davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
An Improvement.

1T believe in the use of electrical de- vices in every utilitar:an connection but have old-fashioned ideas when 1t comes to aesthetics said a man or taste yes- terday afternoon.
 When l go into Catholic, Episcopal or Lutheran church l want to see can dies on the altar. The Catholic church will never give up candles entirely. because they come under the head of sacramentais and a certain number are prescribed in the rubrics for masses. But I have been in Catholic churches where electric lights were used as auxiliaries to the candles, during the canon at high mass. Tn some Episcopal and Lutheran churches I have seen imitation candles on the al- tar, gas or electricity being used in place of the lighted wick.
 But l attended a performance of II Trovatore' today and I must admit that the anvil chorus was an improvement oyer the old style Electricity was flashed mechanically from the anvffs. and the musical blacksmiths. therefore. did not have to pound in order to make the sparks fly. as of old. The old way was more realistic of course. but the effect of the new way was more pleasing to the ear. The dynamic work ot the chorus
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23

From the New. York Mail and Express.
 Another triumph was recorded today in the field of electricity. As the result of a successful demonstration given this fore noon in the office of Arthur Leslie, 10S Fulton street, the transmission by wire of half-tone pictures may be declared ar accomplished fact.
 The "electrograph" is the name the two inventors, H. R. Palmer, a mechanical engineer of Cleveland, and Thomas Mills. have given to the machine hardly larger than a typewriter which, before a crowd of interested spectators grouped in the little office, flashed a photograph from two desks not four feet apart. The cur rent was so arranged, however, that the resistance ee|alled that which would be encountered by transmitting a picture from New York to Chicago.
 So satisfied were the inventors with the success of the test that within three weeks a regular service will be estab- lished so that newspapers of the middle west may have pictures of news in this city within two hours after their occur renee.
 The principle of the electrograph is much the same as that of the phono- graph. In design or construction it com pines the ordinary Morse sounder. and records its pictoral message upon re- volving cylinder similar to that of the chronograph used by the Signal Service. The inventors hardest task was the sym chronizing or equalizing the motion of the two distant cylinders; the exhibition
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
Bessem CTS Postal Receipts.

Tn discussing the postal receipts of the six leading postoffices of this state, it was inadvertently stated that only Birmingham, Mobile, Montgom- cry, Selma, Anniston and Huntsville were in the presidential class. The full list, taken from the auditor of the postoffice department, shows that Tuscaloosa and Bessemer each show receipts exceeding ,O0O-those of Bessemer having been last year $10,- 426 and those of Tuscaloosa $11,31S.
 The entire mistake was uninten- tional, as the discussion related to the six largest postoffices of the state, and in this list of six neither Tusca- loosa nor Bessemer had place. There was never any intention on the part of the Age-Herald to slight any Ala bama town, but we had no desire at that time to print a list of the forty nine presidential postoffices in the state, being content to give the six leading ones in exemplihcation of Bir- mingham's position.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
HEAVY PECAN CROP.

From the New Orleans Times-Democrat.
 What may be expected of the pecan crop in Louisiana this fall was indicated yesterday by the talk of Poydras street merchants, who find the outlook encour- aging for a heavy crop. In fact, some of them were inclined to think that this years crop would break all existing rec ords The receipts for the past two weeks have been very heavy.
 There has always been difficulty in the way of estimating closely the nut crop of Louisiana. The difficulty was thus ex- plained by jobber: Nuts, as you can readily understand, are not entirely necessary to the worlds existence, and, therefore. commercially speaking. they do not play a very important part. They are never speculated in and therefore arousing but little interest in the minds of the general produce and commission merchants, they are not watched. It does not matter very much whether the crop is small one of large one. Then, agaifs so many of the retailers buy their nuts direct from the country and, of course, they never keep track of them as they get them a barrel at time as a rule. Jobbers handle them as side lines only. and thus very little record Is made of the nut movement"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
Opening of the State Fair.

Today the State Fair will be opened by Governor Jelks. and the people should turn out to see the event and to welcome the head of the state. Governor Jelks is to deliver an ad- dress. While he will not present pol itics in a partizan sense, yet he may outline the policy he thinks the state should follow in the course of prog ress and development. Let us at any rate give him a hearty welcome, for he is a man of rare courage and rare good sense. and he never fails to ap- ply both to each public question as it arises.
 The fair itself is full of attractions, and each successive day will demon strate it's value. Such annual efforts have long been considered useful and no state considers them outworn. They are useful because they show at a glance what has been accom- plished, as well as what may be ac- complished. Object lessons are al ways effective, and the fair is one of state importance and breadth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
COMMON LAW vs. MONOPOLY

From the New York World.
 Senator Morgan of Alabama, one of the ablest American lawyers living, agrees with Attorney General Knox that the common law provides adequate remedies for the monopolies that injure and op- press the people Says MT. Morgan:
 "The common law has defined the right of the state or municipality to make regulations for the health. comfort. con venience and protection of the public for Hundreds of years''
 This simply restates one of the most pregnant declarations in the decision of the Federal supreme court in the famous case of United States vs. E. c. Knight company-one of the six decisions under the Sherman antitrust law:
 "All the authorities (that is, the com mon law decslons) agree that in order to vitate a contract or combination 1t is not essential that it's results should be a complete monopoly 1t is sufficient if 1t really tends to that end to deprive the public of the advantage which flow from free competition"
 If that and scores of rulings like it are still sound. there is plenty of power in the courts to break up monopolies and break down monopoly prices under the common law-without line of new leg islation and even though the Serman and interstate commerce laws were both re- Dealed
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
A DISMAL FAILURE.

From the Mobile Herald.
 The white people of Mobile county are not falling over one another to go into the republican party through the gates thrown wide open by the lilly whites Last nights meeting was frost of such a frigid nature that a number of demo- crats who were present expressed regret that the distinguished speakers had so few people to hear them. At no time were there more than one hundred persons, ex- cuding the band, in Temperance hall, &C., eording to several citizens who counted the crowd, yet the meeting had been ad- vertised more extensively than a circus and fireworks were exploded in quantities that would have done credit to Coney Island on the Fourth of July. The speak CTS were men of eminent responsibility, leaders of their party MT. Sternfield be- ing the. nominee for congress and MT. Smith the candidate for governor. Noth- ing was left undone to make the meet ing a great success; but 1t was a fail ure, pure and simple, as to attendance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
New Steamer for the RIuhae.

Coming events are said to cast their shadows before, and an open Warrior is beginning to loom up in barges and steamers. A company or ganized in Connecticut is in the field with an intention to build up a large system of barges to ply between this district and New Orleans, and now the merchants of Demopolis have bought a steamer for use in the Big bee, between Demopo1is and Mobile They propose to secure in this way no doubt, water rates, which are oi course lower than rail ratesa
 They have purchased for this pur pose the big steamer Liberty, said to be very fast boat. The boat has been used in the Mississippi river trade out of Memphis, but it will be placed in the Bigbee river trade as soon as it can be scraped and re- painted.
 The Liberty will be controlled by the enterprising merchants and man. ufacturers of Demopolis, town that seems to be wide-awake to the ad yantages of an open Warrior.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
BRYAN's INCOME.

From the Commoner.
 Mir Bryans income is derived from his lectures and his pen, and he has time enough left to devote nearly two months of this year to campaign speeches and for these speeches he not only receives no pay, but for the most part he pays his own expenses and does not ride on passes either. He is interested in the reforms which he advocates and is glad to aid the men who are fighting for these reforms. During the past six years he has given more than s19,0OO to various campaign committees besides devoting a considerable portion of each year to political speeches delivered without com pensation in different parts of the coun- try If republican papers desired to be fair they would compute the amount which Mir. Bryan might make if the time devoted to political speeches were devoted to featuring, and then consider that sum a cash contribution to politics. but inJ stead of that they try to lessen the force of his speeches by accusing him of mak- ing money out of campaign work.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
Ancient Bracelets Found.

Four magnificent bracelets belonging to the queen of King Fer, who reigned near ly 5000 B. C., were among the discoveries made by Professor Petrie while excavat- ing at Abydos, Egypt, last year. The workmanship of these Is most ingenious and delicate. The finest bracelet is form ed of alternating plaques of gold and tur- quoise. each surmounted with the royal hawk and paneled to initiate the front of the tomb or palace. This bracelet con- ssts of thirteen gold and fourteen tur- quoise plaques In the form of & facade. whereupon was inscribed the name of the queen. The gold was worked by chisel and furnishing. The second bracelet had a centerpiece of gold. with amethyst and turquoise beads and bands of braided gold wire. The fastening of the bracelet was by loops and button of a holloy ball of gold, with shank of gold wire fastened In 1t. The third bracelets Is of spiral beads of gold and lazuli, in three groups. Making the fourth bracelet four groups of hourglass beads, amethyst be- tween gold, with connections of gold and @iurQuoise.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
LETTERS TO EDITOR.
Present street car systen.
Editor off inc Age-HeraId:

To the Editor of the Age-Herald:
 I notice with much interest the com munication in your paper about the ac- ton of the Woodlawn citizens in regard to the Electric Railway company resum- ing the sale of 4-cent tickets.
 Now, I have been living on the East Lake car line almost during it's entire ex- istence. have ridden on 1t possibly more than any man living on it. I have no connection with the company and never have had. remember distinctly when the dummies ran every thirty minutes and took fifty minutes to make the trip and burnt coal. I remember when the first electric cars were put on. These were improvised cars, formerly used for dummy cars. The fare was cents origin ally, and later the company sold tickets at $4 per 100 in order to get a little ready money ahead, they being pressed for means. We now have a magnificent double track line; we have cars with four motors, electric heaters for winter. air brakes, car every seven minutes in the morning and evening, and a schedule not exceeding thirty-hve minutes where 1t was formerly fifty minutes. man, wom- an or child living at East Lake can go to Powderly for a niclxle They formerly paid 10 cents. They can go to the North or South Highlands, to Fountain Heights, to East Thomas, to North Birmingham, and in fact anywhere within the 5-cent limit out of Birmingham in an opposite direction from East Lake for one fare. This transfer system in my judgment is the best thing that ever happened for Bir- books without the transfers.
 of course I grant you that if we can get both the $4 book of tickets and the transfers it is very desirable, but I am told that the railroads cannot exist and give as good service as is now being given and do both. I would rather pay the ex- tra cent for the present service for many reasons-in the first place, I save more than that much time on the trip, and I under the old system. Have you ever thought of 1t that man making a round trip every day in the month between East Lake and Birmingham saves a full days time under the present schedule, as com pared with the former schedule, and it costs him just 50 cents a month more to pay the 5-cent fare than to buy tickets: besides 1t is conceded that a man will use more tickets than nickles besides losing the interest on his A. really believe the people are making a mistake in agitating the subject of ticket sales against trans fers- Respectfully, J. K. P. LACY.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
carneale's Ideas.

p. Lesser. editor of the Courier, was newspaper man in Germany before he set foot on American soil, and ever since his naturalization he has been a close reader of Fatherland papers. He is recognized today as the best informed citizen of Birmingham in the matter of European affairs and of German affairs in partlc- ular, social. religious, commercial and po- litical. In view, therefore. of his knowl- edge of old world thought and conditions, he smiled when he read in an afternoon paper Andrew Carnegie's remarks delv- cred at the University of St. Andrew In Scotland, in which an appeal was made to the German Emperor to form some thing like a United States of Europe un- der the name of a social and industrial union.
 "Mr. Carnegie's idea is impracticable- absolutely impracticable said MT. Les ser last night. Ut is simply absurd. The Emperors risibles will be in play when his imperial majesty reads Carnegie's speech
 "The commercial interests of Germany, Russia, France and Italy clash, and the Emperor and other prominent men of Eu- rope have all they can do in averting war. The peace conference at The Hague was a failure. No big international ques- tion has been submitted to The Hague commission, and in my opinion never will be. MT. Carnegie may apprehend truth in It's relation to American and British commerce and politics, but he misses 1t entirely when 1t comes to continental Europe"
 Another educated German-American who reads European newspapers re- marked upon reading a synopsis of Car negies speech:
 'The only way Emperor William might consent to take part in European com pact would be on the Charlemagne line, that is to say, to be absolute ruler of the vest He Is ambitious to dominate Flu rope. The talk of his desire to join the Roman Catholic church grows out of his tendency to play the Chariemagne role William has never been crowned, and 1t is believed that he will never have a coronation unless the pope consents to anoint him. MT. Carnegie does not un- derstand European politics."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
A Preacher on Preaching.

It is pleasant sometimes to hear a man talk shop" especially if he is dis tinguished man working in a great shop. Dean Hole in his book "Then and Now" has some humorous and wise things to say about his own profession. preaching.
 We want more simplicity, he says-to speak in tongue that Is "understanded of the people," Moliere used to read his comedies to an old, uneducated woman that he might judge by the manner in which she was affected how his wit and humor would be received by the people. I could name some poor old folks whose opinion I should rather have about a sermon of mine than that of men in high estate.
 "Tell me the story simply, as to lit- tie child!' cries the heart that yearns for truth: but some preachers take pleas pressed in his silent facial contortions, physics
 A famous classical scholar, preaching to small congregation of rustics in the lake district said to them, 'In this beau tiful country, my brethren, you have an apotheosis of nature and an apodeiknen- sis of theopratic omnipotence."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
The production in the United States was, by states, as follows;

Grand total. SS9, ,1s4 6,417, ,SS5
 The report discusses at length the district or disturbance reaching from Alabama to Texas" The wells at Lake Charles, Jennings and other points in Louisiana are found in this line of disturbance. The wells on the coastal plain near Beaumont are also in 1t. As to those Texas wells at Spindle Top the report is optimistic. After 15,0O0,00O to 18,000,000 barrels have been taken out the officers of the survey say the dregs will have to be secured by the more tedious meth cd of bailing or pumping, but they be- lieve that in the long run Texas will stand at the head of the list of the oil-producing states in this country.
 The marketing and storing of the product is the chief problem in the Beaumont district, but nearly 5,0O0,- GOO barrels were handled in 1901, and perhaps twice that number will be handled this year. During last year S5 per cent of the shipments from the Beaumont district were by rail and only 15 per cent by tidewater. After a while. perhaps, these figures will be reversed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
HOW JOE WHEELER FELT.

From the New Orleans Times-Democrat
 Representative Champ Clark tells this one on Gen. Joe wheeler: When the Spanish war was brewing General Wheel CT was anxious to get into the fight, if there was to be one. An ex-confederate met him on the avenue and said: Gen eral, why are you so anxious for scrap with Spain?' Sir replied the general, it's my trade-my trade. His daughter said to the general that surely he had had enough of fighting to satisfy any reasonable man from 1861 to 1S65 and he should stay at home and let the young men do the fighting Now, daughter, said the general, If a fish had been out oe the water thirty-odd years and came in sight of a nice looking lake he would wiggle little, at any rate, wouldn't her And the old warrior did wiggle into the thickest of the fight
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
THE POPULATION IN CHINA.
It Consists of 42e,ooo,ooo Persons In a
 Comparatively Small Country.

From the New York Sun.
 The Chinese government has made a re- census of the population of China proper, according to which the inhabitants num- Der about 426, 0O0 900 souls. There are req sons for believing that this figure may be approximately correct. The figures for Chinas population usually printed have been these of the Chinese census modified by writers on China whose opinions were regarded as worth considering. Faith Tn the Chinese figures has fuctuated. At times they have been accepted Tor years ard then rejected on account of the fn- creasing number of writers who disputed their accuracy.
 In recent years more credence has been given to the Chinese statistics of popu- lation. Two years ago E. M. Kohler German geographer well acquainted with various parts of China, expressed the view that though the methods of the Chi nese census are inexact. they are more trustworthy than the estimates of for eigners who know only a small part tf the country. He gave excellent reasons for assuming that 3S0,000,000, the Chinese figure of 1882, was approximately accu- rate; and this has been generally accept ed by statisticians for the population or the country twenty years ago. The pres- ent enumeration is only 13,O00,OOO more than the Chinese figure for 1S42.
 the density of population produced py
 We have little idea in our country or crowding 426,OOO,0O0 people into emma proper That region is less than ,haiI as large as the United States witnoue Alaska; and yet, If the present figures are accepted, there are about as many peopIe in the nineteen provinces as m the whole of Europe, and nearly SIX times as many as there are In the uhi.eo States. We may perhaps give an laea of the density of population on the plains of China, where the people live most tb,ckly together, by stating that if the whole population of the United States ana 4O GOO GOO more were crowded Into the state of Texas the density of population would be about equal to that of the Yangtse valley and of the plain extend ing north and south between the lower courses of the Yangtse and the Hoang rivers.
 No wonder the Chinese are compelled to | terrace and till their mountain slopes | even to height of 5000 feet; and that l every square foot of land that can be
 made to raise food is kept in constant l service and at the highest point of fer l tility. In his book, Through Hidden
 shensi." Mir. Nichols gives a graphic pict- a sxa of thsss tarraced mountains which
The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-23
Fast Mail to the Decaturs,

The arrival here after this month at about 6 o'clock in the morning of a fast mail from New York is an ad- ditional reason for putting on an early morning train to the Decaturs, for in that way mail matter that leaves New York on one morning can be delivered on the following morning in the Ten nessee valley.
 The Louisville and Nashville has never yet failed to respond to any reasonable appeal from its patrons. It's popularity Is so great that the people have come to love the abbre- viated name-"the old l.. & N" And when ninety miles of its patrons ask )n a body for an early morning train