davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

when the figures of the treasury de- partment are presented.
 After today war taxes upon bank checks, leases, telegraph and telephone messages insurance policies. promis- sorry notes and the like will be cut off, and the government revenue will there by be reduced not less than 40,000,0O0 The surplus of the coming year will not exceed s4O,OOO,OOO. and it may fall to $30,0O0,0O0. Some of the war taxes have been reduced, and some remain untouched. The entire lot could not well be spared, and need not be.
 The balance of trade figures are also interesting. The estimate at present is that there will be favorable balance of s675.0O0,0O0, or $145,000,000 more than the huge balance of last year. When a nation sells abroad two-thirds of billion more in goods than it buys abroad, it is certainly doing better than IL the figures were reversed. And yet today we are sending out gold to settle foreign balances. This is one of the peculiar problems that no one can sat isfactorily explain. It is one of the problems that statistics do not reach. It is one of the things that figures make more confusing. Just how far a balance of trade must be carried in order to ensure steady inflow of gold seems to be beyond calculation and the powers of the human mind.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
An October Session.

The heat of Montgomery is intolera- ble Several other towns outside of Jones Valley which belong in the sum- mer resort class, are likewise hot; and it is suggested partly on account of the wealthy, partly on account of action in Virginia and desire to study, that the convention complete all of Its work but the suffrage article, and then ad- journ until October.
 This is good suggestion. No time will be lost, because no one proposes to put the new constitution in force until 1902, and no election of officers is to be held under it until August or November, 1902. Besides, all know the work cannot be completed in fifty days, and session lasting through July and August in Montgomery is something dreadful to contemplate in this world a. least.
 ue piOplSn lo SO important anu so difficult, the suggested adjournment should be adopted. The convention is in duty bound to avail itself of all possible help especially when no delay will occur in putting the new consti- tuition into operation. Virginia has the problem in hand. She, too, has Black Belt, and she, too, is bravely endeavor- ing to find solution of it. Let us see how she succeeds before we act. There is no reason why we should not, nor is there any reason why 155 men should be penned up in Montgomery through out July and August.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
Pruden and Hay.

"All men who have been much in or near Congress within the past twenty years will be interested in the fact that Maj. O. L. Pruden, executive secretary to the President, has been appointed a pay master In the army, and so will no longer be seen about the White House." said a former Washington correspondent.
 Major Pruden has been executive sec- retary for more than twenty years, and he has been always greatly liked by the newspaper men. His principal duty was to convey to the House and the Senate all messages from the President. When ever he had message for the House, say, he would advance to the center door and demand admission. The doorkeeper would turn and walk towards the speaker of the House, saying:
 MT. Speaker, a messenger from the President
 "Bid the messenger enter the speaker would say.
 "Major Pruden would proceed a few steps along the center aisle, and say:
 "'Mr. Speaker. a message in writing from the President
 oO IIle lDeSSdSe was ItCtlNSu, anu ftdQ immediately if there wasn't a strong ex- cuse for delay.
 But what I set out to say was that Major Pruden Is one of the best men in the world, and he is that which one doesn't find too frequently in Washing tonfi of all places-a gentleman. The gen. teman is comparatively rare person in the nations Capital.
 'Mournful interest attaches to Major Pruden's appointment to the army ser vice, in that he was to have been suc- ceeded in the White House work by Adelbert Hay, who was killed in New Haven on the very day when the Presi- dent intended to announce his appoint ment as executive secretary. Instead of the ne yspapers announcing this new honor to the brilliant young diplomat, they gave the story of his death.
 'In book of photographs of the class of 1858 at Brown University, belonging to A. H. Nelson of Chicago and on the page fronting the picture of John Hay is this little couplet, which he wrote there just forty-three years ago:
 '"Blindly to the grave we go;
 Life today is death tomorrow;
 God hath kindly willed it so;
 Shorter life is shorter sorrow
 'IIow little did the collegian of 20 whose poetic fancy thus pictured. the un- certainty of life. think that as Secretary of State he would, in 1901, prove by such bitter sorrow as now shadows his home the truth of his own words. Life today Is death tomorrow 2"
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
Prohibition in the South.

Much is heard of this or that prohi- bition State-Maine or Kansas, for ex- ample-but we hear little of prohibit tion in the South, where the real arti- cle is found in abundance. The New York Sun shows that fifty counties in Alabama, fifty in Arkansas, thirty in Florida, one hundred and thirty-three in Georgia, ninety in Kentucky, twenty in Louisiana, fifteen in Maryland, eighty-four in Missouri, sixty in North Carolina, seventy in Tennessee, one hundred and twenty in Texas, fifty-fve in Virginia and forty in West Virginia are dry" That is to say, they pro IIoit the sale at retail of liquor, save on medical prescriptions. They are very dry" counties, as any commer- cial traveller will testify. Prohibition is not sham in them as it is in Kan sas in the aLsence of Mrs. Nation, or in Maine at all times. The home of prohibition is in the South, but because it comes about through local legisla- tion in counties it goes unnoticed.
 The number of prohibition counties in the South is constantly increasing, and the tendency is in the direction of local option rather than State regula- tion. South Carolina holds fast to the dispensary system, and it seems to be yielding satisfactory results; but no other State in the South has adopted it, dazzling as the revenue side of the scheme is. In alabama about a dozen counties are testing the system, and if the dispensary gains firm foothold it will be apt to come about through county adoption.
 Home rule is the very essence of Democratic institutions, and local op- tion in counties is very fine example or it. The people of each locality are thus left to regulate in their own way the sale of intoxicating liquors. AS no liquor law is efficient that does not nave a strong public sentiment behind it, local option of the county sort seems to be very good way of apply ing home rule to the difficult task, con- fessedly one of the most difficult that government has to deal with.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

stock speculations, and have known as O result.
 once knew a United States Senator who had accumulated a small fortune. He wanted large one. He speculated in Sugar. He lost all his money and like wise his seat in the United States Sem ate.
 Maurice Grau wants to play his Metro politan Opera Company in Birmingham one evening in October. The company is nights in Nashville, having been guaran- teed s5OOO performance. Mir. Grau wants a S500O guarantee to play one night in Birmingham, presenting Jean de Reszke. Calve, Emma Flames and other stars.
 This is an excellent chance for some speculator with musical turn. Seats would easily sell for s each, and undoubt- edly the Auditorium would be crowded. If Nashville can guarantee two nights of grand opera at s5oOO a night, it seems that Birmingham should be able to guarantee one night at $5O0O.
 One of our good friends serving down in sweltering Montgomery in the constltu- tional convention wants clause in the proposed new constitution prohibiting railroads from giving free passes to news paper men. That fellow Is all right. He should add to his clause politicians, legislators and delegates to constitutional conventions" These latter are the fel- lows who impose upon the railroads for free passes. They are the fellows who hold up'' the railroads. They can only repay the courtesy extended them by the railroads by voting for favorable legisla- ton to the railroads or voting against un- favorable legislation. It is rare that
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

am told that the s1oss Company people are figuring on building a thousand-ton steel plant in the near future. They have been carefully watching the results from the Bnsley plant. and are now much in- terested in the changes the new superin- tendent and manager. Mir. Mcconnell, will make. The tilting furnaces have not been as successful as was expected, and the Ensley plant up to date has not been a money maker. It is expected. however. that MT. Mcconnell will soon bring about better and profitable results.
 The proposed Sloss plant Is to use sta tionary furnaces like those which are used exclusively by the Carnegie people.
 J. P. Morgan is to arrive in New York from his European tour Tuesday or We'd nesday. In the meantime the great finan- clers of Wall street have given 1t out tha; there shall be no more bank failures. They are propping up all the weak ones which have loaned heavily to losing spec ulators. This fact and Morgan's reap pearance Is said to mean bull stock market next week. The Morgan interests must boost up United States Steel, for tho underwriters have several millions of these securities yet unmarketed.
 Morgan's prospective return will proba- ply renew the rumors of the United States Steel Company swallowing the Tennessee Company, and in consequence we may expect a rise In both stocks next week.
 But these stocks are dangerous. Stock speculation Is all right when the stocks go your way and you make money. That demonstrates you to be shrewd and far sighted business man. But when they go the other way, and you lose, then you be- come a foolish stock gambler. I have known men to make great fortunes in
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
herbert and Chambers.

Former Secretary of the Navy Hilary A. Herbert. who on Friday delivered to the State Bar Association one of the ablest public addresses heard in Alabama in many years and Former Chief Justice of Samoa William l.. Chambers, now a United States judge of Spanish claims in Washington, who has written with great wisdom to Governor Jelks, as will be seen in a Washington special dispatch to this days Age-Herald, were formerly law partners.
 The law firm consisted of Hon. David Clopton, who had been a Congressman and judge, and who was afterwards a justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and Congressman Herbert and Mir. Cham bers. Judge Clopton died while a mem Der of the Supreme Court,
 Colonel Herbert served sixteen years in Congress, and in 1893 was appointed Sec retary of the Navy. He is now a lawyer of large practice in Washington, though Montgomery is still his place of legal residence.
 MT Chambers quit the law for banking and became president of the First Nation al Bank of Montgomery He afterwards developed Sheffield. In 1893 he was ap- pointed by President Cleveland. with the consent of Germany and Great Britain. to be Chief Justice of Samoa, in which
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
Children in the Moonlight.

''The other night I was on trolley car going out to see the incomparably fair Lady Angela, and the others, in Patience at Lakeview. and was hap py in thinking of the pleasure before me-" said a man who insits that the summer opera at Lakeview is worth dou- ble the price charged for tickets.
 Dreaming of beautiful Lady Angela, whom I don't know at all-how sweet to dream of women whom one doesn't know!-I was suddenly aroused by the happy shouts of little children. I looked out and saw perhaps fifty children rum ming in the moonlight towards the car. They were in fancy costumes and in the moonlight the costumes all seemed white.
 Those children were wondrous fair and beautiful as they skipped and danced and shouted in wild joy, rushing up to
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
NED BRACE TALKS ABOUT SEVERAL
 MATTERS OF BIRMINGHAM INTEREST

railroad grants a newspaper men a free pass. Ninety-nine of every hundred passes issued to newspapers are in payment for advertising-time cards, notices of excur- sions, cheap rates and so forth, and as a rule the railroads get five dollars of ad- vertising for every dollar of transporta- tion they issue to newspapers.
 It would be q splendid thing for tho newspapers if the entire exchange pass case, the net revenue of every first-class newspaper in the south would be materi- ally increased.
 The people out on. Highland avenue are in state of alarm. There is talk of paw ing that street with asphalt and making the property owners pay all the expense Heretofore the matter of expensively paving residence streets has been left to the property owners along the street, but since the action of the Mayor and Alder men last Tuesday night in playing poli2 tics to such an extent as to take from the people the right to choose their own alderman from the Second ward, after ASASAAAh6 ehO SCicCllOl u lHc PcOpit, uO set of citizens feel safe. We don't know what Mayor Drennen and his majority of the Board are going to do to us.
 We people who happen to live in High land avenue want a few wagon loads of common dirt strewn out there to fill up the holes, but we are afraid to ask even for paltry wagon load of chert, fearing that the czars of city politics may cover the whole face of the street with asphalt at $3.75 Q square yard and make us pay the bills. This imperialstic city govern ment of ours is causing many of us to tremble about the knee 1oints
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
Power of Public Patronaoe.

Elsewhere will be found compact and admirable article written by Con- gressman Underwood, and printed in the Forum for July. It explains in the dearest manner the growth of the ex- ecutive power-the corrupting infiu- ence of patronage over legislation. The independent legislator is virtually com pelled to support the administration views, be they right or wrong.
 Incidentally MT. Underwood shows that the civil service is subject to great
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

abuse. Some good has come from it, but the law is so drawn that any ad- ministration can drive cart and horse through it, and all administrations do it. MT. Underwood's article will be a surprise to those who think We have three independent branches of govern ment. We have three, but the execu- tive branch through public patronage corrupts and controls the other two, and of the other two Congress is the more open to corruption because it is representative and it's members are in close toucn with the people.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
End of the Fiscal Year.

With the close of this day is ended the fiscal year. This year has been a very prosperous one both among the people and in the treasury office. The books of Uncle Sam will show, it is said, receipts exceeding all expendi- lures to the amount of about s77. .OOO.- 900. The war in the Philippines has gone steadily on, and the Chinese trouble has been expensive. and yet a surplus of s7Z0OJ,OOo will be shown
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
A'aes)0,rea~

argument to every one of you against the lowest form of human vice-niserli- ness. Even the thief is not so low in contempt as the miser the skinfint, the money-slave who grinds and expresses ana hoards for love of hoarding The misers only friend Is the devil.
 Honest thrift does not take counsel of the miser. Industry, prudence and prov 1dence are unacquainted with the stingy. Miser a pure Latin term, as defined in that tongue means wretched, miserable; In Greek 1t means to hate, and in Italian and spanish 1t means wretched, avari- c1ous. In English the definition is, "a covetous, grasping, mean person." "As some lone miser, visiting his store Bends at his treasure, counts, recounts
 it oer"
 There are misers in every community and the devil alone loves them.
 "A little warmth, a little light of loves bestowing and so-good nightr"
 There is no life worth the living that is not loved by some other life. and the only way under heaven whereby we may 2 = There is another life I long to meet Without which life my life is incom-
 plete."
 That, in the sexual sense is true at sometime of every mortal and remains true until that other life is met and two lives united are complete
 Without that condition we are not far removed from savagery and are lower in the scale of contentment, than most of the dumb beasts we call lower animals. for each of these of it's kind selects it's mate, to which it remains true. for A time, at any rate.
 The greatest of modern naturalists dis covered In Africa a male stork which had for seventeen years regularlys re- turned to a lonely spot in the marsh where its female companion had been killed by man for sport-"Man, whose heaven-erected face the smiles of love adorn."
 Love is essential in every life to lift it up to a clearer view of the beauty and the goodness of the world, and the glory of God.
 And life without friends Is a life without happiness or contentment It is life gone astray, life making for the dateless night that is inevitable. "A little fun to match the sorrow of each days growing, and so-good nor row. my beloved
 Let us take all the fun and frolic all the happiness, all the love and friend ship, comradery and good cheer, good ness and sweetness, which we can possi- bly bring into our lives.
 Not one of these is coming to us except of our own desire and endeavor, and all shall come if we will
 Good morrow, my beloved!
 THE MURMURER-
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

From the Washington Post
 Calmly reviewing the worlds history for the last nineteen centuries, who can feel Respondent over the present of the future of the ''old religion?" It has shown such capacity for taking care of itself that its friends can afford to trust it. There is no need for the inquiry: After the old religion, what?'
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
From the New York Press

From the New York Press.
 There are certain kinds of things that one girl can never tell another unless it is late at night and they are combing their hair.
 No old maid over forty can show a strange plumber over the house without giving him her opinion on love, religion, and the Filipinos.
 When a woman thinks that man is go- ing to kiss her against her will she gem erally dresses herself with two papers of pins less than usual.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
EVENING SONG.

By Sidney Lanier. Look off, dear Love. across the sallow
 sands,
 And mark yon meeting of the sun and
 sea, How long they kiss in sight of all the
 lands,
 An! longer; longer, we. Now in theeyea's red vintage melts the As Egypt's pearl dissolved in rosy wine. And Cleopatra night drinks all. Iris done Love, lay thine hand in mine. Come forth, sweet stars, and comfort
 heavens heart. Glimmer, ye waves. round else uniighted
 sands; o nightl divorce our sun and sky apart, Never our lips, our hands
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

life away from the footlights of the great worlds vanity and away from the reek- ing slums of Tying politics, never at rest, as this poor earth's pale history runs"
 As the child of the forest in the opera, had no need for the art of writing so also none of us has any need for the Presidency or any other office of flying politics" scarcely one place of which may be reached except by wading through mire.
 AS the despot rode through slaughter to the throne above a wronged people, so most of those who come to high po- litical place arrive there through un- cleanliness and unrighteousness. The exceptions to this are too few for prac- tical consideration.
 Thus, my beloved, our business in life is to succeed moderately and be happy abundantly.
 The crown we must aim for Is the crown of quiet joy in quiet home, away from the rabble, away from the corrup- tionists.
 The office we need to strive for is the office whose duties are love and honesty and whose emolument is happiness.
 The means we require are the means to pay our way in modesty, apart from the vulgar display of that ill-gotten gain which strives to buy it's way into society or into office.
 Have you ever personally known a rich man to die regretted by any consid- of whom he dwelt?
 "A little work, a little play to keep us going. and so-good day." my beloved.
 Days of wearying toll and nights of wearing waking rob life of every con- sideration worth living for.
 And such dead and playless, joyless living Is not what the Gracious Master meant when He made man in His own image.
 He meant us to work and play-and work and pray, too, my beloved, how ever earnestly the fools strive to put Him out of existence!
 One of the fools, you know, in the long ago, had labored and striven and tricked, and ground money out of toll and thrift, and having stored his life-won riches bade himself to eat, drink and be merry. That night the soul of the fool went else- whither-"Thou fool, this night shalt thy soul be required of thee!"
 So 1t has been with multitude of men since that man of the rich stores promised himself feast and merriment. A multitude have digged and grubbed and lived toilsome and smleless, Joyless lives, storing up their gains. until death came and found them in the very act of digging and grubbing for simple love of money for the sake of money!
 Such men do not deserve happiness, you say and the sooner they die the bet ter for mankind in general. That Is true, and being true it Is the very living
The age-herald., 1901-06-30
IN HoTEpJoBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

AstroIoger Raphaers prophecies for this day, Sunday, June 30, 1901;
 Keep quiet. and do not quarrel"
 "Heavy losses. law and quarrelling threaten thee on this thy birthday; keep thy money safe. and avoid all rlsks.'
 '"rhe young may court.'
 Every unlucky in money matters will be the child born on this day. It should keep in employ and avoid All speculation. If female. she will marry hn unfortunate man and live unhappily wltlL him"
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

Parties are now searching for both the North and the South Poles. If they do not succeed, they can pull. back to the equator, which is always where A, can be found.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

Explorer Baldwin seems to think he can catch the North Pole mapping by slipping upon it from the Norwegian side. The Norwegian side is as much to the South as any other.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

The mighty Foraker was Mark Han mas understudy at the Ohio conven- tion. To such base uses do Ohio poli- ticians come at last.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

The sun Is at present far ahead of Mars in It's communication with and influence over the earth.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

In the Russian tariff squabble each side insists .lat the other does not understand the situation. The truth is, the situation in either countries is too peculiar to be readily understood by any one.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

General Cailles is ready to accept any amount of forgiveness for past crimes and transgressions.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

The Czsr is afraid of girls, after reading the story of Catherine, one of his own predecessors.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

As long as the automobiles remain unaffected by the epidemic of grip, New York will not be wholly uncon- solable.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

Cuba IS pestered with carpetbaggers, and the war against them is of the old-fashioned sort.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

Wall street has more wide-awake nerves nowadays than any other To- cality in the country.
The age-herald., 1901-06-30

Senators Hanna and Foraker have both let their keynotes out on the desert air of midsummer.