The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-30
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

"Alarmlsts" are those excitable individ- uals with nothing better to do whose tongues begin to clacx at every fresh rumor of some public danger Just at present the yellow fever liar" is per nioiously active. The authorities of sew eral southern cities have taken steps to put quietus on these individuals and several arrests have already been report ed. A season in jail might teach them not to believe and propagate every tale they hear.
 Moral obliquity'' is a popular phrase these days. Gentlemen like Mr. Jerome, MT. Folk. Mir. Weaver, Mir Roosevelt and other individuals whose duty calls them to investigate public corruption are considered authorities on "moral obli- quity." It Is prevalent enough for every one to learn a thing or two about It's symptoms.
 If is something of a paradox that a high life and a low life are frequently led at the same time.
 George W. Vanderbilt is another man of wealth who has found that farming as pastime does not pay.
 It is definitely announced that Paul Morton's salary as president of the Eaui- table Assurance society will be $S0,0O0 a year. This Is ten time as much as he received as Secretary of the Navy but it does not mean that he has climbed ten more rounds up the ladder of fame
 A copy of the Dawson Daily News shows that journalism in far away Alaska is inclined to be yellow, but the Yukon territory is strenuous region and 1t Is not surprising that scare-heads are pop ular among the News subscribers.
 An old river captain was talking. T had an experience once on the River Queen that I'll never forget" he said when his pipe began to draw freely. We was booming down the Mississip to New Orleans and had a boat full of passengers. In the crowd was a remarkably pretty young girl who soon became the pet of everybody on board She was such a quiet, sunny-tempered little thing that we all warmed up to her in a minute She was on her way to meet her mother at Natchez, whom she had not seen since childhood She didn't remember anything about her mother and had lived all her life with a family of wealth in St. Louis, by whom she had been adopted. As I said, the girl was great favorite and her interesting history caused her to be the subject of much speculation. Her face would light up at the thought of tha -bo had h,tt ly made herself known to the foster pa- rents of the girl and had sent money with the request that her daughter, whom she had not seen in so many years, might be allowed to pay her visit. The girl became real chummy with the pilots and would sit for hours in the pilot house, looking out over the yellow river and musing with her chin resting in her hand. Being good-naturedly teased about her day dreams she confessed that she was going to marry young chap in St, Louis who was rich. We'll as we got on down the river the girls excitement increased and the day before we reached Natchez she couldn't hardly keep still. When the boat drew up to the shore and the gang plank was run out the girl stood. on deck searching eagerly the faces of those standing on the levee. A corpulent, nut latto woman came puffng up the gang plank. and seeing the girl alone, went up to her. She looked at a photograph which she held in one hand, gazed at the girl intentfy and then threw her arms around her neck. Nah chilel nah chilel" she cried ecstatically. The girls face was ghastly She stood like a figure of stone. The woman hustled around with several bundles she had brought and an- nouncing that she would take her daugh- ter to New Orleans, she led the girl to a quiet part of the deck. It was almost dark when we left Natchez. About o'clock the mulatto woman came, rushing up to me, wringing her hands and crying out that her daughter had jumped into the river. We stopped the boat and made search for the body but without suc- cess. The octoroon was never found and am sure that was the fate she desired.''
 PAUL COOK.