade to the south of France. But the sick man did not Z rally and Tom laid him away in a
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

a wheelbarrow into a car, he might stand some show"
 "A bottle of hair dye might start you dying for him, aye?" mocked Marie.
 ''Of such stuff is woman made"
 The next day was Town Picnic" Day. Aunt Car'lena" hired Hiram to take her guests and herself to the fes- tivities. Hiram arrived minus his thick red curls. having had a short cut. His white fannels. white silk hose and new panama were immacu- late
 Marie, the wit of the crowd, whis- pered: "He ought to have white wheelbarrow and peddle pond lilies" "
 Estelle registered rebuttal.
 "Oh, you're softing fast, aren't you?" sneered Alice
 "Cut iti-or go home on the first jitney. Of course, I notice the differ ence between overalls and white fan nels. But a bald-headed carrot can not appeal to me-"
 While the picnickers were gather ing, the younger element enjoyed a few dances. After watching Marie and Hiram steal through a sweet, old fashioned waltz, the "bald-headed car rot" glided over to Estelle and led her into maze of modern, newest, fan cies. Soon it required all the concen- tration she possessed to follow him.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

q want to see her before she opens her eyes-es I pray that she will." said Tom. "Why Is that
 "I am going away" said Tom little brokenly. t'You see the girl is cher ishing a false idea1-she has never seen my battered face. and don't want her to see 1t. So I'm going away
 The stout man paused and looked very hard at Tom Henry.
 Don't be an idiot" he growled. Then they walked on.
 "What's the safe time for me to see herr" Tom presently asked. "I-1 want to see her before I go."
 eff I operate in the morning it wifi be at 9:30. You can see her at g." And quite unaccountab1y the stout man chuck1ed.
 Tom was there at g. and as he open- ed the door of the inner room a1 amazing thing happened. The girl rushed at him with open arms and opened eyes.
 "Oh. Tom. dear" she screamed. "1 can see. can see!" And her arms went round him and held him.
 "I-I don't understand gasped Tom.
 "The surgeon changed his mind" she cried land operated last night and he was here 9 little while ago and took off the bandage and said misht keep it off just long enough to see you"
 'But you haven't seen me" stan- mered Tom. Look at me. What do you see?"
 "I see the dearest face in all the world" said the girl.
 "But I'm a vagabond," said Tom weakly.
 "I should love that" said the girl quickly. q could go with you eFery- where"
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13
Bv Hazel Courtney


Hard words," said the old man, hard words"
 He rubbed his nose thoughtfu1ly with his paper knife. "I should be in clined to characterize you as 6 by product of the war, my young friend. I fancy you are troubled with some thing like shel1-shock of the moral fiber But I don't regard 1t as incur able"
 "Then you-you think I can come back?"
 The old lawyer again regarded Tom Henry with a steady look.
 "I think vou are we'll on your way" he slowly replied
 ''S'r" said Tom Henry, "I came to vor for adv're and counsel and you vou jolly me"
 The old lawyer 1aughed in a dry. craorr1ins fashion.
 "Mv dear bow" he said "vou must not be % nairfr1l1v serious. You came in here to ask me iP thought it would be right for vou to attend that little tea party tonight I say yes. Now what else?"
 To-, Henry stared at him.
 'HThere is soroe+hine else" he said "What ahout F'n1ilv'z finances Has she enough? Can I he1p?"
 "Youi"
 Tom Henry scribbled a few words on a slip of paper and handed it tt him. The old man slowly read it. contents.
 "The new prodiga1" he said, "witl base of supplies" He paused. "Sh hasn't much" he esaid. "but it I enough. If more is needed T won hesitate to call on Jimmy's friend"
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13
~ HE four girls stood in the open H gateway of Aunt Car lena's
 A Summer boarding house.

 I'll bet you'll marry Hiram Green inside of three months" exploded Alice.
 q can see, in his eyes. that you will" added Marie.
 And I see it in the set of his jaws, continued Jessie.
 And" supplemented Marie, "l can also see it in your own eyes. "Me marry 'Wheelbarrow Charliei Won girls must have escaped from some feeble minded institution. am soing to call up the selectmen and have you returned to where you be- long"
 "You can't do that. Hiram happens h he the first selectman of thls town" informed Alice.
 "E5is hair is like his carrots;
 His cheeks are like his beets; With wheelbarrow he peddles
 All kinds of greens for eats. He's like tiger lily
 With freckles on his nose; The girls are interested
 Inst in the things he grows
 sang Marie Manter.
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

For Green is his name,
 And Green is his natter; For greens is his fame
 With big pertater.
 And Cupid's to blame
 For very good aim'
 sang the other two girls. None of the four imaginative misses noticed a curly, redheaded young man slink out the back door of the hall that reached through the house. A merry twinkle of the eyes was all the revenge visible, if anyone had been about to observe the consequences of the scene staged by the conceited young ladies' But Hiram strode en- ergetically down to the Hunter ga rage.
 Say, Bob, have you got a good Tin Lizzy' to sell this morning?"
 "I got a brand new one-came last night-want it?"
 "Yes, right now. Hadn't intended to get one till next month. Changed my mind. You know I got license used to run Uncle David's truck last Winter in the city. No one knows it around here, though"
 All right. I'll give you a number off this wreck-f1x it up on the next mail"
The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-13

her eyes were shut and her head buried in blue silk shirt. Her hands were reaching for red curls that were gone and could not be pulled.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
HuR'P AN, PAY!

If the label on your paper doesn't
read 1921 or better, you're behind on
your subscription to The P~leasantville
Press and should hasten to square up.
With the cost of print paper up in the
clouds and stin soaring, it's a desper.
ate task to furnish a fairly up-to-date
newspaper for $3.50 a year even when
all pay up promptly, and when there
are laggards on the list the task be.
comes well nigh hopeless. Dear sub
scriber, don't lag. You may miss your
best friend some day.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
DUMP LIQUOR INTO OCEAN
Customs Inspectors Destroyed Million
Dollars Worth of Booze.

One hundred thousand bottles OF
whisky, wines and other vintages
seized by customs inspectors as Vol
stead act %contraband on incoming
ships, and valued at nearly $1,000,000
was dumped into the harbor at New
York city.
The decision to pour the booze into
the ocean was made after a consider
alton of how to dispose OF the whisky
before Collector Newton's retirement
on March 4, and followed the discov'
cry that much of the seized alcohol
was poisonous.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
No Clew to Missing.

There was no mark on the boat to
show why it had been abandoned. It
was apparently unchanged until the
wind and sea and sand had their will
of 1t and slowly ripped it timber
from timber, on the shoal. Under the
drive of its sails the ship was buried
beyond the power of tugs to pull it out
And in the weeks that have passed
not a word has come to tell what be-
came of the crew. Nobody has been
washed up no remnant of lifeboat or
clothing has come ashore.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
FIREMEN RESCUE CAT
Chauffeurs Bring Pussy Down From
Height of 40 Feet in Tree.

Fire Chief Fred Tenney and his fly
ing squadron of Braintree, who have
done about everything from fighting
fires TO rescuing drowning people, got
a new kind of call when they were
asked to bring down a cat from q
height of 40 feet In q tree.
The cat was owned by Charles S.
Hannaford, town sealer of weights and
measures, and had been in the tree
top for two days. Henry Sears and
Thomas Kelley, chauffeurs of the fire
department, climbed a 50-foot ladder
and rescued the pussy. The cat Of
fered no resistance and was almost
famished.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Don't blame the editor If the news
you would like to see printed in this
column does moi appear. We are only
human, and unless you tell us what's
what we cannot spread the good word.
Send or bring in your news items.
We will appreciate it, and so will the
readers of The Pleasantville Press.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
WILL SHIP BABIES TO U. S.
British Perfect Plan to Have Tots
Adopted by Americans.

The National Adoption society Of
England has perfected a plan to send
a considerable number of British
babies to the United States for adop-
ton.
These babies include orphans, IL
legitimate children or children of par
ents unable to care for them. At pres
ent the matter is held up by a techni-
cality in the immigration laws. II
is planned to overcome this difficulty
by getting individual Americans to
sponsor financially each baby sent
over.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
Syracuse Has Barred Jazz Dances.

The common council of Syracuse, N.
Y, has unanimously passed m ordi-
nance prohibiting all forms of the So
dance halls and forbiddlng any person
under sixteen years old to participate
in the 'unholy practices"
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Montana Proposes Tax on Bachelors.
A bill providing for a special poll
ts6 of So annually on all bachelors
residing in Montana has been passed
by the senate. The proceeds of the
FAX would be paid into the widows
pension fund.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
Gave 60 Per Cent of Petroleum.

Sixty-nine per cent of the worlds Pc
troleum production in 1919 came from
the United States, a compilation by
the geological survey disclosed. The
world total was placed at 544, 900
barrels, of which the American output
was 377, 10000.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
Sis for Grease Spots on Gown.

Justice Richter has awarded $115
damages to Mrs. Katherine Seymour
of Detroit, Mich, who sued a hotel
for damage done to a costly gown
she wore when a waitress spilled a
plate of soup in her lap.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

bleaching IN Graveyard OF the PI
lantic," Its Master and Crew Van
inshed, No Man Knows Where or
Why-No Mark to Show Why It Ha
Been Abandoned-There Is No Re-
ord of Last Voyage.
A grim specter stood unseen nj th'
roll A. Deering. when it cleared r.
de Janiero harbor last December rih
ing light. and winged GU to sea ~
Norfolk port TO make via the Bailii
dos.
The ship was tough and trim fraia
truck to keelson. sound %througllau
and no more than sweetened To IT,
ways of the sea by its year of IT,
building stocks. A stout New Englan
~shipnaster, weathered to I'LL the gsie
that blow, trod the quarterback
Above him clean, sound canvas tow
cred away to the five great masts tn"
drove more than q thousand ton
through the water on airs that no mort
than famed the cheek.
Ghost Ship of Shoals.
Today it is ''The Ghost Ship of the
Diamond Shoals" its bones bleaching
In "the graveyard of the Atlantic
its master and crew vanished, 40 mnf
knows where or why. 1t has addet'
one more page to the seas great boot
of mystery.
Nh. t., ~ xDanpI AF tho IlAnttnH -
last voyage. 1t sailed full handed
thrilling with life and power. \
month later it staggered blindly shore
ward, alone by night, to ram its way
to a last berth on the shoal. No hand
tended the wheel no man stood to
claek a sheet or spill the wind from
the tortured nvas to ease the death
struggle. 1t was a dead ship. No
living thing saw its end.
Sunset was drawing down the gloom
Of night on a Sunday evening when
patrols from the life saving station
looked their last for the day across
the storm fretted shoals. The surges
ran white over the lurking menace of
the sands. headstoned with relics of
many a stout craft. But there was
no sail in sight. The wide reach of
sea beyond was empty In the gather
ing gale.
In the morning. the Deering lay be-
fore them in the grip of the sand, Its
Aeanvas set and Stating to ribbons In
wind, Its boat gear hammering
de, its boats and Its people
kcd An dav HE elffp MrFpyz
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Found 1886 Pounds of Honey In Tree.
Chopping down a large walnut tree
on a farm, near C~herryyille, Pa, Al
bert Zimmerman, caretaker of the
property, found 135 pounds Of wild
honey.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Unable to think of any other way
to avoid attending Sunday school, Mil
ton Jenkins, thirteen years old, of
Baltimore. Md, set fire to the church
after his parents insisted that he at
tend Sabbath school.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Cat Mothers Rats in Bank Cupboard.
A cat, which makes its home in the
First National bank in Richmond. Va.
was found nursing three infant rats
in a cupboard. The cat, with her
curious litter of little ones, was dis
covered by the night engineer.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

There is no false modesty about the
vile Press. No legitimate proposition
need hesitate to iNlnch forth to find
a response. Need ipt wen sign your
name or address. This office receives
and holds replies for If desired.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
Eaale Attacked Children in Street.

A bald eagle attacked two children
on a street in Tampa, Fla, about dusk
one evening recently. The screams of
the children brought d. G. Hooke with
a gun
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
Would Charge $500 for Lynchlnq.

Counties in which lynchings occur
would be liable to the extent of $500
to the next Of kin of each person
fynched, under the provision of 9 bill
introduced in the Minnesota house.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
c0nSTANTINOPLE
'"IaICKEDESST CITY
So Say American Sailors Now
Stationed in Turkish Waters.
LIFE GENERALLY IS Dull

Since Arnistice City Has Been Filled
With Soldiers of All Nations, Spies,
Thieves, Murderers, Politicians,
Russian Refugees, Bolshevik Agents
and Opium acknowledgements,
1.-THE Far East" Published RsCu-
iarly by RIuejackets.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
agents and opium eaters.
"Atmosphere Feverish."

Atmosphere Feverish."
SIN spite of all this life in Constan-
tinople Is dull and there Is little in
the way Of entertainment" he added.
IF one is dlligent a few good res
taurants may be discovered, but ex-
cept for the moving picture houses no
first-class theaters can be found. In
fact, at ten O'clock in the evening the
place is as quiet as annapolis on Sun
day.
However, inside the beer halls,
cabarets and coffee houses habitues of
these places attempt a fallacious gay
ETY.. 1t Is here that the bejeweled,
richly adorned and painted women of
the Occident and Orient brazenly
stare at the motley throng drinking
a low quality of refreshment served
them at robbers prices.
"At the one good hotel the spies of
the whole Orient carry on their In
trigues. The whole atmosphere of
the city is n of feverish and arti-
fetal excitement. A real American,
unless he takes interest in and feels
this atmosphere, finds life dull In this,
the wickedest city of the world"
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

The American sailors on board the
vessels OF the United States naval
publishing regularly a newspaper of
heir own TO chronicle their social and
sporting events and to keep up the
spirit of c%olnradeship and enliyen life
IN and about Constantinople. The
paper is called The Far East. Its
price is 5 piasters, and 1t is creditably
Illustrated with half-tone cuts and
comics.
Although the mel generally vote
Constuntinople rather a dull place. all
things said, one OF the recent numbers
of The Far East shows that the Amer
lean b~luejackets are able to provide
their W entertainment.
Among the events recorded Is a Nep-
tune party, composed of members of
the company of the Scorpion, which is
described as "a regular pirate band
running wild in the Bosporus." 1t
was headed by king Neptune" and
included "Neptune's wife" and "Nep-
tunes baby" The party visited a
number of other vessels Of the de-
t%achment, and was entertained by Adj
Eiral de Bon, on board the French
flagship Lorraine.
"Wickedest City in World"
Other activities which the paper de-
scribes were a visit of the sailors to
the Near East hospital, carrying gifts
to the children, a ''blowout" ON board
the Gilmer, whaleboat and dingy
races, baseball games. a boxing bout
and a camouflage ball at a CONSTANT
nople hotel, the latter attended by
Admiral Bristol, commander of the
detachment, and Mrs. Bristol.
Ships listed as composing the de-
tachment were the Scorpion, st. Louis,
Chattanooga. Barker, Borie, Fox, Gil
mer, HUMPHREYS. John d. Edwards,
Overton, Smith Thompson, Tracy,
Whipple, submarine chasers 90 and
33S. the Alameda and the collier Mars.
They We're scattered from CONSTANT
nople to Smyrna, Batum, Varna, Sam
SCUM. Constanza and Beirut.
One of the contributors to The Far
East paid his tribute to the city of
nnstantinople by describing it as "the
Iestsz wickedest city in the world"
arnlEtice. he wrote, theseity
filed with the soldiers AZ ell
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

You doubtless enjoy reading the So
cial and local items in The Pleasant
Vile Press. Bear in mind, when you
have some one visiting you, to call or
write or phone us the fact, so that we
may make this department more inter-
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Y. ss's s .,? r' 3,
Clvle 17hprovenIef}ts. The Boosters
wish he would Move out of Town,
especially as Nothing here Suits him.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09
WRECKED after
CREW VANISIIEc
"Ghost Ship" Adds Page to Seas
Book Of Mystery.
NONE saw SCHOONER STRl.".-

Bones of the Carroll A. Deering Nov
Bleaching in Graveyard of the ~
l%antic," Its Master and Crew Van
inshed, No Man Knows Where or
Why-No Mark to Show Why It Ha
Been Absndoned-There Is No Re-
ord of Last Voyage.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-04-09

Fit was known
an empty ship, stripped Of all
fore 1t had plunged into the de4th
Milford chronicle., 1921-11-18
ADAMS CROSS ROADS

Bloomery Aid will meet with Mrs.
Jacob Smith at her home in Smith
vile on Tuesday, November the 29th
in the afternoon.
Miss Blanche Stetles and Sadie De-
vore of Philadelphia are spending ten
days with her sister, Mrs. Fred FOun-
tain.
Mrs. Harry Stoss of near Federals-
burg spent last week with Mrs. D. c.
Adams.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Parker spent
last week in Baltimore where Mrs.
Parker underwent an operation for
her tonsils.
Miss Edna and Grace Adams are
spending some time in Washington
and Baltimore with relatives.
Misses Altha and Minnie Adams of
Wilmington are spending some time
with their parents. Miss Minnie re-
turned to Wilmington on Friday and
Miss Altha will remain about a
month.
James Collision celebrated his 18th
birthday on Sunday, November 18th,
with his children and grandchildren
being present. We all wish him many
more happy birthdays.
Sunday school at Bloomery Sunday
at 10 a. m.
Clarence and John Chaffnich of
Marcus Hook spent the weekend with
their parents.
H. D. Adams and Gorden Marchel
of Snow Hill, Md, spent Sunday with
his aunt, Mrs. D. c. Adams.