davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-04-22

FOURTH FIDOR~-Oohoo Size baby.
opp all ce fFlJe nOolles 81 m0mma1l
gonna e1cc you from De starry BOOK
EturFy woi it conseea,s from oe adHeil-
tUTes from a tsigsr. GeeFe leesun
TsIOAE sPIcKINCl
Cir Hegena--oo''s Unit IA Hh
IA Imputed yait VIII goaG bend
y1at teen f0ll VIA Nez-p6peri Eozak4.
IND ! FIIjy should De Ia = plsh VIII
portion from Cgin-Daf3t Hood DeYst4tt
Nfs lie uo3o io.ks con beck home on
o. fonm WheTf ! Has b1Dn gradually
should geese u look On ne nD%8 De
yeggec !eecle kcDpe6ae cFy used N max
sng Ton from viii fDKkk aitt tABts
wilt sniFis --E2pe'aa! oot ni2n-hei
Eltssell EpIptN Wltl de bo1icl4ckSt '~~
Enlmnm TberK o3 Dry ag6 no" 1f-~
IT. . DjffkteW some p!aDe
"Hn--I tutt Y3'to9t fau ! would ~
by Gees sine lccer a sabef.fe1 occer
4 co1e~sla~ maybe 10 Walt co1i!d
Be gBotct wooster Mine bro6der may
hs 1881 ln pesne) blcame a lt4pfll Pool
Tslgsf Two WickS Dp-csy. hf @eDt hun
Nlc . bengii f. BEeestance o. poor guy
lad wltt a Viek bolt WOt he aak Il
>Wicle lite Seelil}g on peens viii uiddles
~ shouldn't oxpludcIg snny nlbnIt
"WEl here We are H o. Dp<~ Feetty
strJnR Strung is Jl2a1t! BeezIleas ia
bfeesk We so!tinly guug festtt~AHAl
] 1ult wss o0netiIgg feeshy- dey pessing
oss around by SMOKER. Woqgs. III
hend opp ny . pq!las station yaf to~
night Him de bteg Dogp Hltt q rad
gIzz gfeBs ne Wlt1 fife oddes lAlgsfs.
40 b0yi II cgt bum bioas hoQt de
smoke tgoo de DgAa~I S0itiniy in f0f il
treap!i CONS turzi
"IEnl~~ns smells me yat HE smells
MKl!~v-A noifi Hes far from e pois
fuus heemsaf Whooyl ds poddy 4
eating To1 -- Fo!sonslis. fouldnj
Evening star., 1928-04-22

Unexpectedly. something happened. The
battleship Maine was blown up. Re
member the Maine!" was the cry, and
the farm boy whose yearning was to
fight for Uncle Sam had his chance
He could now leave the corn rows and
march away TO war. and he became a
volunteer. The cry Of the Rough
Riders swept the land
Rough. tough. we're the stuff
We want TO fight and We can't
get enough,
Whoop-ee!"
And whoop-ee he waded into IT, Now
he was TO be real soldier~-a pri-
vate. but soldier. That was the
thing Hot. long days OF training, days
at Chickamauga. days Of growing
suspense. days of bully beef. and then
came the orders 10 report 10 Port
Tampa City. Fla. thence 10 be shifted
to Cuba. where the fun would begin.
The actual morning came when they
were to leave. and they turned their
backs on the camp and marched away
for the last time marched down 10 the
dock where they were 10 take ship and
be transferred across to where man
could show what he was made Of But
something happened AS the ship was
docking II banged into the pier and
hole was smashed In its side In
stead OF marching aboard. the soldiers
turned around and marched back 10
camp again. and while they idled i'll
camp the Rough Riders marched up
San Juan Hill, and the Cuban cam
paign was over.
Soon after that PVT. Kissinger's COM
pany was sent back TO Indiana and dis
banded-the most ferOcious enemy they
had seen was "A mosquito The boy who
wanted TO be a soldier was back where
he had started
But the passion that burned so deep
Evening star., 1928-04-22
BY HOMER CROY.

| ~ ONGRESS is soon to be asked to
consider the case OF one of the
greatest heroes the United
~ States has produced. but the
facts OF his comparatively un-
known life would be rather dtscouraging
/ to any other person who wanted to take
up the hero business. 1t Is the case
of Pvt John r. Kissinger, who. after
he became a hero. almost starved TO
death During much OF this time he
and his wife had to take IN washing.
The hero-paralytic-in strapped i'll
a chair washed clothes 20 earn living.
It is the story of an American hero
who loved his country, offered his life
for 1t, and looked in the poorhouse
door. He is now living--not very well.
but living--and not complaining. It's
rather queer story. the story OF youth
buoyed up by patriotism, who wanted
TO fight for his country and who never
got to do it--and yet
have Just come back from visiting
him In Huntington, Ind.---John r, Kis-
singer, and his COW and his sagging
knees. He came down to meet me in
borrowed clothes. but didn't know
then that they were borrowed-that IS,
until it came out by accident just as
was leaving.
Liberty Mills. Ind.-that is where this
story. out of the heart of America. be-
gins. The hero was 10 years old, a
farm boy One day when he went into
town he saw a company Of soldiers
march by. and his heart went with
them. His ears rang with the music
and his feet caught the rhythm and
cadence OF their step. When he went
home that evening he marched 10 the
beat OF the music that was still ringing
In his ears
Soon after that word went out that
a militia company vas 10 be organized
near Liberty Mills and the country boy
came in and asked to join. Here is
the beginning OF the story OF the Boy
Who Wanted TO Be Soldier. and Its
queer and unexpected end. The man
who was organizing the company told
him that IL he would help get men for
the company he would make him a SER
geant. Sergeant To boy ploughing
cornt II was heaven itself. The boy
few into IT, following his corn rows dur
ing the day and going to his neiRhbors
OF an evening and telling them OF the
splendid chance TO become soldier.
TEN men were brought together. and
the company was assured. But
the captain now wasn't quite so prodi-
gal in his offers Of sergeantcy Two
OF his nephews had joined the conn
pany. and blood, ", we are told, Is
thicker than water The captain said
he would leave 1t TO the men TO select
the sergeant by company vote. Ten
good menR and true we're 10 vote. and
they all voted except the modest young
military man who expected that he was
soon to be a sergeant but the vote
stood I'VE 10 four In favor of one OF the
nephews. Quite a blow 1t was. but
anyway. he was 10 be a soldier and his
patriotic zeal still glowed.
Pvt. Kissinger drilled and took
orders from his sergeant. as sol
dier should. and marched up and
down the street with his rife on his
shoulder and his chin in the air. Then.
Evening star., 1928-04-22

occurred at the btuminouS mines and
4Ss at the anthracite mines. These fig
tires may be slightly increased on ac-
count OF few injuries in 1927 which
may vet prove fatal. but as the figure
stands al present i indicates death
rate OF $40 per million tons. based
upon the estimated production Of coal
during 1927. II is believed that the
death rate OF $40 may be increased
TO 373: i. SO, 1t still represents an i'm
pIovement as compared with the death
rate for 1926, which was $50"
Cold figures. these. which fail &c
catch the imagination. They do not
tell Of the carelessIESS, the indifference
to danger and the ignorance that snuff
out a life here and life there. tina.
take nine victims TO every one that IS
ended by the spectacular blast. All
who read the news know of the ex-
pioSiors. bat who read Of the falling OF
a few square feet Of roof OF the mine
tina. broke the back Of the miner BE-
meath Or the great slab Of coal that
suddenly let loose from the face Of the
mine and crushed out beneath It's tre-
men6ous weight the miner whose pick
or bar had diSlodged il? How many
have read Of an unfortunate snapper
whose foot was caught IN the frog ot
q switch Of the mine railway far below
the surface and who died horribly as
the mine car ran ever him even as his
brother in work. the railway trainman.
sometimes meets his death on the sur
face when he attempts 10 do switching
while train is II motion?
One great preventive Of accidents,
Bureau Of Mines experts declare. is
available 20 cut of al least the major
trzgedles the great gas and dust ex-
plosions. They beLeve that in the proc-
ess known as Fockdusting Is found the
sure solution Of the problem n the bias
which goes tearing through Raine
killing by its force or burning TO oeat>
these hapieSs individuals who are IN
It's path and slowly sufIocating those
Jess fortunate. Hl1o miss the boon G!
3 sudden death,
Government experts CITE an eypl0s ton
in the New Orient mine al West
Frankfort. III a mine termed TIC
naooel minc Of the Nation. This mine,
working Ia cooperation with the Cos
eminent experts ana carrying on ex-
oersments of It's own, has been equipped
with every practical safety deVlce
known Needless 10 say II was rock
busted.
one working day with 1000 men
underground, the whole mine was hum
ming with activity Way of In one
heading leading Of one of the r1alr
galleries. crew ~ five men were a.
work. Suddenly az electric spayk. ot a
spark from drill that suddenly broF"
INTO q gas pocket IN the coal. brought
ABOUT ~ explosion of terrific fore
Unfortunately. all flye II the men Al
the fsce q The mine we're killed. b4C
the death and destruction were con-
fined - the immediate locality ia winch
Evening star., 1928-04-22

the blast occurred. Had there been no
rock-dusting probably the greatest mine
tragedy of present times would have
occurred and the chance that any vi
the men beneath the surface would
have escaped would have been slim,
SD OCK-DUSTING, for some reason or
IN other. has failed to meet with the
general approval among mine owners
and workers that Bureau of Mines off,
cials think II should. They can't un-
0crStand the attitude, as the busting
system calls for far less trouble To mine
owners than the system Of Sprinklng
now in general use. Watering OF the
walls. ceilings and floor Of mine TO
prevent coal-duSt explosions is daily
affair, while rock-dusting need be done
but once in several weeks or months.
depending upon the nature of the mine
and coal. Naturally the equipment for
is more expensive than
that for Sprinkling and the cost of labor
is greater. yet in the long run economy
lies with the rock-dusting. Regardless
of the cost. however, the protection af-
forde6 the miners sweating in the
olackneSS hundreds OF feet below the
surface Is believed 10 warrant the
outlay.
The busting process is simple and the
physical principle involved as proof
against explosion as asbestos against
fire. A truck especially made carrying
= huge sand box is run over the mine
and by means Of blower the
rock dust. pulverized shale, sandstone,
gypsum or other stone that may be
convenient is directed against the walls,
Evening star., 1928-04-22
RY HOWARD rrERSoN BAILEY.


" VERY time the sun set during
l. 1927 it set forever for six men
working at the coal mines of
L. this country. laboring that the
humming wheels of industry
rntsht keep turning and the chilly
blasts Of Winter fail 70 disturb the COM
fort Of the homes Of the Nation. With
the deepening shadows Of approaching
night six families settled into that black
depth Of despair that engulfs those Of
little means who suddenly md them
selves deprived of their principal means
Of support,
Statistics recently issued by the
United States Bureau Of Mines, figures
obtained by survey OF coal-mile acci-
dents ard their cause, disclose that a
total Of 2.2s4 men gave their lives. most
OF them useleSSly ii the United States
during the IL months ending with
December. What the toll Of injured was
is beyond estimate, but 1t is presumed
to be tremendous.
Should 8 food, an earthquake, a tor
nsoo or some other uncomfortable force
Of nature reap. IN one sudden CataS-
trophc, such terrible harvest ot
human life, the news of il would travel
around the world and be the main topic
Of conversation for weeks. IT Is ter
rihle thing, but IL is one Of those things
that can't be helped" would be the
general verdict vet annually the Grim
Reaper takes this unnecessary snd pre-
ventable levy deep down in the dim
receSses Of the mines or on the drab
surface. and the public knows nothing
of H. Only occasionally, when ter
rife blast. spreading havoc under
ground. traps and kills large number
OF men. does the man IN the city or on
the farm learn OF the price III human
lives that is paid for coal.
Figures recently complied for the
calendar year 1927 show total Of
: ga deaths from accidents at all the
coal mines in the United States" says
the bulletin. OF this number, 1875
Evening star., 1928-04-22

curtain OF the rock-dust is thus thrown
in the path OF the onrushing fire. If by
any chance 1t escapes the controlling
force OF the first fog of rock dust.
Hundreds OF lives are too many TO
pay when device such as this Is at
hand to prevent disaster.
X X
EXPLOSIONS. however, are only part
of the story: in fact, one-tenth of
It. approximately, the figures Of last
year indicate. They arc almost un-
avoidable although, clearly. their ef-
feet could be greatly minimizcd.
1t is the terrible carelessness and al
most criminal negligence that SwellS the
list of victims to its enormous total
through accidents that strike down the
individual miner working by himself
or with companion or two.
Taking 1927 as typical year. chart
explains two general types OF acci-
dents that annually take more lives
than the exploSions--the falling of roofs
In mines which killed l,0l1. and acci-
dents associated with the hauling OF
the coal underground. which ended the
lives of 352. In fact, falls OF roof took
four times as many lives as the spec
tacular blast. while falling sides ran
good fourth in the total Of fatalities,
set at l34.
Explosions. which We would naturally
consider fruitful source OF fatality.
were fifth with ITO.
Electricity. introduced into the mine
to make the work easier and TO end the
hazard of the burning lamp and so on,
has laid its own traps TO catch the un-
wary. which brought an abrupt close to
100 lives.
With the explosion accidents account
ed for. what of the far greater number
of deaths through other causes? Whose
fault brings about the steady procession
OF stretchers from the depths of the
mine with their groaning freight or the
erueSome object that once was a man?
Can the tragedies be eliminated. or at
least greatly decreased? The Bureau
of Mines experts have spent years in
study of this subject. the unspectacuiar
mishaps that yearly take enough lives
to populate village and cripple enough
more TO bring misery to hundreds of
homes. They are ready to assert that
most Of the accidents are unnecessary.
The greater part are due to careless
ness. but many TO lack of proper safety
devices. Many Of the safeguards, they
believe. are necessary because men al
Evening star., 1928-04-22

ing, allowed himself TO be bitten. He.
too. fell Ill. but lived.
Young KiSsingcr watched these ex-
peTimentS. and he was there when word
was brought in that DR.. LaZear had
died. One day as he was going about
his duties in the hospital ward he over
heard conversation among the doctors.
IL was to the effect that it was hopeless
to experiment further on animals, and
that camp would have TO be eStab-
liShed where all other sources Of conta-
gion could be eliminated and expert
mentS performed on a human being.
Kissinger. as he made his beds and
washed his pans. thought about what
he had heard the doctors say. He
thought about II all night. He had
started out 70 be a soldier and 10 do
something for his country-maybe this
would be a way. The next morning
when he reported in he wanted 10 speak
TO DR.. Reed
II heard you say yesterday that you
wanted To get somebody TO experiment
on" he said, You can experiment on
me If YOU want to"
DR. Reed looked at him In aStoniSh-
ment. Did he realize what he was say
ing Did he understand what might
happen TO him2
49, AAANkNISt0kth 4 va NAAAkAlk "
try IT,"
But before KiSSinger could give him.
self up there were other matters 10 be
attended 10, He must get a release from
his commanding officer. and he in turn
from his~~in the end Gen Wood him.
self signed the final papers.
The morning that KtSSiugcr, now
grown to mans estate OF 25 reported
To the office Or Mai Reed brought his
hand 10 his cap
Sir, salute YOU" he said
II Is not every day that a major Sa-
MteS private.
Later Mai Reed made q written re-
port to the Government In Washington.
and this is what he said,
In Nmy opinion. this exhibition of
moral courage has never been surpassed
Ill the annals OF the Army in the United
States"
A test tube Of Ave mosquitoes was
brought and pvt kiSSingers arm was
barred After the mosquitoes had bitten
him they were taken off. Days passed
and nothing happened, A second time
the test tube with It's singing freight
was brought and again nothing hap
peued A third tine. Seven days later
when kiSSiuger went To bed At night in
the camp where lie was isolated, he was
Evening star., 1928-04-22

Nuttice plizze by me de heshcs, Nuttice
plizZe dey dun't falling hun from de
tsigar. So wait yat
"smooke opp. leedle trcmpl Take a
dreg! Dots II. "A hinch from heshes
is now by de tsigar. AHA! Wot's dees?
Geeye a leesten 'Ha-ha. pipe de- holy
Mack! Let's stick around an watch de
ashes fall on his facet
"Deednt told you-Hm two
hipches heshcsl' eating gray on 'op!l
Him IA few MUIR pipple taking nutticel
Two htnches witt hell heshes. Not
yat~~b0yiss not yat!l Steeck arond!t
Ho boyI! A coicle pipple-~dot's it.
kipp dem beck Hufiiccr, Tree hinehes
hesheB We sointinly pecking dem In.
Tretiic eating tcmmed
Hey Izzy dere~opp In dc triZz,
boyis8. Dces way, feputters witt pho~
ioercphersi Whewi Fife blocks a
line trollicozz Tree witt helff hinches
hesheaii Look ~hutitCc WeendoWsli !
Look roofs bleck witt pipplc like a
tremp's cheen witt wheeakersll Text
cebbs ~trocks ~~ huttom0bills ~~ temmed
Wot II couldn't Weegle In II seepefy nun
Waiting for he hcsheg 10 fall
Him IOst a hinCh laft from me. No
h6mll eating to de hend from mine
ropell Here We go boyis-~~~G Gung -
d~u~n~g .,, BRRRt ~~-- rrrr ~~~~~
rrmmmnmmmppPPli Dots hall.
DE kraul melts away likeNit blu2G hun
de frutf from hiee-orehm sudda4
"Hutt gu2sll DE sung Is hended~-
bot de malady leengefslI brrf gat-
ling dock hout 49,, DE leedle tteInp is
hall auin agan. Und from me IL laft
lrlekW0dders from hineh How wal
~-~-~-I soppos III be chnod. drite, lmd
sm0oked III pipe, SUIT guas. Heshes
10 heshes und doEt 10 be p0llor cOppetl -
tlim~~a aotch d0llink baby III opp
all de trtte n0otlea) MtLT GROSS,
tCepyuEht. lDssI
Evening star., 1928-04-22

ceilings and fioors-wherever coal dust
NAV be lodged. This dust clings TO the
surface Of the coal-dust deposits.
The protection against explosion given
by the dust may best be pictured IN a
typical example enacted probably fire.
quently in the history Of this protective
measure.
AT the face of a gallery in a bitumi-
nous mine a miner struck into some
shale with pick. The pick struck up
a spark and the gas around the miner,
far TOO much for safety, no doubt, but
disregarded by the man, was ignited.
Then came the dread explosion. which
under usual circumstances would have
started its roaring dash throughout the
mine. ripping and rending all before 1t
and leaving chaos in its wake. But this
mine was rock-dusted. and though trag-
edy lay behind the explosion. the victim
list was limited TO two or three men at
the immediate site.
When the explosion occurred the air
Immediately surrounding the scene OF
the blast was hurled back through the
gallery in a great powerful pun and.
like any normal gust of air, stirred
I'D into a cloud. the rock dust which
had been spread over the surface OF
the highly explosive coal dust. Into
this thick fog Of non-combustible. cool
particles Of stone came the burning
gases ready TO ignite the coal dust
which lay all around. The stone par
ticles being good conductors Of heat
instantly took heat units from the
flaming gas. which naturally cooled
with the diHusing OF it's heat, and the
entire area fell below the ignition point
Of the coal dust, the explosion stop
ping almost az where II began.
Picture what would have happened
had there been no rock-ousting. Sup
pose that the mine had only been
sprinkled and that the hour was al
most at hand for a new sprinkling
The coal dust again was almost dry
When the wave OF fame spread out
from the scene of the explosion il
would instantly have dried any mois-
ture that might have been left and
would have ignited the coal dust, which
would have exploded violently. The
explosion would have been progress
sjTe. that Is. it would have travelled
along the entire gallery and would In
all probability when reaching a june
ton. have spread in all directions. kill
ing right and LEFT by its force or
suffocatlng with its deadly fire-damp
The gas that slowly saps the life from
those who are left alive.
The rock k-dusting goes one step fur
ther in It's effort 70 prevent explosions
On big scale. Along the ceilings Of
the galleries are placed barriers OF
rock dust These are huge hinged
shelves upon which the dust is piled.
The free ends Of the shelves are held
up By a chain connected with an auto
matte device which drops them at the
pressure OF the first rush Of air travel
Ing on ahead of the flames, A thics
Evening star., 1928-04-22
cOuseofC
dAveaedS deaths "a o Twtyfo
Years $

of men always on the alert and cau-
tious. Because of mans weakness in
this regard the companies face the duty
of protecting the miners.
Records indicate that the greater part
Of the fatal accidents are caused by roof
and side falls This almost invariably
il the fault OF the miners, for they are
warned of the danger and have been
carefully instructed in the proper man
ncr of testing. After each shot" Is
fred at the face of the mine. the miner
Is supposed to test the ceiling and side
walls before returning to work. In case
nj indications of weakness, he is under
instructions to send out call for tim
5crs and the weak spots are to be
strengthened by props. Now and then
a miner is careless in how he tests or.
fearing a delay of several hours or a
whole shift and consequent loss in pay,
he takes chance and goes on breaking
out his coal The fault, should there
be an accident, is his.
Occasionally a. fall will occur along
the galleries, however, places that are
supposed to be rigidly inspected by the
firemen and mine inspectors. When
one OF these results fatally the COM
pany. being responsible for the action
of its representatives. is blamable.
THE accidents that run close with
explosions for second place are
those caused during the hauling Of coal.
Snappers. men who act as the trainmen
Of the underground railways. often take
the same unnecessary risks as their
brothers on the surface and pay the
same penalties. Often. however. i'm
properly placed and guarded switches
or frogs in the track functions are the
cause Of the fatalities. Now and then a
car jumps the track and knocks some
of the bracing of the ceiling out, and
fall follows.
Even electricity. though 1t has re-
moved many hazards. has brought along
conditions that have added to the list
of those who have ;iven their lives that
others may live in comfort. A pick or
bar sometimes comes in contact with
an overhead wire or a man riding a
trip, as the mine cars are called, in a
low-ceilinged gallery touches one Of the
wires with his head. and the grim pro-
cession gets another recruit.
The gradual betterment of conditions
make the present seem we'll on the way
toward ideal when compared with the
past, but the need for drastic reforms
is vital. Rock duSting. storage battery
Evening star., 1928-04-22
Blast Problem Involves Campaign to Save Human Lives

cars and storage battery driven drills,
better trackage and switches, properly
prepared and whitewashed inches for
safety along the tracks, better inspect
ing and other such things are neceS-
sary. Bureau Of Mines officials believe
II the work of mining may be taken
from its present hazardous classifica-
ton, it will become as safe as work on
the surface. The present toll Of four
lives for every million tons Of coal
mined, although far lower than Is or 20
years ago. is believed far too high in
this day of modern safety measures and
in the light Of modern knowledge OF
means of preventing accidents.
Evening star., 1928-04-22
Pittsburgh SCOT Costly.

This hasn't been a good year for
snow, and never is in Pittsburgh. which
every year has SCOT fall Of l 1881 IONS
a square mile, says the New York Her
aid Tribune Pittsburgh's smoke taZ
is about $50 for each taxpayer, not IN
cluding the damage it does 10 clothes.
house paint and health. Life there Is
one grand smudge all the year around.
Evening star., 1928-04-22

most habit, In the case Of mines this
may and usually does mean death. The
mine companies with a paternal con-
sideration for their employees. are forced
To take many steps to safeguard them
that would not be necessary in the case