davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Twelve Cent Cotton.

Whether the estimate of the agricul- tural department be approximately cor rect or widely at variance with the outcome-whether the crop be ten mil lion bales or even up to eleven million palestine world will want every boil of it at highly satisfactory prices Ev- cry additional cent means more money in the south-more comforts at home, more education, and more of the other good things of this life.
 There is one drawback, however, and that drawback is found in the cotton mills. The goods market does not respond promptly to the efforts of the bulls who deal in the new material, and the mills that have accepted orders for future delivery especially feel the situation But in the long run such differences will be adjusted, and the prices of goods will be fitted to the prices of the raw material.
 Otherwise all is prosperous and promising on the cotton fields. Credit exists where it had been known chiefly by the lack of it. All recognize the change in the general condition. All feel that the south has a grip upon the world that means a great deal in the years to come.
 Let us hope the outlook bright as 1t is, will not be overdone. Let us hope there will be no growing of cotton be- yond the power of the pickers to gather the crop. Let us hope, too, that there will be no growing of cotton to the neglect of food crops. After food crops are pitched every farmer should grow as much cotton as he can pick out, but he should not grow boil more. And he should not grow any cotton at all that trenches upon his supply of corn. Corn first, and cotton afterwards. The season for pitching the crops of next year is near at hand, and the farmer who neglects corn and sweet potatoes is the man who will not reap the full benefits of the present handsome cotton era Be sensible, and 
 don't let the bulls in cotton take from you your own good business sense. Plant enough corn for home use, and plant no more cotton than you can pick l out.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
THE TURK AND HIS WIFE.
Only One Woman In Most of the Mos
 lem Harems Nowadays.
From the Century.

From the Century.
 Although of late years among Turks highly placed. 1t has come to be consider ed as far more chic to have only one wife' vet this lamentable increase in the prac- tice of monogamy does not tend to a com plete emancipation from certain well-es- tablished Moslem traditions. The mention of ones wife to foreigner is nowadays made the easier when one may truthfully speak of her in the singular number.
 A Turk may, after some months or semi-intimacy talk somewhat freely, in- deed, of his domestic life, provided al- ways his household is modelled after the European plan of life. The social line IS drawn at the point of even asking lady to call Frequent visiting between Euro- pean and Turkish wives, when these are in the singular number, is possible only after a somewhat prolonged residence and much friendly intercourse.
 To the casual visitor there is an unex- pected embarrassment in finding almost all the Turks one meets in society mar ried to one lady only. The singularity Of this singleness Is as trying, apparently, to the Turks, on certain occasions, as It is eminently disappointing to the Flu ropean.
 q do so hope the minister of - may grant me the honor of visiting his harem' an American lady remarks with the charming aplomb characteristic of the American woman.
 F Pasha would be too delighted, am sure; only, as 1t happens, his excel lency has no harem in the sense in which I presume, most foreigners understand our word" was the courteous reply of the minor official to whom this remark was addressed. He has but one wife, as, indeed we mostly all have"
 Hasn't any one a harem?" The cry was almost fearful. "F-- Pasha has a great many children" continued this dis appointed investigator of Turkish cus- toms
 'Yes he has eleven children living. His wife Is very fond of children"
 '1s she Turltsh?'
 IN; she is a Circassian lady or very good family
 "Ah-h. a Circassianl She must be very beautiful; the boys are so handsome, the pretty American remarked in molli- fled tone. From a romantic traveller S point of view, if Turks persist in marry ing as virtuously and duly as every one else, at least to find them marrying a Circassian slave was a trifie more solac- ing than to have found the single wife of correct Turkish descent. The young aide-de-camp smiled as ne made answer; ''Yes, you are quite right we mostly marry Circassians, and almost all our children are beautiful"
 There are still enough harems throughout Turkey sufficiently equipped with a plurality of wives to satisfy the most exacting of travellers in search or sensation. Even in Constantinople, there are pashas and effendis rich enough to keep up the old standard of Moslem mar ital pomp. The majority however Of the upper 10000 practice, outwardly the Eu- ropean fashion of monogamy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Appeal of the Salvation Army.

The appeal of the Salvation Army should not go unheeded. It desires to give 1000 poor people a good Christ mas dinner, and to send presents that will make many helpless little children happy.
 There is no way in which money or other gifts can go so far and do so much good as by using the Salvation Army as means of distribution. No other agency knows so we'll where the poor of this town are, and no other knows so well how to distribute gifts without hurting the natural pride and sensitiveness of the poor. A gift that hurts is indeed poor gift, and the Salvation Army will take your gifts and place them in manner that will not hurt the most sensitive. The poor are but human beings, and surely at Christmas time no one will desire to hurt even the lowest of Gods crea- lures.
 Let the appeal of the Salvation Army be needed. Give out of your abundance to those who see nothing of the bright side of life. The Salva- tion Army will carry every dollar and every other gift entrusted to it's care to the right spots, and 1t will do the blessed work in the best manner. It will not offend a single recipient. Cash, food, clothing or toys will alike be dis tributed where they will bring the most sunshine and happiness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
THE CONFESSIONS OF oAsroN.

Dodd Gaston in Topeka Capital
 grumble a good deal but as a matter Of fact l care very little about it.
 am not ambitious to have a great deal of money, but often think I'd like to have a nice soft cushion for my office chair.
 The Ladies Home Journal Is so delicate and effeminate that I am surprised that 1t is not perfumed with violet or helio- trope before it is sent out to it's readers.
 I shouldn't mind being called knave particularly; would resent being called A fool
 You may think me unfeeling, but I don't care a whang how the bride looked and the fac that the groom made his re- sponses in a strong. firm tone of voice in. terests me even less.
 am republican, but democratic of- fceholder answers all my purposes.
 So far as I can sec about the only ad- vantage a big town has over a small one is that in big town one can get shaved on Sunday.
 It seems to me that 1t would be gen. uine relief to get hold of something to eat over which a lemon rind had not been waved.
 There is really nothing one can say to comfort a woman when her dog Is lost.
 frankly admit that do not know what the golden text is for today.
 I have noticed that by the time the host ess gets through apologizing for the fact that the pictures are all crooked 1t Is time to go home.
 I never could remain downhearted and chess.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

a crank of the deepest dye had no dlf- ficulty in reaching the executive. Now that some of these guilty persons are on trial the amusing features are heighten- ed President Roosevelt has scored the New York force by asking how it was possible for Deming to hand him letter. That is a question that is rather awkward to answer, from the simple fact that it was simply the result of an egregious blunder. While elaborate precautions were taken to guard every avenue where a crank would be likely to make his sp- pearance no one seems to have thought of the rectory of the church and when Deming made his appearance where he could catch the President without trouble and give him that important letter Again it must be remembered that the joke is on the New York police force, body of men who claim to be the finest guardians of peace and order in the world Americans like to poke fun at foreign hobbies, especially those of Eng land, but this time the laugh belongs at home.
 The complete history of North Amer ica from the earliest days known to man is a book that has been long needed and has at last made its appearance. This publication is the result of the efforts of many imminent scholars of the day and is perhaps the most complete work of It's kind ever published. This history has long been needed by scholars both in this country and other lands, who were interested in the historic narrative of the North American continent. Perusing it's pages one may see at a glance the complete story of this continent from primeval days down to the present. Ai- though there are a number of histories that have been published, dealing with various epochs and phases of American history, 1t has been left to this late day to compile a book that is all comprehensive in it's scope and impartial in its treatment.
 Much amusement has been created by the announcement that London is to have a positively new and original paper which will probably be styled the Daily Pa per" The enterprise calls William T. Steed it's father and the protector has high hopes of succeeding with his scheme. The Daily Paper will obligingly conduct ones shopping and guarantee that the goods are delivered c. o. D. Also 1t will be sold by bright messenger girls. AL though intensely political it will be inpar- tial and also cheerful Market reports racing news and similar features will be carefully avoided and a strong effort will be made to play on the harp strings of home. In fact, the Daily Paper is expect ed to be a paragon of is kind and If it succeeds it will be still more wonderful. London already has one journalistic freak which is called the Gazette. and staid old veterans, like the Times smile when the new project Is mentioned PC.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Rural Free Delivery.

Congressman Underwood early saw the advantages that are concealed in the rural free delivery system-ad- vantages of an educational and even moral nature, as well as of commercial gain. and he soon covered Jefferson county with routes. He is now en- gagged in adding routes in Bibb, Blount and Perry. All told, there are thirty three routes in operation in the Ninth district, and eleven more have been applied for, thus perhaps bringing the total up to nearly fifty in four counties.
 Congressman Bowie is doing finely in the six counties of his district, for he has put forty-seven routes in opera tion in his district, and has thirteen pe- titions pending. His will perhaps be the banner free delivery district in this state. But MT. Clayton is close behind him, and Messrs. Thompson and Bur nett are pulling in like direction. The other districts of the state have com paratively few routes; and yet all that is necessary in order to secure routes is to bridge streams that should be bridged, and to put roads in a reason ably good condition. It is not neces- sary to macadamize or to chert high ways-simply to put them in a condi- tion that enables a farmer to haul his products to market
 In Alabama there is an average of twenty-seven routes to congressional district. In Georgia, on the other hand, there is an average of fifty-nine routes to a district Are Georgia roads better than Alabama roads? Certainly not. In Iowa, an agricultural state, with poor roads, there are 149 free de- livery routes to the district. Tennesr see has eighty-two routes to the dis trict. Alabama should wake up, and get it's share of rural free delivery routes. There should be 149 In each district, as is the case in Iowa, and today in the Sixth district there are but two rural free delivery routes Such a want of enterprise should not be maintained. Let every district, al any rate, be brought up to the districts represented by Messrs. Underwood Bowie and Clayton. The more coun ties a district contains the more routes should be established. This is an important matter, touching the daily life of the farmer, bringing him and his family in daily communication with the great throbbing outside world, and there Is no reason why Alabama should not have it's share of these unmixed blessings.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Helen GouId's Offer.

Now that Miss Helen Gould has more than doubled the amount of the cash prizes offered by her for essays on the origin and history of the Roman Catholic and the revised versions of the Bible, many biblical scholars of the first rank will doubtless compete.' remarked stu dent. "The prizes as originally offered were S4OO, s250 and sl00. They have been increased to 5000. $500 and s25O. Miss Gould has also extended the time for closing the competition from March 1 to June 1.
 'The conditions of the contest have been revised to include this: "A part of the duty of the writer of a paper will be to ascertain and clearly set forth what is the authentic version authorized by the Roman Catholic church, to be read in the homes of the people,
 "The essays are limited to 5000 words and must be not only thorough, but also popular statements of facts for popular use"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Failure of Superstition.

Superstition has its limits, and it is astonishing that among an intelligent people, educated in large part in ex- cellent public schools, the limits of an irrational appeal were not long ago dis covered. A more absurd religious movement was never started than that of the man who claimed to be a second Elijah, and If he could have tided his schemes over hard times it is difficult to say how far or how fast he would have gone.
 There was a belief among his delud- ed followers and victims that he could invoke and secure the action of Provi- dence in the conduct of secular affairs, and there was besides belief that the new Elijah was man of wonderful ex- ecutive ability himself. They entrust- ed their money freely to man who could appeal directly-so they thought ito a superior being, and who could in the intervals exercise remarkable business talents of his own. The fail. ure of his schemes has opened their eyes. His lace and candy factories were never profitable. Nothing in the entire scheme of the old blackguard was well conducted, always excepting the stream of gifts that flowed to him. self, keeping him and his family in luxury. from the faithful who listened to his numerous appeals for money. He reached point at last where the empt. mess of his schemes stood exposed and it is now but matter of a short time when the New Zion will be con
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
OMAR FOR HOUSEWIVES.

By Ethelwyn Wetherald in Good House. keeping. Tomorrow a new Cook will come, you say. Yes, but where leaves the Cook of yes-
 terday?
 And this sweet Summer day that brings
 me Rose Shall take Irene and Mary Jane away I sometimes think that never Burns the
 Bread So Black as when the Tea is Boiling Red; That every Cabbage plant the Garden
 wears Knows more than any human Cabbage
 head. And this new Maid who looks so fresh and
 Green, On whom with all my woes I fain would An, iean upon her Lightly, for who
 knows How soon She will get up and Quit the
 Scene? An, my new Handsmaid. fill the pan that
 clears Today of unwashed dishes, stacked in Tomorrow? Why, tomorrow I may be Myself Obliged to Wash them-and for
 Years! Whether we roll in Gold or have to Pinch. Whether the Heart Despair or merely
 Flinch,
 The window panes grow Speckler hour
 by hour, The Parlor Dust is thickening inch by
 inch. And I remember. watching on day. Where Sue at china teacups thumped
 away,
 Till with It's all-obliterated edge 1 One murmured Gently. Susan. gently,
 pray" A Box of Biscuits underneath the Bough. A Can of Beans, a Bag of Salt, and thou Burned out and Singing in the Wilder An, wilderness were Paradise enow! So when the Angel of the Muddy Drink Called Coffee throws the Grounds into the
 Sink
 And taking her Departure leaves you Alone to Clean Things Up. you shall not
 Shrink. An. make the Best of so-calied Help my
 friend, Until we, too, into the Dust descend. Take up the Work where hirelings left
 it of, Sans Hope. Sans Help, sans Dishcloth. and sans End
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05

State University. spent few hours at the Morris yesterday.
 The Hon. Hubert T. Davis of Gadsden' member of the legislature and ex-member of the constitutional convention, is stop ping at the Metropolitan.
 Colonel L. Y. Dean, inspector general on Governor Jelks staff, came up from Flu faula last night and Is stopping at the Hillman.
 Prof. J. o. Turner of Ashville is stop ping at the Metropolitan.
 A. H. Quinn of Anniston is stopping at the Morris.
 R. H. Mabry of Selma was one of the Hlllmans late arrivals last night.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
THE AWFUL COST OF "6oTHER.'

From the New York Commercial.
 "What bothers us just now" was the remark of gloomy faced mechanic as he stood in front of the office window of the failed Townsend-Downey Ship building company yesterday, wondering when he would get his overdue pay, "is whether or not we are going to have job this winter"
 His "bother" and that of his nine hum dred and more fellow-workfnen come little late They might never have lost a days work during the present year had they been ''bothered" bit when the prop osition was made to them months ago to make unreasonable demands on their employers. They weren't disturbed any then. They simply wanted to bother somebody else. They engaged in gen. eral effort to embarrass, to weaken and to cripple the company that was buying their labor at remunerative prices and paying them promptly for it. They con- spired and plotted to put the whole plant under union domination and beyond the control of it's actual owners Some of them have boasted that, through union trickery, they drew pay without render ing any work or service for it in return. They were 'brotherers" by wholesale then.
 Their retribution has come with unu- sual promptness. They are paying the penalty for their contemptible acts with enforced idleness, loss of pay, debts, de- privation and worry. Their bother" comes high-has been bought at big price-but apparently they were bound to have it at any cost.
 Are there any other wrong-headed and misguided dupes in the industrial world who are ambitious to buy the same thing at the same price?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
seaboard Party Coming.

President John Skelton Williams, Vice President and General Manager J. M. Barr. and Directors James A. Blair and T. Jefferson Coolidge, Jr., of the Seaboard Air Line, who are now in Florida are making thorough inspection of the road and will probably reach Birmingham about the latter part of next week.
 MT. Blair and Mir Coolidge represent the new interests that have just entered the Seaboard company. They are seeing the line from one end to the other for the first time. The road physically and finan- cially is in better condition now than ever before
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Preachers Wives,

Bishop Huntingdon of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Central New York may find that some of his clergy have hippant, worldly minded wives" said a Methodist laymen, and his rebuke to such women was perhaps not a bit too severe. But ministers wives, in the vari- ous denominations, are, so far as my ob- servation goes, active church workers and therefore model helpmeets. They are self-sacrifcng and for the most port un- affectedly pious. It is certainly this way in the south''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
REACTION.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 'Wimmick. how are you getting along with the insurance company? You told me a few weeks ago they had cut down your salary because you failed to get couple of prominent men for s1O,0o0 apiece that you'd been after for more than month."
 Its all right. Huggins. Those two fel- lows have since died, and the company raised my salary again as soon as they heard of it."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
Proposed to Send ultimatum.

London, December 4-The Tokio cor respondent of the Daily Mail says it is reported on credtabe authority that at Tuesdays cabinet council, it was actually proposed to send an ultimatum to Russia, but that this grave step was eventually abandoned in favor of the Miller course, which was ultimately adopted after some consideration. The correspondent says the tension Is acute, and 1t is generally felt that a few days will see important deyalopmantg
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
TIMELY HINTS ON GIVING.

John A. Simpson in Lippincotts.
 We should not give people things they don't want
 We should avoid giving anybody the humps or the chckenpox if we can help it.
 Do not give a friend the cold shoulder without baked beans and hot coffee to go with it.
 A man should not give a lady a kiss unless he thinks she would enjoy it. ex- cept in the case of his wife and his mother-in-law.
 Do not give red suspenders to a total stranger; he might prefer those of pale blue shade instead.
 Do not present a bucking bronco to a tall pale man of sedentary habits. as he would not likely live long to enjoy it.
 When you give castor oil to a bowling infant give 1t for its intrinsic worth and not merely as an evidence of your regard.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS
 CONDITIONS DOWN EAST

forming social conditions in New England. He has reason for the hope. Morally, economically and Intellectually this coun- try generally has gained greatly from the immigration which began to pour in at about the middle of the last century and since has added about twenty-five mill lions to our population. The old stock needed the infusion of new blood.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-05
REAL THING.

From the Chicago News. Tipkins-I don't believe there ever was a horse race that was on the square.
 Piker-I saw an honest race once.
 Tipkins-Indeedl Where?
 Piker-In Arizona. The chap in the lead stole the horse.