davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

States. was deeply interested in the
outcome of the Presidential election.
Blaine had been defeated by Cleye-
land four years before, and the count
ry had had a period of free trade.
Mr.. Smith and his entire family were
ardent protectionsts. The illustra-
ton herewith shows the message
which Watch carried from Athens to
the Smith homestead after the news
of Harrison election was received
there. Undoubtedly it was not on
election night but perhaps the next
day on the arrival of the stage from
Skowhegan. At any rate, it was the
first news which arrived at the farm
1t will be noted that the missive ex-
pressed great rejoicing and seemed to
imply that the members of the
household at home would be also
greatly cheered.
Watch died at eighteen years of age
at which time he received proper bur-
al in Hartland then the home of the
Smiths.
The Bartlett store above referred
to in Athens was formerly the pro-
perty of ID, II. Bartlett, now OF
sk6whegan.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13
Bingham Grange

A regular meeting of Bingham
Grange was held last Saturday after
noon with a small attendance owing
to the thunder shower not much BUSH
ness being transacted and the pro-
gram was omitted. The next regu-
lar meeting is Saturday evening, July
%. The third and fourth degrees
will be conferred, with refreshments
Of sandwiches, pie and punch. Every
body turn out and help boast the
meetingi
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13
AGRIGRAPHS

A good investment paint and
grease for the farm tools in the fall
before they are put away for the
winter.
Some folks use a buster of soft
cloth and aome are quite content to
scatter the dust by using a feather
buster.
Uncle Alb says: Don't turn up your
nose at book -learnin', if it is mixed
with powers of observation and com
nonsense. az,
Receipts on file for bills paid save
argument and help preserve good
feeling between storekeeper and
housewife.
Wash your canning troubles away
This is literally true, for imperfect
cleansing is frequently the reason for
spoiled fruit.
Aunt Ada's Axioms: Never be i'm
patient with children; even a tree has
to gather strength for years before
it blossoms.
The furnishings of the house should
contribute either to the service or en-
joyment o, the occupants. Open
spaces suggest restfulness.
o
Do your house furnishings really
furnish or merely take up room? Ask
yourself this question of every object
You handle when you clean house this
fall.
It's a ply to be crowded for cellar
shelf room for the canned fruit when
a few minutes and an old packing box
will make the best kind of a storage
place.
Aunt Alas Axioms: Teach the
children that there's a richness of
mind as well as of pocketbook and
that the first kind of wealth in the
long run is the best.
Instead of buying feed for low pro-
ducing COWS, progressive dairymen
are selling them off, buying purebred
sires, and using their feed where it
will increase production.
Birds are real hired men on New
York farms-and they work cheap. A
few crumbs and bits Of suet in the
yard will help the birds over the time
when they cart get the bugs they like.
Seal the bottles of fruit juice and
have double assurance they will keep
Equal parts of shoemaker's wax and
resin, melted over hot water, into
which the bottle tops are dipped, will
turn the trick.
A new maxim Make your arms and
legs save your back" added to the
old maxim Let your head save your
heels" furnishes good text Tor 9
treaties ON correct posture in such
everyday exercises as dish washing
sweeping and laundrying. Have you
the bulletin on saving strength Whief
the state college OF agriculture al
Ithaca Ull scnu you II yea a-L al
II I1si
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13
The Message cn@ lF1snteh"

In the lsyos toIa ns seriice had
not been extendet& the arms OF
Somerset County BU$ne vile into
Skowhegan with oH8br two business
phones was the SUI al of telephon-
ic development Of t&HAeetionin those
days. II farmer wanted to know
what was happening in the outside
world he had to drive to town for a
newspaper or for,sAch gossip as had
filtered in by taMaph or from the
time.
The homestead of Willard +. Smith
on the Athens-Harmony road about
eight miles from the former town, now
the pronerty of Wallace Marble was
subject fothose conditions as to news
supply id the fall of 1888. After
his wife s death, Mr.. aHeh was en-
ployed iHsahe store 0 W. Bart
lett of Athens. brother 6kMr. Smiths
wife and5husband' his sister, Mrs.
Clara DefNere, who passed away re-
Gently at the home of her nephew,
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13
First and Second Degrees Conferred

The first and second degrees were
conferred at the last regular meeting
of Skowhegan Grange and at the next
regular meeting the first and second
degrees will again be conferred on
Wednesday evening. July 10Th. At the
meeting two weeks from that date it
is understood that the third and
fourth degrees will be conferred. At
the last meeting there was a demon
stration of the Wear Ever Alum
mum" by Berkeley Gaynor and Robert
Macy, who are demonstrating the
same in this section. Mr.. Gaynor and
Mr.. Macy served pancakes with
syrup and cake and coffee, all of
which they cooked as they demon
strated the utensils.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

The accompanying illustration
shows an unusual freak of nature
which occurred in Skowhegan at the
home of Cyrus Currier on North ave-
nue., June 2S. Mr. Currer has a
flock of twelve Rhode Island Red
hens and one of them, a 2-year-old
laid this enormous egg on the 2Sth
instant. 1t measures ten inches the
longest way around it and eight inch
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

Aunt Ada's Axioms: A family is a
partnership for everybody in it, and
the childs school work is as import
ant as mothers home work or fathers
business tasks.
Housewives who transplanted pars-
ley and mint from the garden are
finding them not only useful as gar
nishes and favorings, but that thet
make the kitchen more ,ttla-t4N, u =
ing III .Glntt- lnC 4it.lss
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

Clean goods, in clean N
handled in a clean way !
storekeeper and customer
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

Uncle >Ab says: Don't turn up your
nose at book-learnin il it is mixed
with powers of observation and com
nonsense. = az
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

Some folks use buster of soft
cloth and aome are quite content tc
scatter the dust by using a feather
buster.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-07-13

Receipts on file for bills paid save
argument, and help preserve good
feeling between storekeeper and
housewife
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE.

Underlying and paramount to the
declared issues involved in the coal
strike is the desire of the coal oper-
ators to discontinue making contracts
national in scope and to substitute
therefor contracts by districts. They
realize that they could deal with the
miners organization in sections more
advantageousIy than they could deal
with it as a whole. The miners real
lie this as well as do the operators.
Hence their refusal to confer on other
than a national basis.
Next to questions of wages and
hours the most important of openly
stated issues is that of the check-o
Bituminous coal operators oppose the
continuance of the check-off in any
wage contract that may be made
Their reason is that the check-off
provides the miners union with a GER
tain income. collected by the opera
tors at their own expense. which is
employed against the operators in the
event of a strike. and otherwise and
is a means of enforcing the closed
shop.
The check-off is a system whereby
the operating company deducts, or
checks off from a miners earnings
his union dues and assessments. I'm
der this system a union miner. upon
taking a job. automatically agrees
that his union expenses
state. local and special-shall be de-
Quoted from his wages before he re-
ceives the money, and paid to the rep
resentative of the union.
During the ten weeks between Oc-
tober is and December 81. 1921. the
average check-off rate in Illinois
mines was .O7s cents a ton. Illinois
produced approximately 100000
tons OF bituminous in 1921. On that
basis. the miners union received an
income of about S5.372.OOO in one year
from Illinois alone.
The check-off is not in effect in the
anthracite industry, but is one of the
nineteen demands of the anthracite
miners. It never has been a part OF
joint wage agreements in the bitumi-
nous industry, but the miners union
has been able to insist upon its-inclu-
sion in all local agreements.
Bituminous operators have opposed
the check-off for years. but have been
unable to prevent the practice with
out bringing on a general strike.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
LITTLE BENNY'S NOTE BOOK

Pop was reeding the spoarting>pag e
after suppir and I sed. Hay, pop, watts
you think, saw a fly in the house
today and I swatted it.
Good, sed pop, and 1 sed. Yes sir. I
bet that fly wont lay eny more eggs
GROUND heer all rite
o, do you think that's wat fe had
bin doing? sed pop.
Sure. 1 sed, holey smoaks, pop. gosh,
G, don't you know fIys lay about 8 mil
lion eggs if you don't swat them, and
look at all the flys you'd have then.
That's rite. look at them. sed pop,
and / sed. Well maybe this fly 1 swat
ter would of layed about a. million 500
eggs if 1 hadent of swatted it and IL
ony half of them Matched out look at
all the flys we'd of had Ground the
house.
cant bare to look at them, sed
pop, that's jest wat that fly mite of
done, perviding it was that kind of a
1 did rite to swat it all rite. dident
], pop? L sed, and pop sed. You did
more than rite, the way you describe
it you performed a fine deed, 1 mite
even say a noble act, and youH get
your reward in heaven, for 1 haven't
eny change jest now.
Well watts you think I swatted it
with, pop? L sed, there wasent any
regular swatter GROUND so I swatted
it with your folding shaving mirror
with the sides, and ony one side
broak. wasent that lucky. pop?
WITCH judging by pops Impression he
dident think it was, and judging by all
the fearse cracks he gave me with
his slipper some place I dident think
so eny more either.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

supporters OF the Fordney tariff
program point out that the arma-
ments conference treaties were of
prime importance, and were entitled
to consideration and a vote ahead of
anything else in the senate. But with
them out OF the way, they say. the
legislative calendar is cleared for the
tariff bill that the finance committee
has put into shape for the report. It
is a safe guess. however, that the SEN
ate will find other business that needs
attention. ahead of the tariff. The
majority party is in no hurry to act
on the tariff. The wise ones prefer to
let it rest until after the November
elecfions.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

a new source of coal supply has
been opened up to the people of the
United States on February /, sew
eraI hundred tons of coal from Alaska,
the initial shipment from the north
ern territory, were brought to Puget
Sound. The coal was high-grade BIZ
luminous. a quality approved by the
navy department for use by the Pa
cific fleet. Thru the efforts of the
department. OF the interior 100000
tons of bituminous navy-specification
steaming coal were blocked out for
mining in the Matanuska fields in
1921. a practically unlimited supply
of fuel oil from that territory also
is assured by the completion of the
government railroad.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
INFORMATION FOR ALL READERS OF
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL.

Each reader of The State Journal is Of
fered the unlimited use of the largest in
fgrxnatiOn bureau in the world.
This Service Bureau is located In the
national capital, where il is in immediate
touch with all the great resources OF the
United States government.
1t can answer practically any question
you want TO ask. butt can't give advice,
or make exhaustive research.
The war forced so many changes IN the
daily life Of the American people that the
service OF this information bureau Will De
Invaluable TO all who use It,
Keep in touch with your government az
all times. 1t can help you IN thousanu
The state journal pays for this splendid
service in order that every one OF It's read
ars NAV take advantage OF it. lou are
welcome 70 use il as often rs you like.
Write your request briefly, sign yo 1lt
name and address plhinly. enclose a --ceht
stamn for return postage and address the
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL lNFORMA-
TON BUREAU .v,.-
ton. ID. =.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

take IL. Into the ash can that stood
beside the post, ready for the nAsaS
collection of refuse, she hurled the let-
ter and rushed back home she
PASSED a be,ated errand boy and tan
man who stared at her curlouSly-
In the seclusion of her room she
fought the old, old battle of the
human heart torn between longing Tor
happiness and fear of it, sleep came
in the end if peace did not
The next morning dragged with
weary feet. She could picture Stanley
watching for his mail and her familiar
in silence and despair-perhaps. FOR
she suddenly realized that he was
strong-strong in the way of men who
take life lightly because they do not
fear it.
At noon. sharp with climax. her
world turned over. First Bertha.
with tears in her eyes. explained that
she had found out that Stanleys glri
at home was maiden aunt who had
cared for him in his youth, whose
personal business he looked after and
whom he had called in his boyhood
Dearest" as he called her so in his
manhood. One of the girls in the Of
flee had taken his dictation when he
was very busy and had solved the
mystery.
Then came a gray messenger boy
with a word that left her dazed. The
letter that she had dropped in the
ASH can must nave TeaCAeu nun. I've
the ocean waters the steamship
wireless had thrust his brief word of
love into the air. and the silent space
had winged it to the city and to her
door.
Then e tall man had stopped at the
house. called for her, and explained
that the night before he had seen her
drop something into the ash can,
which a boy ahead of him had taken
out and dropped into the mail box
THE unpardo enable act of a mischiev-
Gus boy" he called it
Marys reply left him mystified-
her reply and the tears in her eyes.
HE reset ed my happiness from that
ash can"
Copyright. 1922, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
OPPOSING THE BONUS.

The National Association of Manu-
facturers not only is opposed to the
adjusted service certificate" plan for
a soldier bonus but it is opposed to a
bonus in any form John E. Edger-
ton, president of the ASSOCIATION. has
made public a letter he has sent to
one of the commanders of the Ameri-
can Legion pointing out that while the
service Of the legion members was
commendable and is generally APP
pIauded. the interest of the millions
Of good American soldiers who were
not in. uniform Is paramount to that
of a few hundred thousand of the
legion. an organization which itself
seems to be split over the question.
Mr.. Edgerton declares the country's
economic condition and the inevitable
war sums piled up are sufficient rea-
sons for defeating the proposed plan
of adjusted compensation" but he
regards these as Insignificant in COM
parison with the moral issues in
volved. He says there appears to be
an inclination to disregard the funda-
mentals in the situation and that the
advocates of the bonus have over
looked the fact that America entered
the war as a whole and that every cit
izen. male, female. black, white and
yellow. who was not a Stacker was a
soldier"
In his letter Mr.. Edgerton holds
that those wounded while in service
in France should be adequately pro-
vided for by the government but with
due regard to the sound principles of
justice to all other citizens. 1t must
not be forgotten. either, he empha-
sizes. that during the conflict many
dangers were encountered and sacri-
fees made on this side of the Allan
tic; that thousands of persons died
in an epidemic of influenza that
spread because all the doctors were
looking after the soldiers; that many
thousands of men and women who
did not have the privilege of going to
France and fighting in the uniform.
gave all or very literally of their mon
ey and time 10 various phases of war
work, and sent millions of dollars
worth Of luxuries and comforts to the
men in the American army.
Never BEFORE writes Mr.. EdCer-
ton, has there been any attempt to
put money valuation on civilization
and patriotism. Never before has it
been suggested that one part of any
army be taxed to compensate another
part for their contribution to a com
mon cause. cannot believe that a
majority of those who fought in uni
TORN are seriously seeking more nav
Tor their services"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

once more has Lloyd George tri-
umphed over his opponents and has
been given an overwhelming vote OF
confidence by the house of commons
A feature of the premier's political
career is that he never waits Tor the
opposition to stage a real fight AT
the first intimation Of trouble he goes
out to meet it. And he meets it with
a challenge which in substance says,
give me your confidence or quit
England cannot afford to let Lloyd
George quit. It SHES at swapping
horses while crossing a stream His
tory will accord this Welshman rank
among the greatest statesmen that
Great Britain ever has produced Not
only is he a great statesman but he
is a great politician. The parliament
eats out of his hand. But it is said
that he is growing tired and already
has selected his successor.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

with ghosts, but a few weeks afte1 this
date she was arrested Tor incendiarisH
in a barn and sentenced to four
months imprisonment. Finally, she
married, had a family, and that was
the end of the Amherst mystery.
AS in the Antagonist case. it was
DR.. Walter Prince who turned the
first brilliant rays of skepticism upon
the Amherst spooks- In writing OF
their spiteful disturbances of Esther
bedclothes and furniture, he says:
Mr.. and Mrs Teed one night could
see from their bed into Esther's room
by moonlight chow much moonlight.
and how much of her room did 1T
light?); they saw a chair slide up
from the wall to her bed (would not
a string looped around the chair leg
have produced the same effect, and
does not the direction the chair took
suggest the string?); a pillow went
out from under her head into the
chair (would that effect have been
beyond the power of the human hand
to produce-in the semi darkness p;
ghost sat down in the chair and
rubbed, pinched and scratched Esther
under the bedclotheS (but this is what
Esther said); all the furniture except
the bedstead was thrown out into the
entry while Esther lay quietly in bed
chow much and how large was the
furniture? How much of ESther'S
form could they see? Is it certain
that it was Esther at all whom they
saw on the DeOs Tor Tolls OF clothing
and artfully arranged cushions have
been known to deceive in a poor
light2); then another ghost rocked
the bad lis it not probable that Esther
was in bed now, at any rate?) at
length Esther was brought to sleep in
the same room with the others, where
upon the manifestations ceased (be-
cause of the better opportunities for
observation p. except that once the
lid of a trunk gave one parting slam
(was the trunk conveniently near
Esther's mattress? Was the interval
before the parting slam long enough
to allow the leeds to fall into that
state, congenial to the night, wherein
eyes watch not?)"
Thus. DR.. Princes critical study
goes on until there is very little ghost
Iy substance left in Ma ggie' and
Bob" In the same coldIy scientific
way. he calls attention to the fact that
the mysterious fires caused by the
Antagonist ghost were never more
than five feet from the ground
which is the height of the McDonald's
adopted daughter. Clearly, the Eng
lishman was right 1t has taken q
neurologist-for DR.. Prince specializeS
in nervous disorders, such as dual per-
sonalities, etc.-to trail these ghosts
to their secret sources.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05

Darwin +. James. vice chairman OF
the Business Mems National Tax COM
niittee. writing for the April Forum.
in an article called What OF the
Sales TAKE" says: The farmers and
wage earners mistakenly believe that
they are not now paying consumption
taxes and that a general sales tax
would increase the cost Of living to
them. The fact is that the cost of
commodities would probably decrease
with the imposition OF a general turn
over tax. II It were-the sole tax on
business II we are to continue all
the tax burdens which business is now
carrying and add to them a tax on
sales. then. OF course. such fears are
we'll founded. The advocates OF the
general turnover tax. however. favor
the abolition OF all wartime taxes on
business. with the new turnover tax
to be substituted as the sole tax on
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
JUST FOLKS

By EDGAR A. GUEST.

PETER AND PAUL.
Peters the fellow l go to whenever Paul
presses his claim
Peter is easy to deal with, Peters not
ready with blame;
Paul has n way of insisting / shall be
true to my word,
And hints of a final accounting whenever
a debt is incurred
Peter is pleasant and smiling and ready to
lend when he can
Paul offers counsel and caution and talks
of the ways of a man,
And whenever Pauls debts must be settled
and l must return what L owe
And haven't the money / promised, to
borrow from Peter I go.
But the more that I think about Peter,
the greater my fancy for Paul
know he'd be first to defend me II ever
disaster would fall.
For Peter thinks only of money and smil-
ingIy reckons his fee
While Pam when he whispers OF caution.
thinks not of himself but Of me-
Paul would defend me from trouble, would
shield and protect my re1Own.
But Peter would add to my burdens and
sniIingly let me go down
Yes Peter the pleasant would wreck me,
and gloat when rode 70 nay fail.
SO the moFe I learn about Peter. the
greater my fondness for Paul
tCopyright, 1922. By Edgar A. GuestJ
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-05
George Matthew Adams
Daily Talk
THINGS WE ALL CRAVE.

It would be interesting to read the
replies of a hundred thousand people
as to the one thing they most desired
What do you guess it would be?
On first thought. you will probably
say. PLENTY of money"
But that is not what the majority
of people want at ALL Money is only
one of the essentials, like air and wa
ter, with this exception, that you have
to work for money whereas water
and air are free. Money, however, is
only one of the roundabout ways to
happiness 1t isn't the direct route
at all.
One OF the first things that the hv-
man heart Graves is respectful recog-
milton. To be looked at. listened to.
and associated with on terms of thoro
human understanding
On such a basis only is it possible
for love to find its way, for expression
to enlarge, ard for a man to take his
proper place as leader or dignifIed
follower
We. resent the attributing to US of
characteristics and virtues or vices
which do not honestly belong to u.s.
We want to be known as We are, with
out any subtracting or adding to. And