davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
Wheat. Corn and Cotton.

The maintenance of a reasonable de- gree of prosperity depends, as 1t all ways does at this season of the year, upon the growing crops, and every one of the three great commercial and export crops of the country Is promis- ing. The Manassas state board of agri- culture confirms the opinion that Kan sas is harvesting a great winter wheat crop, and what is true of Kansas Is true also of Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska. The great crop of 1891 will be exceeded in Kansas at any rate, and the chances are good that there will be in the country bumper wheat crop, for no adverse reports are coming in from the spring wheat states.
 Corn in the great surplus states is made in July and August, and the weather In Iowa and surrounding states is ideal for the growing of corn. Last years corn crop was 2,523, 3,64S, ,312 bushels, record crop. The acreage may be somewhat less than that of last year, but no one estimates 1t at less than S0,00O,000. The average pro duction of ten years has been "A. 52 bushels to the acre, so that a crop of just about two billion bushels may be expected. If on March l last there were twelve hundred million bushels of last years great crop on hand, a crop of two billion bushels will meet all needs, and barring unusually early frosts crop fully up to two million bushels will be made. Iowa alone Is anticipating a crop of three hundred and fifty million bushels, and even Kansas expects to make a good crop if hot winds do not wither her late plantings. With a big reserve on hand and with prospects of crop fully up to two billion bushels, there will be corn enough to go round.
 The cotton crop is in good condition. and no unexpected trouble has been inflicted upon it. The acreage is large, and it is at present unreasonable to expect crop below eleven million bales. It will soon be blooming and fruiting from one end of the cotton belt to the other. In fully half of the cot
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03

fer routes on file in the department, and these will, it is said, be acted on in order. All that a congressman can do now is to file an application for a free delivery route, and the postoffice department will do the rest--or rather, 1t says it will do the rest impartlally, fairly and justly.
 If the new policy be adhered to strictly the south will be the gainer. Heretofore this section has been heavily discriminated against in order that republican congressman in doubt ful district might be fully served. Un- der the new plan congressional dis tricts will be disregarded, and states only will be considered, and the states that file the most applications will se- cure the most inspectors and therefore tho most reports, and apparently un- der the new plan, the most routes. The  doubtful districts will not be supplied just before election with a network of rural free delivery routes, but all will be served in turn without partlality or favor. At least that is what Postmas- ter General Payne says he will do, and we may as well take him at his word until we know his words are val ueless. There are many who do not trust him beyond sight, but the south has nothing to lose in accepting his promises, and it may as well proceed on the basis that the plan will be car red into effect
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
From the Washington Times.

From the Washington Times.
 NA AN fish talk? That is the ques- k0 tion. Are our finny friends able
 O to converse in the cool depths of the silent sea? Do they have pink teas in their coral grottos and feasts of rea- son and flow of soul amid the seaweed groves where their schools seek calm and quiet far below the troubled wave and the greedy hand of man? Have scientists been mistaken all these years, and have those who spoke the phrases, "as silent as a fish, 'as dumb as an oyster" uttered words which could not bear the light of scientific Investigation?
 It Is a Frenchman of science who has aroused these disturbing doubts in the minds of the human family. As the story comes to us by cable-passing many a haunt of loquacious fish and doubtless bestirring them to laughter and fiippant comment-this person, for some reason best known to himself, descended into the sea in a diving bell. While at the bottom he noticed the sound of voices In his neighborhood. Somewhat surprised, he took occasion to look around him and try to discover whence came articulate sounds at depth and in medium which would naturally argue for deathlike si-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
RlRDs' NESTS STOP A CLOCK.

Southampton, L. l., Telegram to the New
 York Herald
 Twice within the last week the big clock in the steeple of the Presbyterian church has been stopped by birds build ing their nests.
 Quick work was done by the tiny architects. While the minute hand was making it's hourly round the other day the birds built a nest on the south side of the dial and when the hand reached the obstruction 1t came to a stop.
 The nest was somewhat disturbed. but after recovering from their alarm the birds immediately repaired the damage. Then they were dIslodged by the sexton. and the clock was started again.
 A new attack was mace on the dial later another nest was built. and again the clock was stopped.
 Daily inspections are now made of the open dial to prevent the intruders from working further mischief.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
This is good old summer time.
PRIvATEs NOW GENERALS.

From the Buffalo Express.
 Another interesting feature of the sit- uation Is the fact that former private soldier Is to be head of the army. under the President. General Young began his military career as a private in the Twelfth Pennsylvania infantry in 1861. When he retires next January he will be succeeded by another former private sold- ier--General Chaffee. General Chaffee en- listed as private in the Sixth cavalry in 1881, and will not retire until 1906. So the first two chiefs of the general staff will be soldiers who have risen from the ranks. But six of the seventeen men who have been generals-in-chie of the United States army have been West Pointers. Those six ranged from Grant to Schofield. All six reached the command in conse- quence of the civil war, and now once again the generalcy-in-chief has swung back to soldiers who entered the army by other doors than the Military acade- my.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs.
New Railroad Coming.

.As well provided with railroads as Bir- mingham Is, this districts transportation facilities will be greatly increased within the next year or two" said prominent locating engineer. "The seahoard Will soon have trains running into this city and before 1905 the Illinois Central will also have line here. The Central has already made preliminary surveys, and l think it's locating engineers will be at work before the end of the year.
 "It will certainly not be a long while before tho Gould system starts to build this way. The Brunswick and Birming- ham will push on to this district and do not think there is much doubt about the projected Birmingham. Huntsville and Gulf railroad being built. While the lat ter will be only a local road, of course it will develop a rich country ~ viii put Huntsville and Birmingham in direct com munication which has long deen desir- able"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
About John A. Loaan.

w. P. Meyer, at the Metropolitan ho- tel. anont the much mooted question of John A. Logan's political leanings dur ing the early days of the late civil war. said yesterday Tn 1861 I was m school at Mayfield, Graves county, Kentucky. Geor- gia was my native state. and when they passed the ordinance of secession, I de- termined to go with my state and made up my mind to enlist at the first oppor- tunity. That occurred when a company of seventy-four men came to Maytield from Marion, Williamson county, Illinois. headed by man named Thorndyke Brooks who claimed to represent John A. Logan of Illinois.
 Brooks said that his agreement with Logan was to rendezvous the company at Union City, Tenn. and there await his coming, before organizing and elect ing officers. Logan was to join in ten days.
 Brooks carried out his part of the programme and I went along with the company. but Logan did not materiallze. However, his father-in-law, MT. Cunning ham, came at the expiration of the time and told us that we need not wait longer for Logan as he had gone to Washington and would never come south as a Confed- crate soldier.
 "We then organized and elected H. B.. Cunningham, John A. Logan's brother-in- law. as captain of the company. There were several of Logan's blood relations that served as members of the company"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
IF THE FISHES REALLY
 TALK WHAT DO THEY SAY?

lence. Beholdl It was a little coterie of fishes engaged in converse. The testimony of eye and ear was not to be shaken by mere human doubts. The savant both heard and saw the fishes speaking one to another. He says he did and 1t would be churlish and unchivalrous to doubt the verty of his testimony.
 The Frenchman says he was not able to remain under water long enough to fa- miliarlze himself with the language used by the fishes, but he is confident that after suitable study he could learn to comprehend them. It is to be hoped that he will try. The secrets of ocean depths are very interesting ones and if this man can persuade the denizens of those depths to speak out and disclose those secrets the wealth of the world in knowledge will be noticeably increased
 Interesting also would 1t be to learn what the fishes think about us? What are their ideas concerning the creatures who catch and eat, or fail to catch and lie about, them? We call them cold-blooJ- ed. Are they so much so as some of our alleged philanthropists? It is true they eat their children, and those of their neighbors, but they go about 1t in a straightforward way, and do not add hypocrisy to cruelty Superior to us, then, in virtue, their opinions of us are worth listening to. We might learn much from them If means of communication were to be set up by some savant from France.
 Let the diving bell experiment go on.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
Rural Free Delivery.

The hogging of rural free delivery routes by republican congressman is to be stopped-so the wires say. As matters have been going in the post office department ono hundred routes have been handed over to republican congressmen and about five to demo. cratic members. As the democratic members live largely in the south, it follows th~c the north is getting the lions share of routes, and the south is getting only few here and there.
 It is now proposed to stop such sec tionalism and downright injustice. It is proposed to name an inspector for each state, and routes are to be estab- lished in the order in which applica- tions are filed. First come first served" says Mir. Bristow, is to be the rule. This reads well on paper. but that it will be enforced in the year pre- ceeding a presidential election is a trifie more than doubtful
 There are now 15,000 applications
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
cnllman,s Pure Alr.

"Cullman is becoming well known for mer climate and quite a number of fam ilies from the southern part of the state spend July and August there," said a Cullman merchant. No town in the south is so free from malaria. perhaps, as Cullman. The founders of St. Ber- nard College near our town have never ceased to congratulate themselves In To- eating where they did, The college Is 10 years old and in that time there has been no sickness among the students. Many of the boys remain there all summer and they certainly thrive in the pure water and the pure air'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
About Persens.

F. S. Cunningham of Drifton Is at the Metropolitan.
 J. D. Arnold of Sterrett, Ala. Is regis tered at the Metropolitan.
 Robert Reese of Bell Ellen is stopping at the Metropolitan.
 J. E. Mann of Roanoke is at the Metro politan.
 Claude fims of Guthrie, Ky. Is staying at the Metropolitan.
 John II. Disque of Gadsden is at the Morris.
 A. L. Tyson of Mobile is registered at the Morris.
 c. w. Duggan of Greensboro is at the Morris.
 J. G. Jennings of Chattanooga is staying at the Morris. / George W. Ely of Montgomery. travelling
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
WHAT IS pEMocRAcYa

David Starr Jordan in the Atlantic.
 The presence of the king Is not the es- sential feature of monarchy. It Is the absence of the people. Where the people are not consulted, it is not vital to the government that they be wise, nor even that wise men should be among them. In fact, they are more easily handled without this kind of obstruction. Therefore the tendency of the monarchy Is to separate the men from the mass as we might choose the sheep from among the goats. But in a democracy, those who are ruled must also rule. They have no less need of individual wisdom. but they must have it diffused among themselves. not con- centrated in a class above. Nothing can be done for a democracy save what the people do for themselves. It is impossible to provide for it an educated oligarchy. Its public servants are of its own kind, It's agents or its attorneys, in no sense It's rulers, not often even its leaders. For the most part therefore, the wisest men In the democracy will not be in office. The voice of wisdom should rise from the body of the people to the throne of power. When democracy needs a leader In the seat of authority 1t is because 1t has in one fashion or other gone out of it's way. Going out of its way, 1t has come to crisis. The cause of every crisis, in a democracy, is a mistake of one sort or another. A crisis arises with a question of right and wrong. Such question never becomes a burning one unless the popular feeling has somewhere gone wrong and worked itself out In wrong action.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
LETTERS TO EDITOR

To the Editor of The Age-Herald; The cause assigned by your correspon~ dent in today's paper for the act of Hon. James A. Huey is entirely incorrect. The unfortunate occurrence was due to a de- pressed mental condition not at the time understood by his friends.
 As evidence of MT. Huey's standing in the community the judge of the City Pro- bate court and the entire bar of Talla- dega joined in a written expression of their esteem for him as a private individ- ual and public official ana expressed the hope that he would soon be in his office in the discharge of his official duties. It is gratifying to state his condition is fa- vorable and the prospect of his early recovery good.
 ALEX. NJ CAREER.
 J. II. JOHNSON,
 CECIL BROWN. Talladega, July ?.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

of which Bret Harte wrote. We all re- member the simple but thrilling tale and how "Tennessee's Partner stuck to hiin through heartless wrongs and neglect. In the story Tennessee" was lynched in ( spite of the efforts of his partner. and in the spring the latter followed his friend to another world. In reality, however, both are still living, but their days are numbered With the death of chaffee picturesque character in fiction will rass from the stage of life.
 The ex-Crown Princess of Tuscany will henceforth be known as Princess Louise of Tuscany and in the course of few years will sink into obscurity from which 1t is quite probable she will never again emerge. The princess has gone to the chateau of Ronno, the home of the aged Countess de Saint Victor, a widow of King Henry V. of France. who ruled over that country for a few hours in 1880 and died in Austria as the Count de Chambord The Countess de Saint Victor will be lady in-waiting for the Princess Louise and chief of her household.
 An experiment in moving towns by the wholesale has failed and the slower process of rebuilding has been adopted. A few years ago Watson. Indiana, prom ised to become quite a cement center and a number of houses were built to accom- modate the employees of a large mill built there by a Louisville. Wy, firm. The hopes of the citizens failed to material ize, however, and the mill closed down. It was thought possible to move the houses of the operatives to the town of Speeds, about five miles distant without tearing them down. and a large wagon capable of holding one house was con- structed. It was not much trouble to load the houses but when the wagon reached the first hill the unwieldly load began to slip forward and 1t would have been disastrous to proceed The engines were uncoupled and the project abandon ed The houses will be torn down and hauled to Speeds by piecemeaI.
 The old joke about watering the milk is evidently a sad reality 4n London town for a recent report to the house of com mons revealed that s15O000 every year Is paid for water which is put in the milk supplied to the great city. In one day 144O00 gallons of milk are received in London which Is sold for i'd a quart. The rate of adulteration is 15.2 Such a state of affairs Is woeful to contemplate, but it is just as bad in this country. The milk man and his watered stock are in- seperable adjuncts of every town and few are the people lucky enough to get the precious lacteal fluid unadulterated
 In a year this country exports to Man churia s5O0o,000 worth of goods, and if the machinations of Russia would permit no doubt this trade would be rapidly in- creased for the Americans facility for building up trade is proverbial The situ- ation in Manchuria is a tclSlish one, and has been the subject of much comment in the papers of this as we'll as other countries. Russia evidently sees that she has what is called a good thing, and does not seem disposed to turn loose or allow any other nation to obtain a foothold. There may yet be trouble over this mat ter but such things belong to the fu- ture.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03
LOW SOCKS FOR WOMEN
 MASCULINE CAMPERS

they are IS inches long, instead of the regulation IA inches, and have ribbed tops, just half the width of the mems. A great many women. however, do not buy those made specially for women. They prefer to purchase the regular mas- culine socks, just IA inches long"
 Continuing, the dealer said: Two weeks ago a young girl who attends a Fifth avenue seminary stopped before the win dow to admire a pair of women's half hose, embroidered in white. After hesi- tating outside for perhaps five minutes. she came in and bought them. The fol- lowing Saturday half dozen of her girl friends from the seminary came in and asked for some socks just like those she had bought. We equipped them not only with a complete assortment of black and white and colored socks but with mems garters to match. and they went away delighted
 These garters are made of white or coming down in front of the leg to catch the top of the sock. We put little white satin bow on them to make them look little prettier. but otherwise they were just the ordinary mans garter. l filled an out-of-town order last week for a dozen pairs of boys 7lk sizes. They went to a well known society girl at Tuxedo. These socks are made in silk and lisle and cotton in plain black and whites, hand embroidered. with lace set in."
 We don't sell them to the stage peo- pie. can't recollect a single order from person in the theatrical profession. They are to meet a demand from our regular customers. both in New York and throughout the country"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03

N N EXAGGERATED rumor has WY been started in Washington that there is much excitement over the kaiser's recent inspection of the Am erican batt1eship Kearsarge. His close scrutiny of the vessels arms and equip ment Is claimed to have been based on a sinister motive and there are excitable persons who assert that the whole affair at Kiel was for the purpose of allowing Emperor William to get an idea of the effectiveness of the American navy. Such an inspection is rather unusual for off cers of a foreign power to make on board visiting ships, but the fear of anything disastrous resulting is almost ludicrous.
 If Emperor William really had any de- sire to study the navy of this country he would not have the least obstacle to pre- vent and he probably knows more about the subject now than great many of our naval officers. There are practically no restrictions placed on the workmen employed at our navy yards In the mat ter of giving out information. The regu- lations for visitors are extremely lax Any one can gain admittance to the yards and watch the construction of our war ships. Under such conditions all Tor eign nations keep themselves well in- formed of the progress made by the Am erican navy and possess ample knowledge without resorting to an elaborate suoter- fuge. person, even though he be as close an observer as the German kaiser, could learn very little of the practical workings of a modern man-of-war in the course of a few hours inspection.
 Last Sunday Plymouth church, Brook lyn, was filled with an immense audience to hear the first sermon delivered in Am erica by the Rev. Dr. Reginald John Campbell. pastor of the City Temple in London and one of the greatest of Eng fish preachers. So large was the throng at the church that the services of police men were required to keep the people from pushing into the already ovef- crowded building The days of Henry Ward Beecher were recalled, when people from all parts of the United States came to hear the great divien preach.
 The arrival of Dr. Campbell reminds us that we have no minister or national or international fame in this country at present. Since the death of Talmage and Beecher no one has appeared to fill their shoes Young Frank Talmage is nominally taking his fathers place but he Is said to be far from the equal of the elder Talmage, both in power and eloquence. We hear a great deal of such sensa- tionalists as Parkhurst and Hills, but they could not be considered our great preachers The truth of the matter is that America is without a great religious cap tain, a man who stands supreme in the realms of churchdom.
 "Tennessees Partner" the hero of Bret Hartes beautiful story, is said to be ly- Ing critically i'll in a hospital at Oakland, Cal. The real name of the man is J. A. Chaffee, and for more than fifty years he has occupied shanty in Second Gar rotte.' a mining camp of Tuolumne county. Chaffee Is fitting hero, and the halo of fiction which surrounds his fife is largely based on fact. ''Tennessee' bears the name of Chamberlain, and the devotion of these two men has continued through all the years since the wild days
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-03

New York, July 2.-"Tfalf hose for la dies read large illuminated signs in the windows of several shops in Fifth avenue, and announce fad for wearing socks with regular mems garters which is &C., tually upon New York society. High society and real society, not the stage, where such fantastic crazes usually have their birth and die, has taken 1t up. Women who would scorn the peek-a-boo waist have been seen wearing both socks and the garters that go with them.
 The shops are full of dainty conceits, some fresh from Parish where the craze originated, and some of native manufac- ture. The women who wear the socks say they do 1t simply to be cool. not be- cause it is a daring and novel fashion. But. whatever It's cause, the vlsion of an apparently sedate young woman, who' upon lifting her skirts to enter cab or at a muddy crossing, reveals pair Of embroidered socks and an inch Of pink flesh encircied by a white or black silk garter. Is certainly calculated to excite comment.
 When a Fifth avenue dealer was asked if women really are wearing socks. he said emphatically: "Yes, indeed. They are fad which reached New York from Paris late last year. and some women took 1t up at once but 1t did not be- come general in society until within the last two months. In the last week we received orders for womens socks every day from summer resorts. I sent half a dozen pairs of embroidered silk ones yes terday to a Chicago woman whose name Is equally well known in the west and New York. These women's socks are made just the same as the mems. only