The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-07
SKETCHES FROM
EVERYDAY LIFE

If newspapers are the mirrors of every
day life, then judging by the number of
deeds of violence they report, the closing
days of the nineteenth century seem to be
as lawless in their way as the good old
days of buccaneering and piracy There are
wars and rumors of wars. The Americans
and Fihpinos are having a round or two;
1t Is to be presumed to their mutual joy and
satisfaction; the Dutch and the English are
cheerfully popping away at each other In
Africa, and the French, Germans, English,
Americans and Russians, on one side, and
the chinese on the other are solemnly cut
ting each others throats in the Orient Bull
saria and Roumanla are about to fly to
arms with the object of putting each other
10 Steep 10 the lullaby of the Krupp guns,
and Colombia ,and Venezula, revolutions
having grown tiresome In these countries
are preparing to go to war, apparently for
no other reason than to be in the fashion.
The war germ is rampant and no scientist
has yet classified 1t and discovered suit
able lymph. Until this is done, there is no
prospect of relief, and we will continue to
have an epidemic of wars until vacccina-
ton or some other process makes US i'm
mune.
This thirst for gore seems to be all over
the country. In addition to the recent north
ern riots where large bodies of people be-
came infected, there continually iso-
lated cases here and there. Near Nashville
the other day, John Mckinney was shot and
killed by his 17-year-old son because his
father threa tened to chastise him. 1t is a
pity he didn't. The report of the occurrence
otofa flo+
of four brothers to be shot and killed, leav-
ing 1t to be inferred that this is natural
death in that part of the country, and that
the fourth brother will follow suit
Near Jackson, Miss, there was a recent
outbreak of the Kennedy Horton feud,
caused by daughter of Kennedy's clipping
with John Strong. The report states that
the two factions met on the public high
way and a pitched battle occurred, during
which two men were fatally wounded, and
that good portion Of the entire neighbor-
hood is involved. 1t Is a pity the whole
batch was not killed, but then half loaf
is better than none.
Near Columbia on Tuesday a girl named
Matte Gaines was holding a tryst with her
lover. Without any cause, the girls two
brothers and her brother-in-law appeared
on the scene, and although Earle and the
girl pleaded for his life, they were relent-
less and shot him to death. These two lit
tie incidents are calculated to throw a
damper on loves young dream.
Near Macon yesterday, Sam O'Neal de-
liberately shot and killed Douglass Leslie.
The two were working together. O'Neal
made the statement that he had money
enough to carry him three hundred miles,
but hot ha had 70 baf he
went; whereupon he began to snap pistol
at Leslie. Leslie tried to get out of the
way but before he could get behind some
object the pistol finally went off and a
bullet entered his abdomen, killing him.
There was no reason for the killing, other
than the evident fact that O'Neal had
been infected by the war germ.
In Huntsville Tuesday two negro women
were attacked by the war germ. One of
them bit the other on the arm and blood
poison set in. A doctor who was con-
suited thought she would die unless the
arm was amputated, and he made applica-
ton to the county authorities for funds
to care for the woman, but there was no
money for this purpose. AS the commits
sioners court does not meet until next
week, the negro will dead before, that
time.
In New York riots have become the
thing. You can start one by simply
throwing an apple core at a man, as in
the case of William Kohles
The time is at hand when a New Yorker
showing the sigths of the town to a friend
has not completed the exhibition until he
has brought on a riot for his benefit and
entertainment.
People will attempt impossible things
A Texan the other day tried to attend a
Holiness camp meeting at Risel, Tex. He
could not do it, and committed suicide
Perhaps, however he is the man who went
to Texas because he didn't build church.
and attending this camp meeting recalled
churches to his mind, with the result that
he was overcome by his feelings. People
all went to Texas for some reason or
other. No one, unless a member of the
younger set, was ever born there. The
state has grown and been built up by emf
grafton, and the unwritten history of the
lives of its citizens, giving their reasons
for change of climate, would be interest
ing and instructive. 1 met a man the
other day who had left Texas. l did not
ask him why. The reasons for leaving
Texas must be too terrible to think of.
The straw bells are ringing merrily down
in Eufaula. According to the Eufaula
Times a recent straw ride tore into shreds