davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
THE ALABAMA PINES.

Samuel Minturn Peck. in the Boston Transcript
 Stalwart and tall, in strength serene. above the shining river. Whose silver breast at evenfall the Southern zephyr thrills, Throughout the year, like knights in green, beside the waves a-quiver, Their constancy no sfears appall-the pines upon the hills. Beneath, when springtime skies are blue, the jasmine loops her arms. And from her fragrant golden bells a perfume rare distills: And pecping up with azure hue and timid wildwood charms, tl..a .aass Shy violets trance with gentle spells the ], pines upon the hills. yIs s, O pleasant t is in nesting time to list the mockbird's songs!
 He pipes his mate tender tale with joyous notes and trills; An, would that I could share in rhyme those carols sweet and strong Which all the summer night regale the pines upon the hills
  'Twixt banks of moss a forest brook with tinkling laughter strays, 70 And throws soft kisses to the light that through the leafage spills: Then seeks apace a quiet nook o'erhung by berry sprays,
 And blesses in it's dreams at night the pines upon the hills. Come wander meath their soothing shade. < It murmurs of sweet release that every anguish stills. Howe'er by care or sorrow frayed, if you but finger long. . Their lullaby will bring you peace--tha pines upon the hills
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
LIKE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
From Notes and Queries.

From Notes and Queries.
 A young woman was i'll and the doctor said she had consumption. As he could not do her any good, they consulted a herbalist, who said she had no consumpl tion about her. It was an "askard egg that she had swallowed some time when drinking cold water. As long as 1t was an egg 1t did no harm, but as she grew it grew, and the herbalist said that she would never be well till she got rid of it. He advised that she should stand with her mouth open over a piece of roasting meat when 1t began to smell and said that the askard would then come out to get at the meat. But as soon as this happened she was to shut her mouth directly, or the askard would .laup' back again. The askard did come out, and tried to run away; but the mother and daughter pursued it. the one with the poker and the other with the tongs, and 1t looked right wicked' at them. The narrator was firmly convinced of the truth of this story. having seen the askard in a bottle of spirits in the her balists window. It was impossible to convince her that the story could not be true. because she had seen the askard, and there was nothing more to be said. But her mother had often thrashed her. when she was girl, for drinking cold water out of the pump
The age-herald., 1901-05-09

represent facts within their knowl. edge. The educated have birth rec ords; the illiterate have none. The latter gives the census taker fiction. and there is no way, no desire. to dis prove 1t. Professor Owen goes on to say that no one lives to be no years old, and very few become centenarians. He regards 10s years and few months as the greatest proven age ever reached by a human being.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the New York Press.
 When marriage is not an opportunity it is an importantly.
 Tn all probability God Is more human than most of us think.
 No man can keep ahead of himself and behind his wife at the same time.
 Some men are so mean that you can f1atter them by sticking up your nose at their wives.
 You can't always judge of a family s importance in a town by looking at the clothes-line.
 A woman loses her left glove oftener than she does the other because she wears her prettiest rings on that hand.
 It is a woman's ambition to be so we'll known that other women will wonder what kind of husband she has got.
 Nine times out of ten. when a man throws himself away he finds woman waiting on the spot where he lights, to catch him.
 It will probably always be a mystery what General Sherman would have said 1t was if he had been talking about mar riase instead of war.
 Nothing tickles a woman so much as to see another woman that she just hates wearing a new hat that she tried on her. self and knows exactly the price of.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Number of Centenarians.

It has been claimed that illiteracy and poverty produce the greater num- Der of centenarians, and a variety of statistics have been produced to fortify this position. In Servia, for example, where poverty and illiteracy both are predominant there are 575 centenari- ans out of population of 2,500,000; in Germany on the other hand, out of 5000, ,000, there are but 7S. In Ire land there are 57s: in England there are less than 50.
 Dr. Walsh, member of club or ganized in New York to investigate centenarianism shows that the strenu- ous life is the obstacle in the way of prolonged life. In Servia and Ireland the strenuous life is almost unknown. The indolent live long even if they live in almshouses, and most of the Irish centenarians are in such houses. Ser via is one big almshouse.
 As enterprise is but another name for education and comfort, the two doctrines may be said to be alike. Long life is reserved for the indolent and unenterprising, and short life for those who strive all their days, if the statis- ties are trustworthy.
 But there's the rub. Are the statis. tics from Servia and Ireland trust. worthy? Professor Owen says they are not. He says that his investiga. tions go to show that there are very few centenarians who can produce evi- oence of their age- As a rule paupers and the illfterate either do not know their age or else they knowingly mis-
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
NEW ORLEANS BRANCH.

New York Letter in Chicago Tribune.
 It Is semi-officially announced that the National Park Bank of New York has finally secured control of the Union Ma tional Bank of New Orleans. It has been understood for some time that the New York bank wanted an agent there and that it thought it best to buy outright an old institution rather than establish a new one. The Union Bank has a capital of s2OO.0Oo and a surplus of &42,S70. It suf- fered severely few years ago from the spoliation of two of it's employees, but is now in fiourishing condition, handling a large share of the cotton business of the city. Few changes will be made in the local force of employees. but New York CT will be put in charge.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Porto Rico in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has met and dis cussed the Porto Riean cases. and has adjourned to meet publicly next Mon day. It may decide the cases at that time, but if it does not they will go over to next fall. If the cases are not decided next Monday, it will be plain there are wide differences of opinion among the members of the court.
 The better opinion seems to be that ugly issues will be avoided as far as possible by throwing several of the cases out of court for lack of jurisdic- tion. Martial law for a reasonable period, too, will be sustained, and while it is in operation the restrictions of the constitution are in abeyance.
 But beyond all these concessions to the administration the court may en. deayor to decide that while Porto Rico cannot collect duties upon mainland goods, because that would be tax on exports, yet taxes may be collected upon goods coming from Porto Rico to the mainland. If this cannot be done outright with a straight face, then the court may throw enough cases out of court to leave the question of duties on imported Porto Rican goods open. This is what the trusts and strong interests, and of course the administration, desire. The sugar trust, the tobacco trust, and strong planting interests do not want free coffee, tobacco and sugar. They do not want any interference with their plans, and the high-tarifites do not want anything to come in free. As Mir. Hanna puts 1t, not an 'i" shall be dotted nor "t" crossed in the robber bill.
 The Supreme Court is probably try ing to see way In which 1t can sup port the colonial scheme of the admin istration without mourning too much censure on account of the quality of the law it deals out
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
HE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ALABAMA
Rise of the Primary.

Out of a possible vote of 5000 in this town 261 went to the polls on Monday for the purpose of electing controlling city officers for the next two years. The primary has, in other words. sup planted in popular interest the ratifi- cation or election day. The primary las become an essential part of the political system, and as such it should be recognized and safeguarded, and promoted. This has been done all ready In the constitutions of some States, and will be done in all in the course of the next ten years, for no State is satisfied with the convention system, which is a device of cliques and deals in the interests of the poli- ticians.
 By recognizing the primary and making it feature of the government of Alabama, and by means of poll tax paid two years in advance, the ballot can be confined to the more in telligent readily, constitutionally and acceptably. No one would be disfran- chised except by his own act, and then only temporarily, and yet the ballot would be limited to the whites. The selection of candidates in the primaries would be absolutely in the hands of the whites so far as the Democratic party is concerned, and the ratification would be a formality to be attended to by the poll tax payers, who, as experience shows in both Georgia and Mississippi, would be whites also.
 This plan is in full operation in Georgia, where there is no need of change, and no desire for change. It does away with all irregularities at the ballot box. No one can vote who has not prepaid poll taxes, and such payments are carefully registered. There is no occasion, no opportunity, for ballot box stuff1ng or dishonest counting. There is no fraud in the registration through the construction of an intelligent" clause, no favoritism as in the grandfather" clause of doubtful constitutionality.
 But under this plan the primary should be carefully regulated. It should be made a part of the political ma- chinery, and it's acts should be guarded in every possible manner. It should be developed. It should be regarded as the real election" for such it has become without the aid and protection of law. The formal election day stands discredited. or rather it is neglected, because the primary had decided all vital questions.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
A SurxivInu Principle.

These are some of the more manifest illustrations going to show the surviving value of local self government. I chal- lenge any man to publish the figures that will disprove my proposition that the State of Alabama would have been in-
 finitely richer today had she, the past thirty-five years. paid out of her treas
 ury the 10 per cent federal tax on the currency of private banks in exchange
 for the benefits of the use of that cur rency as before the war
 Alexander Hamilton seeing the utter de- feat in the convention of 17S7 of his pro- ject for a monarchical form of govern ment, came forward promptly to urge the ratification of the federal system adopted by the general convention. On page fl of the Federalist he said: "The proposed constitution, so far from implying aboli- ton of State governments. makes them constituent parts of the national sover- eighty" etc.
 There you have the Alabama of today. She is the constituent of the national sovereignty. The constituent must arouse herself to her opportunity. How will you excite her, MT. Delegate.
 Enormous as the sacrifice is that shuts off our local values as basis of local currency, our sentimentality In pandering
 to foreign fanaticism, on the subject of negro schools, is even more destructive. Every consideration of State policy re-
 quires the training of the negro for fields of usefulness to the governing race and profit to the governed. We cannot hope for good government In Alabama which does not provide for the training, by the State, in wise. humane and useful chan | nels, of the negroes with us. But to as-
 sure that education Is of the same | means and the same import in the case of the race that invented the alphabet sand pays for the schools, as in the case | of the other race to whom the alphabet is loaned as race beneficence and the schools given away as a toy, is an error of government most palpable and most
 disastrous. It is dark day. MT Delegate, by our Anglo-Saxon test of sound principles of government. You do not dissent to the fact of cloud but
 When that our care cannot restrain | Our riot
 What will we do when riot Is Our carew
 I am not ready to believe free institu- tions are lost to Alabama because wa have been placed within forty-eight hours of Boston. But quite the reverse Let u: see the work before us. L I am not willing to believe that good and sufficient new constitution. to bs made at Montgomery this month of May present. will be refused by the voters a'
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
HENRY TIMRoD.

From the Boston Herald.
 Lovers of genuine poetry. lovers of sweetness and light, learn with gratifica- tion that, on May l, bronze bust of Henry Timrod was unveiled in Washing ton Square, Charleston, s. C., with ap- propriate ceremonies of appreciation. One thin volume contains all that Tim rod published. but 1t is precious, and will not soon die. His work for the most part was done during the terrible days of the civil war, when his countrymen of the south were too much absorbed in the des- perate fortunes of their section to give much heed to the singer, even when their cause was the inspiration of his songs. The passiop of the south, in its highest phase of devotion and sacrifice. had no more inspired voice than his. He died in 1867 in dire poverty, the victim of con- sumption. He died almost unknown be- yond a small circle of admirers. One of the earliest admirers of his verse was Governor Andrew, who committed to memory and often recited aloud In his office as relief from the strain of toll one of his poems, which he had found in newspaper. He was really introduced to the northern public through small volume, collected and published with a sympathetic sketch of his life by his friend, Paul H. Hayne. Since that time he has steadily grown in favor. This Is the season when his noble poem, Spring" appeals to all hearts. It is hard ly possible for one who knows 1t to look upon the woods in May and not recall the lines:
 Tn the deep heart of every forest tree The blood is all aglee,
 And there's a look about the leaf1ess
 bowers
 As If they dreamed of fowers"
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
THE TEXAS OIL CRAZE.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 Chicago with its corn deal and even New York with its stock craze are not so wild as Texas with its oil boom. The speculative madness which Is raging in that and adjacent States, with Beaumont for it's center. is something well-nigh un- precedented in the records of speculation New oil companies are forming almost daily Every man or every two or three men who have money enough to buy a few acres of ground adjacent to the oil wells organize a company and capitalize it all the way from s100,000 to half mill lion or two-thirds Of a million, retaining the majority of the stock for the money they have spent and selling the rest at all sorts of prices.
 The Dallas News in a single issue con- tains advertisements of thirty-seven com panies with a total capitalization of s22,- 275.000, the par value of shares ranging from 10 cents to $25. The lowest stock of any company is s25,000, the highest $5.oo0,000. It is the story of Western Pennsylvania and Canada over again. It is to be hoped, however, that the sequel may be different. Undoubtedly many will be caught in unwise investments. for 1t is useless to give advice or issue warnings when speculation has begun. and this speculation is only in its beginnings It Is equally certain that while some will lose many others will make great for tunes. Those who invest cautiously un- doubtedly will profit. for unless all signs fail the oil region covers an extensive area. both in Texas and Louisiana Oil has been found alreay over a hundred miles north and northwest of Beaumont and prospecting hardly has begun Now there are ten "gushers" in Texas whose present capacity is greater than that of any other developed oil field in the world.
 It Is not yet settled whether the Texas oil can be refined so as to be available for illuminating purposes. but it has sat- isied every test as fuel. The most recent test was made by an electric light and power company in Beaumont. and 1t showed thats Is barrels were used from 6:30 to $40 o'clock. as against IFS tons of coal for the same time. showing a net saving on the twlve-hour run of s4b0. If the problem of cheap fuel is solved by this oil discovery it will work an industrial revolution throughout the South. A sav-
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Col. Robert c. Jelks is in Mobile.
Coal Barqes Sunk.

W. W. o'Neal ran her tow of thirty-one pieces against pier No 5 of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad bridge at 6 o'clock this morning, sinking four barges of coal. The pilot was fearful of pier No. f. which has sunk over 25O,ooo bushels of coal during the present high water, and In his efforts to steer clear of it, struck No. 5. There were several narrow es- capes from drowning
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Will Pay Members.

Berlin. May s.-The Reichstag today, by a vote of 1855 to 70, decided to pay mem bers attendance fees and railroad fares.
 The vote was preceded by lively de- bate. during which Herr Singer, Social ist. referred to an expression credited to the Emperor, What pay the follows now?" saying they must show that the Reichstag consisted of fellows. who would not be intimidated.
 Count von Posadowsky-W -Wehner. the secretary of the interior. asserted that the quotation was a fabrication.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

Astrologer Raphael prophecies for this day, Thursday. May g. 1901;
 Court. marry seek work, and ask Ia vors before Il o'clock p. m."
 Beware of sickness and disappoint- ment. this being thy birthday; in thy business thou wilt have successful year and 1t will increase"
 The young will court
 "A child born on this day will be for tunate. especially in employ. and will rise in life. but will spend money as fast as it Is made"
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Sage and 4lM on Inc Srusts.


The North American Review for May contains a discussion on the subject of trusts. to which Russell Sage and James J. Hill contribute. We give below some of the salient paragraphs from each;
 By Russell Sage.
 To me. there seems to be something very much light sieight-of-hand in the way in which the industries are doubling up In value, as at the touch of the ma gicians wand Here we have a factory "a good, conservative, productive invest ment-which may be turning out any thing from toys to locomotives. It falls Into the hands of the consolidators. and, where as it was worth $50,O0o yesterday, today it is worth s1bOoOo--at least on pa- per. Stocks are issued; bonds are put out. and loans are solicited, with these stocks as security. The man who owned the factory could probably not have borrow ed over s1O.0oo on 1t. Now, however when the $5o 900 plant Is changed into stock issue of s150.0O0 bankers and fnanciers are asked to advance se0,oOO or s7o.oOo on what Is practically the same property, and many of thern,, from all accounts make the advance.
 Under the circumstances, a ''squeeze' seems to me inevitable. The clearing house is reporting, from week to week, an expansion of loans far beyond any thing that was dreamed of heretofore This cannot go on forever, yet. from all appearances the era of consolidation has only set in.
 AS to the final value of these industrial consultations to any class in the com munity, that is still to be proven
 The great railroad combinations we have had thrust on us recently I consider only less dangerous than the industrial combiE ations, because they are based on sounder considerations. Their stocks and bonds have not in general, been doubled or trebled, nor undu1y inflated. But they are bad, nevertheless. They are sure to arouse the people. And the people, once aroused, are more powerful than the railroad combinations. It is right and proper that the capitalists who invests his money in railroads or other great en- terprises should be assured of a reasona- ble and fair return; it Is right that rail- roads should have an agreement not to cut rates below fair profit making figure. But this should be done in conventions, by meetings. by agreements-not in the sti1ing of competition.
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
DISAGREEABLE.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
 There was a law firm in Pittsburg a few months ago known as Reed and Knox. Reed has become a director of the 8, 400, 900. 900 steel trust, and Knox has become attorney general of the United States. As it is the duty of the attorney general to prosecute this criminal com bination in restraint of trade, 1t will be a very disagreeable task for Knox to be compelled to send his law partner to iai1
The age-herald., 1901-05-09
Mckinley a Leaguer.

Colorado Springs, Colo, May s.-The city central committee of the forthcom- in Epworth League State Convention. to be held in this city June 6-9. announcd today that President Mckinley will open the convention with an address.
 President Mckinley is a member of the Epworth League.