davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
IT. Frcer's Splendid Offer.

President Roosevelt was right when he joggea the bureaucrats of the Smith sonian institution. who have been hes iiating and haggling over the bequest of Mir. Freer of Detroit Mir. Freer five examples of Japanese paintings, a fine collection of Chinese porcelains, many valuable American paintings and an exceedingly interesting collection of Whistlerania, and he offered to put up a S500.o0O building to hold them. And yet the ancients in charge of the Smithsonian can not see their way to accept the gift.
 MT. Roosevelt tells them that if they do not act speedily he will take an ap- peal to Congress, which would no doubt make the nation trustee of the valu- able collection.
 The Freer gift could readily be made the nucleus at the capital of national gallery. Other nations have such col lections-why not the United States? ? The Freer collection must stand by itself, but that could be done in one wing of the national building. None of the conditions imposed by Mir. Freer are unreasonable, and none of them would stand in the way of a great na- tional museum.
 The offer of MT. Freer was Il ade nearly year ago. and 1t Is to be hoped that President Roosevelt's character l.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Turkey Famine.

Unless you purchased your turkey for Monday early today you had to pay an exorbitant price or take something just as good said commission merchant last night. Tonight there was turkey famine, the few remaining on sale be- ing Of a size unsuitable for any but the largest families. Even as early as noon choice turkeys were hard to get, and prices went up until at the time when the working people were able to do their buying. the fowls were selling for several cents more a pound than they were a week before. An honr later the market was barren of them
 Business during the last week was 40 per cent greater than 1t was for the same week last year. This is the con census of opinion among all dealers. A number of Central market men told me they could have sold many more tur- keys If they had had them'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
When nobles are their tailors' tutors
 king Lear.
A Sad New Year.

There Is gloom in Birmingham, there ,s weeping in Jones valley, for MT. Richard Mansfield" is to play tomor- row night in Montgomery. We are to have David Harum," but David IS an equivalent in the public heart of Rich ard the Terrible.
 The terms of the advertisement, too, of the Mansfield night-in Montgom- erv-are distressing. One line reads, "Only appearance in Alabama or all sad words of tongue or pen these are the saddest. It is no longer the glad New Year. IL is a year that slurs Jones valley in even the index.
 Further down the advertisement says: "Only four tickets sold to any one person. No tickets laid aside for this engagement Free list suspend ed There is some consolation in the last three words. for the esteemed Montgomery papers will not crow over aI engagement that suspends the free list.
 But this ray of consolation does not who'll. dispel the gloom in Jones val ley. Hope seems to have fled, at least for New Years Day. The only bright spot ahead in ais district is the base ball season. and this, alas, is three months away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Helps Birmingham.

T am always telling drummers and traveling men about the great retail busi- ness of Birmingham, and in that way spreading its fame" said Arthur Smith yesterday. All such things help the city and tend to advertise it.
 People in every part of the south are turning their eyes towards Birmingham. [ know that to be a fact. for l receive numbers of applications from people in other cities who desire to come to Bir- mingham. They all believe in this city, and Relieve that it's future is greater than thaUof any other southern city.
 T have never known as many out-of- town people to do their shopping in Bir- mingham as there were this year. mo- ticed that a great many people from cities twenty and thirty, and even 100 miles from Birmingham came here this year to do their Christmas shopping.
 ''rhe number of visitors in the city was easily noticeable if one happened to have been at the passenger station at almost any hour of the day for several days be- fore Christmas. It was almost impossible at times to get to the gate to enter to the tracks and equally as hard to get out. l went to the station to meet a relative and had the greatest difficulty in reach ing the gate. I have never seen such crowds going and coming on the trains al any time since 1 have been in Br- mingham
 While I was at the station several trains came in and they were all packed to the doors. As rapidly as they unload ed they were reloaded with people leaving the city provided they were through trains"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
RACE CHANGES.

From the London Chronicle.
 That Mir. Howells Is kind to the persona and dresses of Englishwomen marks a grateful change-in him or in them? In former book he dedicated to the English girl a phrase which-used by known lover of the slender and delicate-had an unavowed cruelty The daughters of trav- cling Englshmen, he said, had honest cabbage roses in their cheeks and their hair tumbled upon their broad backs. Elsewhere he claimed slmness as the al. vine prerogative of the American wo- man The races change. American wo- men have beautiful figures with pc. far. ly broad hips, restoring the Greek ideal England owns the slenderest woman in the world, and English women dress al well or as All as the French.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

istic letter to Chief Justice Fuller will bring the subject to a determination, and that that determination will secure to the country the best art of the ori- ent and occident that Mr. Freer has wrought into a beautiful and inspiring whole.
 The Corcoran gallery in Washington is altogether creditaDle, but 1t by no means renders a national gallery un- desirable. Washington should in fact become an art center to which students from all parts of the country would go.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Athletic Club Team.

asWe fear the Birmingham Athletic club team more than any other in the south,' said Haskell Noyse. a member of the Yale basketball team, at the game last night We play tho Athletics Monday night and if they are very much stronger than the Y NJ. C. A. team, I would not be surprised if we were beaten.
 All over the south we have been told to look out for the Athletic club team or we would be defeated Every place we have played we have heard the same statement, and if we are defeated Monday night we will not be bady disappointed, for we will know that the defeat was at the hands of the best team in the south.
 "The game promises to be hotly con tested, for we are not going to loose 1t without making a hard fight for victory. We would like to go back home with a clean record
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
AIabama's Flag.

Over the historic capitol at Mont gomery waves, not the national flag but the Alabama flag, and not one Ala bamian in a thousand would recognize it if he saw it elsewhere than on the capitol. The flag in question has no history woven into it, for 1t was not adopted until 1895. It presents a St. Andrews cross in crimson on a white field. Such cross is shaped like the letter x, and the books suggest that the Apostle Andrew died on cross of that design.
 Few. if any, other states indulge in flags of their own. A flag is the sym bol of sovereignty, and state sovereign ty is limited by the federal constitu- ton. When we were part of Georgia we granted to the federal government the exclusive power of punishing treason, and if any one becomes a tr, itor to the Alabama flag we might have to call in the federal govern ment in order to punish him.
 There are flags of all sorts. The red flag means as a rule denance, while the white flag is used when an antag- onist finds he has had enough. In the navy every commanding officer has a flag. There are plenty of flags in the world. and if every state and territory Is to have one, the American collec-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
A Year of Prosperity.

What year 1905 has been! The war between Russia and Japan, and the treaty of peace; spirit of progress in China; Chinese labor and the gold production in the Rand; the overthrow of bosses in this country; the inaugu- ration of Theodore Roosevelt; con struction work on the Panama canal; the insurance investigation; the rail road rate regulation movement; the uplift in the moral tone of business and politics and the conduct of cor porations, and the general favor with which the square deal" has been re- ceived-all these and much more char acterize a remarkable year.
 But first and foremost it has been prosperous year throughout this broad big country. By using estimates for December we see that our exports have been increased over those of the previous year to the extent of $130,000,- GOO; our imports $160, 100000, and our railroad gross earnings $120,0O0,O0 Bank clearings exceed those of the previous year by $34,000,000, and our iron production by nearly 100000 tons. In word we did better than we did in 1904, which was by no means a dull year, by about 10 per cent. The plans for the development of the coun- try have been certainly greater by 10 per cent than were those of the pre- vious year. Extension and develop ment came on every hand In every branch of business throughout the en- tire year. Possibly 1906 may be bet ter year, but in order to make 1t so all will have to be alert and energetic.
 The south has handsomely shared all the prosperity of the country In the year that will be ended tonight.  When No. foundry is firmly held at $1f. and spot cotton Is worth II cents, prosperity dwells not alone in this dis trict. but also in all other parts of the south. Lumber and timbered lands have been steadily advanced, and the south is richer by many millions, even tens of millions than it was when the year was ushered in.
 The value of the farm products or the year now nearly ended is put at 1 the enormous and unprecedented total of S6,5O0 ,Uvv,000. The mind fails to grasp so great an aggregate. It is billionarism by the wholesale. Great as the mineral products of the year | have been, they are are dwarfed by OUT agricultural productions, which are, after all, the source and mainstay of our abundant and welldiffused pros perity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Little Rock Baseball.

Aaron Frank is president of the Little Rock baseball association. and he has already raised s690O towards paying the associations debts incurred last year. "The committee appointed by the board of trade" he said recently. "ls In the harness, and everything looks good at this time. ] once feared for the franchise, from the fact that the people at large in this city have never fully realized just what we were up against last year was satisfied that if the business men could once be brought to consider the matter in a serious manner 1t would be settled, and that in the right way.
 "To sell the franchise would have been an injury to the city No one thing ad- vertlses city like a good baseball team. We can maintain as good a team as any other city If we have limit on the sal ary paid the men. We have that. and we have Q chief executive that will execute the law of the league in that and every other respect. President Kavanaugh has spoken He has declared that he will en- force the law, and Little Rock can get together and maintain as good baseball team as any other city In Dixie land
 "The attitude of the street railway com pany here is all right. The management cannot be blamed for the delay In decid- ing whether the extension would be built If there is no team here there will be no necessity for an extension to West End park The street railway people realize the necessity of retaining the team, but the report has time after time gone out that the people interested in baseball wanted to sell the franchise. That I want to say. is false. Not a single man inter- ested in baseball in this city has ever wanted to see the franchise go to some other city"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Entrance and Exit.

q often wonder said a man In the lobby, If some people have any power of observation. Now look at that door, and he pointed to the main entrance or the Morris hotel You see that sign It says .Entrance-Push It's perfectly plain, isn 1t? Yet the people invariably try the other door, which is fast. Then they pull on the right door. Finally they push, 1t opens and they come In. You'd think that would be a lesson, wouldn't you? But watch the same man going out. He goes up nara against that same door, trying to push 1t open, although Exit-Pulp Is there in big letters. After a vain endeaVor 10 push 1t. men try to push the other door. Eventually they pull open the right door.
 But that isn't the worst of 1t. There are people who have been stopping here week. many of them travelling men who go in and out dozen or score or times day. and they, the so-called oo- servers of human nature, are about the worst of all
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Popular Richmond Man.

"James B. Pace, a prominent citizen of Richmond. was elected city treasurer of the Virginia capital last Thursday by a sweeping majority said member of Birminghams Virginia colony. MT. Pace was formerly president of the Planters National bank of Richmond man of wealth. He was a large investor in Bir- mngham real estate in the sos, but re- gently. met with financial reverses; and when he announced for city treasurer the voters rallied enthusiastically to his sup port The office to which he has been elected carries salary of $40O0. and the fees added make the pay of the incumbent about S7OO0 a year"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
NED BRACE TALKS ABOUT HIGH MONEY
 RATES AND OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST

mingham district, 1t will certainly mean the expenditure of much money in in- creasing the steel and steel rail output and in adding new plants to the present properties.
 Now that the fire department in Bir- mingham has been reformed, new eouip- ment added to IL and 1t is being made 8 department worthy of the city of Birming- ham In size, attention is being directed to the police force, and there are those who are complaining about it's organization. It Is probably well to take this matter up and cause the police force to improve not only in size but in conduct and or- ganizatlon equalling the growth of Blr- mingham.
 And right in this connection, the of- flcers of the police force should give a bit more attention to the enforcement of the law preventing young boys from loaf ing about the streets at all hours of the night. It has only been within the past week that several young boys between IF and 16 years of ago have been detected committing burglarics and all manner of petty thefts. I hope that Chief Wier will instruct his men to enforce the law and keep these gamins off the streets after reasonable hour of the night.
 At last the paving people are actually working putting down siag on Highland avenue, rolling the same in, and per- haps by next week the surface of bitu- minous macadam will be rolled in
 The residents of that section have had long wait, but with the coming of the new year the sun seems to be shining on the street, and it now looks as if 1t is ready to be paved.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
inc New York Press.

From the New iorh fiess.
 A man never, never can enjoy laugh the way a woman can cry
 No matter how pretty girl is, 1t makes her a sight prettier to kiss her.
 A man gets awfully mixed up trying to kiss girl who has two dimples.
 There is very robust exercise in trying to run down islander about yourself.
 If a man ever knew as much aS he thinks people think he knows, there would be some real wisdom in this world.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
Back to Rlrminuham.

Its treat to get back and breathe the air of good old Alabama again." said Maj. A. M ONeill. for years resident of Florence. but now living in New York. Gotham is pretty good for some things. but give me this place every time" Major O Nell is at the Morris
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
A GLADsoME FANCY,

From the Washington Star.
 Do you think that the government ought to own the railroads?'
 .'Sometimes.' said the member of Con- gress. If the government owned the railroads we won't be worried by these rumors of suspended courtesies. Wed probably get passes for our personal transportation the same as we now get franks for our mall
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
FDNEM RESPlCE.
III. BY A. LATADY.

Mirror thy charms, and say thou canst not see The artistnature's effort to achieve
 Perfection in the gifts bestowed on thee;
 Or name the blemishes you would retrieve. Thine eyes? have power cen stone to move Thy lips? fashioned by the god of love; Stay: my defective vision cannot trace Or fault or blemish in thy form or face
 Yet with this wealth wouldst thou the miser play Pleading its loss should you make bold to use It, Having no copy by thee 'gainst the day
 When used or hoarded thou shalt surely ose itE Think not tscape tn oblivion incurred Thy untransmitted beauty being inferred
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Mrs. BurkeRoche complains that she is nervous. It would make anybody nervous to spend as much money tr one day as she has been spending.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

A Canadian critic says that Henry James has no monopoly of pure Eng fish. Somebody is always advertising Henry James style.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

The New York American thinks that MT. Hyoe is too sensitive, but the thickness of President McCall's hide is unquestioned.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Christmas is coming In Russia, and the revolutionaries may give the little father something that goes off with a bang and a puff of white smoke.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

The Wisconsin Senators will not be as congenial when they meet after the holiday recess as were the governors of the Carolinas.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
OUGHT NOT TO BE.

From the Arkansas Gazette.
 The Pullman car porters are organizing s union. Are they dissatisfied with the service the public is giving?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Has it ever occurred to you that Con- gross passed only two bills out of all that were introduced before Christi mas?
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

The Russian revolutionaries can now sympathize with Robert Fitzsimmons. They have been knocked out.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Congress may as well get accus- toned to the Panama canal, for it will have to discuss it fully twenty years to come.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

A man who had been ossified for 41 years died recently in Pennsylvania. The report that he will be used as a gate post is false.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Steel Trust Corey is living down his domestic incompatabilities He is gain ing ground, but he and his wife are still in separate establishments
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

A monkey-faced owl has been dis covered in Ohio. It has no advantages over the ordinary kind.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD
Ae553eses~

1ionaire and just as you were on the eve of being married the girls father should telephone, Whats your hurry? Come home and have the job done right" you would probably feel queer, but that is what happened to Lieutenant Scharrer, who is to wed Miss Wilhelmina Busch. Santa Claus brought the Mobile Item several cases of Budweiser. Looks like the baseball season is almost here.
 Col. William Jennings Bryan refuses to take up the brown mans burden and he never did wiser thing in his life. President schurman of Cornell says that this generation has no fear of hell. So many people are raising it thatsthe spec- tacle Is common.
 Football has been declared truly Amer- ican,' which puts it on plane with graft and politics.
 MARY.
 Mary had a little joke
 She dearly loved to tell
 And every time she told it why
 The people said "Oh-hwell!''
 Some people think they have stomaehs, and yet John F. Williams of the good ship something>or-other ate part of his oil coat while adrift on the brlny deep, hun dreds of miles from pepsin tablet
 "Princess Ena" is good enough for every day use. Her Sunday name is too long for words.
 The King of Italy will present medal to Jocobo Petropontio Morganio, who is none other than our Pierpont Morgan, the well known bandit. PAUL COOK.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

We enter upon the new year accom- panied by Joker Hartman and Philan- thropist Ryan riding on the front seat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Mrs Corey says she is the victim of a conspiracy, when everybody thought 1t was Mabelle Gilman.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

If Sarah Bernhardt is going to start circus she should engage Jimmie Hyde as a sideshow artist.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Eight thousand postmasters did not die last year, but that number, strange ly enough, resigned.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

The full returns from the football fields show 20 dead and 205 wounded This Is not so bad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31
CuRTAiN!

From the Athens Banner.
 santa Claus has had his turn and now the bill collector will close the show.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

tion of flags will call for Flag build ing at the national capital in which to hoist them Alabama has one, it is said, that is too big To handle, and even on the smallest state flag the crimson bars of the st. Andrews cross must be not less than six inches wide.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Mrs. Robert Fitzsimmons sends out from Soo City-Sioux. of course-a heated refu- tation of the charge that se Is or ever was a chorus girl ''Pishaw! and thous- and times fudge!' is what we say. The idea of insnuating that Mrs. Fitzsmmons is a chorus girl. She has a speaking part" we'd have you know. Ask Bob.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

A. few belated Christmas presents are still coming in. Uncle Sam was simply overworked.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

Imagine, If you please, what nerve Nicholas of Cincinnati had when he went up to ask papa.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

The North Alabama barber shop of Attalla was robbed of all it's razors. The thieves experienced the novelty of getting something for nothing In barber shop.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-31

President Roosevelt hunts grizzlies and rabbits with equal facility The only diff ference is that the latter sport Is not so susceptible to magazine tratment