davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03

sect. A brown thrasher bubbled and sputtered and cheered in the distance: veery sent up his spiral song, suc- cession of notes in a constantly as- cending scale, and an ovenbird shrilled ecstatically, as though his little spotted breast were so full of joy that he could not do otherwise than try to impress 1t upon the world.
 After that came the climax of bird songs, the distant whistle of the hermit thrush. It can be picked out from all other bird music, because no other song ster hereabouts has such rare beauty of voice. When you have never before heard in sweetness, in purity, in char acter, as though the singer were aloof from the everyday world. rare soul alone with his own fine thoughts, that is the hermit It is 1ot the variety of his notes; it is their single excellence. It is not for their bubbling ecstasy. or their mirthfulness. or for any suggestion of joy; it is merely the wondrous quail ity of the tone. It is as though you heard a Calve or Sembrich singing to the flute What if Shelly had heard the hermit! There would be another poem to match The Skylark."
 Quickly the tune in my ears changed; 1 was listening to something very close at hand, to the humble of early bees in the apple blossoms, ant again to the mourning of a few small gnats that played in the air in front of me.
 The sun sank lower, the mountains in the west became clear blue line. while those to the east were almost blue black. From somewhere. out of the air above me. dropped the cry of . night hawk. and in imagination I saw the bird wheeling and sailing and sliding through the upper air. And now the little peeping frogs awoke in the marsh; their shrill birdlike voices were some- what suggestive of sandpipers.
 The voices, the sounds, were now at full height. and as a fit ending to the evening music there hoatsd up from the valley beneath the low of homing cat tie, the clink. clink. clink of the bell on a COW as she ambled stableward to milk ing and a bed: pleasant sounds sugges- tive of man and mans life, of quiet old fam houses. and smoking chimneys, and toilers returning from the days work in the fields.
 ERNEST HAROLD HAYNES.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
MONDAY, JULY 3, 1905.

Tomorrow will be the Glorious Fourth" always day of great reJoic- ing and considerable noise. Water bury proposes to go all former years one better and will have celebration tomorrow that will be memorable one. Every detail for a big celebra- ton has been attended to. and if the man who regulates the weather will give us fine day, everything will be lovely. While every one is supposed to celebrate, it is presumed that all will use good judgment. and have care for the lives and comfort of those who may not be so enthusiastic as some others. Moderation should be used in setting of fireworks as well as in talk ing in fireworks If every one gives a little attention to these matters the day will be big one for all o1 us.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Work of the Devil. v

Laurence Hutton cites as the most amusing and, at the time. most per. picking typographical error in his long Journalistic and literary career. one which occurred in an article he wrote ct the time of the consolidation of the Astor. Tilden and Lenox libraries. in which he was made to express the fol- lowing remarkable opinion: New York. perhaps. has never fully real- fzed until this day how greatly it has been enriched by the receipt of the vest buttons of James Lenox." He had written vast beouests."
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03

When a run is made on a solvent bank the only people who lose are the panicstricken depositors who sacrifice the interest due them since the last payment. The bank has only to bor
 row money from another bank and deal out the deposits as fast as the tel Ter can count. Then when the scare is over the people come back and de- posit their money again. Wise de positors. truly, says Youths Compan- ion, get all the information they can about the validity of the bank they use. and when they see restless crowd at the doors of the bank they pass by quietly on the other side of the street. About ten years ago. New York Yiddish paper printed the headline, "Neb (Nebraska) State Bank Fails" In Yiddish the word "nebpig' means poor. Ignorant readers thought the headline meant. Poor State Bank Fails" The run on the New York bank lasted two weeks. The same bank had a run several years ago. when sensational paper published au imaginary picture of a bombarament of New York by the Spanish feet. It is true that banks fail and that some times the rumors of banks weakness are true; but usually the time not to draw ones money is when other people are rushing in sheepish ignorance 10 draw theirs. --..
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03

Thatthe government of Panama is on- to the latest wrinkles was demonstrat- cd when it secured ten million dollars for the canal concession which Colum- bia had thought 10 pocket. but should there be any lingering doubts they will be dispelled by the announcement made by the government to the effect that the republic lays claim 10 all min erals within It's territory. The Pana- ma government has taken the position that while a man may own the sur face of the ground for building or agri- cultural occupation. everything below the surface belongs to the govern ment. This should produce a consider able revenue fin royalties and safes. Speaking of the canal. the comptroller of the treasury has decided that un. der the contracts now in existence the government cannot pay the expenses of shipping home the bodies of Ameri- cans who have gone to the isthmus to labor for the United Sta-es ana who die there. The contracts all call for the transportation home of the in- dividusls when their contracts are satisfactorily terminated As their death by yellow fever cannot be con strued to be satisfactory termination of the contract. especially to the in- dividusls. their friends must get their bodies home the best way they ,sa- The contracts will probably be chang ed to make provision for the return of the emviOyes. alive or dead
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03

 buffalo. and I knew that somewhere near at hand a herd of the great shaggy. commanding beasts were feed ing.
 But it was the birds. of course, whose voices were most noticeable in the music. At that hour of the eyen- ing. every feathered creature seems to take it as part of the days duty and pleasure 10 sing; nor was it difi- cult to identify the singers. Above my head. an occasional hunting swallow tvittered as he flew. and near an old house pair Of chimney swifts sprang their silver rattle as they circled and curved above their home site. From the bushes and little poplars that lined the road. blackthroated green vsrb- lers sang zee-zee-zee; a red-eyed vireo wandered industriously among the branches. and expounded a very gentle law in a spirited voice: and a white breasted nuthafch talked to himself, ank. snk. ank.
 A song sparrow lifted his mellow evensong from the top of brush pile A phoebe called plaintiyely. and i'm nediately after I heard the sharp snap of his bill as he tried for flying in-
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
overcivilized Cow.

The Minnesota experiment station has discovered that the COW suffers from the characteristic disease of tventiethcentury civiiizstion-nerv- GUS oversuain. She has temperament She is overcivilised. The high strung con has 10 place in the dairy scheme: she should be eliminated" writes Prof. Haecker.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Europe Preferred.

We are thinking of taking an auto mobile trip through France this year"
 Why do you go so far from home! l should think you would rather take Q trip through Illinois or Indiana"
 "0h, but our chauffeur says they are so much less likely to be mean about il when you run over . person in those thiekly populated European countries, where few more or less really don't make any noticeable differ. ence."-Chicago Record-H Herald.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
No Lack of Variety.

A travelling salesman just back from Maine. says. ia the Boston Record. that he recently asked an old fisher man in q snop-bcund hamlet what he did with himself evening"
 -oh." said the old man. easily. some times I set and think, and then again I just sst--Brooklyn Life
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Another fsrorsbIe feature ner

Another favorable feature meritinz consideration in connection vfth the ss.pply of money during the HexI few months is the satisfactory improve- meat that has teen shown by the zcv- sranent i1cone account ssys Banker Oewes. Tbis viii permit Secretary Shaw fo carTy out his plan of sIIoriax the sover1nezt deppsffs ts renan in
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
The Sage Su4ks

"A man may consider himself deeply verse1 in worldly experience. observed the Pohick phiIosopher- ss be bit of fresh cher. but he doesn't know what expsrieacs means until he's been sued fer sbost ten thousand dollars vuth O breact Q promise e--Chicazo Szr-
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Doesn't Show in the Dark.

Ooeon [ 0uoW ID Sue ONfR. Younger Brother-I say, muvver, know why Johnny is so awful fond of going to lantern shows.
 Mother-Why, dear?
 Younger Brother-Becos he doesn't have to wash his neck before he goes. Ally Sloper.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
A Phenomenon Explained.

A Phenomenon GxpIAined. "I once made S150 in Wall street" You astonish me. How did i; hap pen?"
 T found fob in an ofnce down there. and it was several weeks before they discharged me."-Chicago Rec ord-Herald.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
ra Bz.s Hnnasr.

Her fst the pisnoD-Dozr yos think this refrain is bea1-ffzl,
 Hin-Ta I'd rsther have yoz ro- ozzn shas sinG-0svo1aDd Lan1R.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
At the Club.

This magazine. What to Eat. rec ommends eating fruit as a cure for the drink habit"
 Nothing to it I've tried 1t" "w-hat did you eat!'
 Cocktail cherries. Puck.
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Agitator.

Do you see that man in the frayed trousers? We'll. he has been shouting for free street cars and free electric lights
 And is he supported?"
 Yes. by free unch."-Chicago Daily Newa
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
Heroine.

Peari-I suffered him to steal a kiss last night
 Ruby-The nerve. And did you call your mamma?
 Peari-No. I am brave suffered in silenee--Cai-arD News
Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03
A. HENES, 2S0 Cherry St. Tel. 1915.
NOTICE.

At the regular meeting of the Re tail Meat Dealers association it was unanimously voted to close all mar kets on the Fourth of July. The mar kets will keep open on Monday night till 10 ?. m. to accommodate the peo- pie.
 WILLIAM RIETHER. Pres.
 J. r. MCCARTHY. Secy.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
Board of Education.

We attach herewith statement No. 81.
showing amounts paid for school pur-
poses from September l, 1862, the begin
ming of the scholastic year 1902-1s03. up to
the close of the scholastic year 1904-1905.
1t will be seen upon examination Of this
statement that the law regulating the
appropriations to the Board of Educa-
ton has been violated. Section SO. page IL,
paragraph 5. of the present city charter
provides as follows:
1T shall be the duty of the Board of
Education before the first Wednesday in
April in each year to prepare and file
with the Mayor an estimate of the money
that will be required for the maintenance
of the public schools for the succeeding
scholastic year. and the erection and re-
pair of necessary school buildings
This has not been done, SO far as the
records show.
Paragraph provides that all moneys
devoted to school purposes in the city of
Birmingham shall be paid over to the
treasurer of the Board of Educ. ton in
three equal installments-the LIST of Sep
TENDER, the LIST of December and the LIST
of March of the said year. The appro-
priations to the board for the scholastic
year of 1902-1903 should have been APP
proximately $1,000 each September /.
December / and March 1. whereas they
were made $1,000 in October. $1,000 in No
vember and $4,000 in January. The APP
preparations to the board for 1903-1904
should have been $4,000. divided into
three payments of $4,000 each on Sep
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02

by this act; whether such use or rnisap-
preparation be for his own benefit, or for
the benefit of the city or of others: and
any member of the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen who shall by his vote or in anv
other manner. order, cause, aid. encour.
age, or abet any such diversion, use or
incorporation of such funds. or any
part thereof shall be deemed guilty. ~
embezzlement and be punished as IL he
had stolen the same"
1t will thus be seen that II is of tba
utmost Importance TO have these records
absolutely accurate. and no time should
be lost In having them corrected
In making the examination of this do
partment we found that large sums Of
money had been paid by the city out
of the general fund towards settling the
amounts due by some property owners
FOR improvements made under this law
an itemlzed list Of which is herto at
tached, marked Statement No. 49,"
showing all such payments, which state
ment is made part of this report. We
examined the minutes covering the period
from January l. 1904 to May l. 1906. to as
certain whether any or all of the pay
ments made by the city during that
period had been authorized by the board.
Those payments which are shown. by the
minutes to have been authorized by the
board are marked with a star on said
list.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
EXPERTS REPORT FULL CYS BOOKS WITH ALL THE STATEMENT

On February l resolution was passed
IA have these reports printed as in
former years. At the board meeting of
NAV II the finance committee, among 9TH
er things, recommended that the bill for
printing the reports of the city be al
lowed. but this bill of the Dispatch Print
ing company does not appear in the list
of vouchers ordered paid by the board,
although their regular monthly bill for
printing. etc, amounting to $3.50 does
so appear.
We also found that the matter of pro-
curing orders from the city auditor for
the purchases of the city, and having
those orders attached to the bills, as
required by the city code, has not been
of the bills are not accompanied by the
an important matter and the auditor
should decline to make a voucher or
draw a warrant for any such bills, ex-
eept in cases of emergency where the ma
terlal might have to be secured at once
The auditor should also be required to
furnish the chairman of the finance com
mittee with all vouchers which have been
paid between beard meetings at the next
regular meeting thereafter, In order that
they might be passed for payment along
with the regular bills and entered on
the minutes, as the record of vouchers
passed for payment and entered on the
minute book should agree In every par
ticular with the auditors record of
vouchers issued. Among the vouchers paid
between board meetings and not listed on
the minute book appear nearly all OF the
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02

proper expense, we are unable to ma
any authority for 1t on the minutes
October %, 1S04-John Maui & Co., license
refunded. $751;
November 1906. C. Engsfeidt, treas
urer, s2670.
(No voucher for the above).
December. 1904-Rankin & Spivey. mo
voucher), $50.
January IS, 1sO5-W NJ Drennen. ex-
penses to Washington to invite President
Roosevelt to visit Birmingham. 800
On December 7, 1904 he was authorized
by the board to write and invite the
President, but no authority appears to
have been given for making the trip to
Washington at the eity's expense. Had
he been authorized to make the trip the
auditor should not have drawn war
rant for this sum, as no itemized account
of the expenses was presented.
March 16-Drennen & Co, sets harness,
account stable an teams. s120
This was an extraordinary expense
which was not reported TO the board at
the next regular meeting as required by
the code.
March 10-A. C. and TT. R. Howe. at
torneys fees and court costs in Twenty
first street paving case, s254.40.
This voucher was not approved by the
committee nor did 1t appear In the list of
vouchers passed for payment by the
board.
May 1s-Dispatch Printing company, bill
for printing annual report of mayor and
city officers 1895. An additional expense
of ss4 was incurred In printing this re-
port making a total cost of $3.50.
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
Bond Improvement Records.

Under the head of exception to Pub
lie Improvement Records the report says:
We find that while the balance of cash
in bank agrees in the aggregate with the
balance as shown on the treasurer
hooks, the amounts appearing to the cred
it of each ordinance separately are not
correct. Within the period covered by this
examination we found that in number
of instances amounts were credited to GER
tain ordinances that should have been
credited to others. After spending sew
eral days in an effort to reconcile and
adjust these differences, we found that 1t
would be impossible in this examination
to do So for if we were to adjust and
correct the errors which appear to have
been made between January l. 1904, and
May /, 1905, that would make only par
tial correction, as the same state of at
fairs undoubtedly existed before this
period. We would. therefore, suggest the
ACCESSIBILITY of employing some competent
person TO correct these records from the
beginning to date.
The serious consequences which may
arise by reason of these errors may be
seen by reference to the following sections
of the present city code: Section So pro-
vides that the proceeds arising from the
collection of assessments levied for each
Improvement shall be and constitute a
separate and distinct fund, and each such
fund, together with Its accommodations,
shall be and Is hereby sacredly pledged to
the payment of bonds and interest coupons
issued for the Improvement from the as
sessments for which such fund arises,
and shall be applied exclusively to the
payments of said bonds and coupons. 1t
shall be the duty of the city treasurer to
keep an accurate account of all funds
arising from all assessments for public
| improvements and to carefully and ac-
curately keep a separate account of the
| fund arising from the collection of as
| sessments for each particular improve
! ment, and no proceeds arising from as
| sessments levied for one improvement
, shall be diverted to the payment of bonds
issued for any other Improvement or to
| the payment of any other Indebtedness of
| the city"
| Section GO provides THAT any city treas
! urer who shall divert part of a public
! Improvement bond fund to the payment
! of any bonds or interest coupons other
! than those entitled to be paid out Of
| such fund, or to the payment of any other
! indebtedness of the city or to any other
! purpose than that required by this act,
! or who shall use or misappropriate any
/ of the funds out of which any of the
Z, bonds issued under the authority of this
| act. are required to be paid, for any 9TH
! er purpose than such as Is contemplated
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
Auditors Department.

We found that a large number of vouch-
ers had been drawn between board meet
ings, without authority from the board,
and which did not appear on the minutes
to have been passed by the board FOR
payment. 1t would involve too great an
expenditure of time and labor to itemize
all Of such vouchers, but the following
attracted out attentions:
NAV o. 4-Expenses Drennen. Gray,
Thach and Smith to Chicago and New
York to sell bonds $3.50.
On April 90 1904 this committee was
appointed to negotiate the sale of S2oo,ooo
school bonds but were not authorized to
take a trip to Chic. go and New York
al the expense of the city for that pur-
pose Had they been authorized by the
board TO incur this expense, they should
have rendered itemized statement of ex-
penses--failing which 1t was the duty OF
the auditor to refuse to draw warrant
for same unless that amount had been
specifically appropriated for that pur-
pase.
June %. l9O4-Dllon & Dillon, New
York; legal fees with reference TO school
bonds, $500.
This appears to have been another in
cidental expense connected with the sale
of these school bonds. for which no au-
thority is shown by the minutes.
May 10. 1sO4-J ]. Altman; services in
preparing code. 500.
We find no authority for this payment
within the period under examination.
July 81 1904-Expenses of committee to
Cincinnati to deliver bonds, $50.
August .. 1904-Balance expense commit
tee to Cincinnati to deliver bonds. $50.
This item was passed through the
budget.
August IS. 19O4-Drennen & Co, 80 settees
for parks. $3.50.
This was an extraordinary expense in
CURED by the park committee and no
rerort was made to the board as re-
quired by the code
August IS. 1904-B A. Thompson, back
tax commissioner. services representing
the city before the Board of Revenue $500.
October 3, l904--W. NJ. Drennen. expenses
attending American League of Municipal
tiles 800.
While this may have been usual and
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
License penartment.


While the statement shows that all re-
oeipts in this department have been cor
rectly accounted for Qn fact, overpaid 80,
we find that in the license department
full schedule license has not been collected
in some instances. 1t was impracticable
to compare all of the collections with
the license sched ule, and consequently
comparisons were Only made OF rev
with which we were familiar We attach
hereto list of same. marked statement
No. 49, showing the names OF the con-
Germs and the amounts due the city for
the years 1904 and 1905, aggregating $lO,5Oo.
We wish to direct special attention to
the license collected from the Birming-
ham Railway, Light and Power company.
We We're informed by the license collector
that by agreement license was to be coll
lected from only five lines of street rail-
ways The license schedule for 1904 pro-
vides that there shall be paid license
of $500 for each company absorbed. The
license schedule for 1905 provides that
there shall be license of $1,000 for each
company absorbed. According to our best
information, the present consolidated
company operates about ten lines, and IL
this information is correct a license
should be paid for each of these. There
is an agreement limiting the li'.nse to
FIVE lines; but in view of the recent de-
cson in the water works case, we think
it doubtful whether this agreement would
hold, and. therefore, the enforcement of
the schedule of 10 and 1905 would mean
an additional revenue to the city OF $1,000
for these two years
The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-02
inferior Criminal Court.

We were BILE to check the entire
collections from this source owing to
the fact that the books containing the
stubs Nos. 1900 to 1900 inclusive were miss
ing. The proper :are does not appear
to have been exercised in accounting for
the collections with the result that on
the first of May, 1905, the clerk was due
the city $3.50. Errors have been made
from month to month in making returns
some of which were not corrected until
several months later We could not ascer-
tain whether or not the correct amount
Of fines had been collected, as there Is
no correct check on the time served by
the nrisoners