The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-15
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

his daring Fernandino Ollveira was a celebrated man at Lisbon and the popu- lace looked upon him as a hero. no doubt, but assuredly no stigma of blame rests on the tormented bull that defended himself so courageously and by the merest accident killed the man who was worrying him to his death. Bull fighting is picturesque and is called a sport. The feelings of the bull are never consulted and horses gored to death in the ring die in agony without calling forth a pro test of sympathy. Man Is so superior to these dumb creatures that he alone ia of moment in the struggle and his lite is alone guarded with every precaution. so that when at last fate deals more kindly with the bull and permits him to slay his tormentor before dying him. self there Is widespread horror Yet Oliveira Is only one of many who have met death in the arena and his place can easily be supplied with another who will be willing to take his life in his hands for the applause of the multitude.
 When the Washington baseball team wins a game the papers straightway
  make editorial mention of the fact and otherwise rub it in'' on the "Senatorss in such a way that it is surprising that those unfortunate ball chasers can ever hold up their heads again. The Wash ington baseball team is the laughing stock of the country and the Washington papers have made 1t so. Yet baseball is exceedingly popular in the capital and no matter how many games the team may lose the attendance apparently does not suffer.
 Since the 'smillion-dollar train" was wrecked on the New York, New Haven and Hartford road the other day, presum- ably because the engineer was dead at his post, and signals were unheeded while the train sped on with terrific velocity. the question of having two engineers in the cab is being widely discussed. Of course such an arrangement would add to the safety of passengers on fast trains, but it would be manifestly impracticable, from the fact that such case might not occur once in twenty years on any one line of railroad, and no railroad company could be expected to pay two high-salaried men year after year merely to forestall destiny. In the uncertainty of human af- fairs any man is apt to fall dead at his post, and 1t would be just as feasible to suggest that every man who carries in his hands the lives of one or more per- sons should constantly have substitute by his side to take his place If death should come unexpectedly.
 Between chickens and cats Washington Is having a lively time. The capital is having difficulty in settling the question of how her wandering felines shall be dis posed of, and now a new problem con- fronts her, that of ''shoong" off her streets her wandering chickens. While both subjects are sufficiently humble for the capital of a great nation to be dis cussing, the fact remains that these prob lems are near the hearts of the people and must be solved. While cats and chickens do not get along very amicably together, there Is no harm done in dis- cussing both in the same breath. It has been suggested that Washington might permit her stray cats to devour her stray hens and the cats could then be "re- moved" by chloroform, thus disposing of two troublesome problems most felicitous- ly and expeditiously.u P. O..