davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
SANTA CLAUS.

From the Baltimore American.
 Christmas is coming again. Only those who have presents to purchase or prepare, or both, know just how rapidly. To the child the festival day creeps and crawls with leaden pace, and bids fair never to arrive. Some day it will be different. He or she will live through whole eventful years that will seem far shorter than does single day on the eve of the great est and most universally celebrated holi- day
 Apropos of the approach of that great festival some ultra-moralists will begin again to agitate the question as to the right or wrong of teaching or sanctioning the Santa Clause illusion. That there ex- ists no flesh-and- individual of that name has disturbed a great many hyper critical and caused them to hewail the 'depravity' that characterizes those who teach such 'wretched untruths," such 'basphemy" to children. Right here let it be said that people with that idea of right and wrong do more to demoralize the world than all the outbroken sinners in it. They nauseate those who would otherwise hunger for righteousness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
About Persons.

A. D. Paxton of Louisville was one of the Hillman's arrivals last night. Paul J. Murphy of Anniston is regis tered at the Morris.
 W. J. Boykn, one of Gadsden's promi- politan.
 B. w. Burford of Athens is at the St. Nicholas.
 F. w. Donaldson, who travels for one of the leading matters of Louisville, Ky, is stopping at the Florence.
 F. E. Johnson of St. Louis is registered at the Hillman.
 A. L. Atwood and T. A. Barham of Troy were two of the Norris arrivals last night.
 H. B. Grey of Edens is stopping at the St. Nicholas.
 P. A. Glenn, one of Branchville's lead ing citizens. is stopping at the Metro politan.
 F. J. Nicholas of Huntsville, B. A. Treat of Florence and Alex Moore of Tuscaloosa are stopping at the Morris.
 
 J. R. Thornton of Atlanta and c. M Joiner, Jr., of Rome are registered at the Hillman.
 c. L. Neal, one of Caleras leading citi- zens. is stopping at the St. Nicholas. F. R. Holley of Pittsburg and F. E. Johnson of St. Louis are registered at the Hillman.
 MT Scott, general manager of the In- dian Head cotton mills of Cordova was one of the Hillman's late arrivals last night.
 Cecil A. Beasley of Fayette was one of the Metropolitan's arrivals last night. MT. w. c. Adams of Garnsey was in Birmingham yesterday.
 William Halls of New York vice pres ident of the Hanover National Bank and vice president of the Birmingham Realty company. arrived last night He is stop ping at the Hillman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
NEW ENGLAND COTTON MILLS.
Fall River Manufacturers Not Incinec
 to Curtail Output.

Special to the New Orleans Times-Dem-
 ocrat.
 New York.-A special to the Journal of Commerce from Fall River says: Manu- facturers here are in receipt of letters from Concord, N. C., inviting them to at tend the cotton manufacturers meeting to be held in Charlotte, N. C., Tuesday, December 8, with a view of formulating united action in curtailing cotton mill pro- duction. The letters have been talked over informally, but 1t Is not likely that any action will be taken here to send a delegation south at this time. The diffi- culty Is not concerning the wisdom uf united curtailment all over the contry so far as local manufacturers are concern ed, but with the seeming impossloility of bringing about curtailment by agree ment at this period. The immediate pros- pect therefore, Is that the mills here will run along as best they can for a few weeks, awaiting the turn of events after the first of the year. A contraction in the prices of cloth under present condi- tions is wholly out of the question, and the chances favor higher prices if the de- mand is normal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
UNITARIAN MINISTER ON
 A MANS GROWING OLD

recovery, and out of it a Unity fairer than that which was burned. And then, twenty-four years ago, he comes to New York and to this church.; and you know what his life has been as he has gone in and out among you; as he has chris , tened the children, married the young men and women; as he has stood with you in your hours of sorrow by the casket containing those you called your dead.
 He has won a name here and the love of everybody that has known him. I have never heard that he had an enemy; if he has one it is of the kind a man i should be honored for possessing; he has no enemies among those who love truth and care for the right.
 And now he has grown old among you. he has climbed to the height of 80 years, but to my mind there is no pathos. in sad sense, about 1t. I know his life has grown a little lonely; some of those who stood nearest to him, and whom he clasp ed to his heart with infinite tenderness, have faded into the unseen but he and I and all of Us know that they are not lost; he knows 1t, he believes 1t, and his pathway in the streets is not walked without companionship; the invisible forms of those he tenderly loves and ex- poets by and by to see again walk by his side; they keep him company in his room. they visit him in the dreams or his sleep ing hours
 He has grown gradually old-S0 years climbed to the mountain summit; and away over there he sees the sunset. But there is nothing sad about 1t, for he knows that as in Gods sunsets here the going down of that orb means the rising of countless others grander, greater. brighter than it means the opening of the universe to his advancing feet He looks back to the Yorkshire moors. and remembers the boy; he sees the young man; his first love; the birth of his children, and all that has made his life varied and rich and sweet; and now at the last he is surrounded by all that should accompany old uge-iove, honor. obedience, and troops of friends.
 All of us love him, all of us are glad he was born; all of us are glad he has grown old. And when, by and by-God postpone the day-he sha11 say good-by to us, I for one shall not count it good-by, but only good night, and I shall look for a handclasp in the morning.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
A Home for the Veterans.

The last legislature voted to take over the home for Confederate Veter- ans started by Colonel Falkner and his associates at Mountain Creek, appro- $125 a head for the maintenance of 1G0 veterans in it each year So far as the sums named go this is satisfactory, al though the state should provide shelter and food for every friendless and help less veteran who served her in the stress of war. There may be thousand of them, but, be the number what it may, the state richly owes them main tenance and the necessaries of life in the short time they will remain in this world.
 But the question cannot come up until 1907, and the pressing problem now relates to as speedy an applica- ton of the funds voted as the law ad- mits of Nothing has thus far Deen done towards putting the will of the legislature into effect. There may be obstacles in the way unknown to The Age-Herald. The object of this arti- cle is not to grumble or to criticise, but simply to ask the authorities of the state to expedite the work at Mountain Creek to the utmost, to the end that one hundred of the most needy veter- ans in the state may be provided with at least shelter and food
 There are here and there in this state veterans who are in great distress veterans who are stranded and friend less, and an early opening by the state of the institution at Mountain Creek would be a sensible relief and de- served tribute to the heroes of the war who will soon be beyond earthly help. The Age-Herald feels sure that Governor Jelks will not lose an hour in bringing to one hundred old and de- serving soldiers all the aid the state has voted them.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
New Hlah School Building.

Birmingham needs new high school building" remarked a large taxpayer, "and If the city council would submit the proposition to the voters for a bond issue to provide the funds with which to erect an adequate structure I believe it would carry by a large majority.
 An ordinance providing for submission to the voters the bond issue proposition has been pending for several months. Perhaps the council is waiting until pub lie sentiment is aroused on this question. would suggest that the Commercial club taken up the high school matter at its next regular meeting. Any resolution introduced would be referred to a com mittee and this committee would make a thorough investigation of the proposition. In this way public Nsentiment would be crystalized and I do not think there would be any doubt as to the result.
 Birmingham would have new high school building.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
SURPLUS OF COUNTRY IS
 USED BY SMALL GROUP

values) equal to about the combined pub- lie debts of Great Britain, France and the United States.
 The Wall Street Journal recently pub lihsed list of 10 railroads and 10 indus trial companies. having total capitaliza- tion of $2,417. ,5so. in which there were 199.090 stockholders. It would not be diff- cult to show that in the final analysis these 20 great properties, whose ownership is so widely distributed, are controlled by less than 20 persons. The Pennsylvania railroad has 34,5OO owners, but is con- trolled by a handful of capitalists among whom two or three constitute the domi- hating force.
 Our business concerns are thus largely owned by the people, but they are con- trolled by a few capitalists. The number of owners Is growing larger all the time. but the tendency is continually to con centrate the power of control. Corpora tions are combined into trusts, railroads are consolidated into systems, banks are linked together in chains of financial iu- stitutions. and these trusts, systems and chains are in turn united by communities of interests, and these communities ot
 
 influence which are discovered to centre in a handful of great financiers whose character, courage and skill and their personal wealth have lifted them into po- sitions of supreme leadership.
 It is now possible to express in ap- proximate figures the extent of the Mor- gan influence. It is as follows: Insurance companies, assets. .$, O6S,000,0 ,0OO Banks and trust companies, deposits ......................... SO,oOo.OoO Railroad capitalization, par
 value 2,4471 I'll, 300 United States Steel Corpora
 tion. par value ............... 1,52s. 900. GOO International Mercantile Ma
 rine. par value ................ 195,OOO. 900 General Electric par value . 45, 5,000, GOO International Harvester. par
 value ............................ 12OO00,0OO Other industrials, par value 240,O00,U00 No more than mere approximation to the truth is attended in the following summary of the Rockefeller influence in the financial world:
 Banks and trust companies, de-
 posits .......................... .sa9 571. .166 Standard oil company, par
 value 975Oo,oOo value ............................ 155,ooo.oOo American Linseed Oil par value 35.500.Ooo Iackawanna Steel par value .. v,, 900, 900 St. Paul Railroad par value.... 23O.1 600 Delaware, Lackawanna and
 Western, par value .......... 2s,2s 0Oo Missouri Kansas and Texas,
 par value ........1 14S, 70O 300 Missouri Pacific, par value .. PIP, 400 900 Consolidated Gas of New York
 par value, ..................... 147,0OO 0oC United States Realty and Con-
 struction. par value ............ ss,OOoOM
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
Great Profits in Beqqinq.

From Leslie's Weekly.
 A woman was arraigned for begging and vagrancy in the Essex Market police court in New York few weeks ago, who had among her belongings heavy bundle tied in a large colored handkerchief, in which was found over s70 in pennies and other small coin the whole mass weigh ing more than fifteen pounds. This, ac- cording to the womans own story, she had collected in two weeks, seated on the curb at a certain corner on the Bow cry with a plate in her lap.
 And, still more interesting was the dis closure made by bank book of her sav- ings bank in Syracuse, N. Y.. in her pos- session, showing an account to the wo- mans credit of over 5000.
 It appeared, also, that the woman had three grown-up children living in Syra- cuse who were able to care for her. Yet. so woebegone and poverty stricken did the woman appear when arraigned in court that not until her hoardings were disclosed, would even a police court shys- ter take up her case.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
AIabama's Senators.

Newspaper correspondents never tlre of reciting anecdotes of Senator Pet tus. thus attesting his popularity and standing at Washington. No one tells anecdotes about unpopular senators; no one cares what they think about gravy or anything else; but everybody in Washington takes delight in relat- ing whatever falls from Senator Pet tus' lips.
 Few of us appreciate how Alabama is honored by her two senators. Sena- tor Morgan standing as straight as an Indian is in his eightieth year, and l Senator Pettus, as full of humor as he ever was, is in his eighty-third year. And yet neither of them is old in the fullest sense of the word, and this fact astonishes all who see or meet them Neither of them is bit hard Of near ing, and either of them can grasp an intricate problem, and analyze it as fully and wisely as they could have done at any stage in their long ca reers.
 Men are led to say that if the air and soil of Alabama can keep men young at four score, it must be good state to live in. The more they marvel the more Alabama is honored. And the beauty of it all is, neither of our senators is an old man in respect Of decay of faculties mental or physical Either repudiates classification with the old men of the senate-with such men as the two senators from New York, who show feebleness in walk and in every look.
 The long and short of it is, Alabama is represented by two remarkable men-two men who are capable of hard work and who are as attentive to their duties as any other two men in the senate And if they are reelected in 1907 all precedent would be broken, and Alabama would come to be looked upon as the land that Ponce de Leon was searching for but never found-a land that restores the aged to youth and maintains every faculty of body and mind in undiminished yigor and power.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
FAMILY RECORD BIBLES.

From the New York Sun.
 Do we still sell the old-fashloned fam fly Bible, with it's pages in it for the rec ord of births, deaths and marriages? Oh. yes said the bookseller, 'but not so many of them as we once did
 There are more Bibles sold now, taking them altogether, than ever before. and the Bible is issued now In an almost endless variety of forms and styles; but the de- mand for it in this particular form is now. I should say. not more than one-third what it once was.
 Still we keep these record Bibles today in dozen styles. ranging in price from s5 to s2o. The blank record pages, these the two Testaments.
 Tn some of these Bibles there is a blank presentation page. upon which may be written the name of the person to whom the Bible is presented, with the name of the giver; and in some of them is contain ed blank marriage certificate; and in some there are bound in with the pages for the record of births, deaths and mar riages pages for the record of temperance pledges.
 These Bibles are more likely to be bought nowadays by country people, and 1t might be by people of the German race and by Irish Protestants; all likely to be substantial people of comfortable means conservative people who cling still to time honored customs.
 So, while the old-time family record Bible with pages for the record of births. deaths and marriages. has gone somewhat out of fashion and Is not sold to the ex- tent to which it once was, yet it is still sold and the demand for it Is still con- siderable n
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09

Sereno S. Pratt. in the Worlds Work. M of the estimated AOy wealth of the United States is O represented at the meeting of the board of directors of the United States Steel corporation when they are all pres ent The directors are: J. D. Roekefel- Ter, Marshall Field, E. H. Gary, w II. Moore, Henry c. Prick, W. E. Corey, F. H. Peabody, Charles Steele, P. A. B. Wid- ener, James H. Reid. Wm. Edenborn, E. c. Converse. J. P. Morgan, H. H. Rogers, Geo. w. Perkins, Norman B. Ream, chas M Schwab, c. A Griscom, Daniel G. Reid, J. D. Rockefeller, Jr., Afford Cliff ford, Robert Bacon, N. Thayer, James Gayley.
 They represent as influential directors more than 200 other companies. These companies operate nearly one-half of the railroad mileage of the United States They are the great miners and carriers of coal Among these companies are such industrial trusts as the Standard Oil, the Amalgamated Copper, the International Harvester, the Pullman, the General Electric, the International Mercantile Marine. the United States Realty and The leading telegraph system, the trac- ton lines of New York, of Philadelphia, of Pittsburg. of Buffalo, of Chicago and of Milwaukee, and one of the principal express companies, are represented in the board. This group includes also direc- tors of five insurance companies, two of which have assets of $700.O0000O. In the Steel board are men who speak for five banks and ten trust companies in New York city. including the First Ma tional, the National City and the Bank of Commerce, the three greatest banks in the country. and the head of impor- tant chains of financial institutions; for two banks and three trust companies in Philadelphia; for two banks and two trust companies in Chicago; for one bank and two trust companies in Boston, and for one bank and one trust company in Pittsburg, besides banking institutions in smaller cities. Telephone. electric real estate, cable and publishing companies are represented there, and our greatest merchant sits at the board table.
 What the individual wealth of these men is it would be possible and besides the point to estimate; but one of them MT. John D. Rockefeller, is generally es- teemed to be the richest individual in tho world. But 1t Is not the personal but the representative, wealth of theSe men that makes the group extraordinary. They control corporations whose capitalizations fa nnn nan amount of the capitalizations are real
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09

the other hand, it will be said that the junta is the de facto government at the isthmus, where no other govern ment exists. The truth Is, we have gone so fast and so far in this busI- ness, it is difficult to see how we can upset what has been done, question able as every step of the operation un doubtedly was. Practically speaking we have set up the republic of Pan. ana, and we must maintain it if the pending treaty be ratified, as it doubt less will be.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
Fine Hunting Grounds.

"The finest hunting ground around Bir- mingham is on the Jefferson county aims house farm near Woodlawn,' said sportsman" This tract of land consists of about four hundred acres, all of which is under cultivation, and in these fields there is plenty of game. There are how ever, very few who have ever had the pleasure of hunting there. The other day I secured a permit from the proper au- thorities and went out bird shooting. l saw seven coveys of cartridges and jump ed many rabbits during the short time l was there. Each of the coveys had twen- ty-five or more birds It seems like all of the game in that section of the county has gone to the fields of the county"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
THE OLD FAMILIAR FACES.

By Charles Lamb. I have had playmates. have had com-
 panions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful
 school days All, all are 'gone, the old familiar faces. have been laughing. have been carous-
 ing Drinking late. sitting late, with my bosom
 cronies- AL all are gone, the old familiar faces. I loved a love once, fairest among women; Closed are her doors on me, I must not All all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have friend, a kinder friend has no
 man: Like an ingrate left my friend abruptly; Left him to muse on the old familiar
 faces. Ghost-like I pace round the haunts of my
 childhood, Earth seemed a desert I was bound to
 traverse. Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom. thou more than Why vert not thou born in my fathers
 dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar
 faces How some they have died. and some they
 have left me. And some are taken from me; all are de- All. all are gone. the old familiar facss.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
The Florida Orange Crop.

''The Florida orange crop has fallen short considerably" said Morris avenue broker Many of the trees are so old they have ceased entirely to bear. These of course, have been suppanted by new trees but 1t may be several years before they bear fruit.
 q nave already disposed of twenty-five car loads of the Florida fruit in Birming- ham, and this will be about all will ham dle this season. A car load will average four hundred and eighty boxes. On the first of the year I expect to take trip out to California to contract for the bal ance of the fruit I expect. to handle this winter. Birmingham already consumes a great deal of California oranges as well as other fruits"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
A MOUNTAIN OF ALUM.

From the New York Tribune.
 German papers report that an "alum mountain" exists in China which is not only noted as natural phenomenon. but is also a source of wealth for the people of its vicinity, as they annually take tain is said to have circumference at the base of not less than ten miles, and is nearly 1900 feet high. The alum is quar- ried in immense blocks. is then heated in large ovens and afterwards dissolved in boiling water. From this liquid the alum chrystallizes in layers of apout a foot in thickness, which are cut up in blocks of ten pounds each. The Chinese use it mainly for purifying water
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
Panama at Washington.

The canal treaty with Panama, duly signed by the government junta of the newly-fedged republic, has been brought back to Washington, and is now before the senate awaiting ratifica- tion. Senator Cullom is chairman of the foreign relations committee, and he and all other republicans are desirous of speedy ratification. They will be aided by several democratic senators who think, as does Senator Morgan, that a Panama canal is better than no canal at all. It is not probable, how ever, that ratification will be secured before the holiday recess. The senate Is proverbially deliberate, and no doubt the treaty will go over to the opening month of the new year.
 The pending treaty really renders us guarantors of the present republic of Panama, for we will receive under it a I61-Inlle SlTlp dCTOSS lHe lSlHulub III perpetuity, and we guarantee the inde- pendence of Panama, and we are au- thorized to preserve peace, to exercise sovereignty in the ten-mile strip, and, if need be, in the cities of Panama and Colon. The republic can make no laws that will affect our rights or privileges without first obtaining our consent We will become dictators of sanitary meas ures in the cities of Colon and Panama, and really throughout the republic. In short, we assume protectorate, and as long as we are stronger than all corners we can protect any interests we may have at Panama.
 Doubtless the opponents of the treaty In the senate will make much Of the fact that Panama has no constitution and no treaty machinery--that the junta is but handful of men who may or may net be representative. On
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-09
Raisinu Chickens.

Col. E. L. Higdon on yesterday shipped 4S0 hens and twenty-five turkeys to his farm In St. Clair and Shelby counties. q now have about one thousand chickens on my farm" said Col. Higdon. and l intend next year to raise thousands of chickens. I have purchased several in- cubators, and will supply the local market with poultry.
 'I do not know of a better market in the south than Birmingham for poul- try and eggs. With hens bringing 35 cents each and eggs 22 cents per dozen, today In the local market 1t looks like there is money in raising chickens in Alabama"