davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
STELLA'S BIRTHDAY, MARCH f3,
 1724.
By Jonathan Swift.

By Jonathan Swift.
 As, when a beautiful nymph decays, We say she's past her dancing days; So poets lose their feet by time Ana can no longer dance in rhyme. Your annual bard had rather chose To celebrate your birth in prose; Yet merry folks, who want by chance pair to make a country dance. Call the old housekeeper, and get her To fill place, for want of better; While Sheridan is off the hooks And friend Delany at his books. That Stella may avoid disgrace. Once more the Dean supplies their place. Beauty and wit, too sad truth! Have always heen confined to youth The god of wit, and beautys queen, He twenty-onc. and she fifteen. No poet ever sweety sung, Unless he were like Phoebus, young; Nor ever nymph inspired to rhyme. Unless, like Venus, in her prime. At fifty-six. if this be true,
 Am 1 a poet fit for you?
 Or. at the age of forty-three. Are you a subject fit for me? Adieu! bright wit. and radiant eyes, Ygl must be grave and I be wise. Our fate in vain would oppose; But I'll be still your friend in prose; Esteem and friendship to express. Will, not require poetic dress: And. if the Muse deny her aid To have them sung. they may be said. But, Stella, say, what evil tongue Reports you are no longer young; That Time sits, with his scythe to mow Where erst sat Cupid with his bow; That half your locks are turned to gray. I'll ne'er believe a word they say. Iris true, but let it not be known. My eyes are somewhat diminish grown For Nature, always in the right, To your decay adapts my sigh;
 And wrinkles undistinguished pass. For I'm ashamed to use a glass; And till see them with these eyes, Whoever says you have them, lies No length of time can make you quit Honor and virtue. sense and wit:
 Thus you may still be voting to me. While I can better hear than see. O, ne'er may Fortune show her spite. To make me deaf. and mend my sikht
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
From the Washington Times.

WNNNE of the most valuable articles kVI in that always up-to-date publi-
 cation, "Hazells Annual'' for 1903. is careful summary of the different kinds of trusts or combinations of cap ital in Great Britain, the United States. and on the continent of Europe. On the continent, the kartell, by slightly diff ferent methods, does the work of the trust"
 Attempts to regulate production of the continent seldom take the form of actual fusions of combining firms. As rule, a number of independent manufacturers or traders form themselves into syndicate or kartell binding themselves by contract for specific purposes for longer or short CT period, sometimes for year. Observ- ance of the terms of the agreement Is in- sured by fines provided by the stipula- tions. In Germany kartells are quite legal and the governing bodies can enforce the contracts; in France the law courts, af- ter contradictory decisions, now allow their legality; in Austria they have no sound legal footing.
 In 1898, 345 national and forty-one na- tional kartells were enumerated in Ger many; in April 1902 300 were recorded by the German press-s0 dealing with trade and 220 with production (sO in the metal industry 20 in glass, stone and clay; 30 in chemicals, 20 in textiles, 10 in coal, food and paper); other authorities esti- mate the total at about 500. Recently the German government set on foot a private official inquiry, and a public investiga- tion has lately been begun. There are also about 100 kartells in Austria cover ing the most important industries. The new industries of Russia are all syndicat- ed, especially coal, cement, textiles pe- troleum, sugar, and to some extent met als. In France the movement has been hampered by the uncertainty of the legal position. but there are still many syn dicates to be enumerated, especially in
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
High Water and Wet Weather.

All records of high water are daily exceeded in the Lower Mississippi, and creyasses are reported many times day. but still there is hope, simply because the present surging tide may find an outlet at the sea before the vast waters held back by Jack Frost in the upper rivers arrive. Ordinarily the ice and snow of the upper rivers do not produce floods in the lower reaches of the great river until May. The present spring season is, however, early, wet and warm, and the fear is the upper waters will come down in April to find the Lower Mississippi still full to the brim. The result would be a disastrous flood from Cairo to the sea. It is not necessary, however, to anticipate. The present tide can be reasonably well cared for, and it is moving seaward as rapidly as its size and the grade of the rivers bed
 
 will admit of.
 The levee boards are alert and they are doing all they can to restrain the surging waters, and while they have their hands full, there is no reason for thinking they will not be able to cope with the present flood, or a sue cessive rise, if the two do not come together.
 It is reasonable to assume that plant ing operations in the rich Mississippi valley will be sadly interfered with, and as much corn and cotton should be planted in Alabama as can readily be done. Both will be needed. All farming operations are in backward condition on account of the prevail ing wet weather, but the small farmer, who is the hope of the land, can read fly overcome by increased energy the i'll effects of late start. The upland farmer has no floods to contend with. His land is, however, wet, and he has not been able to prepare it, but if he holds himself in readiness he will yet encounter sunny days, a few of which would wholly change the outlook in his neighborhood.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
An Improvement.

q came to Birmingham to live just five years ago, and in that time I have observed many Improvements" said a business man. Some of these improve ments have been on a large scale and such as every one would notice; but here Is what some persons might consider a little thing and yet it Is a matter well worthy of note.
 q attended a meeting of the Board of Trade in 1899 when the subject up for discussion was the police rule of arrest ing every man found on the street in a tpsy condition, regardless of whether the fellow with little jag on was obstreper- ous or not. I recall the fact that large majority of the members of the board favored leniency on the part of the po- lice. Several merchants pointed out cases of country customers coming to town, getting boozy and being run in The visitors thus treated got mad at Birming- ham and vowed they would not again come here to buy goods.
 "The board took no action and the mat ter was dropped. But I notice that the lenient policy advocated at that meeting is now in effect, and I am glad of 1t. l was never drunk in my life. but I have always made allowance for the Rube who got on a little skate when he struck the city
 'The Birmingham cops are certainly well disposed and gentlemanly. I was walking along near the Hillman a few days ago when I saw a policeman get rid of three tipsy men by turning them over to friends who promised to take care of them. Five years ago the officer would have arrested all three of them and locked them un.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Cost of Rivers and Harbors.

Alabama is the seventeenth state in population It is in every respect an average state, and it is the chief river state in the union. But it has not re- ceiYed one forty.fifth of the appropria- tions made for the improvement of riv- CTS and harbors. The government has just published a book showing the ex- penditures on rivers and harbors from 1892 to 1900, inclusive, the total ex- penditures for such work being S389,- 626, ,5S741 Alabama's fair share of this would be at least eight million dollars, but she has been benefited in fact to the extent of only $6,7S3 102.22. Georgia did better, for she got S7,97l,- 472, while Texas scores with the mag nifcent sum of s15,452,421. Even South Carolina was more fortunate than Alabama.
 The heavy appropriations are, how ever, in states like New York. Michi- gan, Illinois, Wisconsin, California and Massachusetts. Strangely enough Ten nessee is charged with but $238,000, and the Nashville American says "this is evidently wrong" It is wrong by sev- eral million dollars, unless indeed all the appropriations for the Tennessee river have been charged against Ala bama, when they should have been charged against Tennessee.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
GOVERNORS DAUGHTER A NURSE
Philadelphia Telegram to the Chicago Tribune.

Philadelphia Telegram to the Chicago
 Tribune.
 For the first time in the history of the Pennsylvania hospital therei was graduat- ed tonight in the outgoing class of trained nurses the daughter of the gov- ernor of the state. Miss Anna M. w. Pen- nypaeker, daughter of Governor Penny packer, stands high in her class which Is composed of seventeen young women, who have chosen nursing as profession, and who tonight ended their three-year course in the nurse school attached to the hospital. She takes genuine pleasure in her work, and the day preceding the commencement found Miss Pennypacker on duty in the ward. Miss Pennypacker is graduate of Bryn Mawr college. She is about twenty-four years of age
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
NEW WORKS GAMBLERS.

From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
 As assaults multiply and existing forti- fications are strengthened, 1t is not inn probable that in the near future a battery of heavy guns will need to be brought into requisition by the district attorney stationed in the street in front of a frowning three-story brick citadel, and a regular siege opened. It Is a mighty seri> ous business we are engaged in here, in the heart of the first city of the new world, and the power we are fighting is the most formidable, apparently. ever known to man. If nothing else shall avail mining and dynamite may be re- sorted to, and every citadel thus sent sky high.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
HOW FOREIGN TRUSTS OR
 KARTELLS ARE MANAGED

the sugar, chemical, salt, iron and tex tile industries; the Comptoir de Longwy, a sales bureau for thirteen of the largest iron pipe makers. was formed in 1S76 and has been renewed every five years.
 Apparently the condition necessarily precedent to the formation of any kind of kartell is a period of severe compe- tition, with production, low prices, and small or no profits. Improvement in trade has several times put stop to negotiations for union. Hence spring a number of attempts to control pro- duction in the interest of the producers. The lowest form is kartell to regh- late the conditions of sale--discount, credit, freight, terms of delivery, etc. Next above this come price associations, which attempt to fix prices;; they are easily formed and as easily dissolved, for, like the preceding form they do not touch the evil of over-production. Next come associations for the limita- ton of output either by agreeing to stop extensions of works, by running short time or stop-days. The fourth class are agreements for the division of territory, as in the contract between the Austrian and Hungatian iron kar- tells. The fifth class is much more im- portant, consisting of arrangements to pool the output of the contracting firms. Exact statistics of production are ob- tained, and the output is divided either according to the capacity of the associa- ted firms or according to their actual output over an agreed preceding period of three or five years. In another form production is automatically regulated by division of profits each firm paying to a central office an agreed proportion of a surplus of sale price over cost. and the sums thus resulting are divided periodically in agreed proportions;; firm which exceeds its production-quota thus derives no benefit therefrom. Such pooling agreements are found in the Austrian cement powder, petroleum, and sugar industries, and in the Hun garian grain mills.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
SENATOR7MORGAN'S GREAT
 WORD RECORD TABULATED
prom the New York sun.

From the New York Sun.
 KZN R. MORGAN of Alabama was IV more than threescore and fifteen years old when Mir. Hay and Lord Pauncefote negotiated the first canal treaty. The senator lacks now few months of 79 years. A literary achievement that is simply stupendous distinguishes this brief period of his ad- vanced age.
 Let us measure it by comparison.
 The thirty-five tragedies. comedies and historical dramas printed in the folio of 1923 contain about s5O,OOO words, the life work of the greatest of poets. This is the longitudinal measurement of Shake speare.
 Between the day when Edward Gibbon sat amid the ruins of the capitol, listened to the bare-footed friars singing vespers in the Temple of Jupiter, and conceived the idea of writing the decline and fall of Rome, and the time when the last vol ume of the colossal work issued for the press on his fifty-frst birthday, twenty four years elapsed. In these twenty-four years the IlSlOIldn pTOuuceQ aDOuL l,O25,- 900 printed words. This is, Gibbon.
 But the amazing output of each of these giants has been exceeded by the senator from Alabama since he was 75 years old. confning the count to the past three years, reckoning only his speeches, writings and laborious compilar tions on the single subject of the trans isthmian canal, and wiping from the rec ord every other utterance of his. MT. Morgan yet surpasses either Shakespeare or Gibbon.
 The proof of this statement is presented in the subjoined summary of part of his efforts since the original Hay -Paunce- fote treaty was sent to the senate, little more than three years ago. The | record is by no means complete, but it is sufficient to stagger the imagination. Special care has been taken to underes- timate rather than exaggerate the volume of such deliverances of MT. Morgans as are not yet officially measured; the speeches of his in executive session, for example, from which the seal of secrecy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18

see Coal, Iron and Railroad company win arrive in Birmingham today. R. M. Jemlson and s. D. Jemison of Tailadega are registered at the Morris. W. ". Temple of Carlisle, Tex. is at the Metropolitan.
  W. j. Gibson and wife of Detroit are at the Hillman.
 W. A. Davis of Anniston is registered at the Morris.
 A. ". Moore of Viola is stopping at the Metropolitan
 W. W. Griswold of St. Louis is at the Morris
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Great Preacher.

priest of exceptional pulpit force is the Rev. Father Brannan of Texas, who is visiting Birmingham. He has a wide reputation and in Montgomery, where he conducted a mission St. Peters church was not large enough to contain the peo- pie that thronged to hear him. spacious public building had to be engaged and every night there was scramble for admission.
 Father Brannan was lawyer for many years and his preaching is said to com bine strong logic and fervid eloquence. At any rate he always carries the crowd. Said prominent Catholic, who heard Father Brannan recently: This priest is a man of singular ability. He is a coinbi- nation of great jury lawyer and an old time Methodist exhorter"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
FlvE-MILLIoN-DoLLAR STORE.

From the Philadelphia North American.
 E. R. Graham, representing D. H, Burn ham & Co, architects, whose offices are in the Land Title building, recently drew from the bureau of building inspection a permit authorizing the beginning of the construction of a new department store for John wanamaker, to cost $5,OOO,OOO. to be erected on the site of his present establishment
 According to the plans, which have al- ready been approved by the bureau, the building will be twelve stories above ground and two below, with frontage of 25O feet on Juniper and Thirteenth streets and 479 feet on Market and Chestnut streets.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Water in the Trusts,

Congressman Littlefield compiled d list of industrial trusts as they existed in this country on January last, and in the course of speech he presented the list and it has since been pub lished in the Congressional Record. Here are its footings:
 Number of trusts .. .......... 453 Common stock .. ...............$5,97 973 s52 $50 Preferred stock ........ 2,091, sos, 32O Bonds .................... 1,lb5, I74, 52S Total capitalization .........$9, ,231, 136, ,G9S There is given in addition a list of the largest companies engaged in monopolis- lie business of a public-service charac- ter such as street railways, electric and gas lighting companies and telephone and telegraph companies. Only the more im- portant concerns are included here yet a total of $4.5ls,597s19 in capitalization is 1gured out.
 But putting aside the public-service list, we have capitalization of indus trial trusts that exceeds nine billion dollars, and yet according to the cen sus of 1900 the entire actual capital Invested in manufacturing---lan build lngs, machinery, material and coal was but s9,S74, ,0S7 The capitaliza. lion of 453 industrial trusts stands therefore equal to the actual total in-
 
 This fact is important only as show Ing the extent of water in the trusts. The Springfield Republican estimates the water in the capitalization of the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
PENNSYLVANIA AeoLlsHEs TIPS
Pittsburg Telegram to the Chicago Chron- {nfa

Pittsburg Telegram to the Chicago Chron-
 iole.
 The executive officials of the PennsyI- vania lines west of Pittsburg will adopt measures to diminish the tip-giving nui- sanee on their lines It was announced this morning that train porters will no longer be permitted to perform such ser vices as the turning of seats for passen- gers in order to receive tips.
 Porters who have seat keys have been notified to return them, and yardmasters notined not to give keys to any employees but brakemen. The lines east of Pitts burg will soon make a corresponding move Many officials favor making 1t a rule to discharge any employe who re- ceives a tip
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Spelling Proper Names.

There is a noticeable disregard of the correct spelling of proper names in Bir- mingham' said professional man. The city directory gives various spellings of the same name. Mullin is spelled also Mullen, Smith Is spelled also smyth, and so on.
 ''on the official ballots for the primary Captain Wier's name was spelled Weir and Thomas H. Simms name was spelled with one m. The newspapers are prob- ably responsible for the incorrect spelling of proper names. Birmingham is a city of such high pressure life and rapid growth as to keep reporters on the jump. They have not had time to give attention to such niceties as the spelling of men s names"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR,
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press
 When they have been measured most heroes are found to come in half-sizes
 It's terrible tempting for a pretty girl to have a little freekle on her upper lip.
 The fun of being a fool over a woman is the enjoyment you get out of the fun she gets out of it.
 You must never tell girl when you are going to kiss her-nor anybody else after you have gone and done it
 The more relatives he has by marriage the harder it is for an ordinary man to understand the point of view of q Nor mon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Bribery in Rhode Island.

Boss Brayton of the republican party in Rhode Island is up against Governor Garvin, who is a democrat. In a mes- sage directed to the senate of his state Governor Garyin exposes the bribery and corruption practieed at the polls under republican auspices. Voters are bought and sold, until the political in- fanny of the state has become notori- ous. And Governor Garvin stands ready to substantiate every statement he has made. In fact, the rottenness of the electorate in Rhode Island is well known and fully confessed
 Governor GarYin asked the legisla- a commissioner whose duty it would be to detect bribery in elections and bring the offenders to justice. His re- quest was refused, the legislature be- ing under republican control in both branches, and Boss Brayton rules that party without rival.
 Campaign funds are used to buy votes, and educated manufacturers and business men contribute the greater part of such moneys. They refuse to ask to what purpose 1t will be put, and yet they know in general way. He names the towns in which he knows that bribery is consistently and stead fly practiced. He thus describes the customary process in these towns:
 In some of them the bribery takes place openly is not called bribery, or considered a serious matter. The money is spoken of as payment for the voters time. man may be at work in his shop or about his house when the local boss or one of his underlings comes up with a team to drive the voter to the polls. A conversation like this ensues;,
 '"'Come on. I'll drive you down.
 No. guess not. can't leave my work.
 oh, that's alright; get somebody to do it for you
 People around here charge money for working
 Well, here's $2. Hire somebody.
 "Of course, nobody is ever hired.
 T heard of one town that had one man in it who could not be bribed. and he never voted. Probably the most de- pressing feature of the situation is that the men who constantly accept bribes are often men of substance, owning their homes, and sometimes other property. They don't need the money. Long years of bribe- taking have deadened their con sciences. They take the bribe as their natural right, and expect it just as they expect payment when they do a day 8 work for some one. That is a thing that must be overcome. These men must be educated in their duty to themselves and the state, and made to see the heinous- ness of their crime
 When MT. Aldrich runs for the sen ate all republican workers are supplied with money, and the corrupt electors are in clover. Altogether the state of MT. Aldrich, father-in-law of the Stand ard Oil trust, is winning an unenyiable reputation, but Governor Garvin is helpless beyond his own exposure of the bribery rottenness which Boss Brayton conducts.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
OUTSIDE THE FITCH BELT

From the Providence Journal
 There is perhaps no other American city than Boston where man would have written to a newspaper to ask who wrote the "Comedy of Errors" Else where no ordinary man would have the slightest doubt that whatever is now pro- duced on the stage is the work of Clyde Fitch. Boston still leads in affairs of the intellect
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18

interfere with Sunday in Cincinnati es- pecially lover the Rhine"
 Moreover. the alliance is against Fleischman for the stand he took in favor of the proposed Jeffries- Ruhlin fight in Cincinnati, for which he gave a permit. On the other hand, the sporting element and the element that delights in sporting matters and Is for wide-open city are for him strenuously.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
Important Meetinu of K. of p.

Chattanooga, March 17.-It is announced of national and state officials of the Knights of Hythias to consider plans to advance the interests of the order in the south. Among those who will attend are: Supreme Vice Chancellor Shively. Rich mond. Ind; R. L. C. White, Nashville. supreme keeper of records and seals.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18
About Persons.

J. II. Dewees and Howard Loeb of Montgomery are at the Morris.
 F. J. Murphy of Toronto is at the Hill man.
 H. A. Jones of Tuscaloosa is registered at the Metropolitan.
 w. Bruce Doyle of Louisville is stop ping at the Morris
 John B. Lagarde of Anniston is at the Hillman.
 Chairman Don II. Bacon of the Tennes-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18

The paragraphers have lost pro- life subject in Senator Morgan and the canal treaty, and they may have to fall back on Carrie Nation, who is always with us.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18

The publishers trust now holds in its grip "Mr Dooley," George Ade and Charles Dana Gibson. It seeks all but the historical novelists.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-18

The piclSings at Panama are already at hand Lawyer Cromwell gets $2,- 900 .000 for his work of unloading the Panama canal on Uncle Sam.