davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
iron Production in October.

October pig iron product constitutes new record. Its 259 furnaces in blast had a weekly capacity of 320,2S4 tons, as against 246 furnaces, weekly capacity 307 1882, in September. Such production is in excess of 16,000,0 ,000 tons a year, and it is consumed at home, for very little iron is taken of late for export.
 Southern production was well main tained in October, when there were a weekly capacity of 20,7S4 tons, or 100000 tons year. In Virginia there were 15 furnaces in blast; in Tennes- see, g. in Kentucky, 6; in Georgia, 3, and in North Carolina, Ia total of 54 furnaces, with a weekly capacity of 39,046 tons. The years production in the South, not including West Vir- ginia, Maryland and Missouri, will not vary much from 2,OOO,OOO tons.
 Furnace stocks stood on October 1 at 361, ,593 tons; on November 1 they footed up but 273,251 tons. The de- crease is very significant. The entire stock on hand is below a single week s production or consumption.
 Every known fact points to another prosperous iron year. Pig iron is active at advancing prices; the orders for rails at BPS ton at the mills now fairly covers the possible output of next year, and all other forms of iron and steel are in demand. There are no weak spots ln the great industry, and the Birmingham district will en- ter upon a new year that is full of promise and act-se development. The only drawback at present is the pre- vailing car famine, and this will be re- lieved as soon as the bulk of the cot ton crop is moved.
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
Wages and the Cost of Livinq.

Duns system of index numbers cov- ering $50 quotations of staple articles of common use shows that the cost of living has now reached point higher than has been reached this side of January, 1S91-the highest in full decade This is due to the activity in the. factories and to a general condi- tion of prosperity, and to the Dingley tariff. Short crops have led to an ad- vance in a few prices, but much khe larger part of the advances Is due to abundant prosperity throughout the
 country, and he tariff. The cost of living reached $97.4O on March Is, 1900, the highest point in ten years, but present prices are 34 cents higher still, although clothing is lower. The rise in the cost of living was very rapid last month, on account of the gains in prices of food stuffs. All breadstuffs and dairy and garden prod ucts are higher, and so are eggs, milk, hay and raisins. Boots and shoes are also higher. In brief, a family must pay now SOFIA for what could have been bought year ago for S91 .29, and in 1897 for s72.45. It costs, therefore, 34 per cent more to live than it did in 1897. The dollar has not one-third of the buying power. It is safe to say that wages have not been increased
 since 1897 to like extent. There is,
 however, more work, and therefore
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
Common ssnse Assertinq Itself.

all parties shades fair opportunity should be the publican and paoty h a if there exception situation under The Outside with headquarters All the full usefulness All ne that would be vexatus unpaioc harm full sonabe and time which oDeconabe they against the will between and the neither mllstone. He will be smashed.
 The weekly that dishonest elections be ended here This demand with unanm the call for field the really together They anticipate white then they demand that elections ballot box manuaors penten
  This is unmakable sentiment of the it this
 
 the their allies parties will Democratic strength they is small
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
HER BRILLIANT INSPIRATION.

From the Youths Companion
 That the proverbial absent minded pro- lessor is sometimes ably abetted by his wife Is illustrated by a story told ot Professor Bunsen. One evening, about the usual hour for retiring, he took il into his head to run over to the club, jus, as he and madam were returning from an evening call.
 But said the lady, q must have the front door locked before l retire."
 This emergency staggered the professor and as he looked bewildered at his wife the lady, seized with an inspiration, con. tinued:
 "I'll go in and lock the door and throw you the key from the window" This programme was carried out, and when he reached the club the professor related the incident to friend as evl- dence of his wifes unusual sagacity.
 The friend greeted the story with a roar of laughter.
 And why, my dear professor" he said did you not simply admit your wife, lock the door from the outside and come away?'
 True" exclaimed the learned man of science; I've never thought of that"
 The climax of the incident was reached an hour later, when, returning home. the professor discovered that the lady in her excitement, had thrown out the wrong key.
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
Sbeakey Hemaersou at W/0rk
Prebagane- Has Comnsl1tees
ReJ0,r,za,. ;,

there is one each from the following states: Kentucky, Missouri, North Caro- lima, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. With the exception of the Ohio case all are brought by Republicans against Democratic sitting members South Caro- lima probably furnishes the most inter- esting questions of the seven. In the |. Seventh Congressional District of thatN state, Representative Stokes was re- elected and the defeated Republican can didate contested on grounds of fraud. After the testimony had been taken and filed with the clerk of the House Stokes died. The new member, who has been reelected as Stokes successor, is 8 Democrat, and according to precedent seems likely to inherit Stokes contest. A similar case occurred in the Forty seventh Congress when the Mackey-l O'Conners contest also so from South Carolina, was decided by the House. o'Conners died before Congress conveIied and at a special election called by the Governor of the state R. B. Dibble was elected to serve out the unexpired term. The Republicans refused to nominate a candidate to make the race against Dibble contending that O'Conners was not elected at the regular election, and therefore his death did not create va cancy. When the House met objection was made to Dibble taking the oath of office, but after considerable parliamen- tary sparring the oath was finally ad- minstered, there being more regard for precedent in that Congress than in the tI4ty-sixth, when the House refused tos allow Roberts of Utah to take the oath of office
 The case then followed the regular course and was referred to the elections committee, which held that the right of Dibble to a seat in Congress depended upon the title cf O'Conners, majority reporting in favor of the contestant Mackey. Following this precedent the Republicans of the Seventh South Caro- lima District refused to nominate candi- date for Congress against the Democrat elected this month in the hope that the elections committee will report against the present occupant. a
The age-herald., 1901-11-17

of any of the three books that Sena- tor Pettus carried on his. back to Cali fornia. There may be some who will mention Stevenson and Kipling in England, and Howells and Edwin Mark. ham in this country, but have these written such poetry as the sorrows and trials of Job are expressed in such a play as Hamlet, or such songs as Burns sang on the banks of bonny Doon? If they have, the records have escaped us. We have not seen them. and the Aegis neglects to call our attention to them. :,
 To tell the truth, the modern reader, reads too much. There is as much harm in reading too much as there is in reading too little-more, We are in- clined to think. The reader who fully knows The Merchant of Venice, for example, knows more than he who has read this years output of books. However, no one can fully master the Pettus library, and certainly no one can master the present tide of new books and escape softening of the brain.
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
FATE.

By Mrs. Susan Marr Spalding. Two shall be born the whole wide world
 apart, A And speak in different tongues and have
 no thought Each of the others being, and no heed: And these, OCT unknown seas to un-
 known lands ac1sntt.s Shall cross, escaping wreck. defying
 death, And all unconsciousiy shape every act And bend each wandering step to this
 one end-7nslz.s sss -si4 That, one day. out of darkness they
 shall meet And read lifes meaning in each others
 eyes. And two shall walk some narrow way
 of life So nearly side by side. that should one
 turn Ever so little space to left or right. They needs must stand acknowledged
 face to face. And yet. with wistful eyes that never
 meet With groping hands that never clasp
 and lips Calling in vain to ears that never hear, They seek each other all their weary
 days And die unsatisfied-and this is fatel
The age-herald., 1901-11-17

Washington, November 16.-(Special) J. Representative Henderson of Iowa, who will be reelected Speaker of the House of Representatives, has arrived in Wash ington. Having no campaign for re-elec- ton, he will devote his entire time dur ing the next two weeks to the commit tees. A number of vacancies on impor- tant comm ittees have been created owing to retirement of members. There are three vacancies on the committee on ap- proprlation, two vacancies on the com mittee on rivers and harbors, three on the judiciary, five on public buildings and grounds, two on insular affairs, and four on foreign affairs. The vacancies on ap- propriations seem to attract the greatest attention from members. For the three vacancies there are about forty applica- tions Many of these are from new mem bers, who are aiming high in the hope they will get som ething a little better than should go to untried material,
 The fact that there are but seven con tested election cases has led to the re- port that the Speaker will have but two contested election committees in the next Congress. The difficulty is however, that chairmanships are very much in demand and there is always a howl to go up when the subject of dispensing with the services of one of the three com mittees is raised. MT. Henderson is giv- ing the subject much attention, and 1t is probable he will do away with at least one of the committees. The committee on elections No. 8 lost five of it's nine members at the last congressional elec- tion, and this committee is very apt to go. Committee No. lost four members and committee No. 2 lost its chairman, as did No. 3. MT. Henderson will there. fore not have the importunties of friends of two chairman asking for reelection. There is no necessity for more than one elections committee. and the Speaker may take this view of it.
 Seven contested election cases come be- fore the next Congress One of these is from the Seventh Alabama District, and
The age-herald., 1901-11-17

steadier employment. The employer or capitalist class arc gaining heavily from such times as these, but the wage earner is loser unless he can make good his losses in steadier employ ment The employe who works by the week or month, and has employ ment at all times is loser from the present high price of living.
 The American mechanic will soon begin to think his lot is not altogether a happy one if food stuffs continue to go up, while a flood of immigrants stand ready to take his place. He be- gins to think the tariff is not alto gether lovely, for it imposes taxes upon articles of food, as follows: But ter, cents pound; potatoes, 25 cents bushel; beans, 45 cents a bushel; barley, 30 cents bushel; oats, 15 cents a bushei; cheese, 6 cents a pound cabbages, 8 cents each; eggs, 5 cents a dozen; onions, 40 cents a bushel; apples, 25 cents bushel. Canada alone could reduce the cost of most of these articles if the tariff did not forbid The entire Dingley tariff is directed against the home customer, handing profits over to the employer, who is expected to divide with the employe, but who forgets as a rule to do anything of the kind. When the consumer becomes intelli- gent enough to see the real nature of the Dingley tariff, there will be a change, but there will be none before. In full analysis the tariff will be found at the bottom or most of the recent advances in the cost of living, while it has notfncreased wages in proportion M
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
Old and New Books Aqain.

The Ashville Aegis seems to con- sider The Age-Herald inclined to the antiquated in literature when it pre- fers Senator Pettus' overland library to any other that could be selected when it prefers the Bible, Shakespeare and Bobby Burns to all other books in the language or any other language. Lord Rosebery recently discussed this subject, and here is what he said:
 The mere fact of reading merely to oc- cupy a vacant mind is nothing; it may even be injurious. There is an immense amount of books in existence which the world might very well do without, even of books which may be called wholesome and unobjectionable immense fens of stagnant literature which can produce nothing but intellectual malaria; and as . rule the reader has to wander in this mighty maze wholly without a plan, with out discrimination and without knowledge. He spends his time munching crab ap- ples, unconscious of the immediate neigh borhood of the choicest fruits of the tree of Knowledge.
 Perhaps he should have said that the choicest fruits are to be found on old trees. This is undoubtedly what he meant to say. At any rate he says we read too much. A few books well read is better than mass of books ill-digested. No one has ever gotten from the Pettus library all it contains and perhaps no one ever will, and there is no occasion for the expendi lure of pity as to man who reads no books outside of that excellent col. lection.
 Y Of modern books there is no end, but the Aegis neglects to mention the modern novel or the modern poem, IDr the modern essay, or the modern history that is worth a single page
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
s NED BRACE TALKS ABOUT ALL SORTS 5
 OF THINGS OF INTEREST TO READERS

fair elections so long that it seems dff- ficu1t matter for some of the politicians to get upon rock-bottom foundationaof perfectly fair elections. However, .this may be, the election is over the banSts have been counted and the new constihl- tion has been accepted by the people ac- cording to the election returns, and will be put in force. So what is the use of this continual cry of fraud? If there are bad features in the new constitution why not let us bring such matters before the next Legislature and submit amend ments to the people?
 Under the new constitution Alabama will be a white mans state. It will con7 tinue to be a Democratic state. If the Democrats care to fight among thern1 selves for the offices, let them do so. Every man has right to become 8 can-f didate for office and every man has the right to delegate his friends to1look after his interests and see that he has a fair opportunity to poll his strength. af
 The new constitution will soon be in ef- feet. It is every mans duty to aid in en- forcing it's provisions, and to sec that they are honestly enforced Therefore, it will be well to turn attention to this rather than to continue to fuss over how it was adopted. -,l..
 The oil test has been tried In Blrming- ham. IL proved somewhat odorohs and a bit dirty for a day or two, but it has laio the dust on Fifth avenue, and as soon as the greasy fluid has been thor oughly absorbed it is believed that it will prove a blessing. A full week should De allowed to elapse before the experiment is severely criticised. In the meantime, those who claim that the oil sticks to their feet might walk around block. Other places which have tried it have pronounced it great success. Blrming- ht n may soo1 find it such, or it may nos sr H~+ ? The owners of the Birmingham Water Works should exercise themselves more vigorously than they have apparently done recently to furnish the people with better water. There has been an odor about the Birmingham water for the past week which is not at all pleasant. It liker wise las an earthly taste. --- ?
 We all realize the difficulty with which the Birmingham Water Works people must contend At the same time every effort should be made to purify the supp l ply. As I have always contended, I believe l the presC nt owners of the Birmingham 1 Water Works Company will find it neces- sary to add Altering outfit to their pres- ent plant within the next year. Otherwise, they should make additions to their settling basins or reservoirs.
 . 3
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
NEGRO INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION

From the Kansas City World.
 Three distinct race problems have con fronted the United States.
 First was the Indian. It was settled by extermination.
 The second was the Chinese. It was settled by exclusion.
 The third followed the civil war with the liberation of 100000 black slaves AS a whole the negro problem has never been settled, although thirtysix years have elapsed since the civil war.
 Every now and then some event occurs to lug 1t to the front of the stage of politics, and as often 1t is retired to the rear after desultory agitation. It figures in every national election and every time it is made to appear as unchanged and unchanging as the laws of the Medes and the Persians. The political agitators forget that with the lapse of time the negro has done more himself to solve the problem than all other agencies com. bined. He has educated his children and has been laying by wealth. He has bean building churches and schools and homes AiN hooh | SoiNto tAS Idtt pIODlcIl Dy long shot, but he has established himself as factor which the politicians, the edu. cators and the employers have to con- slider.
 Bishop Johnston of Texas, in reeogniz- ing the negro problem as still far from solution, says of the slaves who were given their freedom with no preparation to enjoy it:
 These four millions have now in- creased to eight millions. They are here and to stay. ''-l e.ssz
 Exclusion is out of the question, be- cause they do not wish to go, and the best class of people in the South do not wish them to go, as they are the best kind of labor we could have for a semi tropical climate. What is imperatively demanded for any true solution of this most difficult problem is industrial Chris. tian education. by which the moral na. ture shall oe developed so that they will know what they. ought to do, and their hands turned to some useful trade or occupation by which they may learr to make an honest living
 '--ls kind of education can only he secured by the generosity of philanthrop. ists of the Northe'
The age-herald., 1901-11-17

ceded him in efforts to make the Times success.
 Speaking of Washington newspapers the Evening Star has paid for ten years past net profit of sS5O,00O annually to its owners and set aside as a surplus $l,OOO- GOO in that time to pay for a building. The Post Is paying Beriah Wilkins net profit of s10o,0O0 a year. Why not The Times? It needs but. brains, energy and capital behind 1t.
 Speaking of newspapers, all of us read some one of the New York papers. Take the Journal for instance. It prints from F to 16 pages every day, and this paper is sold in New York for one cent copy From the Journal office it is sold to the American News Company for four-tenths of, cent a copy. In other words, The Journal sells five complete newspapers for two cents. The white paper in five copies costs two and one-tenth cents So the Journal sells fifty papers for one costs.
 To make expenses the Journal must print from thirty to fifty thousand dol lars of advertising a week.
 The Journals salary, composing room and news service expenses cannot be less than thirty thousand dollars week.
 Apropos Of advertising. probably the most profitable publication in this coun- try for the number of people and the capital employed is the Ladies Home Journal It is published monthly in Philadelphia. It's advertising rates are five dollars a line-agate type measure ment. There are fourteen lines to the inch of this type. Thus the man who ad- vertises in it pays seventy dollars an inch for each insertion. I am told that no issue of this publication in a year past has contained less than $70,000 of ad- vertising matter, all of which must be paid for in advance. In other words, mo- body's credit Is good with it. The cash must accompany the 'copy."
 | What Is the use of continuing to kick tion? Perhaps there were some fraudu- lent votes. Perhaps there was some trick cry in the count. Everybody admits that such things have occurred repeatedly in Alabama for years past in order to do away with the negro vote. It may have l been done this time. Undoubtedly some queer-l looking returns have come in from many counties. There are some queer ones in counties which voted against the constitution. There are likewise queer ones in counties which voted for the constitution It does not seem to be ] all on either side. Alabama has had un-
The age-herald., 1901-11-17
Some Neu Books

Julius Chambers, formerly managing delightful love story, or rather 8 travel story with love romance as an incident or accompaniment in ''The Destiny of Doris" The reader is carried from New York to Egypt. through Italy, Morocco, Algiers, the Holy Land, and elsewhere, and all the while the course of true love runs on, not always smoothly, but with excellent effect and dramatic skill. There are 173 half-tone illustrations in the book. It is in fact an illustrated novel, and tho blending of travel in love story is by the Continental Publishing Company. 24-26 Murray street, New York, at the price of $1.50.
 From the press of F. Tennyson Neely Co.,, New York, comes volume of poems by J. J. Peterson. with an introduction by Joseph Tyler Butts. MT. Peterson is an Alabamian. living at Eutaw. He is but twenty-one years of age, and the poems in the volume were written when he was eighteen years old. In the longest poem, the Rover. life and death, hope and hate, bitterness and tenderness flow in harmonic cadences. It is very plain tive melody. The shorter poems are full of beauty and oftentimes of force. Pub fisher Neely has brought out many volumes of young poets. but never one sweeter or more charming than the vol ume containing Mr. Peterson's poems. This little volume will find its way into the minds of many. and the author bids fair to give the world something later that will take high rank In cloth the