davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

From the New York Tribune.
 The clubhouse at Saratoga turned into a restaurant. a seaside resorts largest gambling house threatened with sale un- der the hammer and the palatial metro poltan temples of chance "closed for re- pairs" these are points which, to the casual observer, would indicate that gam bling is on the wane and that the chip, the card and the wheel have lost their powers over their former slaves. In this case, however. the straws do not indicate the winds direction. for the seaside gambler and his fellows at the inland spas are just as anxious as they ever were to make their expenses at the poker, faro or rou- lette table, and despite all preventive regulations they will play their game. There are men, and unfortunately wo- men, for whom the term vacation has no other significance than a season of gamb- ling and for these the gambling ordinance is a useless enactment. Elaborately furn- 1shed and brilliantly lighted apartments are not essential to the gamblers happi- ness nor to the pursuit of his summer pleasure. A room in a hotel or in a sum- mer cottage can be converted into gambling place with little difficulty, and there with poker. bridge, solo, pinochle and the various other weapons made with cards. time may be killed and money lost and won.
 The restrictive measures are not with out value, however, even if they fail to check the passion of the player for the click of the chip and the whir of the wheel The glamour and the glitter of the clubhouse have fascinated many young men who had never bought chip
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs.
Mustaehes Were Waaered.

A careful observer who visits the courthouse frequently will notice a sud- den and peculiar change in the face of one of the prominent officials, should he call at the halls of justice today. or possibly tomorrow
 It is all the result of a bet which was made between this official and a man prominent in military circles in Bir- mlngham. It seems that both these men went to Trotwood park Saturday after noon and that they became very much interested in the horses in one of the races.
 Finally interest grew to such an extent that they decided to make small wager on the result of one of the heats And therein lies the secret of the change that will take place in the courthouse official. It came about by the court house official saying to the military man:
 'I believe that roan horse will win this heat" The other disagreed with him and the official told the military man to pick his horse and he would bet his mustache against the military mus tache that his horse would not win. The bet was taken and the courthouse man lost
 The military man was Capt. Ed Me- Crossln of Troop D. Alabama National guard The courthouse official Is J. 5. Gillespie, clerk of the City court of Bir- mingham.
 Captain MeCrossin declares that mus tache has got to come of if he has to muster his troop and with drawn sabers cut the hair from the face of the court house man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
Wanted. 25O.OOO spindles.

Heretofore Alabama has not had full credit for the spindles 1t pos sesses, chiefly because Georgia has in all mill tables been credited with 61 ,00O spindles at Lanett. Those spin dles are as much on Alabama soil as are the spindles at Tallassee, and a correct table printed in The Age-Her- alu yesterday morning shows that the number of spindles in operation and in sight in Alabama is Just about 750,000.
 But where and when will we get the other 250,o0O?
 Alabama is willing to stand pat on a million of spindles, at least tor a while. At any rate we will not start a two-million club at once. We will rest a while on our laurels, but we must have million spindles before we will be entitled to any rest.
 There are twenty-five counties in this state that have no cotton mills, and there is not one of the twenty that cannot build a mill, either on the installment plan or by procuring through the nearest influential bank ing or milling friends outside assis- tance. Talladega preferred to build mills on the installment plan, and to- day all the profits of those mills are kept at home, and the town has be- come one of the most prosperous in the state. Talladega stands as an ex- ample to the twenty-five mlll-less counties in this state. and it should inspire them to buiId one.
 But in the last analysis what each of the mill-iess counties needs is a leader in whom all have confdence-a Pratt or a Lewis-and then the way to mills would become straight and smooth. Alabama needs, in a word, fewer politicians and more mill or ganizers.
 When the fact is considered that there is nothing tentative in cotton
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
WHERE WHITE MAN CAN LIVE,

From the Philadelphia Record.
 It may be wholly impracticable to re- move any large proportion of the negroes from the United States. although schemes of black emigration have been fostered for more than a century. However that may be, the fear that the whites cannot endure the Geld work in the south need not be an obstacle. In the Philippines 1t requires but few months for temperate and careful American white soldiers to adapt themselves to the climatic con ditions so that they can stand fatiguing labor in the heat even better than can the native blacks and Chinamen. Wher- ever any kind of man can live the white man can live more easily, whether the climate be arctic or equatorial.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
Seven More islands.

Uncle Sam has so thoroughly ac- quired the island habit that he cannot keep his hands on any islands lying around lose. One of his war ships, having nothing else in hand, recently visited seven small islands lying just off the coast of British North Borneo, and just south of the thousand and one islands constituting the Philip pine group. These islands are known on the admiralty maps as Bagnan Taganac, Bakkungaan, Lihlman Boaam, Sibaung and Lankayan Each is about mile long. and no one lives on any one of them. They are just islands, and that is all. But Uncle Sam seems to want anything that sticks above the water-the Uncle Sam. that is to say, of these days of imperialism and world power.
 The islands have all along been considered British possessions. the sultan of Sulu having conveyed them long ago to Great Britain We How own the sultan of Sulu, including his harem, and the presumption is that we are about to repudiate the sultan's acts. The islands are valuable to Great Britain. eecause they command the harbor of Sandakan in British North Borneo. Sandakan is the capi- tai of British North Borneo, and is an important port. Why we desire to threaten it by seizing islands of no value to us is something the ordinary mind cannot grasp. We already have more islands than we can count, and the addition of seven more sand heaps in the sea is ridiculous. As things stand American tablets have been erected on the seven islands. and seven flags float over them The flags will wear out, and the tablets shorld be dumped into the sea, and the navy should be told that island annexation is a sport that can be overdone.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
WHAT SHE COULD DO.

From the Chicago Evening Post.
 '1 am glad" said the wealthy mer- chant " that the baby is a girl"
 wouldn't you rather have boy that you could train to succeed you in busi- ness?"
 NO, indeed" replied the wealthy mer- chant. "A boy would go to college, learn to play baseball and probably become a member of one of the professional leagues. He would be of no business ad- vantage to me whatever. But girl
 What can a girl do?'
 why, she can marry the confidential clerk who Is gradually stealing every thing I've got. and so keep the money in the family"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
About Persons.

M. r Hickman, accompanied by his mother. Mrs D. B. Hickman, will leave this morning for sweetwater. Tenn, where Mrs. Hickman, who has been an invalid for several months will remain indefinitely at the home of her sister. J. A. Grey of New York is at the Hill- man.
 E NJ. Martin of Meridian is stopping at the Metropolitan.
 W. E. Terley of Greensboro is stopping at the Morris
 sss A. J. Keep of Chicago is registered at the Hllman.
 George P. Kyser of Tanedega Is at the Metropolitan.
 w. N. McNeill of Mobile is stopping at the Morris.
 Charles c. Abercrombe of Montgomery Is stopping at the Hlllman. T. 0. Price of unlontown is stopping at the Metropolitan
 l.. Friedman of Tuscaloosa is registered at the Morris
 D. Keer of Chattanooga is at the Nor
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
AN ENcoURAcINo SYMPTOM.

From the New York Mall and Express.
 If the southern people will keep on discussing the negro question earnestly enough they will eventually evolve a better solution than they have yet out lined and yet 1t is a problem to be worked out, not talked out. Congress man Driggs of Georgia, having declared in a speech that "the educated negro Is a menace as competitor in the labor field" the Atlanta Conctitution goes on to remark. altogether wisely:
 i sThe negro will be educated. whether the southern states and people do the
 work or not For us to declare agains
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

milling in Alabama. where fuel is cheap and raw cotton abundant, 1t Is strange Indeed that towns like Greens boro and Troy and Cullman and Ca lera and Decatur and Guntersville and Greenyille and Marion and Dothan a@d RussellvIae and Hartselle and Eutaw and a dozen other towns do not build mills. and they readily could and would do so if they had each a leader who would study either the story of Talladega on the one hand or of Huntsville on the other.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
CONNECTS FOR ROAD BUILDING.

From the Philadelphia Press.
 In Georgia July heat is no bar to a session of the Geotsil legislature. and that body has before t nov a propos~ tion to put conviets to making good roads Convicts ought ot to be sur- ported in likeness, and sod road mak- ing is an occupation at wh.en they would not come into competition with free la bor, for unless convict labor can be ha l for the road building tt IS mnre than probable the work will not be done.
 The expediency of using convict labor In road making has been much discussed. In North Carolina 1t has been put into practical application tossome extent. In Georgia the chief argument made against utilizing convicts in public road making is that it would interfere with the present profitable system of leas- ing the convicts. As against employing convicts by the state to make good roads and leasing them out to contract ors to get what work out of them they can every argument favors the road mak- ing, unless it is the immediate money profit to the state.
 In Pennsylvania we will have good roads, built largely from the state treas ury, but it would be economy every where to utilize the able-bodied oonvicts in thls work. It would be good for the health of the convicts and make them pay something to the state for their board and lodging and 1t would give good roads with the least possible expense to the farmers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
DAVIS RETIRED.
Wade Commands Department of the
 Philippines.

Manila, July 2e.-Major General Davis has transferred the command of the de- partment of the Philippines to Major General James F. Wade. General Davis having been retired for age.
 The records in the case of First Lieu tenant Hamilton Foley of the Fifth cav airy, who was courtmartialed on charges involving the embezzlement of soldiers money and other financial Irregularities. have been forwarded to Washington. The records indicate dismissal
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
BRYAN IN BAD FORM.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
 It was peculiarly unfortunte and mani festly in bad form for MT. Bryan to rise up and pour forth voleys of invective at MT cleveland under the broadgauge text of The Democratic Ideal' on the very day when the people of the entire country were stretching forth the hand of con- graduation to the ex-President over his attainment of the Cleveland ideal in his domestic affairs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
New York Press

From the New York Press.
 It doesn't seem proper for stays to pinch women the way they do.
 The man who boasts that he is the head of his house Is simply reckless liar.
 If girl can't have the man she wants, her idea of getting even with him Is not to let the man have her who wants her.
 Half the time women wear their finest things merely to get them on their clothes lines and make their neighbors green with envy.
 A young man begins to amount to something by the time he learns that the old men really know a little. but by that time he isn't young any more.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
"ouT THERE IN KANSAS"

From the Denver Post.
 Kansas has ss2,ooOOOO in her strong banks. has got the waters of her rivers back into their banks, has a record breaking wheat crop, fair governess in the gubernatorial mansion. a proud eye on Joe Bristow and a kick in the pants for Senator Burton. and the next man who asks whats the matter with KaA- sas?'' will be vociferously answered that she's all right. all right"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
Ihe Massachuaetts WItches.

After years of absence from New Eng land" remarked a gentleman who has lived for the most part In that quarter T returned to Boston about the time of my majority, and l discovered that while away in different directions l had un- learned some facts perfectly familiar in the northeast took up newspaper work in Boston, and one day in the office l spoke of the burning of the Salem witches. but one man interrupted me.
 "'The what? he asked.
 Surely l said, the witches were burned at Salem
 He corrected me. And why speek of this Is the coincidence that I recently met with this same mistake in another newspaper office in the south this time in fact, here in Birmingham. It was on a piece of proof In the composing room. where it was during set right not get- ting into the paper.
 oddly enough. the writer who made the mistake was a southern man whose article was one calling on New England people not to misrepresent southern his- tory. For my part, I cant decide after a good deal of unavoidable observation, which of the two old sections of the eoun- try Is the more ignorant of the other; that is what 1t comes to-their mental blunders and misapprehensions are amaz- Ing. painful foolish. But it Is quite true that the Massachusetts witches were not burned at all: they were hanged. I was misleading as l began, for this fact is rot one l relearned on returning to Bos- ton. The reporter who informed me knew it by exception, and probably I never had, for 1t Is as widely misunderstood in the north as elsewhere that the witches were put to death at the stake There Is no authority for the statement as anybody can verify who chooses to re- fer to history and record on the subject" :"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
THE PoPE,s RERuKE.

From the San Francisco Argonaut.
 In society from the earliest of the so- cial diarists recollection, Leo XIII hs been noted as a wit It is said that he had the greatest power of repartee of any man in Europe, and that he never lost the mastery of any situation. wheth- CT grotesque. painful, awkward or ridic- ulous. But his humor was of the sub lime knd 1t was never mordant and stinging. Only once (and then while he was Cardinal PeccD in all these oontes drolatiaues does he appear to have made a retort that stabbed In this case, so the story runs, a well-known nobleman was rash enough to boast at the club in Rome that he could and would put the holy father at a disadvantage You will get the worst of it," his circle warn ed him; you will wish you had let him alone.''
 But the nobleman. who may be called Count de Threestars was a headstrong man, and he was bold in his assurance. Bets were freely offered, and it was ar- ranged that the trial of wit should take place on the occasion of a diplomatic din- ner when the Count de Threestars should be placed near the cardinal. and given his opportunity. The even ing arrived. and the nobleman was seated on the left of the cardinal. where he could be under the charm and grace of the distinguished man, and where all in the secret should hear the music of his voice. The dessert was far advanced when, in the most natural way, the Count de Threestars, in perfectly as- stunned courtesy, offered the cardinal his snuff-box, that he might partake. It was a jewel of workmanship, and with his thumb slipped beneath, the nobleman held it so that its lid inclined to give the best view of It's decoration. this being a certain Venus painted in a frank and fearless fashion. The circle was watch ing, breathless in admirlng horror, won dering what would be the outcome of this daring intrusion upon a man of such piety and spotless morals as Cardinal Pecci The holy father looked steadily at the Venus for a moment. Then he threw his head back and half closed his eyes as if to get good focus-all the while giving the lookers-on an eternity within some seconds. Finally, he raised his eyebrows in interrogation. and said to the nobleman, sweetly, Madame la Comtesse?' (Your wifeO
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
GAMBLING CANNOT BE
 STOPPED BY ORDINANCE

or turned a card. The handsomely fur nished gaming saloons with their rows of green covered tables surrounded by men who watch with eagerness the pro- gress of the tiny ball or the movements os the man who manipulated the card- box. were always open to the summer visitor No questions were asked of the man who came to try his luck, and hun dreds os the incurabe gamblers for whom life without cards is now burden can trace their fall to these places where they went .just for fun" or .only to look onp Young and inexperienced men are less liable to go the gambling table where they know that they will find ex- perts and possibly sharpers than to the lavishly furnished public resorts where they are told that everything is straight" It Is the gambling club" with it's beauties and it's intoxicating att mosphere, that attracts the young man more than the business for which 1t is maintained, and for that reason the closing of the clubs can have only good results The confirmed gambler will have his game no matter what it may be. He will always find companions and place, but the temptation to take flyer" will be removed from the young man. and also from the older man. whose circum- stances do not justify the risk
 With the doors of the gambling clubs closed, or with these places transformed. the sights of some of our summer re- sorts will be reduced by one notable fea- ture but the change will stand to the credit of the people who brought it about and will give others courage to follow their example.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

eommunicants which is little short of sublime. Let us suppose that for the space of one short year no woman would attend service. do any church work or contribute to the chureh's support. What, at the end of that time, would be the condition of the rector in his study, the missionary in the field or the bishop enthroned?' j"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
WOMAN AND HER SECRETS

From the Chicago News.
 One reason women cannot keep secrets is because they don't know what to do with them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

his education is but to stimulate others to the duty. Our new constitutions in the south offer the ballot to him as a premium for his zeal to educate himself. and to separate the school funds accord ing to race payments of taxes would set on fire the enthusiasm of every thought ful negro in the south to sacrifice for the education of his children.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

A strike in the government printing office at the present time will not affect the esteemed Congressional Record, and its flow Of statesman ship.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

Already Russia is backing out of the open-door agreement with Secre- tary Hay. If MT. Hay has bit of grit in his makeup he will hold her to her agreement.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

Wall street hopes the day will come when 1t can pump the water back into it's esteemed securities.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

make this like mother did" have paraded through the pages of comic papers for ages lmmemorial and no wonder the exasperated wife at last rises to a point os order and weds a dom sstie utensil. We cannot but svmpathtze with Mrs. Barker. although as we have said be- fore, she overdid the thing. When all housewives proceed to make a vieor- ous protest along these lines against the carping criticism of an unreasonable husband such criticism will cease and the public will be spared those effusions of the jokesmiths regarding sciences at the breakfast table.
 Governor Lanham of Texas has offered a reward of $5OoO0 to anyone who can discover remedy for the destructive boil weevil. So far no one has appeared to claim the money. Such a task is one worthy of our greatest scientists and it is to be hoped that they will be able to accomplish it successfully. The ravages of the boil weevil have been written about and talked about so much in the press of the country that neazly every one is familiar with the subject. It is
 
 toward Louisiana and the gulf states be- yond. Should the boil weevil ever reach this district and the great cotton states contiguous there would be awful ravsge wrought upon the cotton crop of the United State However the pest travels slowly and before 1t reaches this region there may be found some method of ex- terminstion. The only way to stop the weevils progress is to leave a wide area bare of cotton ahead of it's march. thus depriving it of plants upon which to feed.
 The Kansas wheat fielos are attracting much attention now, as this is the sea son of harvest when farm hands arc scarce and farmers will pay almost any thing to get their crops stored away. The papers are telling all kinds of stories about the dolngs out there, and tales of farmers holding up trains and forcing the passengers to work in the fields are not unusual Eastern college men have migrated out to Kansas for the purpose of keeping their muscles in training and incidentally keeping their pocketbooks replenished.
 It is estimated that during this season at least 25,OOO men from the east are em- ployed in the Kansas wheat fields, and they earn an average of $2 a day. This amounts to $50 900 day in wages paid out by the opulent farmers. The harvest lasts from two to three weeks. and in this time the farmers spend between sG0O 900 and $l,OOO,0OO for help. This goes to show the importance of the wheat crop to the United States. In fact. the three great staples. wheat, cotton and corn, are the secrets of this copntrys wealth more than anything else, per- hars. We could get along without coal if compelled to do so. and other minerals could be replaced no doubt, by some substitute in the course of time but as yet we have no craving for artificial food, and should the wheat crop go un- der, not only the United States, but nearly all countries of the civilized globe would feel the disastrous effects.
 Truly this is a great country of Uncle Sans when one state alone can afford to pay her farm hands million dollars for a few days work and then make money in the deal.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

The frisky lyncher is up against Judge Alston, and he may soon go to join the peonage artists.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

One million of new immigrants can go west and proceed at once to help us elect a new President
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27
Are baseball players peons?
HIGH LIVING IN NEW YORK.

From the New York World.
 Living Is high in New York; even dog ate s1O0 for luncheon the other day.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

The elimination of "the indigesti- ble" Is all that stands in the way of universal prosperity in this country.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

Prof Langley is getting ready to pay the comet friendly visit.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-27

The alleged men at Newport now wear silk kimonas. The petticoat will be added later.