davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
LETTERS TO EDITOR

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 The action of the Confederate veterans of New Orleans, in not being willing to receive contributions from the old fed eral soldiers and others, who were op- posed to us in the Civil war, for the erection and maintenance of homes, I think is a mistake. That the people of that city were solely tried and badly treated by General Butler there Is little reason to doubt While this is true, there were great many federal officers and soldiers who were and are humane men and gentlemen. Among the survivors of the southern armies there are many who are broken In health, destitute and no one upon whom to lean for comfort and support. The federal government gives to its soldiers a pension sufficient to pro- vide them with food and shelter. And this is right That some imposters may share this llberality the government is not so much to blame.
 It has been near on to forty years since the guns were stacked at Appomattox. Are we to carry bitterness to our graves. Remember this, so long as a decent and worthy Confederate soldier can live with out going to a soldiers home, he will never enter its doors-that will be the last resort, and for such as these, I say receive gifts from any and all. There are memories and affections that will live as long as we can think and feel There is no ing but death that can take these from us, and all reasonable and sensible people know this. The parting words of Robert E. Lee to us were, ' Go home and make as good citizens as you have made soldiers and true citizenship Is the embodiment of charity and forgive ness. J. LAWLER DARBY.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Currency Famine is Acute

Another Wall street furry has oc- cured, and money has been bid up to 20 per cent in New York. The bank reserves of that money center are very close to the minimum requirement, and some banks have called in some loans. This checks Wall street in flations, but has not and probably will not extend much further
 The south and west are drawing money from New York for the purpose of moving great crops, and the gov ernment is also piling up through tax. ation great sums in the treasury. Sec. retary Shaw has. of course, been ap pealed to, and he shows some desire tc assist in tiding over the crop-movine period. His plan for increasing the national bank circulation will add per haps $15, 100000 to the circulation, and he has decided to deposit in national banks S4,000.0 GOO of the government s hoard. He will also anticipate the October interest, which will turn loose $4,200,00O. The total relief he pro- poses will therefore approach $25, ,OO0.- 900, which he considers quite suffi- cient
 The truth is, there should be a re- duction in tariff taxation. Not only should the extortions of the tariff-pro. tected trusts be checked, but the ac. emulation of money in the treasury, thus withdrawing it from use by the people, should be stopped. Despite the repeal of war taxes, it is now esti- mated that the surplus of the present year will be fuily s30,000,000 A def- ciency was at time feared, but it is now seen that a surplus is more to be feared than a deficit. Each day re. cords a new higl water mark in the amount of gold held by the govern meat. The sum of it is nearly 600 million of dollarsI Of this vast sum 67 millions is free" gold; the reserve fund is 150 millions, while 359 millions are held against the gold certificates in circulation. Taxation should at any usa ha reduced to the absolute needs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
THE FOOLS PRAYER.

By Sill.
 The royal feast was done; the King Sought some new sport to banish care, And to his jester cried: sir Fool, Kneel now and make for us prayerl' The jester doffed his cap and bells. And stood the mocking court before; They could not see the bitter smile Behind the painted grin he wore. He bowed his head, and bent his knee Upon the monarch's silken stool: His pleading voice arose: 70 Lord, Be merciful to me, a fool! No pity, Lord, could change the heart From red with wrong to white as wool The rod must heal the sin; but, Lord, Be merciful to me, a fool " 'Tis not by guilt the onward sweep Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay; Iris by our follies that so long
 We hold the earth from heaven away.  "The ill-timed truth we might have kept Who knows how sharp 1t pierced Gfld
 stung
 The word we had not sense to say Who knows how grandly it had rung! Our faults no tenderness should ask The christening stripes must cleanse
 them all;
 But for our blunders-oh, in shame Before the eyes Of heaven we fall. Earth bears no balsam for mistakes; Men crown the knave. and scourge the
 tool
 That did his will; but, Thou, o Lord,
 3c merciful to me, fool" 
 The King, and sought his gardens cool, And walked apart, and murmured low,
 'Be merciful to me, a fooli" From the New York Press.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
OLD WoMEN-YouNe HUSBANDS
Are Not the Former Entitled to Indulge
 In the Latter If They Have the Price?

From the Chicago Record Herald.
 Some people have very little charity in their souls. A few days ago a Boston widow. Mrs. H. r. Hawkes., 54 years of age, paid G. II. Moxey San Francisco professor of fencing, one-fourth of a mill lion dollars for becoming her husband. Professor Moxey is 26 years of age, and it is to be supposed that he needed the money.
 Now the brides brothers and her son. in-law are trying to have the money and the lady torn ruthlessly away from the young bridegroom. They claim that her mental condition is not what it should be, and efforts are being made to have the courts declare her incompetent.
 Why will meddlesome relatives continue to interfere in cases of this kind? If an old lady wants to pay out good money for a young husband, and both she and he are satisfied with the terms. why should brothers and sons-in-law be per mitted to destroy their happiness? Sure ly one-fourth of a million dollars Is not too much for a woman who is 54 years of age and has the price to pay for 26- year-old husband if the latter is all that a sound American in his 26th year should be, so there can be no proof of incom- potency in the figures alone.
 Furthermore the lady declares that she is perfectly happy Is it just, then, that she should be made miserable by her relatives, whether she is competent or not? What Is money for if it is not to bring happiness to the competent and the incompetent alike? Out upon the med dlers who are always trying to keep old people from paying their money for young husbands or young wives. Doesn't our constitution guarantee to everyone the right to pursue happiness in any way that suits him as long as he doesn't interfere with the legitimate pleasures and the rights of others?
 On the face of the returns it looks as if the Boston lady and her professor should be let alone.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
As to OIL.

9I still believe in the eventual possi- blities of South Alabama as a future oil and gas producer, but so far as l know nothing has yet occurred to warrant ac- tive speculationn said c. r. E. Cara eristi the well known engineer, who has spent a year or more in this state ex- amining oil lands
 False rumors of oil fields have been repeatedly circulated in order to sell stock Up to this time I have found only surface indications, and a few ounces of oil in some of the wells. We should be slow to accept statements regarding re- suits until such time as the wells now being opened by responsible parties are heard from. I would advise conservatism on the part of investors and spectators because it is far easier to sink money in an oil well than it is to get 1t out.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
oRMERLY all positions

ORMERLY all positions of au-
 thority were openly sold at a price. writes a Persian corre- spondent of the London Daily Chronicle Muzafir-ed-Din has put an end to all such practices. He is extremely kind hearted. Once he had to sign the death warrant of a gang of hill robbers He in- quired into their case and learned that they had been leading a hard life, and, turning to them, said: Poor fellows, I suppose you robbed because you wanted something to eat" and he ordered their release. The present SIahs father was very severe. Once his buffoon's antics were too much for him and he ordered his instant execution. In his agony the poor fellow remembered the words of Per sian poet. Fear kings, women and poets.r But in his case 1t was not too late. He was saved by the intercession of the sadr-azam (grand vizier). thus learning by bitter experience not to jest with kings.
 The fate of his court poet laureate was also not to be envied On one occasion the Shah read to him one of his own poems, and asked for his opinion. Even If I de- serve your majesty's anger" said the candid poet, T must say that 1t is any thing but poetry" The Shah, feeling in- suited, cried out to those who waited on him. '"Take this ass to the stable" After little while, becoming calmer, he tried the poet once more, this time with a fresh set of verses. When he had fin- ished reading the poet started to go away. Where are you going?" asked the Shah. ITO the stable, your majesty" ]" was the reply of the poet. This time the Shah enjoyed the joke and the poet was forgiven.
 Muzafir-ed-Din Is also open-handed. Once when he was walking in the public gardens at Contrexevllle little child gave him flower. The shah took 1t and gave him a magnificent diamond in re- turn. He once paid an English dentist f10OO for removing an aching took. He has granted considerable sums for char itable purposes to his Mahometan and Christian subjects without difference of religion. He has a considerably smaller harem than his predecessors, the number of the women of his harem being sixty five. The late shah had 1720 wives No girl with a pretty face was safe from the late shah. Persian women in the presence of the shah have to unveil their faces, al- though yelled to all other men. The shah's great-grandfather had 1000 wives 130 sons, ITO daughters, and at the time of his death had 5000 descendants.
 It is a pleasant surprise for his majes- tvs Christian subjects to find that they enjoy his favor. At the time of the Ar menian massacres in Turkey he said to an Englishman: Why Is the sultan kill ing thousands of his most able subjects? !?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
PEOPLE vs. SCHOOL BOOK TRUST.

From the Bloeton Messenger.
 At the next session of the general as- sembly of Alabama the case of the peo- pie versus the school book trust will be brought up for a new hearing. As we all painfully remember and now most forcibly feel, the last legislature decided most overwhelmingly in favor of the de- fendant trust. The people demand new hearing and have greatly augment ed the already preponderence of evidence in their behalf. Every legislator who goes to Montgomery next winter and votes against the will and wishes of his state and local constituency should re- ceive a written protest signed by every man and woman and each and every school as a body, against his returning home to the county that honored him by confiding their interests to his keep ing. Certainly the democrats of Bibb have in the person of Hon. J. F. Thomp- son, nominated a most able and honor able young man to be their champion and fight for their interests in the next gen. eral assembly. We confidently believe he will use his best energies and display his marked talents in behalf of the masses of the people
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Country Pro oduce.

'Thls week starts off with rush In the produce market" said Morris ave- nue merchant, 'and every man on the avenue will probably have all the busi- ness he can handle from now until the end of the month.
 'fThe increase in the produce and pro- vision trade of Birmingham has been marked in the last twelve months. With in the past two years I believe the vol ume of the produce business here has been doubled.
 Birmingham draws It's supplies from almost every state in the union. Vir- ginia sends us large shipments of cab bagcs and sweet potatoes every week. For many years eastern Virginia has been a great trucking section, but in the past few years truckers in southwes. Virginia have been making a speciality of cabbage and other winter vegetables and they have been highly successful
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
About Persons.

Former Congressman J. F. Stallings is at the Morris. Afr. stallings is now a res ident of Montgomery, having opened law offices there He declares that he is in Birmingham for business purposes only. Probate Judge zen Gaston of Butler county is in the city.
 P. M Long. c. P. bnnsford, William Ford, E. Fite and O. V. Welch of Alexan- der City are at the Metropolitan. J. NJ Prestwood of Andalusia is at the Metropolitan.
 F. F. Newman of Tanadega is at the Metropolitan.
 William McGan of Anniston is at the Metropolitan.
 Wallace c. Bdler of clanton is at the Metropolitan.
 Thomas J. Scott of Montgomery is at the Metropolitan.
 F. H. McAnnally of Jasper is at the metropolitan
 T. L. sowell of Montgomery is at the Metropolitan.
 N. B. Spears of Talladega is at the Metropolitan.
 A. J. McGhee of Anniston is at the Morris.
 
 E. Blount of London is at the Nor ris.
 Ray Knight of Atlanta is at the Morris c. M. Cox of Eufaula Is at the Norris A. B. Long of Greenville, Ala. Is at the Morris.
 A. J. Pughsley of New Orleans is at the Morris
 State Auditor Thomas L. Lowell is in the city en route to Montgomery from his home in Walker county. where he had been to vote in the primary yesterday. Frank W. Lull of Wetumpka is in the city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

of the government, and he accumula- tions in the treasury stayed.
 The situation IS not bit disturbing. Great crops do not mean hard times, and the money pinch will not be apt to disturb any people except those who are engaged in pulling watered securi- ties. The crops will be duly moved. and pretty soon money will fall to ae- customed rates. The country is full of prosperity, and 1t is so well-based that a money furry in Wall street can not give it even a temporary backset.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
KING cOPN.

From the Kansas City World.
 Long ago the scepter passed over from King Cotton to King Corn.
 Every year the demand for the great American cereal is expanded by the dis covery of new uses to which it can be put.
 The New York World has compiled a list of products extracted from corn most of them discoveries of the last forty years
 Bicycle tires, rubber shoes, cornstarch, laundry starch.- confectioners' starch, mu- cilage. corn oil. pure" olive oil, filler for oleomargarlne, lager beer, grape sugar. glucose. wall paper paste gum drops, toilet soap, ink. salad dressing, fancy table syrup, table grlts, health foods, pop corn, healing salve, several patent medl- cines, British gum, pearl homny. hulled corn, canned corn, canned soaked corn maizena samp, degerminated samp, com meal, flour adulterant pancake flour, quick malt, brewers grits, husks for bat tleships, pepper adulterant, alcohol, bour- bon whisky brewers meal, frumentum, haked hominy. gum paste, vulcanzed corn oil, gluten food, brewers sugar, con fectioners paste, candy, rubber erasers corn oil cake, water proofiing, phosphates, dextrin, paper box glue, buggy tires, rub Der sheets, linoleum, albumnioids. calico filler. envelope sticker, army ponchos, rubber heels, hot water bags, cattle food. gum arabic, stamp sticker.
 That is all to date.
 In forty years more the list will prob ably be more than doubled.
 Besides this growing demand more and more corn Is being exported every year.
 When it is remembered that the area for corn growing is limited It is not dif- ficult to account for the unprecedented rise in the price of corn lands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Religion of Presidents.

was interest ! in reading an article the other day about the religion of our Presidents" said an old citizen of much information about American statesmen, but in regard to one of them, and think two of them the writer of tie article was in errcr.
 Grover Cleveland is set down as Pres byterian This statement is misleading because one would infer from it that Cleveland was a member of the Presby- terian church. The truth is. MT. Cleve- iard attends the Presbyterian church, but he has never joined. and is therefore not communicant. While he was serv- ing his second term as President l met him several times and in one of our conversations he referred to his knowl- edge of the shorter eateehism.' l then asked him how it was that he, the son of a Presbyteran minister and the husband of staunch member of the Presbyterian church, had never connected himself with the church. He looked out of the win dow and was silent The subject was dropped. I do not see how MT. Cleveland, in the Presbyterian atmosphere of Prince ton, can well keep cut of the fold, and am on the lookout for an item in the pa pers saying that he has made profes sion of faith and been recelved.'
 "Grant is set down as Methodist, put I do not recall any occasion when he joined the church. He may, however, have been a member. He was a good man and felt an attachment for Metho- dism.
 Prom Washington to Roosevelt, four Presidents have been communicants of the Episcopal church. President Roose- velt is a member of the Dutch Reform church"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs.
Much Llnnor.

T have seen many drunken men on the streets today. notwithstanding the fact that the saloons were closed on account of the primary said a physician last night
 ordinarily the streets are eompara- lively free from drunkards There are thousands of tiplers in the greater Bir- mingham, but 1t is not often that l come across a besotted or staggering man on the streets. But today scores of men got liquor somewhere and drank themselves ilpsy.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Cardinal Gibbons, Residence.

'There is a project on foot for build ing a palatial residence in Baltimore for Cardinal Gibbons" said Baltimorean at the Hillman, ''and the movement is in the dands of prominent and wealthy Catholics The idea is to raise some thing like a million dollars and present the cardinal with the handsomest house in Baltimore. but I am certain his emi- hence will decline the gift. He is ex- tremely plain in his tastes Soon after he was created prince of the church he was presented with a handsome car- riage and pair of high steppers, but by permission of the donors he sold the turnout and gave the money to the poor
 Cardinal Gibbons residence on the corner of Charles and Mulberry streets, near the cathedral. Is large but severely plain. It was built a hundred years ago as the episcopa; palace and it will prob ably serve as the residence of the arch bishop of Baltimore for a hundred years to come"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16


 The highest grades of corn-fed beef are not yet available, but all inter- mediate grades should be lower in price, because there is now an abund- ance of grass-fed cattle. The beef trust is, however, maintaining prices of beef. and what the beef trust is doing in one direction other trusts will do in other products. The consumer cannot therefore expect immediate re- lief Stocks on hand must be sold at full prices by the trusts before relief will be forthcoming. Under the Ding ley tariff the trusts are masters of the situation.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the New York Press
 Sometimes the moth puts out the flame.
 Widows appeal to men who have a taste for musty ale.
 You can't make a man of one who isn't simply by putting him in trousers.
 When a man apologizes to his wife it is a sign she has been making herself very disagreeable.
 It's funny how differently a woman gets up her figure for a bathing suit from what she does for an evening gown.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Eastern Railroad of Alabama.

Percy H. Smith, president of the East ern Railroad of Alabama, Is in the city as a delegate to the republican conven ton. He reports that the work of con struction on his road Is progressing fa- vorabiy. This is the line being built from Talladega to Clay county.
 We have completed three miles from stockaale eastward. and by February or March the entire line of twenty-six miles will be ready for operation. The Alabama
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
MIR. LOWE WILL BE REELECTED.

From the Huntsville Mercury.
 The Birmingham Age-Herald says while Hon. Robert J. Lowe is not in the technical sense of the word candidate for the ehairmanship of the state demo- cratic committee. Jefferson county and his friends all over Alabama would be glad to see him reelected. And the chances are favorable to his reelection. Colonel Mallory will not be able to defeat him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
cnst of Iivinn.

All fixed salaries have been going down since 1897 through the operation and effects of the Dingley tariff and It's resultant prices. A coal miner or West Virginia has prepared a table moving the prices in 1893 and also ,t the present time. as follows:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

Newport is winding up the season with dog shows and fox hunts, and the fox whose brush Is hunted begins to wish Admiral Higginson had demol- ished the whole concern.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS
 AND THEIR READERS

of 55.2 per cent. The increase of all daily publication was 3S.3 per cent This makes more impressive the growth in circula- tion and clientele of the evening Journal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
crons Here and Elsewhere.

The New York produce exchange. employing the government figures of acreage and condition, presents this table of crops.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

The cost of living has been increased since 1897 fully 50 per cent, and un- less a workmans wages have been Increased to that extent he is in poorer circumstances than he was in 1897. Year by year since that time wages have been cut by the indirect taxation of the tariff and it's trusts, and the man with fixed income is not shar- ing in prosperity that is more ap- parent than real to the wage workers.
 The situation is all the more dis tressing because. prices are in many cases held up almost to the tariff limit by the trusts. Ihe price of beef af- lords an ample illustration. Grass-fed cattle are driven in freely, and in the kansas City markets these changes have taken place:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16
Western Union Officials.

party of Western Union officials ar rived in Birmingham last night and will remain here today. They are on a tour of inspection The party is composed of General Superintendent B. Brooks of New York, J. c. Barclay of New York, c. H. Bristol of New York, c. E. Raft ford of New York, District 5uperinten- dent J. M Stephens of Atlanta and Samuel R. crowder of Richmond. They are registered at the Hillman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

MT. Thomas c. Platt will not get in the way of the Roosevelt band wagon, which now has the right of way in the road of republicanism.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

Between Henry Watterson on one side of the Ohio and Tom Johnson on the other there is no dull period in the Ohio valley.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

It is hoped the volcanoes will soon take a vacation and go a-fishing or to some Monte Carlo deep down in the depths of the earth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

The hard coal miners mine 5000 pound tons, but none of those tons ever reach the consumer. They are generally served as two tons.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

Pyrites company has mined 10000 tons of pyrites to be shipped just as soon as the railroad is finished With the completion of the road the development of Clay county will be rapid g
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

While St. Louis is filling a peniten- tiary with boodlers Birmingham will do like act with pistol toters.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

Tom Johnson is adding a few new frills to Miss Ohio's political gown.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

Gates and Schwab are approaching Monte Carlo with blood in their eyes.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-16

The professionals will today en- deavor to unload some gold bricks on our captains of industry.