davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1925-05-18

recognize the existence of free
will. When you appear to chose
between two alternatives your
choice Is governed by the sum
total of various predispos1ng
causes, such as your Inherited
tendencies, your acquired habits,
your environment, the influence
of your previously formed views
on that and cognate topics, ana
the subconscious recollections OF
your conduct on a previous ana
similar occasion. When you have
known a man intimately Tor a
number of years you can propne-
sy with certainty his views on
any given topic, new or old, and
the course which he will adopt
confronted by any given set OF
circumstances. 1t is obvious that
the mans will is not free. His
Ego-call it his views or his
mind stuff if that will help you
-compels him to act and think
in one way and in one way
only"
What does that mean? If you
accept 1t literally its meaning
may depress7 you. For example.
here's what it would mean IL 1t
were applied to Mildred Doran.
It's seven o'clock and Mildred
has been humping the keys all
day. She can do either of two
things now that dinners done.
She can go out with Edna to
Danceland, and have One Wild
Time. Or she can dig into that
correspondence course in secre-
tarial work which Ma persuaded
her to take. She hesitates-starts
to get out the books-puts them
hack again and takes her new
Iip stick, gets the red dress out
of the closet-puts the dress back
and gets the books again-then
suddenly pitches the books in the
corner, calls up Edna, scuttles
into the dress and goes off to
Did she or didn't she make up
her mind?"
Or was it all made up for her
long ago? Mr.. Goodwin says 1t
was.
Mr.. Goodwin, and many other
scientists. believe that Mildred's
grandma had quite as much to
do with Mildred's going to Dance
land as Mildred herself. They
point out that the majority OF
Mildred's ancestors have been
emotional people, who lived for
the excitement Of the moment
and that study and concentration
comes hard for such people.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18


% in his Thoughts few chastely OF chastity ana
u few doubtfully of doubt -
No truer word has been penned than this those VINO
sneak the most of chastity OF questionable repute -
their virtue Indeed the chase are those VINO are W
most unconscious of it. AS for those who DOUBT there
ouite as much of dogmatca nature among them as among
those who believe Attention has often been caeo 70 the
cocksureness of doubters -
It is certainly be expected that those VINO gave tne
selves mn to doubt should doubt their own doubts Du as
Pascal saws we are composed Of dupcy, contrares
and untr that very attack against bee1s we use
a belief that is quite as dogmatical and mtolerant
tt is question whether those who have any virtue al ali
are not those who unconscious of and that those VINO
attack us are not themselves guilty of the very things winch
they attack
Take matter of egosm Our very raining against
often displays egom greater than that winch we OPP
pose who compose discourses against prize are as
proud of their and their readers as PROUD OF
reading them as the people whom they condemn
In fact criticism of vice demands virtue the
most rigid first question asked by everyone s what
right has one to oppose unless his own hands
clean?" -
We are so rail and virtues questionable that
business of Judging others should be LETT to those VINO
are perfect and these there at least few
who themselves to criticize the fralles OF
mankind should either be above them below them at
least he should be removed from the argument tn quoque
Solomon job again says Pascal knew best the misery OF
man spoken the best Of it, the the happet OF
and the other the most unhappy; one knowing the
vanity of pleasures by experience and the other the reality
of evil by experiencing evil.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
Musgedats

A WOMAN must know fifty
IA seven trades to run a home,
says Helen Davenport Gibbons,
who keeps a list of her jobs for
each day, which she calls her
"musgedats. A days list given
in the June Hearst's Interna-
tional- Cosmopolitan, includes the
following:
Ashes out OF heater.
Dishes washed for sonnys
party.
Fold forty paper napkins.
Wash diningroOm table and rub
with furniture polish.
Marketing at the cash-and-
carry store.
Children's shampoos.
Hem Hopes dress before dane
ing class.
Bake gingerbread.
Iron white WaiStcOat.
Groceries to that sick woman.
House allowance check cashed.
Washing soda and boiling
water for stopped-up sink.
Wind the clocks.
Rub down woodwork I painted
last week.
Charge radio batteries,
Count the laundry.
Find arithmetic book
Mail satin slippers to forget
full departed guest.
Guest room beds made.
Accept invitation to Johnson
dinner.
Empty the scrap baskets.
Library book overdue.
Tidy broom closet.
Mouse traps.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
WORDS FROM
WISE MEN

Men have touchstOne whereby
to try gold, but gold is the touch
stone whereby to try men,
Fuller
A wise man is hest satisfied
when he finds that the same ar,
gument which weighs with him
has weighed with thousands lie.
fore him, and is such as has borne
down all opposition.
The law of work is that law
which requires perfect obedience,
without remission or abatement,
so that by that law man can
not he just, or justified, without
an exact performance of every
title.
To thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night
the day.
Thou canst not then be false to
any man. Shakespeare.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18

Measure however trashy, and by
neople who responded to that en-
vironment as she did herself. 30
there you have-HEREDlF1-
ENVIRONMENT and HABIT.
These. say many scientists, are
the stuff of which choice is
made. And all these reflective
gestures we go through before
embarking on an act, are mere
gymnastics and have nothing
whatever to do with our fate.
Do you like that theory! Inen
hop to it. The pleasure all
yours. There are equally wise
and weighty men who reject IL
with scorn. And many common
folks. like you and /. who can
put up.a tough argument against
it.
Maybe you do today what you
did yesterday" these others oe-
muir, "but why did you do 1t yes
terday? There must be be-
ginning sometime. Look at joe,
Mildred's brother. Joe had the
same ancestors, the same en-
vironment, the same training, the
same neighbors. But Joe went
ahead with his correspondence
course and is consulting engineer
now over in Greenville. 1t wasn't
easv either. He didn't follow the
line of least resistance. Joe was
the most popular kid in his shop
"a good locker too. And now
that boy could dance! Joe liked
his Wild Times just as much as
Mildred and he used to tell US
how doggoned hard 1t was to
mass it all up every night ana
dig in when he was tired and
bored, But ever since he was a
little kid, he fought to get ahead.
WHY was that? Wen grant that
after he once got well started on
the make-good program it grew
ga sier and easier. His tempta-
lions dwindled. But weren't ne
and Mildred up against the same
things at the start when they
were both kids? Then why did
Joe take the road to success ana
Mildred stick around with the
happy -go-luckys?
There's the other argument.
Which is right? I'm not gong
to say. My opinion is worth no
more than yours-probably not
as much. Dig in. and wrestie
with it yourself, Pal. Theres
Large Thinking there II you We
the grit to go after it.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
PLAYING WITH FIRE.

ono fool like old FOOL is the adage you ought
remember when you feel that you would like be
devish.
You remember of the escapades of your youth
how much thought you enjoyed them. You perhaps
feel that you would like to have fling the expert
of your youth
For time you have thought what prosac life
you leading and there desire for something
different
With the sprngme hand these thoughts have increased
In frequency
AT first you made effort to stifle them. Now you
lave little desire to change line of thought.
Perhaps you have reached the stage where only the
risk of exposure which keeps you within bounds on
the straight and honorable path
You playing with fire. friend. You bound be
Singed, badly burned and you had better wake up
Change your line of thought before it is too late.
Think of your wfeyOur child and the consequences
yourself.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18

II would be very glad to hear
your answer for the following
question, which assumed dis
putting character between me
and my friend.
my friend says with a great
travelling speed a straw would
become firm and rigid and
would not collapse when pierc-
ing a steel plate. He says when
travelling straw collapses, 1t
collapses in certain time
only; but when travelling speed
of a straw exceeds many times
] the time of collapsibility it will
not collapse.
who is right?-F. W., Grant
wood, n. J"
MO doubt the recent tornado
~ in the Middle West is re.
sponsible for this interesting dis
rute between friends. One of the
most popular stunts" of tor
nado is driving straws into fence
boards and tree trunks. To drive
a straw head-on through a steel
plate would be a feat beyond the
power of the fiercest tornado
that ever spun a hole in the
atmosphere. But the impossibility
would lie not in the principle, but
in the practice. 1t is a question
Of acquiring sufficient velocity.
Prof. Perry Explains.
That brings in the time ele-
ment. referred to by the second
party to the dispute. Perhaps
the principle may be more evil
dent in the old experiment of fir
ing a candle through a thin board.
Whenever | tried that experiment
az a boy | never got anything
more than a grease-spot. But
that was, no doubt, due to youth
full inexperience. At any rate,
the textbooks have always as
serted that the thing could be
The Washington times., 1925-05-18

AT THE gateway to Abyssinia
"A is a port that is a strange
mixture of the primitive. the me-
dieval and the modern. French
Somaliland presents a spectacle
that is almost unique in this day.
When you enter the harbor,
YOU are greeted by tremendous
shout from the diving boys, who
are quite as much at home in
the water as the fish themselves.
There are perhaps a hundred of
them, begging for coin and div
ing and splashing about like so
many sharks.
The native dhows. looking as
though they belonged to some
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
Where Human Beings Are Still Sold

ancient sea-going tribe, are
painted in various weird designs
as a protection against the evil
eve. Nowadays they are used to
transport rice from Arabia and
return cargo of commodities
from the Sudan and Somaliland.
Most astounding Of all, casual
visitor asking for the services
of a porter, will most probably be
offered the body and soul of the
man who serves him for a mat
ter of a few francs. Human life
is still bought and sold in Somali-
land and far from thinking it
outrageous, they will think that
YOU are unnatural and stinGy II
YOU refuse to buy any.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
TTAVE you a
Will Power?

Ii Will Power?
Do you DELHI
erately C h o o 8 e
your course OF
action or is 1t
decided for you
by your pa 8 t
actions, your en-
vironment a n d
heredity? why
of course I de-
eide what I shall
dor you cry.
M a ny modern
scientists would
deny that, Pal.
For Inst a n C e,
read this extract
from 10 h n G.
Goodwin's IN
SANITY AND
THE CIR IN I
NAL"
Modern psy-
L~I~-w, dnn- nAf
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
A Ten=Center

Mr. Coolidge, the President and Mr. Marshall Vice
President that what the world needs good fvecen
cigar The President refuses the ycenters of pros
porous visitors fearing that he might lose appreciation Of his
oWn ten-cent brand.
Another class of craftsmanship and political economy would
say the thing to be desired not good fvecent cigar
some method OF enabling everybody buy ftycent cigars
Nobody seems to suggest that the thing could be settled by
not smoking.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
A JEALOUS LOVER.
CARPENTER LAMENTS DEPARTI
PARAMOUR.
ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
The news that a man had attempt
ed to take his own life with poison.
for the reason that his paramour
was leaving him for another sutton.
spread like wild fire throu ghout East
Dry River yesterday shortly after
p. m and in a fifty a crowd had
place, where the incident Is alleged to
have occurred. Joseph Blondel, a
carpenter of two score and eight
lives at No. Harpe place, with
woman named Gwendoline Lucas a
buxom young woman who appears to
have not long passed her majority.
But of late, however. the seed OF dis
content has been sown within their
home, and despite Joseph's efforts to
make his partner as happy as pos
sible. she is said to have transferred
La Brea with the result that serV-
ing BlondeI came to her pain rath-
er than pleasure, her coldness 10 MIN
leading him into excessive throes of
passion. Day by day the cleavage
widened and the position became posi-
lively intolerable on Gwendoline's an
nouncement of her early departure
found her busy preparing to leave
and throughout her hustling the car
penter's jealousy heightened every
moment until he fell a victim to de-
spaIr Gwendoline left the house
about noon to go out throwing cold
recognition on Joseph who remained
at home. On her return, however,
she discovered him lying in bed in an
unconscious condition. her cries
brought neighbors and others TO the
scene. The truth then dawned upon
everyone the despaired carpenter had
attempted to take his lire, as eVl
dence of which a bottle supposed 10
have originally contained Iodine was
contents. Constable Theophile who
was on duty in the vicinity arrived
quickly on the scene whlle me man
was being prepared for hospital
where he now lies a patient. Various
theories point to the incident az
premeditated act o., rhe part OF Bion-
del in whose clothing was found
note addressed to Dear Gwen ana
telling of his determination to end
his life on account Of her desertion
OF him. Words OF fareweli were IN
Guided in the note along with dlrec-
tions to Gwendoline to go to st. Vim
cent street for his tools, etc: The
matter will be Investigated by the
police.
COLOR IN FOOD: Among the.
many laws which appear silly 10
the innocent bystander is one
putting 10 cents a pound tax on
margarine which has been artifi-
ciaIly colored. The Institute of
Margarine Manufacturers reports
that 5000 5000 pounds Of cOlored
margarine were produced in 1924,
as against 100000, 900 pounds of
uncolored article.
There is no tax on cOloring but
ter. which is almost universally
made darker by the addition Of
harmless dye. Just why mar
garine consumers should pay a
tax Of 10 cents a pound on "A
cheaper product, while butter con-
sumers pay no tax to have that
product made appetiZing in ap-
pearance, 10 difficult to under
GhAAd.
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
LISTEN, WORLD!

They also point
out that Mildred,
since she was
born, has been
surrounded by
people who do
not look ahead
but accept what
the day may
bring Of joy OF
dru d g e ry an
that the shabby
m a t eria1 sur
rounding Of such
lives, make the
taWdry allure of
a Danceland ir.
resistible. So,
from the time
she was a tiny
girl, Mildred has
been surrounded
by an environ
M ent w h ! c h
tempted people
0nyy
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
WHAD D'YOU
KNOW?

YELLOW JOURNALISM: Con-
stantly editors are nagged by re-
formers about the sensational
tone of the news published in
papers. How would it be to dish
1T us as is done IN the West In
dies? Here is a startling article,
verbatim, from a Trinidad paper:
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
When Crossing the Street.

When Crossing the Street.
nEAR MRS BEECKMAN'
~ A says that in crossing The
street it is proper for the gea-
tleman to take the lady's arm.
B says it is proper for the lady
to take the gentleman's arm.
PATSY.
TT is never correct for a gentle
Il man to take lady's arm. II
the lady needs assistance in
crossing the street, the gentle
man offers his arm.
Il hope, Patsy. that you are
the aforementioned" B and
that the wager is a considerable
OneD
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
INITIATING
LINEN
Mrs. Cornelius BeeckmanI
Initiating Linen. \
NEAR MRS REECKMAN.

nEAR MRS. BEECKM-AN'
~ What initial should a girl
put on her linens, etc.? My fl
ance thinks it proper to put lis
initial, while I say it should be
either my first or last initial.
Will you please be so kind as to
let me have your opinion on this
subject? A READER.
" GU are right-your linens
L should be embroidered with
your initial or initials. Any
linens that you embroider after
your marriage carry the initials
Of your married name. The in
itials Of the brides maiden name
are also the ones that should be
used for marking all silver and
linen that are sent as weddH1:3
presents. The point is that all
these things legally belong to the
bride
The Washington times., 1925-05-18
DIR FRANK CRANES
DAILY EDITORIAL
pu M FRANK CRANE.
Good and EUiL

KNEW people speak Of humility huno says snd
few doubtfully of doubt." - !.
, 1925-10-03

An investigation by the Army and
Navy would be useless. 1t would take
more than Colonel MitcbelPs broadside
to blast loose these |bureaucrats but |
hope his broadside will have the effect
of blasting out sone Of the incompe-
tents"
CHANUTE, Kas., Sept. 9. "a. 70
"A resolution asking a separate depart
mpnt be created to administer the
naticn's air service was adopted here to.
day ny the Kansas Department Of the
American Legion.
Alvin Awlsey, Of Dallas, Texas, Past
National Commander, said in an adj
dress that the ain service in the war
was a disgrace to The nation and today
is a continuing DISGRACE.
ELDORADO, Ark, Sept. 9. CA P.)
The Arkansas Department OF the
American Legion session here went on
record today as favolinQ an Independents
air service development along the lines
outlined by Colonel William Mitchell.
Daily Ne1US.
, 1925-10-03
Mitchell Wins New Support

OSHKOSH, Wis, Sept 9 IA. P,)
Colonel William A. Mitchell has
stated truths, which rankIe because they
were not presented according to Hoyle"
Congressman FIorian Lampert, chair
man Of q House committee appointed to
Investigate The United states air ser
vice, declared To-Day.
Commenting on the statement Of the
former assistant chief Of The army air
service d%enouncina the Army ard Navy
Departments, Mr.. Lampert said:
Colonel MitcheIIs charges deserve sin
cere consideration by men qualified to
judge. An engineering commission is
needed to settle the issues. The pro-
bIems are TOO complicated for Con
DETR0IT, Mi e Sept. 9. "a. p
- Congressional investigation Of the
nations administration of its air de
Tense was urged by Senator James Cou-
zens today. He said:
, 1925-10-03
THE VOICE OF WILLIAM.

Regardless Of what he may have been
or NAV have done, the world will listen
to a message from a great international
character. If he were to visit America,
there is not a building that would hold
the crowd. We are prone TO forget thar
he caused the death of more men than
perhaps any other man who ever lived
even Napoleon, who spent a lifetime in
human butchery. But William is still
watching the world movements, and
while we believe that he is a monCma-
MAC regarding himself, yet he is not
a fool. He knew the situatior in this
country far better than many Of our
statesmen, and he still knows what is
going on. Here are some interesting
words from William:
Russia has thrown in her lot with the
yellow races. She is pushing them on
to world mastery. France is behind the
black race ard proposes to swamp Fu-
rope with Negroes. There remain Great
britain and America, who alone are up
holding the white race against the black
and yellow, The conflict of the future
looms ahead. Where shall my Ger
many stand?'-Tbe Christian Home Ma
ga%jne
, 1925-10-03
WANDERLUST AND DIVORCE.

Some authorities who have studied the
social problems of the day believe that
we are rapidly losing the home ideal as
the unit of civilization, and the restless,
moving nomad spirit is a factor in the
d~isintegration of the American family
life. Anyhow, that was the finding Of
an investigation started recently in Kan
sas City. What is true of Kansas City,
no doubt, is true Of most American cities.
Here is a significant press report:
"Civilized man is becoming a nomad
again, the primitive lure Of the Gypsy
trail is owe. coming the pull Of the hearth
stone and the moving van has entered
the lists along with the canned sardines
and the other woman as a stimulator Of
the divorce docket.
PSYCHOLOGISTS and ministers here who
have started an investigation of just
why Kansas City so rapidly is becoming
the new Reno Of America put it in more
academic language:
The general shifting of population,
which has become the most outstanding
recent social development, is causing a
disintegrati0ff of family life,' they say.
Their investigation was begun as The
result Of the discovery that during the
last year there was one divorce to every
two marriages ir Kansas City, which
is one IF the highest, if not the high
est, records Of any city in the United
States.
Landlords who speak Of the shifting
population theory merely as the moving
craze substantial with facts the thee
ries of the sociologists. Two months is
, 1925-10-03
HE'S STILL RUNNING.

A gentleman in q restaurant the other
day thought be would have a joke with
the waiter, and asked i'm if he had ever
seen a sausage roll
Say" said the waiter, Il nave not
only seen a sausage roll but | have ecen
a biscuit box, a table spoon, a chimney
sweep, a chain link, a nose gay, a ca
mera slide, a garden fence, a sword fish,
a wall flower" But when he got to a
fire escape" the gentleman thought it
was high time for him 10 escape, too
AS he went, the waiter went W tb him,
saying: "A trap turn, 9 cake walk. a
mountain Climb, a sky lark, a honey
comb"
But by this time lhe gentleman joker
was half way down the street in a dazed
condition
, 1925-10-03
Wit and Humor,
WRONG DIAGNOSIS.

A man called upon a physician Tor adj
vice. The physician diagnosed he case as
one OF nerves, and prescribed accordingly.
The fee was five dollars and the prescrip-
ton two dollars. The mar had only five
dollars. He said 10 the physician:
Doc, five dollars is all | have. Lend
me two dollars and I'll have the prescrip
ton filled"
The physician gazed at Tie man for a
moment, then said: Il have made a
mistake in my diagnosis Your nerves
that"
, 1925-10-03

the average term OF residence for ten
ants in the furnished roOms-for Ugh
housekeeping district, tbey report One
family has moved nineteen times in the
last year and . half, the records of the
Social Service Exchange sh0 ""
Whatever may be the ul3ellying cause
OF domestic relationships breaking down,
no country san survive when the home
breaks down. The home is the centri-
fugal and centripetal power Of civiliza-
ton. In the last analysis. the home is
the cell life e. the country. al d the
woman in the home constitutes the ad-
hesive power. When motherhood and
Wifehood lose their ideal. no amount of
modern culture will sustain the loss of
them. The hand that once rocked the
cradle no longer rocks it.: she is busy
with her social engagements, and the
children run the streets, or they are Civ
en- over to a nurSe-often a colored girl,
with her half-tagan superstitions. For
all these lapSes we shall pay the toll
soOner or later, and it may be sooner
Ibid.
The bravest battle that was ever fought
Shall | tell you where and when?
On the maps of the world you'll find it not;
Twas fought by the mothers of men.
Nay, net by cannon ball or shot
With sword or nobler pen;
No, not with eloquent word or thought
From mouths Of wonderful men.
But deep in a walled up woman's heart,
Of woman that would not yield,
But bravely, silently bore her part.
Lo, there is the battle field.
No marshalling troops, no bivouac song,
No banner TO CLEAN and wave,
But, oh, these battles! they last so long.
From ~babyhood to (he grave. Ibid.