davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1933-06-18

hair on their chests During the first ones I
spent the duration trying to find my hat, and
they were all over before found the hat and
joined my folks in the orchard. When this
most recent uneasiness came along, was play
ing bridge in a stucco apartment building-and
stucco Is of no real use in quake. There was
present motion picture man, an old hand at
earthquakes, fellow who regarded them as in
teresting and rather amusing. He was sprawled
in his chair, trying to make up his mind to bid
on a jack-high hand. He suddenly saids
Earthquake" speaking without excitement or
emotion of any kind-and almost languidly.
After that he did not move but stared with in
terest at the chandelier, which began swaying.
Immediately fell into state that might be
described complete, blind and unreaSoning
panic which seems to be the normal condi-
ton for strangers, or ones unfamiliar. Your
first fear is that everything over your head is
about to fall on you, SO you wish to be out Of
doors, and how you wish it We were on the
second floor and I was not familiar with the
geography Of the building, so I seized my hat
and began running.
I galloped first to the door of the apart
ment, intending to skip into the hall, DOWN
the stairs and out into Gods friendly sunshine
I actually rushed into small closet, filled with
coat hangers, arriving there in the misbelief
that the door led into the hall. The quake
lasted 10 or Is seconds, and while 10 seconds
is nothing If you are waiting in the drug store
Tor girl, 1t is easily two and one-haf years
If you are fighting your way through clothes
hangers in strange closet, and certain that
you will be dead in another instant. fought
my way valiantly out of the clothes closet,
and as usual the thing was over.
then located the actual door to the han,
trifle late but still enthusiastic about doors
and halls, and bounded downstairs without fur.
ther ado to discover the entire population q
the building standing on the front lawn, very
green of countfnance, sea sick, shaky and
speechless. Had the house caved in during the
cataclysm, my body would have been found
under pile of clothes hangers which merely
proves that an earthquake confers on a per-
son state of mental disorder that does him
no particular good
This is the last quake we are going to have
In California, an item that has been guaran-
teed by chambers of commerce everywhere.
They may have future ones up in San Fran
cisco, where they tell me the residents eat such
dishes as fried abalone. Any body of free peo-
pie that will eat abalone deserves everythins
that comes along.
Copyright 1880
Evening star., 1933-06-18

poad-no money no friends not goin' to be able
to work much longer. And then these big chill
dren havin' their joke, opened to her the door
of home where there's peace and rest for
tired old women. Maybe she should have said
No when they asked her to play their game
with them; maybe it wasn't right to let them go
on with their joke. Ard want sud 10 tell me
what you really think Was fair7 Was st
honest? Should she let 'em open that door,"
1t sounded like one big voice, that hearty
.Yes!" that followed her question.
She was holding out her hands to them.
-Oh, I thank you with all my heart!" they
heard her say as they quieted. you've crowned
my last years with your friendship, and
thank you-I bless you!"
The trembling hands fell at her sides and
she turned slowly away But the mayor de-
tanned her and again checked the applause.
Some one had remembered, he said that Mrs.
Bush used to have a very fine voice, and they
wanted him to ask her If she wouldn't sing one
of the old songs.
As she hesitated they loudly encouraged her.
And at last she came back to them She did
want to do something for them, she said, and
though she didn't have much of voice any
more she'd do the best she could, and maybe
they'd be good enough to help her on the
chorus.
They were delighted to help her. Lustily
they swung into the chorus, and were so pleased
with the effect that they would not let her
stop when she made her first bobbing curtesy.
They wanted another song, and another. 1t
was not until the mayor interposed, reminding
them that they must not overtax her strength,
that they allowed her to go. And as she hob
bled away, waving the hand that held the
check, hearty cheers surged across the foot
light for Bessaleno Butterfeld Bush.
IT was long past midnight, but Granny was
! sitting bolt upright in her bed, a pink
bank check in her hand, her eyes going alter
nately from it to Pepper, who was standing be-
fore the glass smearing her face with cream.
It had given Granny real turn to see some
one that looked like herself walking into her
room.
Most incredible of all was the story Pepper
had told of impersonatng Granny before that
big audience, telling them some of the stories
Granny had told Pepper, reminding them OF
bygone days awakening old memories so that
some Of them were coming up to shake hands
with her.
Evening star., 1933-06-18

"But Lit out before they got TO met" Pepper
said gleefully. between wipes.
"They were coming up-to shake hands
with me?" Granny breathlessly asked.
I'm droves!" Pepper said.
Granny didn't answer. She was crying, her
knotted hands over her face, her body racked
with sobs. Seemed as If she couldn't stop, once
she had started, until her hearts burden OF
loneliness and fear had been wept away And
Pepper understood. She just put her strong
arms around Granny and held her tight, let her
have her cry out, then began to tell about
some good luck she had had, herself.
Just think, Granny" she crowed, this mas
querade stuff put me next to the very idea I've
been searchin' for all Summer. I've been try1n
to dope out better vaudeville act for next
season, and I'll say I was gettin the heebees
over it because there wasn't one glimmer in
tn old dome. But I've got it nowi And It's
sure gon to be winner. Course III have an
entirely different patter, but can use bunch
of the same old songs and"
"Songs!' Granny echoed family. did you
did I-sing?"
III say you did! had it all fixed up with
one of the boys to suggest it to the mayor, and
it certainly made hit!'
Granny swallowed hard "what-kind Of
songs-did you-did I sing?"
Pepper gathered up her jars and bottles,
stuffed white wig into the big box, crowded
her close-fitting hat down over her flaming
thatch of hair and came across the room with
her airy swagger. But she stood by the
bedside. Granny saw, for instant, tender
wistfulness in the big brown eyes.
You needn't worry any about the songs"
Pepper assured her. "They were real nice.
ladylike songs-the dear old chestnuts that
everybody loves
Granny gave a sigh of relief.
you see," Pepper said softly, Il had q dear
Granny-once. They were her songs-that I
sang" She stopped and brushed Granny's
cheek with her lips, then dashed to the door.
$50 long" she called.
The door closed with bang.
Granny sat for long time, treasuring the
sweetness of the girls caress. When she looked
again at the check, it was through happy tears.
Above the strip of paper with its promise Of
freedom from fear, of rest for weary hands,
"the most popular girl in the town of Lorendo"
bowed her grateful head.
Copyright, 1889
Evening star., 1933-06-18

pogt bed then back ct her own reflection I'm
eoodl" she said IN q low, ecstatic tone. eYe
gods, but I'm good!"
~Of course, lou arel" mumbled Granny.
~Youre real good girl!'
The old lady in the mirror foated away. The
bed room door opened and closed softly.
moment later the gate-latch clicked.
CvERY seat in the open-air theater was filled,
l. every foot of ground that afforded view
Of the stage was close-packed by an excited,
chattering throng. They swayed and craned
their necks to locate the candidates, who were
seated in a flower -canopied box
The applause was tremendous the mayor
came forward and beamed upon them all In
his hand he carried envelope with an I'M
portant- looking red seal. This evelope con-
tained he stated, the name of the winner Of
the popularity contest the name certified by
the counters of the votes, committee OF promi-
nent business men. This name he would now
read
The silence was profound as the mayoral
pen knife was searched for, found and applied
to the envelope. From it the mayor took
sheet of paper and pink bank check. He
cleared his throat
1T Is my great privilege" he said sonor-
ously ito inform you that the prize Of $500
presented by the Lorendo Merchants Associa-
tion to our most popular girl, has been won
by"
He squinted at the check adjusted his glasses,
sQuinted again, slowly read the name:
"Bessalena Butterfield Bush
A gasping sound greeted the announcement
followed by loud buzz everybody began to
talk and to question. Down near the stage
group of young men started to chant. It had
marching rhythm, and each phrase ended with
an explosive burst of sound that soon provoked
the amusement of the fun-loving element. They
Joined in the chant with vim.
"Bessalena Butterield Bush!' they roared.
"Bessdlend Bmterfeld Bushf
BeSS-Q-lend!
BesS-d-lend!
Bessalend Butterfeld Bushl"
We want to see BeSsalenal"
And then she was before them, hobbling
across the stage the arm of the mayor, look
ing down at them through her glistening spec
|tacles-a quaint little figure in rusty black
silk dress that swept voluminously from waist
10 floor.
Evening star., 1933-06-18
Seeks More Business

POSTMASTER GENERAL FARLEY, address
ing the mail advertisers In Chicago, urged
upon those present that the Post Office Depart
ment be given the business of sending out bills.
invoices and other matter which has been lost
TO the department since the Scent rate went
into effect.
He pointed out that the more business the
department has the more efficiently it can Be
operated and with the increased efficiency he
held out definite hope that a return to the
2-cent stamp would be possible.
Evening star., 1933-06-18

UT in sunny California, which re-
CARDS itself as the finest and most
Salubrious State in the entire
Union, there Is venerable law
which forbids persons Of sporting
proclivities to shoot goats or other
ferocious beasts while riding on the local street
ears-that is, while the persons are riding on the
street cars and not the goats. This statute is
of ancient vintage and enacted in the days
when the population apparently rode into town
armed with shotguns and annoyed the motor
man by popping at animal life in the under
brush
There is likewise stern, but unwritten law,
which indicates that any one who wilfully and
maliciously discusses earthquakes, especially
with reference to Sunny California, Is an un-
grateful scoundrel. and on a par with the juju
bird, which fouls its own nest and eats its
young. 1t is the custom to call them "tembiors,"
a refined and fuffily effeminate word that Is
expected to create in the mind of the reader
picture Of something being smoothly and gently
moved, slight readjustment of the earths
surface, which, taking everything into con-
sideration, is rather pleasant and stimulating.
Therefore, that Is what the native sons have
out there in their glorious, golden movie State.
temblors or earth tremors, slight, harmonious
and friendly oscillation of the crust, and there
is quite a bit of crust.
INTIL this recent quake, which blew me
~ out of my seat where I was bidding four
hearts in a bridge game, the newspapers un-
failingly referred to the temblors as If they
were high breezes. There was always one ex-
reption San Francisco newspapers, which have
sisterly feeling for everything Los Angeles,
never refer to a Los Angeles earth movement
Is temblor. Their own earthquakes, OF course,
are temblors, but anything moving down Los
Angeles way is published in the Frisco papers
as large, husky, devastating earthquake, and If
possible pictures are printed Of cornices falling
pa pedestrians Quite naturally, the Los An
geles papers return the courtesy by giving San
Francisco the entire front page, every time a
chandelier wobbles on Market street. This Is
Just family stuff, and should not concern the
outside world
It can thus be seen that we CahfoTnianS do
not have earthquakes customarily, although the
One we had recently seemed in many ways to
be an earthquake. San Francisco folks are
EVEN more touchy than Southerners and
they even yet refer to their calamity of 1905
hs the earthquake and fire." with very heavy
emphasis on fire" which is much like saying
the old man died Of typhoid pneumonia and
handruf.
Down In our southern and favored end OF
the State we have. according to the white
taoed scientists, $50 temblors every day In the
year, and for four or five days during the
recent unpleasantness, the number ran up to
LOCO o day. You cannot notice these little
tenblors, rs they are three or four miles un-
playground and shake around quietly, disturbing
nothing but the finely attuned seismographs in
the universities. Occasionally one Of these
baby temblors suddenly grows up to be a man,
Evening star., 1933-06-18

xheFe vas o moment Of tense silence. Fhen
he house seethed with excitement. Voices were
questioning, voices demanding to know what
right they had to enter an old woman In q
contest for the most popular girl. There were
. few shrin cat-calls and derisive boots.
The mayor 50 f1ustered that he made no
attempt to bring them to order, had silently
handed the pink check to the old woman
From behind the scenes some one was fran
tcally beckoning her to come of but she did
not heed the summons She stood quietly
looking at the audience then raised her hand
and in the gesture was a simple dignity before
which the questionings ceased and the chant
broke off abruptly She began to speak.
II am going 10 tell you two little stories"
she said, "and then am going to ask you
question and I want you to tell me what you
really think.
i've sort O. slipped out Of things of late,
Twin out ON the Old Ferry road that's so rutty
nobody ever drives that way any more. I'm so
old that all the folks that were my friends are
dead and gone, and the younger ones have just
about forgotten me, guess. But there's some
that remember my husband, Nathan Bush
when he was a young merchant with name for
square dealin, and our daughter Evelyn, and
our grandson Alan, who went away to the war
with the other boys-and never came back
"One story IS about Alan, when he was little
bit of fellow just startin' in to school; SO
full of spirits he couldn't sit still, and always
playin' some pranks like boys do. One day he
played a joke ON a man that lived in big
house near the school, queer man with black
scowl for children. And little Alan was all
ready to streak it, fast as he could go, when he
pointed to the smoke comm out of the Chin
ney that day and yelled: Mister! Your house
Is on fire!'
But the man didn't chase Alan. He turned
and ran across the meadow to his house and
up to the room where his young invalid wife
lay in her bed, and brought her out safely in
his arms. Because the house was on fire! And
the child's joke saved that woman's life"
The old woman paused, and the audience
waited motionless, quiet
hTHE other story is about another joke"
she went on after a moment. This joke
was played by bigger children who were thinkin
only Of their game, and never dreamin that
they were bringin' about q miracle that an
old, old woman had been prayin' for, day and
night. She was pretty near to the end o the
Evening star., 1933-06-18

of our shakes you can ct least move outdoors
on the lawn, but In . lightning debauch you
cannot move anywhere do anything, except
stay where you are and brush sparks of your
vest.
IN my many years Of being a synthetic ma
] tive son. have been personally concerned
with only two or three adult quakes, with real
Evening star., 1933-06-18

and that is when the school buildings fall over.
Timid strangers, arriving in sedans from the
Midwest, sometimes stop at the border to ask
about our earthquakes, and receive nothing but
scornful looks from the residents And at that
a good, stiff quake isn't half as terrifying as a
New England Summer thunderstorm with the
lightning jumping around the room between
the bridge lamps and the radiators. In one
Evening star., 1933-06-18

UT in sunny California, which re-
CARDS itself as the finest and most
salubrious State In the entire
Union, there is a venerable law
which forbids persons Of sporting
procliyitieS to shoot goats or other
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
When Distance Lends Entertainment To The View

By D. A, NOonan Motorshp Northland the greenest and skies far more fair When distance enchantmen the view, yearn pack your trayel-kt and anywhere familiar commonplace
 you. you yourself arrived the place that seemed SC grand, that glered times only sand S wonderful by the time that there Now have take tip like Alaska, land Christmas Her only tinse decorate the every s Christmas when you're North of 53'! So glum your
 
 clouds hang banks aggravate nothing
  Masterhand has Almighty Alaska! Let's sing its praises oud and have fling,
 we're proud
  For Alaska. Hoorah! Hooroo! Hooray!
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
A STEP FORWARD

It has repeatedly been said that the United States has never lost a war and never won conference. Re- gardless of the truth of the state ment, it is apparent that the United States has never been able to con- vince the nations of the world that they ought to disarm drastically. The London naval conference result ed in treaty which increased, rath- CT than decreased, the fighting strength of most of the worlds great powers. The last session of the Geneva barley adjourned after fail ing to accomplish a single thing.
 But now it appears that the na- tions of the world are willing to lis ten to President Rooseyelt's earnest pleas for disarmament. Perhaps the announcement of Americas inten- tion to build her navy up to the London treaty limits had something to do with it. But at any rate, it seems that Great Britain, France and this nation are about ready to agree on a four-year test program of disarmament. and it is likely that Italy will support the agree ment. The compliance of these four great powers on any program de- signed to reduce armaments will un- doubtedly result in a similar obser- vance by the other nations of the world If carried out, such an agree ment would be the first step for ward in this direction for many years, and a significant episode in the long campaign to abolish all war entirely-Ex.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
NEW YORK TO LOS ANGELES
 5 HOURS. SOON

Louis Bleriot, who established
 early records in flying. but now one of the pioneers in the manufacture of flying machines predicts that a speed of 625 miles an hour will soon be attained by flying machines. MT Bleriot is offering a prize to the avi- ator who first attains the speed mentioned, the machine to be kept in the air at this rate of travel for fifteen minutes. His idea is if the lifting power can be increased with out lessening speed that such flights in the future will be common. If such a speed could be made for long flights, a trip from New York to Los Angeles could be made in five hours. If a machine could keep up a
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE UNITED STATES COM MISSIONARY COURT. WRAN- CELL PRECINCT, DIVISION NUMBER ONE, TERRITORY OF ALASKA, IN PROBATE. IN THE MATTER OF THE ADJ MINISTRATION OF THE ESTATE OF DENVER MOSSE, DECEASED. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that A. R. Brueger was on the 12th day of September, 1883, duly appointed administrator of the estate of Den yer Mosse, deceased, by order of the Probate Court.
 All persons having claims against the estate are hereby notified and required to file their claims with me together with the memoranda. duly verified, within six months from date of this notice.
 Dated at Wrangell, Alaska, this 12th day of September, 1883.
 A. R. BRUEGER, Administrator of the Estate of Den yer Mosse, Deceased,
 First Publication, Sept. 22, 1883. Last Publication, Oct 20, 1893.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
ACTION ON LOANS TO
 FARMERS IS HURRIED

The number of farmers in the United States applying for land bank loans under the mortgage re- lief provisions of the emergency farm mortgage act of 1883 is indi- cated by the Farm Credit admin stration in its statement that on August 31 there were 1S4,S79 appli- cations for loans pending, or more than 34 per cent of all loans closed from the organization of the land banks in 1917 through the calendar year 1882. The approximate sums asked in these applications total 714,157, 1000, or about fl per cent of all loans closed by the banks from 1917 through 1892.
 To the farmers of Kansas, Okla homa, Colorado and New Mexico with applications made to the Fed eral Land bank of Wichita. the bank emphasizes that it is striving through an increase in its appraisal force of from 5 to 159 men and an increase in it's office force by over 100, to speed the closing of it's loan applications. During the first eight months of 1883, 1t closed 4S1 loans for $1.367, 79 of the number closed during all of 1892. The banks correspondence has about doubled since April.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13

The Wrangell contingent of the last draft left for Fort Seward Oct. 10, 1918. The ten young men were Matti Pellinen, David Graham, George Sylvester, Roy Churchill, Ed die Lynch, A. Richard Hansen, Louis Paul. Wm Taylor, Jr, Clarence Lewis and David Daley. The night before their departure a farewell dance, financed by the merchants of the town, was given in their honor. When the ten called to serv- ice with Harry Coulter and Alfred Berg who are soon to go, filed into the hall the place rang with ap- plause. Later they were called for ward while W. H. Warren gave a short address. Wrangell's latest rep resentatives in the big struggle for liberty were cheered to the echo before they mingled again with the dancers.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1933-10-13
SIXTY MILLIONS TO BE ASKED
 OF CONGRESS- FOR SCHOOLS

State superintendents and com missioners of public schools who met in Washington, D. C., on September 5th and 18th, on call of U. s. Com missioner of Education George F. Cook, and Dr. Charles 4. Lee, State Superintendent of Missouri and president of the National Council of Superintendents and Commissioners of Education. are alarmed over what they call "education's worst crisis" Based on their deliberations, they are preparing to ask Congress for special emergency appropriation of upwards of S60,O00.0OO.
 At the conclusion of the session four committees which had been named by the Council began im- mediately to prepare data bearing on the situation. The most import ant is the committee on Federal Re- lations which is headed by Superin- tendent Sidney B. Hall. of Virginia. Dr. Lee, selected to head the State Superintendents and Commissioners during the ensuing year, said, in part:
 The opinion is pretty general that the Government must extend aid to free education in it's crisis. My own opinion is that this ap- propriation need not exceed s50,- 0OO,OO to s60,O0O.0OO.
 "The crisis faced by the public schools this winter is the worst in history. While theNRA has released from day labor an estimated 100, ,OO0 boys and igrls of school age. the schools have been pinched to such an extent that there will be S0.000 fewer teachers at their desks this winter than last. The 1000, 900 teachers on the job will be forced to take an average of 20 per cent re- duction in pay. and as high as so per cent in some communities"
 Continuing. Superintendent Lee stated that the schools in New Eng land and the Far West have not been badly hit, but the conditions in the south are terrible. There, he said, whole counties have shortened their terms to three, four and five months. Uupaid warrants of teachers total $40, ,000.
 In some communities of the mid dle West high schools have been put cn a tuition basis and public school teachers will receive less than s400 per year during the ensuing year. In communities of the South teach CTS will draw s35 per month this year, which is less than the day la l borer gets under the NRA, pr. Lee declared.