davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-17

The wheat crop throughout this section is the best 1t has ben for many years and the acreage is also larger than It has been heretofore. The wheat Is now in full head and it will be only few weeks before it will do to harvest
 Cotton and corn in this portion or lhe state is growing very slowly on account of tba cool nights Never before has such a. late spring been experienced here. As vet there have been but few very warm days while the nights have been extremely cool.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-17

Buy her a Gas Range.
The Washington times., 1904-04-24
.Dads Cummings Hat

he lives to-day. He was a much yTsr-
ried man for many months, however.
The next to die was Hart, then Over
baugh; two months later Nadeau died
suddenly. BY this time the whole party
awaited death patiently; only old Dad,
past eighty-one, was enjoying himself.
Ker was the next to receive the cross.
then Green. A month after Green died,
NJ. ]. Sullivan. the settler man, a
wealthy West Slider, offered Dad sz cash
for the hat
That's bad sign for you," was Dads
reply. Might as well cross you OF
now"
Sure. enough. Sullivan died two weeks
later.
Who was to be the thirteenth? BY
this time the whole list was resigned TO
its fate. Dad Cummings hat was the
talk of the West Side.
Weeks passed. and no more crosses.
Weeks passed into months, eleven
months slipped away and then Dad HIM
self took to bed
Dad was shot some ten years before
by Policeman Connor in an alteration
in which the old man only had a bam-
boo cane to defend himself, and two
bullets remained in his body.
Rheumatism now bound him., and
within few days Of his eighty-fourth
teenth OF the Inflated list in the bet.
The hoodoo was broken apparently, 80
none has died since, though year HIS
passed.
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

above another it was a doughnut. He
slipped into. the pantry and ate so
many of them that he was made i'll.
He recovered, but a chronic state
OF indigestion followed that babe fair
to make his whole life & failure He
was working in the office of a large
mercantile house at Adelaide, Austria
liza, where his parents had moved. For
seven years he was thus employed,
and all the time suffered from his
early sin of overeating.
One day he was passing a mission
room and heard an old negro preacher
holding forth about the power of the
Lord to cure all manner of ills.
Just pray and FAST" said the
preacher.
1t made a lasting impression on the
young man and he went home and
proceeded to pray and fast. He pray
ed without ceasing, and refused to
eat anything but bread and water for
months. The natural result was that
he was cured.
The diet Of bread and water would
have cured him, probably, but the
praying did not hurt him any. He
credited his cure to prayer. and COM
menced the life that ended with his
reincarnation as Elijah.
T WAS an accident that proved to
Alexander Graham Bell that the
human ear was the correct model for
the receiving apparatus of the tele-
phone Because his father and grand
father had been students OF sound
and its peculiarities he was fitted to
take up the experiments upon the
phonautograph, which resulted in his
success. He took an actual human
ear, and, by manipulating it as a
phonautograph "a machine for writ
ing sound) obtained perfect sound
tracings. He was not at that time
trying to make telephone. He hoped
to make a machine that would trans
nit intelligence from place to place by
means OF written lines.
While trying these experiments he
was struck by the remarkable dis
proportion in bulk and weight be-
tween the thin membrane CT the ear
drum and the bones that it set in
vibration.
II have discovered the telephone
he suddenly exclaimed, turning TO
an assistant in his laboratory.
''If this eardrum, which is as thin
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

as a piece Of tissue paper, can make
those large bones of the ear vibrate,
why wouldn't a larger and thicker
membrane cause a piece of iron in
front of an electromagnetic &c vibrate ?
There is the secret OF the telephone"
Following out this line of thought
and experiment, he constructed his
first telephone, which was exhibited
at the Centennial Exposition in Phil
adelphia.
HARLBS W. MORSE, who sprang
\ into prominence in connection
with the Ice Trust, comes OF an old
Bath (Me.) family. His uncles and
his father had been navigators and
tugboat men on the Kennebec for
years, and young Morse early went
into his fathers office as a clerk. He
could do more work in the office, and
at the same time be thinking of some
thing else, than any man in Bath.
One Sunday he found himself alone
in the quaint old city by the river,
his family having gone to Portland.
He determined to go out TO a restau-
rant for his meals. When dinner time
came he went out to find the restau-
rant, and discovered that there was
not a public eating place in the city.
The Old Sagadahoc House had been
closed for the time being.
He had to go without his dinner,
and after his anger had died away,
he hustled around among his friends
and raised a hundred dollars, with
which he installed an old sea cook in
a neat little restaurant, which OPEN
ed Monday morning with clam chow
ders and stews.
Everyone was amazed and the
amazement grew greater when il was
found that eighteen-year-olJ Charlie
Morse was the proprietor. The lunch
counter grew into a big restaurant,
and became famous throughout the
State.
II AYMOND L. DITMARS, assistant
* curator of the New York Zoo
logical Park, who is one Of the most
promising writer's upon animal and
bird life, and one OF the leading
authorities upon reptiles in Amer
lea, was a New York newspaper re-
porter. Having been born in the
country. where he passed his boyhood
in the fields and forests, he early be-
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

death was soon followed by Jerry Ne
Laughlin.
In talking over the death of his two
friends, Dad resolved to check them of
in his hat.
A few days later c. Friganz. long in
the employ of the Western Union, died.
Dad checked him OF and said at the
time, "Pll outlive the whole crowd Of
them" Then Thomas Jeannett and
George Allen, brother of the old treas
urer OF Tammany, died. BY this time
Dads joke began to worry the super
stition of the subscribers.
A month later W. z. Whitehead, who
ran the cigar store near the corner Of
Fourteenth street and Sixth avenue for
years, died. Dad became hilarious, he
celebrated; the unfortunate subscribers
became more worried.
Dad would do his accustomed rounds,
inquiring after the health of his benev-
client friends. In this way he heard
that Joe Kelley was dead. He was
promptly scratched in the hat, but the
report of his death was exaggerated;
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

ishing fur trading post, and Astor
owned it. This and his activities in
Manhattan founded the Astor for
tunes Of to-day.
FRANK A. VANDERBILT, vice
l president of the National City
Bank, was a bright young newspa-
perman Of Chicago, who had a genius
for figures and finance. He loved
more than anything else to follow the
fluctuations OF the Street, and knew
by heart the standing of every
wealthy man in the city.
Because OF his accuracy in report
ing financial affairs he attracted the
attention Of Lyman Gage, afterward
Secretary Of the National Treasury.
When a man was wanted in Chicago
bank to hold down an important po-
sition Gage, who was appealed to,
suggested Vanderlip. He was given
the place.
Time went by and Vanderlip had
risen in Chicago financial circles.
Gage was appointed Secretary Of the
National Treasury and wanted an as
sistant whom he could trust and
whom he knew thoroughly. He want
ed one who knew human nature as
well as he did finance.
The first man he thought of was
Vanderlip. He remembered that this
young man was the first newspaper
man who had correctly reported him
iron an important matter, one which
involved millions of dollars, AMI
where a correct impression on the
part of the public was necessary to
the preservation Of the fortunes of
many people.
Vanderlip was made Assistant Sec
rotary Of the Treasury. He won the
confidence of financiers and became
viee-president OF the great Manhat-
tan Bank. And all because he hap
pened to be assigned. once upon a
time. 20 interview Mr.. Gage.
Holm ALEXANDER DOWIE was
- not a religious youth. He had
no special leaning toward holiness.
Born In Edinburgh, Scotland, May rs,
1847, he early picked out the life of
a business man as his calling for
life.
One day his mother cooked an extra
lot OF fine large doughnuts. If there
was anything that young Dowie liked
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

GORGE w. PERKINS. the out
~ side man of the firm OF the ]. P.
Morgan Company, wanted to be a
photographer. But to get the pin
money TO start into the amateur pho
Biography business he went into his
fathers office, in 1877. at the age OF
fifteen years. as office boy. At sew
enteen a trusted clerk died, and he
was TO MI the place till better one
was found. The better one was never
found.
The next year he was made cashier
because he wanted more money. He
still hoped to get the chance TO start
in the photography business. About
that time he was asked 10 try insur-
ance soliciting, and agreed. He
proved to be a hustler. At twenty
five he was insurance inspector in
twenty-seven States.
At thirty he still looked forward to
the pleasure that he would feel as
the proprietor of a big photograph
establishment. Then the New York
Life Insurance Company discovered
him. II was all up with his photog-
raphy ambitions He was called
here and made third vice-president.
He was filling this place when. at
thirty-nine. J. P. Morgan discovered
him and offered him a partnership.
He explained to Mr.. Morgan that If
he accepted the position IL would be
AT the sacrifice Of his life ambition.
He did not explain what this was.
The inducements were too great, and
he accepted.
To-day he is the leading young man
in Wall Street, and is beginning to
be spoken of as the probable success
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

his wife behind a very lively young
colt on Golf street, Auburn. Stanley
and his brother, F. 0. Stanley, had al
ways loved horses. They were traders
and swappers OF horses, and 1t was
cold day all over Maine when one Of
them was beaten at a trade.
The people were just going 10
church on this Sunday morning when
with a rattle of wheels F. E. Stanley
came down the street riding behind
the colt, his wife holding to her hat
and the seat Of the carriage. A piece
OF paper blew into the colts face,
there was a smash, and out of the
wreckage the man pulled his wife. She
did not walk for years.
Stanley spent that year denoancing
horses and working over "a wagan
that will go and doesn't need a horse
to pull Ii" as he called il. The re-
suit was the Stanley locomobile,
which under another name is every
where to be seen upon the streets OF
New York.
FREDERICK H. EATON. president
! Of the American Car Trust,
who lives at the Waldorf-Astoria in
Summer, and at As Central Park
South in Winter, went into the shop
of the little car factory In his native
Pennsylvania town as puddier
He had a good mother, a woman OF
refinement and culture, belonging 10
an old Pennsylvania family. But the
family was very, very poor. From
his early boyhood his mother had
wanted him to go to school and coli
lege. but the lack OF funds cut short
his hopes. While working all Day as
a puddler's assistant in the seethingiy
hot foundry, he would go home 1t
night, battle in a washtub and fall
hungrily upon his books and study
till midnight.
At fifteen he knew more about the
car factory than any man about the
place. One day new clerk was need
ed and there was no one for the place.
Eaton walked into the office and an
rounced that he was a candidate. The
president looked at his apron and
laughed.
Eaton. coloring. told the President
that he knew more about the work
and business than any clerk the COM
pany had. After examining him to de-
terTnine If this was true. Eaton was
TOLD to go out and wash up and come
back to take a desk.
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

came a lover Of natural history.
He had no idea Of devoting his life
to the study of animals or the care OF
them. After working successfully in
New York as a reporter on several
papers, he accepted a position as re-
porter for the local department Of the
Associated Press.
He received an assignment TO go
twice a week to the Geological Park in
the Bronx to dig out animal stories,
and his work in that way Immediately
attracted attention both in newspaper
circles and at the meetings OF the
New York Geological Society.
He passed ali his spare time at the
park studying the animals, and his
early rambles and observations came
in good play. Magazine managers be-
gan to ask who ii was that was writ
ing such faithful accounts Of animal
life and habits.
One day an assistant was wanted
to the curator OF the big Geological
Park, and he was the best fitted man
for the place Since then he has de-
voted his whole time and attention
TO the animals, and they ali know
him.
Last Summer, when the young pam
Their Teddy" escaped, Ditmars was
the only man who could approach the
animal. He called the creature down
from a tree and carried him In his
arms to his cage. IL he had never
been assigned to write animal stories
by his city editor, he would never
have become an authority upon ami
mails.
Z e. STANLEY, inventor OF the
l. Stanley dry plate used in pho
Biography and the Stanley locomo-
bile, so successful as a road machine
at the great Paris races and elsewhere,
was a poor photographer in the little
city of Auburn, Me.
He and his wife used to go over to
the Poland camp meetings, near Po-
land Springs, and setting up their tent
make tintypes OF the religious pill
grims that gathered there. One day
while working over his negatives in
his dark room he made a great dis
covery. To make a long story short
he had discovered the C. plate of
photography. That alone made him
famous and wealthy.
The next year he was riding with
The Washington times., 1904-04-24
Destruction of Dad" Cummings old
tile and presentation of new one
followed by the death of twelve of the
donors, the demise of the wearer con-
GLIDING the list. ~ ~ ~ & ~

"OINCIDENCE or not, call il what
you like. had Dad Cummings and
his ill-omened hat existed in the
~ old Puritan days there would
have been a witch burning long
before thirteen men had died.
Lorenzo Cummings was born in Green
witch village, now the Ninth Ward of
New York. In June, 1874. A boyhood
friend tells how he and Dad picked
Strawberries in field where Broadway
and Eleventh street now cross.
Cummings frst trade was stone cut
ting. He used to point with pride to
granite stoops in old Greenwich village
that had been cut by his hand, sixty
i've years before.
As very young man he became ae-
qua lnted with Commodore Vanderbilt.
and through his Influence obtained a
position as conductor on the first pas
senger train on the New York, New
Haven & Hartford.
Old Commodore Vanderbilt went TO
him one day and said: Look here.
Cummings, you work here at a good
salary. but you don't save anything.
Now, I'm going 10 put $500 worth OF
this stock away for you and make you
pay for It out of your salary. Some
day II viii be worth enough to make
you independent"
What the old man said was true, but
at that time Cummings felt confident
that he was being swindled.
Cummings was with the road for
thirty-hve years, retiring in 1881. From
the time Of his retirement to the day
Of his death he led the life Of a gentle
man OF ease. his enforced investment
yielding him more than 8. 400 a year.
Cummings was an enthusiastic volun-
teer fireman, the Oldest member OF the
old Hoboken Turtle Club, and charter
member of the Stable Club. the first
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

or to the title of 1.-THE Richest Man
in the World" And all because he
went into his fathers office to earn
money to buy a camera with.
ten in America. conveys the i'm
preston of great wealth and influ-
ence. And yet in a degree the Aston
millions are the result of accident.
Perhaps the first John Jacob Aston
would have made his fortune In what
ever field he might have been thrown
into. But after his father. a butcher
at Waldorf. Duchy OF Baden, Ger
many. had married a second wife, and
she had made home too disagreeable
for the boy. he went away and took
ship for America.
This was the year that Great Brit
ain recognized the independence Of
America. and it was surely an acci-
dent that in the same ship that
brought young John Jacob Aston over
TO America was a German furrier
who made the acquaintance of the
young boy and was very kind to him.
He told him a great deal about how
to carry on the furrier business.
AIIeT young ASlOr Hdu urea lire as
a peddler he found himself cold,
hungry and penniless In New York.
He remembered what he had heard
about the furrier'e trade. and applied
for place TO work in THE Swamp"
tanneries.
That was the commencement OF the
Aston fortune. He became a very
good furrier, and at the time of the
War of 1872 the town of Astoria, in
Oregon, had become a great and flour
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

qualification for which was that the
applicant be at least seventy years of
age-a sober and sensible club this.
The old Hoboken Turtle Club was
founded in 17e6 Aaron Burr was char
ter member. Its motto is expressive of
the club as well as of Dad Cummings.
"As we journey through life let US live
by the way"
In the old days the club used to repair
in a body to certain grove on the He
boken shore and prepare with their
own hands a feast that would put Luz
cullus to shame. In the old records we
find Dad one year on the potato COM
mittee,' another year on the committee
on onions and carrots" Great times
those must have been.
Article VI. Section 5, in the bylaws of
the club says There shall be four
meetings Of the club for social pur-
poses, viz, on the third Thursday of
June, July, August and September of
each year. One who attends one of
these dinners at the old pavilion at
Kingsbridge viii never forget it,"
And so the old gentleman, quick at
repaItee, good natured and generous,
maze friends wherever he went.
He made several Winter trips to
Jekyll Island with the old railroad
magnates, and in the Springtime a
favorite pastime was to seek some quiet
bench in Central Park and feed the
squirrels. Invariably he carried vol
urne Of history with him. History was
the sole literally pursuit of Dad.
While thorough American, Dad was
a straight out and out Tammany Demo-
crat His sole political theory was
straight Tammany ticket He took no
part in the civil war. because his poll
tics opposed it, He took an active part
in the famous Irish-American riot OF
the early seventies however For the
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

Of
picked
follow, frequently
eneraIy ndustr
Nothing impossible industry"
that is better to out 10
But
trely
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

benefit of those who do not know
word or two concerning the famous
riot ought to be in order.
The Irish-Americans, with Irish flags
flying, were in the habit of holding a
great parade on the Fourth of July each
year, in Broadway. But in this event
full year they marched down Eighth ave-
nue. and down Hudson street, at least
that was the route.
Now the Ninth Warders resented this
as a foreign invasion and took means
to break up the parade.
They were successful, but the French
revolution in its palmiest days presented
no more exciting scenes than the Ninth
witnessed that day. Mad mobs OF men
rushed up and down streets and alleys.
bricks were thrown from housetops
and troops were called out before the
matter was finally settled.
Among Dads characteristics was the
peculiarly democratic garb of silk hat
and sackcoat.
For twenty years Dad wore one silk
hat. In the course of time it was in
and out of style half a dozen times.
Bet toward the last its mange-like ap-
pearance recommended 1t for the dump.
What! Get a new hat? Well, guess
not. I've worn this tile for twenty
years. guess it will do me as long as
I'll need a hat" the old man was in
the habit of saying.
But one fateful day someone knocked
his hat of. Another kicked it. a third
jumped on it, and in less time than it
takes to tell this tile of the vintage of
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

81 was no longer serviceable as head
gear.
There was lots Of joshing and a sab
-scFiptiou was proposed to which all
might contribute toward purchasing
new hat for Dad.
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

The old gentleman went home that
night IN tennis cap.
The next day Dad was measured for
the hat. and the day following with be-
fitting ceremony 1t was presented.
In the hat were the names of the pre-
senters.
PRESENTED TO
dad CUMMINGS BY MESSRS.
ALLEN KLENEN
BROWN MCLAUGHLIN
FLEMING MAHONEY
FRIGANZ MCDONALD
FITZGERALD NADEAU
GERARD OVERBAUGE
GREEN ROSS
HART RUSSELL
JENNETT SUTOR
KELLEY SULLIVAN
KEARNEY VAN TASSEL
KER WHITEHEAD
KICK YOUNG
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

With betting modesty Dad received
the hat, stating that while he felt the
loss of his old hat as irreparable, he
should value this new crown as his life;
that he would never put it on or take
1t of without thought for his friends.
A short time after this Schuyler
Gerard, one of the aresenters, and a
member of the Old Guard. died. His
The Washington times., 1904-04-24

COINCIDENCE or not call it what
you like. had Dad Cummings and
his ill-omened hat existed in the
. old Puritan days there would
harra haar q witch burning long
La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1904-09-06
La Union de Puerto
Rico en- Ponce.

Cada dfa es mayor eI entusiasmo que
despierta en- Ponce la Uni6n de'Puerto
Rico.
Prestigiosos eIementos republicanos
Sc han separado de la poIftica de ban
der1as. especiaImente desde que fu6 CO.
nocido ell acuerdo de la eincorpora-
ci6n2 del partido republican, de aquf
al de los Estados Unidos, ell cual par
lido afirma que Puerto Rico. con ell ac-
tual regimen, esta pr6spero.
Cast t0dos los seflores que forman Ia
sub iunta de Union en- ell patri6tico y
enthusiastic barrio de Montes Llanos,
pertenecfsn antes al partido repubIics-
no puertorriQuefIo.
La actitud en- que Sc han colocado
los senores Navarrete Y Arias (don An
tonio) es muy aplaudida por todOs los
republicanos que no acatan el acuerdo
de Ia ssamblea 5qcorp0TGd0YG.
Las inscripciones en- ell registrO de la
Union aumentan cada dia. y ell mayor
n6mero de elias. es de republicanos
que Sc separan de So partido por consi-
defar antipatri6tica la fusion de un
partido local al nacional republican,
que procIsma casi como de8ideqata1n1
para Puerto Rico el st0tu Qet0.
La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1904-09-06
PREcIOs DE PAsAJE ORO AMERICANA

dias de Ia vista y atenciones de su ma
DIRE. Que Dios desde ell cielo nos com
padezca. como aca los hombres nos
completeness.
Don Antonio Berge. auxiliar del
Marshall de la Corte Municipal no es-
ta muy risueflO que digsmos. Este Sc
nor, que desde que esta desempefiando
su cargo, no descanss an momento, y
seg1n le hemos dido decir muy salts
fecho Sc encontraba, resuItA que ahora
como premio q sus serVicios. Sc le i'm
pone ell que hsga las veces de un sir
viente en- Rmbas Cortes teniendo que
barrer y serVir en- todo por to1o &
los funciOnariOs en- sus respectiVas of
cinas. Ell seflor Barge ha sido STEM
pre- un cabailer0 estimado 2 distipgai-
do pOr todos en- ests Villa creemOs
que tanto ell Marshall de Ia COrte de
Distrito, ell Sub-MarshalI y ell Marshall
de la COrte Municipal podran acordar
en- 0bsequio al amigo y comp 1aro al
go que le recompense ese gran DISCUS
to para que 81 no consiguen del Attor-
ney que nombre un empleado expresa-
mente para Ia limpieza y servicio inte-
rlor de dichas COrtes. entire todos pa
garan deben hacer ell sacrifcio y pa
gar ese empleadO.
Los republicanos anuncian por
medic de hojas sueltas la Inauguration
del club republican,. Ocupara Ia her
mosa casa terrera, de mamposterfa que
perteneci6 don Ricardo Mkndez, hoy
de la Succession Mendez Y OYoroa. sits
en- Ia cRlle del Progeso.
Don Ramon Marty su distingui-