davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
Naval Rank of the Powers.

Expert opinion places Great Britain easily at the head of naval powers, France being a poor second, with the United States, Germany and Russia tied in the third place. Japan and Italy are fourth in the list, and the rest of the world is not worth placing. It is estimated today that Great Britain Is stronger than France and Russia com bined, and is probably fair match for the impossible combination of Rus sia, France and Germany. Certainly when Japan's ships are added to those of Great Britain, the latter would be an overmatch for France, Russia and Germany, and even if Italy were add ed, Great Britain and Japan could probably whip all four.
 The combined navies of France and Russia would be large, but neither people is at home on the sea, and it is not believed either could, man for man, gun for gun, cope with the is- flanders. Quality as well as quantity Is a factor in this race, and quality doubtless rests with Japan and Great Britain.
 France and Germany and Russia are building great battleships and a variety of lesser vessels, but Great Britain and Japan are keeping step with them, and no one can see in the immediate future any change in the control of the seas. The United States is simply keeping abreast of Russia and Germany.
 Today Great Britain has 29 battle ships completed, as against IT in France and Russia. Altogether Great Britain has Al battleships built or building, while France and Russia have but 28 complete and incomplete. Germany has 16, and Japan 6. Thus Great Britain and Japan will soon have 47, as against A in France, Russia and | Germany. Great Britain and Japan, now close allies, are therefore mas | ters of the seas, and so they will con- 1 tinue to be throughout a generation to come. Those who consider Great Britain moribund should leave the seas out of their reckoning.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
MELODY, CASH, AND ICE CREAM.

From Ocean Grove Cor. New York Press.
 'I'll give a dollar to have the violinist repeat that solo," exclaimed a man who said he was from Alabama, to Evangelist Charles H. Yatmap, at the young peoples meeting in the temple this morning. The young woman referred to was Miss Cece- lia Bradford, who had just finished play ing Safe in the Arms of Jesus"
 You'll have to bid higher brother" replied Leader Yatman.
 "Well, two dollars, then" the man from Alabama shouted bs ok.
 Make 1t five and I'll ask Miss Brad ford to repeat the solo,, retorted MT Yatman.
 Heres the money" said the southern CT, handing the evangelist a bank note.
 Miss Bradford played the hymn again. When she had finished MT. Yatman said Half of this money will turn into the fund being raised for the marine carnival on Wesley lake, and the other half I will give to Miss Bradford to spend for ice cream"
 The doner of the bill expressed his sat isfaction, and as soon as the meeting ad- journod the talented violinist gathered her chums about her and started for an ice cream parlor.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
Honest Precinct Inspectors.

The man." says the Selma Times, who will steal a vote in Alabama in a primary or election now will steal a dollar from you If you turn your back. There is no necessity or excuse for either form of theft now, and the one Is just as degraded and degrading as the other"
 All true, very true, but the ques- tion now is not moral one; 1t is one of action, and of prompt action at that. The critical point in the case as it stands relates almost wholly to the selection of honest precinct in- spectors. These men are selected by the county executive committees, and If the best men of a community are to be asked to serve this year as pre- cinct inspectors nominations should be made at once in the county commit tees.
 HIS lS ludilSl OA uOCp anu O'Sh of far-reaching importance, and it should have attention. Given honest men as inspectors at each precinct there will be little difficulty in con dueting an honest primary in this state, although such an election has not perhaps been held in Alabama since the war.
 While the county committee is in the first place responsible for the ap- pointment of precinct inspectors, yet it is scarcely reasonable to expect them to name unaided the best men in each precinct. Each precinct should select the names of three men of un- doubted honesty and ask the county committee to appoint them. Let such action be had in all parts of the state. No more important work is before the people of this state today.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03

output of pig iron per furnace operated is more than double that quantity, and in the state of Pennsylvania the average annual output Is not much under three times the British average. It may be, and probably is, the case that the condi- tions here do not admit of ever reaching the American figures. In Scotland, for example, where raw coal has to be used because 1t is of the splint variety that does not admit of col1ing. it has been taken for granted that it is not practi- cable to greatly exceed an output of 300 tons per furnace per week. and the same remark applies mutatis mutands, to the furnaces in some parts of the Midlands. including North Staffordshire Neverthe. less, there is much room for improve ment, both in blast furnaces and in steel works, and one of the best evidences of this fact that can be furnished Is the lim- ited use hitherto made of open-hearth charging machines, which are now all but universal in the United States.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
BY WILLIAM A. VARTY.

Havana, Cuba, July 91.-(Special.) )-Fi- nancial Cuba is quaking from the effects of the most violent shock 1t has experi- eneed in years. Since the general depres- sion began some years ago and especially since its acuteness forced itself upon those who had relied up some intangible or mythical source of assistance, to lead the people out of the wilderness, the great question has been, who will lead the procession of failures which Is in- evitable?'
 Spanish pride has prevented for many months the beginning of the crisis and it was only last week that Duran x Co.,, the largest cattle and coal dealer in Cuba, answered the question by eeasing pay ment of their obligations and disclosing that they had been doing business on paper for many months and that their liabilities would probably exceed a mill lion dollars. When the announcement was made Havana stood aghast, for such a failure had been a rare occurrence in Cuba With Duran & Co.,, number of concerns on the island were crippled while their New York packers were greatly inconvenienced.
 But the serious effect of this failure
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
A SOCIETY LITANY.

From drought of fountains crystalline, Or weariness of too much wine,
 o god of wine, deliver us. From less of the almighty gold Than what we have and hope to hold,
 O god of gold. deliver us. From love in any heart secure, And marriages that shall endure.
 o god of love, deliver us. From staleness of the hard worked hear Ennui of fashion and of art.
 o god of art, deliver us. From little tales that ravel long, The gossip guess and scandal song
 o god of spite, deliver us From change of doing what we please To hours of toll and lack or ease,
 O god of ease, deliver us. From sudden poverty and shock Of shrinkage in the market stock
 God of good luck, deliver ua From loss of beauty. and old age, And time to turn another page,
 God of the fair, deliver us. From parasites that crowd our door. And callers that annoy and bore.
 God of them all, deliver us. From pestilence of inside woes And cabals of our outside foes,
 Oh 10 deliver us--amen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
American Shipping Declining.

"The report of Commissioner Chamber lain, of the Bureau of Navigation at Washington, shows a decadent condition of our merchant marine" said a citizen yesterday Commissioner chamberlains statistics show an actual decrease of fif- ty-two vessels in the number constructed in the last fiscal year, as compared with the previous year. and a decrease in ton mage of 15.635 Last July" 1t is said, "225 GOO tons oi ocean steel steamers were under construction or under contract, while during the same month this year only about l6Oo0o tons are under construc- tion. and no large seaboard contracts are reported. The commissioners comment on this is disappointing to those who have been looking for an early upbuilding of our ship-building industry, is moderate enough. It is almost disheartening.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
NED BRACE TALKS ABOUT THE HABIT OF
 CARRYING PISTOLS AND MURDERS TIT CAUSES

should have the power to thoroughly en- force the law. and. if necessary, period ieally make investigation of anyone sus- peeted of being armed.
 Until something like this is done-until it is known by everyone that men are not permitted to bear concealed weapons the practice of men going armed will continue. and murders and shooting serapes will occur as they have in the past. There should really be a jail pen atty against carrying concealed weapons. and every man who owns q pistol, should be made to pay a special tax on the same.
 Another need of Birmingham. which want to call attention to, especially dur ing this hot weather. Is more drinking fountains for horses. There are but two of these fountains in all of Birmingham. One Is located on Morris avenue and the other on Nineteenth street near Fourth avenue. Both are very small affairs, and are far from being accessible. As a con sequence, the dray teams and work ani- mals of Birmingham necessarily suffer during this weather.
 
 The political campaign in Alabama for the election of governor and state off cers. is not arousing that degree of in- terest which is usual in a campaign in this state. There are no exciting issues in the campaign and the people do not seem to be at all aroused over the con- test. They are taking 1t easy, so to speak,
 A few of former Governor Johnstons
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
FI0rida's Primary.

In the recent state primary in Flor ida about 30,000 votes were cast. As Florida had in the census year 528,542 population, compared with 1,82S,697 in this state, a correspondingly full vote in our primary of this month would call for vote approaching 100000, and there Is no reason to look for a less vote. The registration will cer- tainly go to 175.0OO, and out of that number 100000 should go to the polls.
 In Florida candidates for United States senator, justice of the supreme court, comptroller, and two railroad commissioners, as well as county and district officers, were ballotted for, and the footings show that the voters uniformly marked choice for each place. The vote does not vary greatly. The candidate for the United States senate, MT. Mallory, had no opposi- tiOl, anu yet uO pOiiSu Nt,cou hOtCo, and the candidates for railroad com missioners did not receive total of a thousand votes more, although there was sharp and close competition for these places. In one case there were two aspirants, and in the other three.
 The figures from Florida encourage the hope that the ticket laid before the voters on August 25 will be marked from top to bottom. Any other result would not be regarded as favor able to the primary system. Two ob- jects should be kept in view in Ala bama's first state primary, namely, a marking of every ballot throughout, and if possible clear choice for each office so that a second primary need not be held At present there is a multiplicity of aspirants for superin- tendent of education and attorney general, but perhaps a month of can yassing may reduce the number.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
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should come from without and not from within and one of the leaders of the sen- ate today expressed serious doubt of the governments ability to perfect the loan.
 The budget for the ensuing year amounts to about fifteen million dollars, exclusive of the municipal, legislative and executive expenses. With every de- partment trimmed to the utmost, twenty million dollars will not cover the neees- sary expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903. From time immemorial, the small municipalities have been one of the greatest drains on the public treasury. The majority of them are not self sup porting, yet refuse to lose their identity by being absorbed by the more prosper ous towns which would support them. This is a question which is now agitating congress and an agreement may be reach- ed at the present session of congress.
 If the people protest and their repre- sentatives in congress do as they may be instructed the expected loan will not be authorized and complications of serious character may be looked for Presidnt Palma is sanguine, however, that the island will be able to make tha loan which will relieve the government of a number of it's most serious em- barrassments.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
SOME MIGHTY FEASTS.
From the Ihter-ocean.

Frcm the Inter-Ocean.
 In tho days when George III. was King of England tho baronet Of Wynnstay Park, Sir Watkins Willams-Wynn, en- tertained 15.000 guests on his estate. I'm ee coachfuls of cooks journeyed to Wynnstay from London. There were on the table 300 oxen, pigs and sheep, SOU chickens. 421 salmon, S7 turkeys 1O9 lob sters. 720 trout, 200 crawfish, 60 barrels of picl1led oysters, 166 hams, no OK tongues, $50 fruit and meat Iies, 100 plum pud- dii'gs, BOG bushels Of potatoes, coco bun dies of aspar agus and hundreds On pounds of meats and fruits of various kinds There was drunk 6O0O gallons of ale, 50 gallons of milk, and 100 quarts of cream.
 Twenty thousand mayors of France oined a few months ago in the Paris Tulleries gardens. Twelve tent kitchens each with a staff of thirty chefs cooks and potboys, were established for the ms yoralty feast, and the army Of wait CTS was 5000 strong. Four hundred huge Lyons sausages were cut up Into 44Ciu slices, 5000 fowls ana 250O ducks were roasted without counting 300 sirloins of beef. 1900 pheasants. 5700 pounds of sal mon, 1900 pounds of butter, 660O pounds of grapes, 1S,0O0 peaches and 15,00o pears. Fifty thousand bottles of wine, cham ps;gne and mineral waters were ready in case of any of the 10000 mayors wanN- cd a drink.
 Jerry Eke. famous glutton of Eng lard once made a wager that he could eat a whole calf at sitting. The calf was made up into seventeen pies. and Jerry was called In and told to begin Pie after pie disappeared, and at the tenth the glutton paused. 'I say, mas ter" said he, "I aint got nothn' to say ag:n them pies; I likes 'em amazn'-only don't you think it's time I began that there calf 2"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03

friends seemed to entkase quite a good deal for a few days after his announce ment, but f3r the past week there has been but little political talk. As a mat ter of fact. as l see 1t. the conservative business people and working men of the state are very well pleased with the ad- ministration of Governor Jelks and have decided to re=elect him. Therefore I will not be surprised to see a majority in the state for Governor Jelks on the 25th about as great as that accorded to Sena- tor Morgan in his last contest for re- election to the United States senate.
 
 am sorry to see quite an element of good people in Alabama are attempting to bring the railroad commission fight into this campaign. Many of these peo- pie really believe that they are not ac- corded railroad rates which their re- spective businesses are entitled to. They are therefore fighting for what they be- lieve to be their just dues.
 On the other hand there is a large ma jority who are ready to aid anything in the nature of a fight against railroads. This latter class make the contest un- fortunate, in that antagonistic legisla- tion or violent antagonistlc feeling against corporations is liable to prevent the continued investment of capital on the part of foreigners in Alabama cor porations.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
MODEL AMERICAN METHODS.

From the London Iron and Coal Trado
 Review.
 Reference has been made in this col umn from time to time to the increasing appreciation shown by the American ironmasters and steel manufacturers of this country of American methods and American engineering knowledge in met allurgical affairs. This appreciation has been manifested by the recent employ ment of American engineers to rebuild blast furnaces at three or four of the leading establishments in this country. and by the adoption at steel works of A number of most up-to-date appliances of the Brown Hoisting Co. and the We'll man charging machine. Much, however remains to be done in this direction be- fore British works generally can be re- garded as abreast of those of the United States. In this country blast furnaces still produce on an average less than ?s0O0 tons of pig iron per annum, whereas in the United States the average annual
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
STEALING IN CUBA BEGINS.
oil for Town illumination Is Perquis.
 ite of Mayor.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
 "The effects of the American occupa- tion of Cuba are being rapidly effaced," said man who until recently was one of the officials helping to administer the government of the island q don't pre- dict revolution and civil war and all that sort Of thing, out say that Cuba will not be long in forgetting the lessons she learned since Spain gave way to tht United States. A good many of the san itary improvements and municipal reg. ulations are disappearing. and in veal CT two we shall see the same old Cubs but alice sarnee, free and Independent
 ''Just to givo you an example of tn, way things are going, I will relate whai happened in a town not fer from IIa, vana During American occupation tn, streets of the island were lighted witt oil lamps set upon lamp posts. as is tht case in many small towns in this coun. try For the past three years the peo. ole have had well lighted streets at night and VIC thought they had grown so ac. customed to our methods that thes would continue them when we left
 But the lights of the town were moi burning three nights after the island had been turned over to the Cubans. I knew that carload of oil had arrived at this town only a day or two before we left and as a matter of mere curiosity went out there to see why the streets were not lighted. The oil had disappeared from the municipal warehouse. but had no trouble in locating 1t al several stores the proprietors of which said they had bought the illuminant from the alcalde l then went to the alcalde and expected to receive a denial of the story told by the merchants. Instead of this, he un' blushingly admitted his appropriation oi the oil, and said that under the Spanisf regime 1t would have been one of his per, quisftes, and he thus regarded 1t. unof- flcially reported the matter but nothinf will be done about 1t. The grab for thes,
 perquisites' is going on to cause troubit in Cuba, for all will want their share"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
Home Owners in America.

The census bureau shows that there are in this country 5,739,657 farms, worth s2O,514,OOO-a fabulous sum that is altogether incomprehensible. But one can at least grasp the fact that the number of farms is increas- ing faster approximately than the population-that the size of the aver age farm is now 146 acres-that here at least Is one element of national wealth that is free and unshackled.
 This is emphatically a country of farms owned by the tillers of the soil. One American in thirteen owns a farm. Tenancy exists to some extent in the south, but the tendency Is away from it, and time will give this sec tion as many farm owners as any other section possesses. The departure from an old system calls for time. which will solve the problem in the right direction.
 It is estimated that there are 9,154,- GOO home-owning heads of households in this country, as against 4,998,000 in France, the land of small proprietors. Germany has 5,002,300 home-owners, and the United Kingdom outside of London has but 1,173,794.
 The United States readily outranks any other country in this important respect. It in round numbers 100000 ,000 of home-owners who thus have a di- rect and abiding stake in the country, giving it a stable and conservative citizenship. One in eight of all Amer jeans own the land they live on or at least the home they live in, and ten ancy is not gaining proposition in this country and it Is not believed 1t ever will be. In the south it is losing ground daily and the sooner this sec tion is rid of it the quicker 1t will be come highly prosperous. Tenancy is everywhere curse, and no country or section can rise to the height of its possibilities that shelters it. It was bequeathed to the south by events, and the changes of time will eradicate it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-03
Statistics of Liquor Traffic.

Some idea may be gained of the power and vastness of the vested liquor inter- ests of the country from the recent cen sus bulletin giving the statistics on the manufacture of alcoholic liquor in this country during the census year ended May 9O 19O0," said a man who is fond of statistics. This report shows a capital of S457, 674, 0S7 Invested in the manufacture of alcoholic liquors in the 2,S5O establish ments reporting. This sum does not in- clude the capital stock of any of the man. ufacturing corporations, which would add many millions more. The value of the ufacturing corporations, which would add products rcturned fs reported as s340, 615,- 466, which serves to Indicate the enormous margin of profit there is in the business. Dealt out in glasses of the average size this three hundred and forty million dol lars worth Cc alcoholic liquors would fill at least six billions up to the brim, a number Of glasses sufficient, if placed one upon another, to reach all the way from the earth to the moon; or, if passed around on per-capita basis, to give every human being on the globe something over two glasses apiece--enough, in fact, to set the whole world into a drunken sleep. If the friends of temperance can extract any comfort and encouragement out of these statistical calculations they are abundantly welcome to it.'