davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
HENS AND THE EGG CROP.
nm the New York World.

From the New York World
 By careful breeding and selection through a series of years the Maine Agricultural College has produced strain of hens that lay over two hun dred eggs a year. The record hen laid 251 eggs within the past twelve months The average American hen lays about eighty eggs per annum, so the Maine hens lay more than doube the average per capita production. There was no corresponding increase in food cost
 The egg crop of the United States is worth more dollars than the wheat crop. In New York city the average daily consumption of eggs is over two million, which at two cents apiece amounts to $4O0OO a day. The people of New York pay more for eggs than for either the police or the public schools.
 The important change in the habits of hens brought about by the Main breed- ing experiment is to induce them to lay in the fall and winter Three-quarters of the eggs consumed In New York dur ing November and December are storage eggs laid the preceding spring. Compar- atively few New York families know what a fresh-laid eggs is. Even in the spring most of the eggs sold come from the west, and were laid several weeks before they are eaten.
 The total cost of these Maine experi- ments was less than the cost of one 12-inch cannon, less than the cost of transporting one regiment of soldiers from San Francisco to the Philippines. To produce a similar breed of hen in every state in the Union would cost less than to build one new fort.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Another Chance.

An immigration bureau of Liege, Belgium, has mailed letters to the immigration bureaus" of several southern states upon q matter which appears to be worthy of some consid- eration. As Alabama has no such de- partment and will not have until the people awaken to it's importance and necessity, it is probable one of these letters is awaiting call at the Mont gomery postoffice. At any rate, the letter refers to securing expert farm CTS and farm-laborers for the south. Referring to a worlds fair to be held at Liege Belgium, in 1905, the writer says that fair will attract thousands of farmers from Holland, Belgium and Germany who are looking for coun- try in which to settle. It is further stated that at that fair an immigra- tion bureau is to be established under direct supervision of United States tConsul Winslow and managed by Ju- Illus L. Loix of St. Louis native of tBelgium.
 MT. Loix is said to be quite enthu- .siastic on the subject of his undertak- ling. He says that the farming ele- iment around Belgium and Germany and Holland is recognized the world over as most thrifty and expert He also says that the Canadian govern ment keeps an agent in Belgium to induce immigrants to go to Canada a-I settle They prefer to come fur ther south, where the climate is more suitable l the soil more fertile, and will come with very little inducement.
 Now here is another opportunity at least for an effort, and Alabama should not let it Slip. Why will not the com mercial clubs, boards of trade and in dustrial leagues take the matter up?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28

an eye to business, and with the an nouncement that they are selfish Tn this new departure. showing plainly wherein that selfshness lies, they pro. ceed to the work of moral reformation. The scheme is to work both ways make money for the schemer and make better the subject of reforma- tion.
 The insurance companies have learned after several years of deep study and from carefully prepared sta tistics that the total abstainer from intoxicants is a much safer risk than is the man who drinks even single drop. The companies have learned that the difference in the risk is from 20 to 50 per cent. This does not refer to drunkards, either, for the com panies will not insure them at all, if they know it.
 Policies are now being prepared to be offered total abstainers at surpris- ingly low rates, and it is said that in these policies there is clause in bold letters that declares the touching Of a single drop of yinous, spirituous or malt liquors at any time or under any circumstances renders an absolute for feiture or annullment of said policy.
 This appears really to be a very strong movement in the cause of tenn perance, and it's workings will be watched with deep concern.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
Too Many Beggars.


 Mendicants, plying their vocation an the streets of city, reflect h1sio - upon the community" said a heneoiiis- in Birmingham yesterday at the moii.s,
 T have been somewhat shrpfseo' " continued, ''by the large number oi peg gars that has confronted me here' one meets them almost everywhere. ihe supposedly blind, and the deerepit' are now very prominent in all places where persons eongregate.
 T my rounds today I have been ae- costed by one-armed young maH-poor fellow-who asked me to give him htt' by sad-eyed woman. passing out or the green of life, who was apparently In dls- tress; by a legless man, peddling pencils and seeking aims; by song graiter' whose indolenee had made of him pro fessional beggar; and, in three different places, by little girls, less than l2 years of age, who wished to know whether or not l would gve 5 cents to one Of as many churches. Those children, though they have no credentials, are evidently sent out by the church authorities.
 HOf all these cases hardly know which is the most reprehensible. Professional mendicancy is sign of civic and eco homie decline. It Is associated with pov- erty-stricken communities, and rightly so Is there any sound reason why 1t should be permitted in Brminghamg
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
EIactrInify and Steam.

The equipment of the New York ends of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroads with electricity, and the or der given by the New York Central for eighty motor locomotives foreshad- .ows to say the least the use of steam Locomotives upon all trunk lines. The fherkwater roads will continue to use steam locomotives simply because they possess them and are not willing to send them to the trashpile
 The motive locomotive is not stor age affair It is tied to a third rail or to wire. In the present stage ot human ingenuity storage-battery mo tor is not feasible. or, in an every day working sense, tractable. It cannot be trusted to haul trains or even itself to destination in all sorts of weather. IA steam locomotive is trustworthy as well as smoke-producing and cinder- emitting. It takes up it's load and does it's work. The motor loaded down with storage batteries is not only heavy, but it is uncertain in perform ance.
 The motor that absorbs power as it goes along is, however, trustworthy so long as its rail or wire stays alive, and either can be trusted to do that. Electrical propulsion is in other words no longer tentative. It stands demon strated and established. and the day is fast coming when the smoke belch- CTS will disappear from the scene. Some coal operators will regret the change, but electricity will be evolved as a rule by the aid of coal and steam. The men who drive locomotives will simply ask for transfers to motor To- comotives, and all transportation will go on as before.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
COL. PATTERSON HANDICAPPED.
III Manners of New York Swelldom
 Demonstrated at Horse Show.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
 It must have rejoiced the doughty soul of Col. Henry Watterson to read of the marked i'll breeding displayed by many of the New York social elect at that swarming place of swelldom, the horse show, the other evening, when, accord ing to press dispatches, the light and chivalry of Gotham gathered in phalanx twelve deep to stare at and comment in whispers on the daughter of President Roosevelt as she sat placidly in a box. apparently unconscious of the rudeness manifested by the throng below.
 Such conduct conduces to a belief that the philippics directed against the New York smart set Dy the censorious Ken lucky colonel were not without warrant in fact. and gives rise to the suspicion that ''noblesse oblige" is a sentiment without force or meaning in the circles sacred to New York's ultra fashionable.
 A gathering of simple western farm folk would have been saved from so dis creditable an exhibition of bad manners by their innate sense of common decency, and it is safe to say that Miss Roosevelt met with no such experience during her travels in the west. except at the Worlds Fair at St. Louis, where almost any show of ill-breeding might be expected from the cosmopolitan and heterogeneous crowds that are wont to gather at such a place.
 The dispatch naively adds that Miss Roosevelt attracted unbounded admira- tion. Possibly this may suggest an ex- planation for the department of the swell assemblage. It may have regarded the Presidents daughter much as 1t does a S100000 painting or priceless oriental vase, something to gaze at and talk about without any notion of personality at taching to the object upon which the surfeited eye fixes itself with languid in- terest. That even Miss Roosevelt could attract ''unbounded admiration" under such circumstances speaks volumes for her graces.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Last call for the Pike!
THE SIMPLE LIFE.

From the Bombay Gazette.
 We have had fairly dull time since I wrote to you last, says our Thana cor respondent. There are a good many fever cases in the town. Rats have been dying in almost all parts and most we'll to-do people have moved out Plague cases have, however, been very few. We had few cases among the police sepoys and the prisoners in the jail The form CT are now camping out. The latter are being inoculated.
 MT. Jardine. our assistant salt collec- tor, was down with plague at Poona but is quite well now. To celebrate his re- turn we danced for two hours on tarpau- lin in the badminton shed to the strains of a gramophone. Mr. Jardlne himself conducted the orchestra.
 Though t has been warm and stuffy, we have kept on our afternoon tennis as a necessity, like our morning dose of Guinine.
 There has, been an addition to our med ley of curious and antquated vehicles No, it is not motor car, but something much cooler; pretty rickshaw from the land of the kimona and the mimosa. It reminds one straight off of the cool nights of Simia and Darjeeling. Somebody said it remined him of the nursemaid and the bobby in the park. Anyhow, there is nc doubt that it reminds one of places cooler than Thana,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
TO BALL VIA EASEMENT.
Mrs. Lesser and Daughter Elude Sher-
 ifs After Gown.

Special to the New York World
 Baltimore.-One of the most beautifully gowned young women at the Harmony Circles ball last night was Miss Lesser, Lesser. came all the way from their home in Augusta, Ga., to attend the ball. Miss Lesser was a charming bud in the bou- quet of debutantes who made their first bow at the ball. Mrs. Lesser and her daughter are stopping at the Belvidere and have been receiving much attention.
 Thus any society reporter might have written of Mrs. and Miss Lesser and the last six words would have been as true as the rest. But that some of the atten- tion they received was most disagree able Is proven by bill which Mrs. Lesser filed in the superior court today and which she claims $2O,00O damages from Miss Bettie Feuschl fashionable dress maker here.
 According to this interesting bill Mrs. Lesser and her daughter ordered nve gowns, to cost $550, from Miss Fuescnl some time ago. Mrs. Lesser would not accept the gowns: they did not tit' she said. She ordered an elaborate dress Tor her daughter to wear at the Harmony ball from another Baltimore modlste. It is written in the bill that, ito morufy disappoint and distress Mrs. Lesser Miss Fuescbl. well knowing that Mrs Lesser and her husband were abundantly able to satisfy her alleged claim sent divers deputy sheriffs to seize the aforesaid gown while in the hands of the modiste, to prevent Mrs. and Miss Lesser from attending the ball."
 These sheriffs threatened the modiste with imprisonment "and other pains and damages" if she did not let them attach the ball dress to satisfy Miss Fueschrs claim. But the brave dressmaker, Miss FueschIs rival, vowed she would send Miss Lesser to wear to the ball, despite all the pains and damages" on earth. Whereupon the deputies betook them- selves to the hotel and. with rudeness and demonstrations" and to .'grieve and vex" Mrs. Lesser and her daughter, "con- splcuously remained in the public lobby and loudly announced that they would seize the gown
 Mrs. Lesser states pathetically that she was compelled to have the gown in- tercepted. and to have it taken elsewhere. She and her daughter were obliged to leave the hotel through the basement by an unfrequented passage to escape molestation" by the deputies. and to go elsewhere and dress for the ball.
 Miss Fueschl through her counsel. an-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
OLD GRASSES.

From Harper's Bazaar.
 Russian brasses are possibly the heav- fest and finest in quality and color. One may find them in the queer little Rus sian shops in the lower part of New York and Boston. The growing interest in brasses has encouraged their importation and if one has patience to barter, many artistic treasures may be obtained at very reasonable prices. The most charac- teristic piece Is the samovar. These are treasured very highly by those who are fortunate enough to possess them. They are found in innumerable shapes and sizes, witness to the drinking habits of the Russians. Every Russian peasant who is prosperous enough to enjoy the luxury of tea has his samovar. At all inns each visitor Is supplied with one. They invariably accompany the traveller and the picnicker, and even the officers starting out upon a campaign find room for a small one in their baggage. Samo- var signifies "self-boler." It Is made of brass, lined with tin, and with tube in the centre in which the hot cinders of charcoal are placed after having been ignited. Often a pipe connects it with the chimney, and two friends will sit for hours drinking the boiling hot weak tea.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
FAMILY LIFE.
From Harpers Bazaar.

From Harpers Bazaar.
 It is when sorrow comes that we know best the true worth of home and family life. Not for a moment Is our grief un- shared. To the endurance of it the whole strength of the family is brought to bear. The children think of pleasant ways to distract us from too much breeding. The old mother opens the precious stores of her early days, and shows Us how she has borne heavy burdens without losing heart of grace. The old father Is touch ing in his tenderness and solicitation. We feel that we add to the burden of his years, but it is not so. As he soothes us he perceives that there is sill work for him on earth-a good reason for his continued life within reach of our need Cousins, uncles, aunts, come to see us, and take us into their homes. With the new sight born of our grief we look into their hearts and see the sweet and holy things hidden there. Love speaks to us with the lips that we love best in all the world, we know love to be greater than we thought and perceive that sorrow only deepens blesSedness
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
LIFE INSURANCE HAS
 ENCOURAGED SUICIDES

the almost inappreciable ratio of less than one-half of one per cent, the ratio of suicide has increased to 3 per cent in one of the largest insurance companies of Inc United States, an increase of over soo per cent in less than twenty years. On the other hand, some years ago the of fcers of a great fraternal insurance asso- citation, becoming alarmed by the in- creasing number of suicide claims, se- cured the adoption of a bylaw refusing payment in such cases, with the result of an immediate and heavy reduction of deaths from suicide.
 Manifestly, the time is drawing near when the insurance companies will be forced, in justice to the great majority Of their policy-holders, to restore to great extent, the restrictions on suicide in their policies. It is high time that this should be done, when, to the familiar joke Of selling out to the hre-insuranee com pany'' is added the happy phrase aeon1- hitting suicide for the benefit of credi- tors and family" But even then there will be left on the companies books mil- lions of insurance subject to this latter day method of fraud
 In twelve years there have been over 770OO suicides recorded in the United States the number increasing annually from about $500 in 1891 to $500 in 190s There were fifty per cent. more suicides in Chicago in 1903 than in 1902 In Phil- adelphia, for 1902. the official records showed a ratio of 15 suicides per 100000 of population. But the president of a life insurance company has stated that. while during fifty years the increase in suicides has averaged 30 to each 100000 persons, the increase of suicides among insured lives has been much greater. He adds that there is little doubt that. when persons are insured under a policy con taining a suicide clause, suicidal deaths are often reported as accidental So, while the restoration of the suicide clause will undoubtedly greatly reduce the pro portion of insured suicides, 1t will not eliminate them entirely.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
INDIAN SUM M ER.

By J. G. Whittier. Talk not of sad November when a day Of warm, glad sunshine fills the sky of noon, And wind borrowed from some morn of June, stirs the brown grasses and the leahess spray On the unfrosted pool the pillared pines Lay their long shafts of shadow; the small Till Singing a pleasant song of summer still. A line of silver down the hill-slope shines. Softly the dark green hemlocks whisper; high Above the spires of yellowing larches show Where the woodpecker and home-ioving crow And jay and nuthatch winters threat defy. O. gracious beauty ever new and oldl O, sights and sounds of nature, doubly dear When the low sunshine warns the clos ing year Of snow-blown fields and waves of Arctic coldl Close to my heart fold each lovely thing The sweet day yields and, not disconso- late, With the calm patience of the woods wait For leaf and blossom when God gives us spring. ..4
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28

W. H. Lawton in the North American
 Review.
 T cannot be denied that the life in-
 surance companies have by their own act deliberately offered inducement and temptation to suicide. It is quite possible to conceive of man harassed by debt, facing inevitable bankruptcy, perhaps disgrace, being led to the last desperate act by the knowledge that his insurance policies contain no restrictions on suicide To a man in this despairing frame of mind suicide means comfort and even luxury to his family, and the salvation of his financial "honori"
 When a man is at such a crisis in his life, it takes very little to move him to commit the crime. Crime? He hardly considers 1t such. Conventionallys society frowns upon it. Secretly. it frequently approves the act and pities, if 1t does not applaud, the doer. He does not regard 1t as fraud upon the company, for has not the company itself tacltly agreed to consider suicide merely regular cause of death? Did not the agent glowingly dwell upon the clause mo restrictions after such and such a time?" A sugges- ton ot that man that forgery, or per- sonal use of trust funds, at that critical moment would save him might be repelled with honest indignation. Yet suicide. for the purpose of obtaining the insurance on his life for his family or creditors, is as much a fraud on the company as would be the forgery of it's name to draft
 What has been the effect upon the com panles of these reckless temptations to suicide? Judging from the frequent let ters and editorials in life insurance jour nals of late. it is quite evident that there has been such an increase in suicide losses as to seriously alarm them. More attention is being paid by the medical departments to the moral hazard" More careful scrutiny into the business affairs of applicants for large amounts is in- sisted upon. And no wonderl From
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Postoffice on Sunday.

Whats the matter with your post office authorities here?" asked a widely travelled guest at the Hillman yesterday.
 You have great city here-a city that is much larger than one is inclined to think it is by the actual census reports. And yet great. and growing constantly greater as 1t is, Birmingham Is perhaps the only city of it's size in the Union where the postoffice is closed throughout Sunday. excepting one hour in the fore noon.
 "A stranger here, who happens to get up somewhat late on Sunday morning, is unable to get a letter addressed to him at the general delivery on the afternoon of that day. And what Is more embar- rassing, he Is unable to purchase even a stamp at the postoffice. In order to mail his letters on Sunday, he must rely on the accommodating spirits of the clerks in hotels, drug stores and cigar stores.
 T don't know" said he, in conclusion, who is blameworthy for this condition of affairs. The fault may be either at Washington or in Birmingham. In either case. the defect should be remedled. You have here a street railway population, l am told, of 125,00O persons. It goes with out saying that so large city surely should insist that the general delivery and stamp windows at it's postoffice should be kept open throughout the day on Sundays. Indeed, they should never close"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
DRUNKENNESS IS CURED
 BY WEARING GLASSES

tiny of one divested of illusions. and as is able to sit through a plcy without once reeollecting that he had made an ap- pointment to meet a business friend for brief conference in the foyer.
 This is merely an illustration of the practical working of a great principle. No doubt many men drink more than they would if fitted with glasses which would make invisible the annoying incl dents and unsatisfactory environments of their daily life. Glasses which will enable us not to see what we do not in a great moral uplifting for humanity and one incident of this would undoubt- edly be a diminished craving for alco- holic stimulation. Of his method of treating the cocktail habit the distin- guished Chicago specialist says:
 Instead of using drugs, I use fogs and prisms to relax the eye strain. and find that they are equally effective The glasses take away the power to focus on near objects and nulllfy the tendency to ccnvergence. The eyes assume a position of perfect rest relieving the former eye strain. In all my clinical experience I Ind that the patient under such condi- tions has lost the appetite for strong drink, and by persistent use of such a pair of glasses the appetite will even tually be permanently destroyed
 It is possible that the cause of tenn perance can best be promoted by the dis tribution of eyeglasses. The idea is a new one, but it is attractive. If it be true that the desire for liquor can be permanently destroyed by this means, a great reform Is easier of accomplish ment than it would be if the desire to drink has to be combated by arguments addressed to the moral sense
The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Life Insurance and Temperance.

The big life insurance companies of this country are going to enter into the work of moral reform or soul say ing as well as the present service of physical fife protecting.
 They are to become temperance promoters and teachers. Now, the gen. eral "reformer" does not always re. form, and of late men are wont to question the power, If not the honesty, of that man or set of men who assay to take the place of the fireside, the school and the pulpit in the glorious work of making men better or things in general run smoother.
 But these great insurance men have