davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-05-25
PREPARING FOR ATTACK.
Russian Troops Continue to Pour Into
Liacyang.

Liaoyang, May 25.--Troops continue
pouring into Liaoyang
Dysentery in mild form has broken
Out south Of Llaoyang.
General kuropatkln during the day
Inspected seven new city gates, which
will enable the garrison To more easily
concentrate anu meet an attack on
Any side.
Natives have brought in news from
Fenghuancheng that cholera, in a par
ticularly vlruient foIm, has broken out
among the Japanese troops. In some
cases death has occurred within three
hours
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-05-25
MINE THE LAO RIVER.
Russians Prepare to Resist the Japs
at NeWchWanQ.

Yinkow, May 25-The Russians have
completed the mining of the harbor
and the mouth of the Lao river.
It is now believed that there are
immense supplies at Newchwang and
that place is thoroughly protected
against any incursion of the Japanese
The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-05-25
ATTENDANCE AT THE FAIR.
That of Last Week Greater Than the
Week Previous.

st. Louis. MAY 25.-The official
statement or tne attendance al the
worlds fair during last week was
given out by President Francis Mon
day night. The statement was to
have been issued Sunday night in ac.
cordance with the rule adopted to give
out each weeks attendance on Sunday
night, but was withheld until Presi-
dent Francis returned from a brief
trip to Indiana.
The statement gives the total at
tendance for the week as 257.611, an
Increase of G9,lf0 over the previous
week.
Kidnapped American Heard From.
New York, May 25.--A dispatch
from Tangier. Morocco, to the Times
says letters have been received from
Ion Perdicaris, the wealthy American
who was kidnapped few days ago by
bandits. The writer says he is being
well cared for and Is In good health.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
In the Indian Ocean.

Winter reigns in Manchuria, where
Kuropatkin and Oyama face each
other, neither desiring to leave its
burrows, which are at least shelter
from the deep pervading cold. AT
Port Arthur similar conditions pre-
vail, and both sides there are willing
to be patient, especially the Russians.
Warfare promises to become passive
on land, while at sea there is every
indication of active and historic con-
fiicts.
Togo and Rojestvensky may deter
mine at sea the length and even the
outcome of the war. The ships Of the
Baltic feet are presumably headed
towards the China sea. The battle
ships are steaming round the cape,
while the cru.Scrs went through the
Suez canal. The place of meeting is
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Some Good Shooting.

I'm two days during our recent bird
hunt" said Walker Percy yesterday,
Mr.. Bacon, Mr.. Order. my boy and my
self killed 1856 birds. OF this number my
boy and myself killed seyenty-one and
Mr.. Bacon and Mr. Order killed sixty
five. OF course, you will understand
that we missed many moro than that"
The listener readily understood this and
Mr. Percy continued: THE dogs did fine
work and we had plenty of good shoot
ing. We had a man along with us to kill
the birds that we could not kill but
have forgotten exactly how many he
shot"
I'm putting down your statement you
know it will be necessary to deduct 10
per cent for enthusiasm" was explained
to Mr.. Percy, land experts frequently
deduct fully that much for forgetfulness.
This would leave the actual number
killed at about ITO.
Il think that would be very conserva-
tive" agreed Mr.. Percy, but you can
not discount the good time we had"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Armor Plate ExtortiOns.

When the government refused to
build an armor plate shop as it had
previously built gun and other shops,
ii fell without delay into the hands of
the armor plate trust, consisting OF
of the Carnegie and Bethlehem plants.
Both are subscribers to republican
campaign funds, and both must there
fore be permitted to recoup subscrip-
tions and to gather in big profits. So
things of a governmental nature go
nowadays, and armor plate did not
prove a bit exceptional. The gov
eminent was compelled to pay about
$500 a ton, when it is known that $240
a ton is ample and profitable to
makers.
At length an enemy to the combine
appeared in the Midrale company and
its bid was so low the government felt
compelled to let it make 5000 tons OF
armor plate The Midrale plate proved
to be of excellent quality, and the
Carnegie-Bethlehem combine will no
doubt proceed to take in Midrale, II 1t
has not already done so.
Even the Midrale prices are exorbi-
tant. and the government will continue
to pay exorbitant prices until 1t builds
q plant of it's own, when prices will
at once be brought within reasonable
limits. Nothing at all stands in the
way except, of course, campaign sub
scriptions, which must, of curse, be
fully protected. in five years the gov
eminent has paid the Carnegie-Bethle-
hem combine $19,5OO,OO0 for armor
plate, and experts agree that over one
Lalf of that vast sum went as net
profits into the treasury OF the con
tributory combine.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
TENNESSEE COAL AND IRON.
Earnings for 1904 Equal to About 2Ia
Per Cent on Stock.

From the Wall Street Journal.
The net earnings of Tennessee Coal
and Iron for the fiscal year ending De-
cember 81, 1904, will be in the neighbcf-
hood Of $5OO,0OO equal to about I've per
cent on the common stock The profits
for the year were unfavorably affected
by two factors. The first was the poor
condition Of the iron business early in
the year and the second was the strike
at the company's coal mines The con-
ditIons in the iron trade have greatly i'm
proved and at present the company Is
breaking the record in its output of both
pig iron and steel at its Ensley plants.
The effects Of the coal Strike, however,
are still being felt, and 1t is difficult to
say when the company's mines will be
turning out their normal production.
The holiday season is usually time for
miners to take 1t easy and this year is
no exception.
Rumors have been current for some
time that a dividend on the common
stock is contemplated as a result of
the great Improvement in the iron and
steel business.
Officials of the company do not en-
courage the idea that dividends are to
be resumed right away 1t is admitted,
however that If the iron and steel bus
mess continues on the present scale
stockholders will be entitled to some con-
sideration before long but whether the
directors will be disposed tc take action
on the matter in 1905 is not yet deter
mined
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
SEABoARD AIR LINE.
Bair-Ryan Plans Expected to Be
Strongly Opposed.

From the Wall Street Journal.
Baltimore-The belief is prevalent in
Baltimore that the financial plans for the
Seaboard Air Line railway contemplated
by Blair & Co. and Thomas F. Ryan of
New York, who dominate the manage
ment of this property, will encounter for
midable opposition. 1t is intlmated that
Ladenburg. Thalmann & Co, of New
York, will head this opposition. Both
parties are believed to be working for
powerful railroad interests who want to
control the future of the Seaboard.
Back of the Blair-Ryan crowd Is re-
ported to be J. P. Morgan & Co., with e
plan to place the Seaboard in a COM
munlty OF interests scheme with the
Southern Railway and the Atlantic Coast
Line. On the other hand the Rock Is
land system is reported to be back of
Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co. with de-
sire to reach the South Atlantic and Flor
ida Gulf Seaboard by acquiring control of
this property. The Rock Island through
the ST. Louis and San Francisco, gets to
Birmingham, Ala, to which city the
Seaboard has just opened new extern
sion. Interests identified with the Rock
Island and Frisco lines entered the Sea-
board management about two years ago
and this arrangement was made by
Ladenburg, Thalman & Co.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31

not known, but It will be either tho
north end of Madagascar, or else the
Chagos islands In the Indian ocean.
The latter, however, are depen-
dency of the British colony of Mauri-
tins, and It is not probable that a rem.
devious would be arranged in British
territory. Diego suarez Bay, in NADIA
gasear, controlled by the French. is
the more probable port towards which
the Russian armada Is sailing with the
purpose Of coaling and reftting for the
latter part of their long and desper.
ate trip. Diego suarez would thus be-
come a Russian base.
If the Russian vessels have good
luck they should met at Diego Suarez
about February 1, and they will
doubtless stay there two weeks at
least, and possibly a month.
The chief question at present re-
lates to the effect upon Rojestyensl1y
of the sinking or disabling Of the Rus
sian ships at Port Arthur. Rojestven-
sky must now fight unaided the ire
pressible and unconquered Japanese.
VIII he do it? He has seven battle
ships, four of them being new and
modern, and the other three carry
heavy guns. Japan has but four bat
tleships. Outside of battleships Japan
has an advantage. She has more
armored cruisers and they outrank in
fighting strength the Russian ships of
like class. After all, the fleets are
pretty evenly matched, and the COM
ing battle will be one that will go
down in history, always provided both
sides stand up to their respective
work.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
A Remarkable Judicial Record.

Judge Samuel E. Greene, who has
just retired from the criminal bench to
accept the office of probate judge of
Jefferson county, has the honor of hold
ing the pest record of any Judge within
the borders of the United States" said
leading lawyer yesterday.
Within twelve years on the bench of
the criminal court of Jefferson county
Judge Greene has never had but two
cases. reversed by the Supreme Court
One of these was matter of record, and
was, in fact, no error of the presiding
5udge. It is probable that Judge Greene
has tried more criminal cases during his
term Of office than any judge in the
United States, with the possible excep-
ton of police judges and recorders. If
you come to think of 1t just two cases
reversed in twelve years Is something
astounding. I regretted very much to see
Judge Greene retire from the criminal
bench, but he had given the county the
better part of his life. and it was but
1T and proper that he should finally be
rewarded with more relnunerative po-
siton-that of judge of probate"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Tax not so bad voice
To Islander music any more than once
Much Ado About Nothing.
Our Navy and It's Cost.

In the present calendar year six
battleshlps, three armored cruisers,
two protected cruisers, two gunboats
and three training vessels have been
Iaunced. The new vessels would
form a good fleet. Says Secretary
Morton in his annual report Never
before were so many warships
launched by this or any other nation
in one year"
When all the vessels that have been
launched are in commission the power
of the navy will have been doubled
and we will outrank any other naval
power, England and France only ex-
cepted. Germany is also increasing
her navy, but the United States will
outrank Germany in sea power.
The fleet that we are getting will
assuredly become the pride of the
country, and all parties will be apt
to favor even greater additions to it.
The naval estimates recently sub
United are large-the largest ever
submitted to an American congress
but al feel that we must have navy
that will command peace by warning
away all antagonists. A big navy, IN
other words, pays for itself by insur-
ing us against war. Its mere posses
sion, If it be maintained in the best
possible condition, warns off all enc
mics. We have distant possessions,
too, and nothing will prevent ag-
gression SO much and so well as sea
power. This we are in way to Sc
cure, and we must expect to pay for it
as we go along.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
DEATH VALLEY RUSH.
Hunt For Pots of Gold at Foot of
Rainbow.


From the Des Mones Register.
The moral of the old Persian proverb,
1.-The cheapest thing in the kingdom is
what men hold most dear" is called to
mind by the story which comes from San
Francisco of the daily sacrifice of human
lives in the mad search for gold in the
Death Valley. Past Funeral Mountains,
which stand warder at the gates, men are
struggling, lured by the lust Of lucre.
Men have strayed Into Death Valley
many time before, but 1t was when they
were crazed with thirst and knew that no
torment of the unknown could surpass
the the agony of the known. From end
to end Death Valley is strewn with
bleaching sun dried and vulture picked
skeletons. 1t is the most barren and for
saken place in North America. Death
turks on every hand but men are giving
up comfortable homes by the hundreds
with chances a million to one against
them, and storming Funeral Mountains
in hope to straggle into Death Valley In
despair because gold has been found
little further on. The fortunes awaiting
them have been heralded widely but can
not daunt the adventurous spirit of the
argonauts
All through Death Valley, as well as
along the fringe of both the Mojave and
the Colorado desert, the atmosphere Is so
devoid of moisture that everything is as
dry as a bone. The new arrival finds that
all superfiuous fat and flesh appear to
melt away from him. He has to take
up several holes in his belt, and he has to
drink gallons of water every day where
he ordinarily drank several glasses.
In fact the system Graves so much
water that when it cannot be procured
the mans strength fails rapidly, and to
be without it, even in the shade, is sure
death after a day or two. To run out of
water on the trail and to be forced to
travel over the desert in the fierce glare
of the sun means in few hours
Not even the seasoned resident can re-
sist this heat for long. The only recourse
of the old resident who loses his water
supply in any way is to seek shelter
under a mosquito bush and wait until the
sun goes down. Then he must hit the
trail and reach a well before sunrise, or
unless he has wonderful vitality his
skeleton will be added to the large col
lection that lines all the roads through
Death Valley.
The old Persian proverb has been prov
ed over and over again. but never more
eonclusively than in this case. The hunt
for gold has always been the hunt for
DEATH The western plains, over which
the argonauts of 1849 struggled toward
California and gold, the silent places
along the Chilkoot Pass, the great
steppes of Siberia, the great wastes of
South Africa, wherever gold has been
found. men have offered in bounteous
measure that which they hold most dear
and yet which is cheapest in kingdom or
republic. Men by the thousands have
left riches at home to tempt fate and
that will-o -the-wisp gold and have add
ed their bones to the funeral pyres
that mark every struggle. The death
Valley rush is but another in the long
list since men sought to find the pots of
gold at the foot of the rainbow
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
CONGRESSMAN Burnett.

Congressman John L. Burnett of Gads-
den stopped at the metropolitan last
night en- route to Gadsden from Mont
geometry. He is In the best of health and
spirits. He says that under the circum-
stances the democratic minority is ac-
complishing fairly good results.
"Of course" said Mr.. Burnett, we
democrats are making the best Of the
situation and the republicans are treat
ing us very well, considering the fact
that they have almost unlimited control
over congress. The democratic leaders In
the house are standing firm and to a
man are in harmony with the leadership
of John Sharp Williams.
II am of the opinion" said Mr.. Bur-
nett, that President Roosevelt, true to
his word, will see that the south gets
a square DEAL
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
IN HOTEL LOB8IES
Rlrds and otharT THINGS.

Il can just get hold of a good dog I
am going down in Sumter county and
sNooe some birds" declared R. Ely Coop
e. Reports from there say that there
are more birds than have ever been
Aho"h IN the county. was down there
Tor little while and came back with
pretty good string. I am anxious to go
ana stay about two or three days. I
know OF one man who bagged seventy
SIX BIRDS in one afternoon and. as you
Would say, I guess that's shooting some.
Ism II! This box 1 have in my hands
contains ten birds that were sent me by
express. On account of certain laws it
Is very difficult to get birds shipped from
some counties, so l am not going to tell
you where these came from.
No, 1 am out of aldermanic politics
FOR the present at least" laughed Mr..
Cooper when asked about his recent race
against Henry b. Gray. THAT race only
cost me $50, and as 1 had plenty of fun
out OF It | think that it will do me for
awhile Mr.. Cooper admitted, however,
that there was no telling when alder
manic lightning might strike him.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
The Barker School.

"While the board Of education is busily
engaged in looking after the Birmingham
new high school, hope they will not
overlook the new Barker grammar school,
to be built in the Fourth ward" said
citizen of Norwood Place last night.
1--WE are badly in need of this public
school out our way, and I hope the board
of education will order the plans and
specifications drawn up Immediately after
the award for the construction of the new
high school is settled
Our nearest public school now is the
Powell which is located on the corner
of Twenty-fourth street and Sixth ave-
nue.. This is several blocks away, and al
though we have good sidewalks, still 1t
is very inconvenient for the little girls and
boys to go so far to school To reach the
Powell school, too, they have to cross
the Frisco system tracks on Ninth avenue
and this is necessarily very dangerous
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Deem Water in the Ohio.

Congress is expected to sanction one
of the biggest internal watering i'm
provement schemes ever presented to
tit is expected to do this before 1t
breaks up on the 4th day of March.
The people of Pennsylvania, West Vir.
ginia, Ohio and Kentucky expect the
government to canalize the Ohio from
its mouth to its source at Pittsburg, a
distance of nine hundred and seventy
five miles. The roughly estimated
cost of the scheme is forty million
dollars, although it is conceded that
it may call for twice that sum.
The people of the OHIO valley would
not be content with six-foot depth
the year round, as the people on the
Warrior are. The Ohio valley folks
say they must have nine feet Of water
every day in the year. They ask, too,
that the work be begun at both ends.
The improvement of the Ohio be.
tween Pittsburg and Cincinnati has
been in progress several years, but all
of the work thus far done called for
but six feet of water on the inter stills.
The change to nine feet in depth
means that more than fifty great dams
must be built between Pittsburg and
Cincinnati The cost would be very
great
If Pittsburg and West Virginia coal
are to be accommodated with pools
nine or ten feet deep at an expense
that approaches at least that at Pan
ANA it seems reasonable to ask that
in the course of time the Warrior be
opened with a modest six-foot depth
on the stills of its locks. Pittsburg
should not be enabled to deluge the
south with Pennsylvania coal, unless
Alabama coal be given an outlet and
chance to compete against 1t.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Concerning Tannhauser.

Many Birmingham music-lovers are ia
miliar with the Tannhauser music-and
everybody knows the overture-but COM
paratively few who have not seen the
opera and followed the libretto know the
story upon which Wagner constructed his
beautiful work. A general reading up"
then, will be in order, as Tannhauser is
to be performed here on January 10. Mr..
Damn Petersen announces a lecture on
Tannhauser for the night of January II
at the Allen school. He will tell all
about the leit-motifs and will illustrate
the music on the piano.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
SNOW FLAKES.

By Longfellow.
Out of the bosom of the air,
Out of the cloud-folds Of her garments
shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest fields forsaken,
Silent; and solft. and slow
Even as our cloudy fancies take
Sudden shape in Some divine expression.
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief 1t feels.
This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded
This is the secret of despair.
Long in its cloudy bosom boarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field,
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-31
Oklahoma Correspondence of the Kans!

Oklahoma Correspondence OF the Kansas
City Star.
nTwo of the most successful
"9 schemes that ever won money
in the gambling business. the
craps were devised in Oklahoma" said
the keeper of a game who had passed a
lifetime bucl.ing fortune in the west.
"A gambler named Frank Tobe built
the first high layout machine at Guthrie,
in the early COS, and a young fellow
named Frank Jones, who lived in the
little country town of Mulhall, sprang the
craps roll-out. Both were money makers.
"Tobie was a mechanical genius and
could make anything that required the
use of tools. He had dreamed of the high
layout for years before ne fitted up
private workshop on a side street in
Guthrie where he devoted months of hard
work to perfecting his mechanism. Tobie
exhibited his invention to a few wise
ores, and they were wild to buy a ma
chine. The high layout was a sure thing.
In the frameof the layout on the Dealers
side was concealed the mechanism that
grabbed the money. 1t was operated with
SPRINGS. one under the table for the knee
and another on top in reach of the ell
bow. A plate In the side of the card box
dropped down and left a narrow opening
lengthwlse when the box was placed in
position against the layout.
By pressing one of the springs two
slender steel fingers came from the layout
Elinnad iptO tha hoy without n sound.
gripped the second card and pulled It into
a recess in the layout. BY the same pres
sure the card could be returned at the
proper time to second place In the pox'
The dropped plate in the box could easily
be shifted into place for new deal The
only unnatural thing about the device
was that the box was just little bit
higher than the layout, but the difference
was so slight that the player, who was
not next" would not notice it. The best
gamblers in the country were caught.
''Tobie had a gold mine, but talked too
much. His success dazzled him and he
made too many confdants. The graft was
worked two or three years before gam
blers generally learned it, Tobie sold his
layouts at $500 each, and disposed Of
about seventy-five He could have sold
more but was afraid to overstock the
market. Many green one and many
wise one who played bank In Chicago
during the worlds fair possibly are still
wondering what made them so unlucky
Several of Tobies layouts were there, and
made big money for their owners. A high
layout was set up in a New Orleans house
when the Corbett-Sullivan fight was
pulled off in the Mississippi town and $780,
900 cleaned up before the players grew
suspicious. The owner was foolishly avar-
icious and rolled things so fast that he
had to close down early. This layout was
taken from Guthrie to New Orleans.
1.-THE biggest single haul was made In
the city of Mexico. A railroad contractor.
we'll known in the southwest as plunger
and a slayer. had gone to Mexico from
Arizona. Two gamblers at lElsP -heard
-