davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Noah Webster Preferred
Simplicity in Spelling

the fact that in many parts of
America, people were attempting
to copy the English phrases and
pronunciation.
"Of the spirit of his time and of
the newborn nation, Webster stands
TO unique degree as symbol. The
growing consciousness of American
ism was more rampant in him than
In any of his contemporaries. He
looked upon uniform language as
tie that would further political
and social harmony, and that should
the confederation become disrupted,
even then, a uniform speech among
the parts would be to the advantage
OF all concerned.
Sought Uniformity.
Time after time Webster stated
that he looked to the schools for aid
in bringing about the uniformity of
language which he deemed essen
tial to the healthy political life of
the Republic. Because of Webster's
many activities. the intrinsic value
OF his texts and dictionaries, and
the aggressive business methods
which were employed to increase
the sale of his texts, a great interest
was aroused in the study of Ian
guage and the day was fastened
when the study Of English occupied
a prominent position in the curri-
cula of American schools.
"Webster's extreme reforms were
not introduced in his speller, but the
reforms that were introduced in
this work were generally those that
have been adopted. It is probably
due to Webster's efforts to reform
the language that the English Ian
guage in America is more uniform
than it is in England or than is the
language spoken by the people liv-
ing in various sections of any other
large country. Perhaps for the same
reason, pI onunciation in America
tends to follow spelling, and spelling
is generally more simple in this
country than in England"
DR.. Shoemaker, formerly a mem.
Der of the faculty of New York
university, is associate professor OF
English in the Ball State Teachers
college Of Muncie, Indiana. He has
also taught English in the public
schools of Indiana.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
The Trolley Hit the Taxicab With Crash.

might his ife whole people
be killed a regular guy stick to his
crowd behind him. Back
for lives There's heading straight
Panic-Stricken Riders Stampede at Crash
In second pandemonium the Screamng-shovng
the smpeded for
crash The ahead strukwh wrecked
whole Ed of
flame shot between vehicles
the that the other
had jumped for his life shortly
crashed-and The imp had
given its set brakes at
the time Eds started moving Ed
VIII he coming and MS
hce without to control it,
through miracle managed to keep his head
Something began
milling
passengers.
Berserk Street Car Butts Automobile Out of Its Path
The frantic breaking jumping
didn't fighting
pushed through the
the speeding the
time he got there the trolley travelling breanek speed
grabbed emergency orake-mmed with all his
He might well have
reened ahead along the slippery tracks Behind him.
again while the crowd screamed and broke windows
Ahead OF him street crowded with
taxicab shot out ahead of him. trolley
got way and was buted
with cunped fender and broken wheel Ed
hit automobiles
b excited to keep count of them.
Eds Heom Is Commended the
But the nearing slowing
down Still blazing the ground getting
his passengers
Some Of them walked out by had
be carried Ed doesn't remember He
there must have been plenty
were at least dozen ambulanceS
injured were being taken outa and
element all over Ed sitting
trolley dscOnsoae whether
going to cost him his
But Ed didn't have night the
big did down to fire Ed Instead he
thank
his and thinking Of his passengers when rest Of
heh were uunIhg only Oh saving their skins
9-wNU
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Dead Sea Is Gradually
Coming to Life Again

Jerusalem.-The Dead sea, the
strangest body of water in the world,
is slowly coming to life again.
Lying 1900 feet below the level
of the Mediterranean, receiving
an inflow of 100000 tons of wa
ter daily from the River Jordan
without an outlet, the sea has
puzzled Psychologists and biologists
for centuries.
Today modern science is taking
out potash and bromine-and the
Dead sea area is alive with activity.
Once barren and thought useless,
the seas shore line is now ringing
with the sound of hammers as new
potash works, with a 30,000-ton
capacity annually, has brought on
building boom.
Resorts put up by British capital,
in and around the Dead sea, are
bringing thousands of visitors to the
sea each winter, and homes and
works buildings are springing up
like mushrooms.
Great Britain is closely watching
the potash processes, for the Dead
sea is her only source of potash and
bromine in the empire-and it will
come in handy if war sweeps Eu-
rope and the world again.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
photographer Also Sought
Uniform Pronunciation.

New York.-If Noah Webster, IA
NOUS for his dictionaries, had had
his way, character" would be
spelled "karacter," "chorus" would
be "korus," and machine" would
be "mssheen," DR.. Irwin G. Shoe
maker reveals in "Noah Webster,
Pioneer of Learning" just published
by the Columbia University Press.
AS early as 1889 Webster, who was
one of the first to advocate a uni
versal system of American educa-
ton, urged that all superfiuous silent
letters be omitted, so that the words
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Value of Guinea Pigs

The guinea pig or cavy is com.
monty kept as pet, possessing the
advantages of being clean, harmless
and without offensive odor. From q
commercial point of view, his value
is for laboratory and experimental
purposes. The original ancestors OF
the domestic guinea pig are thought
to have lived in the highlands oil
Peru, where they we're domesti.
Gated by the Incas. They were al.
lowed TO run freely about the homes
OF their owners and were probably
bred for their food value.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Repays His Relief Cash
After He Gets Job Racl<

Paterson, N. j., - Amir Hossan
torty-seven year old Arabian born
dye worker, has paid in full what
ne regards a debt to the city's
emergency relief department.
Hossan, during a period of unen,-
ployment, received checks totalino
$29lO from James O'Gorman. over,
seer OF the poor. He took the money
under protest. Last month when he
obtained employment he turned
over $40 from his first pay check to
oGorman with the promise that he
would pay the remainder as soon az
possible Later Hossan cleared up
the balance of 1910. ~
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Safety Rule Keeps
Patrol Off Roads

Newburyport, Mass.-No mat
ter who it hits, police have to
enforce the edict that autouno-
bileS cannot be operated on
Massachusetts highways without
an o. K. sticker.
So Newburyport police had to
keep their patrol wagon in the
garage because il needed $40
worth of repairs to make its
equipment safe. Mayor Andrew
]. CBossy") ellis did not an
propriate enough money this
year.
City Marshal James E. Sui
Ivan laments that the patrol
wagon Is falling to pieces"-snd
1t has only gone zoe, 900 miles.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Indians Cruel to Dogs

The burning of white dog was an
annual religious festival of the
Indian tribes of Ohio. After a pure
white dog was found, his legs were
tied together so that he could be
hung onto a pole that stretched be-
tween two forked posts stuck in the
ground. Underneath the dog was
built fire, and while the redskins
yelled and danced around the prim-
tive altar, the animal would be
lowered to and then raised from the
blaze. It was slowly tortured until
life was gone.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
HAIL CAUSES HEAVY
LOSSES EVERY YEAR
''Ice From the Sky" De-
scribed by Authority.

New York.-Tnat hail causes
damage running into millions of dol
lars annually, many people may
know. That it has sometimes
changed the course of history, others
may know. But what is hail! That
few know the correct answer to this
question, is safe to assert. To most
people, anything that descends from
the skies in icy form is hail. But is
it!
"The biggest Maidstone thus far on
record for the United States fell at
Potter, Cheyenne County, Nebraska,
July 6, 1928. It was II inches in
circumference and weighed pound
and a half" according to Charles
Fitzhugh Talman, who, in Natural
History" published by the Ameri-
can Museum, writes about ice from
the skies.
Big Ones In India.
India is the home of big hail
storms and of big tales concerning
them. Many of these storms have
cost from half a dozen to a dozen
human lives, one is supposed to
have killed "a people, and another
is known to have killed three times
that number" Mr.. Talman adds
that Indian hailstones assume re-
markable sizes, but he does not
take too seriously the report of one
said to have been the size of an
elephant, which took three days to
melt.
Judging from the meager data
we possess concerning the max
imum violence of thunderstorm up
drafts, it would seem that some
thing less than five pounds is the
extreme possible weight of a hail
stone, while a two-pound hailstone
would deserve place in a museum
II it could be preserved there.
"A hailStorm is always confined to
relatively small area - much
smaller than that of the thunder
storm of which it is an episode
though its narrow track may be
hundreds of miles in length. Thus
it happens that although a great
many destructive hailstorms occur
every year, the majority of human
beings never experience one in the
course of their lives.
Heavy Damage Yearly.
According to an estimate that
has become rooted in statistical
literature, though it is probably
much too small, hail causes
throughout the world losses aver
aging about 5000, 0OO, 900 a year. In
the United States an estimate by
v. N. Valgren, of the Department
OF Agriculture, based upon an IL
year record, indicates that the losses
on the ten leading agricultural crops
OF this country average $47, SOC, 900
year."
Mr.. Talman also gives an account
OF a great hailstorm in April, 1860.
which assailed the army OF Edward
IL, then in France attempting to
take Paris, and forced him to make
peace. 1.-The chronicles of the time"
says Mr.. Talman, "place the Eng
hsh losses at 1000 men and 5000
horses; probably an exaggeration."
In any event, Edward sued for
peace and so the course of human
history was changed by hailstorm.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16

bread" "give," built" "meant"
and friend would be spelled
bred" "giv," "bilt," "ment," and
"frend," says DR.. Shoemaker, who
investigated hundreds of early
colonial school texts, dictionaries
and spoilers now out of print. Ac-
cording to Webster's plan, "grief"
would become greet" "key"
would be "kee," "draught" would
be draft" and "laugh" would be
'laf."
Although few of his extreme "sim-
plified" spellings remained in die
tionaries after 1850, Webster's zeal
for reform marked the beginning of
the controversy over the respective
merits OF American English and
English English.
Fired by Patriotism.
Webster, said to have been fired
with patriotic zeal at the close of
the Revolution, gave as one of his
reasons for the new spelling the
wish ito make a uniform pronun-
citation possible among people of
all ranks" The simplification. he
held, would also create a national
language which would prove a bond
OF national unity and would make it
necessary to print American books
IN the United States. 1t would re-
duce the number of letters to such
an extent that one page in eighteen
would be saved in the average book
and would aid children and adults
in learning the language.
cat the close of the Revolutionary
war, differences between America
and England were sharply accen-
tuated, each country laying claim
to superiority" DR.. Shoemaker
points out. among the differences
was that which existed in the Ian
guage spoken in the two countries
In consequence a hue and cry was
raised which was out of ali pro-
portion to the slight difference which
actually existed. Webster deplored
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Ancient Camp Site
Yielding Skeletons

Mt. Clemens, Mich.-An Indian
encampment showing traces Of
separate occupations - two of
them during prehistoric times
Is being excavated near Mt.
Clemens by DR.. E. F. Greenman,
University of Michigan anthro-
pologist. More than IS skeletons
have been taken out, all from
the latest settlement, about 1900.
Two other encampments are
from 500 to 1000 years old, the
professor stated. One appears to
have been made by the Aleon-
quin Indians, who bored holes in
the skulls of their dead.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Science Calls on Cats
to Run Out the Rat.

Bloomfield, N. J.-When rats in
IVaded the General Electric plant
here officials checked over their
scientific equipment and found moth
ing to cope with the situation. So
they petitioned the city pound for
help.
Now a swarm of alley cats is
having holiday by night in the plant
and the problem is solved.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Roads Of Paper?

Salem, Ore. - Oregon and Wash
ington pulp mills are now selling
the liquid waste remaining after
the manufacture of paper from hem
lock to Eastern highway depart
ments for use in binding" mate
rails for highway shoulders, State
Forester j. w. Ferguson has dis
covered.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
Popcorn Hazard

st. Francis, Kan.-Even 30 pro-
saic task as making popcorn 4.
dangerous, Ralph Moberly learned
ne was Knocked unconscious and
suffered face and head iniuris.
when the gas tank on = poocorr
machine exploded. "
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16
~ =: =: -: 5EII(IKE}}
EHl-%ggWI FAMOUS ! .SNIAV
~ HEADLINE HUNTER NCNNNNNN/
NXZzTUI7N
t4@$s4b0"y gu"
on the Track"
By FLOYD GIBBONS

ERtS one for you, Edward Green of city
And then he unwnds the story experience that beel
him while he captain fsmate chief steward and crew of
one-man trolley cara that makes Distinguished
Advenurer.
Now onema is
something that would
armed paper-hanger with the hives 800 $500 ~ ~ ~
You run them with both hands like
iasmoned paror Ed he knew
meant TO be busy, after just Of
nose cars but he admits Of
meaning OF the of
THE CONTRAPTIONS AT TIME.
70 was working the night
roao old Fourth
mas OF 1924
but the he late had to
hurry to make time. -
Runaway Trolley Car Threatens Death o Passengers
left the barn pretty
ana Mnetyseventh and
passenger Ed
withwel-
the car
saw something that didn't look altogether right
The fairly grade. Farther that
grade at the Ninety sixth street
trolley and was rolling back
II was midwinter and slippery
ana diont take Ed figure
that car ahead 1t of
about thirty
~ says ne forgot everything else for minute figuring
out whlch was the best his
his right senses and thought What He
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-10-16

Plenty of Pollen
There are $4,000 varieties of
plants in the United States that
produce pollen.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08
Foxx PAGES Boston
With Two Homers

Reds trimnphing by a score of
IA.
The Reds combined Cuylers
single, an error by Mungo and a
walk TO Herman 10 score one run
on Riggs outfield fly, in the first
frame. Mungo held them TO one
hit until the eighth when two
singles and a double gave the Reds
two runs and sent Mungo to the
showers.
The st. Louis Cardinals defeated
tie Philadelphia Phillies, 80, for
their second straight 1896 conquest
Of the Ouakers.
The game was won in the eighth.
Pepper Martin singled and went
to second when Chiozza juggled the
call. Medwick singled and Mize
sacrificed. Martin scoring with the
tying run Davis walked and King
went in TO run for him. Colbert
also walked. filling the bases. Du
rocher flied deep Medwick scoring
after the catch with the winning
run.
Billy Herfnan6 uOuDIe scored Ine
run that gave the Cubs a 90 vic
tory oyer the Boston Bees IN q
l0inning battle
Home runs by Demaree and Klein
for the Cubs and Moore for the
Bees featured the game.
With every batter IN the White
Soz lineup weighing IN with a.
least one nit. the Chicago White
atCrs by a score Of Il to 9
The Chicago scoring Wa couceu-
trated IN the fifth and sixth III
uings N which the SoZ scored three
ard SIX runs respectively Home
runs by Kress and Jimmy Dykes
featured the White Sox attack.
Sox defeated the Washington Sen
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08
CRACK SHOTS
TO CLASH AT
PISTOL SHOOT

Dead-eye pistol shots represent
ing, the Ell Centro police depart
ment. the sheriff's office, Border
patrol and immigration service will
vie for honors in the pistol shoot
to be held at the CaleXico interna-
tional country club Sunday after
noon.
The shoot is scheduled to start
at l30 and is sponsored by the I'M
perial county peace officers asso-
citation.
Valley shooters may not have all
the shooting to themselves in Sun.
days match as a vanguard of ac-
curate shooting Arizona officers
will invade the country club Sunday
to attempt to cart off all trophies
and medals.
Favorites in Sundays shoot are
Bill Keating and Slick Ackley of
the Ell Centro police department,
Lee Echols of the border patrol, Dee
Kessee, of the sheriff's office and
Herb Gerrish Of the immigration
officers.
The public is expected to attend
these matches, to take part in the
competition for the valuable awards
or as spectators.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08

CHICAGO, May s. Weary of
operating at a loss in the summer
months. the Madison Square Gar
den corporation has launched con.
test for a suggestion on how to fill
the tremendous auditorium with
something more profitable than
empty seats in hot weather.
The thinker-upper of the idea
will receive first prize money Of
$500, and the undying gratitude of
Colonel John Reed Fitzpatrick, the
old football "Y" man from Yale
who is serving a stretch as the
gardens president The colonel
played his football back in the days
when, if the old-timerS aren't jest
ing, inmortals were a dime a dozen.
There was the immortal Ham Fish,
the immortal Poes, the immortal
Hinkey, and the immortal Dinkey,
the immortal Farley, and the i'm
mortal Woo. Yet they do say the
colonel was so good there never was
a field goal kicked around his end.
The announcement of the prize
contest reached me today and all
I've got to say is that Colonel Kirk
patrick has his nerve about him
in offering a measly $500 for an
idea which will fill the garden.
You might just as well offer Gutz-
lum Borglum two bits for carving
up Stone mountain Or an en-
gineer a ham on rye for a set of
blueprints Of Boulder Dam. Fill
ing the garden colonel is a task
But I need the $500, and here's my
suggestion:
Kidnap that Joe Louis. Get him
under the garden banners. and let
him fight once a week. He'll pack
the place so tight there won't even
be room left for the acoustics.
AS for the best plan of getting
Louis, youll have to figure that
out yourself, or else raise the prize
money to a more respectable figure.
1t shouldn't be so difficult, though.
The man who has him, Nike Jacobs,
is just around the corner from the
garden on Broadway and 49th. and
ms defense precautions are negli-
gible. Two or three press agents,
couple Of half-empty bottles of
ginger ale, and Joe Jacobs. that's
all. Give Joe Jacobs o pair of half
dollar cigars and he'll not only sur
render, but lay down smoke
screen for you to operate behind.
Each Friday night place all the
garden officials in the middle of the
ring and allow their critics to come
IN and throw eggs at them. There
will be no admission charge, but the
garden will make plenty Of money
off the egg concession. Even if the
eggs are priced at 81 each. you'll
have trouble in supplying the de-
mand.
/ wouldn't be surprised. colonel,
II you slipped down from the ring
and enjoyed a little throwing, your
self OF course, it Will be difficult
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08
BRAWLEY HIGH
BALL TEAM IN
FINAL TESTS

Determined to maintain second
place in the league standings Braw-
ley high baseball team is going
through its last week of strenuous
practice in preparation for the
doubleheader to be played against
Imperial Tigers Saturday after
noon.
The first game will start at l
o'clock with Ellis on the mound for
Brawley and Stevens on the slab
for the Tigers. In the second game
Morita will do the chucking for the
Wildcats and Jackson or Tolan will
pitch for Imperial.
Because of their fine showing in
all league games Brawley is a heavy
favorite to whip the Imperial team
but the Tigers have been holding
long and intensive practices for the
final series of the year
BraWley and Imperial are tied
for second place in the league with
five wins and two losses. Brawley
holds two wins over Ell Centro, one
over Calpatria and two default
victories over Holtyille. The Wild
cats have lost two games, both to
CaleXico
Imperial has defeated FL Centre
once, Calipatria twice and holds two
default wins over Holtville. The
Tigers have dropped contests to El
Centro and Calexico.
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08
Valley League Team Will
Meet San Berdoo Stars
e a m e O
Be Played
Saturday y

Ell Centre All Star indoor
baseball team will meet its
stiffest competition of the
season Saturday night when
it tangles with the strong
San Bernardino softbal team on
the Wilson field at o'clock.
A win over the San Bernardino
team, member of the American
league, would stamp the El Gen.
tro valley league representative as
one of the leading teams in the
valley league and as one Of the
strongest in southern California.
The San Bernardino team, al
ways one of the leaders of the
American loop, is reputed to have
the strongest team assembled at
San Bernardino in several seasons.
The Berdoo nine has a pitcher
that rates as the best in the league
and boasts more speed, a better
assortment of curves, rise ball and
change of pace than any chucker
seen in the valley.
With Chambers on the mound
for the Ell Centro team, fans can
be assured of a thrilling pitching
duel.
Other positions on the El Cen
tro team vii be filed by Ray
Forsney, Ike Price, Ralph Black,
Richard Won Nostrand, Archie
Daniels, Tuffy Hashen, Ted Ehm-
ke, ana Joe Hurst
Imperial Valley press., 1936-05-08
BRAWLEY SET
FOR OPENING
OF SOFTBALL

Brawley softball teams completed
season practice games Thursday
night and are all set for the open
ing games of the regular season to
be played next week.
The opening game scheduled for
Wednesday night will pit the Gen
eral Petroleum ball club against
Casey's outfit Eddie Beechey will
do the chucking for the General Pc
troleum club with Head working be.
hind the plate Casey's club Vim
cent Chalupnick will pitch and
Riley will knock EN- down behind
the plate.
Both teams boast several out
standing players and should start
the season off with a bang. Casey's
outfit and the Oilers made out
standing records in preseason play
and both are rated as leading pen
nant contenders.
Beechey, veteran of many seasons,
is one Of the best chuckers in the
valley and is capable of pitching
first class ball Chalupnick, who
made a great record last year, is
rated as one Of the best young
pitchers in the valley and will be
hard to beat this season.
On Thursday night Shortys ball
team will take on a srtonf I. V.
Hardware team. The Hardware
team is composed of high school
baseball players and others mem
bers Of the school and may prove
to be the dark horse of the league.
. The batteries for Thursday nights
game will be: Hardware, Ellis and
Sewers; and for Shorty's, Houseman
and DoWell.
This years league promises to be
one of the most evenly divided in
several seasons and will provide the
best brand of soft ball in many
years.