davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
HALF CENT is SMALLEST
OF THE AMERICAN COINS.
From the Gateway Magazine.

From the Gateway Magazine
N HE treasurer of the United States
Wy on May s. 1903, redeemed two half
cent pieces. This is the first time
in the history of the country that any
such coins have been presented for re-
demption. 1t Is more than a century since
the first half cent piece was coined, and
it is nearly fifty years since the govern
ment discontinued minting them.
hay, been presented for redemption Tt
Is more than a century since the first
half centepiece was coined and itis near
ly fifty years since the government dis
continued minting them
Possibly not one person in a thousand
now living in the United States ever saw
a half cent piece.
The last annual report of the director
of the mint. page 50, shows that 1852 :
of these coins. representing $39,47611
were issued. For almost half a century
each annual report of the treasury de-
partment has included them among the
outstanding" obligations of the govern
ment
The half cent piece was the coin of the
smallest denomination ever made by this
country. 1t enjoys the distinction also
of being the ..rst coin issued and also
the first whose denomination was diseon-
tinued. The United states mint was es-
tablished in 1892. and copper half cents
and cents were issued In 1888. Half the
total number of half cents issued were
coined previous to 1870 after which year
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
About Seven Day Paper.

The Montgomery Advertiser is harp.
ing on the subject of line which has
been running in The Age-Herald so
long that the poor OLD type has been
worked to /. FRAGILE. The line in cues
ton reads: The Only Daily News
pape, in Alabama"
Tho Age-Hersld throws this line OF
type into The pi boz with much pleas.
ure, at the same time calling upon the
Advertiser to keep up its promise to
give the Montgomery people a Monday
morning paper every Monday OF every
week of the year.
Not many months ago The Age-Her
aid had to send corps of newsboye
to Montgomery on Monday morning
to give the good, intelligent Alabam
Baltimore fire and some important in.
formation ABOUT the Russian-Japanese
war.
If the Advertiser will promise to re-
min awake every day in the week and
give the home people the daily news,
The Age-Herald will gladly help it
along in its work, ara Tor the good of
the state will delight in the fact that
it can no longer claim to be "the only
fdaily Newspaper in Alabama" /.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
Nothing Doing.

From the Springfield Republican.
1t is amusing TO see how the reporters
who are covering" the national political
headquarters In New York and the homes
of the candidates for President are put
to 1t" for news. The most unrepresenta-
tive citizen possible who visits either
headquarters and predicts party success,
or who calls at Oyster Bay or Esopus
can be sure of newspaper exploitation.
The wonder Is under these circumstances.
how sparse the crop of such callers is
This is one phase of a Presidential cam
paign of phenomenal backwardness and
torpor. After 1t is all over we shall all
wonder how in the world Theodore Roose-
welt managed to endure these many weeks
of stagnation. 1t may be easy for Mr.
cortelyou to go about IN gum shoes, but
not so for his strenuous chief Happily
the news from Vermont will afford an oc-
casion for general political talk in which
both sides may properly and safely take
part. The silence had indeed become pain
full
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
Judge Parker's Speech.

Judge Parker's address to the dem
ocratic editors gathered at Esopus
was not rhetorical, and there was not
sophomore line in it. 1t was a
speech coming from thoughtful, in
telligent man upon some of the evils
c. government at the present time. He
asked the newspaper men present to
present TO their readers in clear terms
the extra. agance of recent republican
administrations. He asked them TO
compare present cabinet officers with
those of the two last democratic ad-
ministratioas, and he asked them to
stand shoulder to shoulder in tho
present contest without induleUg in
unkind words over differences inv the
last eight years.
He did not have time in which to
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
Money In Pressing Clubs.

There Is money in Birmingham press
Ing clubs" said young man about town.
Il recall at present several of my friends
who are doing very we'll at the business
and are not troubled by the strike situ-
alton. Such venture has a great at
traction for a young fellow who has not
yet chosen any profession, because the
income Is In most cases considerably
larger than he would make by working
for another person and in addition he has
the vast satisfaction of independence
Liberty Is sweet to him and the cheer
ing assurance that he can knock off when
ever he feels little out of sorts or see
ball game when business is not lively
does much to discount the small RESPONSE
b'lity attached to an establishment of his
own"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
"BEFoRE DAY" CLUBS.
Northern Paper Gives Its Views of
Negro Leagues.

From the New York Mail.
Stories of a great negro murder society
In the south must be taken with several
grains of allowance. Such stories have
been told before, but the existence OF no
negro "black hand has ever been es-
tablished. Small conspiracies of this
sort undoubtedly did exist at one time
and during slavery days. Nat Turner,
the black preacher who launched futile
slave instruction in Southampton coun-
ty, virginia, in 1881. was accused of hav-
ing organized a murder society with a
wide membership, but there was never
any proof that his conspiracy had an
existance outside his own neighborhood.
John Browns League of the Gilead-
les had killing as an ultimate object, In
case of necessity, but it was in no sense
a murder society. No such society ever
rose in answer to the Ku-Klux- Khan.
unless 1t were some merely local con-
spiracy.
Yet such leagues have fourished among
negro populations elsewhere. The Nam
igos of Cuba are a case in point. I'm
doubtedly many murders were commit
ted by that criminal society during the
last years of the Spanish rule. The or
ganization had a dwindling existence
even during the American occupation,
but it is not believed that it long sur
vived the occasion furnished by a tyran-
ical government. The same may be said
for the Katipunan of the Philippines,
which. although not a negro organiza-
ton, owed its inception and growth to
similar conditions of Spanish rule.
The present southern story is of a
murder league, called the Before Day
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
No Defense Needed.

From the Mobile Register.
We have just received an elaborate ex-
PLANTATION and defense of Judge Parker s
gold telegram. 1t is part of the campaign
literature sent out to help the democratic
candidate. We do not think much of it..
If the gold telegram does not speak cons
vincingly for its own honestly no amount
of endorsement will do 1t any good. The
republicans have raised a great shout
about the trick played by Parker and
Sheehan upon the convention. The abb
surdity of it is so manifest that we are
surprised that any one should think the
charge worth circumstantial denial. If a
thinking man does not know that Judge
Parker is above such trickery. he will not
take knowledge Of the subject from a
campaign circular
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
LulIabys Are Popular.

Have you noticed that lullabys are
much in vogue among vaudeville singers
these days?' asked man about town.
"A number of vaudeville teams that have
visited Birmingham during the past year
have rendered these simple melodies and
always with good effect. The public
seems to welcome the change from eter-
nal ragtine and coon shouting. Well
sung. there Is nothing sweeter than a
lullaby song, especially when rendered
by we'll trained male voices.
From present indications nursery
songs will retain their popularity for
some time to come, and while they ap-
pear at first glance to be sadly out of
place in vaudeville, the fact that they
are always so well received testifes to
the wisdom of the singers"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
Circus Is Coming.

at is probable that Birmingham will
soon be visited by the first circus of the
fall season." said a press agent yester-
day. "A circus is one amusement enter
prise that is always sure of large at
tendance. In fact / can recall very few
cases in my long connection with shows
where the tents were not always COM
fortably filled and nearly all the time
packed to suffocation. Our circus has
been touring the country for many years
and does a big business, whether 1t is in
the north, east. south or west. Now and
then a wind storm blows down the tents
and the people are so badly frightened
that many are kept away from the next
performance but as a rule we always
have as much business as we can at
tend to-"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

their coinage, with lew exceptions, was
limited. None was coined for circula-
ton from 1872 to 1898, nor from 1886 to
1S4S Finally in 1857. their coinages with
that of the big copper cent, was discon-
tinued. On account of their limited is
sue in the last years of their coinage
they practically had disappeared from
the channels of trade.
The needs of adopting the half cent as
the lowess value computing factor for
coin were made in the early days of the
republic Colonial half cents and British
farthings of the same commercial value
were then in circulation and many ar
ticles were priced and sold in half cents
With the progress of the nation values
rose and the needs for a half cent dis
appeared, and their use following the
first decade of the century was almost
entrey confined to multiples.
While all other discontinued types and
denominations of United States coin have
found oblivion, the half cent Is the only
one of which the treasury reports do not
record some portion of the issue redeem
ed This singular and unexplained fact
has been one of frequent comment and
inquiry from mint and treasury officials.
Large quantities of half cents are to
be found in the stocks of coin dealers.
The most common dates are sold at a
good premium and the extremely rare
ones are worth their weight In gold.
Ferran Zarbe of St Louis was the man
who sent the two half cent pieces to
Washington for redemption. He now
prizes highly the little voucher calling
for lone cent" which was sent to him
with that amount of current coin in ex-
change for the two hair cent pieces he
had forwarded.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Club" several alleged members OF which
have been arrested near Selma, Ala.
It's origin it attributed to certain negroes
OF Baltimore. one of whom has written
an anonymous communication report
ing the existence of a negro organization.
the purpose of which is to kill whites.
Needless to say, there is no proof of such
a conspiracy. 1t is really quite out Of
the character of the American negro.
1t is not to be supposed that intelligent
southern white people take any stock
in the story.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
Same Old story.
Mem phls scimitar.

From the Memphis Scimitar.
Uncle joe Cannon, Senator Fairbanks
and other gilt-edged spellbinders beat the
brush of Vermont in an endeavor to in
crease the republican majority for the
moral effect 1t would have on the cam
paign, and then the state proceeded to re-
peat almost exactly its record of 1900.
No members of the party were lost and
no converts were made There are no
tidal waves nor landslides for Vermont.
1t is the same old seven and six" now
and foreyermore.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR

From the New York Press.
Farming is a fine thing to write novels
about.
Most any man viii do for a girl to keep
in practice.
When a man writes poetry 1t is a sign
he must have money to be able to afford
to.
Every woman always expects when she
gets through having good time to start
salon.
1t make woman pretty mad to have
the telephone out of order when she
wants to call somebody up and tell her
how furious her neighbors are over her
new hat.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
MATTERS OF THE WORLD

ing to reflect that the presence of VIII
liam Waldorf Aston in London has not dis
turbed the equilibrium of the two hemis-
pheres by any means, AMI he is hardly
missed from the United States
The airship contest at st. Louis appears
to have been such rank failure there is
a howl being raised in certain quarters
that the spectators did not get their
moneys worth. The race was widely
talked about and written about, and It
was a distinct disappointment to thou
sands of people However. we are consoled
by the announcement that the contest has
not yet been called off. and there are sew
eral later disciples Of Darius Green who
are confident that they will be able to win
the prize just as soon as they can get
the mechanism of their airships in per-
feet working order.
The boisterous collegian has already be-
gun to punch mis- under classmates head
in what are styled class battles. cane
rushes and similar festivities of a charac-
ter that make the average football game
look like childs play. The rough and
tumble fight seems to be characteristics
of American college youths. But that Is
much safer way to afford an outlet for
their exhuberance than the German meth
cd of slashing faces with swords. 1t is
also expected that the annual agitation in
regard to hazing will besstarted shortly.
The popularity of the short story con-
tinues to be one of the marvels of pres
ent day fiction. That there is an enor-
nous demand for such literature, If It
may be so designated, is evidenced by
the fact that scores of periodicals and
magazines in the country offer prizes
every year for the best stories, some of
these prizes running up into the thous-
ands. A well known short-story maya
zine is even now conducting a contest
among writer's with cash rewards aggre-
eating more than $4,000 and such large
eagerness of American people to feed their
minds on tabloid fiction.
The moving picture machine has served
| It's days of usefulness in the summer
theatres of the land and all save those
which will be utilized in winter vaude-
Vile theatres will be laid away until next
| summer arrives In the meantime it is
expected that the manufacturers will
| spend a busy winter reproducing Russo
Japanese battle scenes in the hills of
New Jersey.
Huntsville citizens seem to be greatly
chagrined over the blot that has been
cast on their escutcheon by the recent
Naples lynchng. Aside from legal and
moral considerations it is to be regret
ted that such a misfortune should come
over one of the states oldest and most
historic towns The beauty and the
chivarly of the south have been asso-
cated with Huntsville since ante-bellum
days. On account of its historic asso-
Citations it is perhaps one of the best
known towns in the state, Mobile and
Montgomery not excepted. and it is quite
shock to the sensibilities tc learn of its
aristocratic environs being disturbed by
a midnight riot. PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
CANDY AND RADiUM.

From the Troy Messenger.
Colorado will soon have a town named
be very high there.--Age-H Herald.
Quite right you arel Alabama now has
a postoffice called Candy, Ala. We guess
everything down there is very sweet.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
HINT FOR TEDDY.

From the Pensacola Journal.
An Americanized chinaman has just
been baptized and assumed the name OF
Theodore, for what reason is not known.
--Age-Herald. ,
Maybe it's a gentle hint for the Terri
BILE One to get busy and make a pay
for the Chinese vote. 1t is said they
vote the heather in blocks of ten In New
York city.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
About Persons.


I. w. Reckard of Johns is at the St
Nicholas.
F. S. Mcknight Of Aberdeen, Miss, Is
registered at the st. Nicholas.
s, Roberts of Opelika is at the Morris.
Walter Mills of Short Creek is stopping
at the Morris.
NJ. w. Odess of Blocton Is at the Morris,
]. s. Mccormick of Atlanta is at the
Morris
]. w. Breeze of Gainesville is register
ed at the Morris.
j. B. stobert of Hollins is at the Metro
politan.
Congressman John l.. Burnett of Gads-
den spent few hours at the Metropoli-
tan yesterday.
w. C. Tunstall of Greensboro. associate
member of the railroad commission. is
at the Metropolitan.
j. w. Egan, JrD of Hollins is at the
Hillman.
w. H. Wilson of Madison is at the
Colonial.
e. L. stickney, Jr.. of Greensboro is
registered at the Hillman.
P. H. Estes OF Richmond. Va. is at the
Hillman.
B. L. Davis of Garnsey is at the HILL
man.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

President Roosevelt is trying to
take his personality out of the cam
paign. He is almost as still as David
Bennett Hill In an "off" year, or SEN
ator Stone In all years.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
NIRvANA.

By Swinburne.
From too much love of living.
From hope and fear set free,
We think. with brief thanksgiving.
Whatever gods there be-
That no life lives forever.
That dead men rise up never,
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere safe to see-
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Governor Hogg of Texas says "the
boltocrats, piecrats and lobbycrats'
are trying to read him out of the par
ty. But he read himself out.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
May Be a Grandma.

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Virginia is the mother of Presidents and
also of West Virginia, and may therefore
be the grandmother of vice-president.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The life insurance companies have
cancelled the policies held on the life
of M. Platonoff, ths new Russian sec
rotary of the interior.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The boil weevil goes right on saw
inS into bolls and saying nothing, re-
CARELESS of Helen Gould's birds, and
Secretary Wilson's ants.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Tho Vermont republicans are be-
moaning the fact that 800 of them
were indulging i, mimic war at Man.
assas on election day.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

KuropatlSin keeps his weather eye
on Hardin, and refuses to stop long
enough to crush Kuroki on the one
hand or OlSu on the other.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Those who watch Candidate Fair
banks movements can predict chilly
weather WIN accuracy and dispatch.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Governor La toilette Is campaign
ing in an automobile, and all can now
see his finish. He will be ditched in
November
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Kuropatlxin's offensive movements
are of the new-fangled backward sort
and military experts do not like them
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Tom Watson is fighting for third
place against the socialist candidates,
who are trying 70 drive him into the
second division.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

lcicle Fairbanks is in Maine warm
ing up the voters in the north pole end
of the country.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
ALABAMA PRESS.

Baldwin Times: Far-seeing people in the
south have begun a movement to estab-
fish the old-time plantation. When we
see so many of our young men going into
professions, because 1t Is easier, leaving
the country and fiocking to the city, it
alarms u.s. The country is the backbone
of the cities, and If the prosperity of the
south is to continue, the intelligent men
and women must make the country suf-
ficiently attractive to keep their boys at
home.
Centreville Press: There Is less political
dissatisfaction in Bib than has been
known in years. The people have named
ticket and are going to elect it, and are
not worrying themselves over the oppo-
sition of one Independent candidate who
wants the office. They are getting down
to business in the cotton field, ginneries
and saving hay and grain.
Prattvllle Progress: A Kansas man has
disposed of his drug store, averring that
no Christian can run a drug store In
Kansas. This assertion is not so sweeping
when one is familiar with the poisonous
quality of the booze sold by Kansas
drug store.
Eufaula Times: The incentive system of
farming is growing in favor year to year.
and the sooner the plan is adopted by
what is known as the smaller farmer"
the better 1t will be for that class of
farmers. 1t has been fully demonstrated
that more clear money can be made or at
least saved, on q few acres in a high
state of cultivation and properly classi-
fled. than can be produced from much
larger acreage partially fertilzed and
cultivated. And then the labor question
is getting to where it demands that sys-
tenn of farming by the small farmer.
Dothan Siftings: The before day club
in Houston county is being heard from.
1t is filling the wagon yards at the gins
with many loads of cotton waiting their
turn; 1t is paying for guano merchan-
disc and borrowed money; 1t is Spreading
a nice. thick coat of prosperity around
this town, and the negroes are helping.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The czar is mot going to the front
until the front is better defined. He
may, however, embark on the Baltic
fleet
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Gen. Fred Grant conducted a mimic
campaign where his father had to
fight In downright earnestness.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The car may endeavor to meet the
front at the halfway house.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The price of meat stays up, al.
though there is no meat strike.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

There are no chemicals in Birming-
hams drinking water.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Mr.. Carnegie keeps on building H.
braries, turning deaf ear to all cam
paign managers.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

General Stossel cannot run away,
but he can lure the Japs on to his
mines.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Kuropatkin is not making even one
night stands.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Kuropatl1in is travelling too contin.
uously to compile casualty estimates
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

All roads travelled by Chairman Cor
telyou lead to Oyster Bay.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The price of meats went up more
readily than they are going down.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

The meat strike just petered out
all by itsep
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

Frank v. Evans and r. L. o'Neal' Jr''
are the only authorized travelling repre-
sentatives of the Age-Herald In its cir
EQUATION department
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

E no communication will be published
without its authors name. Rejected
manuscripts will not be returned unless
stamps are enclosed for that purpose