davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
NOTED ACTOR DISCUSSES
HIGHER AIMS OF DRAMA

people every night In the year than the
churches reach on any Sunday. Is It.
then, possible for men and women to con-
tend that, with chance for influence
like this. the function of the stage is not
to influence? It seems incredible to me
To waken and open heart and mind, to
plant understanding of the ways of sor-
row. of deceit. of treaehery. of kindness.
Of loyalty. of 1ove.-a1l this is expected
of any drama, and yet there is doubt in
the minds of many that the drama makes
for righteousness! The very laws of sue
cessful playwrighting ought to prove con-
clusively that a play must teach NOR
atty. Would a play be possible in which
the villain came triumphantly off, his
Vaccinations all successful, the leading
woman his wife? Would a play be pos
sible in which the adventures succeeded
in bringing the heroine TO discontinue?
Does murder or theft or baseness of any
SORT ever go unpublished In the drama
A play in which these reules of melo-
drama itself do not obtain could not run
a week on Broadway; the boxes and par
quet as one man would lift UP their voices
with the gallery gods and the critics to
denounce it. Could there be any better
proof in the world of what the public de-
mands of its stage, and what the stage
must present?
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23

d. II. sothern IN the February Success. :"
~ CITING Itself. given a good play.
WA is nothing more than struggle
for ideals. After speech and ges-
ture and expression and standing and
walking on the stage are mastered, there
comes that eagerness of an actor to make
the people see IN the lines what he sees.
and to feel what he feels, which lashes
him at every performance. To feel 50
deeply the meaning and intensity of ones
lines, and then to hear oneself, for all
ones trying, saying the words coldly
leaving the faces in the audience I'M
moved! Oh, the constant failure OF even
the most finished actor to stir an audience
as he is stirred! The ordinary three hours
performance of most plays is three-hour
struggle of men and women to make
people feel and a three-hour failure to
reach their ideals. Ideals? They are
about the head of every worthy actor as
plainly as is the calcium itself. My point
Is that these ideals of acting are not alone
ideals for personal success. They are for
the people,-that the peoples hearts be
stirred,-stirred to imagination, to fancy,
to Judgment, to perception of the por-
trayal Of life with its evil and magnifi-
cent goodl
The voices of the stage reach more
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
cHILD's SKIN TRANSPARENT.
Workings of Internal Organs Could Be
Seen-A Remarkable Case.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
With his four hour-old infant in his
arms Peter Detlefs ran from his home.
1924 Linn street, to the receiving ward of
the city hospital yesterday. with a cry
Of anguish he burst into the room too ex-
cited to make his wants known. When
he unwrapped the tiny bundle it was the
turn for the receiving physician to cry
out for the child was of a kind never
seen before. In form and feature 1t was
perfect, weighing perhaps ten pounds, but
just over the abdomen arose what at a
first glance looked like a toy balloon.
Through the transparent film the action
OF the intestnes and the liver and part of
the spleen was clearly discernibe. On
closer examination the cause was readily
discovered. 1t was seen that by freak
of nature the skin over the abdomen had
refused to close over an area of six inches
in circumference. Through this the peri
toneum or stomach wall, thin, fiimsy
filament the thickness of tissue paper, had
been forced bafoon-shaped. at the apex
of which was the umbilical cord. This
same abnormity Is sometimes seen in the
heads of infants, and the result is hypro-
cephalus, or water-head. The present
case is the first of its kind at the city hos
pital, and will interest physicians gener-
ally The child is not expected to live
forty eight hours.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
HANNA's sTLYE
Not Convincing, But Letter From
Roosevelt Would Be Understood.

From the New York Evening Post.
Senator Hanna ought to be presented
by his admirers with a Complete Let
ter Writer" He remarks sorrowfully
this morning that he has sent out 1000
letters denying that he is candidate
for the Presidency and he thinks that
ought to settle it. Yet politicians go on
working like beavers for his nomination.
the rank and file of the party clamor for
him. and the republican campaign COM
mittee is overwhelmed with offers of
large subscriptions in case Mr.. Hanna
is the candidate. All for lack of a con-
vincing English stylel 1t would seem
so easy for the senator to protest his
undying loyalty to Roosevelt in an un-
mistakable way But we see here one of
the advantages of the professional lit
erary man in politics. Mr.. Hanna cannot
make people believe that he is not seek
ing the Presidency; but If President
Roosevelt were to write letter say
ing that he had become convinced that
the success of his party required his
withdrawal, we are sure that his skill
as ready writed would leave even the
wayfaring man in no doubt whatever
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23

own consciences." This reads well,
but It deeeives no one. The Lily Whites
of Alabama. for example, desire an un-
instructed delegation, while the ref
erees and Blacks and Tans favor an
Instructed delegation. So It is through
out the country, even in Ohio. If Mr..
Roosevelt does not secure an instruct
ed delegation in New York, he will be
defeated In the convention, but there
are nine chances in his favor in that
state to one against. In Pennsylvania
the Hanna boomers can accomplish
nothing because Mr.. Quay has griev-
ance against Marcus Alonzo, and he
proposes to get even when presidential
delegates are selected.
The long and short of the matter is,
the Hanna boomers have come into
the field too late to snatch success
from it. Mr. Roosevelt will be nom
mated, but his election Is another mat
ter. He is up against lot of Lily
Whites in nearly every state, and the
dislike they bear towards him may
keep them away from the ballot box.
Democratic success is, in other words,
to some extent dependent upon the
nomination of Mr.. Roosevelt at
Chicago.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
As In the sweetest bud
For the Rich Only.

President Hadley conducts a school
for the education of rich mems sons.
He keeps In his school Vanderbilt
room, and he expects the scions of the
rich to flock to him. His school Is
called Yale for short, and the poor
young man would there be fish out
of his financial depths. He could not
do much moro than look at the outside
of Mr.. Hadley's select carayansary.
President Hadley last week spoke at
Cambridge, where another school for
the rich stands, and there he an
nounced that "only the rich should go
into politics." The wish is father to
the thought, but The Age-Herald is
compelled to say that the Hadleyan
theory will not be adopted in the west
and south, at least not this week. In
the effete east it is different. 1t is
already announced that Statesman
Hartman is to succeed Statesman De-
pew as senator from New York. This
is Hadleyism in full tropical blossom.
This is the very fruit of the new doc
trine that aims to confine politics to
the rich.
This new advance towards change
in this government and country is a
bold one. It's exponent boldly went on
to say that only the rich can be good
in politics--that the poor soon or later
yield to 'the VIZ influence" The
facts are not on Mr.. Hadley's side, but
what lis" facts between Yale and
Harvard? The declaration stands, and
the effete east will now try to put it
into practice. Strenuosity and Hadley-
ism promise to afford warm times in
this country after a while.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
THE DESERTED COTTAGE.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
What do 1 see as l stand. I. in the SUM-
shine alone,
The door ajar in my hand, my foot on the
threshold stone?
What do hear in the wind, whispering
under the caves?
What do 1 hope to find-blossoms or fallen
leaves?
Here where the hulled. dim square of a
window. long since blind.
Registers. unaware. the desolate void be-
hind;
Here. where a tangled rose. trailing
across the latch.
Tenderly clings and grows up to the
crumbllng thatch.
Nayl but see. but I hear. all that the
years have wrought,
Laughter and smile and tear; intimate
jest and thought;
Voices of those long dead, footsteps of
those afar.
Words that were left unsaid. kisses no
time can mar.
If should venture in. I. from the thres-
hold stone,
Say, should I find the thin. ghost of my
youth alone?
Grasping at joys long fed, would not the
silence be
Sinister. mocking grim-crushingly near
to me?
Whisper thy signs. o wind. Roses, thy
door defend;
on the road of life. I will SO onto the
end.
All that we hold we lose; all that we give
We shall Il diSf mi pur own beyond. and tn.
finding be-heaven-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
Mr.. Hanna and Mr.. Roosevelt.

This is the period when presidential
booms spring up in a night in news
paper columns. but there is no mis-
taking the fact that the opposition to
Mr.. Roosevelt is concentrating upon
Mr.. Hanna. The movement in favor
Of the latter was started pretty late
too late, perhaps, to be successful. 1t
cannot be distinctly promulgated, and
so the Hanna effort will be confined to
the securing of uninstructed delegates
to the Chicago convention. Scratch
any republican who favors an unin-
structed delegation, and you will find
Hanna supporter The supporters of
Mr.. Roosevelt demand instructed dele
cations; the friends of Mr.. Hanna say
with much plausibiIity, "let us send
IN uninstructed delegation free to act
upon their knowledge and from their
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
TO BLACK SEA PORTS BY
WAY OF NEW ORLEANS

Fully thirty special trains, hauling in
all upwards Of 500 cars. will carry the
balance of the freight over the wabash
Iron Mountain and Texas Pacific lines
right to the ships side at New Orleans.
When the eastern roads found that ne
gotiations were being conducted by The
agricultural machinery interests to utilize
New Orleans for a second season, strenu-
Gus efforts were made to secure the busi-
ness for New YORK. A cut of cents per
100 pounds, from 30 cents to rs cents was
made. but nevertheless 1t has been calcu-
lated that from Chicago to the Black sea.
via the southern port. is lower than If
the freight were sent via New York un-
der the better rail rate, and even in view
of the dock charges, etc., being reduced
here.
The export trade In agricultural ma
chnery is rapidly growing, particularly
with Russia, where American manufac-
turers of this description show an in
creasing popularity. owing to the manu-
facturers suiting local conditions. The
extreme lightness of the machinery per-
mits of easy transportation, which is of
no little consideration as a good por-
ton of the shipments will have as their
ultimate destination localities far removed
from railroads and camels will be utilized
to convey the freight. Wherever it is in
troduced Yankee agricultural machinery
quickly supercedes everything turned out
by foreign competitors. The question of
price is not considered by tbs average
foreign buyer, farming machinery made
in the United States readily commanding
a higher figure than the products of Brit
ish or German rivals.
Less than ten years ago The exports
amounted to less than $1000,000 per an
mum; this year they are expected to rep-
resent fully $50, 1000.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
viii Organize Bank.

William Berney has resigned as pres
ident of the First National bank of Mont
gomery. His resignation was handed to
the board of directors on Thursday, at
which time Mr.. Berney announced that he
would organize new national bank in
Montgomery.
Mr. Berney is quite well known In Biz
mingham. having resided here before he
moved his residence to Montgomery sew
eral years ago. He was highly esteemed
in local financial circles, having been pres
ident of the Berney National bank.
Mr.. Berney was the president Of the
First National bank of Montgomery for
three years. In organizing new nation
al bank in Montgomery he states that he
has the assurances of the cooperation of
leading business men and that he had
good reasons to believe another national
bank in Montgomery would succeed.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23

member OF the republican national COM
mittee from Alabama. is at the Hillman-
c. H. Ledyard of Montgomery Is at
the Morris
]. H. Gum of calera is stopping at the
ST. Nicholas.
The Rev William Francis Ireland OF
Atlanta is at the Metropolitan.
G. D. Floyd of Lafayette is at the
Florence.
Charles Jerome of Atlanta is at the
Hillman.
wooley Finnell of Montgomery was an
arrival last night at the Morris.
Thomas Bradford of Montgomery. menu
Der of the state convict board, is at the
Metropolitan.
w. I. wellman of Huntsville, chairman
Of the republican state executive commit
tee, is stopping at the Ellman.
DIR. A. f. Wilson of Montgomery is at
the st. Nicholas.
A. w Hayes of Woodstock is stopping
at the Florence.
Lee Brannon of Talladega is registered
at the Metropolitan.
-
j. e. Ruffer of Helena is at the st.
Nicholas.
Charles B. Teasley of Montgomery Is
stopping at the Norris
President ]. c. Maben of the Sloss-
Sheffield Steel and Iron company leaves
for New York this morning.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
Heavy Insurance.

The sudden death in Florida, posi-
bly, by his own hand. of James L. Blair,
chief counsel of the Worlds Fair, and
a son of exlSpeaker Frank P. Blair, has
created sensation because he carried
policies on his life aggregating 81 1884,.
900. The New York Life carried $780,
600 Of this amount. 1t is stated that
while some of the insurance companies
will promptly pay the losses they have
incurred, some of them will resist pay
ment on the ground thnt the policies
were procured with a view to permit
ting his family to collect moneys after
he had committed suicide. In the end
all of the policies will have to be paid
because 1t will not DO possible to prove
that he secured the policies for any
such purpose, whatever he may have
done at the end. The Massachusetts
Mutual Life has in fac, paid the policy
il had issued on the life of James L.
Blair, bn it was for $4,000 only, and
the policy was issued in 1894.
The policies are all, save one small
one, payable to Mrs. Blair, to whom
James L. Blair left all his estate free
and clear of all conditions or restric-
lions whatever, having perfect conf
dence that she will suitably provide for
our children, Percy and Francis"
There was nothing unsound in such a
viii, and the chances are that the
policies payable to Mrs. Blair will be
collected The assurances companies
accepted the risk and the premiums,
and they should now pay the losses.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE NOT
TO BE LIGHTLY TREATED

devotees are many rnd frequently inn
posing. In one way or another 1t has
affected religious thought far beyond the
limits of the Christian Science cult spe-
officially. The idea, originality with a
woman seems to have taken a powerful
hold on feminine minds more particularly.
Many women of more than usual intelli-
gence and moral elevation are affected by
1t profoundly. Certain of the religious de-
nominations of the older foundation have
reason to dread its encroachments on
their preserves, and in some instances
they have felt obliged to make formal
resistance to them.
The general movement in which Chris
tian Science is the leader has become,
therefore, development of the religious
emotion that must be treated as note
worthy at this period of religious revolu-
ton. Primarily, it was an expression of
feminine religious craving, and still IS
main impetus seems to be from that
sour but fo-1inine faith and devotion
are the mainstay of the church generally.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
Senator Morqan's New Proposition.

The preamble of Senator Morgan's
new bill admits that as so many ma
lions have recognized the secession OF
Panama, the independence of the re-
public Is an accomplished fact. 1t fur
Their asserts that the President, using
the naval forces of this country, APP
proved and protected the secession,
and that the senate has recognized
the republic by accrediting to it a
minister. Our senior senator there
fore proposs in his new bill or attack
upon the Panamaniacs, that Panama
be annexed outright, and he proposes
to distribute $75,O00,0OO, as follows
To the new Panama Canal company
$40, 100000.
To Colombia, in settlement of all
claims against Panama, s15,00o.0o0.
To Panama, for the canal zone. &c.,
O0o0ooo
To begin the actual construction of
the canal, s10,oOO000.
or the sum to be paid to Panama,
So 100000 Is to be paid in cash and the
remaining s7O0OOOo held in the United
States treasury for the republic.
At the same time that Senator Nor.
gan introduced bill to annex Panama
he presented a concurrent resolution
directing the President to enter into
negotiations with the governments OF
Nicaragua and Costa RIGA for the con.
struction of canal on the Nicaraguan
route.
Senator Morgan's annexation bill Is
purely academic, for the administers
ton will not listen to it. It's program
has been arranged on different lines
ON lines that involve the hostility OF
Colombia, and much outlawry and
many additional deaths of Americans
from disease. In the course of his
speech Mr.. Morgan stated that he had
luSCiJSu al LILO blii oil ltoiu VI piO,-
100000 for the pacifcation of Colon
bia because he had heard that the
President had entered into an agree
ment for the payment of that sum for
that purpose. He had inserted this
provision, as well as the others. in the
interest Of peace and good will, and
in the interest of a Panama canal and
of all accrued rights. 1t was intended
to meet the emergency, and he hoped
it would be SO accepted by all persons
concerned.
Under the keen satire of the plea set
up by Senator Morgan can be seen the
only plan that can quiet our title at the
isthmus and render the immense ex-
.penditures that have been proposed on
that neck of lanu safe. If we are to
dig a canal at Panama, we should
own the entire PROVINCE or republic,
as it is called, and we should recon-
pense Colombia for what we were the
means of taking from her.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
MoundviIle's Sad Tragefy.

The death in an instant's time of
thirty-seven persons, and he practical
humiliation of a promising town on
both river and railroad, is one of the
saddest home events The Age-Herald
has ever been called upon to record.
In the stormy January night fierce
wind swept away the achievements of
years. The loss falls heavily upon the
little town. 1t needs help II it Is to
become again one of the towns and
trade centers of the state.
The stricken town lies within the
influence of this district. 1t is at any
rate part of Alabama, and prosper
GUS Birmingham should start fund to
help the helpless and needy of the des-
olated town. If the Commercial club
will not take hold of the matter, The
Age-Herald will receive, acknowledge
and pay over to Moundville's chief Off
cial any sums entrusted to it.
We must not let an Alabama town
be stricken down as Moundville has
been without doing something at least
to help it to get new start. Let us
start a fund at once, and carry it at
least to figures that will relieve actual
suffering and put hope again in the
breasts of the unfortunate people Of
the wind-swept town.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
GIRLS WITH SLENDER WAISTS.

Emma B. Stinson in New York Sun.
have read with interest Norma E.
Saule's letter of January 16, and 'Helen's'
of the 18th. and cannot heldp writing in
support of the former. We hear too much
of this crusade against the corset and
wish the adherents of loose clothing would
try to picture to their mind eye what
would be the horrible appearance of the
majority of American women without the
very necessary support of the corset. The
picture Is not pleasing one
l have worn a tightly laced corset since
I was 16, and l, too, pride myself on my
1S-inch waist l can truthfully say that
l have never experienced either discom-
fort or injury from lacfng. For one,
think that trim waist and neatly fitting
gown show a woman to better advantage
than could any loose garment.
Should we not all try to please the eye?
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-23
Edinbure Dear to Scots.

"Edlnburg is in many respects the most
picturesque and most interesting city in
the world" said a Scotchman Who re-
Of his birth.
although we Scots go out from the
old country and scatter to all parts Of
the globe, we never lose our reverence for
Scotland or its quaint old capital. Es-
pecially is this the case with man who
was born in Edinburg. Like the citizen
of ancient Rome he boasts his place of
birth to all the world and can find no fault
with his native city.
"Scots call Edinburg Ednboro.' Among
Scotchmen the town Is more Familiarity
known as Aud Reekie.' And this reminds
me that there are many disagreeable feat
ures about Edinburg which cannot. be
overlooked by her staunchest admirers.
For one thing 1t is one of the smokiest
cities in the world. and also one of the
gloomest. Situated on her hills above the
sea 1t is alternately swept by storms and
enveloped in binding rain. In the winter
season life out of doors is one of hard
snip, WHICH tnoSt WIN stay luuOOTS 10
nearly all their work by artificial light
on account of the darkness. A sunny day
is so rare that 1t is hailed with delight.
And yet we all love Edinburg, and when
away from home all her imperfections are
forgotten.
1.-THE chief characteristic of Edinburg Is
the mingling of quaint buildings centuries
old with those of today. The new town
has grown up by the side Of the old town,
and the dim figures of history stalk along
with busy merchant or meditative lawyer
as he hurries to his place of business.
Many of the old piles Of Edinburg are
still, standing. Al d the historic interest Of
ne town is so great that all who have
he opportunity should not fail to pay a
'sriniage to Aud Reekie.'"
ahxStt< nsssane.