davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
Tall Man and Upper Berth.

1--WE had a funny experience saturday
night going to Atlanta said railroad
man yesterday "Of all the curious com
binations which could be thrown together,
an upper birth in Pullman sleeper and a
giant who is seven feet three inches tall
is about the strangest I ever saw.
But as luck would have 1t, giant and
an upper berth formed an amusing com
bne on the sleeper going to Atlanta. The
giant boarded the train at Birmingham
When bedtime came he needed no ladder.
but merely showed his head into his berth
and pulled himself in after it. He curled
up In the berth in some mysterious man
ner, and seemingly slept soundly. His
knees protruded over the edge of the
berth at least six inches.
when we reached Atlanta the giant
merely stepped out of his berth, no ladd4r
or any other assistance being demanded
1t was a queer Sight and the other pas
seneors on the car enjoyed it.
THE DOR fellow was constantly dodg-
ing the bell cord which hung through the
center of the car. He bumped his head sew
eral times and life was made miserable
for him. He told me that ne could rest
very comfortably in a lower berth. but
deliver him from ever attempting to spouj
another night in an upper berth"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
Mr.. HAYS Successor.

Insular affairs and Panama canal
construction apparently forbid the pro-
motion of Mr.. Taft to the State De-
partment. He is needed at the head
of the War Department, and there
doubtless he will stay President
Roosevelt cannot affort to lose a good
Secretary of War-one of force-to Sc
cure a Secretary of State who needs
most of all tact.
Other names have been mentioned.
Senator Lodge is one of the Presidents
bosom friends, and his promotion to
the vacancy has been suggested. So
mas that of Senator John G. Spooner,
who may be sidetracked in Wisconsin
by the LaFollette machine. Senator
Lodge will, however, doubtless be left
where he can serve the administration
on the Senate committee on foreign af-
fairs, and the administration will not
care to antagonize public sentiment in
Wisconsin.
The probable appointee is Elihu
Root, formerly Secretary of War. He
left the public service to secure fat
retainers, and he may be unwilling to
give up possible retainers in the future
in order to re-enter the public service.
If he does return to public life, the
meaning of the change will be plain,
namely, he will endeavor to be Mr.
Roosevelt's successor as well.
No doubt Mr.. Root is well equipped
for work among the diplomats. Few
men in the country could satisfactorily
fill the chair of the dead Secretary
ana Mr.. Root is probably one Of that
small number. His appointment would
be well received by the country, and
he will no doubt become the successor
if the President can induce him to re
turn to public life.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06

cotton goods alone exceeds twenty,
million dollars a year.
Nothing short of treaty satisfac-
tory to both countries will give us a
| fair chance again in China. Official
papers issued either in Pekin or Wash
ington will not go very far or cut
very deep in China, where public SEN
timent has long been accustomed TO
ignore them.
A treaty should be ne otated, and
its terms should not be dictated from
San Francisco. 1t should be fair and
just treaty if political as well as COM
mercial reations are to be satisfactor-
lily restored between the two countries.
No one in either country expects to
see this country opened to flood of
Chinese, but there is no reason why
treaty should not be negotiated which
will respect Chinese susceptibilities,
and that will not aim in true San
Francisco fashion to wound Chinese
pride.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
White Aprons Picnic.

The White Aprons of this town. or to
be more exact, members of 1.-THE Bar
tenders Local No 24S. Birmingham, Ala"
will give July 20 at Germania park q
grand barbecue and picnic" that will
knock all other picnics and barbecues
out of sight and almost out of memory.
Don't forget the good time you had at
the last one and come again." is the
frank invitation which the arrangement
committee is sending out to members
of the order The chairman of this COM
mittee is Warren Tice, and his labors
are being lghtened by AL Baumberger,
John Koran, Tracy Jordan, p. p Sumrall,
Y r. Scott, Jimmie Foster, w. F. Rob
inson, George Sherrer and Johnnie Will
liams.
It will cost everyone, except the ladies.
fifty cents as an admission fee to attend
the barbecue, and Warren Tice says
that when the thing is over all will say
that they never in all their lives pur-
chased so much fun for so little money.
1.-THE White Apron" said man about
town last night, has, as rule become
great deal decenter fellow than he
used to be twenty years ago. With rev
exceptions in this town he is respect
full and self-respecting man. knowing as
he does that rowdiness and rough talk
will, in the long run, put him to the bad.
I'm going out to the picnic. for l have
a great many friends among these men
who face me acros the bar all over town.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
watermelons Are Plentiful.

"Watermelons are more abundant than
in several years. and l don't remember
having seen more choice melons than
are on the market now said a Morris
avenue produce broker yesterday.
Melons are consigned here, almost in
train load lots, and every dealer is ade-
quately supplied Birmingham people are
quite partial to the watermelon, however,
and the demand is strong. Cantaloupes
are consumed largely, but sales are not
rear so heavy as of the red meat melons.
You would be surprised to know how
many melons are sold by the slice at
the street corner stands. Every stand
keeps sliced melon on ice. The negro
and the small boy are the principal GUS
toners here, but a great many nickles
are taken in through the day from water
melon sales
"a car load of watermelons was over
turned at one of the suburbs last week,
end the melons scattered on the ground.
| passed the scene OF the wreck shortly
afterward, and ! think at least 200 ne
eroes big and little, men and women,
vere enjoying feast at the railroads
expense
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06

then the mixture of liquid jelly and bacili
is poured over the bottom Of sterilized
dish. where. when 1t cools, it becomes a
thin, gelatinous layer. through which
germs are pretty evenly distributed
In this gelatnous bed they are ideally
happy-so comfortable, in fact, that each
germ, anxious to make the most of its OPP
portunities, splits up into a large num-
Der, forming a colony, which can easily
be seen without spectacles. All we have
now to do Is to count these separate col
onies, each representing one original dress
germ. and multiply them by the number
Of drops in our first mixture, and then
we know pretty well how many bacilli
made their home on the square inches of
train.
In the case I mentioned-that of my
wife's dress-I found that one drop OF
mixture contained $50 colonies; used 200
drops of water for my experiment, so that
one need not be a wrangler to discover
that had dislodged $4,000 germs (approxi-
mately. of course) from two square inches
of skirt-25,0 900 from a square inch. leave
you to estimate the number on the entire
dress; but If you put 1t at 100000 or TO-
0O0,000-say roughly, population greater
than that of Scotland and Ireland COM
bined-you won't be very far from the
mark. Most of these germs had no doubt
been caught by the trailing skirt froV
the pavements of London. and you may be
sure they formed a very small proportion
of the thousands of millions disturbed by
the passage of the dress. No they were
by no means all of one kind; there was
variety great enough to satisfy a spe-
cialist in microbes, and among them were
probably millions of tubercle, diptheria,
tetanus and other equally deadly germs.
But, of course, the microbe, like the
poor is always with US; ne spreads his
teeming millions over everything. Every
coin you carry in your pocket contains its
village, town or city peopled with bacilli,
capable under favorable conditions of car
rying destruction to hundreds; and every
square inch of that banknote you are SO
reluctantly to part with has its fiourishing
colony representing a wide range Of dis
eases, from phthisis to lockjaw. When
one realizes how environed one is by these
armies of invisible enemies, the wonder Is
that so many of us manage to live to a
respected old age
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
A DIsAPPoINTM EMIT.

From the Montgomery Advertiser of
July 5.
If the people of Alabama expected
any further light from Mr.. Comer's
opinion last Monday dissenting from
that of Messrs Tunstall and Sanders
which was rendered over two months
ago they are grievously disappointed.
II is simply a repetition of his stump
speeches and scarcely deals with the
matters from which 1t purports to dis
sent. The plain ruth is that 1t Is a
campaign document TO be used for all
that it may be worth in influencing the
public mind. If railroads are taxed too
little in Alabama the same may be Just
as truthfully said of Mr.. Corners vast
possessions. That his possessions or the
railroad property are taxed too little is
no argument that railroad rates are too
high We are disappointed in that Mr..
Conner failed to throw any light upon
subject with which he processes to be
more familiar than the most trained and
expert railroad traffic man.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
But clay and clay differs In dignity
Whose dust is both alike.
-Cymbeline.
SWeden's War Spirit.

While King Oscar and his people
feel aggrived over the declaration OF
Norwegian independence, yet it is not
believed the movement in Norway will
be resisted by force Some coast de-
tense ships have been sent by Sweden
along the Norwegian coast, and four
harbors in Sweden have been declared
to be war ports from which all foreign
warships are to be excluded. The
closing of the four ports against for
eign warships is no doubt significant,
but it is probably but grandstand
play in order to secure a better settle
ment of details.
Norway's army numbers 10000 men.
They NAV not be well drilled, but they
are well filled with love for Norway,
which is the very best preparation for
war. The Swedish army Is 1920 men
strong on a peace footing. 1t could be
largely increased in case of war, but
the Swedish soldier would not fight
for q continuance of the union as the
Norwegian would for independence.
The Swedish navy consists of thir-
teen cruisers, several coast defense
gunboats and one submarine. Norway
has four ironclads, four monitors,
twenty gunboats and several torpedo
boats.
Neither Of the two countries is en-
deavoring to increase either army or
navy, and the close observers in Eu-
rope do not anticipate war between
them. The crisis arose over the veto
by King Oscar of the consular bill
passed by the storthing. Instead of
waiting for the slow constitutional
course of overcoming the Kings veto
in three consecutive storthings, the
Norwegians seeded at once from the
union formed more than ninety years
ago Sweden's King feels hurt, but a
compelled Norway would not be val
liable Norway, and no doubt the entire
matter will be settled without resort
to war.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06

nouncing his temperatures, which he
does not and never again can possess,
tie Pope can no doubt secure good
terms from the Italian government. He
can thus secure all needful independ-
ence and freedom, and the present
pope is not a man who let's mere SEN
timent stand in the way of an honest
and desirable bargain.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
WHAT SCHWAB PLANS.
Said to Be Buying Tennessee Coal
Iron and Railroad Stock.

From the Wall Street Summary.
Ever since the return of Charles M
Schwab from Russia there has been ac-
tivitv in Tennessee Coal and Iron stocks,
and lately this has become most pro-
nouneed 1t is now currently reported tnae
he has been q very liberal buyer OF TINS
stock and has secured very large amounts
of It, Among the properties OF the COM
pany is large amount of what is known
as brown ore which is exceedingly val
liable for many purposes and especially
in the manufacture of open hearth steel.
The Tennessee Coal and Iron company is
mort pig iron or steel far cheaper than
any other iron and steel company In the
United States and practically all the ex-
ports of pig iron made in the last decade
have been made from southern ports OF
southern iron. At certain periods OF the
year, when cotton shipments are under
way. special owners are only too glad TO
obtain iron ore, which they use as ballast
because cotton itself is so light an a1t iole
that 1t makes an Unbalanced cargo. and
heavier articles like pig iron stored at the
bottom, aids greatly in the navigation Oh
the ship. It is presumed according to the
reports. that Mr.. Schwab has taken a
long look ahead in connection with his
large Russian and other European steel
contracts, and that he has fixed upon
southern properties as the most available
and cheapest source of supply for his re-
ouirements. The fact that the Tennessee
company has a well-equipped steel mill in
operation makes it of more value to him
than any other southern IRON property, as
it is the only one that mas entered the
steel market incidentally. ii he should
obtain a controlling interest In this COM
pany it would make him a very powerful
factor in the entire southern iron dis
trct and he would probably be 'aTcr able
to form a combination of the warning ele-
ment in that section than almost any
body else At any rate, 1t evident that
he Is bound to be a factor. AMI probably
a dominating one in the sou hem iron Sit
ua.icn.
It Is further stated that Mr.. Schwab has
secu eo control of a new pa.ene thar las
so h.any economical advaa ASS that no
other process now in use can compete
against it, and with this process he can
thought probable that he has his eyes on
the southern iron and steel situation with
the Interior view of manufacturing his ar
NOR plate under the patent for export
t-ade
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
Primary or Convention.

From the Greenville Living Truth.
There seems a disposition on the part
of certain newspapers to advocate strong
Nv the convention plan of making nominal
tions and opposing the primary plan.
They lay great stress on the convention
plan being cheaper for the various candi-
dates. But there is one thing they fail
to take into account and that Is the will
of the people, The majority of the people
want a primary. They have seen conven-
tions in the past and they know what
conventions are. They know that with the
right kind of a chairman and slated
ticket In the hands of keen. shrewd poll
tcans the ordinary delegate and ire
candidate who fails to run with the ma
chine stands no showing A primary may
be more expensive to the candidates but
there is less chance of trickery and trad
ing There's no way of tangling up
motion by parliamentary tactics so that
the ordinary delegate hardly knows how
to vote on it, It's simple and plain. You
simply vote for the man you want for
a certain office. If he gets the most votes
he gets the nomination. In convention
the weakest and the least capable man
may get the nomination, simply because
he Is a compromise where there is tie
up Such a thing could not happen In
a primary The strongest argument is
that the people want It. They understand
the primary. It's not clouded over with
number of conflicting motions which
depend on the will of sometimes an arbi-
trary chairman. Besides all this, the cali
ing of a convention is likely to cause a
split in the party and more than likely
will cause 1t. Then where will be the
blame?
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
FIVE MINUTES WITH THE
EVER PRESENT MICROBES

From the New Orleans Picayune.
seems rather a dreadful statement
to make, said a well-known scientist
10 the writer, but If I were to tell
you that at this moment you are prob
ably carrying about with you more mi
erobes than there are people in the whole
of London, and sufficient to deeimate a
large army, l should probably be well
within the truth. 1t Is really a most
disturbing fact when one comes to think
of it, and perhaps it is just as we'll for
ones peace of mind not to take 1t too
seriously.
1t Is still more shocking to reflect that
even the most radiant vision of female
loneliness is usually compassed about by
legions-literally legions-of the most
most deadly bacilli each of which might
be more dangerous than her beautiful
eyes. Not long ago l took the trouble
to examine tiny section-about two
square inches-cut from the train of one
of my wife's dresses, and l found that
at a moderate estimate 1t contained about
$1,000 germs, of several most noxious
kinds, and all ripe for mischief
How did | discover them? Well, that's
rather long and technical story; but
| will tell it in brief outline as simply
as can. 1t may interest your readers.
The first thing is to procure a small
quantity of water absolutely free from
living germs; and in order to do this
it must be distilled in the first place
and then boiled and reboiled in a steril-
lied flask until we can be quite sure
that the most frisky and tenacious bacilli
1t contained has been killed. Into this
water l introduce the object to be ex-
plored-in this case a fragment of a
dress-which 1 stir assidously with a
sterilized rod until its thousands of
germs have been dislodged and are float
ing in the water
Having thus got my victims suspended
In the sterilized water l take a tube of
sterilized beef tea jelly, which has been
most deliberately and carefully prepared
as to eliminate from 1t the last trace
| of living organisms. add little steriliz-
ed water to the jelly, and then introduce
into the tube just one drop of my microbe
mixture-only single drop out of per-
haps hundreds. The tube is then placed
in hot water, the jelly melts, absorbing
the microbes in the drop of water; and
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
PIGEONS END RELAY TRIP.
Reach Boston From ST. Louis With
Message for Mayor Collins.

Boston-Eight relays of pigeons brought
a message from st. Louis to this city,
distance of 1900 miles. in an air line in
eight days, the birds of the last relay
from Pawtucket, r. l.. reaching the dove
cote at Wellesley. one of Boston's suburbs,
at a. m. Sunday.
The message, which was from Mayor
Rollo Wells of st. Louis to Mayor p. A.
Collins of Boston, was delivered tc Mr..
Collins by F. G. Hersey, Jr., of Wellesley,
the originator of the race. and who owned
three of the birds in the last relay.
The birds were started IN st. Louis at
8 o'clock on the morning of June "a. The
relay points were at Louisville Cincin-
natl, Pittsburg, Washington. Philadelphia.
New York and Pawtuclet. The best time
was made between Cincinnati and Pitts
bury, the birds covering the 275 miles
against strong wind in nine hours.
Considerable time was lost in Cincinnati
on account of bad weather.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
China and the United States.

The Chinese government has met
Minister Rockhill"s representations
by promptly instructing the authori-
ties of the eighteen provinces near
the coast to stop the boycott move
ment against American goods. But
liberty of action is very dear to the
Chinese heart in all individual matters,
and no decree can change the feelings
toward this country, and especially
toward this country's anti-Chinese ex-
clusion act. That act hurts their ma
tional pride, OF which they have an
abundance, and the decree issued to
the viceroys and governors will by
no means allay the feeling in China
directed against our goods. This is
shown in the meeting held In Canton
July /, when the native Christians
protested against the exclusion act.
Inc streets of the big city had been
posted with plaaards reading let us
with one heart boycott American
goods"
Congress and the administration
will be called upon to choose between
California prejudice and the loss of a
vast trade with CHINA trade that
could under favorable circumstances
be largely increased-a trade that in
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
The Game of Billiards.

at is a strange thing that the people
of Birmingham care so little for billiards.
said Edward Hickman last night. IN
many cities billiards are played almost
to the exclusion of pool, but in Birming-
ham there are two pool tables to one BILL
lard table.
Nearly all billiard playing In Birming-
ham is at the clubs. while one rarely sees
close and exciting game in one or the
billiard parlors
I'm nearly every city in the south one
will find a fast billiard game running
nearly all the time from Q o'clock in the
morning until the parlors close.
80 far as l know there are really no
billiard experts in Birmingham. BY ex-
perts j mean men capable or making runs
of 80 or 40 points, but one Will md them
in many other southern cities. In At
lanta. for instance. there are a dozen
men who play excellent games and make
sensational runs"
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-06
INSOMNIA.
Thomas Bailey Aldrfch.

BY Thomas Bailey Aldrfch.
Slumber. hasten down this way,
And. ere midnight dies,
Silence lay upon my lips,
Darkness on my eyes.
Send me fantastic dream;
Fashion me a-fresh
Into some celestial thing
Change this mortal flesh.
When I know one may not choose;
One is helpless still
In the purple realm Of sleep;
Use me as you will.
Let me be a frozen pine
In the dead glacier lands;
Let me pant. a leopard stretched
On the Libyan sands.
Silver fin or scarlet wing.
Grant me either one;
Sink me deep in emerald glooms
Lift me to the sun.
Or of me gargoyle make.
Face OF ape or gnome.
Such as frights the tavern boor.
Keeling drunken home.
Work on me your own caprice.
Give me any shape:
Only. Slumber. from myself
Let myself ESCAPED