The age-herald., 1899-10-08
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

Georgia law upon that important matter. It is but just now to state a fact which the files of this newspaper disclose: that is,
 that the Georgia law is identical with bill introduced in the legislature in 1894 by the then Representative Frank P. O'Brien of Jefferson, now the sheriff of the county;
 and 1t is evident that the act of the Geor- gia legislature was copied from Mr. O'Brien,s bill. MT. O'Brien, with charae-
 terstic energy, urged the enactment of his bill, but he failed of his purpose. The
 main argument against the OBrien Dill
 was that parents were of right entitled to
 the labor of their children; "a proposition scarcely sound in morals, to say the least.
 MT O'Brien sought to provide that chlld- ren should have at least three months at
 school in each year. To avoid contention
 he yielded the point as to parents rights
 over children. but argued very forcefully,
 and, one would think, unanswerably, that a father owed it as a prime debt to the state and the nation that the said father 5
 children be given some chance at the edu- cational advantages offered by the state. Upon this point it would appear 1mpossl-
 ble that any citizen would eontroVert MT O Briens contention. As a question or
 morals, no father has the right to deny ms children educational advantages offered
 by the state, or such as he may be apie
 to pay for. Upon that question 1t would
 seem that there cannot be two opinions' Mr OBrien's opinions on this matter nave
 an added interest in view of the fact that he is candidate for the state senate TOT the district of Jefferson.
 
 Ii is of permanent public interest to note, tad The A
 Herald, that the general assembly of Ala bama, by act approved December lo 1895, provided for the appointment of an Ala
 bama history commission of five members | It's creation grew out of an enlightened | public sentiment and also a. conviction on
 the part of the lawmakers that there | should be some legislative action toward | fostering historic interest and the preserv- | alton of the records, archives and history i of the state" Governor Johnston, as presi- | dent of the Alabama Historical Society, l and acting by authority of the law, ap- | pointed the commission, with Thomas M Owen, of Carrolton, chairman. he | other members are Dr. w. s. Wyman, of l the State university, Tuscaloosa; Hon. sam Will John, Birmingham Professor Charles | c. Thach of the state's great college at | Auburn, and Peter Hamilton, of Mobile. | These gentlemen are serving without com
 pensation, and they are eager to be placed
 in possession of all possible information re- | garding Alabama history. Chairman Owen | is a student and historian of wide accom- | pEshments and commendable enthusiasm. | He is perhaps without equal in those I particulars in Alabama. He mas the best | collection of Alabama books, manuscripts
 and newspaper files ever brought together. | pr. Wyman has lived through most of the | better part of Alabama history, and is | everywhere recognized as a man of great | learning. Tine other members of the his- | tory commission are well known to all tine | people. The main fact of interest at the
 moment is that the commission desires in- | formation upon matters of history. It 1 ''now appeals With confidence ito students
 and scholars everywhere. and especially to public spirited Alabamians, for aid and CO.,
 operation. It is obvious that it will be | impossible, matter how diligent and
 zealous its members may be, for them to | do all that is designed without assistance
 The attention is asked of all arcihivists, keepers of records, librarians and collect-
 ors. Record books, diaries or journals,
 weather notes, manuscript maps survey ers' notes, facts about the Indian wars,
 the Mexican and Texan wars, and the war
 between the states would be greatly prlzed. ''There is scarcely anything more beau
 tiful in rural life than Louisiana sugar
 plantaton,' said Colonel Robert C. Jelks l who represents number of Alabama coal | mines in New Orleans. 'sThe sugar fields are almost as level as a house floor, and | it is common enough to see perfectly 1 straight rows of cane two three miles l long. It is harvest time down there now | Four sets of workmen harvest the cane | crop. First come the men with keen | knives and cut off the tops of the stalks | down to the point of maturity. These are | followed by the shippers, who pull the | blades from the stalks then come the men | who haul the cane to the mill In the | richest fields there wide ditches at | short intervals. These ditches drain the water to common point, where a steam | pump lifts it and runs it through pipes to | lower ground The plantations present l beautiful views when the cane is ripening. l On most of them Alabama coal Is now | used for heating the boilers in the mills, | wood having been exhausted. There is one | planter who buys coal to the value of $50,- l 900 a year. The larger planters spend their l time chiefly in New Orleans. Formerly the coal for sugar plantations was obtained
 from Pittsburg; but Alabama coal now | controls the market"
 | The first thunder heard in Birmingham, in | many weeks rumbled yesterday. A dense | black cloud came up from the westward l 4 Al.. | were several dull peals of thunder. Rain
 fell steadily in considerable volume for two
 hours and drove many persons from the l crowded streets. The Saturday crowd In | town was larger than usual. Indeed, the | crowds every day are very great; perhaps
 never heretofore equaled in Birmingham. 1 Hon. Oscar R. Hundley, of Huntsville, l came to town yesterday and joined Mrs. | Hundey at the residence of her father n T-f.-