davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

American warships is now maneuvering not far from Venezuela. and it is not improbable that in the event q of actual declaration of war, Dewey might be sent down to protect American citizens and their interests. He will certainly do 1t, even if he has to get into the fighting himself.
 Since congress has been in session, I observe from the Washington newspapers that the democratic senators and mem bers seem almost unanimous in the opin- ion that German of Maryland will be the man for the democrats to nominate. It is said that German has told many of his friends that he desires the nomina- ton, although he has made no public announcement
 Speaking of politics it would appear that we are to have very warm con- test in Birmingham over the mayoralty. Mayor Drennen wants Q third term, and Col Frank P. O'Brien has announced himself a candidate. supported by very strong element of Birminghams best cit- izens. There is much talk of a third can didate-a prominent and wealthy manu- facturer. It is doubtful, however, wheth- CT anyone else will enter the race.
 regret to see that Senator Morgan has again taken up the old worn out question of colonizing the negroes of this country in some other land. He has suggested to the President and to the war depart ment a plan to colonize the negroes of thls country in the Philippine Islands He wants to make these islands a home for the negro.
 Every one who knows anything about the characteristics of the negro, knows that he will continue to remain just where he is, in this country. There is no method legal by which we could ship them away; they will not go voluntarily; as a matter of fact, we need them and want them here as laborers.
 When all the other southern states fol- low the lead of Alabama and Virginia and entirely eliminate the negro from pol tiles, the negro question, so to speak, will not be heard of again. They are the best laborers in the world for the south and they are performing their works bet ter each year. Under capable leadership and instruction, the negro has proven
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
2aeJ5saea


vile, Vfcksburg, Murfreesboro, Chicka- mauga, Resaea, Rocky Face, Peach Tree, Franklin, Nashville, Mobile, Brice's Cross Roads BentonvilIe and a hundred other bloody fields? Excepting Major Milner, all of Camp Hardee are silent.
 The articles which appear in the Age Herald have been put in a scrap-book with many others, and the book has been well indexed and cross indexed. The names of the writer and the battles ap pear in it, and close attention is given to the names of private soldiers. In the book which will be sent to the depart ment of history and archives of Ala bama will appear muster rolls of some Alabama companies, of the survivors of the Fifteenth Alabama, who attended the reunion at Montgomery of the names and pictures of many others who attended, and committees of ladies and soldiers who made that occasion so pleas ant. The grandchildren of veterans will one hundred years from this time eagerly search this scrap book for proof that they descended from the heroes of 1s6l-5
 Now, there are many veterans who have stories, true to E-e, of heroic ven- lures. performed or witnessed by them, but who fail to place them on record, and they will be lost in a few years. Will they not aid in preserving these memories?
 The writer will gladly avail himself of any matter of this kind and give aid to the preservation of incidents Illustrating the mighty struggle for self govern- ment. w. R. ITOUGHTON.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
THE GREAT NILE DAM.
Facts of Interest About the Vast
 Work Just Completed.

From the New York Tribune.
 The great engineering works which were inaugurated by the Duke of Con- naught at Assouan vest erday are dam and navigation Nchannel at Assouan, barrage and lock at Assiout and a regu- lator and lock at the head of the 1bra- himeh canal at Assiout.
 The dam is across the first rapids of the first cataract, to the north of the island of Philae, and the height to which the water is to rise has been so adjusted that the ancient temples on this island will not be entirely submerg- ed. The contract was concluded in Feb ruary, 1898, between Hussein Pacha Fakhry, minister of public works and John Aird & Go. for the construction of the dam and connected works for G2,
 O00OOO, repayabe in 60 half-yearly in- stalments of G7s613, beginning on July l. 1903, the date fixed for the completion of the works The low summer levels, es- pecially in 1900, have been so favorable that the dam was to all intents and pur- poses completed before the flood of 1902 one year before the contract time. Ow- ing to the bad rock met with in the ex- cavation of the foundations large extra expenditure has been caused for ma sorry The expenditure wnl amount to about R3,94O,oOO. the excess of e1,S40,0OO being advanced by the government and refunded by the public debt commission in two yearly payments of e67O,0OO.
 The dam is to hold up water to 1O6 metres above mean sea ievei; tine great
 est head on the dam will be 20 metres, the lowest level on the downstream side being S6 metres. The storage capacity is estimated at 1065, 900, 900 cubic metres of water. The reservoir will be filled be-
 tween December and March, after the | flood has passed and will be discharged
 during May, June and July. There are ] 10 under sluices, IA square metres in l area, and 40 upper sluices, square metres in erea. In flood the sluices will be fully open, so as not to lessen appre- , ciably the velocity of the river, and to avoid the deposit of silt. After the flood, when the water is clear-for the Nile flood brings down the rich silt which is the fertilizer of Egypt-the sluices will be gradually closed and the reservoir filled. In an average year 1t should be l filled by March 1. Only the upper sluices will then be opened to pass the discharge
 coming from the south In May, when ! tue ueinsinu TOT water lOf the SuiIliner crops increases. the sluices will be grad
 ually opened to supplement the supply 1 in the river, and the water stored will l gradually be discharged until July. | The dam is straight from end to end,
 and its length is about 2O00 metres. Its
 width at the top is metres, and at the deepest part 25 metres. The height from
 the lowest part of the foundation to the l top is 40 metres. The interior masonry is
 rubble granite in four to one cement nor l tar, the interior casing is of square rock l faced granite in two to four cement mor-
 tar. The lining of the siuices Is heavy,
 granite ashlar or cast iron. The sluices are closed by steel gates.
 l Navigation was formerly only feasible
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

sons the managers of Birmingham g team are under peculiar obligations to
 a generous public. Twice has this
 towns name stood at the foot of the list, and a groan long and deep will go up if that name Is permitted this year to drop for a single day out of the first division. This Is a first di- vision town and 1t demands and ex- poets a first division team. The indi- cations are that this demand and this expectation will be met this year, and that the season will be the most sue cessful in the history of baseball in the south.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Six Bishops.

"Six able bishops will be assembled in St. Johns church at Montgomery next Wednesday on the occasion of the conse- cration of .Bishop-ei elect Charles Min nigerode Beclxwith" said a virginian.
 ''The conseerator proper will be the Right Rev. Thomas '. Dudley of Ken lucky. assessor for the presiding bishop of the United States. He is a man of charming personality and preacher of singular power. He is a native of Vir- ginia. and was consecrated bishop In 1875. At one time he was rector of the old church at Winchester, In the Valley Of Virginia, and while serving there came within one vote of getting in line for the grand mastership Of the Grand Lodge of Masons The late General Taliaferro, another active churchmon, as well as active Mason. beat him. Bishop Dudley is now a thirty-third degree Mason and has given much of his time to all branches of Masonry-the blue lodge, tho chapter, the eommandery and the Scot tish Rite A luminous lecture was that which he delivered a few years ago on the Rose Croix degree.
 "The Right Rev. Alex c. Garrett, bishop of Dallas, and the Right Rev. Cleland Kinloch Nelson, bishcp of Georgia, who will assist Bishop Dudley in the conse- cration, are both men of uncomnion force. do not know where Bishop Garrett was born, but Bishcp Nelson is a Virginlan. The former was consecrated in 1874 and the latter in 1892.
 'Thc Right Rev. T. F. Gailor of Tennes- see, corsecrated in 1893 as ceadjutor bishop. and the Right Rev. J. B. Che shire of North Carciina, consecrated in 1s93 will be the presonters. Both are men of brilliant attainments.
 '"rhe Right Rev. George Herbert Kin salving, bishop of Texas. who Is commis- stoned to preach the sermon, is Vlr ginian and was consecrated in 1922. He comes from a distinguished family that has given three men of talents to the Episcopal ministry enc brother being missionary bishop in Brazil and another being rector of a church in Brnrs yn.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Fruit Stands in the Streets.

The fruit-stand problem has been held up to await more legal light on the subject: but really the question is not one of law, and it must in the long run be settled by public senti- ment, instead of lawyers.
 Are the stands as they exist at al most every corner in the business district, a convenience and wholly de sirabie, CT are they open to objections as Instructions to pedestrians or on sanitary grounds? Is it best to retain them on the sidewalks, or is it best to drive them indoors?
 This problem is large enough to enter into the city election next May, and the keepers of the fruit stands should have that much time in which to prepare for removal. if move they must. It is wholly a question of san itation and convenience to the public, and a referendum would be an excel lent method of solving the problem. A referendum in May could readily be taken, thus solving not only a diff ficult question, but also paving the way for more rcfarendums, which are after all almost pure democracy, or the rule of the people by the people for the people.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
IN HOTEL LoBBIES.
The Stock Market.


 Wal street has been rattled of late and 2 combination of cireumstances-th war cloud forming in Venezuela. the natural strlengency of New York money and the approach of the holldays-may keep it rattlea for a little while to come re- marked a conservative citizen. but predict a rally in stocks early in January after dividends are turned loose
 With certain exceptions, industrials will keep low level The fact that United States steel preferred. is not strong enough to go to par, or even to 90 which t should do in spite of a panieky market, is sufficient proof of the weak ness of industrials.
 T do not expect a boom market at any time next year. but I will put money on approved stocks. and will not come out loser"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
NED BRACE TALKS ABOUT THE VENEZUELAN
 AFFAIR AND OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST

SREsIDENT CASTRO of Venezuela O seems to be possessed of his full
 share of nerve and courage. He shows fight and evidently means to fight if 1t is forced upon him. regardless of the fact that the odds against him are over whelming.
 The situation over the Venezuelan dis pute is really a serious one. If President Castro forces a fight, of course both Eng land and Germany will land troops and at least temporarily take possession of some territory. Then the question will be whether or not these two great Euro pean powers will seek to hold the cap- tured territory. as they have both done in China and as the United States did in the Philippine islands. If they do. they will clearly violate the Monroe doctrine, and the United States will be forced to drive them out or else show the white feather as a nation.
 Naturally, neither England nor Ger many would seek trouble with the United States On the other hand, there are sev- SA esi AiphEdllQ 14llB ll1uliltll tAlll in Venezuela who would not only seek protection of their respective countries in their business investments, but would prefer a government controlled by their own eountrymen. The Englshmen would probably endeavor to lead their country to act in Venezuela as 1t acted in South Africa. I am of the opinion that both England and Germany are governed too ccnservatively to perform any act antag- cn,stic to this country, but there is cer- tainly danger in the situation.
 Already Wall street and the financial interests of the country have grown timid over the situation. This Venezuelan matter, as well as the capitalization of trusts and other concerns in this coun- try, has had to do with the great slump in Wall street during the past week; and unless the good offices of the United States minister to Venezuela brings about a settlement of the controversy within the next few days, I fear that the values of stocks listed on the New York stock exchange will suffer a more material slump in the next week than they have during the past seven days.
 Admiral Dewey with great fleet of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Christmas Trade.

Holiday business is exceptionally good" remarked a Second avenue mer- chant last night, "and the merchant who croaks now would not be satisfied if gold dollars were scattered freely in the streets.
 Last year was marked by prosperity, but this year has brought even more prosperity Every person of energy merchant, banker, lawyer clerk and me- chanicAhas thriven. Trade is splendid and merchants in this town should be happy"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
samford,s Story.

'tWilliam II. Stanford of Troy tells good story in the Washington Post as to why some of the ballot box suffers op- posed the ratification of the new consti- tutlon," said a reader of the Post who is guest at the Metropolitan. "The Post published this story day before yester- day So satisfactory is our new consti- tuition of Alabama that even if we were never to hold another election under it., still it would be worth all it's cost us in time. labor. and money toward it's fram- ing and final ratification by popular vote' said Col W. H. Stamford of Troy, Ala, at the Riggs last night.
 The securing of honest elections and the elimination of the ignorant vote are in themselves sufficient to commend the new constitution, apart from it's many other wise provisions
 ."Colonel Sanford, who is accompanied by Hon. Charles Henderson, the mayor of Troy, was leading delegate in the Alabama constitutional convention. He is son of the late .-oyernor Sanford or Alabama. and is accounted one of the most accomplished lawyers and cam paign speakers in the state. Mayor Hen derson is also a man of great weight in the public affairs of Alabama.
 "'When I was stumping the state for the ratification of the constitution said Colonel Sanford I had an appointment at small place Tn the northern part of the state. l arrived there about the mid dle of the day and drove to the neighbor- hood store. The proprietor greeted me very indinerently, and when I informed him that I was the man billed to speak there in favor of ratification he became very indignant.
 "'You won't get a vote-not q vote if I can prevent you, and think ean,' he said, swearing frightfully.
 Why not?' I asked.
 Do you take me for a fool? he de- manded rather fiercely. Every election I make hundred and fifty to two hum dred dollars fixing things at this box, and do you think I am fool enough to vote for a durned constitution that'I take that much money outen my pock- et?'r
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Iron Production Heavy.

The figures gathered by the Iron Age show that on December pig iron production had risen to 343, ,5S1 tons a week, a rate that has rarely been exceeded in this or any other country. The production thus far this year points to a total approximating 1S,- GOO, GOO tons, an astonishing and un- precedcnted aggregate.
 The production in this district in November from it's coke furnaces was 137 ,2S9 tons, to which should be added 7,256 tons, the product of the districts charcoal furnaces in November-mak- ing the total production of the district in November 144,545 tons. This month ly production has never been equalled in this district. It points to a yearly capacity approximating 1,SO00 900 tons, and 1t gives rise to the hope that the aggregate next year may be round two million tons. We had thirty-four coke and five charcoal stacks in oper- ation in November, leaving but six coke stacks in the district out of blast Only one of the six is in Jeffer- son county.
 Furnace stocks were slightly in- creased in November, but the in crease was so small it is neither ma. terial nor noteworthy. Consumption runs closely up to production, heavy as the latter is.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
ANTITRUST LEGISLATION.

Washington cor. of Nashville Banner.
 Speaking of the possibility of securing antitrust legislation at this session, Rep resentative Underwood of Alabama, one of the house minority leaders said: ''The judiciary committee seems to be work ing in good faith to perfect some measure that will afford relief. It undoubtedly will report bill to the house, and the house may pass it, but by the time such a measure goes to the senate the session will be pretty well spent, and it would be the simplest matter in the world for the opposition to talk the bill to death at the further. end of the capitol"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

competent as a laborer and in many inc stances. in manufacturing pursuits.
 I. regret to see Senator Morgan wasting valuable time in attempting that which can amount to nothing.
 The adoption of the law recently passed by the Georgia legislature making fran chises property and providing for the assessment and taxation of the same. has aroused much talk among the politicians of Alabama. and have alredy heard of several that intend to introduce similar bills in the Alabama legislature which meets within Q few weeks In conse- quence. we may expect an interesting ses- sion of the legislature and. perhaps, tho largest lobby which Alabama's capitol has ever known.
 Another contest sn the forthcoming legislature which will excite much inter- est will be the bills to put sheriffs and other county officers on salaries rather than fees. as at present.
 
 I observe that the newspapers and magazines of the country are still harp ing on the old story that Birmingham is the most wicked city in America in pro- portion to population. This claim is based on the census figures of 1900, which cnly gives Birmingham a population of SS,00O. As matter of fact, Birmingham has some 10000 population already, and including the surrounding towns connect ed by trolley cars, there are nearly 125,oOO people.
 There is always crime in mining sec- tions, Especially where much negro labor is employed at high wages. Birmingham is far from being genuinely wicked city However, it would be wise and we'll with the beginning of the new year to make provision for a material increase in the number of men on our police force. Bir- IT ningham really needs at least half more nen on its force than it now has. With large police force and strict enforce ment of the concealed weapon law, Bir- mingham would soon outgrow it's reputa- ton as wicked city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Father Younan.

"The Rev. Father Yeunan is not only a scholar and an orator but he is 8 genial gentleman" said a man who has listen- ed to him at St. Pauls church, and who has met him privately.
 He is indeed a man of rare intellectual force, but his kindness of heart and grace of manner, both in his preaching and in his personal talks are what par ticularly impressed me-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.

From the New York Press The first fall hurts the others harden.
 Love me, love my cooking. is the axiom of bridehood.
 How much evil there is in the world depends on how much evil we are deter mined to find.
 A tiny child's hand may lead a strong man where no brute force can drive or drag him.
 The saving grace of a woman is that however, low she falls, there is always something which can make her blush.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
Discipline.

From the Washington Sar.
 "So you had double lynching at Crim- son Gulch?"
 That's what we had" answered Three Finger Sam.
 More horse thieves?'
 Yep.
 Were both men guilty?"
 There's jest the embarrassin' feature of the affair. Soapy Jim laughed at us fur hangin' the wrong man by mistake an we had to lynch him to teach him manners, an in the meantime the real horse thief got clean away
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

The Christmas edition of the Bir- mingham Ledger made it's appearance yesterday. The paper from every point of view is creditable and speaks for itself the worth and merit of this afternoon paper.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
SCHOOL LEalsLATIoN.

From the Bessemer Journal
 Whether Georgia or any other southern state adopts state uniformity is of little consequence to Alabama compared with the discharge of that duty toward her children at the next legislature. We should do it not because its modern but because such a change would meet all re- quiroments and many difficulties now con- fronting school teachers would be re- moved
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

The census bureau is certain that there were in 1900 centennarians to the number of 3435 in the country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
A DAILY THOUGHT.

The Late Thomas B. Reed
 Don't ever sympathlze with any one. It's out of style, and the only place where you can find sympathy in these days is in the dictionary.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14
From the MontevaIlo Sentinel.

From the Montevallo Sentinel.
 The legislature of Alabama made up largely as it is of democrats, will be in consistent. if it fails to pass a text book law. Opposition to trusts and combines of whatever nature is one of the card- inal principles of the democratic party, and especially in the campaign this year. Democratic speakers were emphatic in their denunciations of these great evils. To be consistent with the arguments used a democratic legislature must combat when within it's power, any trust or com bine that attempts to gain a foothold in the state. There is no more harmful. per- nicious trust that the book trust (and 1t has Alabama parents by the throat now) in that it is hindrance to many poor mans child in getting even a common school education.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-14

Tom Reed and Tom Ochiltree were both raconteurs, and the world can not spare any more of that sort.