The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-14
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

magazine then and reads it now can hard ly believe it is the same. In fact, Ainslee's of today is not the magazine of five years ago. This remarkable growth has been duplicated in a number of other instances. and shows what a wonderful vogue such publications have in America today. There are thousands of excellent periodi- calls issued every month yet there is al- ways room for one more-except in the south
 Miss Adelaide Thurston in her new play, Polly Primrose" will receive a cordial welcome from southern people. A play of this kind, treating of familiar scenes and characters, never fails to become popular in the south if it is worth seeing and is interpreted by a talented company. In this case we need have no fear that all the conditions will not be fulfilled, for the reputation of Miss Thurston is widespread and she is said to appear to unusual ad- vantage in Polly Primrose" An index of the future popularity her play will en- joy in thls part of the country was given at It's initial performance in the south
 
 actress was presented with badge of the Daughters of the Confederacy by Gen. eral Fitzhugh Lee. Southern people are quick to respond to a story that recalls the stormy period of the sixties, and aside from her own amiable disposition, that makes friends everywhere, Miss Thurston will from present indications have an u1- o11r of winter.
 In spite of conventions, discussions and more active efforts of scientists the boil weevil continues master of the situation. A large reward offered by Governor Lan- ham of Texas remains unclaimed, and from present indications will rest for long time undisturbed A big convention has been called to meet in Texas on No- vember 5 for the purpose of considering means to combat the pest. Other southern states will be invited to participate, and 1t is probable that federal aid will be asked. In the Lone Star state damage has been more widespread than any where else With all our progress in sciences and our inventive genius, it is really remarkable that we have yet found no effective remedy for the boil weevil Many plans have been tried but all have proved failures until farmers are look ing forward with gloomy forebodings to what the future has in store. Like yellow fever our thanks are due to Mexico for boil weevils. Although damage during the past season was great, especially in Texas, it will be far more general next year, unless some steps are taken in the meantime to stamp out the pest It may be possible to starve them out by ieav- ing a broad band across the path of their march entirely free from cotton, but this would be rather difficult, and would en- tail hardship on many farmers in the de. vastated district.
 Old Boreas has been stirring along the Atlantic seaboard this year and as a re- suit of his activity much loss of life and property has been incurred However, it is some consolation that the number of lives lost is inconsiderable when compared to the number of dollars. In one other re- spect we are fortunate and that is that no large passenger vessels were destroyed. Nearly all the storm victims were parks, fishing smacks, and freight steamers. AL though wrecks of this character are bad enough they are not so appalling as the foundering of four or five big liners would be. As has been stated more than once before the past year has been memorable for accidents and disasters. but there is plenty of time for more to come. If the present record continues we may expect to see the list of fatalities still further aug mented.
 It now begins to look as if the dream of Senator Morgan in regard to a canal across Nicaragua will at last be re- alized With the near approach of con has been again revived and his hopes are stronger now than ever. No man has worked harder to accomplish his object than has Senator Morgan and now that a brilliant career is drawing to a close the continuation of his hopes would be the final chaplet and he could rest with the satisfaction of knowing that reward had had come at least and the crowning of his endeavors had been accomplished When the canal at last becomes a reality there will be widespread jubilation in the south, but no one will be more su- premely satisfied than Alabama and her sturdy old senator who never gave up the PC