davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31
. STORIES
IN STAMPS
French Revolution
Began on Tennis Court

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
" years ago mobs marched
through Paris streets, chanting
the "Marseillaise," crushed the
defenses of the Bastille, watched
the razor-edged blade of the gull
lotine end the domination of the
French feudal system.
The spark that fired this confa-
grafton, that was to sweep away
the country's monarchist institu-
tons and ultimately affect the
destiny of all Europe, was struck
in the simple surroundings Of a
tennis court.
When Louis XVI came to the
throne, in 1774, France was almost
bankrupt. All of the taxes were
paid. by the commemorative no
bles and clergy were exempt from
such levies. All of the country's
revenue went to the king, who
spent It as he wished.
Louis made a feeble gesture Of
economy and, in 1887, when he
was unable to float additional
loans, acceded to demand for the
calling of representatives of all
parts of the country into gen.
eral assembly consisting Of three
divisions: the mobiles. the clergy
and the commons.
Louis planned that the three
units should meet separately.
Rrant him financial relief and 60
home. But the commoners dis
senaed. When, after five weeks Of
discussion, they found their meet
jng place barred, they gathered IN
4 tennis court, swore that they
come together whenever circum-
stances may dictate until tne con-
stifution of the Kingdom DC es-
tablished." v .
The "Tennis Court Oath" Z
shown On the French stamp
sbove. blue, lIr1t Of 8 series COM
nsennoratIns The rsvoiusion'
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31
CRANluM
CRACKERS
TRUE-FALsE QUIZ

Some of the statements following
are true, some false. Indicate which
each is, and tell why.
l. Barbirolli is volcanic noun
tain in italy.
2. The Uzbek Is q Russian Soviet
Republic.
3. Selenium is a period Of &C
years.
4. Cyprus is tree found In
Eurasian regions.
Jews have been driven out Of
Spain.
8. Entente Cordiale Is new
cocktail drink.
Answers on Back Page
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31
e beach with a key-holder In your

the beach with key-holder IN your
hand.
The key-holder turned out 70
belong to Mr.. Yardley, who two
hours before, had ben seen hiding
In a car parked exactly where Mrs.
Talbert's was found, waiting-so he
said-for Miss Thorenson. Among
the keys was the key to Mrs. Tai
bert's car And early last even
ing you rowed out to Captain Kings
launch and spent some time snoop-
ing around, even opening the chests
the captain keeps on deck for fish,
Yes, sir because I gathered
from Mrs. Talbert's note that she
either was detained on q boat of
the Boardwalk, or expected TO be.
But I could see both cabins,
and there wasn't any place where
Mrs. Talbert could have been hid
den. There was only one sailor,
asleep on a bunk.
But Captain King woke up in
time" Inspector Parsons said, ito
follow yo%, to shore in his dinghy
You are right about one
thing, however; Mrs. Talbert never
was on that boat"
Mr.. Wilmet spoke for the first
time, his round pink face puckered
In bewilderment:
But how can you be sure that
Mrs. Talbert wasn't taken to that
boat and murdered after this man
was there? I understand from
the newspaper that one pair OF
those footprints was hers"
Miss. Thorenson Is EVIDENT,
one woman who doesn't run to
gossip. You had dinner with her
didn't you? Those footprints
as I told her, did At Mrs. Talbert's
shoes Not the ones she was wear
ing that night, but another pair
identical in measurements except
for one slightly damaged heel"
Did he tell me that because hi
wanted it repeated? Christine won.
dered.
But the inspector was going on
each word dropping like the tinklt
of ice, MRS. Talbert, 1t happens
was killed in wheel chair, hel
body wheeled to the booth ane
left there. The Coast Guard fount
the chair this morning under tn,
edge Of the Boardwalk not fa
away"
After a silence through which
his words seemed to echo. and re-
echo, he went on, 1.-The man VIII,
had been pushing that chair ha
confessed"
"Confessed?"
The voice of Chandra, who un
til now had remained thought
: fully aloof, rang out sharply in
credulous.
=. Confessed" the inspector wen
on smoothly, that the night be-
fore the murder, he had left hi
chair to join a dice game, ant
that when he went back to tn
place where 1t should have been
1t was gone. When we found II
the municipalities Of the compan.
had been removed, so that, in I
t crowd, 1t might have passed TO
any private chair"
S "But I should think" Bill said
!. that the next tide would hav
t carried the chair from beneath tn
walk and out to sea-"
:, THAT was what the murdere
thought when he hoisted 1t owe
o the railing 90. Perhaps he wa
hurried at the last moment, Or
S the inspector paused as If to In
!. spect an idea-"perhaps he didn
: know that except for a few time
l, a year, with phenomenally hig
5, tides, the water doesn't come u
r under the walk at that particula
S point"
n Christine said IN q voice sh
g hardly recognized as her own, ''
n thought the doctor said she mus
. have been killed before 1880. u
t to that time, the Boardwalk wa
crowded"
d That's just the point, Mis-
Thorenson - the Boardwalk wa
|
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31
CAST OF CHARACTERS

CHRISTINE THORENsON -
came to visit her cousin, found
. mystery.
BILL YARDLEY - had q reason
for watching. Christine.
GEORGE WILMET - employed
Christine as q Boardwalk artist
CHANDRA - looked into the fu-
ture-and into the past.
Yesterday: Chandra makes the
surprising statement that Mrs.
Taibert's nephew, Earl. believed
kidnapped IL years ago, engineered
the blot himself, Is still alive,
Jaspar tells Of receiving letter
from Mrs. Talbert. Inspector Far
sons asks him TO identify the one
found In the victims purse.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31
CHAPTER vi

MRS. Talbert did not write this,
sir" Jaspar declared as soon as he
glanced over the letter which the
inspector had handed him. Some
one forged 1t, apparently to throw
suspicion on Miss Christine"
"But you are sure that Mrs.
Talbert did write the note deliv-
cred to you the night Of her dis
appearance|
ayes, sir I told you that
for some time Mrs. Talbert had
been anticipating an - emergency
II I may say so, sir, she seemed
pleasantly excited by the idea. In
preparation for 1t she had worked
up "a kind of code; and she had
rehearsed me in 1t. It"
"We1l go into the code later
Tell me what that note said"
ut said - on the face of 1t OF
course, sir - Am called away on
sudden business. Close house to-
night; send servants on months
vacation with pay; have all serv-
Ices discontinued; and deliver keys
to bank. Wait in Surf City fol
further instructions You see, sir
the trick was in the way sht
formed her letters. For instance
If she looped her u.s. 1t meant
What I expected has happened
and if"
Lets have the note" the In
spector interrupted, "or what you
....<ln,,tAaI frnx,a ~
"Well, what she wanted me II
understand first, sir, was that tina
note had been dictated by some
one else I also gathered that sh
was being detaind. But Mrs
Talbrt must have been hurried o
confused. For aside from that,
could decode only two words. On
was Boardwalk and the other"
A motorcycle roared to a stop a
the door, and an imperative knocl
sounded outside. Inspector Parson
soid, an attend to this" and wen
out into the hall.
When he returned he wa
briskly sorting as.sheaf of report!
Go on" he prompted without
locking up. ..
ut was the second word, sil
Mat was responsible for my haV
ing spent most Of the next tw
days about the waterfront"
!"And. that word, Of course, wa
BOAT" the inspector anticipate
But that, launch wasn't abar
doned as the newspaper story SAT-
Jaspar. The owner, Captain Park
was aboard. He showed us lettt
from Mrs. Talbert, engaging n
boat for a.deepsea. fishing trip, en-
closing a-check, signed by her, l
partial payment, and instructor
him to call at the Twenty-sevent
street dock early this morning
But long before that, Mrs. Talbei
was dead"
For moment Jaspar SCENE
700 stunned for words.
But, sir" he faltered at las
Mrs. Talbert doesn't fish. Sh
never wrote that letter Of hi
own accord"
IT don't think so either. VI
some hours after the murder, Mr.
Calbert's car was located, empt
- end locked at the Twenty-sevent
street dock Now, about TIL
line when Mrs Talbert's dead bod
vas found, you were picked up o
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31

Christine said IN voice she
hardly recognized as her own, II
thought the doctor said she must
have been killed before 1880. Up
to that time, the Boardwalk was
crowded"
That's just the point, Miss
Thorenson - the Boardwalk was
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-08-31

Answers on Back Page
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Vandalism Rampant

The recent report to the school board of damage done during the summer months at some of the school buildings Is a sad commentary on the immediate neighborhood. In the course of year the city has to pay out quite large amount of money in replacing broken panes of glass. During the summertime youngsters and too often boys in early manhood show shocking amount Of disrespect for public property. Gangs of boys decide that a few broken panes of glass in the schoolhouse will never be noticed.
 We wonder how many of them realize that their fathers and mothers are obliged to pay for the replacement of these broken paneS of glass. Not many, judging by the way such acts of vandal- Ism occur. It's no use in saying boys will be boys and the temptation of shining pane of glass is too much for any growing youngster. In this day and age and with so much modern invention pro- viding ample recreation for the growing boy and girl there is no reason for him to let loose with barrage of stones at the schoolhouse windows.
 Parents are the ones who must shoulder the responsibility for such van dalism In this as in many other in- stances it is quite evident that the in- fluence of the home today is not as marked as it once was That's too bad and not healthy sign. The sooner we get back to the good old American GUS tom of making the home the beginning of all youth training, the better off we'll be. Sure, the school and church play very important part in youth development, but it properly begins in the home with the father and mother the instructors. We need more of it, it seems.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Selected Poem
LOONSHADOW


 Qrma WaSsall in the New York Times.) These are the moon- touched birds that wing at
 night,
 Casting their strange-shaped shadows on the earth And on the silver striped and onyx waters. These are the birds that set their awkward feet Unused to walking, having wings for f1ght) Upon awakening grass at springs beginning, Seeing with first one eye and then the other Things that the eyes of men can never sec young loon flying over the cities of man, A dark winged shadow indiscernble In the cerulean sky, can see their auras As once were seen the yellow Indian fires Before the moon -afronting towers began Often there is black wing shadow cast On prairie ranless in the noon of summer, Loon shadow of unreason and of death. And after drought, the shadow of the bird Belonging to the lakes, precedes the rain. When earth is darkened by the falling storm The looms sail high, and on moon-silvered tops Of clouds their migrant shadows move, unblurred. Looms cast their flying shadows on the sea, On gardens deserts and the secret SWamplands; Send down to men their wild and poignant crying, Mourning the little death of love on earth (No doves gray throat could sound such grief No other voice could utter such lamenD Calling loon love ecstatic on the water. An echo of sardonic sudden mirth, A shadow cast under a blood-red moon GA poppy in the sky, since Roman days Symbol of death upon the battefeld) Floats down from other, monstrous looms in flight, And men guide these to drop their eggs of death. Dark birds with moon- touched wings, laughter and
 grief
 And men themselves are transient equally Loonshadows, and a calling in the night.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
We Like to Play

The year 1888 beat all previous years for participation in outdoor sports And 1889 should be still greater. We like to play, and is there anything to be ashamed of in that? We think not, and the grim philosophy now prevalent that man is made merely to hold a badly abraded nose on an eternal grindstone for the greater glory of his race, or his country, or his self-appointed leaders, is not likely to get any great following here.
 Here, according to the National Recre- ation Association, are the most popular outdoor sports and the number of partic- iMpatioNns M ion in in them in o 1928: s I Swimming, 200000,000; softball, 20,00O,O00; ice skat- ing, 100000; baseball, 11,500,000; golf, 8,000000; and handball and horseshoes, 4,500000.
 Why does the world work? Among other reasons, to earn a chance to play And so blessed is that country in which the man who works is not robbed of the play he has sWeatily earned.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Politics Butts In

The serious dilemma confronting the Board of Aldermen by reason of the conviction of the city's key officials is not a political matter but one which should be kept as remote from political considerations as is possible. It is to be regretted that Chairman J. Warren Upson of the Republican Town Com mittee has made a political issue and political capital of the situation by de- rnanding specific action in letter to the aldermen
 The situation is serious enough to command the attention and coopera- ton of all good citizens, regardless of party affiliation. The good name of our city has been depreciated to terrific degree and the scar will last long time Meanwhile politics should be kept in the background while well-meaning citizens unite in common effort to re- store Waterbury to respectable status among the cities of the state and nation.
 It is to be hoped that those who are officially in position and authority to re- store the citys government to normal and orderly procedure will do so quickly, courageously, and without political con- Sideration.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Status Slightly Changed

The recent appointment of Joseph M. Tone to federal labor bureau post would seem to change the advanced plans for the Democratic Party in Connecticut year hence Already at this early date Mr. Tone had been nominated for both governor and U. s. Senator. He had in the eyes of his followers and enthusiasts. Naturally nothing actually has been done to further this candidacy for either of these nominations other than mention of his name at gatherings of a political nature or in political discussions in the press of the state.
 His removal to Washington as the seat of his operations and the possible effect of the Hatch bill on his further participa- tion in politics would seem to mean that he will not be a potent figure in 1940 when the Democrats roll up their sleeves to recover the ground they lost in the Socialist and independent voter uprising of 1888. It will be quite task for the party to regain it's standing, but it can be done and we don't doubt but what leaders are even now sizing up the situ- ation.
 To our way of thinking Mr. Tones departure does not complicate the stu- ation so far as the senatorship is con- cerned. With all due respect for the reported booms for Senator Francis T. Maloney for president and vice-president, we think that the state leeds to return him to Washington. Certainly his party could confer no greater honor in Con- necticut than to renominate him in wig orous fashion, quite in contrast to the way in which Augustine Lonergan was treated year ago.
 We honestly believe that had former Senator hcnergan been accorded the nomination, to which he was justly en- titled by his experience and accom-. pIishmefts, without a battle he would have fared far better at the polls in No-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Quota System Washed Up

Because the world today is such a diff ferent world from that of 1924, the immi- grafton quota system enacted at that time is having unexpected effects. When the quota system was proposed, the background was roughly this: Congress apparently felt that immigration in the early 1900s was overly weighted with people from the south and southeast of Europe. So it set up quota system, as- signing to each foreign country an annual number of immigrants which should be certain percentage of the number of people who had already come to the United States from the same country at an arbitrary date in the past. The date and quotas were so set as to give larger quotas to northern Europeans and to cut the quotas from the southern and eastern European countries.
 For some years it appeared to work fair ly well toward the end sought Then came the depression. Immigration stopped almost entirely. During the first few years of business depression, almost no country filled it's allowable quota, and for a time there was even a flow of immigrant tide back to Europe Then the dictatorships frightened their grip on several European countries, and organ ized religious and racial persecution as state policy began to appear. Instantly the applications for immigration visas from the countries affected began to rise.
 So today we have curious situation in regard to immigration, one not imagined by those who framed the law of 1924 It is this: Immigration from Central Europe, which fell under it's quotas for many years, is now damned up behind the quota wall in overwhelming masses These OllOtaS will alltOma ticallv he filled tc overflowing for many years. Yet quotas from countries like Great Britain and Ire land, Belgium France, Holland, Switzer- land and Scandinavia are not nearly filled AS a result, the bulk of our immi- grafton in the foreseeable future is going to come from almost the very countries which the act of 1924 sought to make a minority. In point of fact, last year a numerical majority of all immigrants came from Germany
 This makes it clear that the basic immi- grafton act of 1924 is no longer suitable basis for an immigration policy. When the working of an act is such to bring about result contrary to the purposes of the act, it is time somebody suggests reatudy and redrafting of the law. The present working of the immigration act is such as to suggest that the whole policy ought to be reconsidered. It should be studied not in the light of the preju- dices of some string-tie and white-vest legislator from the canebrakes or the ragged ridges, but in the light of real and thorough investigation of the coun- trys needs and capacities, never forget ting the turn of events by which the world has presented the United States with burden and duty.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
Views of The Press

ment, the two American flyers, Alexander Loeb and Richard Decker, have been lost on their unauthorized attempt to fly from Canada to Ireland. They had been grounded a little more than a month ago when they failed in an attempt to take off for what the air officials un- derstood was to have been a flight to Palestine, although they claimed that they were merely makinS AT overload test.
 With the amount of carefu! pio- neerd work that has been done, there is no longer any need or ex- cuse for attempts to fly the Allan tc without adequate equipment. The fact that regular passenger service has been established does not alter the fact that a transatlantic flight such Loeb and Decker tried and Douglas Corrigan accomplished is hazardous in the extreme. Their plane was more than a decade old, their gasoline supply was only pare- ly adequate to take them across un- der reasonably good conditions, their flying instruments seem to have been elementary and their experi- ence was limited. Only such luck as MT. Corrigan had could have pulled them through.
 Probably the reception that MT. Corrigan received in this country after his flight contributed to the latest tragedy of the Atlantic. He had violated the regulations in starting the flight; the authorities winked at the violation. He was wildly acclaimed for the flight, and he is said to have made good thing financially out of his reception Small wonder that at least twice since het returned. planes have been lost in an attempt to duplicate his feat. There is no intent to under estimate MT. Corrigan's courage, fly ing skill or wit, but his example has had a deplorable effect.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
. HIGHlIGHTS FROM LATEST BOOKS
How Mark Twain Learned Writing

It is a lusty, rare biographical treat
 that Franklin Walker gives you
 in "San Francisco's Literary From
 tier" (Knopf: $5). Here is the
 story of the writing that came out
 of the Golden Gate, Virginia City,
 Nev., from 1849 to 1869. As such 1t
 is the story of Bret Harte, Mark
 Twain, Henry George, Joaquin
 Miller, Ambrose Bierce and a host
 of other major and minor literary
 figures. How Mark Twain got his
 stories is related briefly, below.
 While his companions were pros- pecting near Angels Camp, Mark Twain spent most of his time loaf ing in a local saloon. A notebook he kept at the time reveals that he was hardly living in luxury. It contains terse comments on the rain, the hard beans, the bad coffee, and the four kinds of soup: Hell-fire, General Debility, Insanity, and Sudden Death. It also shows what Mark Twain was really doing while he loafed; he was listening to stories and jotting down notes for future reference.
 One was about a crazed man who asked after his wife, who had been dead 13 years; one told of squat ter whose house was borne of on the backs of some grunting hogs: and still another commented on @ stranger who wagered an old-timer $50 that he could beat him in a frog jump, and won by filling the old-timers frog with bird-shot. The last of these brief jottings developed into Mark Twain's first short story.
 He had found something more important than the plot for a fam- ous yarn. however: he had absorbed the manner of telling that yarn, the manner of the frontier reconteur which had been familiar to him all his life, but which seemed for the first time to have literary possibili- ties.
 As Ben Coon yarned before the fire at the hotel in Angels Camp Sam Clemens realized that he had at last found a value in being lazy You had to be made that way tc tell Q good storyl