The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-04
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
MATTERS OF THE WORLD

but lives after him long years when his
body has turned to dust in the grave.
With the fall of Port Arthur ends gall
liant defense conducted against a valiant
assault. 1t will go down on the page
of history as a memorable event and the
names of two heroes will appear in
blazoned letters-those of Nogi and
Stoessel. No one would detract from the
valor of the one or the courage of the
other. but IN the shattered fortress and
on the hills without thousands of men
equally brave and equally patriotic gave
up their lives in a magnificent struggle.
Scores of the -heroes who took part in the
siege and the defense of Port Arthur will
probably never be known; future histo-
rians will not sing their praises and their
humble worth will be outshone by the
glory OF their superior officers but in
all great victories, as in all noble defeats,
honor should be paid the private soldier.
During the present theatrical season
Birmingham will be visited by another of
those stage spectacles based on a theme
that makes ones nursery days a period
to be remembered. Since tine theatrical
pictures of scenes and characters asso-
eiated with the stories of childhood these
entertainments have proven immensely
popular The London pantomimes have
become famous the world over, and in re-
cent years the idea has been brought over
to America with the result that elaborate
productions of Beauty and lne Beast
Mother Goose" "Babes in Toyland.'
"Mr. Bluebeard, "Humpty Dumpty'' and
others have been given with great sue
cess. The opportunities offered for mag
nifcent costuming, spectacular scenic
mounting, ingenius electrical and meehan-
ical effects and a perfect wealth of beau
tiful colors are very great and while tho
cost Of such productions is proportion
ately large, most of them prove profit
able They please the eye always, the ear
sometimes and stir the risibilities at inter-
walls, but they are primarily bewildering
stage pictures, far more beautiful than
the brush of the artist alone could paint.
When a Michigan pedagogue said that
no woman should contemplate matrimony
until she is able to support wife, there
was a loud hal hal from the female part
of the audience. In vulgar parlance the
speaker was given the horse laugh" and
by women at that. Now a philosopher
comes along and asks, Why must woman
deride the idea of supporting families
when they are continually encroaching
upon the preserves of toiling man and
usurpng the positions that have here
tofore belonged to the male bread-win-
ner? If the advanced woman is going to
cut loose and make large pots full of
money that rightly belongs to heads Of
families, what is she going to do with
all her wealth? Does she contemplate
blowing it all in" on the inanities of
high life?' Would she turn into a club
animal a stock market plunger, a race
track frequenter and a 'first-nighter?"
Surely not. If the progressive woman is
going to be such a hustler sne ought to
be willing to at least divide up" The
only possible objection business women
could have to being able to support a
husband would be the fact that too many
husbands might let them dc it,
Now that its prestige has departed like
the waning glow of sunset and its fame
is no longer apparent along the worlds
broad horizon, no one seems to care how
Esopus got its name. The matter has
been dropped. Once upon time there was
a great quacking of wiseacres over the
matter but that is ended now. 1t is al
most sad. PC.