davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

Washington. April 4.-(special.)- .)-The General Miles episode following closely on the heels of the Sampson-Schley mat ter has provoked a vast amount of feel ing in both branches of the service. It is pretty generally conceded that our pres ident has an idea that he is a military naval statesman. We have had politics in the past that is a yard wide and wool on both sides, but never before have we had a president who wants to be more completely the whole thing. It is a good thing for the country that we are at peace with all the earth. l say this ad- visedly bearing mind the ruction in our far western possessions. If we were in the midst of war I have no doubt our president would prove himself a Napo- leon on some field of battle-it might be new Waterloo.
 I have been a pretty close observer and I confess 1t would take evidence to re- move from my mind the suspicion that the president is not out gunning for places. Not pleased with the party or ganization as it is he determined to build up for himself political machine of his own. Week by week he finds defects in departments and with sledge hammer blows attacks them, When a head falls he looks through his glasses and finds some one who will be loyal to him when the season for nominations come around
 It is commonly believed that his desire to place General Miles on the honor rolls of has beens" Is to make place for Gen eral Leonard Wood. Very shortly this very capable and energetic officer who had the wisdom and the foresight to al- low the gallant and strenuous Teddy to overshadow him when he was the colonel of the so-called Rough Riders, will be, as the actors say, resting" His work in Cuba will be over The president not only recognizes Woods ability but his loyalty to him. He will endeavor to have the senate advance him over his ranking seniors. so that he will be able to succeed Miles. When the presidents appoint ment of General Wood to a higher grade is sent to the senate for confirmation, venture to predict that the prevailing feeling will have to undergo a change to prevent a very bitter fight. The presi- dent is by nature strong willed and cumulative person and he has the manly quality to fight bravely for his convic- tions but there are a good many able and experienced persons here who do not always believe the presidents convictions should prevail.
 Col George B. M. Harvey has express ed himself recently as favoring the form ation of democratic clubs throughout the country: and some who are pretty well posted as to what Col. Harvey intends doing, state that he has begun in the
The age-herald., 1902-04-06
Snuff's Varied History
rom the London Telegraph.

From the London Telegraph.
 Fashions change in tobacco as in every thing else When the prince regent was the first gentleman In Europe his friends would rather have missed prize fight than be seen with a cigar on the Mall. George W took his tobacco as snuff and what ne would have thought or said if Beau Brummel had offered him cigar cite no man knoweth. Nowadays we only know snuff in historical novels CT Oxford common rooms. We associate snuf with quaint and crusty old gentlemen, and the papers tell us with pleasing choice Of ad- iectives, that snufftafers are either old men or poor women." Who the genius was that first took tobacco neat instead of as smoke history saith not. What is certain is that snuff became popular in England jusr about 200 hundred years ago, and the learned opine that the cause was Sir George Rooke's victory at Vigo, where besides gold and Spaniards and other unoonsidered trifies he captured a large paroe el of snuff and brought down prices. In those days macaw, or rappee, cost some 5s a pound, and every one used II save pernapS StduTCH oiu couhtiy squires, who stuck to their church war dens and Oct ober ale. There were dainty ladies to meet more deicately and yet more amply the requirements of we'll bred noses. Queen Charlotte had her snuff account. Frederick the Great took it in handfuls, and smothered his clothes ther ewith, so that his valets acquired small but cont ortable income by brush ing them and selling the result. So at least tra6jtion records; but those crafty menals must have had noses and eyes of triple brass. Even the great Samuel Weller, prince of servants, could not manage snuff without sneezing; but he belonged to a degenerate age, when pipes and cigars wer.= coming to conquer. Ma pole on wss not exempt from the habit Southcy wrote verses in praise of snuff All the more distinguished people. Bean Brummel Lord Alvapley, and the rest had their own peculiar mixture.
 The snuffmaker kept books full of re-
The age-herald., 1902-04-06
Fortunate That United States is at Peace.
 President Might be Second Napoleon.

bles in New York will find a happy issue under the management of Lewis Nixon was more than surprised to find that Nixon had very fully the confidence of the National Democratic organization: indeed, I believe he is an accredited na- tional leader. That Nixon Is accredited with great ability, executive power and the ability to harmonize the discordant elements I am not surprised, but I was more than surprised to discover that the Southern Democratic leaders repose in him so much confidence. They believe he will be virtually the State leader with the consent and support of ex-senator David B. Hill.
 All the reports of departments relative to the trade of the nation are encourag- ing. That the tide of prosperity is flow ing onward is made evident by the fig ures. although from certain quarters come those pessimistic observations which cause timid people to grow fearful. So much has been said about boom times that the experienced wonder if 1t Is not time for the bottom to drop out of the boom" I will not quote the reports showing how we are feeding the world or waste time in recalling the fact that every pound of merchandise put on ship beard carries in it a charge for railroad freight. It is true that Wall street is not as active as II was, put to my m1nd, It simply means those speculative persons who anticipate increase in values have come to a point where they believe high figures have been reached. and seeing no reason for decrease in values, become in- active. But specula tion and trade are different propositions.
 When speculation was the order of the day the country was in the greatest bodm the nation had ever known. People were completely mastered by the spirit of spec uation. Prices of stocks and of all com modities bounded up daily as If no top could possibly limit their advance, and promotions, corporate enterprises and mortgages without end upon the future were freely entered into. Confidence, op- timism, recklessness, were the order of the day and every man was asking his neighbor what he could buy in the stock following one. It is a changed picture that April l. 1902, sees. Instead of fever there is calm; instead of optimism, not pessimism, but caution The public" has retired from Wall street. Hardly stock commission house in the financial district has not seen it's profits decrease by at least one-half in the last six months, as compared with the same months in the previous year. There is no worried or timid feeling extant, or any i sign of the immediate approach of dan ger. And since statistics show that with i in a period of ten years the imports of manufacturers raw materials and the ex- ports of finished mat erials have doubled. l see no reason for alarm.
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

varieties that Beau Brummel knew. You make your che ice between scented and unscented Both are made alike from American tobacco ground -pe and blend ed. Snuff tobacco Is good for its own pur. poses alone. The enect of pipe would probably be more striking than pleasant. Moreover, snuff now costs los to 12s the pound.
 Whether man takes his tobacco in pipe, cigarette or cigar Is largely mat ter of means and fashion. So it is with snuff. A firm Of West End tobacconists tell with amusement how a parcel of snuff went by mistake co a gentleman who had ordered cigers. He kept the snuff and has taken snuff ever since. Still, 1t will probably be sometime before the ordinary nan hands his friend snuffbox instead of a cigar case, of tho valets of reigning monarchs making their pocket money out of the snuff spilled on the royal clothes. There is, as Addison remarked much to be said on both sides. A generation that has to run for the 9:l5 has no time for the delicate and graceful manipuls tion of a snuffbox, and pipe lasts longer than many pinches of snuff. But the snufftaker knows not what is is to lose his deare st pipe or suffer tortures over the bad cigar that his friend insists Cn giving him.
The age-herald., 1902-04-06
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an Intellectual Nit Clear Out!
 So the Agent gave him couple of pitying Looks and departed, meeting in the Doorway 2 pop-eyed Person with his Hat on the Back of his Head and a Roll of Blue Prints under his Arm. The Man looked up and moaned. He recognized his Visitor as most dangerous Monomaniac the one who is building House and wants to show the Plans.
 I've got everything figured out" he began, except that we can't get from the Dining Room to the Library without go- ingthrough the Laundrey and there's no Flue connecting with the Kitchen. What do you think I'd better do?'
 'I think you ought to live at Hotel was the reply.
 The Monomoniac went home and told his Wife that he had been insulted.
 At Il 80 came a Committee of Ladies soliciting Funds for the Home for the Friendess
 Those who are Friendless don't know their own Luck" said the Busy Man. whereupon the Ladies went outside and agreed that he was a Brute.
 At Noon he went out and lunched on Promo Setzer.
 When he rushed back to tackle his Correspondence. he was met by a large Body of Walking Delegates who told him that he had employed a non-union Man to paint his Barn and that he was a Candidate for the Boycott. He put in an Hour squaring himself and then he turned to the Stenographer.
 How far have we got?' he asked. " Dear Sir, " was the Reply.
 Just then he got the Last Straw-a be- wildered Rufus with a Letter of Intro- duction. That took 40 Minutes. When Rufe walked out, the Busy Man fell with his Face among the unanswered Letters.
 Gall a Cab" he said.
 "The Phone is out of order" was the Reply.
 Ring for a Messenger" he said.
 She pulled the Buzzer and in 20 min utes there slowly ent erred boy from the Telegraph Office.
 The Man let out low Howl like that of Prairie Wolf and ran from the Off, flee. When he arrived at Home he threw his Hat at the Rack and then made the Children back into the Corner and keep quiet. His Wife told around that Hen ry was Working too hard.
 MORAL: Work is a Snap but the In termissions do up the Nervous System.
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

The main building of the Confederate Home at Mountain Creek will be 92 feet long by 72 feet wide. The building will sit on the crest of a knoll sloping on three sides and running out level to the public road in front. The building will be two stories high. The first story will have two through halls running the the entire length and width of the building, twelve feet wide. These will open to veranda running around the entire build ing the veranda will be fourteen feet wide. There will be four rooms on the first floor-one at each corner of the building each room being 20 by 2S feet. These rooms vii be used as dining hall, ladies' parlor, library and a room for executive meetings and general assembly purposes. The entire second floor will be an assembly hall, 70 by 57 feet with ros- trum for speaker. The first story of the builL.ng will be built of hewn logs, the
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

cipes, and made for each customer his cwn brand. The tribulations of the mod ern tobacconist if each smoker had his cwr private mixture. are too awful to contemplate. One old house, known to the bucks of the regency as 'The Rasp and Crown" still preserves the exact proportions of the mixture that was ab- soi bed by the first gentlemen of Europe. The true snuff taker was fsithful to his enc love. When cigars were fighting their way to fortune, if you wished to make q man your eneTy for life, the best way was to smoke a cigar while he was talk ing snuff or filling his box. A modern parallel would he to smoke a pipe of shag at a public dirner Snuff taking was comparatively economical. The ordinary miSn consumed some two ounces a week. cost about 71ad The smoker whose to- bacco cost no more Is an economical man Of course there were hardened sinners who bought their snuff by the half-dozen pounds, and luxurieted in its dry de- lights. There were also gentlemen (of the lower ordols) wEc contented them selves with carrying coffee. Partly like MT. John Smauiser In Pickwick,' because 1t did not make them SneeZe; partly be- cause it was cheaper. the Surrey la bofer still sn.okes mugweed. Coffee looks very much like rappee, and ladies have been known to say that 1t smells better. The true snuff taker, of course. did not snceze. It was as much a faux pas as to choke over the smoke fl om friends cigar
 After a good deal more than century Of empire, snuff lost ,ts pride of place al- most as suddenly as its place was won The generation that Is just dying effected the revolution. But snuff died pretty hard indeed, as will be seen in a moment, there s good deal of life in it yet Among the middle classes, end especially those who practiced the learned profes- siors, it fingered long. New, we are toid ''old men and poor women alone arc faithful This is not precisely true Snuff has begun 70 revive. It came in first with a naval victory. It came in the sec end time with the influenza. Some gerius discover ed that it clcared the head. and immediately the snuff trade began to inn prove. For Che past three or four years snuff taking, at all events among the higher classcs, has been steadily on the increase. Certainly it does clear the head Let the skeptcal acquire a stuffy cold and give it copius pinch of strong scented rapp.ee There may be a conse- quent consumption of many handker- chiefs, but the effect is lasting and pleas ant Of course, there are not now all the
The age-herald., 1902-04-06
REVENGE IS SWEET,
Two Different Modes of Gratifying a
 Strong Human Passion.

From the New Orleans Times Democrat
 Revenge is evidently a sweet sort of thing" said an observant citizen and l have known of a number of instances which amply prove the fact. Men seem to be naturally inclined to even up the score. An old grudge, an old feeling of dislike. an old family difference, an old feud. or, something of that sort, will af- ford a good opportunity for a display of the revengeful impulse which lies in most natures, and the only thing needed Is some exciting incident and a good chance to get even. I recall a number of cases of this sort, and they give good defin- tion of what the word revenge really means.
 up in Arkansas there was a fellow who started out in life as a book agent, and on one occasion just after the war a very aristocratic lady slammed a door in his face. He said he would be revenged. He was. He converted the home into a graveyard in after years, and robbed and cheated the heirs-at-law of the lady who had offended him until they were classed among the poorest of the poor.
 
 of land titles. and found world of de- fects in titles based on the old Spanish grant. and became immensely rich. He was finally assassinated because of the spirit of oppression which he had culti- vated, and the man who killed him was never tried for the offense
 But I was thinking of Louisiana case. This Is the case of a Hebrew, and it develops a story which is somewhat l l;oto OP ha II fa f16 ing of the 'Shylock character, even in this enlightened day. The man had been put out of a house. He was turned out on the cold world with his family. His goods and chattels were dumped into the yard of the place where he had lived because of some small misfortune. He, too swore revenge. He made money He bought the place in after years. The wheels of fortune had turned. The man who had put him out had fallen upon a bad condition. His finances ran down. He lost money and was reduced to an unhappy condition. He was forced to sell the place which had been occupied by the Jew in the erstwhile The Jew bought 1t. He found the mans wife liv- ing in the place. The man had died. When he visited the place after buying it he was surprised to find the wife of the man who had treated him so inconsiderately occupying the place. She remembered him. He reminded her of his ejectment many years before. But he added, do not recall this story in any spirit Of unkindness, and I want to say now that you may occupy this house as long as you like and use the property as you please
 Revenge Is indeed sweet virtue when if comes in this way, but, of course, we do not always find 1t thus. Sometimes 1t is bloody enough. Yet revenge is com mon sort of thing, and l suppose most men crave 1t at one time and another
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

the play was not as good as the novel, .'When Knighthood Was in Flower" The house was packed. Joseph Murphy did not draw good houses despite the number of years he has been playing Kerry Cow and shaun Rhue." A poor per formance was given by the Hello Bill' company and the business was very light.
 Joseph Jefferson as of old. was greeted with a large audience last Thursday night. Heds the same Joseph Jefferson who has bees a favorite for years.
 James K. Hackett will close the season as far as the Jefferson Is concerned April 12 with The Crisis at the matinee and Don Caesars Return" at night.
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

second story of shingles; logs and shin gles will be stained in creosote stains, and the entire porch and all cornices and trimmings will be painted white.
 The entire building will be ceiled in- side and amply lighted and ventilated and no pains will be spared to make 1t modern, sconYenient and picturesque building in every respect.
 The ground on which the home is to be built is hilly and chosen with view to get the most picturesque effects. drive way will follow the topography of the ground on each side of the central build ing and along this drive will be built the four and five room cottages which will be the home of the old soldiers of the South These cottages will occupy lots 75 feet front by 250 feet deep. Each cottage will be of different design, and it Is the desire and intention of the Architects, Messrs. Smith and Blackman of Montgomery, Ala. to make the whole grounds, when completed. one of the most picturesque
The age-herald., 1902-04-06
Theatricaly,>. SeasonaSu Success
BY FRANK H. BELL.

This has been a profitable theatrical season in Birmingham. Comparatively few companies played to poor houses, more played to fair houses. but the majority have had good or excellent houses. The latter portion of the season was the best. The manager of the Jefferson seeme ed to bunch their best attractions and the thea ire goers responded literally.
 Musical comedies and plays based on historical novels have been the most pop ular. Several of the old favorites of the stage have. however. drawn good houses when appearing in pieces which were not popular.
 Mansfield Made Most Money. Richard Mansfield carried away more of Birmingham's money than any one during the season. The Rogers Brothers played to the largest house of the season, but the prices to Mansfield were higher. The opening of the Auditorium for vaudeville introduces an entirely new class of entertainment The house had been closed since early autumn when the Boyle Edwards Stock Company went to the wall for want of patronage.
 
 hit, but audiences have to have their taste cultivated for 1t and the prediction is for a successful summer business. The house will be remodeled and impor- tant changes made if the present inten- lions Of tine management are carried out.
 The Historical Novel,
 Such plays as When Knighthood Was in Flower Janice Meredith and "Richard Carver were among the most
 TT, bos taken the place of the classical plays as was shown by the size and enthusiasm of the audiences
 Musical comedy and extravaganza were also very popular The Rogers Brothers had more paid admissions than any company which has ever played the house
 "Florodora" was rather a disappoint- ment due to the fact that more was ex- pected of it than almost any other at traction of the season. With the excep- tion of 'Tell Me, Pretty Maiden and the sextette it fell fiat Another class of entertainments which seems to be loosing ground is the pasto- ral play. the most prominent of which is probably Way Down East" Of course '"The Old Homestead'' is not included. The season at the Jefferson opened with a bad company. The Boston Lyric Opera
  weather being bad. and failed to please even the small audiences it drew.
 Mason and Mason, as Rudolph and Adolph,' followed but it failed to draw large audiences
 'McFaddin's Row of Flats" had better luck. Good audiences attended the per- formances and the company seemed to give satisfaction.
 Fields Minstrels drew the largest au- diences of September. It being the first of the popular minstrel show to come to town, theatre-goers turned out in large numbers.
 Peg Wellington" the vehicle used by Eugenie Blair's managers to star her this season, was the next attraction The supporting company was not always what 1t should have been, and the play was nothing extra.
 .'The Gay MT. Goldstein' was bad as was clearly demonstrated later in the season when tho attraction was closed Of course Murray and Mack brought out a large audience. Nothing else was ex- pected, except a good performance after the crowd arrived at the theatre. It was
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

Bee-Culture in the Pike County Agricul- tural Seminary so far as makeup was concerned, took the Man by the Hand and informed him that he (the Man) was Prominent Citizen and that being the case he would be given Reduction on the half-morocco Edition. While doing his 150 Words a Minute, he worked Kelar Trick and produced large Pro spectus from under his Coat. Before the Busy Man could grab a Spindle and de- fend himself. he was looking at a half tone Photo of Aristotle and listening to all the Reasons why the Work should be in every Gentleman's Library. Then the Agent whispered the Inside Price to him so that the Stenographer would not
 hear and began to fill out a Blank The
 Man summoned all his Strength and made a Buck
 "I don't read Books" he said 'I am
The age-herald., 1902-04-06

spots in the whole South. Broad drive ways will be run through the groves of native trees, and each "bivouac" will be urged to beautify its separate yards, flowers, roses and palms being furnished for this purpose. The entire forty acres will be under one fence with two gate entrances, and there will be no fences between the different cottages. The store house for the camp has been built, one of the cottages is under construction and another will be begun, also the main building, in very few days. No trouble will be spared to make all the buildings models of comfort in every respect No cheap or shoddy buildings will be built
 The climate of Mountain Creek is un- surpassed, and the Jeff Faulkner Home will be a haven indeed for the aged ana indigent soldiers of the great Host cause" so dear yet to the hearts of all in whose veins ruBs the blood of the dear old Southland.