davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
CROPS IN ALABAMA.
the Gadsden Times-News.

From the Gadsden Times-News
 Beneficial and fairly we'll distributed rains, with ample sunshine and nearly normal temperature, made the week very favorable for crop growth: in few scat tered localities excessive rains and high winds were slightly damaging. and in few other widely scattered districts more rain Is needed. Cotton continues to make vigorous growth and to fruit well; in some fields there are many half-grown bolls; some fields are foul and need cul- tivation; there are some reports of too rapid growth, with occasional mention of lice, rust blight and boil worms how ever, the crop, as whole, is very prom ising, many correspondents reporting It better than for years. Corn continues to ear well, with the outlook favorable for good yield, except in a few localities where early corn was damaged by pre- vious drought, or where excessives rains have damaged the late planted on low lands; some early corn is maturing in southern counties. Gardens are yielding fairly well; minor crops are generally promising. and hay prospects are now fairly good. Shipments of peaches are becoming heavy, with this fruit in gen. orally good condition; pears continue promising; grapes are ripening and promise a good yield. Wheat threshing is progressing slowly. and the yield cont tinues good Taken as whole. the crops in this state are now In generally promising condiuv .rs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
Spinners and Farmers.

By utilizing a second cut in wages the cotton mill people of Fall River have succeeded in shutting down eighty-one mills, and the southern spinners met at Greenville, s. O., last Tuesday, and decided to eurtail pro- duction in August and September to the extent of 20 pe- cent.
 Both of these movements have a common object in view. The spinners do not desire to pay 10 cents for early cotton, and yet they do desire to base late contracts for goods on 10-cent cot ton. The strike at Fall River and the action taken at Greenville are parts of a scheme to "bear" cotton at the outset of the new crop year.
 The farmers who can arrange to culty in securing from naked world 10 cents for it, but possibly the com bine now existing will be able to push the price below 10 cents in September and October. The American mills are pulling together to that end.
 The farmer may not have this year the support of bull clique such as the Brown-Sully contingent led last year, and he may have to depend upon his own foresight and resources. Ala bama is growing fine crop, and ev- cry bale of it will command 10 cents if 1t can be held until after October. No matter how much cotton we grow, we cannot pick more than eleven and a half million bales, and the world will pay 10 cents for an American crop of that size. The spinners are willing, however, to fill their warehouses with 7-cent cotton, although they will base their late contracts on 10-cent cotton. The spinners want two profits. They want the profit that belongs to the farmers as well as the profit that is legitimately their own.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
Women and Smoking.

While l am not attempting to defend the practice, I cannot but admire the woman who knows how to smoke cigar cite gracefully" said a Bohemian "A chic girl who can handle a cigarette as it should be handled is a treat to the eye, although she may shock the sensibilities of Puritan. And l may remark that smoking Is becoming more popular with American women every day. There are a great many deyotees of the weed whose remissness is not generally known, and they are making converts.
 However, do not believe that Ameri- can women are inclining to profanity, as is reported of their sisters in England. A woman who smokes can be graceful, but a woman who swears never interests a man, from the very fact that she is too much like himself in that respect"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
JUDGE FEAGIN.

Talladega Reporter: Great honor is due Judge Feagin for being instrumental in the establishment of the Negro Boys Industrial Farm, near Tuscaloosa. w. H. Council and Booker Washington are now trying to get the right man for the }head of it. Trust they will, for teaching any boy or girl to earn a living, beats put ting them in the criminal class mighty badly. Put them in the grammar, and not the criminal class.
 Charleston News and Courier: We are told by the Baltimore Sun that Judge Feagin of Birmingham, Ala, is winning golden opinions, north and south, by his efforts to save untrained colored boys from the vicious life they seem destined to by offering them when convicted of al serious offense the choice of the chain gang or of being bound out to negro farm CTS of good character, who will undertake to raise educate and discipline them, and report monthly. Within three months Judge Feagin has thus rescued twenty three boys from association with harden- ed criminals" We think that he is doing a splendid work for humanity, but what the dreamers up north will think of it we can not imagine. If Judge Feagin should bind out the colored boys to white farmers there would probably be a howl all around the ring at the revival of sla- very Just now most of the philosophers are wasting a good deal of sentiment on  Judge Emory Speer of the United States court in Georgia, because of his recent deliverancee on the chain gang question. Possibly the tender hearted and learned judge might find Judge Feagin's way of disposing of negro criminals in Blrming- ham violative of the spirit, If not the let- ter, of the amendments to the consti- tuition.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
DEATH OF FATHER o'REILLy.

From the Mobile Register
 Mobile people, especially those or the Whistler suburb, hear with sorrow of the death of Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly' pastor of St. Paups church, Birmingham. Father OReilly was for long time pastor of St. Bridget's church. in Whistler. and was well liked for his cheerfulness, his eager intelligence, his untiring industry and his utter unselfshness. He was de- voted to his parish work and to the well fare of his people. His charity, both in thought and action, knew no bounds. Being translated to Birmingham, he con tinued there in the same activity as at Whistler, and his works there are his monument. Comparatively young in years, he seemed to have a long period of usefulness stretching out before him when an accident that could not possi- bly have been foreseen or prevented. hap pened and his life was cut short. He has gone to his reward, leaving behind him a fragrant memory of good deeds well performed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
Southern Money Accommodations.

In ten years the bank deposits of Alabama have increased from $7,661,- 424 to s19,963.4So, the sum at which they stood last year on June 30 This is a gain of 160 per cent, as against a gain of 137 per cent in other south ern states, and of a trifie over one hundred per cent in the rest of the country.
 The figures given represent all bank deposits, whether in national, state, savings or private banks. or in loan and trust companies. The gain in Alabama indicates prosperity, but 1t does not indicate a rich people. Ten dollars per capita does not mean a general condition of accumulation or forehandedness. It means that we have got start, that Is all.
 Georgia's deposits at the end of June of last year exceeded forty three million dollars, or about $20 per cap- ita, Georgia doubled, in other words, Alabama in the respect of accumulated wealth. Florida did even better for it had sixteen millions in bank de- posits, or about $3O per capita. Ten nessee also had s3O per capita on de- posit, her aggregate exceeding sixty two million dollars. Mississippi is the only other state that bounds Alabama, and she had over twenty-nine million dollars in her banks, or about s20 per capita.
 Beyond all doubt the per capita de- posits of Alabama are the lowest in the south, and probably in the country. Now. why is this> Is it because we
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31

are concerned. They have confidence in Judge Parker, and those who fear Roosevelt say a republican senate is controlling. They feel safe which ever way the electoral tide turns, and this accounts for the present unmis- takable revival in business. Prices of securities in Wall street are harden ing, the railroads are getting ready for the movement of great crops, and an optimistic feeling is becoming pre- dominant. All branches of business feel secure.
 This, however, means a dull cam paign The average business man feels that he no longer has any irons in the political fire, and he has drop ped out of it, and when he dorps out the farmer becomes listless, and the inde- pendent voter stays on the fence, and many feel that Judge Parker's nomi- nation has taken away all danger and all need of campaign work.
 The campaign will be dull, unless indeed Thomas Taggart from the breezy west can energize 1t, and he be- lieves he can. He is brimfnl of west ern methods, and perhaps he can wake up the business men, who are much inclined to avoid a waste of temper in the present presidential fight. And yet common gratitude over the nomi- nation of Parker and Davis should in- duce them to turn on some political energy. The crowd on the fence should climb, down. Whether the bus mess man will turn from his business as crops begin to be moved, or whether the man on the fence will climb down remains to be seen, but at this writing the indications are that the campaign will be devoid of fire works, and that the spellbinders will have upahill tasks. The air is free from alarms. Even MT. Roosevelt failed to endorse Crnmpackerism in his speech of acceptance.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
AN OBSTINATE JURY.
m the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
 Capt. Jack Cooper, the Linen King" of Belfast and New York, tells of a jury incident, in Yorkshire, England. The twelve good men and true were out many hours.
 At last, the judge suspecting dsa- greement, called the min. What is the verdict?' he said to the foreman. May it please your honor, there is no verdict as yet replied that worthy, and if I can helpt 1t there never will bel I have never in all my life seen eleven more obstinate men, They absolutely refuse to come to my way of thinking. I have argued with them till my tongue aches, and not one of them will be persuaded. Your honor, I am here to do my duty as I see 1t, and am willing to sit here till the seat of my pants is worn out if the court thinks there is a chance of over coming the pigheaded obduracy and per- versity of my eleven colleagues"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
Taggart of Indiana.
Le Shreveport Times.

From the Shreveport Times.
 The democratic national committee has made no mistake in selecting for it's chair man the Hon. Thomas Taggart of Indi- ana MT. Taggart is man born to suc- cess. In politics as in business he knows just what to do. how to organize and how to get the best results from the forces and resources at his command. The east ern demand for an eastern man to head the committee was inslstent and strong, but the more the mat ter has been considered by Judge Parker and his eastern advisers, the more it be- came apparent that the chairman should come from the middle west There is nothing in the selection of MT. Taggart that will preclude the management of the campaign In the eastern states by eastern men, but we believe it would have been unfortunate for the party's welfare in the west to have confided the management of the western situation to eastern hands.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
At the Freight pepots.

'The freight depots present the busiest scenes in town," said a business man last night. "A great quantity of all kinds Of merchandise Is shipped out of Birming- ham, and though the various railroads doing business in the city have commo- dious freight houses, apparently capable of receiving with ease all of the outgoing freight, business Is frequently congested around the depots and traffic impeded by the drays loaded down with shipments
 In the afternoon just before the hour of closing Is the time of greatest &C., tivity. The consigners rush their ship ments to the depot at the last minute, and the result Is the receiving clerk has his hands filled and at times the facilities for handling the eonsignments are taxed Birmingham merchants furnish supplies for a large surrounding territory, and the railroad business is necessarily very heavy. A great deal of merchandise, in- cluding various supplies, are sent out of the city in small lots, and these are the shipments that cause the rush and con fusion.
 The large tonnage of freight handled and the fact that new lines are entering the city are strong pointers as to the material wealth of the district"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
The dint of Pity.
AmerIca's Big Four.


 The age of Ann has been superseded by the new problem, Who is the leading citizen of the United States ?'' Golfers thinks the foremost man may be President Eliot, whose weight and dignity is unquestioned, or the monu- mental Sage of Princeton, who is our sole ex-president, or Mark Twain, who has both humor and the creative fac ulty, or the wizard Edison.
 No doubt Golfers has selected the Big Four, for all our multi-millionaires and captains of finance or industry offer no name-not even that of Car negie-to compete with the four. The hairless Rockefeller as depicted by Editor Opper, is not in the running What fame the Rockefeller class pos sess is due to the cartoonists and space writers.
 The trouble now is to select the foremost of the four. President Eliot is the least known of the four. He is a fine administrator at the head of Americas biggest and best school, but his name Is connected with no great reform, no great movement of any sort. And so it is with MT. Cleve- land His victories were negations. He sad No to England in Venezuela and he said No to free silver. A re- form tariff bill was passed during his last term. but he spurned 1t, refusing to sign it. No great act of construc- tiye statesmanship stands with his name attached, and he lacks the bril- liancy and cultivation of men like James c. Blaine and Henry Clay. He has backbone, and was twice elected president, but his rank in history will not be among the three or four great It is name to conjure with. It Is a name that will shine long after he has ceased to study the magic power of electricity He stands at the be- ginning of the electrical age, and his name is indissolubly' linked with the invisible and indefinable energy. He deserves at least second place.
 In fact 1t is a close rub between Ed ison and Mark Twain for first place.
 Mark Twain has, however. done so much to lessen the sombreness of life he is so real and spontaneous, in dulging in no grandstand plays-being so bright withal and so helpful, and Is so widely known, it is perhaps best to assign first place to linn, while we consider Edison a good second. Eliot and Cleveland are our heavyweights, but Twain and Edison are our bright and shining stars, and a popular vote would certainly place the stars at the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
ALABAMA VIEWS.

Alexander City Outlook: That full dinner pair which we have SO often read about in republican literature has evil dently been overturned.
 Talladega Reporter: That franchise plank seems to be splinter in the side of the grand old party. It ought to beat it, as now seems inevitable
 Anniston Hot Blast Birmingham Is to have twelve-story office building. If our neighbors go much higher heavenward they may encounter second Bable.
 West Point and Lanett News: Thomas Taggart has been chosen Chairman of the national committee and will lead the democratic hosts on to victory, skating across the icy coldness of would-be vice president Fairbanks, of the Hoozier state.
 Mobile Item: Elihu Root seems to be looming up as a republican possibility for governor of New York Should Root be the nominee the republicans could truth fully claim to be led by man of pro- found ability, and there is no denying that fact.
 Russell Register: Every democrat in Alabama should vote for Parker and Davis, and use his influence and good off, fees to induce others to do so- A full democratic vote is one of the best meth eds in the world to destroy Crumpacker- ism.
 Montgomery Journal: The eastern dem- ocrats arc apparently getting ready to do exactly what they promised to do if Park CT was nominated, to raise a fund suffi- cient to elect Parker. Roosevelt and ms crowd have not yet fully come to realiz- ation of their danger, and it is to be hoped they will continue their unbounded confidence in the result until the elec- tion.
 Scottsboro Citizen: Senator Morgan IS still at Bailey Springs Lauderdale coun- ty. and is enjoying the fine mineral Wa ter for which that place is famous. ne senator according to the Congressional Directory was 80 years old last month, but he seems to be hale and hearty Wi,h several years of usefulness ahead or hin for his country. The next legislature VIII re-elect him and after '1ife's fitful feVer is o'er," his statue should have con splcuous place in statuary hall in the ha- tional capital in the city of Wasnins- ton
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
THOMAS TAGGART
Chairman Thomas Tassart.

From the Augusta Chronicle
 And still the good work goes uninter- ruptedly on. The democratic party after the demonstration of its return to sanity at St. Louis. continues to give daily evi- dence of It's sane condition. and the last example of this has been the selection of Thomas Taggart of Indiana as chair man of the national committee. This is in perfect accord with the wise conduct of the campaign that has been noticeable so far in every respect
 It hardly seems possible for better choice to have been made. MT Belmont's name would unquestionably have aroused antagonism. and although Mir. German had enthusiastic supporters, the Nary land statesman seems to have a reputa- tion of being so cold and lacking in mag netism, that Taggart beyond doubt is more capable of rouslpg the enthusiasm necessary to a successful filling of the office than he.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
FIFE unpleasant experience

HHE unpleasant experience of l0 Madame schumann- Heink at
 Ocean Grove has brought forth the announcement from Irene Bentley. the actress. that she will not sing at the "old place. if she has to wear dress with a high-neck. The expression is inelegant but means Just the opposite of the low neck gown which depends largely on the neck and shoulders of the wearer to fill it up. It will be remembered that Madame sehumann-Heink sang at Ocean Grove in a gown that bcandalized the female part of the population, despite the fact that she is the mother of seyenI Mss Bentley was engaged to sing Q. the same place but has declined because. for sooth, she thinks that a woman who sings In a high-neck dress can not do herself-or her back-justice. Perhaps a gown could be devised which would show so much of Miss Bentley and no more but she will sing in a low-neclS dress or nothing at all and Ocean Grove will have to languish along without her.
 
 Former Governor Bob Taylor of Ten nessee has announced that he will begin the publication of a magazine and will probably start actively to work on his undertaking after his present lecture tour Is ended. This will be pleasant news to the admirers of the gifted Tennessean as well as all those in the south who long Tor creditable southern magazine. If there IS any man in Dixie who Is eap- able of making a success of such a yen- ture Bob" Taylor is that person. His brilliant rhetoric and flow of wit on the lecture platform have already made him a national figure and as a magazine editor he would possess many qualifications. He states that he will make his magazine typical of the best literary effort of the south and 1t Is to be hoped that he will win the success he merits, although the history of such undertakings in the past has been far from encouraging.
 It is announced that there will be no more swearing in Tuckahoe. Efforts are now being made to enforce the old 'blue laws' of the town and henceforth the
 
 profanity will have to be exceedingly circumspect and private. While passing 1t should be stated that Tuckahoe is in New York state and the fact that it is not as large as Chicago probably ec- counts for the crusade which has been started there against swearing. While 1t might be possible to stop a large part of profanity circulating within Tuckahoe the task would be difficult in a town where everybody does not know every- body else.
 It seems that Opelika is suffering from superabundance of cats. As a result the peacable citizens of the town are now engaged in staying feines going and coming and some of them running. It seems that the people would endure a great many cats without complaint but the cats have developed a fondness for chicken that is natural but expensive to poultry raisers and while Opelika is the last town in the world to be called blood- | thirsty the life of cat Is held very cheap | there just at present It Is astonishing where all the cats come from and where
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
| ENVY NOT.
By Alfred Tennyson.

By Alfred Tennyson. I envy not in any moods
 The captive void of noble rage.
 The nnnet born within the cage. That never knew the summer woods. envy not the beast that takes
 His license in the field of time
 ITnfetter'd by the sense of crime. To whom a conscience never wakes; Nor, what may. count itself as blest.
 The heart that never plighted troth.
 But stagnates in the weeds of sloth; Nor any want-begotten rest. I hold it true, whate'er befali; |. I feel it, when sorrow most; Iris better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at alL
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
No Chime Whistles.

"I miss the chime whistles on locomo- tives in this part of the country" said a westerner. "out west. and particularly in the southwest. chime whistles are quite common on the railroads and when heard at distance are very pleasing to tine ear. Some of the Southern Pacific engines are equipped with unusually melodious whistles that resound far across the plains and call the traveller to be moving. While do not suppose that chime whis- tie is any more useful than the more common whistles 1t has a pleasing sound that l always like to hear when travel ing"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
REFLECTIONS O. A BACHELOR.

From the New York Press.
 Even when you can see through shirt waist 1t can fool you as to what Is in it.
 A man is pretty we'll domesticated when he never asks what the baby is bowling about.
 Because a woman is a nice wife Is no sign she Is going to be that kind of a mother-in-law.
 When girl calls them limbs you can't help suspecting she hasn't much conf dence in them.
 There Is hardly anything more exciting than thinking you are caught and then getting out of it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
The Late Father o,RslIIv.

The Age-Herald welcomes the sug- gestion of building a monument to the late Father oReilly. Indeed, this is the thought that is uppermost now in the minds of thousands of our people who wish to pay some tribute to the priestly and civic virtues of a truly good man man who possessed a rare combina- ton of mind and heart. Without monu- ment his work in our midst can never be forgotten. His good deeds were as boundless as the impulses of his great heart. His labors were not confined to any class or condition of men, but were bestowed on good and bad alike. Ills only recompense was the hope and prayer that both might be made better. But nothing could be more fitting than for shaft to be erected by his friends and neighbors as a testimonial of the esteem and affection in which he was held
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-31
A Warm Member.

From the Savannah Press.
 Tom Taggart is pretty generally con- ceded to be a warm member" He is from Indiana So is Senator Fairbanks. the republican vice presidential nominee. who is voted one of the 'coldest proposi- tions" that was ever discovered in poli- tics. No extraordinary celebration is re- quired to guess which of the two will arouse the enthusiasm of the Indians voters