The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-23


 That orchestra was d great success, and as it played the Presidents favorite airs he took unusual interest in the men, When the cigars came the President moved his chair where he could see the performers, particularly the dummies so 10 speak at close range He soon be- came quite interested in the actions of the two, and they, all unconscious of the scrutiny. were enjoying themselves at n great rate. When the evening was draw Ing to a close the President asked to meet the men, He wanted to thank them for the music. He talked with the leader, who is an old friend and who has often played at the White House Then he reached his two, and in shaking hands he asked: "How long have you played the violin? You are both accomplished artists" It may have been guilty conscience which made them alert but when the men looked up to thank the President they caught gleam or mis- chief in his eyes and an approach to wink.
 Representative John L. Burnett of Gadsden Ala, would like to introduce bill by which a benevolent government would include the Bible among the pub lications furnished gratis to the members of the National Congress. 1t is not so much the apostolic spirit which animates MT Burnett as a wish to eXtricate him- self from an embarrassing predicameh'' Last autumn he received a letter rom man in the backwoods, who claimed 10 be one of his constituents and loyal supporter when others were wavering. lie told of the loneliness of his lie ana the benighted religious condition of himself his family and the neighbors at large, and he closed his Dantean picture by a request for q copy of the Bible.
 He would read faithfully every night to his family, he promised, ana on sun days he would have a gathering in his .'clearing" and have the same Holy BOOK expounded. MT. Burnett was in Tor Wrlt- ing and saying that Bibles were not on the free list for congressman, but Mrs. Burnett interposed and declared 1t his duty to buy an edition of the Scriptures and dispatch it at once. Thinking It over, MT. Burnett agreed with his wife. He procured a substantially bound copy inscribed 1t duly, and sent it on it's mis- sionary errand.
 MT Burnett says that far be It from him to regret any good which he may accomplish in lessening the ignorance and wickedness of this benighted world. but that Bible has caused him to lose pounds of flesh. and has put gray hairs in his head. He has just returned rom a trip to Alabama, and at crowded county seat he met his friend. The old man, who belongs to what is locally known as the cracker population, thanked him profusely, told him the neighbors listened to the Word, and what comfort his kind act had brought
 Then the old man turned and addressed the assembled crowd. He advised that they should all ask for Bibles. that Ala bama would be new state if they paid more attention to the things of the world to come and did not worry so much about garden seed Now, everybody who heard that oraton, or feard of 1t, and all their friends and relations, have written to Mir Burnett, asking for Bibles. He is getting all the correspondence in ship shape and is going to send 1t on to the American Bible society, which sends out car loads of the Holy Book every year to the heathen. MT. Burnett hopes to have Alabama intluded in the next route.
 When the Secretary of Agriculture an- nounced his intention of leaving his com fortable domicile on Vermont avenue and seeking refuge in an apartment house, everybody wondered what had happened. MT Wilson is not very communicative about his affairs still, he had frequently remarked that, lille a cat, he abhorred a change and would stick to one spot In the face of all cslamities, save flooded cellar But the cellar has not been flood ed, and MT Wilson has moved
 One of the neighbors has thrown light on the situation Miss Flora Wilson, the Secretary's daughter and homekeeper, has been absent for several months in Eu- rope. and he has been having the usual troubles with the naughty cook and the trifiing housemad The climax came al.1 fff1a xvbpn Ing some friends came in unexpectedly and the Secretary wanted to give them a snack.
 He found abundance of cold meat, cheese, and things which go to make a bite like that appetizing, but when 1t came to knives and forks. he could find only four or five of assorted sizes, and of spoons there seemed less than half dozen Now, the Secretary is a bounti- ful provider. and he has silver in excess of all demands.
 they could, and the Secretary pondered for long time whether to call up the police department and report a robbery or to rout out the cook, who lived some few streets down, in a back alley. But he resolved to wait until morning, and he has since rsjoiced over his leisure He asked the cook, and that functionary looked quite affrighted for time, and then confessei that there had been a wedding in her family the evening before, and that she had borrowed the silver ware for the occasion.
 'I counted every piece before l took them" she declared, "and watched every body that picked up a piece, and l brought back every knife, fork and spoon. You just count, now. MT. Secretary, and see if don't tell the truth"
 MT. Wilson concluded then and there to store his belongings and go into a fur nished apartment. He didn't like to lose his silver, and he could not endure the prospect of losing his cook. To have complained would be tantamount to serv- ing notice, go say the neighbors.
 Representative John A. Sullivan Of Boston thinks there must be something radically wrong about the arrangement of the heroic statues which form a gal lery of fame on the highest tier which overlooks the reading room in the h5'ary of Congress. The magnifcence or the spectacle is not to be questioned no- inc merit of the effgies, but 1t Is beyoah Inc comprehension of the ordinary tourist 10 penetrate the significance of the al'ot- ment of places to the great men ot moi ern and ancient times For instance, Robert Fulton with his little boat, sits